LP version. Green color vinyl. Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma Délire: Songs Of Love, Lost & Found (2021). Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec (and beyond), with Ma délire, which combines traditional and original songs with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such folks as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and renowned jazz percussionist Chris Corsano. Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements Myriam uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. She is often accompanied on this album by the guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White), whose work provides a quietly aggressive sort of free-rock base. Additional players include Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lovie, Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba. Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. The music here certainly possesses a richly serious tone, but Myriam Gendron (like Leonard Cohen) is able to infuse her darkness with a subtle, powerful light that reminds listeners that even the most pitch-black night is but a transitional state. Beautiful work. Recorded at home and at Hotel2Tango with Howard Bilerman and Shea Brossard. Mastered by Harris Newman.
LP version. The 1960s weren't just about The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and hippies; they also ushered in new forms of art: happenings, Fluxus, Neo-Dada, video art, to name just a few. As borders blurred, pop influenced art and art influenced pop. Many protagonists of the time chose to ignore borders altogether. This chaotic, euphoric atmosphere of extreme innovation lasted well into the 1970s and continues to resonate today. All manner of trailblazers shaped the soundscape of the era. Conrad Schnitzler (born 1937) and Karl Horst Hödicke (born 1938) -- longstanding members of the official artistic canon -- were multifunctional artists who painted, performed, sculptured, made films and music. They were always to be found on the edge of the "permissible" and invariably went beyond "modern" perceptions of art. Schnitzler, Hödicke and many of their contemporaries arrived at a completely new definition of the avant-garde. The circumstances of Schnitzler and Hödicke's first meeting are unknown, but it should come as no surprise that it was Schnitzler who composed the soundtrack for Hödicke's film entitled Slow Motion in 1976. The two artists were cut from the same cloth, routinely crossing any boundaries they happened to encounter. Schnitzler wrote music for each of the film's 14 sequences, linking them together in a logical progression of minimalist imagery. Each piece of music quite brilliantly accentuated the preceding one. Schnitzler's musical sensibility was wholly compatible with Hödicke's approach to film. Not that Schnitzler was ever a film composer. Slow Motion worked because Schnitzler and Hödicke were on the same wavelength, daring to experiment with sound and vision in such a way that auditory and visual components were interdependent. Nevertheless, it still makes sense to release the soundtrack without the images. Schnitzler undoubtedly responded to the pictures as he composed, but his customarily uncompromising style is very much in evidence: rhythmically structured electronic cascades, intermittent impulse chains and manual improvisations alternate with planar clouds of sound. Analogue sequencers and an analogue rhythm machine played a crucial role. The tracks on Slow Motion vary in length and mood, but the listener never has to leave Schnitzler's sonic universe, even without the pictures for which the music was composed. Slow Motion is an important document in Schnitzler's oeuvre, seamlessly taking its place alongside his many other releases, whilst also highlighting his constructive input as an equal partner in an experimental film production.
Double LP version. Yellow color vinyl. Einstürzende Neubauten present their new album Rampen (apm: alien pop music). Since the band was founded on April 1, 1980, Einstürzende Neubauten have been shifting the parameters of mainstream and subculture to make the inaudible audible -- perhaps the unheard as well. This experimental field research, spanning more than four decades, is now entering the next stage. In its 44th year of existence, the band is going back to its roots while redefining itself. It's a change in self-image, for which the Berlin quintet plus one has created its own genre -- alien pop music.
LP version. This self-titled second album from Gordan, the acclaimed transnational (Serbia/Germany/Austria) experimental trio, fuses traditional Balkan vocalizations with feedback, electronic sound generators, pulsing bass and hypnotic drumming. Gordan mirrors the mysticism of legends and stories from the Balkan region, creating a music that stretches between expressiveness and abstraction; tradition and the avant-garde. The visceral vocals of Svetlana Spajic (Marina Abramovic, Lenhart Tapes, Antony and the Johnsons) are both rooted and deeply interpretive. In turn, drummer Andi Stecher (STECHER, Billy Bultheel, Orchestre Les Mangelepa), and Guido Möbius on bass and electronics, employ sonic strategies that steer the songs in inspired and unpredictable directions. Gordan makes music that lies between expressiveness and abstraction. Their pieces are not limited by rigid formal structures. Instead, they are open processes that create a loss of sense of time. Reduced arrangements and expressive vocals combine to form a powerful musical whole. This band creates something new from minimalism, intensity and the rich singing tradition of the Balkans. When Down in the Meadow, the first album by Gordan was released by Morphine Records in October 2021, it was celebrated by critics and audiences alike. Now the trio presents its second, even more radical record. Drummer Andi Stecher forgoes any ornamentation and at the same time plays varied and concentrated. Confident and with outstanding technique, he is the engine of the band's sound. His stylistic flexibility demonstrates a profound knowledge of global music history. Guido Möbius plays bass guitar and various electronic sound generators. He also provokes feedback using a guitar amplifier, microphone and effects. These sometimes spherical, sometimes very concrete sounds interact with Svetlana Spajic's voice. Vocals and feedback circle each other in fleeting, ever-changing harmony.
"Gripping, like something ancient being born" --The Wire
"The connection between folk and improvised music, between traditional song and electric noise has been tried in recent years, but rarely as intensively and interestingly." --Rolling Stone (DE)
LP version. Alowan is the side of 16 Horsepower that has not been heard before. As a founding member of the alternative country band from Denver, Colorado, Tolas' arrangements, music and influence in the band was always clearly present through their career. This is a more personal and intimate vision. In collaborations with a few friends and musicians, Feathers is a body of work to be reckoned with. Tola presents ten beautiful and dark folk songs. Chantal Acda, the main vocalist, will carry you to the clouds with her light but deep tones and poetic lyrics. Alowan takes her to new territories and her talent shows. The Texan Calvin Dover (Dover Brothers) accompanies her on a couple of tracks making the duet irresistible. A few others join Tola in this project, such as Steve Taylor (former 16 Horsepower guitar player) and Theo Hakola of the famed Orchestre Rouge and Passion Fodder.
2024 repress. An impossible to find album, reissued for the first time ever on vinyl. 1979's Sei Note in Logica is Italian experimental composer Roberto Cacciapaglia's second LP, a minimalist album that features one continual composition "for four voices, computer, and orchestral ensemble," in the same vein as Fred Rzewski, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley. Unlike anything else coming out of Italy at the time, Cacciapaglia (who worked for Italy's national Department of Phonology) was also quite advanced in his use of computer-based technology. A major influence on the likes of Jim O'Rourke and others of his ilk. Presented on 180-gram vinyl with a bonus CD containing an acoustic version of the entire album.
LP version. Yellow color vinyl. "The collaboration between renowned drummer Jim White and acclaimed guitarist Marisa Anderson is a natural union of two of the most intuitive players and listeners working in music. Jim White is known for his groundbreaking trio, Dirty Three, as well as duo Xylouris White. His list of collaborations is vast and include artists such as Nick Cave, Bill Callahan, Cat Power, Marnie Stern, and Warren Ellis. Jim just released his debut solo album, All Hits: Memories. Marisa Anderson, known primarily for her solo work, in demand collaborator who has worked with Tashi Dorji, Sharon Van Etten, Yasmine Williams, and Michael Hurley. She has released records with William Tyler and Tara Jane O'Neal. White and Anderson are each highly sought after collaborators in no small part because of their mastery, versatility and highly expressive playing. Their sophomore album, Swallowtail, finds the duo completely attuned to each other, fluidly moving as wind and water. They avoid preconceived movements, instead focusing on their musical conversation. As Anderson puts it: 'The ideas aren't the music, they are the pathway into the musical possibilities.' Their skillful interplay creates an effervescence throughout the album. The ebb and flow to the duo's motions bring a sense of serenity and ease to spontaneous transitions, each swell and retraction sounding as free as it does inevitable. White and Anderson's preternatural alchemy as a duo allows each fleeting gesture to feel featherlight and stirring while maintaining an inquisitive spirit. Their music is an enchanting and illuminating."
LP version. Blue color vinyl. "Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements are two of contemporary music's most renowned innovators. Each has managed to expand the perception of their instrument's capabilities. Lattimore inventive harp processing and looping has brought the instrument to a new audience. Her prolific run of celestial solo albums and evocative film scores have redefined the instrument in the modern consciousness. Her genre-agnostic collaborations include work with Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn, Jeff Zeigler, Meg Baird, and Thurston Moore. McClements, who tours as a member of Weyes Blood, is an acclaimed composer in his own right, sculpting glacial atmospherics from the accordion. The Los Angeles based duo became quick friends on overlapping tours, sharing both a drive to push the sonic possibilities of their instruments and roots in North Carolina. Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements debut collaboration Rain On The Road blossomed out of that time spent on the road together, capturing the liminal existence of touring life in deeply cinematic compositions. Recorded in the cozy setting of McClements' apartment during a rainy December in LA, Rain On The Road unfurls as a series of sonic vignettes, rolling landscapes hewn from longform improvisations for harp and accordion. Embellished with additional instrumentation such as the shimmering constellations of hand bells on 'Stolen Bells' that glisten like lights on wet pavement, or the stately piano figures on 'The Top of Thomas Street'; their pastoral pieces manage to paint vivid images."
2024 repress. Although Warhol, who was listed as producer on the album, allegedly gave the Velvets free reign over their sound, it was on his insistence that Nico performed on this album. However, this does not detract from the fact that when this album was made the Red Sea parted, and the Velvet Underground crossed into the Promised Land. Deluxe gatefold jacket with peeling banana and "Chelsea Girls" bonus track on B5
2024 repress; LP version. 180 gram vinyl, half speed mastered; heavy sleeve with obi and gold ink. We Release Jazz announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's Cat, a glorious jazz-fusion-funk holy grail originally released in 1976. Cat was recorded in October 1975 at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two-day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown. The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums). Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lo-fi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike. Sourced from the original masters. Liner notes by Teruo Isono.
2024 restock. Far Out Recordings presents the first ever vinyl release of Milton Nascimento's Maria Maria, originally released in 2003 as a double-CD package. Recorded in 1974 and unreleased until almost thirty years later, the album was written as the soundtrack to a ballet which dealt with the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Milton Nascimento possesses one of the most immediately recognizable voices in Brazilian music: high and sweet and as breathtakingly sublime as that of any soul singer. Along with journalist and song writer Fernando Brant, lyricist Marcio Borges, and his younger brother Lo Borges, Nascimento wrote and produced what would become Milton's milestone album, Clube da Esquina (1972) which shaped the local scene and reflects the essence of "the Nascimento Sound". Milton's religious upbringing as an Afro-Brazilian Catholic saw him exposed to church choral music from an early age. This collection also displays his early fascination with evocative, non-verbal, scat-style singing, spare, harmonic guitar work and local folk music, jazz, and rock. In 1976, Milton and Fernando Brant teamed up with a new contemporary dance company called Grupo Corpo, whose Argentinian choreographer Oscar Araiz, would become a collaborator with the two musicians. Together, they conceived a show based on the composite life story of the daughter of a black slave called Maria. Nascimento wrote music to Brant's lyrics and Maria Maria was premiered in the main theatre of the Belo Horizonte Palacio das Artes that year. The music on Maria Maria was performed by an impressive group of young Brazilian musicians, including Naná Vasconcelos (percussion and effects), Toninho Horta (guitars), and Paulo Moura (sax). Several vocalists, including Naná Caymmi, Fafá de Belém, Beto Guedes, and Milton himself, had hits in years to come with reworkings of these songs. On the title track, Maria's story is narrated and translated to music through the use of African Percussion, drums, and metal signifying the field slave tools of the day. "Trabalhos (Works)" runs to work rhythms and whip cracks. "Lília" documents the beating of the slave woman. After "A Chamada" and the triumphant "Era Rei e Sou Escravo", things begin to turn and Milton employs tropical jungle cries to symbolize freedom. "Santos Catholicos x Candomble" represents the battle between African and European religions through the music of both sides. Milton's heavenly falsetto pours into "Francisco" and "Pai Grande" and the outstanding "Eu Sou Uma Preta Velha Aqui Sentada no Sol" conjures images of an old woman sitting deep in the forest, her memories painted in drums, piano, and voices. 180 gram vinyl.
2024 repress, only currently available version. Single LP reissue of the original album (does not include the "Reverb Mix" version found on previous 2LP editions). "Issued in 1975, this is the articulation of Zambia's Zamrock ethos. Its' musicians were anti-colonial freedom fighters, it envelops Zambian folk music traditions, and it rocks -- hard. Amanaz were serious, and they made a serious stab at an album. They titled their album Africa, according to original band member Keith Kabwe, 'because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen... all the atrocities slave drivers committed.' Thus, their 'Kale,' a blues sung in Nyanja, that traced the continent's arc from slavery to Zambia's independence closes the album. Kabwe and rhythm guitarist John Kanyepa have a winsome softness to their vocals, which sit politely aside the feral growl of drummer Watson Baldwin Lungu, bassist Jerry Mausala and bandleader/lead guitarist Isaac Mpofu. Africa's vibe ranges from anxious ('Amanaz') to escapist ('Easy Street') to straight-up pissed-off. On the 'History of Man,' his voice whiskey-burned, his distorted guitar buzzing like swarming hornets, Mpofu indicts his species. There's a darkness to Africa not found on any other Zamrock records, and a melancholy drifts throughout, specifically on Mpofu's more restrained 'Khala My Friend,' which stands as an effective, bleak situation for the Zambian everyman, the average citizen of a struggling, new nation, who might have had relatives in conflict-torn countries on the horizon, who might have been struggling to find his next meal, who might have seen a bleaker future than his president promised. Then there's the clear Velvet Underground-influence on the nostalgic 'Sunday Morning,' which, as Kabwe recalls, was the first song written for the album, back in 1968, when Velvet Underground and Nico was a new release -- and the underground funk of 'Making The Scene.' The album also tackles traditional Zambian music and early-'60s rock -- punctuated, of course by Kanyepa's wah-wah and Mpofu's fuzz guitars. But every time Amanaz get too deep, too violent, they come back with an accessible song and woo their listener back to the groove. 'Green Apple' is a civil song, featuring Kanyepa's sighing guitar."
2024 restock; double LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes CD. Tak:Til/Glitterbeat present the first ever reissue and remastering of Jon Hassell and Farafina's prescient, "Fourth World" masterwork, Flash of the Spirit, originally released in 1988. Propulsive Burkinese rhythms meet revelatory, ambient soundscapes. Co-produced with the legendary studio team of Brian Eno and Dainel Lanois. Composer and trumpeter Jon Hassell has been an elusive, iconic musical figure for more than half a century. He's best known as the pioneer and propagandist of "Fourth World" music, mixing technology with the tradition and spirituality of non-western cultures. In 1987 he joined with Farafina, the acclaimed percussion, voice, and dance troupe from Burkina Faso, to record Flash of the Spirit. While the album is a natural extension of those "Fourth World" ideas, and a new strand of Possible Musics, it also a distinctive outlier in the careers of both artists; an unrepeated merging of sounds whose influence still reverberates today. The eight members of the band -- who had also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and Ryuichi Sakamoto -- brought their long apprenticed, virtuosic drumming, and melodic textures (balafon, flute, voices) to the sessions. They built up layers and patterns of rhythm, while producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois (fresh off the success of U2's Joshua Tree) created a sonic atmosphere in which they could creatively intertwine with Hassell's digitally processed trumpet and keyboards. Despite their initial skepticism, the musicians from Farafina ended up relishing their interaction with the studio team and the trumpeter/conceptualist Hassell. The music that emerged was rich and groundbreaking, a move to transcend the boundaries between jazz, avant-garde classical, ambient and the deep rhythmic tradition embodied by Farafina. On "Out Pours", the groove simmers softly, led by shifting patterns on the balafon, while Hassell's heavily treated trumpet creates breathy swirls of sound that play and dance around them. Percussion leads on "A Vampire Dances," pushing and probing and seeming to force electronic shrieks as a response from Hassell's trumpet, while the keyboard creates a bed of sound that refuses to hold still. "(Like) Warriors Everywhere" takes that idea even further. Over Farafina's surging rhythms, Hassell's electric piano and trumpet dig deep into abstract, melodic ideas hinted at by the Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis band. Farafina create the rhythms and counter-rhythms that spring and move. A new, natural trans-cultural harmony is apparent on the final track, "Masque", where percussion and treated trumpet draw the listener along on a journey through shifting landscapes.
2024 repress. Double LP version. Juan Atkins and Moritz von Oswald -- the two indispensable protagonists of the "Electric Garden" -- plug back into the wilderness. Transport brings together a set of studio-refined sequences aimed at colonizing some of the dark energy that pulsates through those areas that are thoroughly electrified, even if not on the grid. The Detroit-Berlin axis triangulates to a third point that, like the atomic particle that lives in two places at once, flickers between a form of techno-charged ambience and a futuristic club-jazz that cannot be broken down into constitutive parts. Borderland remains caught in a state of enraptured stillness, invisibly moving between every imagined future for electronic sound making. The result: a font from which springs serene and exhilarating musical ideas that vibrate with refined energy for 60 seconds in every minute.
LP version. The one and only Dub Syndicate album mixed by Overton "Scientist" Brown comes as an official reissue as expanded limited collector's edition! Originally released as catalogue number Lion & Roots 001 in 1998 on Style Scott's own label, here's the expanded and remastered collector's limited edition. The longplayer Mellow & Colly is timeless for real and should not be missed in any Dub Syndicate collection or serious reggae selection. It is also the crucial half of Style Scott's two-album Scientist Vs. Sherwood Soundclash project that started his Lion & Roots label in 1998. The other half entitled Fear Of A Green Planet (EB 200CD) was already reissued late 2023 on Echo Beach. Featuring the original eight tracks and expanded with another five tracks taken from the completely unreleased Jamaican session demo tapes -- three of those lately overdubbed by Jesse King from Canada, better known as Dubmatix! Also featuring U Brown, Junior Reid, Big Youth, Ranking Joe, and Ansel Cridland.
2024 restock. "Includes liner notes & archival photographs. 1970 was an important year in Eliane Radigue's musical life since it was the year just before she acquired her ARP 2500 synthesizer. Since 1967, she had been using the feedback as a material; feedback from two tape recorders reworked through intensive studio techniques: slowing down, alteration, superimposition, montage. In 1970, the last year she dedicated to feedback, several milestone pieces saw the light of day: Omnht, a wonderful sound installation for three out-of-phase tape loops and wall-mounted loudspeakers; the theoretical setting of Labyrinthe Sonore (eventually premiered at Mills College in 1998 in collaboration with Pauline Oliveros, Maggie Payne and William Winant, amongst others); Opus 17, one of her first compositions in fixed duration (according to Rhys Chatham, a decisive piece that would change his own compositional career); and Vice-Versa, etc..., which appears to be her very last feedback loop composition. Vice-Versa, etc... was conceived as a sound installation setting similar to S=a=b=a+b. A single magnetic tape can be played at any speed, a stereo tape of which allows three playings: left channel alone, right channel alone, left and right channels together. These different channels can be overlapped/crossed over as much as possible, at any speed. Thus the piece reveals itself in its whole dimension, its infinite grace. In its content, the piece is the most minimal that Eliane Radigue has ever composed. Feedback is horizontally sustained, time is suspended, vibrating with organic and subtle pulsations. The fastest playthrough, in just 2'42", weaves a graceful continuum of uncanny depth, somewhere between the sonority of feedback and a glass harmonica. Played slowly, at 13'41", it takes us into an universe of low frequency vibrations felt as much by the guts, the ribcage and the whole body as by the eardrum: the signature sound of Eliane Radigue. Between these two extremes, many delicate shadings/variations appear simply through speed modulation. What is striking about this work, which may arguably be one of Radigue's most important compositions, is the extraordinary quality of the tones obtained from such a rudimentary material. It is hard to believe that the composer was yet to begin working on her ARP, since the sonorities heard on Vice-Versa, etc... are surprisingly similar to those she would go on to produce with her synthesizer. Vice-Versa, etc... is a minimal work which possesses an infinity of possible variations, a secret object containing the seeds of the oeuvre to come, and a discreet turning point linking the composer's two important working phases, an extremely subtle cross-fade between her feedback loop period to her ARP period. Originally, only ten signed and numbered copies of this little boxset containing a magnetic tape and a handwritten note were released -- needless to say this is a work that has been nearly forgotten! We have decided to reissue this object as a double CD, with the tape played respectively forwards and backwards, at four different speeds, corresponding to the standards of the tape recorders of the time. This will allow dedicated listeners to experiment with simultaneous playback of the work's different versions, recreating the conditions of the original installation. For lazier listeners, a simple playthrough provides complete satisfaction, a listening experience that loses itself in the ineffable and discreet beauty of these four variations."
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 distil Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.
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.
LP version. Står op med solen ("Rising with the sun") is the second album by Amalie Dahl's Dafnie. With this album, the band continues the exploration of their collective sound. There are influences from both old school free jazz, and contemporary Scandinavian jazz like Fire! Orchestra and Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, as well as clear connection to the Trondheim milieu, where the group was founded in 2020. The energetic and expressive band explores their more subtle side with this record. Står op med solen is an album longing for humans to be one with nature. The music comments on the world's ultra-capitalistic power structures of today. The band navigates like one organism through parts of organic free jazz, strict structures and composed cells. They start out where their first record ended, in the familiar free jazz sound with riffs and melodies, and go safely on their onward journey. Amalie Dahl's Dafnie brings together five well-known names from the Norwegian jazz scene, also known from other projects like Kongle Trio, Bliss Quintet, I like to sleep, Veslemøy Narvesen, Galumphing Duo, Treen, and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, among others.
"Mia Doi Todd is known for her quiet, haunting songs, usually conveyed through her evocative and instantly recognizable voice. With a deep body of work spanning twelve albums, and as a formidable collaborator on records by Laraaji, Tunde Adebimpe, Scientist, and more recently with André 3000 and Carlos Niño on New Blue Sun, Mia is an essential element in the richly woven musical tapestry of her native Los Angeles. Morning Music is an instrumental, ambient experience unlike anything else in her catalog. It is a gorgeous, softly stirring work of art that makes full use of its minimal elements. Mia recorded and mixed the tracks at her own Château des Chats Studio in Frogtown, Los Angeles, playing harmonium, piano, tin whistle, tamboura, acoustic guitar, and drums. On the tracks 'Samai'I' and 'Emotion,' she is joined by multi-instrumentalist Andres Renteria on cajon, piano, wooden stool, and udu. Birds and traffic, heard softly in the distance, feel like a natural and comforting part of the proceedings. The small dramas of the piano and tin whistle resolve themselves peacefully, like thoughts arising and falling in meditation. However one chooses to listen, Morning Music is a lovely and aptly named collection of music to encourage even the weariest minds and bodies to quietly awaken. Originally released as a CD in 2009 and now available for the first time on vinyl."
Several years of mutual appreciation and encounters on and off-stage have been the root of this chance meeting, resulting in an unplanned mysterious collaboration album where the aura of each individual is augmented by the magic osmosis of united forces. The 12-tracks display a collage of dreamy musique concrète with desolate instrumental and vocal interventions, masterfully balanced out by Vincent Epplay.
For more than 40 years, Anne Gillis has discreetly unfolded her proper singular universe without any compromise. She playfully moves with determined restrictions, excavating contrasting forces; sensual and visceral, mechanical and organical, black and white. She extends this personal expression in her visuals using self-portrait photos, handwritten text and her theatrical performances are equally aligned. Her music can be considered as musique concrète using the tape machine as compositional tool, manipulating her recorded sources, mainly consisting of extended voice and different (instrumental) sounds with addition of electronics and treatments. In both her photography and her music, Anne Gillis works fully analog.
The strange thing about the music of Anima is that it's often considered as strange, while it's actually very natural. It has a free spirit, analog to nature. For this release the natural spirit is strengthened by the participation of indigenous American flute player and composer R. Carlos Nakai who did a series of concerts in the US and Europe with Paul and Limpe Fuchs in the 1980s. As with almost all Anima work, the natural feel manifests itself not only by the musical approach and sounds generated by metal, wood, stone and air, but also by the absence of electronic devices. This LP is a reissue of a rare privately released cassette from 1988 and was recorded by the Bayerischer Rundfunk.
"Deluxe, fully authorized reissue of R.N.A. Organism's R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O (first released by legendary Osaka label Vanity Records in 1980). A key document of the late '70s experimental music scene in Kansai, Japan, R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O is a hallucinatory trip of dubby bass, churning guitars, sputtering rhythm boxes, twisted vocals and unidentifiable sound effects. Produced by experimental music lifer Kaoru Sato (EP-4), R.N.A. Organism was a mysterious Kyoto trio known only by their aliases -- 0123, Chance, and Zero. They never performed live, and instead sent prerecorded tapes to venues for playback. Remastered by Stephan Mathieu from brand new transfers of the original reel-to-reel tapes, cut by Josh Bonati, pressed by RTI, and housed in a hefty Stoughton tip-on sleeve, this edition also includes an expanded insert with an illuminating essay by producer Kaoru Sato."
VA
Pieces For Sixth-Tone Harmonium 2CD
The only example of a working sixth-tone harmonium in the world belongs to the collections of the National Museum and is permanently exhibited in the Czech Museum of Music in Prague. Sub Rosa presents these new compositions that were written by Phill Niblock, Klaus Lang, Bernhard Lang, Milan Gustar, Judith Berkson, Idin Samimi Mofakham, and Ian Mikyska. The premiere of these compositions took place in August 2023 as part of the Ostrava Days contemporary music festival. Performed by pianist Miroslav Beinhauer, who is currently the only musician in the world to be able to play this unique instrument. The first model of the sixth-tone harmonium was created in the 1920s on the basis of a commission from the pioneer of microtonal music, Alois Hába, whose visions for its construction convinced the company August Förster. The improved model of the harmonium dates from 1936 by the same company. The first Czechoslovak president Masaryk supported the purchase of the new instrument by contributing ten thousand crowns, and the same amount was added by the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment at the time. In 2018, Miroslav Beinhauer participated in the premiere of Hába's sixth-tone opera Come Thy Kingdom, followed by the staging and recording of Alois Hába's opus Six Compositions For Sixth-Tone Harmonium, op. 37, which was the only solo composition for this instrument for more than ninety years. In the last three years, new repertoire for sixth-tone harmonium has been written by renowned Czech and foreign composers.
JOYCE
Passarinho Urbano LP
In 1975, Joyce Moreno, who had just wrapped up a tour with legendary Brazilian composer Vinicius de Moraes, found herself in a studio with producer Sergio Bardotti in Rome, Italy. She had been taking a break from writing and she decided to pick up a selection of her favorite compositions from contemporary Brazilian writers whose songs were beacons of hope in times of an ongoing intense military leadership in her home country. Unlike their previous albums, these recordings live from their reductiveness and intimacy. For a long time, Passarinho Urbano was considered a secret masterpiece and was highly sought after by record collectors, now Week-End Records is glad to be making it available internationally on vinyl for the first time ever.
For the very first time on vinyl, Jah Wobble's 1997 extraordinary descent into downtempo and world beat science. Released on his now-defunct 30 Hertz label, The Light Programme showcased an excellent cast of musicians. On board are historical Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, with more of his African-induced rhythms; multi-instrumentalist and The Wire contributor Clive Bell, conga player Neville Murray, guitar and synth player Mark Ferda, and the exceptional harpist Zi-Lan Liao. If you enjoyed My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts you'll fall in love with The Light Programme.
"The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #11: Madlib sampled composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Henkel on his Bandana album with Freddie Gibbs, leading to this collection of decelerated rare grooves. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs -- listen, ponder, repeat."
WITCH
Witch (Including Janet) LP
"Archival reissue of the Afro-prog-psych Zamrock masterpiece, presented for the first time ever in a yellow vinyl pressing. Witch's musical arc is contained to a five-year span and, in retrospect, is a logical one. The band's fifth and final rock album -- released before the band splintered and an offshoot band traveled to Zimbabwe to record and release disco albums -- makes use of traditional Zambian rhythms and folk melodies alongside progressive rock movements. Like Lukombo Vibes before it, it is in the Osibas 'Afro-rock' style."
Long sought-after by those in know, this essential Irish jazz album finally gets a vinyl reissue on Outernational Sounds. Fully licensed from producer John D'Ardis, remastered at Abbey Road from the original tapes, and with lacquers cut at Dubplates and Mastering, the Noel Kelehan Quintet's stunning 1979 Ozone is presented with unseen photographs of the band and commentary from original band members. Featuring moody, modal jazz of the first order, subtle and original composing and world-class playing, Ozone was the creation of Ireland's most respected jazz composer and musician, pianist Noel Kelehan (1935-2012). The only small-group album under his name, and arguably the first ever Irish jazz LP, Ozone was a landmark recording, but it was far from Kelehan's only achievement. Born in Dublin, Kelehan had studied music from an early age. From the mid-1950s he worked at state-broadcaster Radio Éireann, and from the early 1960s he fronted Dublin's first be-bop unit, the Jazz Heralds. A busy professional career saw him compose for numerous Irish pop stars, arrange and conduct many of Ireland's Eurovision entries, and even contribute string arrangements to U2's Unforgettable Fire LP. But jazz was Kelehan's first passion, and he never stopped playing in both small modernist units and composing for his own big band. The late 1970s saw him fronting the Noel Kelehan Quintet, alongside drummer John Wadham, saxophonist Keith Donald, bassist Frank Hess, and trumpeter Mick Nolan. Playing weekly in Dublin for several years, they opened for visiting stars including Dollar Brand and the Ronnie Scott Orchestra, and eventually played a two-week residency at Ronnie Scotts in London. Though Kelehan had recorded a big-band LP of traditional Irish songs arranged as easy jazz in 1970, Ozone was his first album of modern jazz. Released on John D'Ardis's independent Cargo imprint and press on blue vinyl, it featured original compositions such as the deep collectors cut "Spon Song," subtle Latin flavors on "Spacer's Delight" and a beautiful modal arrangement of the traditional Irish air "Castle of Dromore." A legendary recording in Ireland, Ozone reflected Kelehan's keen appreciation of classic quintet-era Miles, with touches of the cerebral fusion of Ian Carr and the arranging genius of Neil Ardley. Not just a landmark Irish jazz set, Ozone is a lost classic of European jazz more widely.
MAREWREW
Ukouk. Round Singing Voices of the Ainu 2012-2024 LP
Marewrew (pronounced: Ma-leoo-leoo / mɑleːul̯ eːu)̯ is a female vocal group that sings traditional Ainu songs. The music of the long-suppressed people from northern Japan has been a particular focus of Pingipung's output in recent years, together with Oki Kano who recorded and produced many Ainu artists. Following various re-releases by Umeko Ando, the late grande dame of traditional Ainu music, the spotlight is now on the a cappella music of Marewrew, which by the way means "butterfly" in Ainu. Attentive listeners will recognize the voices, as some of the band have already performed as backing singers on recordings by Umeko Ando. Their a cappella versions of traditional Ainu music shed a whole new light on the fascinating songs that have been passed down through generations exclusively through song. Many of the songs are set as tightly interwoven canons: one starts, the others join in, but slightly out of phase. The short songs sometimes unfold into a wondrous trance that seems to spin round and round -- if singing can actually dance, then this is how. Nature sounds and woodpeckers can be heard, and there is a funny miniature in which the ladies imitate birdsong. Things get hypnotic with an evocative song about stranded whales or an ode to the Orca as "Little Sea God." The album culminates in unexpected pop or cumbia moments with a band line-up including percussions and Oki Kano on the famous Tonkori harp. Marewrew are Rekpo, Hisae, and Mayunkiki. Rim-Rim was a member of the group until 2022. Ukouk is a selection of Marewrew's work compiled from CD releases by Pingipung's Andi Otto. Oki Kano has contributed unreleased material and added new versions of the songs which had only been released in Japan. The album has been remastered by Kassian Troyer and is now available on LP for the first time.
Double LP version. Einstürzende Neubauten present their new album Rampen (apm: alien pop music). Since the band was founded on April 1, 1980, Einstürzende Neubauten have been shifting the parameters of mainstream and subculture to make the inaudible audible -- perhaps the unheard as well. This experimental field research, spanning more than four decades, is now entering the next stage. In its 44th year of existence, the band is going back to its roots while redefining itself. It's a change in self-image, for which the Berlin quintet plus one has created its own genre -- alien pop music.
Sonor Music Editions presents this revived issue of Open Air Parade, one of the most sought-after artifacts from the golden era of Italian library music. This holy grail was originally released in 1972 on the legendary Sermi Records label (often referred to as SR Records). It features ten tracks composed by Ennio Morricone's whistler, Alessandro Alessandroni, revealing his great talent and unrivaled sense of melody, accompanied by the brilliant Italian jazz bassist Giovanni Tommaso, also founder and member of the legendary prog-jazz-rock ensemble Perigeo. Open Air Parade is a masterpiece and rightfully sits among the top five in its genre. It has a beautiful cohesiveness throughout and can only be described as sincere. The music ranges from superb psychedelic lounge funk, compelling groovy jazz beat tunes, and far-ranging mood music with lush arrangements. It's an essential album, officially reissued by Sonor Music Editions. This 2024 repress has been carefully remastered, and packed in a thick cardboard sleeve with fully restored artwork using the original painting by Ernst Wilhelm Nay in full fidelity.
RUINS
Brain Flakes (The Lost Combo Tapes) LP
After achieving some decent notoriety, and not only in Italy, as an electro-pop duo (thanks mainly to the single "Short Wave," a small "classic" in the early years of that decade), between January 1982 and March 1983 Ruins morphed into a new five members line-up. With this fresh option, Ruins restructured the previous repertoire and produced entirely new material. The original four-track recording had remained largely unpublished at the time and seemed irretrievably lost. However, thanks to persistent research and with the aid of modern technology, they have been brilliantly recovered from the archives and are now available in this collection aptly titled Brain Flakes (The Lost Combo Tapes), bringing to light the "explosive" blend of prog, funk, new wave, and electro-pop, that Ruins' short-lived lineup managed to create in just over a year of activity.
VA
Fred Ventura Presents Milano Undiscovered 1988-1992 - Unreleased LP
The third chapter of the Milano Undiscovered series, curated by Fred Ventura takes listeners on a journey through the vibrant Milanese techno and house scene of 1988-1992. This latest installment unveils a treasure of unreleased demos, showcasing the productions that emerged from the city's flourishing underground during this era. Inspired by the pioneering sounds emanating from Chicago, Detroit, London and Sheffield, a wave of Milanese producers embarked on a creative odyssey, crafting their own unique sonic interpretations of the electronic dance music landscape. Featuring Sigma Tibet, B-Logic, Grey Area, Mont Blanc, Straight Beat, Love Nation, Soul City Crew, Visions Factory, Periferico, and Beat 4 Life.
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Tokyo Tapes Revisited: Live In Japan (Bluray) 2CD/BLU-RAY
Tokyo Tapes Revisited: Live in Japan 2CD/DVD
Mellow & Colly (Expanded Edition) CD
Mellow & Colly (Expanded Edition) LP+CD
Skanking With The Upsetter - Rare Dubs 1971-1974 LP
Everything Is Connected: The Best Of Blancmange 1979-2024 2CD
Everything Is Connected: The Best Of Blancmange 1979-2024 LP
Rampen (apm: alien pop music) (Yellow Vinyl) 2LP
Ceres Entropicos Edicion Especial LP
Germ Free Adolescents (Color Vinyl) LP
Flash of the Spirit 2LP+CD
Swallowtail (Yellow Vinyl) LP
Rain On The Road (Blue Vinyl) LP
The Velvet Underground & Nico LP
Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread LP
The Black Breast Has Produced Her Best, Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood LP
We Jazz Issue 11 Spring 2024: Oni Puladi MAG
Silenced (Remastered) 2LP
Intershop (Remastered 2024) LP
Oasis (Remastered 2024) LP
Liberation 2 (Instrumentals) 2LP
Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974 2LP
Ukouk. Round Singing Voices of the Ainu 2012-2024 LP
Siklus dan Doa (Cycle & Prayer) LP
Jah Wobble Presents The Light Programme LP
No Reino Dos Afetos 2 Cassette
No Reino Dos Afetos 2 (White Vinyl) LP
Witch (Including Janet) LP
H.R. Giger's Studiolo 2LP
New Cross To Ridgewood LP
Straight Out The Fridge LP
Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day LP
Black Water/Brown Earth LP
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