Aguirre edition: Mastered by Helge Sten, Audio Virus, Oslo. Lacquers by Dubplates & Mastering. Liner Notes by Theaster Gates. LPs pressed on premium audiophile-quality vinyl at Pallas Records. Rich in musical associations yet utterly singular in its voice, joyous with an inner tranquility, the music of Natural Information Society is unlike any other being made today. Their sixth album in eleven years for eremite records, descension (Out of Our Constrictions) is the first to be recorded live, featuring a set from London's Cafe OTO with veteran English free-improv great Evan Parker, & the first to feature just one extended composition. The 75-minute performance, inspired by the galvanizing presence of Parker, is a sustained bacchanalia of collective ecstasy. You could call it their party album.

This was the second time Parker played with NIS. Joshua Abrams: "Both times we played compositions with Evan in mind. I don't tell Evan anything. He's a free agent."

The music is focused & malleable, energized & even-keeled, drawing on concepts of ensemble playing common to musics from many locations & eras without any one specific aesthetic realization completely defining it.

"The rhythms that Mikel plays are not an exact reference to Chicago house, but that's in there," Abrams says. "I like to take a cyclic view of music history, can we take that four-on-the-floor, & consider how it connects to swing-era music? Can we articulate a through line? I dee-jayed for years in Chicago & lessons I learned from playing records for dancing inform how I think about the group's music. The listener can make connections to aspects of soul music, electronic music, minimalism, traditional folk musics, & other musics of the diaspora as well. It's about these aspects coming together. I don't need to mimic something, I need to embody it to get to the spirit, to get to the living thing."

For jazz fans, the sound of Parker's soprano & Jason Stein's bass clarinet might evoke Coltrane & Dolphy, even though they didn't necessarily set out to do that & they play with complete individuality. Abrams sees a bridge to the historical precedent, too. "Since we first met in the 1990s, one of the things that Evan and I connected on was Coltrane's music," he says. "I hoped that we would tap into that sound world intuitively. In this case, I think that level of evocation adds another layer of depth, versus a layer of reference."

Indeed, this is a performance in which the connections among the ensemble & the creative tension between improvisation and composition build into a complex mesh of associations & interactions. While the band confines itself to the territory mapped out by Abrams' composition, they are remarkably attentive & responsive, making adjustments to Parker's improvisations. When Parker's intricate patterns of notes interweave with the band, the parts reinforce one another & the music rockets upward. Sometimes, Parker's lines are cradled by the group's gentle pulse & an unearthly lyrical balance is struck.

Drummer Mikel Patrick Avery is locked-in, playing with hellacious long-form discipline, feel & responsiveness. Jason Stein's animated, vocalized bass clarinet weaves in & out with Lisa Alvarado's harmonium to state the piece's thematic material; the pulsing tremolo on the harmonium brings a Spacemen 3 vibe to the party. Abrams ties together melody & rhythm on guimbri, a presence that leads without seeming to. Like his bandmates, he shifts modes of playing frequently, improvising & then returning to the composed structure.

"As specific as the composition is, the goal is to internalize it & mix it up," Abrams says. "The idea is to get so comfortable that we can make spontaneous changes, find new routes of activity, stasis & byways every gig. It's like a web we're spinning. If someone makes a move, we all aim to be aware of it, make room for it. Experiencing & listening is what it's about, & Evan supercharges that."

& "supercharged" is the word for this album. With Parker further opening up their music, descension (Out of Our Constrictions) is the sound of Natural Information Society growing both more disciplined and freer, one of the great bands of its time on a deep run.

"46 years after I first heard Stare Kits on a cassette, they finally have an LP. About time! This NYC quartet's name often comes up in discussions of the No Wave era, which make sense. The members -- Angela Jaeger, Amy Rigby, Michael McMahon, and Bob Gurevics -- were all fans of the scene, and involved with various aspects of TR3, one of No Wave's pre-eminent showcases. UT played their first gig opening for Stare Kits. Rick Brown (Blinding Headache, Information, etc.) played guest sax with them. Julia Gorton used Amy as a photo model almost as often as she used Lydia Lunch, and so on. But despite such connections they were not a No Wave band. Stare Kits's music certainly use instrumental elements in line with No Wave's ethos, but these're part of a much larger mix. The band's basic approach is much rockier and punkier. Bob's guitar parts are more in the tradition of Quine and Reed than they are Lydian, the McMahon/Rigby's rhythm section is more primitive than martial, and Angela's vocals are goddamn melodic. Closer musical comparisons might be made to a various aspects of UK bands from Penetration to Wire to Deaf School to X-Ray Spex. There's a soupçon of a '79 UK DIY rattle to some of the tunes as well. But there is an ineffable something lurking in their collective soul that keeps Stare Kits's instrumental sound grounded in the NYC art-punk/street-rock continuum. Angela's vocals may resemble Penelope Houston's at moments but there's not much overt political content in Stare Kits's lyrics. An eclectic mix of elements? Yeah, and it sounds fucking great. The saga of Stare Kits was laid out pretty well in Angela's excellent book, I Feel Famous (Hat & Beard Press 2025) and was also part of Amy McMahon's equally dandy Girl to City (Southern Domestic 2019). Now's your chance to hear what their hubbub was all about." --Byron Coley, 2025

LP version. Alongside Joy Division, The Durutti Column were amongst the first artists to be released by Factory Records. Their debut album, produced by Martin Hannett, showcased the filigree guitar work of Vini Reilly, awash with reverb and early experiments with synthesizers. It would be a first album of a five-decade career, in which The Durutti Column would quietly emerge as one of the most influential acts from the Manchester scene and beyond. To celebrate the album's 45th anniversary, London Records revisits the album with new editions, with audio sourced and remastered from the original tapes for the first time since 1980, with vinyl cut at half speed. LP version includes restored "second edition" artwork with textured sleeve. Liner notes by The Durutti Column/Factory Records expert James Nice.

WRWTFWW Records presents the limited-edition vinyl reissue of Natural Sonic, the groundbreaking 1990 environmental percussion album by Japanese composer and performer Yoshiaki Ochi. Long a hidden gem of the kankyō ongaku movement, Natural Sonic finally returns in its full analog glory, housed in a heavyweight sleeve with obi and carefully remastered from the original archives of Wacoal Art Center/Spiral's visionary NEWSIC label. Originally released only in Japan at the dawn of the 1990s, Natural Sonic is a mesmerizing exploration of earthly sound and rhythm -- a sonic tapestry woven from wood, water, and stone, and skin. Ochi, who at the time was the in-house composer and performer for world-renowned designer Issey Miyake, created a series of elemental pieces that blur the line between avant-garde percussion, ritual music, and environmental sound art. The result is both deeply physical and profoundly meditative -- an album that breathes with nature itself. Echoing the organic minimalism of Midori Takada's Through the Looking Glass and the ecological grandeur of Geinoh Yamashirogumi's Ecophony Gaia, Ochi's compositions open portals into primal landscapes, evoking forests, rivers, and stones in flux. Part of NEWSIC's celebrated experimental catalog -- alongside Yoshio Ojima's Une Collection des Chaînons, Motohiko Hamase's #Notes of Forestry, and Satsuki Shibano's Rendez-Vous -- Natural Sonic now finds new life for contemporary listeners seeking sound that feels both timeless and vital. A singular album of resonance and restraint, Natural Sonic is a treasure from the golden age of Japanese environmental music, finally available again over three decades later.

"On Beacon Hill: at twilight we find Anthony Moore, roots winding backwards to the halcyon days of Slapp Happy and the '70s progressive art rock scene, at guitar and piano. With the atmospheres and accompaniments of AKA & Friends, he breathes infernal new life into songs from his six decades of multivarious music making. This new delivery system is unto a séance, a communal incantation, twining Anthony's avant and pop traditions together in a darkly radiant coil of folky chamber music; a rope to lower the listener through cobwebs and murk, unveiling new life beneath Anthony's mad old lines. AKA are Anthony Moore, Keith Rodway and Amanda Thompson. A pagan family of sound worshipers hailing from that unholiest of all places: Hastings UK, home of Crowley and Turing. Like their sinister forbears in that infamous tradition, this latest trinity shares a passion for subverting pattern and number, factoring unlikely permutations arising from sea and horizon, greensward, the southerly aspect, and the planisphere as half-world. Their equatorial shore speaks of a planet of water and earth, fire and air. AKA's humble tools of choice for this endeavor are guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer and vocals. The Friends of AKA are Tullis Rennie, trombone and electronics; Olie Brice, double bass; Richard Moore, violin; and Haydn Ackerley, guitar. They too navigate the shoreline of the south coast, haunt the same taverns and regularly play together in whatever combinations fit the bill. Leaving the drums (and their drummer) at home to realize anew these dream-laden songs, AKA & Friends ensure that the notes fall around the beat and not on it, so as to define the pulse with absence. Anthony Moore with AKA & Friends manifest a sensuous post-devastation lounge act, seeking to re-invoke natural orders by naming -- rather than cursing -- the darkness in its many guises. Like final-phase Johnny Cash on a lost episode of Twin Peaks, Anthony's innate gravitas is a light through the surreal landscape, as the players combine themselves again and again, their efforts rising and falling in shared space. Their gothic jazz orchestra carves delicately through Anthony's songs, releasing the melodies and the melancholy to drift upward, like smoke against a sooty and scorched backdrop. Fantastic, prophetic journeys, dry eyed but deeply affected, through the shadow depths of Anthony Moore's mirror."

"Glyders been dreaming up this sound for ages -- over years, with different players, countless shows and many late nights at the tape machine. It's been a long ride to Forever -- but now that they've arrived, the vibe's lightning and the blink of an eye. Guitarist/vocalist Joshua Condon and bassist Eliza Weber started up in 2014, but even when they put together their 2023 album debut, Maria's Hunt, they still had a revolving door on the drums. Then they met Joe Seger, who fit on the kit like a glove and in their sound like a brother. Since then, the three have ridden together, building up Forever while playing shows all around the US and Europe. This makes Forever's spirit high and tight, its sinews rumbling with communal joy. The song nugs of Forever sprouted branches and spokes on the road, the increased physicality driving their mellow licks and riffs with a great depth of rolling bottom, its groove taking them further into their own thing. After all this time, the streamlined new chassis feels mighty fine, making this the first real band album for Glyders. These sweet tunes punctuate and emphasize the wind and rain in the hair of Forever's driving jams. Glyders like to keep shuffling the deck. Taped at their own Studio 'G' in Chicago's Humboldt Park, with Josh getting the sounds they like, then mixed by Cooper Crain at Sweat Loge Studios down in Pilsen, Forever is super rich, crackling with the raw details of real life. The title comes from a battle cry within the band, something they hear at shows too. Eliza's amazing art emphasizes this for life credo, mixing classic roots with punk collage style drawn from years of flyers. It's like a family/club vibe, the kind of thing you get tattooed into your skin. Forever lands smooth, its lightning-quick 37 minutes leaving you plenty of time to live. Flip it over and let it go again, then!"

Syncretic marks the debut full-length from Australian duo Bhairavi Raman, a Western and Carnatic violinist, and Nanthesh Sivarajah, a mridangam player and versatile percussionist. Both artists share a Tamil heritage, a current that hums across the album. Raman, from South India, and Sivarajah, from Sri Lanka, draw lines that connect Western practice and Carnatic tradition. This hybrid is central to Raman's approach as a violinist, an instrument itself caught between East and West since the late 18th century. Her playing folds history, lineage and experimentation into music that acknowledges inheritance while gently rewiring its circuitry. Expanding on traditional music can be a precarious practice, but Syncretic never feels heavy-handed. Raman and Sivarajah exercise measured restraint, letting the Carnatic framework breathe even as it is refracted through contemporary tools. Delays, looping, subtle layering and synthesized harmonies tilt tradition into a new light without disguising it. Even within a contemporary framework, Raman's rigorous Carnatic training under gurus Sri S. Varadarajan (India), Sri Murali Kumar (Australia) and Sri Gopinath Iyer (Australia) is unmistakable. She captures the spiritual and emotional essence of each raga: on "Seven," the playful raga Bahudari becomes both centerpiece and conduit, while on the traditional piece "Thunbam Nergayil," drawn from a Tamil poem, listeners hear a deeply personal iteration, a weeping euphony of mixed emotions hitting all at once. Tradition here is absorbed, expanded and reframed. Sivarajah's command of the mridangam, honed by his gurus Sri Jambunathan (Sri Lanka), Sri Balasri Rasiah (Australia) and Sri T. R. Sundaresan (India), is central to his original composition "Guardian." He sustains tradition while extending it through layering and sound-spatialization. The mridangam here functions as both a structural and ornamental force, mapping continuity between inherited form and contemporary sonic architecture. Syncretic resonates as a space where Tamil heritage, diasporic memory and contemporary practice coalesce. Culture, like sound, circulates, transforms and persists. Tradition is not an archive but living material, a soundworld that lingers in the ears and the imagination.

"Shutaro Noguchi didn't set out to make a farewell album, but On the Run captures a moment of profound change. Recorded just weeks before moving back to Japan after 20 formative years in America (spent primarily Louisville, Kentucky), the album reflects a life in motion -- rooted in memories, yet reaching toward the unknown. In Louisville, Noguchi had built a creative home with a tight-knit crew, crafting beloved records that ranged from the country-rock swagger of Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band to the mutant grooves of Equipment Pointed Ankh. Meanwhile, he released compelling solo work, including the full-band psych rock gem Love Super Terranean on Feeding Tube Records. With On the Run, Noguchi joins The Roadhouse Band once more for a searching, expressive collaboration -- an album made at a threshold between past and future. The opening track "Olympic 3.5" begins with Noguchi in solitary introspection: "Now the wind is blowing / It's passing me by -- I'm getting a little too used to watching this sunset." He's soon joined by the syncopated rhythms and lilting synths of The Roadhouse camp, constructing a warped odyssey that intertwines the cosmic spirit of Gong with the melodic, pop-driven abstraction of Ryuichi Sakamoto. Noguchi returns with Wyatt-esque wordless vocalizations before the song spirals into a dark, abstract descent. Jazz-tinged numbers like "Apocalypse/Calendar" and "River Dagger" highlight Noguchi's singular compositional voice. His relaxed vocals float over otherworldly arrangements, while "Drive My Cape Cod" -- a voice memo captured during a long car ride and completed in the studio -- offers a candid glimpse into his melodic daydreaming, in a move reminiscent of Maher Shalal Hash Baz, where casual, unpolished moments reveal deeper emotion. Some tracks lean into groovier, more danceable territory, with production touches that echo Japanese contemporaries like Shintaro Sakamoto, Fishmans, Cornelius, etc. "Melody" pairs a nostalgic City Pop feel with the band's forward-thinking sound. The bubbly rhythm of "Time With You" feels almost weightless beneath the album's perhaps only guitar solo, played, oddly enough, not by guitar wiz Noguchi himself but by bandmate Ryan Davis. Amid the breezy lightness, he accepts the chaos of an uncertain future: "It's beginning to change / The time of the world / Eventually we'll see it." Noguchi's reflections on uncertainty are deeply relatable and bittersweet -- especially in this moment. With On the Run, Shutaro Noguchi and The Roadhouse Band show us how they face the unknown -- together, embracing uncertainty with both resilience and camaraderie." -- Kryssi Battalene, 2025

"The Adolescents' Welcome To Reality on coke bottle colored vinyl."

2025 repress. Holy grail of US roots reggae released in 1979. Old-style tip-on sleeve replicating the original sleeve. More Relation started in 1977 in New York as a backup band for reggae artists such as Melodians, Larry Marshall, Carlton Coffee, and Ken Booth. They released many now sought-after singles and one self-titled album.

LP version. On "Cold Sweat," James Brown famously called to "give the drummer some." In 1974, Philadelphia vibraphonist Khan Jamal called to Give the Vibes Some, with superb results. Pianist and composer Jef Gilson's PALM label gave Jamal the platform he needed to deliver a thorough exploration of contemporary vibraphone. After launching PALM in 1973, Gilson quickly demonstrated that he would only produce records not found anywhere else. Give the Vibes Some, PALM number 10, was another confirmation of this guiding principle. Raised and based in Philadelphia, Khan Jamal took up the vibes in 1968, after two years in the army during which he was stationed in France and Germany. Decisively drawn to the instrument by the work of the Modern Jazz Quartet's Milt Jackson, Jamal studied under Philadelphia vibraphone legend Bill Lewis and soon made his debuts in the local underground. Early in 1972, Jamal made his first recording, with the Sounds of Liberation. The band attempted an original fusion of conga-heavy grooves with avant-garde jazz soloing. Saxophonist Byard Lancaster, an important figure in Jamal's development, contributed much of the solo work. Later in 1972, Jamal made his leader debut with Drum Dance to the Motherland, a reverb-drenched, never-to-be-replicated experiment with live sound processing. Both albums appeared on the tiny musician-run Dogtown label. "We couldn't get no play from nowhere. No gigs or recording sessions or anything. So I took off for Paris," Jamal recalled in a Cadence interview with Ken Weiss. "Within a few weeks, I had a few articles and I did a record date. It didn't make me feel good about America." That was in 1974, while Byard Lancaster was recording the music gathered on Souffle Continu's The Complete PALM Recordings, 1973-1974. Jamal's record date delivered Give the Vibes Some. At its core, it was an exploratory solo vibraphone album, even if two tracks added (through technological resourcefulness?) a très célèbre French drummer very much into Elvin Jones appearing under pseudonym for contractual reasons. Another track, for which Jamal switched to the vibes's wooden ancestor, the marimba, added young Texan trumpeter Clint Jackson III. The most notable article published on Jamal during this stay in France was a Jazz Magazine interview. Jamal's last word there were "The Creator has a master plan/drum dance to the motherland." "Give the vibes some" could be added to this programmatic statement.

2025 restock. "The album was produced by the band themselves, and issued in two different stereo mixes. The more widely distributed mix is the one done by MGM/Verve staff engineer Val Valentin. The other mix was done by Lou Reed, boosting his vocals and guitar solos, while reducing the level of other instruments. This version was dubbed the 'Closet Mix' by Sterling Morrison, because it sounded to him as if it had been recorded in a closet. The most dramatic difference is that the two versions use entirely different performances of 'Some Kinda Love', both taken from the same recording sessions."

Wewantsounds presents the release of Tokyo Funk Diva, a compilation highlighting the work of Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama, one of Japan's leading funk voices of the 1980s. Blending funk, boogie and soulful grooves, Penny brought a distinctive energy to Japan's music scene during the decade. Compiled by Nick Luscombe -- who previously curated Tokyo Dreaming for the label -- the set marks the first time Hitomi's music has been compiled outside of Japan. Featuring newly remastered tracks and liner notes by Luscombe, the release offers fresh context to Penny's work and its role in the evolution of Japanese funk and groove culture. Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama was one of the few female singers to fully embrace Japan's burgeoning funk and boogie movement of the 1980s. Born in Okinawa in 1957 and raised partly in California, she developed a cosmopolitan outlook that would shape her music. At a time when the country's pop scene was shifting toward slick, funk-oriented productions, Penny crafted a distinctive style that fused boogie, disco, and funk with her confident, soulful delivery. Her albums for Nippon Columbia recorded in the '80s capture this vibrant moment, combining sophisticated studio craft with the pulse of Tokyo's nightlife. The selection includes cult classics such as "Sexy Robot," "Love is the Competition," and "Instant Polaroid," with lesser-known gems such as "Exotic Yokogao" and "I Love You Shika Omoitsukanai." Together they showcase the singer's versatility, moving effortlessly between syncopated upbeat floorfillers and chilled mid-tempo grooves. While her music earned recognition at home, these releases were never widely available outside Japan and slowly became prized finds among DJs and collectors. Tokyo Funk Diva presents highlights from this catalogue for the first time in an international release. Compiled by broadcaster and tastemaker Nick Luscombe, the selection has been newly remastered and comes with Luscombe's liner notes, retracing Penny's career and her role in the evolution of Japanese boogie and disco. As he writes in the liner notes, "It's this deep musical craftsmanship -- both in the songwriting and performances -- that gives Penny Tohyama's work its lasting power. Her music feels as fresh and relevant today as it did when it was first released." With its mix of sharp production, irresistible rhythms, and Penny's unmistakable presence, Tokyo Funk Diva serves both as a long overdue introduction to one of Japan's original funk queens.

Something is brewing in the state of Norway! Kronstad 23 are the latest trailblazers from northern Scandinavia: a creative force exploring the boundaries of musical genres, including but not limited to: psych rock, jazz, post-rock and Scandinavian folk music. The group of young players follows the footsteps of Motorpsycho, Elephant9 and El Paraiso's own Lotus, Fra Det Onde and Kanaan, carving out their path through the musical landscape in seemingly effortless ways! One minute you're floating on cosmic Pharoah Sanders waters, the next you're ascending on electrified if-Tortoise-played-Allman Brothers-style jamming. The band describes their approach as: "Sommermørket is an escape from inhumane technology and politics in search of something that feels authentic. The music breathes in the little that is left of old air and rises slowly into the hazy summer twilight like brittle thoughts that try to connect and fade away." Kronstad 23 was formed in Kronstad, Bergen, Norway in the Autumn of 2023. As old friends and musical collaborators, they rekindled a creative spark that had been dormant for over 10 years. Rarely rehearsed and often caught on first take, Sommermørket was recorded live on tape in the studio of Keyboardist Øyvind Vie Berg in Bergen, Norway. The record captures three sessions across one year, from spring and late summer in 2024 to winter of 2025.

The latest album from Michael Cashmore (formerly of Current 93 plus known for his work as Nature and Organisation) collects ten pieces which, as with the previous album, Until the End of Vibration, released by Lumberton Trading Company, draw from that magical place where crepuscular and moody soundtrack work converges with the kind of synth lines Tangerine Dream made a name for themselves with. Along the way, there are piano-led melodic swells, a couple of surprisingly serrated edges and sparingly used percussion veering between the bombastic and more emotionally charged. Between each of the compositions, there's an overarching sense of sadness or resignation while carefully woven refrains point to the simple beauty one derives from staring at a night sky or the sun's rise or setting over a serene sea apparently untouched by man. Sophisticated yet unostentatious, this is music that's bold, minimal and utterly deserving of the attention of the film that will doubtlessly play out in your head as you lock yourself in to everything it promises.

The brilliantly named duo -- formed by Adam Morrow and Jamie Sego -- might be based in "the hit recording capital of the world," Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but somehow, they have made a concept album about the ancient religious outpost off the coast of northeast England. It's a stunning record that mixes fuzzy guitars with folk horror and fantastic melodies -- for fans of Ride, Slowdive, Galaxie 500, Talk Talk, Yo La Tengo and The Clientele. Despite its lyrical inspiration lying thousands of miles away, it comes imbued with the soulfulness of their surroundings -- not least because it was recorded in the old Muscle Shoals Sound studio by the Tennessee River, now Portside Sound, which is run by Jamie. "The story of Lindisfarne gave us a framework for what were otherwise very abstract ideas and emotions," explains Adam. "It became a way to make sense of our own moment in history. We really want our lives and societies to always get better, and to be left alone to make that happen. But we are stuck in these cycles of progress and regression, and I think most people are really driven to make sense of it and assign meaning. Lately, we've lived through a global pandemic, a devaluation of truth and reality, and a resurgence of far-right politics into the mainstream. Not really what I expected out of life in 2025." He is keen to point out that, despite the seriousness of its inspirations, the duo had a lot of fun making the album and really want it to be "a living and breathing thing". "We want people to be able to engage with it regardless of whether they care about it as a concept record," he says. "For me, it's just another reason to expand the pedalboard," concludes Jamie. "We hope you enjoy it. Peace, love and reverb from Alabama."

2025 repress; LP version. First vinyl edition; 180 gram vinyl; printed inner-sleeve; Includes CD. Because Music present a reissue of JJ Cale's Closer To You, originally released in 1994. The album was published under the independent French label Delabel and distributed by Virgin Records. Personnel: JJ Cale - vocals, guitar, synthesizer; James Cruce - drums; Tim Drummond - bass; Jim Karstein - drums, percussion; Christine Lakeland - guitar, vocals (background); Bill Payne - keyboards; Don Preston - guitar.

"On the two albums that preceded Closer To You, Travel-Log (1989) and Number 10 (1992), JJ Cale adopted a more basic musical approach. This album continues the trend. Cale plays a few songs alone (though the overdubbed parts sound remarkably spare), including the title track. Closer To You finds him electronically treating his vocals, a technique that surprisingly makes him sound as down-to-earth as ever." --All Music

Double LP version. "Official expanded edition of Sun Ra's Saturn debut features an additional fourteen tracks of alternate versions and studio takes. The CD also contains four CD only bonus tracks. Liner notes were penned by avid fan Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, as well as an essay from longtime Ra blogger Rodger Coleman (NUVOID Sun Ra Sundays). Vinyl gatefold jacket includes a 12x12 insert reproduction of the original LP jacket art. Recorded in 1956 and released in 1957, Supersonic Jazz is arguably the first long-playing album by Sun Ra and His Arkestra on his Saturn label. However, it was not recorded as a debut. Rather, the album was assembled from tapes recorded during a number of sessions at two Chicago studios (RCA Victor and Balkan), and several tracks had been released as singles before their inclusion on this album. (Sunny's first fully realized commercial album was 1957's Jazz by Sun Ra, produced by Tom Wilson on his short lived/soon to be defunct Transition label.) Prior to these sessions, Sunny was still arranging for the Red Saunders Orchestra and singer Joe Williams, in addition to arranging for and coaching doo-wop ensembles. As Sunny's ambitions achieved liftoff, the Arkestra coalesced, began building a repertoire (mostly of Ra's originals), and making forays into studios. Deciding it was time for commercial releases, Sunny and business partner Alton Abraham launched Saturn (sometimes called El Saturn) as a record company in 1956. As a first offering, Supersonic Jazz is a pinnacle Sun Ra release. While reflecting many prevailing bebop, Latin, and R&B conventions of the mid-1950s, it's evident that Sun Ra's musical voice and vision were starting to propel him away from the jazz mainstream. Biographer John Szwed finds on these recordings 'characteristics which seemed alien to swing, bebop, or the new, more soulful and hard-edged music which was coming to be called hard bop.'"

LP version. Born in Buenos Aires in 1934, Hector "Costita" Bisignani is one of the leading figures in Latin American jazz. Settling in São Paulo in the late 1950s, he quickly established himself as one of Brazil's most renowned flutists and saxophonists, collaborating with major artists such as Sérgio Mendes, Elis Regina, Hermeto Pascoal, João Donato, and Gato Barbieri. His career also led him to play alongside Michel Legrand, Lalo Schifrin, Burt Bacharach, and Ray Conniff, demonstrating his international influence. A founding member of Sérgio Mendes' Sexteto Bossa Rio, he contributed to the rise of Brazilian jazz by incorporating local rhythms and bold compositions. He is also renowned as a teacher, making him a respected figure for several generations of musicians. With a career spanning more than 70 years, he remains a pioneering figure in the history of Latin American jazz. 1981, now reissued, perfectly illustrates this creative freedom. Recorded in the exuberant spirit of the 1970s and 1980s, it blends baião, jazz-funk, and Brazilian soul. Led by his saxophone, flute, and clarone, and backed by his Gallery Club band, this rare recording embodies the vibrant energy of a scene where experimentation and virtuosity went hand in hand.

"At the intersection of the two extreme genres of noise and grindcore, Sissy Spacek has been an ongoing artistic process to create anxiety inducing chaotic music. The band has gone back to its basics with a lineup of its core member John Wiese and longtime collaborator Charlie Mumma (who you may know from Bloody Phoenix or his contributions to Knelt Rote). Diaphanous is a mess of blast beats, noise walls, and ardent screaming. The music is both artistic and unstructured -- is it high culture or lowbrow? If you enjoyed the group's 2016 album Disfathom, you can consider this its spiritual successor. For fans of raucous noise with blastbeats. This is technically the band's second grindcore full length after being a band for almost a quarter of a century and it is not to be missed."

Repressed; on 180g vinyl. In Everybody Loves the Sunshine (1976), Roy Ayers seamlessly blends genres, creating a timeless sound that continues to influence musicians and DJs around the world. He makes the vibraphone the central instrument, a jazz-funk approach that defines his unique style. Over time, the album has remained an essential reference in Roy Ayers' discography and in the history of '70s Black music. Summertime soul classic! This album not only solidified Ayers as a key figure in the world of jazz-funk but also marked a milestone in soul music and contemporary jazz. It features a sophisticated blend of irresistible grooves, smooth melodies, and a unique sound that has endured over the years, becoming a reference for multiple generations of musicians and listeners. By the mid-'70s, Ayers had already established his reputation with his band, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, and his distinctive use of the vibraphone, which became his personal trademark. However, with this album, Ayers ventured into a smoother, more accessible sound, partly in response to the rise of disco music and the growing interest in more experimental sounds within the music scene. Throughout its ten tracks, Ayers managed to create a sonic atmosphere that evoked both the warmth of summer and the sophistication of jazz from that era, set against a backdrop of modern soul. The production was carried out by Ayers himself, along with his producer and friend, David R. Williams, and features the wonderful sound of Phillip Woo's Fender Rhodes and the powerful energy of the rest of the band, achieving an unmistakable authenticity and freshness. Some of its most well-known songs include the title track, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," "The Golden Rod," and "The Third Eye," which quickly became classics of jazz-funk and soul. This album is crucial in Roy Ayers' career, as it demonstrates his ability to remain relevant and creative in an ever-changing music industry.

LP version. Wewantsounds presents the release of Akiko Yano's cult 1979 album 7 O'Clock in Tokyo, recorded live in September 1978 at a pivotal moment in Japanese music history, just as Yellow Magic Orchestra was about to take the world by storm (Yano would tour the world with the group in 1979). Featuring a very funky Yano performance accompanied by Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi, plus Tatsuro Yamashita and Minako Yoshida, the album is presented outside Japan for the first time, with remastered audio, original artwork, and a four-page insert including new liner notes by Paul Bowler. Akiko Yano holds a unique place in Japan's musical history. Emerging in the mid-'70s while still in her early 20s, she quickly gained attention for her inventive songwriting, versatile singing, playful melodies, and genre-blending mix of pop, jazz, funk, and experimental sounds. Her influence has since reached far beyond Japan, earning her a devoted international following that includes Mac DeMarco, Clairo, and Jessy Lanza. By the late '70s, she had become closely connected with the members of Yellow Magic Orchestra, joining them on their first international tour in 1979. 7 O'Clock in Tokyo, captured live in September 1978, features Yano with a band including the three musicians performing a concert to support her third studio album, To-Ki-Me-Ki, just as YMO was preparing to take the world stage with their debut album. This performance offers a compelling snapshot of a pivotal moment in Japanese pop, when musical boundaries were being explored and new sounds were emerging. The concert highlights Yano's distinctive blend of Japanese pop and funk, with a superb rendition of "To-Ki-Me-Ki's" title track and "Katarun Kararan" from the same album, plus "Satchan," a playful piece performed with Yano accompanying herself on acoustic piano. The album closes with "Walk on the Way of Life," an eight-minute funky finale that brings the musicians together in a groovy performance, underlining both their versatility and the energy of the show.

Wewantsounds collaborates with cult musician Yusuf Mumin of the Black Unity Trio to unveil previously unreleased music from his personal archive. Following 2024's acclaimed Black Artist Group release, this new instalment continues to unearth hidden treasures from the Great Black Music tradition. Although the exact recording dates remain unknown, the music here is a powerful blend of serene spiritual jazz and fiery sonic intensity. All tracks have been remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio and the release also includes a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Mumin and Pierre Crépon. In 1968, Yusuf Mumin was the blistering alto saxophone voice of the Black Unity Trio, who recorded the cult privately pressed album Al-Fatihah, one of the most sought-after albums in the genre. After extensive but unsuccessful searches for additional material by the group, Journey to the Ancient finally offers more unheard music from Yusuf Mumin. The album presented here draws from a selection of recordings preserved in Mumin's private collection, revealing previously unheard layers of his experimental vision. Mumin performs under both his own name and, when multitracking revelatory double bass parts, the pseudonym Dan Nuby. Born Joseph W. Phillips in 1944, Mumin became a key figure in Cleveland's radical free jazz underground of the 1960s. Deeply influenced by spiritual and esoteric traditions, Mumin was originally drawn to "outside" playing by the sonic explorations of Yusef Lateef. Shortly after Albert Ayler's U.S. recording debut with trumpeter Norman Howard, Howard and Mumin were co-leading a group in Cleveland. Mumin's legacy was cemented through his collaborations with Abdul Wadud and Hasan Shahid as the Black Unity Trio. The release includes a two-page insert featuring interview-based liner notes by Mumin and Crépon, offering fresh insight into the great history of the Cleveland scene. Journey to the Ancient continues Wewantsounds' mission to unearth the hidden treasures of such visionary jazz musicians, and it's an honor to finally present Yusuf Mumin's cutting-edge work for the first time after it remained unheard in the vault for decades.

Reintroducing Soar -- the alias of Christian Aebi, serial DIY taper and one-man orchestra from Langenthal, a fog-shrouded town in the Swiss provinces. Krautophobia, ambient lo-fi agriculture, analogue soul balm and slowspeed psych gelati-blitz cardboard pop only gesture towards the sound world he coaxed from his broken Tascam four-track recorder, in attics, churches, junkyards and at the kitchen table. The spark for Soar was likely time and space, somewhere in the autumn of 1994. Armed with a cable salad of '60s guitar/bass, fairground drums, mold-speckled organs and toy instruments, Aebi coaxed five albums, an unverified run of 25 cassettes, and a handful of gigs. Mostly issued through Zurich label Corazoo, the records arrived in hand-pasted sleeves, rough-cut reproductions of his teddy bear-fixated artwork that carried the same imperfect immediacy as the music. With Rudi Steiner, performances in galleries, clubs and halls bent into live sound-image happenings -- part installation, part film, part flea-market-instrument theatre -- invariably leaving the house engineers bewildered. At the time of his untimely death in 2021, Aebi remained a village secret, his music passed quietly between friends and local ears. Now, Swiss graphic designer and Ghost Riders compiler Ivan Liechti has pieced together a portrait from the afterglow, gathering tangled audio formats, paintings, illustrations, photographs and notebooks with his family, former label and peers. What emerges is a first glimpse of Soar's intimate cosmos -- brushing against Füxa, Spectrum, Dump, Stereolab, and King Crimson, but orbiting a dimension entirely his own.

"Containing 2 BBC sessions (four songs recorded for John Peel's show in 1974 and two from The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975) and two songs recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre in 1974, this record is filled with the power and intensity that Nico could summon with just her powerful voice and beloved harmonium. A somber and beautiful journey through the world of mid-'70s Nico, one of the most singular and personal artists of the era. Includes fold out poster/insert."

This anthology of Los Wembler's allows listeners to appreciate the legacy of the iconic group from Iquitos, the most important city in the Peruvian Amazon which is only accessible by air or river, and their key role in the creation and revival of Amazonian cumbia. Los Wembler's emerged as a family band in the late 1960s in the Belén district of Iquitos and are regarded as pioneers of electric guitar-driven Amazonian cumbia from Perú. The selection of songs that make up this compilation dates from the period between 1972 and 1980, at the peak of the band's career. Songs such as "Sonido amazónico" or "La danza del petrolero" have become highly influential classics of the genre. Most of these tracks are reissued here for the first time after remaining unavailable for decades. Selva includes an insert with liner notes and photos. Pressed on 180g vinyl.

LP version. Wewantsounds presents the release of Tokyo Funk Diva, a compilation highlighting the work of Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama, one of Japan's leading funk voices of the 1980s. Blending funk, boogie and soulful grooves, Penny brought a distinctive energy to Japan's music scene during the decade. Compiled by Nick Luscombe -- who previously curated Tokyo Dreaming for the label -- the set marks the first time Hitomi's music has been compiled outside of Japan. Featuring newly remastered tracks and liner notes by Luscombe, the release offers fresh context to Penny's work and its role in the evolution of Japanese funk and groove culture. Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama was one of the few female singers to fully embrace Japan's burgeoning funk and boogie movement of the 1980s. Born in Okinawa in 1957 and raised partly in California, she developed a cosmopolitan outlook that would shape her music. At a time when the country's pop scene was shifting toward slick, funk-oriented productions, Penny crafted a distinctive style that fused boogie, disco, and funk with her confident, soulful delivery. Her albums for Nippon Columbia recorded in the '80s capture this vibrant moment, combining sophisticated studio craft with the pulse of Tokyo's nightlife. The selection includes cult classics such as "Sexy Robot," "Love is the Competition," and "Instant Polaroid," with lesser-known gems such as "Exotic Yokogao" and "I Love You Shika Omoitsukanai." Together they showcase the singer's versatility, moving effortlessly between syncopated upbeat floorfillers and chilled mid-tempo grooves. While her music earned recognition at home, these releases were never widely available outside Japan and slowly became prized finds among DJs and collectors. Tokyo Funk Diva presents highlights from this catalogue for the first time in an international release. Compiled by broadcaster and tastemaker Nick Luscombe, the selection has been newly remastered and comes with Luscombe's liner notes, retracing Penny's career and her role in the evolution of Japanese boogie and disco. As he writes in the liner notes, "It's this deep musical craftsmanship -- both in the songwriting and performances -- that gives Penny Tohyama's work its lasting power. Her music feels as fresh and relevant today as it did when it was first released." With its mix of sharp production, irresistible rhythms, and Penny's unmistakable presence, Tokyo Funk Diva serves both as a long overdue introduction to one of Japan's original funk queens.

LP version. "For the first time in more than fifteen years, the debut album Way Their Crept by Grouper is being made available, reissued in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the original release. The first in a series of ineffable solo albums and collaborations that have come since, these are the initial sounds widely shared by the artist on a long journey of explorations that continue to this day."

"This is ambient music that refuses to simply wash over the listener; it's a riptide dragging you under." --The New Yorker

"The chain reaction these songs generate together produces enough fog and smoke to keep the spell going strong -- and to keep whatever secret she's trying to tell us just on the other side of the speakers." --Pitchfork

"Each track sounds, in the best possible way, like it was never meant to be heard outside of the room in which it was recorded." --New York Times

LP version. "Another Perfect Day is Bill Orcutt's first solo electric guitar record since 2017's eponymous Bill Orcutt. While that eight-year gap might not seem like a ton of time on the cosmic scale, it nonetheless represents a busy half-decade plus for Orcutt projects: a raft of improv collaborations, an acclaimed run of chopped and looped albums on Fake Estates, and the collision of Orcutt's computer and guitar music on Music For Four Guitars and How to Rescue Things, both on Palilalia. The undeniable alchemy of those latter mashups inspired not only a wider appreciation of Orcutt-as-composer, but also the resurrection of Orcutt-as-bandleader, as the Bill Orcutt Quartet hit the road in support of Four Guitars, Orcutt's first work with a proper score (courtesy of Shane Parrish). Here, he is wielding his trademark four-string rather than a mouse, running the neck rather than shuffling waveforms, blasting through Cafe Oto's tattered Fender Twin (the cover model for the aforementioned How to Rescue Things) rather than a pair of ancient NS-10s. Indeed, this 2023 performance at Oto, East London's finest music establishment, boomerangs back into the slashing chords and frenzied double- picking of the Harry Pussy years, tossing the gentler melodic glow of the last few solo records into the dustbin. In other words, this may be Orcutt's most overtly punk-rockist record since Gerty Loves Pussy, his first solo electric LP from a decade ago. It's an affirmation that Orcutt is above all a lead player -- angular runs scaling the heavens, ricocheting back to ground zero before climbing again. Orcutt builds tension with short phrases, repeated with slight variability until it seems like they'll never stop, finally slamming into a fresh line like the dawning valley at the crest of the mountain pass. Another Perfect Day is, ultimately, something of a solo guitar Nouveau Roman, an exhilarating run through melodic reiteration, impossible crescendos breaking into -- a moment rarely found on an Orcutt record -- soft, whisper-quiet tracer notes at the end of 'A Natural Death.' Another Perfect Day returns Orcutt to the immediacy of his earliest records while maintaining the melodic complexity, phrasing, and flow of a player, who's been going, what -- four-plus decades now? And when he taps his roots, it's a reminder of exactly what was so exciting about Orcutt's playing in the first place." --Tom Carter

Double LP version. "Difficult as it may be to imagine, there was a time when Sun City Girls did not exist. Prior to the Bishop brothers teaming up with drummer/shaman Charlie Gocher to form SCG's classic trio lineup, there were various ad-hoc assemblages of local Phoenix-area freaks and weirdos -- groups which existed only long enough to play a single gig, open mic or house party before disbanding without a trace. Hatched from this milieu was Paris 1942, a short-lived band formed by guitarist Jesse Srogoncik that included Alan Bishop, Richard Bishop, and former Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker. Paris 1942 would play only four shows in as many months, but between April and August of 1982, the band would gather several times a week in Tucker's living room, where the group feverishly wrote and rehearsed with a kind of quotidian discipline. While P42 didn't release anything during their brief tenure, a 7" EP and LP (both self-titled) surreptitiously surfaced on the Majora label in the mid to late '90s. Until now, those two titles -- as well as an appearance on Placebo's Amuck comp in late '82 -- would be the only documented evidence that this improbable, serendipitous and magnificent band ever existed. While those expecting P42's music to sound like a tantalizing combination of Sun City Girls' iconoclastic hoodoo havoc and the Velvets' primal drug-chug certainly won't be disappointed, Paris 1942 more often than not transcends even these nearly impossible expectations. Srogoncik's songs, in particular, are a revelation, displaying as much in common with the exuberant raunch of The Gun Club and the chapbook punk of Peter Laughner as they do any of the more obvious touchstones."

Wewantsounds reissues French pop icon Brigitte Fontaine's landmark 1968 album Brigitte Fontaine Est Folle, originally released on the cult label Saravah and arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier. This special, approved by the artist, features the original album, newly remastered from the original tapes, along with demos, instrumentals, and a live rendition of "Il Pleut" recorded for France Inter/ORTF. The release also includes a 20-page bilingual booklet with introductions by journalist Jeremy Allen and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier, essays by Brigitte Fontaine's biographer Benoît Mouchart and Benjamin Barouh, plus full lyrics and rare archival photos. Brigitte Fontaine needs no introduction. An inspiring figure in French music since the 1960s, she has long been revered by a wide array of musicians -- from Stereolab to Sonic Youth, Beck, and Jarvis Cocker. Originally released in 1968 on Pierre Barouh's cult Saravah label, Brigitte Fontaine Est Folle shattered conventions. Fusing Fontaine's lyrical brilliance -- tackling themes like death, social revolt, and female desire -- with Vannier's lush, funky arrangements, the pair created a work that was ahead of its time. The release offers a selection of rare and previously unreleased recordings, including demos -- recently unearthed by the album's composer, Olivier Bloch-Lainé -- instrumentals showcasing Vannier's skills, and a groundbreaking 1969 live rendition of "Il Pleut" recorded for France Inter/ORTF. This version features Malachi Favors on bass, forming a direct link to her next LP, Comme à la Radio, recorded with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Rebellious, witty and timeless, Brigitte Fontaine Est Folle is a landmark work by an artist who not only redefined French pop but also expanded its boundaries on the international scene. This deluxe edition stands as a vital document of her enduring legacy and one of the most original voices in modern music.

Limited 2025 restock. Disco divas, funky queens, and glam ladies in '70s and early '80s Taiwan! Due to its extremely complex history, Taiwan in the '70s saw the creation of some incredibly special music in which the sounds being created at the moment from the west collided with the special sensitivity of Taiwanese musicians, creating a delicious mixture you'll need to hear to believe. Taiwan Disco shines a light on the music created by Taiwanese women during those years ('70s and early '80s) to present a mind-blowing collection of songs with sounds ranging from wild funk to apace glam, exotic disco or fuzzed-out soul. Here's the ticket to some crazy Taiwan nights, get those dancing shoes ready, it's time to shake it! Features Wu Xiu Zhu (吳秀珠), Hua Yi Bao (華怡保), Cui Tai Jing (崔台青), Zou Juan Juan (邹娟娟), Chen Lan Li (陳蘭麗), Wang Xiang Ling (王祥齡), Tian Lu Lu (田路路), Liu Guan Lin (劉冠霖), Wu Xiu Zhu (吳秀珠), Luo Yan Li (駱豔麗), Yu San Shan (于三珊), and Zhang Bei Xin (張蓓心).

In 2025, Finnish musician and composer Jimi Tenor celebrated his 60th birthday. He couldn't have imagined a better place to do so than on stage, and so Tenor came to Hamburg with his band in March, not only to celebrate his personal anniversary, but also to record new music. Partly with Hamburg producer Tobias Levin at his Electric Avenue Studio, and partly at Lauri Kallio's Kiikala Center of the Universe Studio Complex, Selenites, Selenites! -- the first album by the Jimi Tenor Band -- was recorded in spring 2025. Tenor can now look back on numerous collaborations, including with Tony Allen, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Kabukabu and Freestyle Man. The band, consisting of Eeti Nieminen, Heikki Tuhkanen, Ekow Alabi Savage, Lauri Kallio and Jimi Tenor, has played numerous club and festival gigs together, but had not yet released an album up till now. Recording for the band's debut began at Lauri Kallio's studio in Kiikala, Finland -- an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere that has been converted into a recording studio aptly named Kiikala Center of the Universe Studio Complex. While the band was recording, Lauri's parents cooked for them using ingredients from the Finnish forest: chanterelle mushrooms and moose meat. After two initial sessions, the recordings were sent to Bureau B in Hamburg, who invited the band to join Tobias Levin at his Electric Avenue Studio for another session lasting several days. As the band had already tried out and internalized most of the songs through live performances, the recordings went smoothly and often required only a single take. This quickly resulted in the eight songs that now make up Selenites, Selenites! As so often in the world of Jimi Tenor, it's about space, dimensions and -- of course -- love, conveyed in that energetic and captivating way that makes it impossible to resist this music. Also featured on the track "Shine All Night" is Tenor's second collaboration with Florence Adooni, the queen of Ghanaian frafra gospel. Selenites, Selenites! is an impressive debut that showcases a group of virtuoso musicians in absolute joy of playing and exploring new sonic connections. This is not just any Afro-jazz album, but an extraordinary journey into a raw and unadulterated sound, as if you were standing right in front of the stage while listening to the record.

2025 reprint. Double LP version. Black vinyl. Since they formed in 2004, Danish instrumental four-piece Causa Sui has become a much-revered act on the fertile European psych scene. The soil planted in festivals like Roadburn, Roskilde, Burg Herzberg, has been harvested with praise by Uncut, Julian Cope, and Mojo, as well as growing a dedicated fanbase -- paying top Euros for a first edition vinyl of any of the band's seven past LPs. Many psych and stoner-rock bands aim for the perfect imitation of that vintage heavy psych sound circa 1970, but Causa Sui have forged their own distinct path. Causa Sui draws on a larger pool than the usual derived exploration of Sabbath riffs and clichéd Krautrock jamming. Collaborations include members of Tortoise and Chicago Underground Collective (under the name Chicago Odense Ensemble) and Sunburned Hand Of The Man (released as Pewt'r Sessions,) and the band always adds untraditional flavors, past and present, into their seething experimental sound. Causa Sui has been described as "the sound of a giant wave rolling up through the last four decades of rock," which is truer than ever for their most ambitious album to date, Euporie Tide. Yes, the heavy riffs are certainly here, but it's apparent that it does not tread the waters of retro rock. There's a different depth here. Whereas previous albums were brewed with spontaneity, and flickers of complete improv, Euporie Tide was meticulously perfected over years of work. Opening track "Homage" pays tribute to the early/mid-1990s American grunge and stoner-rock bands the band grew up with. From that point of departure, Causa Sui goes on to weave a rich and complex textile, with threads coming from early 1970s electric jazz, post-rock, exotica, heavy rock, raga, and all kinds of psychedelia. Whether the band goes for straight-up rock or ventures into freeform territory, there's always that certain warmth and atmosphere present, which is so characteristic for Causa Sui. When one reaches the multigenre-influenced grooves on the album's D-side, it's obvious that the band has arrived at something that is very relevant in the present day. The album was recorded and produced by Jonas Munk, crafting a sound that is simultaneously naturalistic in approach, yet strangely detailed. The album was mastered in a way as to maintain the full dynamic range of the recordings.

Restocked; remastered from the original tapes, Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur with guest musicians including Azymuth, Ivan Lins, and a nine-piece string section. The highly anticipated follow up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to create a modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was. In the mid-2000's, following on from Marcos Valle, Joyce, and of course Azymuth, Arthur Verocai joined the long-line of Brazilian musicians whose music was to be introduced to a whole new legion of fans by Far Out. The story of Encore of course begins with Joe Davis, Far Out's head honcho who stumbled upon Arthur's debut in a dusty record store in downtown Rio in the late '80s. At the time of its release in 1972 critics panned Arthur's debut and both the album and artist subsequently vanished into obscurity. Fast forward to winter 2004 and Joe's at the studio of Far Out Recording artists Harmonic 313 -- aka production duo Mark 'Troubleman' Pritchard and Dave Brinkworth -- playing them some of his favorite Brazilian albums. Three months later and Dave was in Brazil with Arthur Verocai, and the plans for what was to become Encore were being laid down. Produced by Dave, Encore sees Arthur on incredible form, the 35 plus years between the recording of his debut and this the follow-up just melting away as Arthur picked up the (conductor's) baton once again to create 11 epic tracks of stirring samba-soul and experimental cinematic movements that sees him creating a record to rival his debut. Born in Rio de Janeiro on 17 June 1945, Arthur Verocai began his professional music career in 1969 and over the next few years he was responsible for the orchestration of albums by Ivan Lins, Jorge Benjor, Elizeth Cardoso, Gal Costa, Quarteto em Cy, MPB 4, and Marcos Valle, among others. In 1972, following the success Arthur had with the production of Ivan Lins 1971 album Agora, Arthur recorded his self-titled debut album on Continental Records. Arthur Verocai challenged the musical conventions of the day, combining Brazilian influences with folksy soul and lo-fi electronic experimentations of American artists like Shuggie Otis or the orchestration of producer Charles Stepney.