New Releases for March 2008

Index of New Releases for March 2008

HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS

Artist:	WOLF EYES/SICKNESS
Title:	There is a Part of Me That You Will Never Know
Label:	HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HOS 209LP

"Hospital Productions is proud to release the first-ever collaboration between these two legends, Wolf Eyes and Sickness. This is not haphazard but a symbiotic collaboration bridging distant roads. This full length LP is a dark casket of scorched earth sounds, the remains of the cracks at the after shock of discovery. Reminding us of the peaks in either artists' catalog, There Is A Part Of Me That You Will Never Know processes the deepest sounds of these four masters in a haze of lone atmosphere and true noise. This is not a terror shock, this is the end."

HUMBLE SOUL (UK)

Artist:	FAIRHURST, JOHN
Title:	Joys Of Spring
Label:	HUMBLE SOUL (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HS 204CD

"Largely conceived under the stars, John Fairhurst's beautiful debut, Joys Of Spring, originated in bars, on beaches, and up coconut trees. His extensive travelling and raw musical experiences have informed these warm, sumptuous and technically brilliant songs, alongside influences as diverse as Hendrix, Miles Davis, Nick Drake, and Indian sarod master, K. Sridhar, who briefly stayed with Fairhurst's family in Wigan. 'He spent fifteen years living in a cave in the mountains as he studied to mastery,' explains John. 'This dedication has inspired me deeply.' After spending years 'drawing pictures of Stratocasters,' playing in heavy rock bands and listening to Captain Beefheart in his shed, John headed to southeast Asia and beyond, where his own dedication to music was cemented. He worked alongside Maori gangsters, played slide guitar in a Bangkok blues bar, wrote for a traditional Thai dancer, and was tattooed with protective blessings by monks. Apparently, these markings mean John cannot be killed, which is lucky, since he was stabbed by a street gang not long afterwards. A stunning debut, Joys Of Spring is an eclectic amalgamation of John's incredible life to date; hazy summertime rhythms with masterful guitar techniques and an underlying sense of the worldwide music community. Guesting on the album are friends Nancy Elizabeth, Dave Rybka and Denis Jones, themselves locally renowned musicians, while James G. Wilson earns a songwriting credit with the poignantly beautiful 'Friends.' Opener, 'Obnox Stomp,' is 'a good old foot-stamping dance tune,' and 'How Far How Fast' is the result of jamming with 'fantastically gifted percussionist' called Alfredo, whom he met in New Zealand. On the other side of the world, the experimental 'Shivver' was born out of a concept track just outside Wigan... Quite simply, Joys Of Spring is a truly great achievement; an album of outstanding creativity, lush eastern melodies, and at its heart, John's unbridled zest for life."

HUNGAROTON

Artist:	AMADINDA PERCUSSION GROUP
Title:	Ragtimes, African Music
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 12855CD

1994 release, featuring compositions by István Marta, John Cage, Steve Reich & George Hamilton Green. "The Amadinda Percussion Group, the first professional percussion group in Hungary, was formed in the spring of 1984. The group was formed at a time when a great many questions were being discussed concerning composers and the relationship between modern music and the public ... These were the conditions that helped bring about the formation of the Amadinda Percussion Group with artistic objectives easily comprehended. Firstly, the performance both at home and abroad of pieces by Hungarian composers, together with others not yet known in Hungary, including works ranked abroad today as classics. These prescriptions we have tried to follow while selecting the music for this recording. The ensemble has a serious interest in African folk music and jazz, and in this manner the record came to include the programme often given in concerts. Particularly interesting are the Green ragtimes, which the composer -- himself an outstanding percussionist -- wrote originally for xylophone with piano accompaniment. The version for xylophone and two marimbas was done on the basis of the original. Of the two Hungarian compositions on side one, the piece by Istvan Marta was written for the Amadinda Group. These two pieces, we feel, serve to complete the picture of the first two years of the ensemble which we wanted to present." -- From the liner notes. Tracklist: "Doll's House Story" by István Marta (1985), "Pebble Playing in a Pot" by Laszlo Sary (1978), "Second Construction" by John Cage (1978), "Piano Phase" by Steve Reich (1967), "Traditional African Music", "Log Cabin Blues (Blue Fox Trot)," "Charleston Capers" by George Hamilton Green, "Traditional African Music," and "Jovial Jasper (A Slow Drag)" by George Hamilton Green. Performed by Amadinda Percussion Group (Karoly Bojtos, Zoltan Racz, Zsolt Sarkany, & Zoltan Vaczi) with István Marta (Roland JX-8P synthesizer) and Gyorgy Racz.

Artist:	CAGE, JOHN
Title:	Thirty Pieces, Music For Piano
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 12893CD

1987 release. "Thirty Pieces For Five Orchestras" (1981), performed by the Savaria Symphony Orchestra, conducted by László Tihanyi, Dieter Kempe, Zsolt Serei, Katalin Doman, and Mark Foster; musical direction by Péter Eötvös. "Music For Piano" Nos. 4-19, 21-84 (1952-56). (Realization by A. Wilheim). Performed by Zoltán Jeney, András Wilheim, László Vidovszky, László Sary, Barnabás Dukay (pianists). "Hungaroton continues its invaluable Cage series, this time moving away from the percussion works of past volumes. The works presented here make this self-recommending for anyone devoted to this important 20th century thinker/composer."

Artist:	AMADINDA PERCUSSION GROUP
Title:	4'33"
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 12991CD

1994 release. "According to Cage, his composition known by the title '4'33' (1952) that can be performed on any instrument for any length of time (the title changing accordingly) is his most significant work ... The present recording to '4'33' recalls the time of its composing, as later Cage lifted the time limits he had imposed on it. Here, we strictly kept to the duration of the first performance, playing the piece in three movements of 30", 2'23" and 1'40" respectively. The movements are joined to each other attacca." --From the liner notes. Includes "Ionisation" by Edgard Varčse; "Toccata" by Carlos Chávez; "4'33", "Amores" & "Third Construction" by John Cage; "Double Music" by John Cage & Lou Harrison. Performed by Amadinda Percussion Group; Zoltán Kocsis (piano); Aurél Holló, Benedek Tóth (percussion). Includes notes in English and Hungarian.

Artist:	CAGE, JOHN
Title:	Works For Percussion, Vol. 5 (1936-1991)
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 31848CD

5th volume. Performed by the Amadinda Percussion Group. "A decade and a half after John Cage's death, his oeuvre still has much to offer in the way of surprise. Cage had always said he was a poor historian when it came to his own works -- and we are only now beginning to understand what exactly he meant by that. When in 1962 he finally found a publisher and set out to draw up a catalog of his works, he created a selection without including every piece in the inventory, but had apparently forgotten about certain pieces whose manuscripts were, for one reason or another, no longer in his possession. He never looked the lost works up in his earlier lists of works and never tried to find them either. Yet the odds of them turning up then were probably higher than today when, more often than not, it is a matter of chance that for example bequests, from dancer or musician contemporaries of Cage, which end up public libraries, are sifted through properly. In the near past, several works by Cage came to light this way; most recently two pieces from the library of Mills College (Oakland, CA) one of whose title even had not been known to scholars. 'Dance Music (for Elfrid Ide)' was composed in 1940 for a dance production completing the studies of Elfride Ide (it received its premiere, and probably its only performance, on May 20, 1940 at Mills College)."

Artist:	EAR ENSEMBLE
Title:	Hungarian Live Electronic Works
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 31868CD

2000 release. "The present recording contains the works of 7 composers written in quite different stylistic trends. What connects them is that they have all been composed at the request of the Ear group: all were written for the specific apparatus of the group (4-8 instruments and synthesizer/s) between 1992 and 1999 ... the name of the ensemble is the abbreviation of electroacoustic research. It aims at exploring new connections between instruments, electronics and acoustics through concerts and recordings, and utilizing these in compositions." --From the liner notes. Endre Olsvay: "Allegory" (1996); Bčla Farago: "Lux Perpetua" (1997-99); Máté Hollos: "L'EAR-A" (1992); Iván Madarasz: "J.J's Games" (1995); László Thanyi: "Nereid" (1995); István Szigeti: "ChambEAR Music" (1993); Miklós Sugár: "Dreams" (1997-98). Performed by the EAR Ensemble, conducted by Miklós Sugár & Bčla Farago.

HYOTAN RECORDS (JAPAN)

HYPERCOLOUR (UK)

Artist:	DEMAC, TOM
Title:	The More Things Change EP
Label:	HYPERCOLOUR (UK)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	HYPE 007EP

"Welcome to the latest episode in Hypercolour's future house and techno voyage, this time featuring the combined talents of two of the most exciting young producers around. Tom Demac has been quietly releasing his highly acclaimed brand of reduced, sophisticated micro-techno and experimental house for the last few years on labels including Steevio's Mindtours and his own Electronique Audio. A key member of Wales' Freerotation collective, he's an integral part of a vibrant local scene that includes acclaimed producers such as Leif, Tom Ellis, Duckett and Steevio. On The More Things Change, Tom neatly showcases his impressive skill for deep, sensual tones and refined, subtle grooves. The track builds on a gently undulating drum patter, flanked by a mournful bass line, sighing strings, and flickers of Lawrence-esque plucked melody, forging a track that's both deeply emotive and coolly detached. Over time, the arrangement swells into more dramatic proportions, making it ideal for clued-up dancefloors and introspective home/headphone pleasure alike. Remix action comes courtesy of Switzerland's Agnés, this time working without his regular partner Chaton. His sterling work on much lauded imprints like Plak, Minibar and SthlmAudio have slipped into the boxes of many a discerning DJ, notably those of Chilean demi-gods Villalobos and Luciano. Here, he adds his trademark lightness of touch to Tom's original, giving those mournful strings a little more space to breathe as they overlap a plaintive, laid back groove. Agnés also contributes a digital only 'Wales Beatdown' mix, taking the track into starker, minimal territories that are aimed squarely at the foggy hours of late night/early morning."

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Artist:	NEW BLOCKADERS/THURSTON MOORE/JIM O'ROURKE, THE
Title:	The Voloptulist
Label:	HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	HOS 144CD

Artist:	M.B.
Title:	Symphony for a Genocide
Label:	HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	HOS 183CD

Artist:	GROUP 180
Title:	Music For Pieces of Wood
Label:	HUNGAROTON
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	HUNG 12545CD

Artist:	KUDO, REIKO
Title:	Licking Up Dust
Label:	HYOTAN RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	HYOTAN 003CD