For the first time on vinyl a collection of tracks by Cortex, Alain Neffe's (Bene Gesserit, Insane Music) experimental spoken-word project originally released on tape in 1984. Cortex was never intended to be a conventional musical project. From the very beginning it was centered around free live performances. These encounters were stripped down and highly visual: Alain Neffe constructed a trapezoidal fluorescent white screen lit by black light. The narrator -- la récitante -- was only illuminated in the face, while the rest of the stage remained in complete darkness. This created a ghostly effect where the audience could see only her glowing face and dark silhouette. She was a beautiful young woman, with a striking presence, and beside her, Alain Neffe played synthesizer and created sonic effects. The aim of Cortex was to deliver a minimalist and emotional experience, one centered on text and the voice of the narrator. Most of the tracks that exist today were recorded informally during rehearsals, using two microphones placed in front of Marshall amps, captured directly to cassette. La récitante could choose a text from a collection of hundreds. Then, the music was improvised in real time around her voice. That process, simple, direct, and instinctive produced a body of work that's rough around the edges, but full of presence. It's not polished, but that's the point. Cortex was focused entirely on the connection between voice and sound.

"Grayfolded is literally a hundred or so great nights rolled into one extraordinary extended high. Gorgeous sonic origami." --Rolling Stone

"An extended time-warped psychedelic jam that is meticulously hallucinatory." --New York Times

This deluxe 2025 vinyl edition of The Grateful Dead's Grayfolded was pressed at Optimal in Germany, known for their high-end audiophile pressings. In 1993 Canadian composer John Oswald was invited by Phil Lesh to transform historical recordings of the Dead into something new, along the lines of what they had attempted in their Anthem of the Sun album. Oswald chose to focus on the Dead's Dark Star, which, over the course of a quarter century, they had expanded and transformed in myriad ways in live performances. Oswald was given access to the Vaults, where over the course of a month, with the guidance of the Dead's resident archivist Dick Latvala, he collected 105 performances, which through the following year he formed, folded, fondled, and finessed into a kaleidoscopic unstuck-in-time documentary of the Grateful Dead in some of their most psychedelic, symphonic, and rocking excursions -- a singular 110-minute fantasy performance. Here it is, Deadheads, the ultimate Dark Star. Deluxe audiophile pressing cut in Toronto under the watchful ears of John Oswald. Elaborately printed packaging in a heavy-duty triple gatefold jacket includes liner notes by musicologist Rob Bowman featuring interviews with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Robert Hunter plus six "time maps" which chart the source concerts of Dark Star. Music performed by The Grateful Dead (c) Grateful Dead Productions Inc. & Ice Nine Publishing Inc. Taken from over 100 performances of Dark Star recorded between 1968 and 1993. Built, layered and "folded" to produce one large, new re-composed Dark Star. Original recordings of the Grateful Dead in performance have been processed using Plunderphonic techniques. John Oswald is best known as the creator of the music genre Plunderphonics, an appropriative form of recording studio creation which he began to develop in the late sixties. This has got him in trouble with, and also generated invitations from major record labels and musical icons. Meanwhile, in the '90s he began, with several commissions from the Kronos Quartet, to compose scores for classical musicians and orchestras, the latest of which is an orchestral work, commissioned by the BBC, combining aspects of The Beatles, Gyrgy Ligeti, and Terry Riley. He also improvises on the saxophone in various settings, dances, and is a successful visual artist, best known for the chronophotic series Stillnessence.

Duncan Park, from Johannesburg, South Africa, has been releasing music since 2017 on labels such as Ramble Records from Melbourne Australia and Aural Canyon from Texas, as well as numerous self-released digital releases. Duncan draws inspiration from Six Organs of Admittance, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Robbie Basho, Daniel Bachman, Spiral Joy Band, Pelt, Liam Grant; from jazz giants like Alice Coltrane and Charles Mingus, and also from extreme metal and noise. Path To The Gallows was recorded in Beeston, UK and Durban, South Africa straight to cassette and engineered by the wizard Rob V. It's Duncan's ninth "proper" album (but could also be his twelfth or sixth depending how you count them). Leaning into the lo-fi world, Gallows is a great representation of Duncan's expertise in playing, composition, variety, and open mindedness. The LP begins with the epic "A Moon Possessed Corpse," which starts with the classic handheld cassette handling racket, setting up the tone of the release, before sliding right into Duncan's frenetic fingering and pull-offs, like he's desperately trying to document something before heading off on a one-way trip, all while his dog moans in the background, knowing what's in store. In much the same way countless people have captured themselves on cassette, Duncan documents his mindset on to tape, with tracks like "Talking and Tuning," setting the recording in a particular time and place, while he tunes and warms up, getting ready for the rising waters that are coming next "Flood Warning" sees him picking up the banjo, staying in the American Primitive world, before heading into a more classical guitar jaunt with the aptly titled "Allegro Op. 50, No. 13." With "Leaving Beeston Blues," Duncan gets back to the slower paced primitive guitar work, with some swelling background keyboard work. "Thistle On the South Coast" is a short ditty on flute, with feelings and imagery of coastlines, either here or there. "Waltz No. 1" returns to the more classical realm, before eventually settling back into the raag stylings of "Weaver's Nest," which ends with over a minute of the sounds of insects, a wind chime, and the return of the dog, letting the listen catch their breath before turning the record over to start it all over again.

Double LP version. "Habibi Funk presents its 31st release which happens to be its third Various Artist compilation. The album is dedicated to the cassette tape scene in Libya from the late '80s to early 2000s, from disco to reggae to pop. All songs previously unreleased outside of Libya and not available on any DSP platforms. This compilation isn't a sweeping history of Libyan music -- it's a personal journey into the sounds the label fell in love with while digging through tapes, conversations, and stories across Libya and beyond. Rather than spotlighting the country's most famous musical exports, the compilation brings forward a mix of overlooked gems and local classics of the cassette era: artists whose work thrived despite political limitations, and scarce international exposure. The music featured here blends reggae rhythms, synthy disco grooves, gritty pop, house, and funk, a vibrant collision of genres that reflects Libya's unique sonic landscape from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Many of these recordings were recovered from the TK7 cassette factory in Sousse, Tunisia, a now-demolished site that once played a quiet but vital role in distributing and manufacturing Libyan music. Other tracks were digitized in a Cairo hotel room in 2021, where Habibi Funk transferred nearly 100 tapes over the course of three days, on-site using a high-grade cassette deck brought into Egypt. From that trove emerged artists like Ahmed Ben Ali, Cheb Bakr, and Najib Alhoush & The Free Music. Their sounds sit alongside contributions from this release from the likes of Khaled Al Melody, Fathi Aldiyqz & Sons of Africa Band, City Lights Band, Libya Music Band, and Group Hewaya. What ties all the artists on this comp together is a boundary- pushing approach to genre and style: recorded in small studios, exchanged by hand, and shaped by a cross-pollination of influences, from Benghazi to Tripoli and beyond. All tracks are licensed from their creators and in the case of the artists being deceased from their estates."

Includes replica of all inserts. Girls At Our Best! were one of the greatest and most influential bands to emerge in the early 1980s as part of a new wave of independent acts. DJ John Peel championed them, playing their singles repeatedly and inviting them to record a session for his program. Wry vocalist Judy Evans and brutal yet melodic guitarist James Alan who'd met at art college in Leeds fronted Girls At Our Best!, the proto-Indie band that formed from the ashes of Alan's 1977 punk band SOS! Pleasure, the sole album, reached number two in the Indie Chart. It was an album so different from the rest of the post-punk indie pack that you can still play it now and completely baffle new listeners. As John Peel said about Roxy Music, it just doesn't seem to relate to anything else.

Toy Tonics Italomania Vol. 3 is a compilation dedicated to new Italian disco. 14 young contemporary Italian producers made new organic disco, indie dance, pop house tracks with Italian vocals. Everything on this compilation has been produced in 2024. Fresh dance music by Italian artists Paul Older, Riva Starr, Valentino Vivace, Sam Ruffillo & Fimiani, Kymono, Mille Punti, Mind Enterprises, Bruno Belissimo, and legendary cosmic disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli and French Italo hitmakers Dov'e Liana. The Italomania compilation was initiated by Toy Tonics boss Kapote. Italo-German producer, DJ, keyboarder and head of Toy Tonics and Gomma records. Italoamnia is a manifesto to show the status of Italian disco of today. Kapote invited the most relevant Italian producers to make new tracks with Italian vocals and show different styles of modern Italian disco with Italian vocals.

"Closing out the Special Sound Series in style, we are proud to present the long-awaited vinyl reissue of Shigeo Sekito's 1985, an instrumental masterpiece that arrived nearly a decade after his iconic Kareinaru Electone Special Sound Series of the 1970s. A true pioneer in the world of Electone music, Sekito's name -- instantly recognizable in katakana -- has left an indelible mark on the genre. This album showcases his signature artistry across eight captivating tracks, blending originals and covers with his distinct sonic palette. The cosmic allure of the original composition 'Amish At Dusk' stands out among the set, while the Manhattan Transfer cover 'Twilight Zone, Twilight Tone' brims with dynamic, fast-paced arrangements. Meanwhile, Sekito's take on The Crusaders' 'Rhapsody And Blues' unfolds with a laid-back groove, gradually building into an uplifting crescendo. Drifting between chill-out and ambient sensibilities, 1985 captures a wistful, melancholic beauty -- where the rich textures of the Electone transport listeners into a world of nostalgia and dreamlike introspection. This final reissue in the series is a must-have for collectors and fans alike. Experience 1985 in its warm, analog glory -- now on vinyl."

Limited 2025 restock; Black Editions present the first vinyl reissue of Keiji Haino's stunning debut album Watashi Dake?, originally released in 1981. This first ever edition released outside of Japan features the artist's originally intended metallic gold and silver jacket artwork. Over the last fifty years few musicians or performers have created as monumental and uncompromising a body of work as that of Keiji Haino. Through a vast number of recordings and performances, Haino has staked out a ground all his own, creating a language of unparalleled intensity that defies any simple classification. For all this, his 1981 debut album Watashi Dake? has remained enigmatic. Originally released in a small edition by the legendary Pinakotheca label, the album was heard by only a select few in Japan and far fewer overseas. Original vinyl copies became impossibly rare and highly sought after the world over. Watashi Dake? presents a haunting vision -- stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuate dark silences. Intricate and sharp guitar figures interweave, repeat, and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses. Written and composed on the spot -- Haino's vision is one of deep spiritual depths that distantly evokes 1920s blues and medieval music -- yet is unlike anything ever committed to record before or since. Produced in close cooperation with Keiji Haino and legendary photographer Gin Satoh. Coupled with starkly minimal packaging, featuring the now iconic cover photographs by Gin Satoh, the album is a startling and fully realized artistic statement. Housed in custom printed deluxe Stoughton tip-on jackets, including black on black inserts, extras, and hand-colored finishes; Remastered by Elysian Masters and cut by Bernie Grundman Mastering; Pressed to high quality vinyl at RTI; Includes download code.

"Warm and calm ambient music from the Olivia Tremor Control. Originally packaged as a bonus disc with the band's debut album, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle, in 1996 and later released on its own. Now available on vinyl for the first time, the label's (nearly) 30th anniversary double LP re-issue featuring custom embossed jackets. Limited to a pressing of 500 copies."

2025 repress. "On May 27th 1983, drummer Masahiko Togashi and guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, two pivotal figures in the Japanese free jazz scene that had been working together since the 1960's, performed and record this unique set at Zojoji Hall in Tokyo. At the time, Japanese jazz musicians were trying to find their own voice, welcoming creative elements coming in from the USA and Europe. The two musicians were at the fore-front of this generation, with Takayanagi developing his own guitar style through influences of mainstream and more extreme jazz, and drummer Togashi had developed a unique approach to drums and percussions, using silence as an integral part of music making, also due to an accident that forced him on a wheelchair after 1970. The record is divided in two tracks ('Inner Pulsation' and 'Outer Pulsation'), each one about 22 minutes in length, mirroring the original LP sides. The performance can be regarded as a single piece though, with a clearly symmetrical structure, even if the musicians cover much musical ground over the course of the album. The extreme abstractness of the music guarantees many possibilities, but the main themes here are pure sound and space, investigated through a massive use of silence, ever-changing dynamics and slow structural developments unfolding with a mysterious musical logic. Originally released on iconic Japanese label Paddle Wheel and out-of-print for a very long time, the album has become a very sought-after collector's item and we are glad to bring this back on vinyl in collaboration with King Record Co."

"Everybody Loves The Sunshine is more than a classic. It is THE summer anthem, one of the most covered and sampled soul tunes by Roy Ayers and the Ubiquity family. This vinyl re-release has been eagerly awaited by music lovers worldwide. This version was originally recorded as a cover version, produced by Soulciety Records for their label band project named The Soulsociety. The performance was recorded with the original songwriter and producer of the song, Mr. Legendary vibes controller and soul superstar Roy Ayers. This recording follows the original '70s feel and instrumentation of the 1976 version, but this time also features Roy Ayers prominently on lead vocals. Another big difference compared to all other versions by Roy and Ramp is the fact that this version is arranged and produced as a midtempo track. It will fit perfectly into any DJs set with a focus on soul, funk or hip hop. For the first time ever, this classic is now available on a Sedsoulciety Recordings 7" vinyl with a full cover artwork, including the previously unreleased instrumental version on the flip side with added extra vibes by the master himself."

"In 1990, CM von Hausswolff, while on a tour in the United States with Karkowski/Bilting, PHAUSS, and The Hafler Trio, visited Dale Travous' CCD2 Laboratory located in the basement of the Kalberer Hotel Supply building in Seattle. Travous, who had a keen interest in the scientific and artistic contributions of Nikola Tesla, had constructed a large Tesla coil in his laboratory. During this visit, CM von Hausswolff recorded a demonstration of the coil, and the resulting sound was incorporated into PHAUSS' composition, 'Nothing But The Truth,' which was released on compact disc in 1991 by the Anckarström label in Gothenburg, Sweden, and later re-released in 2022 by Room40 in Brisbane, Australia. This meeting with Travous also led to a collaboration involving The Hafler Trio/PHAUSS and Annie Sprinkle, aimed at advocating for NATO's withdrawal from Iceland. The project utilized two Megavolt Tesla Transmitters, which included four Hewlett Packard function generators, a laser modulator, an SW receiver, and metal runes, culminating in a video and a series of photographs taken by Arthur S. Aubry. The sounds produced by these Tesla coils have been integrated into this production. In 1973, the Federal Electrical Commission in Mexico City was involved in the production of a television program for Canal 4 (Channel 4) designed to highlight Nikola Tesla's sound experiments with turbines and wireless resonant electric circuits. This initiative was named 'Visible Sound.' Ultimately, due to concerns regarding low viewership, the decision was made not to air the show. Since then, it has been classified as 'Lost Media,' archived within annals of the now-defunct Canal 4 in Mexico City. During the sound experiments, members of the Commission employed early synthesizers and circuit boards to capture and manipulate the vibrations produced by these devices. Fast forward to 2024, Telekinett successfully obtained these important recordings, which had been preserved on magnetic tape by a former employee who had worked on their optimization and mastering."

Limited 2025 restock; 2010 release. An expanded and definitive double LP edition of Kevin Drumm's groundbreaking first album, originally released on Perdition Plastics in 1997. Featuring some of the most fiercely abstract and organic guitar work ever heard, Drumm's debut is both jarring and completely alien. Dubbed by some as the greatest prepared guitar record ever recorded it prefigured (and continues to trump) almost an entire decade or so of contemporary "out" music that would follow. Beautiful and completely essential. This edition includes an entire fourth side of previously unreleased recordings from Drumm's personal archive, all recorded in the same era as the original album. It also includes entirely new artwork featuring the body of the actual guitar used to record the album. Kevin Drumm - guitar. Recorded directly to tape in the fall of 1996; Tracks A1-C1 were first issued in 1997 (Perdition Plastics). 180 gram vinyl; Includes two full-color inserts; Includes download code; Heavy "tip-on" gatefold jacket with spot gloss and matte finishes, textured de-bossing.

2025 repress; First release on the new French label Disques de la Spirale, featuring an experimental motorik-kraut-dub infused, semi-improvised live act built by Tamara Goukassova, Axel Larsen, and Théo Delaunay (Panoptique, Succhiamo, Violent Quand on Aime, Radiante Pourpre) from Simple Music Experience; featuring Maoupa Mazzocchetti, Fiesta en el Vacío, Ventre de Biche, Kyle Knapp (Deliluh). French non-jazz trio overflowed by Simple Music Experience's funders Tamara Goukassova, Théo Delaunay and Alexandre Larcier, offering a 40 minutes of non-simple music madness, and navigating between a dozen of etiquettes from undecided space rock to motorik-infused-dub, medieval folk, cartoon trance; everything under the seal of psychedelia and half-improvisation. Built from drums, violin, springs, samples, reiterations, overdubs, trumpets, synths, distortions; and the appearances of Luna Cedrón, Luca Retraite, Kyle Knapp (Deliluh), F. Mazzocchetti (Maoupa Mazzocchetti). Chimera embraced by three members of the Simple Music Experience label, also (co-) liable at one point for the acts of Axel Larsen, (The) Simplists, Violent Quand On Aime, Constance Chlore, T. Goukassova, Radiante Pourpre, Succhiamo, or Panoptique; Parasite Jazz emerged in 2016 in the smoke of a suspicious performance on Simple Music TV. An improvised and protean artifact at birth, the project settled down at the end of 2020 as a trio (Axel Larsen, Constance Chlore, Tamara Goukassova) in Marseille, then as a sextet during the Illusio festival in the summer of 2021. A series of concerts with a shifting line-up followed -- Kyle Knapp, Luca Retraite and Luna Cedrón sometimes appeared and with them, spontaneous incandescences. This first series of collective hallucinations took the form of an album during a perilous recording at Grrrnd Zero (Lyon) in October 2021, and is completed by live recordings gleaned over the course of the summer episodes. For fans of Faust, Tomaga, Tony Conrad.

2025 repress. 140 gram black vinyl. Radiation Deluxe Series present a reissue of The Kids's self-titled debut album, originally released on the Philips label in 1978. Hailing from Antwerp, Belgium, The Kids formed in 1976 to prove to the world that punk was more than just a London vs. New York fashion contest. Highly-acclaimed as one of the best punk records ever, The Kids' debut album is now reissued on vinyl, with two bonus tracks recorded in 1977. This is pure and quintessential punk rock.

2025 restock. Be With Records presents a reissue of James Clarke's Mystery Movie, originally released in 1974. Mystery Movie was originally billed as "modern, small group compositions in various moods. Ideally suited to the new Americanized style of T.V. and cinema film where music is used to create the mood and carry the action". So this collection covers a lot of bases, but it does so brilliantly and has absolutely no right to be such a fantastic listen from start to finish. Mystery Movie is best known for the slick drum breaks underpinning the top-notch jazz-funk chase theme "Car Patrol", the fuzz riffing and ARP soloing of "The Heavies" and the slow-mo strut of "Mystery Moll". "Study In Fear" and "Empty Streets" are horror soundtrack fodder of the finest sort. However, it's the understated, plaintive pieces that are the most rewarding. Ambient feels and strung-out fried-folk treats, full of cyclical naïve melodies, this is music that evokes the "downlifting" Ronnie Lane and Ron Wood instrumentals from their great Mahoney's Last Stand (1976), as well as the beautiful soundtrack work of Jack Nitzsche and Ry Cooder. One might also recognize "Waiting Game" from being sampled by melodic downbeat masters Express Rising. Check "Relaxed Theme", "Quiet Girl", "Routine Procedure" and "Quietness Sustained" for a melodic, melancholic set, with the last three performed on just acoustic guitar and harp. Be With has worked with the hallowed KPM to re-issue ten of our favorites from across the KPM 1000 Series and the Themes International Music catalogue, currently under KPM stewardship. Whether it's killer soul-funk, sweet jazz-samba, scuzzed-up guitars or accidental Balearic beauty, these records include some of the most innovative work from some of the most talented composers and musicians of the 20th century. These records were never readily available, being originally released as a ready-made, affordable alternative to commissioning music for television and radio. Consequentially the originals have been unobtainable for decades by all but the most dedicated collectors. The audio for all ten re-issues comes from the original analog tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. The same care has been taken with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity. 180 gram vinyl.

"Melodies are alive, remolded and reshaped in each performance. Guitarist Shane Parish embraces this continual evolution by transcribing songs from across musical genres, instruments, and eras for solo guitar. Albums like 2024's Repertoire, which features 14 songs across jazz, folk, and electronic music and played on acoustic guitar, showcase his skill in transcription, as does his work transforming Bill Orcutt's Four Guitars from a multi-tracked solo project into a quartet played live by four musicians. His practice is that of musical curiosity and technical virtuosity, highlighting all the ways a good song can be unraveled and sewn back together into something new. On Solo At Cafe Oto, Parish presents six poignant ballads reimagined for solo electric guitar as played at London's legendary venue in fall 2023. A European tour with the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet brought him to the venue; they did a one-off show at Cafe Oto in which each member of the group played a solo set. It ended up being a special night, one of those shows in which there's magic in the room forged by a shared love of music. Many of the songs Parish chose to perform that evening hold a sense of mysteriousness, something immersive and intriguing to get lost in. He picked them -- some of which had stayed with him for many years -- because of their attention to atmosphere. It's a characteristically eclectic vision: Three songs are by John Jacob Niles, a Kentucky balladeer whom Parish had developed a deep knowledge of over recent years, two are by English songwriters, Anne Briggs and Shirley Collins, and one is by Angelo Badalamenti, known for his unique ability to capture the dreamy and surreal darkness of David Lynch's storied worlds. Parish's transcriptions highlight how each of these songs create a mood in their timeless melodies, and invite us to share in them."

2025 restock, originally released in 2023. "At the beginning of its formation, the ensemble functioned as a jazz group with a wide variety of instruments. During a tour of Europe, the group's line-up was reduced to just three members, with El'Zabar on percussion and two wind instruments. This line-up, born out of necessity, became the ensemble's signature sound. 'We were very scared, having such a unique instrumentation. But we were far from home, we were 20 years old and we had to survive. And we developed a language and a formula that allowed us to play with non-traditional instrumentation all these years,' El'Zabar recounted. 'I didn't realize this until last year when someone said, 'You started the band in 1973,' and I said, 'Yes.' ' And they said, 'Well, won't it be 50 years next year?' reports Zabar, laughing. 'I feel very grateful for the experiences I've had and the musicians I've been lucky enough to work with. If your work is of value to others, then you feel you have served. That has been the main thing for me as an artist.'"

2025 restock. Exact repro of this 1970 compilation, originally released on the Austrian label Roots in 1970. Includes the song "Black Snake Moan." "The father of Texas blues, Blind Lemon Jefferson began a successful recording career for Paramount Records in 1926 in Chicago, recording over 100 sides until his death at age 35 in 1929... his songs have also been covered by many rock artists including, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead."

Paperbound, 407 pages. "Edited by Lawrence Kumpf, Charles Curtis. Text by Éliane Radigue, Dagmar Schwerk, Daniel Sillman, Anthony Vine. A detailed look at the elusive work of a French pioneer of musique concrète and electroacoustic composition. This volume is an exploration of the early electronic work of French composer Éliane Radigue (born 1932), whose radical approach to feedback, analog synthesis and composition on tape has long evaded straightforward interpretation. Combining key texts, newly translated primary documents, in-depth interviews and commissioned essays, this compendium probes her idiosyncratic compositional practice, which both embraces and confounds the iterative nature of magnetic tape, the subtleties of amplification and the very experience of listenership. Chief among these entries is an in-depth overview by cellist Charles Curtis examining the composer's earliest experiments in feedback techniques and analog synthesis, her eventual turn to works for unamplified instruments and live performers, and her unique aesthetic of time and presence. Detailed conversations provide crucial windows into her working methods at different points in her career. Sketches for unrealized work, contemporary reviews, programs and ephemera are collected together for the first time. The anthology concludes with a roundtable discussion working out the knotty paradoxes of Radigue's continued 'ethos of resistance.'"

"Unreleased disco and boogie from Dayton, Ohio's Record Player. Their full album, collating both sides of their rare 45 with more killer music recorded in the late '70s, unreleased until now. Contains oversized booklet with notes by historian Bret Sjerven, detailing the Record Player's story and the history of the Ohio soul music scene that allowed for their rise. In 1979, Record Player privately pressed and issued a solitary 45 on their Gem City Records imprint in Dayton, Ohio. Though they had recorded a host of other songs, and were on the verge of signing to a major label, their trajectory stalled and the band splintered by the early 1980s. In the early 2000s, Record Player principle Charles Jackson surfaced with their unreleased songs. To date, only two Record Player songs have been reissued, as part of Now-Again's long-running Soul Cal series. Now, the entirety of their oeuvre is presented here as Free Your Mind, and their story detailed in words by Bret Sjerven. This is a special release for Now-Again, and will be perfect for any fan of the deep disco scene that birthed the likes of Luther Davis, Edge of Daybreak, Tomorrow's People, Split Decision Band, and so many others."

The In Between is the debut solo album by harpist, composer, and sound artist Shelley Burgon. Burgon is one of the most accomplished and sought-after performers and collaborators in the world of avant-garde and new music. Her interpretations of works by composers such as Pauline Oliveros, John Cage, Morton Subotnick, and Cornelius Cardew, as well as her collaborations with artists as diverse as Bjork, Anthony Braxton, and Fred Frith have shown her to be an artist with an extraordinary ability to get to the core of the music, surpassing the limitations of technical mastery with a transcendent sense of nuance and feel. Over the years, Burgon's own compositions, including works for groups such as the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and The Ne(x)tworks ensemble featuring Joan LaBarbara, have demonstrated these intangible qualities with even greater clarity and shown her to be an artist with a deeply personal, spiritual vision. The In Between is an immersive, meditative work in which Burgon's subtle arrangement of space and seemingly simple melodic lines draws the listener into a deep awareness of the piece itself as well as the wider, vibrant sound world that we all inhabit. It was composed and performed by Burgon alone on her acoustic concert harp without amplification or effects and recorded live, in one take, as an early summer day gave way to dusk in the mountains overlooking the Ojai Valley in California. The continuous 56-minute piece unfolds as the sounds of songbirds and airplanes fade with the setting sun; the chirps of crickets and frogs slowly emerge; the wood of the auditorium roof crackles as it cools with the evening air. The music is spacious, Burgon plays each note with a focus that is both tense and gentle, often allowing each to fully resonate and float before evaporating into the sounds of the surrounding chaparral and woodlands. At other moments, cascades of notes come into being, flowing with a ringing clarity and dissolving as quickly as they emerge from the mountain air. As motifs and figures repeat and evolve, Burgon's work becomes one of memory and foresight, a Feldman-esque unfurling realized as a sort of field recording in which the listener is both present and in between. Cut at 45RPM and pressed to HQ180gram vinyl at RTI. Presented in heavy tip-on gatefold double vinyl. with spot finishes and two full color printed inner sleeves with notes by the artist.

"A banger of an issue. Lou Reed is a cover story, as David Holzer digs deep into his provocative experimental double-LP Metal Machine Music, fifty years after its release. The Saints are back with the third part of an expansive interview with Ed Kuepper who talks about the band's adventures in the UK in 1977. The story of psychedelic mavericks Plasticland gets even freakier; Cheetah Chrome is interviewed about Rocket from the Tombs and the Dead Boys; Peter Stanfield exalts in the primal R&B sound of Them; and freewheeling Canadian folk-rocker Tom Northcott shares his remarkable story. Plus: the fascinating backstory of Pete Morticelli's 1967 moody garage killer 'Lost'; female Dutch psych rockers Cinderella; Duncan Fallowell on Bowie's Ziggy Stardust; Cyril Jordan on the Lovin' Spoonful; Bob Neuwirth on Janis Joplin; exotic guitar rocker Aris San; a tribute to the Pretty Things' Mark St John, and more. Not to forget, reviews of all the latest and greatest reissues and our esteemed book review section."

"Amish Records presents an expanded, gatefold 2LP version of P.G. Six's second album, The Well of Memory, originally released in 2004. This 2025 expanded edition has beautiful new artwork, reimagined by Meredyth Sparks and comes with a bonus LP entitled Lost and Live. The LP includes six previously unreleased songs from The Well of Memory sessions and a handful of live versions of songs from the album. Continuing many of the themes introduced on Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites, PG Six's well-received first record, The Well Of Memory made further nods towards '60s folk artists like Bert Jansch, Pentangle, Incredible String Band, and John Fahey, while also fitting in with contemporary musicians like New York psych folk posterboy Devendra Banhardt, Anglo-folk traditionalist Alasdair Roberts, and West Coast psych guitarist Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance. Pat's lyrics draw on narrative force, spinning mythology in abstract patterns that stretch moments of clarity between dreamlike sequences. His music, composed away from the bustle of the city in upstate New York, breathes as solemn spirituals."

"A captivating deep cut from the golden age of Italian library music, Il Ponte Dell'Asia stands as one of Piero Umiliani's most evocative and exotic soundscapes. Originally released in 1967 as a private pressing for Italian the TV documentary by Corrado Sofia, this elusive gem blends Far Eastern motifs with the elegance of mid-century European jazz and the textured experimentation that defines Umiliani's best work. On Il Ponte Dell'Asia, Umiliani constructs a cinematic bridge between continents, layering modal melodies, sinuous flutes, shimmering vibraphones, and richly orchestrated strings over hypnotic rhythms and subtly psychedelic touches. The result is a masterful fusion of East-meets-West that channels both travelogue fantasy and avant-garde sophistication -- a rare synthesis of traditional instrumentation and modernist sensibility. Exported from the original tapes, and pressed on high-quality vinyl with faithfully restored artwork, this reissue offers a long-overdue return to one of Umiliani's most immersive sonic journeys, an essential for fans of Italian library music, film scores, and genre-defying jazz. Rediscover a lost jewel from the vault of one of Italy's most visionary composers -- where bamboo forests, smoky clubs, and dreamlike landscapes converge in sound."

"Morgan Studios sound engineers Mike Bobak and Andy Johns teamed up with psychedelic musician Will Malone to record one of UK's rarest prog/psych albums. Originally released in 1969, the music reflects the Brit psych sounds of the time with swirling organ, fuzzed guitar and blissed out vocals. Vinyl edition on purple vinyl."

Double LP version. The official soundtrack to Jean-Cosme Delaloye's documentary about the life and career of Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig, Desire: The Carl Craig Story is presented on 2x12" vinyl as well as CD. The collection, coming via his prolific and seminal Planet E Communications, features music from across Craig's vast catalog, including several tracks that have never previously seen full release. Its selections span his many aliases and projects, offering a rare glimpse into the full scope of his groundbreaking career. Among the rare and remastered tracks featured is "No More Words" -- originally released in 1991, newly reissued on vinyl and available digitally for the first time. A foundational track in the Detroit techno canon, "No More Words" captures the emotive synths and tight grooves of Craig's sound that would soon resonate across dance floors worldwide. Its reissue marks a moment of reflection on the genre's roots and evolution. Another remastered track from Craig's extensive archive is "The Truth," a deep cut from Craig's discography under his Designer Music alias, now widely available for the first time a quarter-century after its original release. The film's end credits are scored by the contemplative Meditation 4, an ambient production previously only available on Craig's 2013 Masterpiece compilation CD for Ministry of Sound. Iconic remixes such as his Grammy-nominated rework of Junior Boys' "Like A Child" is included alongside lesser-known but equally epic remixes such as his sublime 2012 mix of Slam's "Azure," which is employed for the film's title credits and had previously only seen a limited release. Also featured across the soundtrack's multiple formats are iconic Carl Craig productions under his 69, Psyche/BFC and Innerzone Orchestra aliases, and collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Francesco Tristano. The soundtrack serves as a companion to the new documentary directed by Jean-Cosme Delaloye and produced by Sovereign Films, which follows Carl's journey from Detroit's middle-class roots to global stardom, set against the city's decline and recovery. The film explores his work at the intersection of music, art, and culture, from his collaborations with Bottega Veneta to his Party/After-Party installation, acquired by the Detroit Institute of Arts and exhibited at MOCA Los Angeles. Featuring interviews with Gilles Peterson, Roni Size, Laurent Garnier, DJ Minx, Kenny Larkin, Moritz von Oswald, and James Lavelle, Desire highlights Carl's championing of Detroit's Black creative excellence and the often-overlooked African-American roots of electronic music.

The NaC, a mysterious and surprising music project arising from English countryside, has beautifully constructed a musical parasol with this new album -- not just a traditional sunshade, but a metaphorical shield ("para" in Latin) against visual dischord, noise, the ultra-sonic spectrum, and generally all things unwanted. Parasol, composed by Miles Newbold -- one of the most unique and fascinating figures in the contemporary neo-library psychedelic jazz fusion scene -- was recorded in rural Derbyshire, nestled between hills and trees. The result is unmistakably singular, carrying The Natural Yogurt Band's wild yet perfectly balanced signature sound: raw-edged compositions, solid but fragile textures, and heavy drum work by Tom Dempsey. All of it is framed by Newbold's exceptional and uncompromising production style, which functions, fittingly, as a parasol -- a protective barrier against the modern world's relentless disturbances. Sonor Music Editions beautifully bridges the gap between the past and present, with this album, by featuring an original painting by Italian artist Vivì as the cover art. Vivì is renowned for creating iconic covers for 1970s library releases such as Paolo Casa's Nature (Wild Cat -- WC 114), Movimenti (Full Records -- FRLP 5099), and Origini (Leo Records -- LR 21), and Domenico Guaccero's La Cattedrale del Benessere (Abramo Allione -- A.A. 1010), among others.

The German guitarist, bandleader and soundscape architect JJ Whitefield has been an innovative force of the contemporary scene of neo-jazz-kraut, and adjacent sub-genres within the world of organic grooves, ever since the early 1990s. The work with his group Poets of Rhythm drew the blueprint for what's now known as retro-soul, and his creative canvas has never been blank since with numerous solo projects and collaborations across diverse constellations. Off The Grid is yet another testament to JJ Whitefield's creativity. The album perfectly connects the dots to the spirit of the golden age of library music waving together a rich tapestry of his world of playfulness, hypnotic grooves, and driving drums. It breathes new life into the genre while continuing to shape the future, as he has for over three decades. Sonor Music Editions beautifully bridges the gap between the past and present, with this album, by featuring a original paintings by Italian artist Vivì as the cover art.

Sababa 5 explore a darker and more sophisticated and cinematic blend of psychedelic soul and Middle Eastern rock on Nadir, their first full length album of new music since 2023's Aspan (BTR 086LP). Following three acclaimed albums, a string of sought-after 45s, and collaborations with vocalists including Yurika and Sophia Solompon, championed by esteemed tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews, and Jeremy Sole, Nadir finds Sababa 5 at their enigmatic and irresistible. The title is an astronomical term referring to the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath an observer, diametrically opposite the zenith. Metaphorically, it signifies the lowest point or a moment of adversity. This duality resonates with the band's exploration of contrasting musical themes -- melding the cosmic and the terrestrial, the ethereal and the grounded. The name encapsulates the album's essence, reflecting a journey through deep, introspective soundscapes that are both otherworldly and rooted in raw, earthly grooves. Nadir opens with "VU" -- close to four minutes of mysterious, darkly seductive, rhythm-driven funk. Swirling guitars, an Arabesque electric organ, and raga-like drones evoke the haze of a smoky Cairo bar, while the track nods to their close musical kin, vuvuvu, whose raw, noisy, and playful energy has rubbed off on the band. The title track itself conjures the sultry ambiance of a Mediterranean night, plunging listeners into a realm of intrigue and intensity. A brooding bassline sets a suspenseful tone before a synth-led melody, laced with Italian motifs and Middle Eastern tonalities, unfolds -- recalling the cinematic flair of soundtrack legends like Piero Umiliani and Stelvio Cipriani. Subtle wah-wah guitar accents add a psychedelic touch, echoing the acid rock elements of classic Poliziotteschi scores. However, not all tracks dwell in darkness; "Tell" sports a brighter tone reminiscent of Aspan. Leaning into Turkish ballad territory -- except with synths taking the lead part -- it is both melodic and melancholic, buoyed by an irresistible groove that offers a refreshing counterpoint to the album's shadowy moods. A must list album for fans of The Heliocentrics, Khruangbin, The Dap Kings, and Moğollar. Nadir stands as Sababa 5's most compelling and listenable offering yet -- a transcontinental journey where hypnotic grooves, cinematic arrangements, and evocative Middle Eastern scales create vivid imagery, compel movement, and touch the soul.

Two previously lost gems from the 1985 sessions that produced one of the key albums in Japanese underground music, the Hallelujahs' psychedelic pop masterpiece Eat Meat Swear and Oath (肉を喰らひて誓ひをたてよ). The first, "Pie-Para-Para," bounces and bops in a dreamlike haze and could comfortably sit beside anything on the LP. Written by guitarist Naoki Zushi (Hijokaidan, Idiot O'Clock), it features two guitar solos, with Shinji Shibayama (Nagisa Ni Te) up first, jagged, fuzzed and loose followed by Zushi himself closing out with a trademark electric guitar freak-out. Inexplicably, this is the only known recording of the song. The B-Side, the wistful "Star," had been included on the LP but here has an even more gorgeously ethereal air with a different mix that includes previous unheard choral harmonies. Cut and 45 RPM housed in a full color sleeve and includes a hand sealed and stamped envelope containing seven full color photographs of the band members taken during the 1984-1986 Hallelujahs studio sessions.

2025 restock; LP version. 180 gram vinyl pressing. Bureau B presents Flieg Vogel fliege by Hans-Joachim Roedelius, released by Sky Records in 1982. Flieg Vogel fliege (trans. "Fly Bird Fly") is the fifth installment of the "Selfportrait" series, with musical sketches and ideas recorded by Roedelius between the years of 1973 and 1979 on a Revox tape machine in his living room. In contrast to the previous self-portraits, which he left untouched, Roedelius revised these recordings and embellished them with further tracks. "Measured against its predecessors, however, the audio quality is notably superior on this edition. Roedelius clearly improved the sound of the old tapes in the process of compiling the pieces at the Erpel Studio in Vienna, also taking the opportunity to add a few tracks. Strictly speaking, these relatively complex multi-track recordings can no longer be bracketed together with the fleeting sketches as heard on the earlier albums. Now and again, they bear a resemblance to the character of the Cluster LP Sowiesoso. Having arrived in Austria following a protracted lean period, Roedelius finally had the chance to work in a studio which was not only well-equipped, but was also run by a kindred spirit sound engineer. The favorable working conditions, a myriad of new impressions and, by no means least, his personal happiness, saw Roedelius and his music flourish. This is discernable on Flieg Vogel fliege, even if only some of the music was created in his new adopted home. If complete insouciance, the acceptance of little musical mistakes and inaccuracies were symptomatic of the earlier self-portraits, then a mild formal rigor runs through this volume. Not that Roedelius allows this to hinder him in any way. The joy of playing and talent for improvisation celebrate a cheerful resurrection once again. His spontaneity and exuberance, the ability to express thoughts and feelings through music, none of this was lost. This confirms Flieg Vogel fliege as an authentic and undisguised Roedelius portrait. With a little patina, perhaps. But music by the same man today reveals exactly the same individual, perhaps a little wiser, and of course, some years older. And there you have it: Roedelius is and shall remain the merry fool from the jardin au fou." --Asmus Tietchens

Recorded in jazz's golden year of 1959, Mingus Dynasty is often overshadowed by Mingus Ah Um, but it stands as one of Charles Mingus' most ambitious works. Expanding his regular band with additional players, he pushed his compositions into more intricate territory. With a lineup featuring Richard Williams, Jimmy Knepper, John Handy, Booker Ervin, Roland Hanna, and Dannie Richmond -- plus guests like Benny Golson and Jerome Richardson -- Mingus crafted a dynamic set blending gospel-infused grooves, Ellington tributes, and the sweeping masterpiece "Far Wells, Mill Valley." A daring, essential listen.

The Manchester-born, Brussels-shaped Giulio Erasmus plays with time, space, era, and the words that weave it all together. After two solo records released on Mangel Records and Absolute Fiction (plus a freshly unveiled live album from Meakusma 2024), he now -- joined by the quintet The End of The Worm -- presents his new offering: Hard Sell. A redigestion of forty years of underground English culture, collided by the urgency and freedom of Brussels' new wave, Hard Sell is an exploration led by a bassline that acts like a compass -- around which swirl whispers, cut-ups, abstractions, percussion bursts and sudden clearings. Together they shape a quiet narration, murmuring possible futures, indifferent to any of their consent.

Double LP version. Originally released in 2003, Marcos Valle's Contrasts combined early noughties production techniques with his trademark Brazilian songwriting brilliance. The album quickly became one of Valle's most in-demand, with tracks like the triumphant "Parabéns" (which was sampled by Childish Gambino, covered by Tom Misch and remixed by Misa Negra) and bossa beach classic "Agua de Coco," both becoming firm fan favorites. Produced by Roc Hunter, and executive produced by Joe Davis, with musicians including Robertinho Silva (percussion), Alex Malheiros (bass), and Marcos' wife Patricia Alvi (vocals), Contrasts encapsulated Valle's ever evolving musical vision, bringing together samba, baião, bossa pop, broken beat, house, trip-hop and more, on one era-defining record. After 22 years, Contrasts is finally set for a double LP vinyl and CD reissue, with the original mix of "Valeu" and "My Nightingale" making it onto the vinyl edition for the first time. Remastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis Studios.