The Invisible Hands: Alan Bishop, Cherif El Masri, Ayawasqa, Adham Zidan. "Years in the making amidst multiple other projects, the third album by The Invisible Hands has finally seen the light of day. In 2014, just after releasing their second album Teslam (ABDT 054CD/LP, 2014), The Invisible Hands met to begin recording their third album. But there was a problem: Alan Bishop had dozens of new songs to record and a slow-motion reality bi-product of this dilemma was that one new album became several new albums. Three of those were released under Bishop's Alvarius B. moniker (With a Beaker on the Burner and an Otter in the Oven) in November of 2017 (ABDT 059CD). Although that triple LP featured many additional musicians, it was essentially part of a grander Invisible Hands project which began morphing into several new directions. Between October of 2014 and January of 2020, nearly 100 songs were recorded by various forms of the group. Many tracks have remained unreleased or unfinished. Final post-production was completed on The Big Minute in late 2022 and it features the premier studio versions of several original songs and most of the covers from the band's live repertoire (including 'Dirty Angels' by Ennio Morricone, 'Watchin' You' by Brainticket, and 'Black Orchid' by Sun City Girls). Now, almost nine years after the release of their second album, Teslam, you can finally listen to the official third album from the only folk-psychedelic-rock band to ever hail from Egypt." --Mustafa Murkos, Cairo, January 2023. Limited edition LP release of 500 copies with insert text and photos.

"From trailer park punks to Pulitzer Prize winners, this is the untold story of a sleepy Navy town that became the unlikely gathering point for some of the most innovative, unclassifiable American artists of their time. The late '60s arrival of Harry Partch -- hobo composer, iconoclast and inventor of instruments such as the Harmonic Canon and Quadrangularis Reversum -- jump started a revolution that was as much social as it was musical, drawing on the occult, self-realization and radical political movements of '70s Southern California. Artists as diverse as Partch, Pauline Oliveros, Kenneth Gaburo, Roger Reynolds, Diamanda Galás, Warren Burt, David Dunn, Robert Turman and Master Wilburn Burchette may have pursued different paths -- Sonic Meditations, compositional linguistics, microtonal scales, invented instruments, cutting edge electronics, underwater synthesizers, Tibetan throat singing, environmental sound, pure noise -- but they also sought to dismantle the systems of American life and replace them with a radically inclusive and socially responsive aesthetic that looked to the future even when it sometimes referenced a distant, idyllically imagined past. In their pursuit of 'Irrelevant Music' -- Kenneth Gaburo's term for an untainted music free of constraint and compromise -- these disparate artists constitute a shadow history of American experimental music far removed from the European and East Coast models of the time." 264 pages, paperback, packed with photos.

"Warren 'Sonny' Sharrock died of a heart attack at the age of 53 in 1994. At the time of his death, many writers noted that he had recently landed a contract with a major label (RCA) and was perhaps 'destined for big things.' In my opinion, these writers missed the point. Although Mr. Sharrock may not have been successful financially (as though that might be a primary motivating goal for any true artist), he was uncommonly successful aesthetically. Certainly, there are a few dubious moments to be found inside his oeuvre, but Mr. Sharrock produced several of the most mind-shredding avant-garde albums ever recorded. Premier among them is Black Woman. Originally released on the Vortex label in 1969, Black Woman may be the universe's first true statement of guitar skronk majesty. It also represents Mr. Sharrock's first date as a leader and stands as the sole documentation of a band that well-understood the essentials of energy. Besides Sharrock's explosive guitar, the band features the omni-directional percussion mastery of Milford Graves (then in the midst of recording Love Cry with Albert Ayler), the gorgeous post-tongue vocalizing of Sonny's then-wife Linda Sharrock, the sinuous bass presence of Norris Jones (later known as Sirone) and some of the most explicitly abstract piano work ever recorded by Dave Burrell. That Black Woman was produced by flautist Herbie Mann, a guy not well-known for his affinity to fire music, makes it even more intriguing." --Byron Coley

Reissue, originally released in 1971. Progressive folk act Comus was a true one-off, their unique take on folk rock a spine-tinglingly shocking one, even as the music draws the listener into singalongs. Formed by singer-guitarist Roger Wootton with some art school mates, including guitarist Glen Goring, violinist Colin Pearson, and oboist Rob Young, Comus began recording their debut LP for RCA, who dropped them halfway through, leading to further recordings for Dawn with Barry Murray. Every song on this single bears the hallmark of their exceptional take on folk rock, too far ahead of its time to gain favor on release, and all the more to savor now. Licensed by BMG.

First time vinyl issue. Lost soul phenomenon Lewis Taylor's Numb finally arrives on double vinyl. One of UK soul's most fascinating artists, most enigmatic figures and most under-appreciated talents, Andrew Lewis Taylor is a prodigious multi-instrumentalist and eclectic polymath. Numb is Taylor's sixth album, initially released on his own label Slow Reality (an anagram of his name) and licensed to Be With for this physical edition. Lewis wrote and recorded these ten brand new tracks after a 17-year break from making music, although the album came together over a two-year period. Numb marks a return to the darker, more mysterious side of his output: "Brian Wilson-channels-Smokey Robinson atmospheres," as Mojo put it recently. In June 2021, news emerged out of the blue that he was readying new music alongside Sabina Smyth with whom he had worked first time around. On Numb, Lewis deftly balances stark, soul-bearing lyrics with moody mid-tempo pop-soul sheen. He deals candidly with depression, mental turmoil, even thoughts of suicide -- clearly more personal than Taylor's earlier songs. The music is rich, warm, and layered, with infectious melodies and hooks that stick with you. Triumphant dubwise horns ring out yet, almost instantly, "Final Hour" takes on a dark, downbeat vibe. Woven around delicate yet insistent piano and subtle strings over a killer bassline, the title track "Numb" is a good example of the lyrical themes throughout the album. "Feels So Good" is sophisticated '90s-sounding soul of the highest order. The music and vocals feel simultaneously optimistic and despondent. "Apathy" is a mini-epic, a symphonic-soul gem which builds and glides and, eventually, soars. "Worried Mind" is another slow-builder, creeping out the gate in a sketchy, discordant fashion before climbing to half-crescendo but never quite breaking free of its disorientating restraint. The brighter "Please" presents a more hopeful mood. "Brave Heart" quietly struts from step one, as Lewis's falsetto swaggers over a downtempo backdrop with ace echoey drums, beautiful strings and serene electric guitar. "Is It Cool" answers its own (non-) question with a spellbinding deep soul that oscillates between a restrained, barely-there backdrop and a lushly full musical accompaniment of acoustic and electric guitar and organ over bass and slick drums. "Nearer" is a magical, soul-stirring ballad in which Lewis sings of reaching a sweet salvation and achieving a peace of mind. "Being Broken" places Lewis's gorgeous voice high in the mix and the wordless falsetto and melodies invite you to ponder what Pet Sounds might sound like if it were refashioned as a dubby 21st century electronic soul album. Mastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry.

Double LP version. With synthesizers, rhythm computers, and human metronomes turned to a gallop, these electronic innovators set modernity to a motorik beat, and Bureau B's second trip into Silberland cuts right to the thrust of the genre. The set begins with the propulsive opener from Harald Grosskopf's 1986 LP Oceanheart, in which pristine sequences play in counterpoint atop a mechanical kick, hurtling forward until the rest of the kit catches up. Live drums take center stage for Cluster's feverish "Prothese" and the time travelling "Elektroklang" by Conrad Schnitzler. You offer astral ascension on "Son Of A True Star", weaving proggy square waves and pulsating arps around an irresistible shuffle from mysterious percussionist Lhan Gopal (Grosskopf in disguise), before the optimistic "Für Dich" fuses classic kosmische chords with Thomas Dinger's pummeling beat. Asmus Tietchens's detuned keys and drum machine samba are imbued with a punk spirit shared by Moebius Plank Neumeier's discordant jazz-tanz jam "Search Zero". "Beat For Ikutaro", plucked from a mid-80s demo tape by Camouflage keyboardist Heiko Maile, swerves into icy electroid territories. The cassette energy continues with the mechanized boogie of Lapre's "Flokati", a funkier take on the style in wonderful contrast with Adelbert Von Deyen's breakneck, straight shooting "Time Machine", a massively motorik night drive. Günter Schickert takes you inside the fuel pump on the weird and watery "Puls", while the charmingly disruptive Faust complete the pitstop via the blasted blues of "Juggernaut". Moebius & Plank return sans Neumeier for the deep and dubby "Feedback 66", all murmured vocals and surging pedals powered by a seismic bassline from Holger Czukay. You move through the airy tones of Roedelius and arrive at the high-tension electronics of Serge Blenner's "Phonique". Moebius & Beerbohm's "Subito" follows in a flurry of tribal drumming, guttural distortion and corrosive drone, a synthesized translation of punk spirit which mellows into the soft-focus serenade of Tyndall's "Wolkenlos", a thrilling contradiction of pastoral motifs and breathless tempo. Pyrolator's 1981 creation "180°" maintains the lightening pace, lurching forward in bursts of chaotic drum programming and sampler abuse, sending you spinning out into the strange beauty of Die Partei's "Guten Morgen In Köln". Enmeshing fragments of musique concrète and yearning guitar with throbbing sequences and a rigid rhythm grid, the duo signpost a melodic destination finally delivered by Streetmark keyboardist Dorothea Raukes under her Deutsche Wertabeit alias. A fitting finale, "Auf Engelsflügeln" radiates human warmth and cosmic wonder, serving electronic emotion from start to finish.

"Another fantastic slab by Virginia-based guitarist Jordan Perry, whose style fuses disparate threads from the American Primitive and avant-garde songbooks into a unique alloy. For this album Primitivism has largely been eclipsed by avant urges. Still, there is one track, 'Days Have Gone By Volume' where Jordan is joined by guitarist Ned Oldham for a piece evoking Fahey in more than its title. But that is the exception. Most of What Do You See Every Day? is filled with abstractions for acoustic guitar. His work has a genteel aura and pacing in which free melodies are played inside the context of graspable rhythmic structures. This simultaneously highlights their weirdness, and dials it back contextually by having the music emerge in a clearly delineated flow. The act of not-rushing things has the effect of softening the potentially sharp edges of the sound. Jordan also plays melodica on a track, 'For Three,' which shimmers with a liturgical edge reminiscent of plainsong. He is joined on another track, 'From Traces What Do You?,' by wordless vocalizing from two Virginia singers, Diane Cluck and Devon Sproule. Their voices (plus Jordan's own) add an ethereal otherness that is quite lovely. As is the avian field recording on 'Five Hours.' But the bulk of the music is guitar-centric and beautiful off-kilter. There are little flashes of jazziness that make me think of some of Duck Baker's work, but only for a moment. There are also bursts that seem to parallel some of the experimental work Mike Cooper has been doing for last couple of decades. But, as usual, Jordan Perry is walking a path all his own. And it is a beautiful way to wander." --Byron Coley, 2023

A must to anyone into '60s British beat and psychedelia, here's the complete recordings of pre-Yes band The Syn, featuring Chris Squire and Peter Banks. Including their sought-after mod-psych singles for Deram ("Grounded", "14 Hour Technicolour Dream", "Flowerman") plus a treasure trove of rare '60s recordings, including a five-minute rehearsal excerpt of stage favorite "The Gangster Opera", an earlier recording of "Flowerman", a pre-Deram acetate of the unissued-at-the-time "Merry-Go-Round", two tracks by pre-Syn band The Selfs, and more. Also including are a couple of 1974 bonus tracks from post-Syn project, Narsquijack. Led by singer Steve Nardelli, The Syn formed in 1966 initially as a mod/Tamla band. They soon embraced psychedelia and flower-power with some legendary theatrical shows during their Marquee Club residency. After a string of singles for the Deram label, the band slowly evolved into legendary prog band Yes. Hard cardboard sleeve with artwork by Sara Gossett; remastered sound; insert with detailed liner notes by David Wells with an introduction by Phil Collins (a huge fan during their Marquee days), plus rare photos/memorabilia. "This vinyl package concentrates on the original Syn, determined to make their mark as the Tamla/mod scene melted into the balmy, barmy days of flower power." --David Wells

Formed in 1966 around lead singer Richard Shirman, The Attack were the ultimate freakbeat/psychedelic band. Guerssen Records present a new, definitive edition of their famous Final Daze recordings, focusing on strictly 1967-1968 stuff with John Cann as main songwriter (plus a never-before-on-vinyl track from '69, taken from a rare acetate), unlike previous editions that included early and post-Attack unrelated recordings. The result is a killer UK psych sounding album featuring the impressive guitar of John Cann (Andromeda, Atomic Rooster) and it's the closer we can get to what the long rumored to exist Attack's Roman God Of War unreleased LP could have sounded like. Including the classic mod-psych anthem "Magic In The Air" (dropped by their record label Decca for "being too heavy"), their unreleased monster hard-psych 45 Feel Like Flying/Freedom For You, the killer title track, the pre-Andromeda demos of "Too Old" and "Go Your Way", and more! Includes insert with liner notes by Jon "Mojo" Mills (Shindig!) and rare photos. "Inhabiting a region of the sonic solar system somewhere between the Creation and the Small Faces, the Attack languished in comparative obscurity back in their day, only to be recognized decades later as one of the most exciting bands of the era." --Mike Stax (Ugly Things)

Reissue. A classic in the collecting circuit since ages, the sole release by UK group Elias Hulk was out in 1970 on the Youngblood label. Raw hard-rock, adding some Eastern and blues-rock elements as well. Previously available on Guerssen Records' Sommor sub-label and out-of-print, Guerssen Records present a new edition. Original artwork in hard cardboard laminated sleeve + OBI; insert with photos and extensive liners by Andy Morten; repro of the original poster.

Orang-Utan were in fact a London based band called Hunter, featuring vocalist Terry "Nobby" Clarke (of psych-pop legends Jason Crest), guitar player Mick Clarke, drummer and songwriter Jeff Seopardi, and bass player Paul Roberts. They recorded their sole album in 1971 at DeLane Lea studios. In a bizarre twist of events, their producers/managers ran with the tapes to the US, where they placed the album on Bell Records under a new band name: Orang-Utan, without telling any of the band members. A lost classic of blazing, early hard rock with minor psychedelic hangover vibes, a twin-guitar attack, and waves of fuzz/wah, along with powerful vocals. Think Leaf Hound, Budgie, Bang, Sir Lord Baltimore, Hard Stuff... Legit reissue done in co-operation with the original band members. Insert with liner notes telling the bizarre story of the band for the first time, and rare photos; hard cardboard sleeve + OBI; includes download card. "Quintessentially British hard-rock, transforming the blues in a way American bands rarely did, and with a kind of vocal intensity that compares to Free, Humble Pie, et al" --Aaron Milenski (Galactic Ramble).

LP version. 180 gram vinyl; tip-on sleeve with insert; includes download with four bonus tracks. LP version comes on 180 gram vinyl; tip-on sleeve with insert; includes download with four bonus tracks. Reissue, privately pressed in 1977. "Following my recent phone call with Prof. Benson, I left him to continue his 92nd birthday celebrations with his family. We'd talked about his life, his music, his achievements. Throughout our conversation it struck me what a kind, humble and pleasant man he was. I felt that I was in the presence of greatness -- not the egotistical greatness that emanates so often from high achievers, but that of someone who had simply won at life. 'I was a music teacher. I wasn't trying to make a record to compete, I was trying to make a record so the students would have something to remember the experience that we had... I was doing it for the kids.' It was 1973 that Prof. James Benson had self-funded his private press LP for the benefit of the teenage musicians he tutored at Cal Poly, California. The album was a momentous achievement for him and his young protegees, something they were all proud of, and rightly so. Taking inspiration from their recent trip to Africa and blended with the radical jazz associated with the young minds of early '70s black America, the Gow-Dow Experience is a unique foray into the enthusiastic mindset of up-and-coming jazz musicians, as encouraged by their mentor Prof. Benson . . . Comes with four additional tracks taken from the recording session. Until now these tracks have never been heard since the day they were recorded -- believe me, they're worth the wait!" Insert with liner notes and photos provided courtesy of Prof Benson.

LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes insert with liner notes and download code. Reissue, originally released in 1967. In a 1990 interview, producer James Bronson described his Touché label as a "floating record label", comparing it to the "floating gambling houses" that Black people in his city had operated to try and avoid attention from the law. The label itself was a private enterprise, run from home, and had scant budget for promotion nor expansion. His slogan "Record companies don't make music, musicians do" spoke volumes as to his respect for the artist. Nevertheless, the Al Tanner LP Happiness Is... Takin' Care of Natural Business... Dig? was the first of just three albums the label was to release over the following 20 years. For an ambitious musician with ideas of fame and fortune, the situation may have appeared far from acceptable, but pianist Al Tanner didn't have such aspirations. He may have recorded an album for Bronson, but his ambition of living his life as a working musician was fulfilled -- he was a professional until the day he died -- and that of being a recording star wasn't a part of it. He was much more inclined to be a gigging jazzman, and was well-known as such in and around the local Bay Area nightspots. He was also heavily involved in musical education, and could be found performing at countless local community events, schools and recreation centers. He rarely travelled outside of the area. With Bronson's limited resources and Tanner's reluctance to put himself through the mill of touring, it was perhaps inevitable that the album would garner little attention nationally, or even within the wider California region. As noted in a 1967 review of Happiness Is... published in Downbeat Magazine, "Apparently, he [Tanner] is accorded a considerable amount of respect in San Francisco, though he has no national reputation. This isn't unusual. Many gifted jazzmen stay on their home base for years, playing well but attracting little attention, while other, sometimes less talented musicians gravitate to New York and make names for themselves." Nevertheless, reasons notwithstanding for a lack of commercial success, Tanner found happiness in the music that he made throughout his career. "I would say it's a spiritual thing. I find a lot of love for the piano, and a love for music. And I try and express myself on the piano as I love it. Jazz is a spirit to me, there's a spiritual side of jazz and there's a side of jazz where you playing a whole lot of notes and you're trying to get so many notes in one bar..." Includes extensive liner notes.

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. "Timothy Leary!" -- That was "Sternenmädchen" Gille Lettmann's almost breathed closing words on the 1974 album Gilles Zeitschiff, Vol. 1 (KM 180122CD/KM 180126LP). That same year, the Cosmic Crew Gille, Dieter Dierks, Jürgen Dollase, Harald Großkopf, and Mythos recorded Vol. 2, but it never came to a release at that time -- let's say: due to circumstances. Until now. Almost 50 years after its recording, Zeitschiff 2 can finally take off. Gilles conjures up Leary's spirit here as well, comets and stars whizz through space on fluorescent ray trails -- the Cosmic Couriers live up to their name. But unlike Vol. 1, everything here is of one piece. The careful remastering ensures compact sound, and where the "Queen of Sunshine" still outshone everything else on the first disc, a tidying hand ensures clarity in Zeitschiff 2. This hand belongs to the Italian pianist and conductor Roberto Cacciapaglia. The Quadro album Sonanze, produced by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, was his ticket into the magic circle of cosmic magicians. Even if it wasn't called that at the time, Sonanze was an early approach to a genre we now call "ambient." One can guess what potential Rolf heard in Roberto's music. Dieter and Rolf knew how to integrate Roberto's expertise. Zeitschiff 2 has become a fluently composed, effectively arranged work that radiates warmth and cosmic calm without lacking tension. A work that brings back to life the spirit of space rock of the early seventies and shows us today on which tracks the Cosmic Couriers already walked back then. Gilles Zeitschiff 2 is more than just a sequel. And also, more than a premiere: it is a discovery. Carefully transferred and remastered from the original analog master tapes by HaGü Schmitz at Dierks Studios in Pulheim-Stommeln in 2022.

Local Philly legends the American Dream was a late '60s band (featuring musician/actor Nick Jameson, later of Foghat) who were regulars at clubs like the Electric Circus and offered a cool mix of psych, hard rock, and proto-power pop. They were signed to Ampex/Bearsville Records, releasing their only album in 1970, produced by Todd Rundgren (his first production work). Now, for the first time on vinyl and straight from the original masters, Guerssen present their previously unreleased studio demos from 1969 -- also produced by Todd Rundgren -- that landed the band their deal with Ampex. Music is great psych-rock with superb vocal harmonies and hard guitars. Also included are two rare tracks from their unfinished 1970 second LP plus the killer garage-jangle classic "Big Brother", originally recorded by pre-American Dream band, The Finestuff, in 1967, as a bonus. RIYL: The Nazz, Who, Badfinger, Moby Grape, Byrds, Big Star, Beatles, CSNY. Hard cardboard sleeve; insert with liner notes and photos/memorabilia; download card.

2023 repress! Following her critically acclaimed album The Sacrificial Code (IDEAL 192CD/LP), Swedish-American composer Kali Malone returns with Living Torch on Portraits GRM. Living Torch, through its unique structural form and harmonic material, is a bold continuation of Kali Malone's demanding and exciting body of work, while opening new perspectives and increasing the emotional potential of the music tenfold. As such, Living Torch is a major new piece by the composer and adds a significant milestone to an already fascinating repertoire. Departing from the pipe organ that Malone's music is most notable for, Living Torch features a complex electroacoustic ensemble. Leafing through recordings from conventional instruments like the trombone and bass clarinet to more experimental machines like the boîte à bourdon, passing through sinewave generators and Éliane Radigue's ARP 2500 synthesizer. Living Torch weaves its own history, its own genealogy, and that of its author. It extends her robust structural approach to a liberated palette of timbre. Living Torch was initially commissioned by GRM for its legendary loudspeaker orchestra, the Acousmonium, and premiered in its complete multichannel form at the Grand Auditorium of Radio France in a concert entirely dedicated to the artist. Composed at GRM studios in Paris between 2020-2021, Living Torch is a work of great intensity, an oeuvre-monde that is singularly placed at the crossroads of instrumental writing and electroacoustic composition. Living Torch proceeds from multiple lineages, including early modern music, American minimalism, and musique concrète. It's a work as much turned towards exploring justly tuned harmony and canonic structures as towards the polyphony of unique timbres, the scaling of dynamic range, and the revelation of sound qualities. GRM (Groupe de Recherches Musicales), the pioneering institution of electroacoustic, acousmatic, and musique concrète, has been a unique laboratory for sonorous research since 1958. Witnessing the extreme vitality of the music championed by GRM, the Portraits GRM record series extends and expands this momentum with Kali Malone's Living Torch. The French label-partner Shelter Press is proud to continue the collaboration with GRM, which Peter Rehberg of Editions MEGO set the foundation for in 2012. Composed and produced by Kali Malone at INA GRM 2020-2021. Trombone and bass clarinet recorded at EMS Elektronmusikstudion 2020. Pre-mastered by Emmanuel Richier at INA GRM. Mastered by Stephan Mathieu at Schwebung Mastering. Cut by Andreas Kauffelt at Schnittstelle, Berlin. Personnel: Mats Äleklint - trombone; Isak Hedtjärn - bass clarinet; Kali Malone - ARP 2500, Modular Synthesis, Pura Data, Boîte à Bourdons.

Reissue, originally released in 1979. During the late 1970s, after No Wave pioneer Lydia Lunch met saxophonist James Chance, she began setting her angry and disjointed poetry to anti-music, founding her ground-breaking band Teenage Jesus and The Jerks with Lunch's shouted lyrics matched by her non-conventional use of electric guitar. The group's self-titled debut EP is a fast and furious affair, produced by Robert Quine of the Voidoids/Lou Reed, with future Nick Cave drummer Jim Sclavunos on bass and Bradley Field on minimalist percussion; steeped in aggression and audacity, it's an awesome disc that rebuffs punk's easy cliches and refuses to be categorized. This reissue also includes the Pre EP and the tracks from the legendary No New York compilation. Essential! Pink vinyl.

Reissue. Visionary No Wave legends Teenage Jesus and The Jerks created a confrontational sound, with a shifting line-up as a platform for Lydia Lunch's shouted vocal shocks, accompanied by her jagged guitar noise, non-melodic bass, and minimalist drums. This must-have live anthology is culled from six performances undertaken during their heyday, these atonal, in-your-face blasts somehow even more caustic than their studio work, rendering an aural assault not for the fainthearted. Benefitting from the presence of James Chance on select numbers, this uncompromising collection of staccato eruptions will get right up your nose -- a must for all Jerks fans. White vinyl.

Reissue, originally released in 1980. After the demise of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Lydia Lunch launched her solo career with Queen of Siam, arguably her greatest LP. In true No Wave style, the album is a mishmash of irritants, but her palette is far broader here, lurching from slow dirges, excessive feminist exhortations, and raucous personal purges to a touch of disco and lounge music exoticism, as conjured by Voidoids/Lou Reed guitarist Robert Quine, Contortions bassist Jack Ruby, and John Cale's drummer, Douglas Browne. Spirited, surprisingly broad, and defiantly dissonant, Queen of Siam's dense layers were designed to provoke and inflame; listen closely to fully decode. Red vinyl.

Recital presents a new double album of rarely heard Robert Ashley compositions performed by baritone singer Thomas Buckner. In the 1960s, Robert Ashley pioneered the American avant-garde with the ONCE Group and festivals, before irrefutably changing the face of American opera later in the 20th century. Buckner, in addition to running the fabulous 1750 Arch record label in the 1970s and '80s, is a noted baritone who has collaborated for decades with the likes of Roscoe Mitchell, Annea Lockwood, and the late Noah Creshevsky, amongst countless others. The title of the album, Spontaneous Musical Invention, refers to Ashley's method of instructing the singer to do what he called "spontaneous musical invention based on the declamation of the text." A vocal practice that Thomas Buckner perfected over the 33 years that he collaborated with Ashley. First performing in Ashley's 1984 opera Atalanta (Acts of God), Buckner continued on as an integral performer in the ensemble until Ashley's death in 2014. The album is composed of two halves, the first is a new rendering of Ashley's second opera Atalanta (Acts of God). Robert Ashley wrote about ten hours of music for the opera Atalanta, divided into three acts: "Max", for the surrealist artist Max Ernst; "Willard", for the composer's uncle, Willard Reynolds, a great story teller; and "Bud", for Bud Powell, the great jazz pianist and composer. One is invited to construct a version using any material from these ten hours. Over the years they worked together, Thomas Buckner commissioned three reworkings of arias from Atalanta that he could perform in concert: the "Odalisque" aria from Max, "The Mystery of the River" from "Willard", and "The Producer Speaks" from "Bud". So, this first section of the album is one of many possible versions of Atalanta, albeit in strikingly different versions from the originals. The second section of the album is dubbed "Occasional Pieces", and holds two unpublished Ashley works. "When Famous Last Words Fail You" and "World War III Just the Highlights" are not from any Ashley opera. However, each is highly dramatic and theatrical. They were written as standalone pieces for Thomas Buckner. Buckner's distinct vocal cadence projects the sharp wit and wry storytelling of Ashley's librettos. A portion of the record was recorded live at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY, at an intimate memorial concert held for Robert Ashley in 2014. Spontaneous Musical Invention, in essence, functions as a tribute to both exceptional artists, and to their decades of collaboration. Includes 24-page booklet of Ashley librettos, scores, and program notes, with an introduction written by Alvin Lucier.

"In the mid-'60s, Albert Ayler found himself at the center of major transformations within jazz. On his albums for ESP-Disk', his delivery was radically aggressive and his tone blistering -- aiming for something beyond the New Thing. His music would be further energized when (at the behest of John Coltrane) Bob Thiele signed him to Impulse! As Ayler told The Plain Dealer at the time, 'It's not about notes anymore. It's a sound -- a feeling. The approach we're taking will discontinue the use of the word 'jazz.'' In Greenwich Village, Ayler's first LP on Impulse!, perfectly captures the Cleveland-born saxophonist's radiant intensity. Sourced from a pair of live engagements -- February '67 at the Village Theatre on New York's Lower East Side and December '66 at the Village Vanguard -- these recordings show an improved clarity in production and performance. Both sets feature two basses (including Alan Silva and Henry Grimes) which allowed the ensemble to go in different harmonic directions while maintaining an organic unity. Of particular interest are 'For John Coltrane,' a tribute to Ayler's mentor who would pass later that year, and 'Truth Is Marching In' where trumpeter Donald Ayler joins his brother to celebrate and ultimately deconstruct several jazz traditions to stunning effect. Vibrant in sound and vision, Albert Ayler's In Greenwich Village is a landmark statement in free jazz and a career high-point for this truly original artist. Superior Viaduct is honored to present this classic album on vinyl for the first time domestically in 30 years."

"Byard Lancaster was a composer/multi-instrumentalist born in Philadelphia in 1942. He started playing alto saxophone at an early age and later took up flute and bass clarinet. While attending Berklee College of Music, Lancaster and pianist Dave Burrell organized late-night jam sessions with fellow students and touring musicians. In 1965, he moved to New York and quickly became part of the city's burgeoning scene -- playing with jazz luminaries such as Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray, Bill Dixon and Marzette Watts. It's Not Up To Us, Lancaster's 1968 debut as a leader, was originally released on Vortex, a subsidiary of Atlantic responsible for first albums by Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Sonny Sharrock. Featuring guitarist Sharrock (another Berklee alum), It's Not Up To Us is true fire music -- fusing elements of free jazz, soul/R&B and traditional folk song. On the opening title track, Lancaster's luminous flute draws the listener in, while bassist Jerome Hunter grounds the tune with a simple descending theme over Keno Speller and Eric Gravatt's syncopated rhythms. 'John's Children,' a reference to the group's status as post-Coltrane players, showcases the modal strumming of Sharrock's steady drones as Lancaster cries into the void. After repeated listens, Lancaster's original compositions become visceral aural memories ingrained in the ear, while the standards ('Misty' and 'Over The Rainbow') sound the most avant-garde pieces on the album. This first-time vinyl reissue is recommended for fans of Albert Ayler, Don Cherry and Pharoah Sanders."

Wewantsounds announce the vinyl reissue of Ramuntcho Matta's rare first self-titled album from 1985, mixing funk, no wave, and ambient soundscapes. The album released on tiny French label Mosquito was conceived as the soundtrack for French choreographer Régine Chopinot's play VIA with costumes by fashion rising star Jean-Paul Gaultier. It was recorded at a buoyant time in Paris when Matta -- who had just spent a few years in New York following the death of his brother Gordon Matta-Clark -- immersed himself in Paris's underground scene. Ramuntcho Matta, one of France's most interesting producers, collaborated with a wide array of luminaries such as Don Cherry, Brion Gysin, and Laurie Anderson. Coming from an illustrious artistic family -- his father was painter Roberto Matta, one of the giants of 20th Century art, his brother Gordon Matta Clark a cult figure of the '70s New York avant-garde scene and his uncle Serge Matta a renowned fashion illustrator who was a mentor to Jean Paul Goude. Having spent his teenage years in Paris assisting the legendary beat writer Brion Gysin, Matta left for New York in 1978 upon the death of Gordon Matta Clark to sort things out. Planning to stay for a couple of weeks, he stayed two years working in Laurie Anderson's studio and immersing himself in the cultural and musical hurricane that was late '70s NYC downtown scene. The album is a superb mix of d-i-y no wave soundscapes recorded mainly at Matta's home and avant funk tracks recorded at Studio d'Auteuil in Paris. The latter include Fred Cousseau on drums, Elli Medeiros on vocals, Urugayian percussionist Negrito Trasante and Polo Lombardo on Konks with Matta producing and playing a wide array of instruments. Highlights of the album include "Sassam Kitaki" featuring Elli on vocals, "Jeunes Et Vieilles" which sounds like Money Mark's "Mark's Keyboard Repair" only ten years before and "Une A Une" whose version here is an unissued instrumental that makes its vinyl debut. The music is a perfect match for Chopinot's innovative choreography which made her an essential part of France's 80s new wave of artists. The album was released in 1985 in France only by Mosquito Records and was never really promoted. The original release had several mistakes, misspelling musician names and knocking off one track title from the tracklist. The reissue here is in partnership with Ramuntcho Matta. Remastered audio. Includes four-page booklet featuring Jacques Denis's interview with Ramuntcho Matta (English/French) and an additional insert with a facsimile of Marc Caro's original artwork for the VIA show.

2023 repress. Be With Records present a reissue of Jay Richford and Gary Stevan's Feelings, originally released in 1974. Since its original release on Italian label Carosello in 1974, Richford and Stevan's Feelings has been described as the greatest library record ever released more than once. It's a tough funk, street jazz masterpiece coveted for many years by collectors of all musical genres. As the story goes, these were the pseudonyms adopted by Stefano Torossi and Giancarlo Gazzani who wrote the album but couldn't use their real names on the original release for legal reasons. But Torossi himself later both clarified and confused the tale further by explaining that fellow composers and musicians Sandro Brugnolini and Puccio Roelens also worked on Feelings. Infectiously funky, deliciously melodic and with impeccable, elegant production, Feelings record is the showcase for a stunning set of compositions and arrangements and with performances that are nothing short of virtuoso. The record's first side lifts off with "Flying High", soaring brilliant and shimmering with funk licks, menacing strings, and swaggering horns. The string-drenched cop-funk of "Going Home" raises the tempo with quick-fire bass lines and killer electric guitar. "Walking In The Dark" positively drips in blaxploitation-funk drama strings and horn struts, all laced with delicate drums, velvet piano, and more filthy wah-wah. "Fighting For Life" is another funk-fueled workout built around an effortlessly relentless drum track. The loping, open drum break that guides the much-loved "Feeling Tense" is filled out by heavy bass gloss, swirling strings, and ominous horns. "Running Fast" is a fine rollicking chase theme underpinned by frenetic (yet funky) Fender Rhodes and skipping bass and drums. "Loving Tenderly" envelops you in warm, velvety night-time vibes with easy listening horns and slinky strings. The pace picks up on the electrifying "Fearing Much" where strings dart around deep bass, buzzing guitars, and another funky drum break. The lush, melancholic "Being Friendly" is another easy beauty, all warm Rhodes and strings. The climactic "Having Fun" rides a pulsating, bass-heavy drum break with snatches of a funky guitar refrain, some luxurious keys, sweeping strings, and triumphant horns. Groove-laden bass, irrepressible horns, sweet flute lines, warm Rhodes, lush string arrangements, blaxploitation-styled wah-wah guitars and more make Feelings one of the finest instrumental soul LPs of the '70s, if not of all time. Remastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman. Remastered from the original tapes.

Methods Body's groundbreaking second record, Plural Not Possessive, is an opus against the algorithm -- ranging from 22 seconds to 15 minutes in duration, these five tracks reveal lush ecosystems woven out of the duo's spontaneous compositions. John Niekrasz (drums, voice) and Luke Wyland (keys, electronics, voice) create musical and technological strategies that force them to break old habits and patterns. Extrinsic song forms and standardized meters fall away. Time becomes a physical substance sculpted to alter the listener's emotional experience. Wyland channels his life-long stutter into a music of broken speech. There are lost languages in this record -- it is haunted by artifacts the musicians can't explain. Over two years, Niekrasz and Wyland worked together in their forest studio, staving off darkness at a time when it wasn't possible to be with others. Plural Not Possessive stands as a bracing evolution of the ensemble's previous work, but fans will still recognize Methods Body's hallmark microtonality, uncanny rhythms, world-building intricacy, and unmistakable collaborative chemistry. RIYL: Terry Riley, Autechre, Tyondai Braxton, Aphex Twin, Wendy Carlos, Pauline Oliveros, Iannis Xenakis.

Praise for their self-titled debut (BNSD 047LP, 2020): "In Methods Body's music, nothing feels fixed in place. The drums-and-electronics duo's debut album is as slippery as the deck of a boat in a storm: Muscular rhythms in strange time signatures, microtonal prepared-piano riffs, droning feedback -- they all careen back and forth, colliding, breaking into pieces. The result is a gnarled hybrid of free improv, minimalist composition, and dance music that advances in fits and starts, repetitive until it is not, knotty until it turns unexpectedly smooth." --Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork

Hibotep takes charge with stabbing drums and marauding bass that steal in alongside her multilingual lyrics on "Amber". "Ebwino" sees Hibotep masterminding a blistering, low-slung rap track with artist Will'stone, before finishing on the instrumental and playful "Saffron". Hibotep is of Somali ancestry. Born and raised in Ethiopia, she currently lives in Kampala, Uganda, where she moved to reconnect with her twin sister. A walking, breathing example of the diversity of Kampala's arts and culture scene, Hibo Elmi is, amongst other things, a DJ, filmmaker, fashion designer, installation artist, rapper and producer. A self-described cultural nomad, pushing forward a genre she calls Industrial Shamanism. Named by Mixmag in April as one of the 17 women shaping African dance music, and one of "15 East African Artists You Need to Hear" by Resident Advisor. The vinyl is a split EP with much-lauded artist KMRU on the other side.

"24 track double LP in gatefold jacket. LP1 is vocals, LP2 is dubs/versions. LP1 features one previously unreleased track. Jacket features extensive liner notes and many never-before-seen photos and flyers of both groups. Some tracks are reissued from the master tapes for the first time." "... we put together this 2LP collecting the vocals & dubs of nearly all of Creole's output and likewise nearly all of the music of the first iteration of Chinafrica (see our 12" single releases from both groups for the rest). For the record, Chinafrica went on to make some more great music in the 1990's, which is not included here. Also, we went deep into the band members' archives to dig out as many photos and flyers as we could for the jacket, accompanied by a detailed rundown of their histories and musical output. Creole and Chinafrica each created a small but fantastic body of music that does a rare thing. Much of the music on this album successfully blends elements of different genres of music in an interesting way. It's firmly planted in reggae, but straddles the borders of soul, funk and rock in brilliant, complimentary moves. I dare say in Jamaican music, you will be hard pressed to find an easy comparison to the music of these two groups. Please enjoy this collection of Wayne Chin and the guys' unique and uncompromising vision of reggae music, much as we have enjoyed realizing it and shining a long overdue spotlight on their history and creativity. A sincere thanks to Wayne Chin and all the members of Creole and Chinafrica who indulged me and enthusiastically took part in one of my dream projects, it's a honor to finally present this release." --RB/DKR

"You know we had to do it, so here's the near companion dub album to our recent Roots from the Record Smith compilation. This LP features the B-side dub versions from the original 45's of almost all the tracks from the vocal comp, nearly all taken from master tapes. For the curious and studious, here's a breakdown of the deviations from the vocal LP. Track A3, the dub version to 'Heading For the Mountain', is a previously unreleased mix, in that it does not contain the explosion sound fx heard on the original 45 -- these fx were added during the master cutting for the original 45 and are not on the master tape! Likewise, the original dub to Black Oney's 'Jah Jah Send the Parson', titled 'Version Stormy Weather' with storm sound FX was done the same way, and that version has been added here in place of a version to I Roy's 'Look a Boom.' Our previous reissue of the Black Oney single contained a raw rhythm cut and not this dub version with FX. Lastly, in place of a version for the Heptones 'Tripe Girl' (sadly no version of the Heptones or I Roy was ever released!), we've added the version to Black Oney's 'Festival '75', as found only on the impossibly rare original blank 45 release. Our previous issue of that one was backed with the Prince Far I cut on the same rhythm. A final note, the last track on this album is the dub to Ronnie Davis' 'Power of Love', titled 'King Tubby's In Fine Stile', and widely recognized as one of the King's all-time best mixes. If you don't know, get to know. This one alone is worth the price of admission." Comes in green or orange print.

"Here's one of our favorite Wackie's tunes that we always thought ought to be on a single, ready to be played alongside the other cuts of the rhythm already issued. This 45 features Wayne Jarrett's 'Moses' as it appeared on the first volume of the Jah Children Invasion compilation series. This tune appears in a different mix on Wayne's Wackie's album as Brimstone & Fire, but here is the elusive compilation cut. The single is backed with the raw cut of its rhythm as played by the Soul Syndicate in Jamaica, before any of the overdubs later done at Wackie's studio in NYC."

1988 saw the release of several timeless and remarkable EPs from Nurse With Wound, one of those classics is Alas The Madonna Does Not Function. Madonna in some respect was a turning point for NWW. It's a record that whilst unmistakably retaining that ineffable NWW character brought rhythmic and almost "musical" elements into play. Madonna could be seen along with the Soresucker and Cooloorta Moon EPs as the bridge between the old and the new, the natural precursors to Thunder Perfect Mind and Rock 'n Roll Station. Some 34 years later Madonna still sounds fresh and unique, a true one off, proving NWW to be one of the few genuinely enduring and uncompromising artists of their time. Added to this reissue is the fan favorite, "I Am The Poison". With its plodding cyclical bass, minimalist sound and distorted vocal lines it could be argued that "Poison" is a forgotten, yet divergent, post punk classic. Beautifully remastered by Andrew Liles. Beautiful die-cut sleeve with Babs Santini artwork.

Following the release last year of Rebecca Vasmant's acclaimed album With Love, From Glasgow (nominated for Scottish Album Of The Year 2022), Vasmant's Rebecca's Records label have announced their latest release, the debut album from spiritual jazz outfit Azamiah led by India Blue. Azamiah have emerged from Glasgow's bubbling jazz scene with their debut album, the beautifully transportive and soulful In Phases. Centered around India Blue's expressive and ethereal lead vocals, the twelve track LP takes the listener on an immersive journey that draws inspiration from the sounds of the natural world and the urban rhythm of the city. "Night Woman" encapsulates the gorgeous sonic worlds that are the essence of Azamiah's debut, as grooving bass, gentle, breezy brass and sublime percussive embellishments forming a truly dazzling aural experience. Headed by respected Glasgow-based producer, composer and DJ Rebecca Vasmant, Rebecca's Records is a family run imprint that aims to platform and support female-led jazz, as well as shining a spotlight on Scottish jazz. The label represents the wonderfully diverse and rich music scene that makes Glasgow so very special. Speaking about Amaziah's album In Phases, Rebecca Vasmant said: "When I first heard the beautiful and mesmerizing music from Azamiah, I was absolutely blown away, and I am so very happy that we are able to present such a beautiful album. It was recorded and written in Glasgow, continuing our ethos of promoting and supporting Scottish jazz. This record gives me the chills, and I really love the music so very much. We hope to release beautiful and special records that make us feel like we've been transported into a cloud of happiness and peace, and hopefully will make listeners feel the same. We aim to send the message of the spirit of Glasgow -- collaboration, love and acceptance -- in that everyone is welcome in our beautiful city that we call home." For fans of Hiatus Kaiyote, Matthew Halsall, Nala Sinephro, Rebecca Vasmant.

LP version. Blue vinyl. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete's sixth album was recorded at their home studio in Ensenada, Baja California, it was mixed by Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes and mastered by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. It's a short, sharp shock of a record with no unnecessary adornments and no fat on any of its eight songs. Gone are the psychedelic wig-outs found on previous releases, replaced with bass-heavy post-punk grooves inspired by the roots of The Congos, the no wave of Ike Yard, the industrial hip-hop of Dälek, and the dark modular moves of Hiro Kone, all while harnessing the elemental power of Jon Hassell's Vernal Equinox. "The 'in the room' feel is one of the things I've always loved about The Besnard Lakes' records," says guitarist Alberto González. "And Jace brought that to Datura. The only note we gave him was 'we want this album to sound big and aggressive'." It worked -- perhaps unsurprisingly for a record that covers cultural colonialism, imperialism, conflicting opinions, intense emotions, strange dreams, and insomnia. The title refers to the genus of plants often associated with ancient rituals that are also sometimes used as poison or hallucinogens. "We liked the idea of a flower that opens at night," says singer and guitarist Lorena Quintanilla. "A type of Datura grows all over the neighborhood where we live. People try to get rid of them because they are afraid of their dogs eating them, but they always regrow again and again in the same places." A bit like Lorelle themselves, then. We last heard from them at the start of 2020, when they had to crowdfund their way home after being stranded on the road in the US as Covid lockdowns came into force. As life returned to normal, they started playing shows again, firstly in Mexico and then, earlier this year, they finished what they started three years ago and toured the US with SUUNS. Now, finally, they are set to flower once again with Datura, their most direct and dynamic album to date; proof that nature really is healing.

For Zylva, creating is a form of healing. In 2020, the producer, illustrator, and poet found herself struggling with her mental wellbeing: a fresh arrival in locked-down Berlin, and newly heartbroken in a city known for its harsh winters and fleeting connections, Zylva imagined a place for hope, creating her debut album Poems from the Dark. Drifting somewhere between avant pop, lo-fi and celestial R&B, Poems from the Dark sets out on an emotional journey that unfolds over the course of twelve deeply personal tracks. 180 gram vinyl.

The reissue of classic and seminal releases from the Tresor catalog comes round to Waveform Transmission Vol. 2 by The Vision aka Robert Hood which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Released in the same year he left UR and his hometown of Detroit in 1993, Waveform Transmission Vol. 2 represents a pivotal moment in Hood's career as his move to New York with fellow UR co-founder Jeff Mills led to Hood experimenting with a new work ethos through which he settled on his trademark sound. Fast, aurally assaulting, yet funky -- the release is techno as effective as it can possibly be; in this version, remastered by Thomas P. Heckmann, you see the first results of his transmutation as Hood manipulates the raw sounds he would soon distill into seminal works like Internal Empire and Minimal Nation. Ever philosophical and spiritual, in the sleeve notes for the release Hood dedicated the release "to the form of simplicity[,] the reasoning of vision[,] the understanding of where we came from and how we got here and to the perspective we use to construct over destiny" -- words which from our early 2020s vantage point almost foresee the influence this intuitive work would have on artists working from Birmingham to Berlin and beyond over the next three decades. 180 gram vinyl; full printed sleeve; download card.

2023 repress. 1991 release. "Available again with updated artwork and a new gatefold sleeve! Melvins' follow-up to 1989's Ozma was 1991's groundbreaking Bullhead. The songs are longer, the mood is calmer, yet more menacing. 'Boris' (which gave the Japanese group their name) is a long, slow, low death march of addiction and self-abuse. 'Zodiac' is a frantic punk rock machine gun blasting away at Buzz's demons (both inner and outer). 'Cow' is a happy baboon bashing away at the best drum solo of his life. 'It's Shoved' is a groovy beat for the cast of Shindig to bop along to, until their carefree performances of The Pony, The Mashed Potato, and The Watusi are horribly interrupted by the soundstage tilting up and sliding them all into a mangled heap of screaming dancers, broken cameras and flaming electronic equipment at the bottom."