Cedar Walton's Mobius is as brilliant as the stunning jacket design, featuring the legendary jazz pianist morphing into a mobius strip, set against a beautiful sky filled with cumulus clouds. A proper jazz-funk fusion slapfest, Mobius is a stellar electric set from -- essentially -- one hell of a superband. Mobius is elevated by Ryo Kawasaki's stinging electric guitar, pristinely clear vocals by Adrienne Albert and Lani Groves, rootsy percussion by Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, trumpet from Roy Burrowes, Gordon Edwards on bass and Frank Foster's tenor sax, and Steve Gadd on drums. Gem after gem of looping, bliss-inducing gold, it's an incredibly revelatory album. It presents a thrilling synthesis of R&B, funk, blues and hard bop (with a hint of rock), all driven by an idiosyncratic electronic keyboard. Mobius was Walton's debut for RCA in 1975. The versatile artist confirmed his abilities as a player, composer, interpreter and arranger with this stunning record, and his own bright compositions offered a springboard for the improvisations of the different soloists. Mobius is really gorgeous mid-'70s fusion, ranging from the funky to the ecstatic. The audio has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue reissue.
LP version. "sentiment is a meditation of the poignant emotional terrains of loneliness, nostalgia, sentimentality, guilt, and sex. The album's narrative arc is guided by delicate musical gestures and artistic vulnerability, audaciously synthesizing disparate and unexpected influences. Claire Rousay is a singular artist, known for challenging conventions in experimental and ambient music forms. Rousay masterfully incorporates textural found sounds, sumptuous drones and candid field recordings into music that celebrates the beauty in life's banalities. Her music is curatorial and granular in detail, deftly shaped into emotionally affecting pieces. Rousay's vocals and guitar take center stage on sentiment. Her intimate, diaristic lyrics contrast with her mechanical-inflected vocal effects, emphasizing a powerful desire for connection, a deep yearning and a lingering sense of separation. The spare guitar playing and laconic tempo both drive the songs and exude a sense of resignation. Her delicate mastery of nuance draws on her explorative musical past that she, with sincerity and admiration, seamlessly interweaves into her adventurous textures and distinctive compositions. 'I want to belong to the worlds and communities I look up to. Same as someone using a Fender guitar or dressing like Kurt Cobain. Emulate your heroes,' says Rousay. The album balances the poetic soul of her influences with a documentarian heart, Rousay capturing moments of her life while living alone in houses across the country, learning to play guitar, and reconnecting with pop music. Her innate ability to conjure pure feeling from sound derives from her delightful embrace of pop forms, the vulnerability found in field recordings, minimalistic arrangements and innovative sound choices. sentiment is blissfully, achingly melancholic, and an undeniably sensual listening experience."
TRUNK, JONNY
Audio Erotica: Hi-Fi Brochures 1950s-1980s Book
"An archive of aural sensations past, teeming with rare and previously unpublished vintage hi-fi brochures. Remember roller-skating while wearing your first Walkman? Or relaxing to easy listening in your pure white Philips lounge? Or playing chess on your JVC tabletop radio? All these scenarios can be found in the geeky and rarefied world of the vintage hi-fi brochure, where graphic design and acoustic apparatus make magical music together. From austere postwar Britain to poppy pre-millennium Japan, Audio Erotica presents a nostalgic nirvana of the strangest and most significant period hi-fi brochures. The volume acts as a companion title to the delightful Jonny Trunk/FUEL publication, Auto Erotica: A Grand Tour through Classic Car Brochures of the 1960s to 1980s and is manufactured in the same format. Alphabetically listed, from Aiwa to Zenith, with Braun, JVC Nivico, Nakamichi, Sony and everything in between, this book will resonate with any music fan. Setting the tempo are the pipe-smoking, high-end separates (amplifiers, speakers, turntables) of the 1950s, followed by the swinging Dansette record players of the 1960s, the prog-brushed-metal music centers of the 1970s and the sleek capitalist cabinet stack systems of the 1980s -- not forgetting the aerobic stereo sound portability facilitated by the boombox, and that final high-fidelity, hardware hurrah: the compact disc. The evocative brochures in Audio Erotica track the technological development of audio equipment before the digital download, while simultaneously revealing the way hi-fi was marketed to the listening public. With knobs on. A striking screen-printed graphic cover on 'brushed aluminum' paper echoes the hi-fi systems shown in the brochures."
LP version. Pink color vinyl. "A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album Nature Morte. BIG|BRAVE's music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music's frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio's work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. 'I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men -- to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets,' says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie's voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it's safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay."
HJirok is a mythical figure, conceived as a fictional character by Iranian-born Kurdish singer and artist Hani Mojahedy. Together with versatile music producer And Toma of Mouse On Mars, she combined a variety of sounds collected during their joint travels to Iraqi Kurdistan and elsewhere with heavily processed recordings of Sufi drum rhythms and setar melodies. The result is a driving, dubbed-out, and deeply intricate soundscape that perfectly sets the stage for Mojahedy's extended, unconventional vocal techniques and polyglot lyrics. Both informed by tradition and rigorously forward-looking, Hjirok (with a lowercase J) is at once a profoundly personal album and a universal utopian promise. As a ghost from the past, HJirok draws on Mojtahedy's memories to mould a new future out of them. The foundation for Hjirok was laid in the city of Erbil in the Kurdish part of Iraq. During one of their stays in the region, Mojahedy and Toma recorded the three percussionists Hadi Alizadeh, Jawad Salkhordeh, and Serdar Saydan as well as setar player Ali Choolaei from Motahedy's backing band while they were playing the rhythms and notes that she had grown up with in the house of her grandfather in the Iranian city of Sanandaj. Her memories of that place revolve around hypnotic Sufi music, dervishes in deep trance, and ecstatic singing. Much like this music seemed to open a portal to other dimensions, the inhabitants of the house lived in a sort of alternative reality: It provided them with a hideaway from political circumstances. What the album conjures up from Mojahedy's memory is not only a very specific place during a unique time in history as experienced by a single person. It is also a metaphorical home open to anyone who wishes to enter -- promise of a better, more egalitarian future for everyone. Hence, HJirok will bring it on tour, presenting the material as an audio-visual live show that makes use of the photo and video material that Mojahedy and Toma have collected during their travels through Kurdistan.
RHYE
The Fall (Maurice Fulton Remix) 12"
Maurice Fulton's outrageous remix of "The Fall" by Rhye has been cherished as a stone-cold masterpiece for the past decade. Out of print almost immediately, its legend has only grown and for too long it's been impossible to find a copy without parting with considerable cash. The word "genius" is bandied about liberally but it's fair to anoint Maurice Fulton with such lofty praise. Sheffield's king of oddball disco, Fulton is an outerspace-minded producer with roots in Baltimore club music who has no problem injecting dank interplanetary funk into the smoothest of acts. And so it goes with his remix of "The Fall." Rich and typically off-kilter, this is spellbinding disco par excellence. Fulton arms the track with a juddering electro-funk synth-bassline before shifting to a twanging disco reverb and conga-led, crash-cymbal-elevated groove. The gorgeous original, situated here on the flip, is a sublime serenade, all twinkling strings and sweet, sumptuous vocals over smooth, jazzy piano styles. It earned comparisons to Sade, Air, and the xx upon initial release and it's still easy to understand why; it's warm and buoyant yet deeply melancholy. Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after masterpiece finds a home in many more DJ boxes this and every year.
Limited 2024 repress. The trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi return to Black Truffle with their tenth release, recorded live in Tokyo in February, 2017. While many of the trio's recent works have seen them focusing primarily on their core guitar/bass/drums power trio format, on Each side has a depth of 5 seconds A polka dot pattern in horizontal array A flickering that moves vertically these three multi-instrumentalists strike into new territory, utilizing an almost entirely electronic set-up, with Haino on electronics, drum machine and suona (a Chinese double-reed horn), O'Rourke on synth, and Ambarchi on pedal steel and electronics. Dedicated to the memory of legendary Tokyo underground figure Hideo Ikeezumi, founder of PSF Records and the Modern Music shop and a long-term collaborator with Haino, the LP, (recorded the night Ikeezumi passed away), begins in a somber, meditative space of rippling, burbling electronics and distant jets of white noise. Though much of the "Introduction" that occupies the record's first side is spacious and at times almost hushed, the performance is full of unexpected twists and turns, momentary events, and fleeting impressions. The trio conjures up a free-flowing surge of sound in which individual contributions are often difficult to distinguish, calling up echoes of vintage live-electronic sizzle like It's Viaje or the cavernous expanse of David Behrman's Wave Train. The LP's second side opens in a similarly reflective realm, before Haino's suona enters, taking the music in a more austere, hieratic direction, as the reed's piercing tones are accompanied by O'Rourke's uneasy, sliding synth figures and Ambarchi's shimmering Leslie cabinet tones. On the side's second piece, Haino's signature hand-played drum machine takes center-stage, at first sounding out massive, isolated strikes, before eventually building to a tumbling, Milford Graves-esque wall of thunder. As O'Rourke's synth squelches and stutters and Ambarchi's heavily effected pedal steel somehow begins to sound like a kind of hellish blues harmonica, this passage offers up one of the most electrifying and bizarre moments in the trio's catalogue to date. Containing some of the most abstract music the trio have waxed since their very first collaboration over a decade ago, this new missive from underground experimental music's preeminent power trio shows them restless and risk-taking, clearly enjoying their remarkable improvisational chemistry while also continuing to push themselves into new directions. Gatefold sleeve with artwork and design by Lasse Marhaug; inner sleeve with live pics by Ujin Matsuo.
Grain is the third Innode release following on from Gridshifter (EMEGO 168LP) in 2013 and syn (EMEGO 294LP) in 2021. A new methodology to make the album is applied yet again from the trio of Bernhard Breuer, Steven Hess, and Stefan Németh. The approach is more an anti-approach where the trio let the process of creation itself steer the development of the recording, without any prior conceptual agenda. Irregular rhythmic patterns often served as the initial springboard for each piece with Breuer creating a loop either by playing drums or with the aid of a modelling percussion synthesizer. The results often bypass existing formulaic grids. The outfit embraced these anti-precision steps building shapes around the tarnished templates. The process of building upon the core structures laid forth alters throughout. In the case of "Splitter" you can hear an example of Bernhard's core loops dominating a skeletal audio sphere. The title of the track "Impactopium" reflects the process of its construction being a conglomeration of individual titles meshed into a whole. The audio is a non-linear compendium of several fragments of individual elements. A conscious method of exploring a more decentralized architecture saw three disparate elements layered randomly on top of each other with some synths added as a sonic seasoning at the later stages. Elsewhere sonic elements are restructured in unusual ways. One member's contribution is completely stripped away, quiet sounds captured with contact mics are highly amplified, the last track introduces twisted themes of the first track. The title Grain refers to the roughness resulting from these explorations. It also takes note of the term grain as used in analogue photography or in the case of audio as a distorted signal, or "noise. All of these elements, normally eschewed, are here embraced as a thematic thread to instigate the exploratory proceedings. This is a playbox of inventiveness, a hall of mirrors and an endless search for unusual tactics and fresh results. Tackling the initial loop tracks from a wide variety of strategic approaches Innode has concocted a strangely cohesive work. From sparse source material to heavy overdubs of overdubs grain is an uplifting collection of works from this relentlessly curious and exploratory Austrian outfit. Humans make the work but the random embracing of unexpected processes means the gentleman of the outfit is not fully ruling what becomes of these works.
"MB Jones and Rey Sapienz first encountered one another in 2018. Jones was living in South Korea and visited Kampala, Uganda with his partner. Before their trip he was surprised to find that the Nyege Nyege label knew of him through his ROK SPY record, which had even led certain label associates to wonder if, because of that project's presentation, he was an actual secret agent. Jones stayed for a few days at Villa Nyege, where label co-founder Arlen Dilsizian introduced him to Rey Sapienz. Prompted by a question Jones had about a man in Uganda building rockets in his backyard, Dilsizian had the notion to name the band after a Congolese rocket program, and recording ensued. Plans for Jones to return were dashed by a global pandemic, and thus the pair were forced, like so many, to work remotely. Processing of their initial sessions yielded the Grey Parrots cassette, released in an edition of 100. For this next album, they wanted something that more closely resembled songs. Jones crafted instrumental tracks and sent them to Sapienz, who handled the vocals and written word. Results were returned to Jones to be wrangled into their final versions. Along the way, a host of guest artists contributed as well. Jones was chuffed to get Otim Alpha on a track, and Northeast underground heads will be pleased as punch with the riotous appearance of Fat Worm of Error's Tim Sheldon. Among others. The music draws from disparate cultural touchstones to create its own vernacular. Enticing and unpredictable rhythms abound, punctuated by groovy loops, layers, and conglomerates of mechanical tones and atmospheres. Some songs are full of high frequencies and high energy, some swim in darker psychedelic waters. Some are spastic and crammed with information, some embrace space and breath. The vocals are uniformly excellent. The elements are mashed up, but it's a far cry from the stale concept of a 'mashup,' where familiar elements get bolted together in a clever manner that makes adults say, 'Wow, that's neat!' The music of Troposphere 7 blends sounds and styles as painters mix pigments to create something magical. To Keyi Toko Zonga a stunning experience, showcasing a highly sophisticated sense of possibility. Whether or not there will be another Troposphere 7 album remains to be seen and, to a degree, doesn't matter. What counts is that we have this marvelous LP. Given the creative restlessness of the participants, who knows if they'd want to do it all again anyway. This is art made for the moment it's in, reveling in the reality it conjures. So be here now, you won't regret it." --Matt Krefting, 2024
Double LP version. Iconic UK indie band Flowered Up, seen as London's answer to Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses, reissue their debut album A Life With Brian, remastered and enhanced via London Records. Features unreleased tracks, further new remixes and rarities. Also included is the "Everyone You Know" remix of Crackerjack. The reissue follows a BFI documentary on the video of "Weekender" and its legendary status in UK club culture of the time. The album remastering was overseen by Flowered Up keyboard player Tim Dorney.
2024 repress. DJ, producer, and Dial Records co-owner Lawrence produced his fourth album for Mule Musiq. The Berlin-based artist wrote nine new arrangements specifically for Studio Mule, the new audiophile listening bar that Mule Musiq's head-honcho Toshiya Kawasaki recently opened in Shibuya, Tokyo. "Toshiya's wine and listening bar was the inspiration for the project. I followed the idea of listening to music in this (for me imaginary) place on a magic vintage sound system, slightly drunk with an always special drink in my hand! The music is therefore also very eccentric and 'tipsy', improvised on acoustic instruments, synthesizers and computer, combined with recordings I did in Berlin's Central Tiergarten Park." Lawrence acknowledges the imaginative superstructure above his new album and his mode of operating during the recordings. Birds On The Playground features deep pulsating music that unfolds its true absorbing character when the auditor listens carefully to the detailed storytelling of Lawrence. Like always, his tunes have a special, radiant pulse, that somehow is a signature sign of most of his productions. Playful cosmic grooves, light-hearted, crafted with love and yet freshly unsettling in some moments. His arpeggiated melodies remind partly on the music of Hans-Joachim Roedelius. In other seconds, they display a jazzy spiritual character and drift into meditative areas, that sound to a degree like long forgotten Japanese folk music spheres. As Birds On The Playground isn't aimed straight for the dancefloor, the overall coating of the music is a relaxed, cautious one, that goes beyond the average definition of ambient music. Each track builds up gracefully, in order to present a mesmerizing musical architecture, that offers new sound dimensions with any fresh listening turn. As the record is made for Mule Musiq's latest public space enterprise, everyone who is closely connected to the label was involved. Mule Musiq's core artist Kuniyuki was in charge for the mastering. And the labels visual artist Stefan Marx painted the cover artwork.
2024 repress; reissue, originally released in 1973. An icon of Brazilian popular music, Tim Maia was a musical polymath and prolific recording artist best known for introducing American soul to the Brazilian music scene, pioneering the sambalanço style by blending elements of soul, funk, rock, and samba. Maia recorded four self-titled albums for Polydor Brazil, this fourth release from 1973 is arguably the best, with its outstanding hits "Réu Confesso" and "Gostava Tanto de Você"; "Do Your Thing, Behave Yourself" shows how the soul form fitted him perfectly and "O Balanço" full to bursting with Brazilian flavor. A superb set from start to finish, it's a must for all Tim Maia fans.
2024 restock. The Bronx in the 1970s, marked by the presence of notorious gangs, presented a complex and challenging urban landscape. Amidst the crumbling infrastructure and economic decline, neighborhoods bore the scars of disinvestment, reflected in abandoned buildings and neglected public spaces. The prevalence of street gangs, such as the Ghetto Brothers, contributed to an atmosphere of heightened tension and occasional violence. Graffiti adorned subway cars and buildings, expressing both social unrest and the vibrant creativity of the community. Despite the challenges, there was a resilient spirit among residents, evidenced by grassroots efforts to address social issues. The Bronx during this era was a dynamic yet tumultuous mix of cultural expression, social struggle, and the determined spirit of a community facing adversity. The Ghetto Brothers, originating from the Melendez family who moved from Puerto Rico to the South Bronx in the 1950s, faced challenges involving violence and crime. Despite this, Benjy, a key figure, directed the group towards community improvement. The Ghetto Brothers embraced music, crafting a potent, NYC-flavored musical fusion that caught the attention of record mogul Ismael Maisonave (Salsa Records). Their collaboration resulted in the recording of eight tracks in a single electrifying day at Manhattan's Fine Tone Studios, skillfully produced by Latin studio maestro Bobby Marin (Harvey Averne, La Lupe, Brooklyn Sounds). This musical odyssey showcases the band's ability to seamlessly blend genres, creating a NYC-flavored stew that captivates listeners with its authenticity. The hypnotic rhythms, infectious guitar riffs, and impassioned vocals reflect the Ghetto Brothers' commitment to expressing their unique experiences and uplifting their community through the universal language of music. Power-Fuerza is not just an album; it's a sonic testament to the Ghetto Brothers' fusion of resilience, cultural richness, and musical innovation. Each track is a vibrant tapestry, weaving together the raw energy of the South Bronx streets and the soulful melodies born from the trio's Puerto Rican heritage. Embrace the timeless resonance of the Ghetto Brothers' Power-Fuerza, one of the best Latin funk albums ever recorded.
Restocked. Guitar Solos is the debut solo album of British guitarist, composer, and improviser Fred Frith. It was recorded while Frith was still a member of the English experimental rock group Henry Cow and was released originally in October 1974. Voted one of the best albums of 1974 by NME critics it also attracted the attention of Brian Eno, resulting in Frith playing guitar on two of Eno's albums. Frith's never tiring spirit in creating and performing music has made him one of the most notable and creative guitar players and musicians in the scene of improvised and composed music. For the anniversary of this release, Week-End Records have encouraged Frith to arrange a set up similar to what he used 50 years ago to record an album of new compositions which will accompany the original record.
Repressed. "A Bad Diana is a project from Diana Rogerson, someone I first became aware of aged 12 when I read about Nurse With Wound and their United Dairies label in Smash Hits magazine. I was confused, mystified and intrigued in equal measure, and a couple of years later as a result I bought my first Nurse With Wound album. This led to an interest in all things NWW related. I guess Diana could be described as the matriarch of the Nurse With Wound world but she also had her own very distinguished pre-history with Fistfuck, an early-'80s extreme noise outfit. She then made two mid '80s cult classic albums as Chrystal Belle Scrodd, both far out there rollercoaster rides of audio wildness, highly recommended to anyone with wide open ears. She then moved to rural Ireland and raised a family. There was the odd collaboration and then in 2007 A Bad Diana's The Lights Are On But No-One's Home was released on CD. I feel this is her masterwork and it has become something of a cult favorite over the years. Now for the first time, almost two decades later it is available on vinyl on Optimo Music Archiv. Produced in association with Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter from Nurse With Wound and irr. app. (ext.)'s Matt Waldron, this is some seriously beautiful and strange listening. Next level sound design means this is an incredible headphone record but it is also a deeply warm and engaging home listening gem. Beautiful, magical, ultra hypno, soulful reverberations with the deep emotion of Diana's voice tones and bio-vibrations." --Optimo Music Archiv, 2023
2024 restock. The Play Loud! (live) music series is based on three precepts: Alan Lomax's work as an archivist and chronicler, John Peel's BBC radio sessions, and the work of Direct Cinema pioneers, such as the Maysles Brothers, Leacock, Wildenhahn and Pennebaker. Filming live shows means not doing things TV-style, but in a very personal, intuitive and adventurous manner - nothing is staged for the shoot. Play Loud!'s intention is it to create an extensive archive of interesting popular music and culture that includes both, the huge quantity of unreleased filmed material by the filmmakers and also material that comes from other sources. Some of the recordings - if popular demand is strong - will be offered as limited vinyl LPs.
Dietmar Post and LucÃa Palacios on filming live music: "As filmmakers, it is important the performance we film will be recorded unadulterated. At the same time we do select by positioning and framing the camera, i.e. we watch subjectively. In principle we try to edit inside the camera because we would like to show the presentation in its entirety. It is crucial to know that most of the time we only work with one single camera. . . . Our work turns into an active composition during the show. It could be called a form of drawing (in German the term 'drawing' inhabits the word 'recording') with the camera. As with all spontaneous/improvised art this sometimes works out nicely, other times it fails poorly."
Dirk Dresselhaus/Schneider TM on the concert: "I find it fairly difficult to say something about how the music in this concert came about, cause we didn't plan or rehearse anything and hardly were able to hear each other on stage. Wherever it came from, the energy and course of this concert is very much based on group dynamics and an almost telepathic sort of communication, like a swarm of fish. When I mixed the sound later on in the studio I discovered a lot of weird things on the separate tracks: for example Kptmichigan's guitar signal is changing level for about +/-30 dB once in a while which is a lot and was probably caused by a broken microphone cable. Luckily the fucked up parts made the sound even heavier and more distorted instead of destroying it."
Splatter color vinyl version. Few melodies have been played so many times on radio, movies, or TV commercials as these two compositions from the golden age of mainstream disco music. Top international hits and iconic milestones of an era, both songs are immediately recognizable after just a few chords by almost anyone on this planet. These two compelling tropical versions retain all the party spirit of the originals, guaranteeing some dancefloor heat each time the needle hits the surface of the vinyl. A perfect follow-up to the acclaimed previous singles in Vampisoul's Tropical 45s Series that so far has included recordings by the likes of Jimmy Salcedo and Sebastiao Tapajos/Pedro Dos Santos. In the rendition of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" there is a playful mix of the old and the modern made by Pedro "Ramayá" Beltrán, signed under his project La Cumbia Moderna de Soledad; a group from Barranquilla, Colombia that recorded a set of songs that exudes both tradition and innovation. Machuca Cumbia, a Colombian studio band under the direction of "Cachaco" Brando, add some unexpected cumbia arrangements to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," resulting a dancefloor winner full of hypnotic percussions and guitars that, at times, even recall other genres such as surf.
"The definitive visual biography on the life of Arthur Russell. The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. From his pioneering compositions as part of New York's vibrant avant-garde scene (alongside artists including Phillip Glass, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg) to his genre-expanding disco productions, from his new wave and art pop to his posthumously released folk songs, Russell crafted timeless and foundationally influential work until his premature death in 1992 from AIDS-related illnesses. Now, in a landmark publication curated by critically-acclaimed writer Richard King, Travels Over Feeling collects the extensive ephemera found in Russell's New York Public Library archive, along with pieces from the personal collections of those who were closest to him. Combining unseen visual material -- handwritten scores, lyrics, photos, letters, and drawings -- with new texts by King and extensive original interviews with Arthur's collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends, Travels Over Feeling paints a portrait of Arthur Russell unlike any which has come before, revealing a true picture of one of the most distinctive artists of the last fifty years. Hardcover, 304 pages."
Don King was the mid-'80s band from Mark Cunningham (post Mars), originally formed to play Thurston Moore's Noisefest at White Columns in 1981. The six concerts tour in 1986 were the last European appearances of the New York no wave band Don King, starting in Padua and following a wide arc around the Mediterranean, by train, through Switzerland over to Toulouse (France) and then down to Barcelona (Spain). The original cassette was a selection of the best live recordings released by the historic Barcelona collective 4sellos. Featuring Lucy Hamilton (bass clarinet, guitar, vocals), Arto Lindsay, Duncan Lindsay, Toni Nogueira (percussion tape), John Erskine (producer, percussion tape), and Mark Cunningham (producer, trumpet). Photography by Catherine Ceresole.
"There are no obvious pathways of understanding into or through Christina Carter's For Want of Walls, a catalog of the unknowable more than a book of any easy categorization. Carter has been an active agent in independent music and art since the early '90s, and much like her work in other mediums, her writing follows no predictable template and upends even standard expectations of non-linear structures. The words arrive in segments and at various velocities, quickly shifting perspectives between narrators and timelines, moving from fathoms beneath murky waters to above ground in an undone world. For Want of Walls follows several previous collections of Carter's writing, but is her first book to include visual art. Watercolor paintings act as inversions and co-representations of the written word delivered in a different language, a rough-cut juxtaposition of bold, cut-flower colors. These images map out diagrams of remembered rooms, the floor plans and furnishings of various childhood homes, and forgotten but still grasped presences, all recollected outside of time like a barely held together, yet somehow still vibrant, vaseless bouquet. As Carter's ever-unraveling fragments emerge there are moments of blood, glass, divinity, reflection. Unwonted displays of beauty and waves of warm, generous confusion require an open curiosity. For Want of Walls asks that the reader becomes porous to its efflorescent currents."--Fred Thomas
"Volume, repetition, volume, repetition, volume and repetition, this is the sonic mantra of Austin, Texas's Water Damage. On their new double album, Water Damage continues to scorch the earth with walls of punishing sound. It's no secret that something truly special can happen to the psyche when you are being pummeled with trance inducing drones, you can transcend time, you might laugh, you might cry but hopefully you look inward, letting a calm wash over you with metric tons of distortion. Water Damage are the rare 'rock' band that follow in the lineage of artists like Faust, Tony Conrad, Steve Reich, and Pärson Sound, one that creates such heavy yet minimalistic audio treasures that not only hit you viscerally but also give space to contemplate on your place in the cosmos. Their longest offering yet, Water Damage hits you with four side-long tracks of krautpunk ending with a cover of 'Ladybird' by Shit & Shine featuring Craig Clouse on vocals. Drone until you hear god speak." --Joe Trainer, Dummy
A collection of mind-blowing songs from Hindi films 1958-1984. 12 musical gems from the Bollywood vaults with a wide variety of styles thrown in the mix, from the classic to the rare, a must! An astonishing overview of the magnificent musical talents populating Bollywood films. With a predilection for movies with a strong musical backbone where songs and musical numbers play a pivotal role, the Hindi cinema boom gave birth to a strong and creative music industry where composers, musicians, musical directors, conductors, producers, singing actors, and playback singers (singers who provide vocals for the musical parts of roles played by actors or actresses) found a perfect place to develop their careers. A sample of those incredible talents is included in this compilation, the ideal point to start digging deeper into the lush garden of musical delights that is Bollywood. Featuring Mohammedd Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, Kalyanji & Anandji, P. Susheela, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, Shankar & Jaikishan, and R. D. Burman.
Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is Tommy Guerrero's sublime debut. Of this beloved masterpiece, the legendary skater himself says: "My first album. It was never meant to be released. I was just recording for the fun of it. Still my fave. Oh so naïve." It's definitely Be With's favorite too. An astonishingly great record. A chill, blissful, deeply moving album, it was rightly garlanded as an instant classic. A laidback, fusionistic ride replete with loopy drum tracks underpinning Tommy's trademark reflective guitar stylings, Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues remains powerfully evergreen. Originally released in 1997, there's elements of jazz, trip hop, rock and downtempo groove. All shot through with a heavy dose of soul. Thirteen tracks of lo-fi (mostly) instrumental freshness fused with Cuban, Latin and blues, it's a must for fans of Money Mark, J Dilla, RJD2, DJ Shadow, and Pete Rock. As ever with Tommy's records, the title sums up the music contained within most aptly. And writing about his songs, his vibes, is one of the trickier things to do, it has to be said. A total vibe throughout, to blast Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is a majestic experience, one that suits a start-to-finish listen and renders the picking out of highlights totally redundant. Featuring nagging, deeply melodic guitar lines -- both electric and acoustic -- over simple rhythms with such sumptuous elegance, the hypnotic playing against unrushed percussion releases a crystal clear stream of healing frequencies. This album laid the blueprint from which Tommy Guerrero would subsequently explore further on A Little Bit of Somethin' (BEWITH 024LP) and Soul Food Taquiera. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possible quality at Record Industry in Holland. The original and iconic sleeve, designed by Natas Kaupas, has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue. Part of Be With's Tommy Guerrero reissue campaign. 140g vinyl.
Tommy Guerrero's revered Return Of The Bastard gets its first ever vinyl reissue. Endearingly simple but beautifully beguiling, it's lo-fi dusty break business with the most elegant guitars this side of Vini Reilly and Gabor Szabo. Tommy's breezy drum-machine guitar-soul should be prescribed to soothe an aching world. By rights, he should also be a Balearic god. Here's 14 tracks of drop-dead laconic beauty, all of them combining to create this unheralded masterpiece. Working with Tommy directly, the LP has been fully remastered and sounds as dazzlingly, heartbreakingly beautiful as it did back in 2007. As ever, there's heavenly Latin guitar stylings that make you swoon and the melancholic vibe is accentuated by the addition of some melodic wordless vocals from Tommy. The head-nod funk of "Calling For Ya!" features Curumin delivering the clever title as a hypnotic vocal refrain peppered throughout, all hung around some buried spoken word vocals and gorgeous cello work from Lenny Gonzalez. "Bloodinthemud" is a low-down gritty funk workout whilst "Zapata's Boots" is a total low-key groover, all Latin percussion and Morricone muscle aided by a whistled Spaghetti Western melody. The upbeat and bright "40 Summers," featuring congas from Alfredo Ortiz, is as clean and poppy as Tommy gets and it really is a look he wears incredibly well. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possible quality at Record Industry in Holland. The original and iconic sleeve, designed by Natas Kaupas, has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue. Part of Be With's Tommy Guerrero reissue campaign. 140g-vinyl.
Following on from 2023's acclaimed Vrindavan 1982 by rudra veena master Z.M. Dagar, Black Truffle presents a pair of archival releases from the Dagar Brothers, among the most revered 20th century exponents of the ancient North Indian dhrupad tradition. The vocal duo of Moinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar (sometimes referred to as the "senior" Dagar Brothers to distinguish them from their younger siblings, Zahiruddin and Faiyazuddin Dagar), belonged to the nineteenth generation of a family of musicians in which dhrupad tradition has been kept alive through patrilinear transmission, each generation undergoing a rigorous education of many years' duration that can include singing up to twelve hours each day. Famed for the meditative purity of their approach to dhrupad, the Dagar Brothers helped to keep the tradition alive in the years after Indian independence in 1947. Many Western listeners were first introduced to dhrupad by the Dagar Brothers' tour of Europe in 1964-65 and their LP in UNESCO's Musical Anthology of the Orient collection, both organized by pioneering musicologist and scholar of Indian culture Alain Daniélou. Documents from this tour are especially precious, as Moinuddin Dagar passed away in 1966. Berlin 1964: The Lost Studio Recording presents two unheard side-long performances in crystalline fidelity, recorded at the International Institute for Comparative Studies and Documentation in Berlin headed by Alain Daniélou. These stunning recordings were consigned to the archive because, as Peter Pannke explains in his liner notes, which recount his meeting with Danielou many years after these recordings were made, the tape ran out during "Raga Jaijaivanti," which terminates abruptly soon after the entry of the pakhawaj. Accompanied only by Moinuddin's wife Saiyur on tanpura and Raja Chatrapati Singh on pakhawaj, the brothers present stunning performances of the severe, serious midnight "Raga Malkauns," set to a ten beat cycle once the pakhawaj enters, and the complex early evening "Raga Jaijaivanti," set to a fourteen beat cycle in its rhythmic section. Illustrated with a striking full-color concert photograph, Berlin 1964: The Lost Studio Recording is accompanied by extensive liner notes by Peter Pannke celebrating musicologist Alain Daniélou, whose study, documentation and promotion of dhrupad was so important for spreading awareness of this great musical tradition, ready to be discovered anew in this stunning recording from two of its master exponents.
2024 restock; recent 9.0 rating from Pitchfork; 180 gram exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. "The World of Harry Partch collects three of his best short pieces. 'Daphne of the Dunes' (1967) is a side-long update of 'Windsong' written for dance. The melodic segments are given more emphasis than usual for a Partch piece, and harmonically this is one of his best with arpeggiated glides/cries of the Harmonic Canons evoking our sympathies. Meter changes almost measure by measure, with one section in 31/16 meter; another (polymetric) section consists of 4/4-7/4 over 4/8-7/8! Needless to say, while being very physical, Partch's music isn't something you can easily tap your foot to. What's most important is that it works. Partch was not one to introduce musical complexity merely for its own sake, another factor that separated him from his contemporaries. Not only are the rhythms complex, but they are performed at a frantic pace unequaled by any music I've hard (save perhaps the inhumanly fast player piano pieces of Conlon Nancarrow!). This is characteristic of most of Partch's works, though I think 'Daphne' is one of the most successful and exhilarating. 'Barstow -- Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing at Barstow, California' was composed in 1941 as part of 'The Wayward.' It offers such statements as 'Go to 538 East Lemon Avenue for an easy handout' and 'Looking for millionaire wife...' This charismatic piece is successful due to the contrasting of Partch's intoning voice with others in the ensemble and to increased instrumental emphasis. Last is 'Castor and Pollux' in a more modern performance than From the Music of Harry Partch, with greater vigor and fidelity. The World of Harry Partch is an excellent introduction to his works that comes highly recommended." -- Surface Noise
LP version. A new piece by minimalist/experimental composer Phill Niblock (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds. In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, two proposals regarding Phill Niblock albums arrived at Karlrecords: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release, while the other email was from Anna Clementi saying she and Thomas Stern were working on new pieces that Phill Niblock has written for her. When Zound Delta 2 was complete, Phill sent photographs for the two artworks, and Karlrecords met with him twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly in January, 2024, so the album now is a posthumous release. An intense goodbye from one of 20th century's most iconic composers.
VA
Blow My Mind!: The Dore Era Mira Punk & Psych Legacy 2LP
Blow My Mind! is the natural sequel to the recent, well-received collection Lost Innocence and is an essential purchase for the dedicated garage head. It collects together the best of the quirkier imprints from Hollywood's heyday in the mid-1960s (the record labels Doré, Era, and Mira) in a power-packed set comprising many outstanding garage and proto-psych 45s that today are sought-after collectors' items. Compiled by genre expert Alec Palao and originally released by Big Beat/ACE on CD, it is now available on vinyl for the first time. Three of the quirkier imprints from Hollywood's heyday in the mid-1960s were the record labels Doré, Era and Mira. Like most seasoned indie producers in that epoch, their owners Lew Bedell, Herb Newman, and Randy Wood struggled to get to grips with the onslaught of rock and roll activity that followed in the wake of the British Invasion. Blow My Mind! The Doré-Era-Mira Punk & Psych Legacy collects together the best of this venerated repertoire in a power-packed set that also constitutes the first official reissue for many oft-bootlegged titles. Cuts like "The Thief," "Slander" and "I'll Blow My Mind" would be expensive to acquire in their original, minutely-pressed incarnation. Here, with top-notch sound and extensive annotation, these totemic garage rock items shine brighter than ever. There is the expected quota of attitude-laden classics such as "My Baby's Barefoot," "Just Wanna Be Myself" and the incredibly snotty "So What!!," along with less heralded gems by bands such as South Hampton Story, the Puddin' Heads, Yesterday's Tomorrow, and the Search. An unexpected bonus is a superb unreleased cut by "Hey Joe" hitmakers the Leaves, along with off-beat garage-psych titles by Simon T Stokes, the Outlaw Blues and the Wrench. Also featuring The Syndicate, The No-Nâ-Mee's, The Motion, The Lyrics, The Regents, John Winfield Jr., Ty Wagner, Spencer's Van Dykes, The Decades, The Front Page & Her, The Bees, The Tormentors, Basil & The Baroques, and Unknown Ar.
Virgin by Traffic Sound is described as the band's greatest album, capturing the essence of their musical and existential outlook. Recorded by youthful members barely 20 years old, the album reflects the non-conformist, profound, and occasionally otherworldly spirit that characterized the youth in Lima during the late '60s. The influence of Anglo-Saxon psychedelia is evident, representing a defiance against the prevailing conservative traditions of the city. Released in January 1970, the album exhibits the bold and free spirit of late '60s pop music, drawing inspiration from post-Sgt. Pepper's rock and Peruvian psychedelia. The lyrics, predominantly in English, emphasize the youthful desire to break free and search for answers in both the real world and the hidden corners of a stimulated mind. The album was a gateway to a more pedestrian future, where Latin music exerted greater influence, and individual egos re-emerged in the wake of hippy collectivism. Virgin also reflects the band's desire to express themselves freely and dream of becoming rock stars. The recording process involved meticulous analysis of foreign records, shaping the band's ability to mix and arrange their own compositions. The album's context is set against the socio-political backdrop of Peru in the late '60s, characterized by a military dictatorship with progressive policies. While most local rock bands embraced the aesthetics of psychedelia, they were viewed with distrust by political activists. Traffic Sound, however, adopted a political stance with the song "The Revolution," criticizing the military government. Virgin itself is described as a sonic journey with carefully arranged tracks. The album's songs are divided into "Tomorrow" and "Today," each offering a unique emotional and sonorous experience. The album includes notable tracks such as "Virgin (I Can't Regret You, My Friend)," "Tell The World I'm Alive," "Yellow Sea Days," "Jews Caboose," "A Place in Time Called 'You And Me,'" "Simple," "Meshkalina," and "Last Song." These songs cover themes ranging from failed romance to personal rebirth and socio-political commentary, all infused with psychedelic and experimental elements. Virgin set a high standard in Peruvian rock in the early 1970s, showcasing Traffic Sound's musical prowess and leaving a lasting impact on the country's music scene. Despite releasing two more albums in the following years, Virgin remained the band's best-selling record, continuing to resonate with audiences even years after its initial release. Extensive liner notes and the original artwork on tip-on gatefold sleeve.
Shelly y Nueva Generación was a cult Spanish soul and garage band that left an indelible mark on the late 1960s music scene. Their rare 45s, now classic DJ spins in the mod/psych '60s scene, boast a funky Le Beat Bespoke style freakbeat sound. Three singles were released on Philips between 1968-69, including their stunning take on Nonato Buzar's "Vesti Azul" and the outstanding original "I'm Just a Fool", as featured on Ivan Zulueta's cult film Un, Dos, Tres, Al Escondite Inglés. This collection not only encapsulates the entirety of their known discography but also unveils many previously unreleased recordings, providing a treasure trove of sonic gems that now see the light of day for the first time. These recordings were made for a TV show and consisted of international hits of the moment performed by Shelly, mainly soul songs brought to fame by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. This compilation stands as both a celebration of the band's legacy and a rediscovery of the timeless allure that made Shelly y Nueva Generación an enduring force in the annals of Spanish music history. Includes eight-page booklet with extensive notes and rare photos of the artists.
"Two-disc set documenting the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in concert at the Immanuel United Church of Christ on November 25, 1979. This is the eighth in a series of eleven concerts recorded at the church. This month sees the Arkestra stretching out and reaching blissful height -- the 30+ minute long version of 'Carnival' is worth the price of admission alone, but the same could be said for the monumental 'Nation Rising' or the deep take on Roberto Miranda's 'Faith.' Things start off with 'Horacio' and don't let up the whole concert. This one grooves."
"Two-disc set documenting the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in concert at the Immanuel United Church of Christ on April 27, 1980. This is the eleventh and final concert that Tom Albach recorded at Immanuel United Church of Christ. Easily ranking as one of Nimbus West's favorite performances of the series, it is also destined to be considered one of the greatest Arkestra live recordings, brimming with intense energy and culminating in the 1-2 punch of a blazing 'Leland's Song' followed by a fragile rendition of Tapscott's 'As A Child' featuring Adele Sebastian performing a singular take on her favorite Tapscott composition, this one is not to be missed."
Datashader emerges from the shadows with a striking breaks and bass-heavy debut release that challenges the fabric of digital existence. Replete with a Dopplereffekt remix, it nods to the legacy of revered anonymous acts such as Scopex, Drexciya, and Underground Resistance, pushing the boundaries of both electronic music exploration and its conceptual underpinnings. As a critique of the erosion of genuine human connection in the digital age, Datashader delivers a barrage of billowing subs, infectious electro, recon textualized jungle, and techno, serving as a poignant counterbalance to current dance floor-centric norms. It's a contemporary anti-soundtrack that offers a haunting mirror to the societal costs of technological convenience. Musically, Datashader's practice confronts dystopian reality, highlighting the alarming consequence of people becoming mere nodes in a network, reduced to a collection of data points. This is manifested sonically by a blistering assault of breaks, recontextualized IDM, abstract electronics and otherworldly synthscapes, conceived as the aesthetic counterbalance to much of contemporary electronic music's dancefloor focus. Datashader dives deep into genres and influences which stand for a form of sonic resistance.
In the few years that the Disperú record label was operative, it managed to open its doors to emerging artists, who were often ignored by the major labels but would go on to leave their mark on Peruvian popular music. In 1967, Disperú commissioned trumpeter Toño Reyes to form a band he called Toño y sus Sicodélicos. During the recording sessions for this album, they performed a series of songs that reflected the latest tropical music trends, in his inimitable style. Instrumentals such as "Mr. Boogaloo", "El Guayacol", "La Anticuchera", "La Peinadora", and "La Fiesta es Mañana" are versions that follow the lines traced by the Mexican composer and drummer Leo Acosta. In the early sixties, based in Los Angeles, Acosta played with the orchestras of Harry James, Sammy Davis Jr, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, and Dámaso Pérez Prado. Mid-decade, Acosta turned to the novel sounds of boogaloo, which immediately caught the attention of young South Americans. The song "Borinque Bella" is another cover version, originally recorded by The TNT Band, based in New York. Another noteworthy influence on the album is the blind Venezuelan organist Tulio Enrique León, who performed cumbias and guarachas enhanced by his Hammond organ, as is the case of "Chin Chin". Songs in vogue at the time complete the album. The best known is perhaps "Es la lluvia que cae", popularized in Spanish in 1967 by Los Iracundos. "Tequila" and "No te bote", by The Champs and Sonora Matancera, respectively, were also classics on Lima's radio stations. "Las hojas secas", by the Mexicans Los Zignos, was so popular that it was even covered by Peruvian rock groups such as Los Steivos and Los 007. The success reaped by Toño y sus Sicodélicos took them straight to another record company, and the group's records were also re-released in neighboring countries, always with striking psychedelic cover illustrations. First time reissue. Includes original striking psychedelic artwork and remastered sound.
Jards Macalé's biography is a testament to the electrifying energy of music and the unwavering spirit of artistic rebellion. Macalé has remained true to his vision, unapologetically embracing the unconventional and challenging the status quo. His music, a conduit of emotion and a mirror to society, continues to weave a sonic tapestry that resonates with the souls of listeners. In 2022, Macalé celebrated the momentous 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, a groundbreaking masterpiece released by Philips in 1972. This iconic record gifted us timeless tracks such as "Vapor Barato", "Mal Secreto", "Farinha do Desprezo", "Revendo Amigos", and "Hotel das Estrelas". Its sheer brilliance united the realms of Brazilian music, infusing samba and bossa nova with the fiery essence of rock, classical harmonies, and the improvisational spirit of jazz. As the years passed, a new generation of musicians and fans discovered this gem, fueling its resurgent popularity and inspiring fresh collaborations. In 2023, Jards Macalé assembled a formidable new band, igniting stages across Brazil with a tour that now sets its sights on Europe. Together with Gui Held on guitar, the Paulo Emmery on bass, and Thomas Harres on drums, Macalé conjures an exhilarating homage to his illustrious body of work. This live performance embodies the untamed spirit and boundless musical freedom that define this visionary artist, transporting audiences to a realm where the past intertwines with the present in a breathtaking display of artistic prowess. The record is shrink-wrapped but was opened due to a subsequent sticker on the insert.
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Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, A Life Book
Audio Erotica: Hi-Fi Brochures 1950s-1980s Book
The Fall (Maurice Fulton Remix) 12"
Each side has a depth of 5 seconds A polka dot pattern in horizontal array A flickering that moves vertically LP
Forever Burning: Singles Collection 1976-1983 LP
Demos (1973-75) Vol. 2 LP
Birds On The Playground LP
The Lights Are On But No-One's Home LP
Live At Marie-Antoinette 2LP
Spunk: The Demos 1976-1977 (Black Vinyl) LP
Genocidal Crust: The Demos 1986-1987 (Color Vinyl) 2LP
Genocidal Crust: The Demos 1986-1987 2LP
A Chaos of Flowers (Pink Vinyl) LP
sentiment (Yellow Vinyl) LP
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?/Stayin' Alive (Splatter Color Vinyl) 7"
Zombi 3 Soundtrack (Classic Version) LP
How You Feel (For Me) - Gold Edition 12"
L(oo)ping: Live with Orchestre National de Lyon CD
When all you want to do is be the fire part of fire CD
Pay Attention to the Bass 12"
Ride The Night Remixes 12"
Late To The Party, Start Without Me 12"
Can I Be With You? (Rico Puestel Summer Nostalgia Dub) 12"
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