LP version. Introducing Azerbaijani Gitara Vol. 2 by Rəhman Məmmədli, the eagerly awaited sequel to Bongo Joe's acclaimed debut featuring Rüstəm Quliyev. Born from the vibrant streets of Baku, Azerbaijani gitara culture has evolved into a mesmerizing fusion of indigenous traditions and global influences. From the oil boom era to Soviet rule, musicians have embraced the electric guitar as a symbol of cultural expression. Rəhman Məmmədli, a legend in his own right, revolutionized the sound with his innovative techniques and impassioned performances. Drawing inspiration from mugham music, Məmmədli's compositions resonate with soul-stirring melodies and electrifying solos. Azerbaijani Gitara Vol. 2 promises to captivate listeners with its depth, diversity, and unbridled passion, inviting you on a journey through the heart and soul of Azerbaijan's musical heritage.

Yellow color vinyl version. Guitar explorer Nels Cline is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco. His recording and performing career -- spanning jazz, rock, punk, and experimental -- is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Beyond Wilco, Cline has, in the last few years, performed and recorded in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage as well as in his quartet The Nels Cline 4 (featuring Lage plus bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Tom Rainey). Other collaborators include Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Elliott Sharp, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Larry Ochs, Phil Lesh, Medeski, and Martin & Wood, among many others. Nels currently collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, performs as Stretch Woven with percussionist Scott Amendola, and has led The Nels Cline Singers for 23 years. Chris Corsano is a New York-based drummer who has been active at the intersections of collective improvisation, free jazz, avant-rock, and experimental music since the late 1990's. He's been the rim-batterer of choice for some of the greatest contemporary purveyors of "jazz" and "rock," as well as artists beyond categorization. His dedication to collective improvisation has led to Corsano to join forces with many kindred spirits and his appearance on over 180 records and thousands of live performances. Darin Gray is known as a solo artist, tireless collaborator, session bassist, improviser, composer, educator, Jim O'Rourke's go-to bassist for over 25 years, as half of the long standing duo On Fillmore, as the touring bassist for TWEEDY, as a member of Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi, and as the bassist for Grand Ulena, Dazzling Killmen, You Fantastic!, and Brise-Glace. Darin's discography includes over 150 releases. Its Glenn Kotche's ability to thrive in different and seemingly disparate worlds -- that really makes him stand out as a drummer, percussionist and composer. Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in the rock band Wilco, garnering a Grammy award and seven Grammy nominations. He has appeared on over 150 recordings by artists as diverse as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Jim O'Rourke, First Aid Kit, Neil Finn, John Luther Adams, Iron and Wine, Radiohead's Phil Selway & Ed O'Brien, Missy Mazzoli, Andrew Bird and KD Lang, and Neko Case & Laura Viers.

Panoram makes soundtracks for daydreams gone sideways. Picture the scene: an afternoon nap with the television on, quietly, in the corner; snatches of conversation drift in through the open window. Wandering, half-formed thoughts take unexpected detours; before you know it, there's a movie playing out against closed lids, the colors bright, the characters unfamiliar. Accidental rhythms, incidental melodies, imitations of life, messages in code. Across 17 fragmentary, sketch-like tracks, Panoram carves a labyrinthine path in which nothing is what it seems: a fantasy world of breathy vox pads, faux guitar, detuned synths, bursts of flute and orchestral percussion, and even the occasional cheeky cartoon sample. It's chillout music with a chilly edge, ambient with a darkly ironic undertone. Panoram has been making music under his principal alias for more than a decade now, releasing albums on labels like Firecracker, Running Back, and his own Wandering Eye. Panoram's output has ranged widely, taking in abstract pop, classical composition, twisted takes on library music, and cyborg funk. One record of "bio-acoustic transmissions" came with a cannabis leaf pressed in clear wax; his 2021 album Pianosequenza Vol. 1 gathers his experiments on the Yamaha Disklavier. But Great Times offers the truest picture yet of a project that has never been easy to pin down. Loath to overshare details about his personal life, Panoram instead lets the music do the talking, using his cryptic tracks to express the slipperiest sorts of ideas -- the thoughts that take root where anxiety, distraction, and the most fleeting traces of grace commingle. Panoram's approach flies in the face of contemporary ambient orthodoxy, with its emphasis on immersion and uplift. Great Times expresses something thornier, more difficult to translate, yet also more tantalizing to contend with. Its 17 tracks offer a chance to get lost -- and an invitation to remain in the maze as long as you like.

Blue color vinyl version. Eight years after the breathtaking Somewhere Anywhere EP, The Mad Walls return to re-ignite psych rock with this gorgeous, floatily heavy, effortlessly groovy and sublimely sinuous debut LP. Driven by bone shaking acoustic guitar, visceral drums, wonderfully trippy basslines and the throwaway perfection of Christopher Mercado's spooked vocals. Pure rock n' roll yet devoid of cliché. Informed by, but no way in hock to, early MC5, Skip Spence, Sonic Youth, Syd Barrett and Jefferson Airplane when they still all lived together. Recorded on tape in Mercado's garage, there's a DIY heart with epic results across sixteen songs. Only one track over three minutes and some under thirty seconds. "It's just chatter about life and human feelings. Stylized human expression," is Christopher's self-effacing explanation of his mind bending, playful, storytelling. Somehow the Mad Walls manage woozily florid and sharp as a blade. Studiedly detailed but effortless. Whip smart and dumb.

Yellow color vinyl. Les Disques Bongo Joe present the release of Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek's DOST 1&2! This double gold printed LP gathers all tracks from the acclaimed DOST 1 and DOST 2 released respectively in 2021 and 2022. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek's subtle and groovy Anatolian psych folk sound matches the powerful quality of the songs often led by Yıldırım's sublime vocals and bağlama (Turkish lute). They captured a lively, unique piece of interpretation which connects to the meaning of DOST. "DOST is a friend, a comrade, a brother, a sister and even more than that. DOST is the connection to keep this life and world meaningful." No doubt that with this project Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek will bring sounds, people and emotions together.

In the serene expanse of empty spaces, there exists a profound stillness that attracts contemplation. These voids, whether they manifest physically or within the recesses of minds, are spaces for the interplay of light and thought, where time perception is different, allowing for a deeper connection with the inner self. These are moments frozen in the endless flow of existence, a tranquil pause that invites listeners to reflect and to contemplate. The emptiness that permeates this mental space is a canvas upon which ideas are painted. The emptiness that pervades this cerebral realm becomes a blank canvas upon which ideas are woven into existence. Grand River and Abul Mogard's In uno spazio immenso, (translating to "in an immense space,") embodies the essence of this boundless expanse -- a limitless and eternal chamber where the boundaries of thought expand endlessly. For fans of: Caterina Barbieri, Alessandro Cortini, Perila, Sarah Davachi, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Raime, Drew McDowall.

Second edition, no longer comes with large booklet. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Isaiah Collier connects with the divine ancestors on a transcendent direct-to-disc session, Parallel Universe. A saxophonist by trade whose multi-instrumental talents and compositional prowess have stretched the limits of the form, Parallel Universe represents a new chapter in Collier's musical journey. Having already performed with a diverse range of musicians such as Chance The Rapper, Waddada Leo Smith, Chicago jazz royalty Angel Bat Dawid and his own band The Chosen Few, Collier's latest work as a bandleader explores the shared musical heritage of the African diaspora with a sense of grace and assurance that belies his years. Embracing the risk and vulnerability that comes with the live process, Collier and his band tapped into the frequencies of improvisation that fired up so many of the most timeless jazz recordings. Name-checking Sun Ra, Ras G, J Dilla, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Gil ScottHeron, Whitney Huston, Aaliyah, and Frankie Knuckles, the opening track of Parallel Universe imagines a genreless musical lineage that resonates with the polyphony of stories his band bring to the table, from Chicago and beyond. Featuring gospel soul singer Jimetta Rose, AACM, and former Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpet player Corey Wilkes, blues-rooted guitarist Michael Damani, regular collaborators Julian Davis Reid, James Russell Sims, and Micah Collier, the eight-track album bristles with a sense of love and understanding between players at the top of their game. With vocals sung in Yoruba -- inspired by a gift from legendary saxophonist Kenny Garrett -- "Village Song" soars between rhythms and references, from Afro-Cuban syncopation to the deep triplet swing of mid-'60s Coltrane. Laying the foundations for the album as a whole, the result is truly exhilarating.

LP version. Moon Diagrams -- the solo project of Deerhunter co-founder and drummer Moses Archuleta -- returns with a second album, Cemetery Classics. The 12-track album is a co-release between Sonic Cathedral (in the UK and Europe) and Angus Andrew from Liars' new label No Gold (in the US and the ROW) and was mixed by James Ford. It features guests including Anastasia Coope, Patrick Flegel (Cindy Lee) and Josh Diamond (Gang Gang Dance). It's Moses' first new music since 2019's Trappy Bats mini-album and the follow-up to 2017's acclaimed debut Lifetime of Love and everything seems a bit more extreme -- from the Basinski-esque degradation of "Neptune" to the Faustian industrial noise of "Listen To Me" via Art of Noise-style postmodern pop (the first single "Very Much My Promise to You"), Daft Punk bangers ("Fifteen Shows at One Time"), trip-hop, shoegaze, Jan Hammer, Depeche Mode, late Leonard Cohen and more.

2 x 10" version. Nanocluster started as a bespoke one-off popup gig that turned into an album series. Built around Colin Newman from acclaimed UK post-punk band Wire and his partner in life and sound Malka Spigel from Minimal Compact with various guests, they define collaboration. They became a couple and created their own projects like the instrumental electronic duo Immersion in 1994. Growing out of Immersion, Nanocluster was birthed as a series of one-off gigs at the Rosehill in their new hometown of Brighton in 2017 with an added cast of influential and cutting-edge musicians. The songs had been written and rehearsed prior to each performance. This adventure led to a debut album, Nanocluster Vol 1 (WM 056CD), released in 2021 with Stereolab singer/guitarist Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss and experimental artist Robin Rimbaud (Scanner). Now, the new album Nanocluster Vol. 2 has further developed this idea with a stark beauty that sounds like a future pop with sleek lines and unexpected great melodies. First comes Thor Harris, the charismatic percussion player from Swans and many other projects, who they met and performed with at South By South West in Austin, Texas in 2023. Thor adds ideas, his tuned percussion instruments, clarinet and trumpet to the sessions. Then comes Cubzoa (Jack Wolter from the band Penelope Isles) who brings his musical craft, beguiling voice, guitar and much more. Meanwhile, Matt Schulz from Holy Fuck plays drums across both combinations helping the resulting music become a third entity. What results is a true collaboration that, enhanced via Immersion's production, merges its elements to develop a new harmony. Nanocluster Vol. 2 is a 21st century collusion of shared ideas, creating a momentary extended musical family. It's about musical and personal relationships and the meeting place in the middle. A temporary band of house guests. The place where Immersion happens.

For his fourth release via Touch Sensitive under the Dyslexia Sound banner, Autumns strips it right down to the bone and takes it back to the Source. "Raw Product" indeed, Dyslexia Sound Source sucks up and spits out influence over ten tracks that are both lean but massively heavy. A decade on from his nascent, no-wave debut for Downwards Records, Autumns' productions have both matured and sonically expanded into a dubbed-out dysfunctional metal dance without losing any of the intensity from those early blasts. Anyone who has caught him live over the last few years knows there is simply no compromise. There is the raw rhythm of Cut Hands, the weight of Jah Shaka's sound system, the slink of an ESG bassline, the sensuality of Chris & Cosey, and the soundboard magic of Adrian Sherwood. However, as always, an Autumns release is far from a facsimile. With a unique touch and endless desire to push things forward, this collection can only be classified as the Dyslexia Sound.

Keith Hudson, who temporarily worked as a dentist in the ghettos of Kingston, emigrated to New York City in 1976 and died there prematurely in 1984. He is best known for his work as a producer for artists such as U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe, and Horace Andy and within short order Hudson brought his all-round talent to full fruition. In 1974, he produced two ground-breaking albums. Pick A Dub was one of the first official dub albums ever, and is still considered to be one of the greatest moments of Jamaican music. In addition, the unique Flesh Of My Skin, Blood Of My Blood became the first concept album in reggae history. Thematically dedicated entirely to black history, this masterpiece captivates with an atmosphere that is as dark as it is deeply spiritual, charged by Hudson's eccentric vocals. In 1981, he created the dub masterpiece Playing It Cool, Playing It Right which he produced with the help of Wackie's founder and mastermind Lloyd 'Bullywackie' Barnes. It remained the only collaboration between the two producers. Hudson decided to release it on his own label Joint International as he has done on his previous releases. The album continues Hudson's psycho-acoustic journey into the abyss of existence and has the power to overwhelm the listener with the beauty of artistic self-empowerment. "Too Much Formula" sings Hudson, whose voice occasionally recalls Sly Stone, "Darkest Night" answers an echoing background chorus found elsewhere on the track "California." Hudson's production techniques are fascinating on this album. There is often a kind of flashing-whip sound on the snare, which adds dynamics to the whole album. Rarely has a dub record sounded so electrifying, with radical spatial sound spreading out in all directions and rarely has it been as crystal clear, with warm bass and echophonic treatments as contained within these 30 minutes of music. 43 years after its first release and 20 years after its last re-release on the German-British label Basic Replay (Basic Channel/Honest Jon's), Playing It Cool, Playing It Right is now finally available again via Week-End Records, with a newly revised master and a rare interview with Lloyd 'Bullywackie' Barnes, talking about the making of this amazing album.

"It feels fresh and sounds amazing." --Lloyd Barnes Wackie's

"Legendary, strange, compelling music." --Mark Ainley, Honest Jon's

"Drag City presents the first ever vinyl pressing of guitarist Lee Underwood's under-sung 1988 acoustic guitar opus, California Sigh. Lee Underwood had been Tim Buckley's stalwart, inspiring, accompanying and being inspired by Buckley as they both navigated a heady set of changes in the late '60s and early '70s. Then, he abruptly stopped working as a professional musician, leaving behind a body of work, that, as noted by Eugene Chadbourne, was the work of 'a loner, who didn't quite march under any one flag, whose improvisations involved the level of sophisticated harmonic development one finds in jazz, floating as freely as Ornette Coleman.' 35 years later, yet still in time, train your ears on the meditations of California Sigh! As Byron Coley's liner notes observe: 'The music is guitar-based acoustic instrumental melodicism with a lovely tone and alternately ruminative and jazzy structuring. The playing is generally in the vein of William Ackerman and Alex de Grassi rather than progenitors like Basho and Fahey, although 'Lady of the Streams' does display a bit of a Fahey lilt at times. Throughout these pieces there are also flashes of single string runs straight out of the Django Reinhardt playbook. But the overall mood is tranquil -- reflecting the musical joys Underwood found when surrounded by nature.' The tenor of the production is transcendent to be sure. The playing of Chas Smith and Kevin Braheny Fortune, on pedal steel and soprano sax respectively, lend additional colors to Lee's music on several songs, but it is largely the soulful depth of Lee's guitar figures, limned by Steve Roach's synthesizers and the Roach/Underwood co-production, that give dynamic shape and elevation to Lee's lovely cycle of songs. And now, with this remastered vinyl edition, the air around the instruments -- both real and implied -- and the full sonic impact of California Sigh -- alternately gentle and mighty, like the natural world that inspired it -- is magnified incomparably. In the years following the release of California Sigh, Lee wrote and recorded two solo piano CDs, Phantom Light and Gathering Light. He continues to live in Northern California. California Sigh is 'dedicated with love and respect' by Lee to his late wife, Sonia Crespi, for the friendship and inspiration she brought."

"Drummer Chris Corsano is a tireless collaborator. Among the 150 or so albums that he's contributed to over the past 25 years, only six have been credited to Chris alone, which makes the existence of The Key (Became The Important Thing [& Then Just Faded Away]) a rare instance of Chris going deep on his own vision. Indeed, this album finds him involved in every aspect of the process, from making the string-drums that the music is based upon, to playing all parts of the music, mixing them, and doing the cover art, too! This is a special album, bringing his encompassing focus on free improvisation and noise into a granular fusion with acoustic experiments and ideations of hard rock riffing and the post-punk sound. In Chris Corsano's collaborations over time with Paul Flaherty, Joe McPhee, Dredd Foole, Michael Flower, Paul Dunmall, Bill Orcutt, Nate Wooley, Mette Rasmussen, C. Spencer Yeh, Ben Chasny, and Sir Richard Bishop (as individuals, and together as Rangda), Bill Nace, Wally Shoup, Evan Parker, and dozens of other players, it's clear the vibe may get intense/heavy/OUT. Accessing this place, in itself, is an incredible calling -- but on The Key (Became The Important Thing [& Then Just Faded Away]), the intensity radiates entirely from inside Chris's process, in conversation with himself. And that's something that hit a bit different once he was done making it. The pieces here were largely built out of Chris's string drum playing, utilizing a setup he's created involving a silicone string, stretched across a snare drum with a bridge. When the string is hit, it resonates the drum -- a conception similar to that of the banjo, but with more of a bass tone. Several songs focus on Chris playing a bass string drum with a full kit, while the basic parts of two other pieces ('I Don't Have Missions,' 'The Full-Measure Wash Down') implied possibilities for full band arrangements which Chris was compelled to respond to himself. All the results on the tape, when listened back, found a higher order, transcending sequences of experimentation and technique, becoming much more than the sum of an internal conversation, standing together as a set of insistently compelling pieces of a whole. And so they became The Key (Became the Important Thing [& Then Just Faded Away]). They unlocked something in Chris Corsano."

LP version. "Emerging once again from the unending waves crashing upon fragile timecraft (adrift on the eternal ocean, and taking on water), Dirty Three are a) back, b) tangled in seaweed, rank with saltwater and possessed of three rather ominous thousand-mile stares, and c) not wasting another minute -- as nothing is guaranteed. For their first album in over a decade -- yep, it's been since 2012's Toward the Low Sun -- they flew in, got together and started playing. End of story. What else is there to say or do but that? Music's their language, their true love; they never stop listening to that. And like the label says, Love Changes Everything. The Dirty Three -- Warren Ellis, Mick Turner, and Jim White -- formed up in Melbourne in 1992, to play with guitar drums and violin or viola, and within a couple years, they'd broken out -- out of Australia, out of anything else they might have been inside of, to boot -- and got worldwide. Over the next ten years, they toured over and over the planet, ceaseless like, and cut seven albums out along the way. After this, their unique style of play, fitted together like puzzle pieces, was decoupled, more often than not, and pieced together in many other, fruitful collaborations with many other esteemed talents. Over the past 20 years, they've gotten together a few times, renewed the vow, revved the engines and played some shows, or made an album. These lot were born to be as weathered as they are today. Time doesn't matter. They make their gathered wisdom of the ages sing like something new every time. It renews. And Love Changes Everything."

Efficient Space welcomes Th Blisks to the fold with their mutant strain of melodica dub, torched hip hop breaks, post-punk and procession song. Th Blisks' members have many notches on their collective belt. Amelia Besseny and Altered States Tapes' founder Cooper Bowman are prolific in their ritualistic ambient-pop duo Troth, while Yuta Matsumura holds a formidable Sydney punk band pedigree on top of his Low Company-backed solo work. A reward for those who took the time to dig it out, Th Blisks' 2022 debut How So? was a DIY creation that fully embraced its outsider roots, reveling in opportunities for connection through pop flourishes. Feeling like it might have been a one-off, they return with Elixa. With an unseen clarity of vision, Elixa conjures its meticulously fleshed out world. Those familiar pieces are all there -- the mystery, the patience, a cheeky pop hook -- however this time there's an intentionality to it all. A blurred dialogue stretching across Australia, it was largely recorded remotely with tracks bouncing between Bowman and Besseny in Muloobinba (Newcastle) and Nipaluna (Hobart), and Matsumura stationed in Warumpi (Papunya). Every element is carefully considered, stemming from their individual time spent as lifers in the local DIY scenes. Through these tracks you can feel that history; echoes of Castings and Vincent Over The Sink in "Do You Bless It?," Bowman's distinctive submerged tape loops gurgling away under boom bap and that Sydney guitar tone in "Esk." Elixa attempts to bottle some pinged-eye wonder at the magic surrounding, whether in the city or the bush. Informed by the old but drug into The New, it is a begrudgingly current Australien record that respectively nods at the UK's sound history.

2024 restock. Faitiche presents a long-lost vinyl album. Since 2003, Jan Jelinek's Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, originally released in 2001 on ~scape, existed only as a download. Now the album is available again on vinyl, as a double LP with two bonus tracks, "Moiré (Guitar & Horns)" and "Poren", B-sides from Tendency EP (2000).

"Don't be misled by the title, though for there isn't a finger-snapping rhythm bebop lead anywhere on the album. Instead, Jelinek chooses to explore the visual effect moiré - two shifting patterns creating an implied third dimension - in the audio realm." --Alternative Press

"The title acts as explanation for the studio technique that provided the basis for this album, snippets of other people's arrangements deconstructed through a sampler into loops and then splashed onto an audio canvas." --ATM

"Jelinek's sound evolved out of his dislike for (and inability to play) keyboards." --RPM

"Jelinek has abstracted his sources beyond recognition, looping his millisecond samples into flickering patterns of sonic moiré laid atop a dub techno framework. . . . Jelinek might as well have sampled a horn player's hissing intake of breath - it would have been 'jazz' enough for his purposes." --The Wire

"It's a perfect inversion of conventional music, a sonic negative. Everything that would typically be foreground is moved back or pushed off the screen altogether, and the flecks of sonic debris that would normally be covered by other sounds are left to carry the melody and rhythm." --Pitchfork

"All you need to know is that these onomatopoeic non-specific songs . . . are warm, paradisiacal creations." --NME

"Listen carefully and you'll hear textures slowly unfolding and mutating. Presuming you've not fallen asleep of course." --iDJ

"At times, it's all a bit dripping tap Japanese water torture; so sedentary it drowns in its own motionlessness" --DJ

"Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records is a genuine modern classic whose re-release is anything but a cynical mortgage repayment exercise. Consider this a second chance, then pretend you had it all along." --Boomkat

Glossy Mistakes presents Atlantic Mavericks: A Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal 1982-1993, a groundbreaking double LP compilation that offers a unique glimpse into the vibrant landscape of Portuguese experimental music. This monumental release showcases the evolution and innovation of the Portuguese music scene during a transformative decade marked by political upheaval and artistic experimentation. Compiled by Glossy Mario and featuring liner notes by Rui Miguel Abreu, Atlantic Mavericks captures the essence of a generation of artists who dared to challenge conventions and push the boundaries of what was possible in music. The compilation stands as a testament to the eclecticism of the Portuguese music scene during this period, featuring a diverse range of genres and styles. From ambient and new age to electro, rock, and synth-pop, Atlantic Mavericks offers something for every listener, inviting them to explore the rich tapestry of sounds that defined the era. The 1980s in Portugal were a time of profound transformation, marked by the aftermath of a peaceful revolution and a burgeoning desire for artistic expression. As the country emerged from political turbulence, a new generation of musicians began to explore uncharted territories, paving the way for a wave of experimentation and innovation. From the emergence of artists like Rui Veloso and bands like UHF, who ushered in a new era of Portuguese rock, to the founding of independent record labels like Fundação Atlântica and Ama Romanta, the 1980s saw a surge in creativity and a desire for independence within the music industry. Each song on this album tells a story of artistic evolution and creative risk-taking, reflecting the diverse influences and eclectic tastes of the Portuguese music scene during this transformative decade. Spanning from 1982 to 1993, the compilation includes contributions from a wide range of artists, including SPQR, Croix Sainte, Linha Geral, Balladium, Ban, Santa Maria, Gasolina Em Teu Ventre!, Fé de Sábio,Nuno Rebelo, Vítor Rúa, Tó Neto, Luis Cilia, Pilar, Carlos María Trindade, Balladium, Pop Dell'Arte, and Telectu. With each track carefully curated to showcase the breadth and depth of Portuguese experimental music, Atlantic Mavericks promises to be a must-have for music enthusiasts and adventurous listeners alike.

Repressed. Dettinger's Intershop and Oasis have long been held, by many fans of ambient and electronic music, to be some of the finest albums in their field. Produced by the mysterious Olaf Dettinger, about whom not much is publicly known, they were some of the earliest full-lengths released by the then-nascent Kompakt, and in many ways, they both articulated and defined the sound that would come to be known as pop ambient, while also existing, somehow, to the leftfield of any clearly recognizable genre. Beautiful, sui generis works, it is a rare pleasure to see them being reissued on vinyl for a new generation of listeners to embrace. Originally released on CD only in 1999, Intershop was Kompakt's first artist full-length. The music here simmers and broods, with opulent banks of tone marking out territory for rhythms that seem to be built from the clacking detritus of technology -- hisses, thunks, knocks. Bass is deployed carefully, each drop a dubbed-out depth charge; drones spin and spiral, warping and weaving between the beats. There is, of course, other music to know Dettinger by, too -- his three excellent EPs for Kompakt, Blond (1998), Puma, and Totentanz (1999), the latter of which, Michael Mayer once argued, "invented dubstep." There is also a small, yet graceful run of compilation contributions, many of which can be found on Kompakt's Total and Pop Ambient series. All this music has plenty to recommend it, sharing a clarity of purpose, and a rare, human warmth and depth. But Intershop and Oasis are the releases that distill Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.

Repressed! Dettinger's Intershop and Oasis have long been held, by many fans of ambient and electronic music, to be some of the finest albums in their field. Produced by the mysterious Olaf Dettinger, about whom not much is publicly known, they were some of the earliest full-lengths released by the then-nascent Kompakt, and in many ways, they both articulated and defined the sound that would come to be known as Pop Ambient, while also existing, somehow, to the leftfield of any clearly recognizable genre. Beautiful, sui generis works, it is a rare pleasure to see them being reissued on vinyl for a new generation of listeners to embrace. Oasis, released in 2000, refined the palette that Dettinger had explored on its predecessor, Intershop. A blurred crusade of ambient texturology, its unassuming patterns, and subtle, incremental dynamics, admit to real beauty, and a kind of abstract sensuality that you don't often experience with music that is, perhaps, similarly tooled, but not as poetic. Through seemingly simple gestures -- whether lushly expansive repetitions, hyper-acute tremolo tones, or ear-tickling rhythms -- it builds complex emotional resonance. It's no surprise to discover Oasis is held in high esteem by artists like Panda Bear of Animal Collective, who once said of Dettinger, "For us, he was the dude." There is, of course, other music to know Dettinger by, too -- his three excellent EPs for Kompakt, Blond (1998), Puma, and Totentanz (1999), the latter of which, Michael Mayer once argued, "invented dubstep." There is also a small, yet graceful run of compilation contributions, many of which can be found on Kompakt's Total and Pop Ambient series. All this music has plenty to recommend it, sharing a clarity of purpose, and a rare, human warmth and depth. But Intershop and Oasis are the releases that distil Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.

"Third Ear Band hail from Canterbury and started out as a psychedelic band called The Giant Sun Trolley, playing long, impromptu sets in South London clubs. After one gig, almost all of the band's equipment was stolen. So, by sheer coincidence and obvious necessity, they became an acoustic band and adopted the name Third Ear Band. From 1969 to 1972, the band released three albums on the progressive Harvest label, of which Music From Macbeth (1972) was the best known and most commercially successful. On April 24, 1970, the Third Ear Band performed at the second Essen Pop and Blues Festival. For some reason, they did not appear on the official poster for the event or in the festival program. The line-up was packed with acts like The Flock, Ekseption, Rhinocerous, The Groundhogs, It's A Beautiful Day, and the still unknown Black Sabbath, who had just released their first album. The Essen concert in the quartet line-up with Sweeney on drums, Minns on oboe, Coff on violin and Smith on cello took place just a few weeks before the release of the second album, which fans know as Elements, although it is simply called Third Ear Band and was released in June 1970. Of the four elements, the band played 'Earth' and 'Water' that night, but in a shorter version compared to the album versions. The professional sound recordings of the Third Ear Band's festival performance have only recently resurfaced and have now been restored, edited and mastered."

"Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered is the 2008 album by Lee 'Scratch' Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry), who was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and the use of studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing tracks. From his Black Ark Studio in Kingston Jamaica, he worked with and produced a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, Susan Cadogan, The Congos, and Max Romeo. Later, he moved to Switzerland and reinvented himself as a performance and visual artist but continued to produce innovative music -- collaborations include The Beastie Boys, The Clash, Keith Richards, George Clinton, and Adrian Sherwood. Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered is the second in a series of three albums he made with English musician and producer Steve Marshall a.k.a. John Saxon. It features guest appearances by none other than George Clinton and Keith Richards. The 2LP Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on translucent green colored vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve."

"Reissue of a superb Elton Dean recording with a band full of Brit jazz luminaries -- saxophonists Paul Dunmall and Trevor Watts, bassist Paul Rogers, and drummer Tony Levin -- from the Covent Garden Jazz Saxophone Festival 1989, which was originally released by Ogun in 1990. The artwork has been reworked and new sleeve notes written for this release. The CD also includes a bonus download recording of the band playing at the Le Mans Festival in 1991, previously unreleased."

The new album from Lebanese-American musician Solpara, Melancholy Sabotage, marks his full-length debut and return to Nicolas Jaar's Other People label. While it was recorded over Covid lockdowns, Jaar had been talking about wanting to back a Solpara full-length since he put out Swing. Melancholy Sabotage explores the theme of sabotaging melancholy. Echoing sounds from the post-punk, trip-hop, and ambient genres, it is about sabotaging the cycle of melancholy and looking at this process without ignoring the sources that put it into motion. It may be compared to a rattling breaking free from retention, reaching states of dreamy euphoria while simultaneously acknowledging the sources of retention, viewed from above. The sources can be personal, political, or socio-economic. They are to be apprehended post-melancholy, after the sabotaging of the initial cycle of melancholy. In other words, it is about transcending melancholy and understanding where it came from with some distance. It may be beautiful and healthy to feel for a while, but how may one sabotage this cycle when it becomes paralyzing? Ultimately, this album is about feeling melancholy but also resisting it and naming the sources that initiated it. "Time To Hold Better" points to neglect on both personal and group levels. "This Time Last Year" is a personal time capsule. "We Keep Us Safe" is about solidarity, autonomy, and care witnessed within protest groups. "Melancholy Sabotage" is a sonic exploration of the album concept illustrating anger and sadness, but finally, resistance and liberation from these feelings. "Measures" is a more fluid exploration of the latter after the initial storm has passed. "We Don't Owe" points to bigger bodies inflicting harm on populations that people owe nothing to. "Breaking Points" harkens the times that listeners may lose focus while pushing to transcend melancholy. "Eviction" is about being pushed out of a space unwillingly while simultaneously being forced to move forward. Melancholy Sabotage pulls from a range of genres, uniting electronic sounds under the same post-punky glow. It pulls from complex, heavy themes including damage and injustice, presenting Solpara's most moving body of work to date. It highlights the poignance that has always been at the heart of his fluid sound, which caters to dancefloors and avant-garde spaces in equal measure. Working with a mix of dissonant guitars, distorted drum machines, and distant, reverb-washed vocals, Melancholy Sabotage is Solpara's uneasiest outing to date.

2024 repress. "Little introduction should be required here. Let it suffice to say that Bee Thousand is arguably the best, or at least among the top Guided By Voices albums in a copious discography. Accordingly, the album has stacked up accolades over the years, including being voted #1 on Amazon.com's '100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time.' It's a staple of such lists, and has also placed highly on those curated by Spin, Pitchfork, Mojo and Rolling Stone. This new LP pressing, the first since the late '90s, honors the album's 20th anniversary. It features new (and definitely improved) mastering from John Golden, a substantial gatefold jacket with a previously unpublished Robert Pollard collage, and high-quality virgin vinyl from RTI. We've also included a free download card."

Cotton and silk complement each other like cookies and milk, you and your lover, or Tiger & Woods. The new leading track of "Dancing Without Headphones" by the always reliable Italian duo. Now featuring the tried and tested heavenly vocal chords of 'Em and meaningful lyrics. Hardcore boogie peak time vibes! The rest of the record suits these needs and follows Larry Tiger's and David Woods' highest production standards. Play -- and powerful, formidable and floor-shaking, you will be hard-pressed to find the same quality somewhere else. With or without headphones: essential listening!

2024 restock. "The album was produced by the band themselves, and issued in two different stereo mixes. The more widely distributed mix is the one done by MGM/Verve staff engineer Val Valentin. The other mix was done by Lou Reed, boosting his vocals and guitar solos, while reducing the level of other instruments. This version was dubbed the 'Closet Mix' by Sterling Morrison, because it sounded to him as if it had been recorded in a closet. The most dramatic difference is that the two versions use entirely different performances of 'Some Kinda Love', both taken from the same recording sessions."

2024 repress; LP version. Includes "Todo en La Vida", the track featured in the Netflix Narcos series, "an ode to patience propelled by a yearning riff that wouldn't have been out of place in a Gainsbourg perv-jam").
The recordings that the sisters Elia and Elizabeth Fleta made, hand-in-hand with music arranger Jimmy Salcedo in the early '70s in their native Colombia, remained hidden like lost pearls in the undervalued musical pop history of Latin America until today. Their concise and natural mix of styles sways between soft-pop with a touch of tropical-pastoral funk, singer-songwriter sweetened by the subtle perfume of Caribbean music and the psychedelia of a world in the midst of discovering all the possibilities offered by the recording studio. These elements blend graciously and fortuitously, brimming with freshness, in a perfect partnership of sharp melodies with lyrics inspired by a genuine juvenile curiosity about life's mysteries, love and nature in its simplest forms. Elia and Elizabeth Fleta Mallol were born in Bogotá by chance. Their parents were both from Spain but met and got married in Barranquila, and soon after moved to Bogotá. Their father, Miguel Fleta, was the son of the renowned tenor of the same name. Given the family's musical history, the sisters were fully supported and motivated by their parents, who bought them acoustic guitars and encouraged them to take lessons. Mr. Fleta's work would take them to Cali, back to Barranquilla, Lima, and finally Madrid and Barcelona in 1971. In Spain, Elia y Elizabeth were invited to a televised homage for their famous grandfather and were heard by composer and musical arranger Juan Carlos Calderon, who had previously worked with their aunts, the popular duo of sisters Elia and Paloma Fleta. Immediately, he invited them to record under his direction two songs in the studio of the Zafiro label from Barcelona. The chosen songs were "Cae la lluvia" and "Fue una lagrima," two of Elia's compositions. Both songs were released on a 45rpm single, although it lacked any kind of promotion given that, yet again, the Fleta family was about to move back to Colombia. Back in Barranquilla, after performing at a charity event with their friends from the Bakarett Blues Band, the sisters were heard by Graciela Arango de Tobon, a wealthy lady and composer who recommended them to Alvaro Arango. The latter was the musical director of Codiscos, subsidiary of Zeida, a label with headquarters in Medellín which was looking for a female duo with the characteristics of the Fleta sisters. After hearing them sing over the phone, Mr. Alvaro traveled to Barranquilla the next day, where he formalized his intention to record the duo. Soon after, Elia and Elizabeth were in the studios of Codiscos in Medellín. Humberto Moreno, head producer, entrusted the musical arrangements and direction to the pianist Jimmy Salcedo, a Mompox native. A talented and charismatic musician from the bohemian and jazz scene in Bogotá, Salcedo was a former member of The Be-Bops who had become a TV interviewer and started his own band, La Onda Tres. The support of Jimmy Salcedo and his band contributed to the Fleta duo becoming regulars in the local media. During their meteoric career, the sisters were the winners of the Coco Festival in Barranquilla, the recipients of the Principe de Oro -- an award given by the eponymous radio station -- and were nominated for the Onda Award as the best new band of 1972. A second LP appeared the following year and the TV shows continued weekly, leaving Elia less and less time to devote to her studies, which she was most interested in. She decided to talk to her family and explain to them her desire to stop her television performances and instead completely devote herself to her university education in music pedagogy. Elizabeth, meanwhile, understood and accepted her sister's decision and also quit the world of entertainment. Includes a booklet with liner notes by compiler Carlos Icaza and photos from Elia Fleta's personal archive.

Old Saw, the enigmatic New England collective led by Henry Birdsey (Tongue Depressor), return with their third long-playing record, Dissection Maps.

"It is not enough to trace the fields. The choreocartographic demands the casting of stone, a grassfire, a carnival; something with which to rupture the horizontality of existence and imagine the vertical. Earth is the eighth morning, folded against the week's work. The field is a line drawing of oblivion. The house is a forest in the shape of a womb. America is a quarry in the image of god." --Aidan Patrick Welby, 2024

Repressed. WRWTFWW Records is flying high as it announces the reissue of the 1997 ambient masterpiece Quiet Logic by electronic music visionaries Mixmaster Morris (The Irresistible Force), Jonah Sharp (Spacetime Continuum), and Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra). Quiet Logic invites listeners to embark on a captivating sonic odyssey, blending intricate rhythms and celestial environments that push the boundaries of electronic music. Co-crafted at Haruomi Hosono's Tokyo studio in 1997, this album represents a time of rapid transformation in the genre, with these three artists at the forefront of redefining soundscapes. With its unique blend of influences from Hosono's immense contribution to electronic, pop, and experimental music to Morris' worldwide chill out DJ performances and Sharp's pioneering label, Reflective, Quiet Logic remains a timeless piece of ethereal electronica. It was originally only released in Japan in CD format on the Harry Hosono-curated Daisyworld Discs label. Remastered for 2024, this reissue is a must-have for fans of Haruomi Hosono/YMO, The Irresistible Force, Spacetime Continuum, Dreamfish, Tetsu Inoue, FFWD, H.I.A., Fax +49-69/450464, and mind-expanding musics. Immerse yourself now.

2024 repress. Gatefold double LP version featuring 10 tracks from the double CD. Z Records returns with a long overdue gospel album compiled by David Hill. The album leads with a track from The Clark Sisters, who are without doubt one of the most successful and prolific family gospel groups of the last 40 years. Originally released on S.O.G. Records (Sounds of Gospel), Overdose of the Holy Ghost was recorded in 1981 and would go on to become the group's biggest crossover hit after being licensed to Elektra Records and released internationally in 1983. The "Queen of Gospel Music," Shirley Caesar turns in a smoldering, socially-conscious, Philadelphia International inspired groover with "Message to the People." Gospel artists are well-known for taking popular secular songs -- or riffs from them -- and adapting the lyrics to take the song in a spiritual direction. Kristle uses The Emotions' "Best of My Love" as its foundation, and builds from a slow intro, gradually turning up the heat until it's the dancefloor burner that is "I'll Go." Further highlighting gospel music's influence on current music production, we have Norman Weeks & The Revelations' "Hold On" which first appeared on an obscure, and rare, 12" on Rent productions. With further disco and funk-induced soul provided by BeBe & CeCe Winans, Gloster Williams & Master Control, D.J. Rogers, James Moore, The Dynamic Clark Sisters with Mattie Moss Clark, Sharon Johnson and many more gospel luminaries, plus exclusive edits from David Hill and Z Records' Joey Negro, Overdose of the Holy Ghost is a shining example of church music that has been influenced by secular soul that was built for the dancefloor. David Hill began his music career in 1994 as a member of the Ballistic Brothers, together with Ashley Beedle and Rocky & Diesel of X-Press 2. In 1994 he co-founded the Nuphonic record label that also produced the Sony award-winning London Xpress radio show for Xfm. He continues to work as a music consultant to several record companies and on personal projects such as "Rootikal," the monthly roots reggae night, and has a number of reissue and compilation projects currently in production. He is also currently overseeing the production of a book and an accompanying touring exhibition that will showcase Bill Bernstein's photographs of New York nightlife in the late '70s.

LP version. The explorer Walter Maioli makes his most amazing adventure, the journey to the center of the Earth. Retracing the exploits of the Platonic demiurge, he identifies in the cave the deepest meaning of myth. Primordial sounds, not shadows, are at the center of this magical path straddling geology and Paleolithic polyphony. The recordings between 1985 and 2002 capture the sonic imperceptibility of the great subterranean womb, investigate the secret dialogue between the trickling of pond waters and the faint percussive reverberation of stalactites and stalagmites. Rocky sediments are played as tubular organs, glockenspiels, xylophones or stone marimbas. Crystalline timbral variations and subtle microtonal passages recall the chimes of Tibetan gongs and bells, of the scales of Java and Bali. Amidst muffled pauses and silences, trills and rings, echoes and tremolos, hisses and pops of vibration, Maioli builds his most imaginative niche of sound, a magnetic and telluric chant that is pure symphony and archetypal synesthesia. Co-produced with Holidays Records.

A floating drift toward a mysterious reality, between nature and cosmos, poised between sleep and wakefulness, temporal co-presences and impossible spatial ubiquities. In this phantasmagorical saga, inspired by TV science-fiction as well as '60s and '70s horror movies, Nicola Giunta/Lay Llamas creates a miraculous balance between original inserts and retrievals of freely chosen fragments from old audio documentaries on vinyl, perfecting the art of sound collage in an absolutely psychedelic way. Nonlinear dream textures become labyrinths of sudden openings, empty rooms, interstellar platforms, narrating voices from other worlds or ghostly churches from beyond the grave. A piercing electronica of cosmic synths, dense with the mists and dusts of distant times, past and future at the same time, where lysergic percussions merge with echoes of flutes vibrating in endless tropical forests and natures. Until the final awakening, in the reality of the first light of dawn.

The work of Bolivian composer Cergio Prudencio (La Paz, 1955) is indissolubly linked to the project of the Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos (Experimental Orchestra of Native Instruments, OEIN), which he co-founded in 1980 and of which he is the emeritus director. It constitutes one of the most challenging adventures in the music that has emerged in Bolivia and Latin America. The OEIN is the result of the incorporation of Aymara musical traditions into the realm of contemporary music to produce a new sonic world. This incorporation is not only based on using native instruments but also involves integrating their socio-historical context and philosophies from the Andean indigenous world. The release of Cergio Prudencio's Antología 1: Obras para la Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos allows listeners to delve into this wealth of thought and sounds, into the work of a fundamental and radical artist, for whom decolonization is also an opening to experimentation and the new. These compositions project a historical memory into the present, constructing new horizons. This is evident in the works included in this album, such as "La ciudad" (1980), which marks the beginning of an understanding of highland urban soundscapes, a geography that cannot be understood without the groups of sikus and led to the formation of the OEIN. On the other hand, there is a piece like "Cantos insurgentes" (2012), composed from materials used for the soundtrack of the film Insurgentes by Jorge Sanjinés, a Bolivian director and founder of Grupo Ukamau, with whom Prudencio has had a long collaboration as the creator of music for his films. Prudencio's work has followed multiple musical paths, including music for conventional Western instruments, music for film and video, electroacoustic music, chamber opera and more. The album is completed with compositions such as "Tríptica" (1985), "Otra ciudad" (2005), and "Cantos funerales" (2015), offering an artistic and vital journey in Prudencio's trajectory as well as that of the OEIN. Limited edition of 300 copies. Includes a booklet with notes written by Cergio Prudencio. The recording, editing, and mastering were done by Gustavo Navarrete. Art and design by Gonzalo de Montreuil.

Certainly one of the most obscure and perhaps one of the most fascinating work of the English jazz revolution. Master of ceremonies is cellist Paul Buckmaster, known for his work with the Third Ear Band and for his (later) collaborations with Miles Davis, David Bowie, and Elton John. Chitinous is his only album as leader, and it was recorded between 31 March and 13 April 1970, by an orchestra of no less than 51 players, with violins, violas and cellos. In this enormous line-up is the cream of English musicians, starting with trumpeter Ian Carr and ending with drummer John Marshall. The leader is on cello, his main instrument, but also on keyboards, which he shares with the excellent Pete Robinson. The music is organized in suites, with very broad suggestions that draw from classical and contemporary music and then move back into jazz territory.

New Jersey-born Ali Berger is a drum machine specialist and low-key US electronic music standby, now based in Pittsburgh after spending the 2010s in Boston and Detroit. His catalog of original music runs deep, with over 60 releases on his Trackland label and EPs on imprints like Spectral Sound and Sequencias, all resulting from a lovingly-cultivated studio approach which respects improvisation as a spiritual practice. Here with this sublime release on Scissors and Thread, Ali shares a multitude of sounds and atmospheres across the five tracks. As Ali himself puts it "This record collects tracks from the last three years, plus "0221 (Serious Mix)" which is from 2018. There's a full cross-section of production techniques represented here, from one-take jams to multi-tracked compositions, but through it all there's a deep melancholy which (I hope) is tempered by enough groove to be uplifting. Maintaining emotional balance takes constant, caring attention; music is a part of that process for me and these tracks reflect that." This balancing of melancholic atmospheres and groove is evident throughout. "Rhythm & Simplicity" is a low-key thoughtful banger for the more discerning dancefloors, while "A New World To Forget" also exhibits a deep love of cultured house music and analog drum machines. "Tape Jam Pt 2" is the perfect mix of improvisation and pure groove, put down in a rough and gritty fashion. 0221 (Serious Mix)" merges a breakbeat with pads and synths that give off a Balearic sunrise vibe, while "Motion Anthem" wraps up the EP with a tougher groove coupled with wistful melodies and oceans of feeling.