FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER UPDATE
NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK OF 03/21/2011
order from our NEW! beta site and receive 10% off your first order:
http://beta.forcedexposure.com
you can also click on cover art or album info to order online
from our old site http://www.forcedexposure.com
a secure order form is available for credit card purchases.
we also accept orders via FAX at 781 321 0321.
and via mail:
FORCED EXPOSURE / 219 Medford Street / Malden, MA 02148 / USA
for more information about shipping or ordering
please refer to our FAQ: http://www.forcedexposure.com/faq.html
direct any questions to mailorder@forcedexposure.com
A-MUSIK (GERMANY)
LITHOPS: Formationen LP (A 035LP) 26.00
“The A-Musik label is back with a very special release by Jan Werner, who has been an important artist on the label since 1995. Its first release back then was the debut LP by Microstoria, Werner’s collaboration with Oval’s Markus Popp that became a milestone in the history of experimental electronica. The sources for Formationen are early solo recordings by Werner, which he produced with synthesizers and tapes in 1992 and 1993, during his collaborations with F.X.Randomiz and his first experiments with Andi Thoma that would be released a bit later under the alias Mouse on Mars. Werner found those early tapes a while ago, remastered and carefully re-worked them, and the result is four stunning pieces of beautiful electronic music. Formationen closes a gap in the oeuvre of Jan Werner and helps understand the impressive work of one of the key figures of 1990s/2000s electronica. Essential and highly recommended. Vinyl only, strictly limited to 300 copies.”
ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
HAINO, KEIJI: Abandon All Words At A Stroke, So That Prayer Can Come Spill 2CD (ALIEN 027CD) 20.00
2011 repress. “We are very pleased to announce two new recordings by Keiji Haino, focusing on hurdy-gurdy and wave drum. Continuing in the vein of our previous release with Haino (the 66 minute drone So, Black is Myself ) this double CD remains very dark and very ambient for the most part. Each disc features one long piece using one of the two different instruments and each is individually titled. The main title as well as the individual track titles perhaps give the best insight into the mind of this enigmatic performer and the message he is trying to convey. Keiji Haino is easily one of the most exciting live performers of our time, exuding a passion and an intensity rarely matched. Disc 1 is a solo piece for hurdy-gurdy and is an absolute gem. It is among the most gentle and beautiful pieces of work we have been graced with by His Darkness. At times comparable with elements of the Affection recording that came out PSF in the early nineties and like disc two recalls the work of Nijiumu, another project of Haino. Disc 2 starts off really quiet with metallic resonation, slices of treated voice fragments and loops of feedback. It continues with rattling and bursts of vocal shrieks, with periods of absolute silence shattered by jarring belches of sound. Out in anyone’s Keiji Haino collection. This is certainly one of Keiji Haino’s most psychedelic sounding solo releases, at times reminiscent of early works by Amon Duul’s Psychedelic Underground and Experimante recordings and at times it recalls some of the work by pioneering psychedelic ensembles from Japan such as Kawabata Mokoto’s Acid Mothers Temple, East Bionic Symphonia and Taj Mahal Travellers.”
HECKER, TIM: Mirages CD (ALIEN 047CD) 13.00
2011 repress. “Tim Hecker’s latest full length, Mirages, is a lesson of darkness, a midnight whisper revealing its true essence to the listener: an ambient-death-metal classic in waiting. Taking inspiration from Italian partigiani and the counter attack of the anti-Vichyists, Hecker has issued a salvo against all tourists of melancholy; from trustafarian pseudo-leftists to the Ikea nihilists of the boboist rive droite. While some artists seem eager to explore new age or ‘organic’ solutions to electronic music, Hecker solves the Rubik’s cube and penetrates the liquid magma, revealing the truths of dirty sodium light pollution, love on the rocks, and tooth hunting in the garden of evil. With its motifs of eroticism and torture, militancy, and ecstatic pain, Mirages also points backwards towards the Viking penchant for fighting and feasting. Don’t be mistaken by insufficient musical descriptors: it is also surprisingly tender, like the fresh skin of a new lover. Indeed, Hecker demonstrates a penchant for the romantic by drawing in a den of noteworthy interlocutors into this work, including fellow Montréalers le Fly Pan Am, Christof Migone, David Bryant, as well as his Australian compatriot Oren Ambarchi.”
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE: Starless and Bible Black Sabbath CD (ALIEN 062CD) 15.00
2011 repress. “While this album is certainly a tribute record it doesn’t consist of straight-up Sabbath worship in the simple sense of covers. The band sounds as if they are simultaneously paying respect to other Sabbath-influenced projects such as Melvins or Zeni Geva, the later being the former home of Tabata, one of the Temple’s latest recruits. Starless and Bible Black Sabbath consists of two tracks, the first being an epic thirty four minute blowout titled ‘Lady from Hell.’ The opening cut begins in a similar fashion to Black Sabbath’s eponymous open albeit much less dramatic. The second track relates more to the band’s obsession with Kraut rock, sounding like the more pop-oriented period of Hawkwind.”
AMISH RECORDS
METAL MOUNTAINS: Golden Trees CD (AMI 042CD) 14.00
“…out of the ancient ruins of The Tower Recordings has now finally risen a stealth Metal Mountains! It features Helen Rush, Pat Gubler (Mr. PG Six) and Samara Lubelski, all former Tower soldiers, and some may say the very key ones. There’s a sort of haunted architecture to Metal Mountains, they morph 1960s electric and psychedelic folk rock, the right VU influence, spatial excursions, and whispery dreams into a unique whole. It is a carefully crafted album that is real and intimate, yet has the air of ease and playfulness about it. It is confident in its frailty, if that makes any sense to you. Did I say it is perfectly sequenced? Y’know, that’s the kind of thing a reviewer needs to mention if he wants to be taken at all seriously.” — Jesper Eklow/November 2010
AREA REMOTE (NETHERLANDS)
SYROSSIAN, DARIUS: Stay Up Dancing, Get In Monday 12″ (AREA 028EP) 12.00
Area Remote welcomes producer, label boss, radio host and international DJ Darius Syrossian. Often seen driving the clubbing crowds wild alongside the DJ likes of Joris Voorn, Tiefschwarz, Timo Maas and Radio Slave, the label is happy he’s found time in his hectic schedule to join the Area Remote crew. Warning: these tracks have already been club floor tested and now everyone’s pushing hard for their release — so, believe the hype! Includes a remix by 2000 And One & Lauhaus.
ATLANTIC
PIKE, DAVE: Jazz For The Jet Set LP (ATL 1457LP) 11.50
Dave Pike’s debut for Atlantic, originally released in 1966. Featuring Herbie Hancock on organ, as well as Bob Cranshaw (bass), Bruno Carr (drums) and Billy Butler (guitar) accompany Pike’s marimba playing with arresting rhythms and fluid solos. Exact repro reissue, manufactured by Rhino.
WESLEY AND THE HORNY HORNS FEAT. MACEO PARKER, FRED: Say Blow To Blow Backwards LP (SD 19254LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue. “Released in 1979, Say Blow by Blow Backwards is the second of two albums that Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns (which employed Maceo Parker on tenor and alto sax) recorded for Atlantic in the late 1970s. Wesley produced this album with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins and it comes as no surprise that ‘We Came to Funk Ya’ and shadowy ‘Half a Man’ are straight-up p-funk. But some of the time Say Blow by Blow Backwards doesn’t sound all that much like a Parliament or Funkadelic project. Wesley’s appreciation of jazz comes through on the instrumentals ‘Mr. Melody Man,’ ‘Just Like You,’ and ‘Circular Motion.'” –All Music Guide
ATLAS (UK)
BLAKE, JAMES: The Wilhelm Scream 12″ (ATLAS 003T-EP) 13.00
Tracks on this release are “The Wilhelm Scream,” from his debut album, plus two tracks exclusive to this 12″: “What Was It You Said About Luck” and “Half Heat Full (Old Circular).””A stunning hybrid of sparse electronics…and his devastating voice. He’s a master of solitude, befitting indeed of a man who currently exists in a class of one.” – NME.
AUDIOMATIQUE (GERMANY)
VAN DONGEN, PIET: Vulcanic Ass 12″ (AM 043EP) 12.00
Dutch producer Piet van Dongen arrives back on Audiomatique with his tough, refined and urgent electronic stylings. “Vulcanic Ass” gets straight to the point with a gyrating, cyclic attitude that cannot be ignored. Bouncing bass, sharp drums and an anthemic, pitching synth theme provide a blissful yet party-assured climax! Audiofly hand in a dynamic remix that fuses live drum loops with drier moments than the original. Carefully engineered and executed, it’s a modern incarnation of the duo’s earlier tech-house sound.
BLACKEST RAINBOW RECORDS (UK)
CARTER, CHRISTINA: Texas Blues Working 2LP (BRR 056LP) 31.00
“Quite simply one of my all time favorite releases on Blackest Rainbow from one of this generation’s most amazing artists gets the upgrade from cassette to double vinyl LP, featuring the original six tracks from the original release, along with an additional brand new amazing track. The original edition on tape received some fantastic reviews, so it’s great to finally have this out on vinyl, as it really is a superb recording, which came out around one of Christina’s most amazingly active recording periods, self releasing fantastic discs like Masque Femine, Two Nights Film and A Blossom Fell as well as Kranky releasing Original Darkness in 2008. Texas Blues Working features six tracks of stunningly haunting guitar and vocals, creating an immensely deep and emotional listening experience. The previously unreleased track, the sublime 21 minute ‘Ladyfriend’, is another example of Christina’s incredible voice and guitar playing. Her voice is just unreal, so deeply emotional and mournful it gives you goose bumps. Pressed on heavyweight virgin vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve featuring a series of black and white photographs by Joe Blanchard.”
PADANG FOOD TIGERS: Born Music LP (BRR 196LP) 19.00
“Originally released on Blackest Rainbow in Autumn 2010 in an edition of only 100 copies, the vinyl edition of Padang Food Tiger’s debut full length LP sold out instantly. This second edition is pressed on 140g virgin vinyl with pro-printed cover art in an edition of only 250 copies… Memories playing tricks: oh, the gauzy hallucinogens of nostalgia are sloughing off fresh fictions throughout this deeply passionate instrumental collection. Padang Food Tigers attempt to resurrect half-remembered dreams on their debut long player, Born Music, by hybridizing improvisational tactics with the trappings of traditional tropes. Influenced by artists such as Scott Tuma, Taku Sugimoto, Loren Connors, Bruce Langhorne Boxhead Ensemble and Tetuzi Akiyama, the group’s two members (Stephen Lewis and Spencer Grady) seek to capture the potency of moment, free from all artifice and studied consciousness, enveloped in the player’s close fraternal bond. The duration and form of tracks — brimming with banjo, guitar, piano, music boxes and fragments of history — are dictated by emotional weight, by intuition, not expectation. Born Music (a gesture to the dried river that flows at the back of Lewis’ home in South London and to the instinctive nature of the sounds contained within) is the duo’s follow-up to their Go Down, Moses EP, which was released on Under The Spire.”
NACKT INSECTEN: Reality Bridge LP (BRR 211LP) 19.00
“Second full length LP from Scotland/New York weirdo Ruaraidh Sanachan, who also is the guitar shredder in Moon Unit and runs one of the best tape labels in the UK, Sick Head. Reality Bridge’s four tracks of psyche-out futuristic electric haze are a step up from Sanachan’s previous full length LP, Quantum Odyssey we released almost two years ago. Reality Bridge is one hell of a record, pulling together kosmische synth, guitar wailing, sci-fi insanity and b-movie bliss outs. The record is housed in a pro-printed sleeve featuring new insane artwork by Ruaraidh featuring a super degraded repeated self portrait with synth in space. The artwork is definitely up there with the now classic ‘Quantum Odyssey’ cover. Pressed on virgin vinyl.”
NATURAL SNOW BUILDINGS: Waves of the Random Sea CD (BRR 216CD) 13.00
“Stunning new album from Natural Snow Buildings, the collaborative project between Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte, the minds behind Twinsistermoon and Isengrind respectively. This new epic from the French duo is their first physical release since 2009’s well received Shadow Kingdom, also issued by us here at Blackest Rainbow, and it follows on from 2010’s download only The Centauri Agent and both Twinsistermoon and Isengrind full length LPs. So 2010 has been a relatively quiet year for Natural Snow Buildings in comparison to 2008 and 2009. Mehdi and Solange have been working on Waves of the Random Sea for us for quite some time, both in terms of art and audio, and it really has come together beautifully. Solange has created a truly stunning series of artworks that spread across the 4 panels of the sleeve, and the music is a gorgeous tapestry of dreamy drone blurred with their enchanting ethereal folk balladry. This release continues to show how important every aspect of a Natural Snow Buildings release means to them, I was blown away by the standard of the music and artwork. The CD edition has several tracks that are slightly edited down from the version on the vinyl edition, and one track that does not appear on the CD, but the CD does include a very short bonus track not on the vinyl edition. Packaged in a gatefold style card sleeve with the CD held in a moon shape cut on the inside.”
BLUE NOTE
HUTCHERSON, BOBBY: Dialogue LP (BLP 4198LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue of the 1965 debut from jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. “Coming fresh on the heels of his groundbreaking work with Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson’s debut album is a masterpiece of ‘new thing’ avant-garde jazz, not really free but way beyond standard hard bop. Dialogue boasts an all-star lineup of hot young post-boppers — trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, woodwind player Sam Rivers, pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Joe Chambers — and a set of imaginative compositions by either Hill or Chambers that frequently push the ensemble into uncharted territory.” –All Music Guide
BOKA (UK)
JAYGLO: Wiseau Funk/Glo Worm 12″ (BOK 034EP) 11.50
“Jayglo strikes hard with his debut release for Boka Records. Most of you may know Vista, well Jayglo is his alter-ego as an output for his funk-laden dubstep beats, think Joker rucking with Herbie Hancock!”
BRUNSWICK
ACKLIN, BARBARA: Love Makes A Woman LP (BL 754137LP) 11.50
Exact repro of soul and R&B songstress Barbara Acklin’s 1968 debut. The title track, her biggest pop hit, was cowritten with producers Carl Davis and Eugene Record, and arranged by Chicago soul producer William Sanders.
ACKLIN, BARBARA: I Did It LP (BL 754166LP) 11.50
Exact repro of Barbara Acklin’s 1970 album. Funky blues, ballads and swinging R&B on songs like “I Can’t Do My Thing,” “The Spinning Wheel,” “After You” and “More Ways Than One.” Five songs with legendary Detroit soul arranger Sonny Sanders.
BURIAL MIX (GERMANY)
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: Never Tell You 10″ (BM 001EP) 10.00
2011 repress. This first 10″ (in a series of 13) was originally released in 1996. Burial Mix is the crucial Berlin mystery label, coming out of the Basic Channel axis. The production team of Rhythm & Sound is Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald (Maurizio). Their first releases were these 10″s. The style is deep dub, more JA/traditional sounding perhaps than the Basic Channel or Maurizio label releases, but still laden with the trademark lo-fi clips, hiss and gloriously repetitive grime that is so beautifully appealing about every release unearthed from this scene. The first 5 singles feature the vocal toastings provided via the man previously known as Tikiman (now = Paul St. Hilaire), with an instrumental version on the flip. All are essential.
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: Spend Some Time 10″ (BM 002EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 1996. “Second installment of arguably the oddest project involving Basic Channel. By taking techno deep into the mine shafts of dub, they’ve created an eerie, full-circle variant of the latter. A cauterized, dreadnaught bassline and steady hi-hats propel Tikiman’s fragmented vocals on ‘Spend Some Time.’ What’s odd about this number is how you’re drawn into the music and effects, but unlike a lot of dub plates, there aren’t any friendly reminders of melody. You’re left with only the purposeful, unchanging rhythm.” –DS/Reverb
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: Ruff Way 10″ (BM 003EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 1997. Third 10″ in the series. “Continuity in the groove and the sound sphere is provided with this release, shifting the focus more on the song. A dub version is included on the b-side.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: What A Mistry 10″ (BM 004EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 1997. The 4th Rhythm & Sound 10″ on Burial Mix. “Again continuity in the groove and the sound sphere is provided with this release. A dub version is included on the b-side.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: Why 10″ (BM 005EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 1997. The 5th Rhythm & Sound 10″ on Burial Mix. “Vocals by Tikiman and a version on the flipside. Famous deep dub techno house from Berlin.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ CORNEL CAMPBELL: King In My Empire 10″ (BM 006EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released 2001. “Rhythm & Sound returns after almost two years with the sixth 10 inch release for the label imprint Burial Mix. ‘King In My Empire’ is a fine combination of dub and roots reggae with the Jamaican singer legend Cornel Campbell, who started his career in the very early ’60s at Studio One. Other releases of Cornel Campbell include the classic I Shall Not Remove 1975-80 retrospective, released in 2000 for Blood & Fire Records.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ PAUL ST. HILAIRE: Jah Rule 10″ (BM 007EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2001. “Burial Mix strikes back — three years after the release of BM 005 (‘Why’) Rhythm & Sound team up again with vocalist Tikiman. The latest release comes with blissed out, addictive dub grooves that keep on rolling and rolling into your hearts. Once again, the incredible Tikiman is giving the record enormous spiritual depth with his unique voice.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ SHALOM: We Been Troddin 10″ (BM 008EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2002. “This time, Rhythm & Sound are accompanied by reggae vocalist Shalom aka Stephen Harper, who has collaborated several times with no other than Sugar Minott on his famous Youth Promotion Label.” One of the most truly epic releases in the series, perfect rhythm.
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ THE CHOSEN BROTHERS: Making History 10″ (BM 009EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2002. “This time the Berlin Rhythm & Sound crew comes up with quieter tones on the Burial Mix-10 ‘Making History.’ With vocals by the Chosen Brothers who are nobody else than Lloyd Barnes aka Bullwackies himself, ‘Making History’ presents itself as a mellow-electronic dubtrack in best Jamaican as well as in best Rhythm & Sound tradition which is complemented by the ‘History Version’ on the flipside.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ LOVE JOY: Best Friend 10″ (BM 010EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2002. “With this collaboration, Rhythm & Sound deepens its articulation of the Bullwackies legacy. Over an edgy, stepping rhythm Claudette Brown of the Love Joys is pitched between reserve and recrimination, desolation and resilience. A key Rhythm & Sound release; a killer record.”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ JENNIFER LARA: Queen In My Empire 10″ (BM 011EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2003. “This is the female answer version to BM 06 (R&S w/ Colonel Campbell). Veteran Studio 1 singer Jennifer Lara changes the mood of the original tune while R&S are providing an updated riddim. Another huge release for the Burial Mix label!”
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ THE CHOSEN BROTHERS: Mash Down Babylon 10″ (BM 012EP) 10.00
2011 repress, originally released in 2003. The 12th 10″ version in this spectacular series. With the usual versioning on side B.
RHYTHM & SOUND W/ JAH BATTA: Music Hit You 10″ (BM 013EP) 10.00
2011 repress. 13th release in the series, with Jah Batta on vocals, released in 2003. “Since the early ’90s, with projects b/w on labels like Basic Channel, Maurizio (M Series) or Main Street Records, Berlin based producer team Rhythm & Sound (Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald) have originated a style between electronic club music and dub/reggae long before it became a genre of its own and have since inspired and influenced several generations of producers.”
BUTTERZ (UK)
S-X: Woooo Riddim/Woooo Riddim DJ Q Mix 10″ (BRW 10002EP) 9.50
S-X’s ubiquitous “Woooo Riddim” has been one of the most exposed grime tracks and now sees a vinyl release as the second plate on the Butterz White Label series. Taking its influence from Dirty South hip-hop, “Woooo Riddim” leans on a stern 808 drum-roll accompanied by hypnotic synth-lines that compliment the laid-back feeling of the track, which has been supported heavily by Mistajam, Kode9, and Benji B. DJ Q is on remix duty, delivering a somewhat dramatic interpretation. Purple vinyl.
CAPITOL
GANDALF: Gandalf LP (ST 121HLP) 14.00
180 gram exact repro reissue of the self-titled debut from this classic major label psych band, originally released in 1967. Dreamy Hammond organ, vibraphone and electric sitar grace singer/guitarist Peter Sando’s originals, as well as covers of Tim Hardin, Gary Bonner/Alan Gordon and Eden Ahbez.
STEVENS, MORTON: Hawaii Five-O: Music From The TV Sound Track LP (ST 410HLP) 14.00
180 gram exact repro reissue. After work as arranger and conductor for Sammy Davis, Jr., Morton Steven composed one of the greatest television theme songs of all time. “No ukeleles or steel guitars or falsetto singers or overused bongos, but a kind of melding of the Polynesian, the classic, the jazz…”
CEMA SPECIAL MARKETS/LIBERTY
CANNED HEAT: The Canned Heat Cook Book (The Best Of Canned Heat) LP (S11 18117LP) 11.50
Compilation of one of the most genuine of the American blues bands. Songs include “Rollin’ And Tumblin’,” “Going Up The Country,” “Time Was,” “Boogie Music,” “On The Road Again” and “Same All Over.”
CIRCUS COMPANY (FRANCE)
JAAR, NICOLAS: Space Is Only Noise LP (CCS 055LP) 21.00
LP version. Four years after his debut EP on Wolf + Lamb, Nicolas Jaar returns to Circus Company with Space Is Only Noise, an uncompromising manifesto on traces of the past, love lost, and spectres of the future. Few are the producers of any age with the guts to ride a sub-100-bpm tempo at peak-time in the techno Mecca of Berlin, and fewer still are those who receive an ecstatic hands-in-the-air response for their precocious efforts. It is precisely this sense of risk which elevates Space Is Only Noise beyond the realm of valiant first effort or crossover dance music oddity. Those looking to wade through the sea of Jaar’s potential influences will quickly find themselves in the deep waters of golden age Factory records, the home-spun digitalism of Mille Plateaux, Endtroducing-era DJ Shadow and Eric Satie. Space Is Only Noise is a tour de force with few modern equals, and a great sign of things to come from one of electronic music’s most exciting producers.
COCOON (GERMANY)
ALICANTE/YOUANDME, ILARIO: Balance/Raw 10″ (CORTEN 008EP) 12.50
The eighth edition of Cocoon Recordings’ 10″ series leads us to Berlin, where Martin Müller and Daniel Stroeter are working under the alias youANDme as DJs, label managers and producers for labels such as Rotary Cocktail, 2020Vision and Compost. “Raw” is the ultimate soundtrack for constantly rising dancefloor noise levels, without ever neglecting the funk. Ilario Alicante’s “Balance” purifies modern house music down to its essence, using a 2-minute break with a central organ theme to keep your synapses tightly clenched.
COULDN’T CARE MORE (GERMANY)
STAREAWAY: Learn How To Love Me 12″ (NT 001EP) 12.00
Debut release for Stareaway, a new project by German “inventor of pop ambient” Markus Guentner with singer Heiko Badje, the man behind saudade-driven pop band La Grande Illusion. The both aerial and profound ambient soundscape of “Learn How To Love Me” increases softly while Heiko Badje’s voice shivers with emotions of entreaty and wanting. It is followed by the sublime deepness of “Unwise” in which Badje’s lyrics about love and temptation dissipate in a vision of pop of atmospheric intensity.
DAKAR
KNIGHT & THE UNIVERSAL LADY, BOOBIE: Earth Creature LP (DK 76913LP) 11.50
Heavy, fuzz guitar-led psych funk, originally released in 1974. “Feeling My Cheerios” opens this second album from funk bandleader Boobie Knight, previously fronting his first band, The Soulcity. Sampled by DJ Shadow on Lesson 4 and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five on “She’s Fresh.”
DAPTONE
BRADLEY, CHARLES: No Time for Dreaming CD (DAP 022CD) 15.50
“Charles Bradley’s voice has evolved from a lifetime of paying dues, having nomadically labored for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska–singing and performing in his spare time–before re-settling in his hometown Brooklyn and eventually finding a musical home at Dunham/Daptone. In his distinctively rough-hewn timbre one hears the unmistakable voice of experience–each note and gruff infection a reflection of his extended, sometimes rocky, personal path. It’s only fitting that No Time For Dreaming’s producer Thomas ‘Tommy TNT’ Brenneck (also a member of The Dap-Kings and The Budos Band) would recognize in Bradley a kindred musical spirit–a singer whose performances exude both raw power and poignant beauty. Recorded at Dunham Studios, and mixed at Daptone Records’ internationally revered ‘House of Soul’ Studios, No Time For Dreaming is the inspired sound of an awakening.”
BRADLEY, CHARLES: No Time for Dreaming LP (DAP 022LP) 16.50
LP version.
DISFIGURED DUBZ (UK)
PHAELEH: Falling 12″ (DISF 012EP) 11.00
“Disfigured Dubz kick off the New Year with this single by Bristolian producer Phaeleh, hot off the back of his debut album Fallen Light. With this offering, he sticks very much to his trademark style. An intricate and ever progressing drum track provides the spine for the thought provoking cloudy atmospheres, glittering melodies and moody chords. He somehow manages to catch a similar vibe to early hardcore and acid house with its feeling of optimism and a new found freedom. Vocal snippets of ‘Life is so crazy ‘ and ‘let you go’ give the track a sense of meaning and compliment the musical elements perfectly. ‘Falling (Kulture Remix)’: On the flipside we have a remix by fellow Disfigured Dubz artist Kulture. He’s obviously picked up on the hardcore vibe and pushed it even further in that direction by adding an amen which automatically makes it sound like a lost hit from the early 90s. Beefing up the bass line and more vocal processing turns the original calm inducing track into an absolute dance floor destroyer but without over complicating it. An interesting insight into how dubstep could be taking dance music full circle.”
DOXY (ITALY)
LITTLE RICHARD: Here’s Little Richard LP+CD (DOK 301LP) 25.00
“Although ‘epic’ is a term much bandied about by music journalists, there are few moments in rock & roll history that truly deserve that label. That said this LP, Little Richard’s debut, is one of them. While it’s true that in many ways Little Richard was continuing in the style of predecessors like Fats Domino, it can also be said that ‘the Georgia Peach’ was the original punk rocker of R&B. He cranked up the volume, caked on the eyeliner, upped the tempo, and pounded the ivories while wailing, ‘tutti frutti, loose booty!’ (although it had to be changed to ‘aw rooty’ for the official recording).” On 180 gram vinyl with a CD of the entire album.
HOLLY, BUDDY: Buddy LP+CD (DOK 303LP) 25.00
“Double feature album collecting two great pieces of rock history: Side A is the 1958 album originally released as Buddy Holly, just a few months after his 1957 debut, The Chirping Crickets. It was also tragically the last album ever to be released during his lifetime (he died in 1959). It featured his hit ‘Peggy Sue,’ plus many of the songs he is best remembered for like, ‘I’m Gonna Love You Too’, ‘Everyday’ and ‘Rave On.’ Side B was actually recorded in 1956 in Nashville, just before Holly became a superstar. Although these sessions were not even recorded a year prior to his debut album, the sound here is very different. It is slower and much more country oriented, showing a Buddy Holly who was still looking for his trademark sound. He hasn’t quite cracked the code, but fans will be interested in hearing what went into the making of a rock & roll legend. Especially interesting are a countrified version of his hit ‘That’ll Be The Day’ and a long lost rock & roll classic, ‘Rock Around With Ollie Vee.'” On 180 gram vinyl with a CD of the entire album.
DRAG CITY
KNAPP, SOPHIA: Nothing To Lose 7″ (DC 456EP) 5.50
“The new single from Cliffie Swan (formerly Lights) guitarist/vocalist Sophia Knapp. Modern melodic vocal/pop star; highly visual, saturated realm of fragments of memories and dreams presented in familiar, warm, pure and straightforward pop music.” On clear vinyl.
BABY DEE: Regifted Light CD (DC 462CD) 13.50
“One of entertainment’s most flamboyant musical artistes of the last decade, Baby Dee is back with a new LP, Regifted Light, on Drag City Records. The album is not merely charming, nor simply enchanting and/or deeply touching — it is also an unusually arrayed album, scattering four vocal performances among eight smartly arranged, classically focused instrumentals, creating quintessential Baby Dee in all her unconventional glory. Baby Dee is an extraordinarily feeling talent on the keyboard, and while she can play anything put before her, her passion is for the concert grand: The Steinway D in particular, or, as she puts it, her ‘Rolls Royce of choice.’ This album was composed on a very special Steinway D that has been living with Dee for the past few years and is as responsible as she is for the dynamic music and sounds of Regifted Light.” Produced by Andrew W.K.!
BABY DEE: Regifted Light LP (DC 462LP) 17.00
LP version.
HIGGINS, GARY: A Dream A While Back CD (DC 464CD) 11.00
“Gary Higgins is back from the time-space continuum with previously unheard moments from his storied past. Way back in 2005, Drag City reintroduced his 1974 psych-folk classic Red Hash to listeners around the world, who were acutely touched by Gary’s carefully-arranged, darkly utopian songs. Since then, Red Hash has been widely recognized as a classic of its time. Fresh from his trip to the present, Gary is back in the past for this EP of songs, all of which were written and recorded circa ’70-’71 , in the same time that the songs that would form Red Hash took shape. The songs reveal the deep strain in Gary’s songwriting: bittersweet but playful, pointed but impressionistic, eerie and insistent. Vocal-and-guitar recordings present the songs humbly, but before long the lyrics and melodic changes are drifting like smoke into the listener’s mind, clouding simplicity with paradox while pointing towards inevitable truth.”
HIGGINS, GARY: A Dream A While Back 12″ (DC 464EP) 12.00
12″ EP version.
DUB POLICE (UK)
KGB: Ghetto Blasta 2010/Hands Up 12″ (DP 049EP) 11.50
“Estonian duo KGB step up for their debut release on Dub Police and they certainly aren’t pulling any punches. The production partnership hit you with two cuts of pure dance floor energy and impact that display their versatility and uncanny knowledge of how to get a crowd going. If you don’t know about KGB, you better get to know, as they are quickly establishing themselves as one of the rising stars in underground dance music. With plenty of tricks up their sleeves, there will be no stopping them in 2011! ‘Ghetto Blaster 2010’ draws upon different elements of underground bass music and melds them together in to something entirely unique and undeniably infectious. Taking the growling midrange bass-weight of dubstep and wiring it to a militant UK Funky drum march, KGB give the track an unstoppable momentum and punishing impact that is impossible to fight against. With an artillery that includes fire like this, it is no wonder they are quickly paving their path to the top. On the flipside, KGB delivers something very different. Pinned down by the tough half-step drum pattern, ‘Hands Up’ is all about the maniacal intertwining bass lines. When this track drops there is no denying its fierce, in-your-face power.”
DUBLINE (ITALY)
TOMBA: Jaws 12″ (DUBLINE 008EP) 11.50
“Dubline presents their latest hot signing from Israel: Tomba (Buygore, Rottun, Basspunch Records). Started together with Borgore and grew up in the metal scene, he is known for his raw party style dancefloor tunes. Ready for some serious demolition work? Slab this piece of vinyl on the turntables and you’ll be ready in no time!”
EARWAX (UK)
I.D. & SKINNZ: The Most High/No Love 12″ (EAR 015EP) 11.50
“Veteran producers I.D. and Skinz (aka Baobinga) pull together two wicked cuts for Earwax. ‘Most High’ takes the dance floor by storm while ‘No Love’ moves in a deeper, darker direction to compliment.”
EDITIONS MEGO (AUSTRIA)
PETERLICKER: NICHT LP (DEMEGO 019LP) 19.50
Here is the highly-anticipated arrival of the debut album release by Austria’s Peterlicker. Despite following on in that terrible tradition of Butthole Surfers and Throbbing Gristle of stupid band names, Peterlicker (newly-reformed after 20 years of inactivity) have, against all odds, come up with a serious slab of modern electronic rock. NICHT comprises five well-crafted selections recorded over the summer of 2010. Having got their previous noise free-fall style out of their system on the limited cassette Last Slave, the forgotten sons of the Viennese underground have stepped, dare we say it, into almost accessible song-like structures. However, this is no lightweight’s wet dream, and still pulls some heavy punches. With the sequenced pulse of “Always Right” sitting tight with the near-poetic “Tunnel 47053,” the real-rock stomper of “CSlide,” and not forgetting the manic psychedelia of “Schleim,” it’s a classic, basically. Members include: F. Hergovich (vocals), P. Rehberg (electronics, edits), C. Schachinger (guitar), G. Weissegger (bass, electronics, edits, production). Recorded, edited and mixed in Wien III, VIII, IX, XI & Korneuburg 04.12.2010. Final Mix in Papoc 01.2011. Cut at Dubplates & Mastering, 2011. Photos: Ingo Pertramer. Layout: Stephen O’Malley (Khanate, Sunn O)))). Limited edition of 500 copies only.
ETHER
FRIEDMAN, RUTHANN: White Dove/Motorcycle Madness 7″ (ETHER 001EP) 5.50
“Ruthann Friedman wrote the early bubble-pop anthem ‘Windy’ for The Association while crashed out on Crosby’s couch, swung with Zappa’s crew, and she almost got that Jefferson Airplane vocalist slot before bitch goddess Grace slunk in. Ruthann’s 1970 LP, Constant Companion is a recording of sublime beauty and abstract folky ruminations which should’ve sent ol’ Joni running to Essra Mohawk and Judee Sill for consolation (and inspiration!) — but sadly recognition was a long time in coming. Friedman’s lone 45, ‘Carry On (Glittering Dancer)’ is another bit of genius, fleshed out by captivating Van Dyke Parks arrangements a la ‘Smile’ or ‘Song Cycle.’ The two tracks on this single aren’t as densely arranged as that, certainly more of a piece with Constant Companion than the Hurried Life demos collection that came out in 2006 on Water. Still, any further recordings from this era should be recognized as a godsend… like these two! The A side, ‘White Dove,’ is Ruthann naked amongst spiraling acoustic beauty, while the B is a rip-snortin’ west-coast style groover that sounds like Moby Grape or Big Brother (or late West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band!) backing one bad-ass biker mama.”
EVENTUELL (GERMANY)
BERRESHEIM, TIM: Studies In Future Blues LP (EVTL 008LP) 32.00
“A good three years after his first solo debut No Time Left on Eventuell, Tim Berresheim presents Studies in Future Blues. The new album shows a different take on experimental music. While No Time Left gave a proof of his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, Studies in Future Blues is pure computer music. The title is programmatic because here Berresheim presents different takes on blues rock, from plunderphonic tracks in the tradition of John Oswald via melancholic treatments a la Caretaker, to abstract micro-assemblies that remind of early computer music like Horacio Vaggione, for example. The six tracks, all entitled ‘Wicked Son,’ are highly entertaining demonstrations of his craftsmanship. Cover art by Tim Berresheim, done in conjunction with the correspondent exhibition earlier this year at the gallery Hammelehle und Ahrens in Cologne.”
FABRIC (UK)
CARTER, DERRICK: Fabric 56 CD (FABRIC 111CD) 17.00
“The inspiration for a legion of DJs, producers and dancers worldwide, Derrick Carter brings his inimitable Chicago house sound to the fabric series. Derrick Carter’s energetic, multi-deck DJ talents have been in demand internationally since the mid-nineties. He has brought his trademark ‘boompty boomp’ sound to countless productions and remixes over the decades. Fabric 56 sees Derrick combine several of his exclusive re-edits with bumping tracks from past, present and future, in his unmistakable, inimitable style.” Artists: Jody “Fingers” Finch, Green Velvet, Dennis Ferrer, Tommy Davis, DJ Spen, Almost September, DJ Sneak, Justin Long, Nick Garcia, Hector Moralez, Scope, Cricco Castelli, Osunlade, Nadirah Shakoor, Iz & Diz, Roger Sanchez, Scrubfish, Olene Kadar, D-Low, Cajmere, 1200 Warriors, Tripmastaz, Piek, Stan Garac, Légo and Abraham Inc.
FAKE DIAMOND RECORDS (DENMARK)
ATOI: Waves Of Past Relations CD (FDR 013CD) 17.00
This is the second full-length album from Atoi from Copenhagen, Denmark. Waves Of Past Relations reaches for threads to hold on to, which turn into funny balls of yarn and colorful sweaters. The music is knit together by four individuals that in assembly create a diverse outcome, played with an ever-changing instrumentation and odd pop melodies. It is fine Scandinavian electronic indie with a touch of northern melancholy — soundscapes and sweet pop melodies that make you drift off to far away shores. The band released their cover of Björk’s “Army Of Me” on her own record Army Of Me – Remixes And Covers and in February 2009, they released their debut album Youth Machine. To accompany the album, a remix EP was released, featuring remixes of different album tracks by renowned producers such as Opiate (Thomas Knak), Kasper Bjørke (Filur) and MhM One (Tartelet Records). Atoi has been a well-known figure in the Danish underground for some time, and the band has played concerts at some of the most recognized venues and festivals in Denmark and was also picked to support the Jenny Wilson tour in Denmark.
FANIA RECORDS
BATAAN, JOE: Subway Joe LP (SLP 345LP) 11.50
Exact repro of this Joe Bataan’s second album, originally released in 1968. Boogaloo, bolero-cha cha and jala jala from New York’s finest Latin soul musician.
COLON, WILLIE: The Hustler LP (SLP 347LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue of this late ’60s recording from a 20-year old Willie Colon, following in the Fania label’s tradition of amazing Latin soul.
FIRE (UK)
FAIR, JAD: Beautiful Songs: The Best Of Jad Fair 3CD (FIRE 138CD) 27.50
“Fire Records brings you a triple CD crammed with over one hundred of the best songs spanning the career of the legendary Jad Fair and his band Half Japanese. Liner notes by Everett True. ‘Jad Fair is the godfather of minimalist monster art rock — a gentleman and a beast,’ says Edwin Pouncey, The Wire. ‘I love him for his boundless enthusiasm and shy genius,’ says Everett True. ‘Maybe it’s wrong to call Jad naïve because he knows what he’s doing, but he has a child-like wonderment that to me is at the core of most great music I can name. The Shaggs, Leadbelly, Jonathan Richman. He makes my feet want to move, and there’s no higher compliment. I’ve seen Jad play concerts with a rolled-up newspaper and upturned wastebasket for rhythm, with just his voice for colour. I’ve also seen Jad play stadiums in precisely the same fashion — with a band behind him, sure, but with the spirit intact — in front of crowds of over 15,000, in support to Nirvana on their final tour.'”
FAIR, JAD: His Name Itself Is Music CD (FIRE 139CD) 16.50
“Jad Fair is by his own admittance a prolific artist. ‘It takes a lot of work, and bands spend way more time in the studio than I do. Most of my albums have taken three or four days to record.’ It comes as no surprise then that whilst releasing Beautiful Songs: The Best Of Jad Fair, an album featuring both Jad’s own material and those created with Half Japanese and boasting over 100 tracks, that Jad can offer yet another contribution, His Name Itself Is Music, to what is already a considerable and esteemed bank of work. His Name Itself Is Music sees Jad continue to embrace his emotive and raw approach to music making. An un-tuned guitar, his voice for beats and his expressive singing wavering in and out of pitch as if momentarily plucked from his generous subconscious.”
SAWYER & THE GHOSTS, MATTHEW: How Snakes Eat CD (FIRE 141CD) 16.50
“Fire are psyched to be releasing Mathew Sawyer’s new album How Snakes Eat. The enigmatic Mathew Sawyer is a man with many facets. He is an internationally respected visual artist, he played drums for the influential post-punk band the Television Personalities, and he is the lead singer and songwriter with his own musical collective, Mathew Sawyer And The Ghosts.”
BARDO POND: Bardo Pond 2LP (FIRE 157LP) 23.50
2LP version. “One night not long ago in the Bardo Compound in Philly, Michael says in a kinda off handed way, ‘Hey man, you wanna hear this? …’ And there I was, being bathed in the songs you’ve got in your grubby little mitts right now. I was, once again, un-prepared. This cauldron is a bit of a different brew. It made total sense to me (as it will to you) when he later told me the name of the LP is just Bardo Pond. Why? It’s a distillation. Two decades of playing together have sandblasted away everything unessential and left us with what we have here. It was like no one else before them had ever gotten near the plagal cadence, not Lou Reed or the Stooges or 2,000 yrs of church music. They invented it all over again, independent of any of that, after gawd knows how many years of nailing away and burning themselves up. I fucking love these songs. And while I hate writing almost as much as I hate third degree burns, I have to say it is a joy to be able to tell you about this record. I feel like Neil Fucking Armstrong. It took years for them to get here, but this record is the most goddamned beautiful thing they’ve ever done. Sorry for the superlatives. But really, the only thing left for them to do at this point is explode.”
SNOWBLINK: Long Live LP (FIRE 159LP) 23.50
LP version. “Snowblink have quickly joined the ranks of some of Canada’s brightest musicians, collaborating and performing alongside Arts & Crafts artists Timber Timbre, The Hidden Cameras, Jason Collette, Broken Social Scene, and Apostle of Hustle, in addition to Owen Pallett, Ron Sexsmith, and others. Their live shows have gained high praise from Toronto’s NOW magazine. Even in its state of pre-release, Snowblink’s Long Live has garnered much acclaim in the US. It was named on several end-of-year best-of lists, including CBC Radio 2, Exclaim magazine, and WNYC. Songs from the record have been recorded live and aired by WNYC, Daytrotter, and CBC Concerts on Demand. The collaborators and guest appearances on the record include Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof), Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver), Nat Baldwin (Dirty Projectors), Frank Lyon (Keepaway), and fellow Fire artist Ryan Driver (The Silt, Deep Dark United).”
FULL PUPP (NORWAY)
PRINS THOMAS: Lang Tung Ting 12″ (FP 031EP) 12.00
Prins Thomas spreads earthy dub house vibes in a good old Bobby Konders tradition with “Lang Tung Ting,” a hard, driving jacker with dry, punching drums and grumbling, low-frequency acidic sounds not modulated by an 808 synth but from warped cello and bassoon lines. Much less sparse, “Ny Maskin” is a dizzying disco/rock jam backed by African beats and a buoyant guitar lick. Prins Thomas proves himself a jack of many trades again.
GAGARIN RECORDS (GERMANY)
VA: Historische Aufnahmen/Historical Recordings Vol.1 LP (GR 2013LP) 33.00
“With almost universal access to the internet and the rise of the online archive it may appear that the entire history of recorded sound is only a few mouse clicks away. However, the 2008 discovery in a Paris archive of a phonautograph recording of ‘Au Clair de Lune’ from 1860 demonstrated that fragile treasures remain to be discovered by the dedicated explorer. Musician, composer and radio producer Felix Kubin has spent the last 5 years investigating, tracking down and collecting a stunning selection of hitherto neglected recordings from archives and private collections. With an eye for the antique curiosity, and an ear for the curious dusty beauty of abandoned transmissions from the past, he is now proud to present this first collection of historical recordings. The recordings presented here offer many and diverse pleasures from the analogue realm. Amongst the jewels offered are chronicles of eccentric machines, alleged occult occurrences on telephone exchanges, drunken whalers, marine plankton, music hall entertainers, Nazi attempts to play proto-synthesizers, uncategorizable oddities, and lost documents by originators of the avant-garde. This deluxe vinyl only edition is presented in lavish packaging including a booklet which contains an essay by Felix Kubin, extensive notes on each track and illustrations.”
GALACTIC ZOO DISK/DRAG CITY
ASKEW, ED: Imperfiction LP (DC 457LP) 15.00
“Anyone who loves ‘outsider’ folk legends from Tom Rapp to Roy Harper or Gary Higgins to Peter Grudzien knows the name of the legendary bard Ed Askew. His 1968 ESP Record Ask the Unicorn is quite simply one of the era’s finest artifacts, full of lilting, prickly, chiming songs of loss, love and escapism — maybe the gay Astral Weeks for the underground. Around the turn of the century, an equally compelling second album surfaced, Little Eyes, where our hero, armed only with tiple (a sort of Latin uke/banjo/guitar), laid out more heartbreaking baroque odes, all recorded in a single continuous take! Recorded for ESP in 1970, it never got past the test pressing stage and was eventually lost, until de Stijil came sniffing some thirty years on. After the 70s things get a bit foggy — the odd radio session, some live performances, a lot of painting — but there were no more proper albums to melt into. There wasn’t an audience really, or more importantly, a label that believed in him. Fortunately in the early 80s, Ed got his hands on a harpsichord and tiple and a simple two-track recorder and laid down some of his tunes he’d been carrying around for years. Released only on cassette in miniscule quantities in 1984, Imperfiction contains the same emotionally raw yet wry observations, in a decidedly no-frills sonic setting. Broken glass on the sidewalk outside, nice boys he meets in bars, and the joyous act of songwriting itself are all fair game for subject matter, giving a unique and intimate self-portrait of a truly gifted songwriter. Imperfiction is now available for the first time on vinyl via Galactic Zoo Disk/Drag City, with vintage photos and liners and sound that will transport fans back to the old days of Askew in all of its seemingly transient glory. Fans of Daniel Johnson, early Jonathan Richman, Smog, Palace Brothers and other lo-fi troubadours would be wise to snatch up this limited pressing — as all other GZDisk/Drag City titles have sold out early and often.”
GEM RECORDS (NETHERLANDS)
TAPIA/STEVE SLIGHT/SECRET CINEMA, RAMON: Pelican EP 12″ (GEM 010EP) 12.00
This 12″ features Ramon Tapia’s own production “Pelican” and “Opal” in collaboration with Secret Cinema. The EP is completed by Belgian golden boy Steve Slight. Tapia’s solo track “Pelican” is a tribal tech-house hammer that will go down a guaranteed killer on the floor. Secret Cinema and Ramon team up to create a euphoric, tech-y piece of work. On this jam, simplicity is its beauty. Steve Slight presents a well-balanced, smooth yet energetic and raw techno track.
GHETTO QUIETLY (IRELAND)
LADY GREW: Bass Bully 12″ (GHT 003EP) 12.00
The third release on Dublin imprint Ghetto Quietly presents the debut EP from New York-grown, Irish-dubbed Lady Grew. A stripped-back four track selection of grinding tribal ragga and bass-rave smeared dancehall à la Warrior Queen vs. The Bug or Dokkebi Q, all oiled down in sleazy 808 sub tones. With Karl Kong (aka Prince Kong) on the beats and Lady Grew on the mic, this is a riotous, sultry affair not to be missed.
GORDY
UNDISPUTED TRUTH, THE: The Undisputed Truth LP (G 955LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1971. “The monster ‘Smiling Faces Sometimes’ has a dead serious beat and some strong comments about people who show their teeth all the time. The tracks, with a couple of exceptions, follow a pattern: Harris sings lead, sounding Jerry Butler-ish, and Joyce and Calvin sweeten the tracks with their sugary, two-part harmonies. On Bob Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ Whitfield experiments with the trio by testing the pop/psychedelic waters, an indication of a new direction for Undisputed Truth.” –All Music Guide
TEMPTATIONS, THE: Psychedelic Shack LP (GS 947LP) 11.50
Exact repro of this 1970 album. “With everything the Temptations released pretty much guaranteed to turn to gold, not to mention platinum for that matter, even their tripped-out forays into sweet ’60s psychedelic experimentation were sure to fire a string of hits. 1970’s Norman Whitfield-produced Psychedelic Shack — while perhaps a system shock to those fans who grooved to the band’s lame-suited, Motown dance-routined R&B classics — was a magnificent stretch into an epic and ultimately emerged as another in a long line of enduring sets.” –All Music Guide
HARMONIA (FINLAND)
PAVAN: Holy Volt LP (HRMN 014LP) 24.00
“You’re about to experience the first long-playing album of Pavan, the originator of Skweee-music. Skweee, also known as the synthetic Scandinavian funk, is a worldwide phenomena hailing originally from the frosty alleys of Stockholm and Helsinki. The raw, unpolished electronic funk tracks of this album were recorded in 2003-2006, when the term itself didn’t yet exist. Now, half a decade later, these rough diamonds finally see the light of day. This magnificent album is sprinkled with analogue synthesizer magic, extraordinaire soundscapes and body rockin’ grooves tight as spandex. But don’t listen to us, judge for yourself. Take a trip through the electro ragga of ‘War’ and ‘Buttons’ and simmer down with the trippy krautness of ‘1000 Years’. In this world overpopulated by soulless throwaway electronic music it’s very rare and touching to hear something as pure and honest as Holy Volt.”
HARMONIC CONVERGENCE
MCPHEE SURVIVAL UNIT III, JOE: Syncronicity CD (HC 001CD) 13.50
“Syncronicity, the second release from Joe McPhee Survival Unit III, documents a fiery performance at Chicago’s Hideout in 2007. This is free improvisation at its finest. The sound is a fluid, sometimes melodic, sometimes noisy dialogue between friends. Synchronicity is three incredible musicians communicating as one conscious expression.””Michael Zerang and Fred Lonberg-Holm are closely identified with the local avant-garde jazz scene and justly known as two of Chicago’s most unpredictable forces in free improvisation. Both Zerang and Lonberg-Holm approach their instruments with total abandon in their searches to develop new techniques and new sonic possibilities. The two have met McPhee in a musical setting before, as part of the Peter Brötzmann Tentet.” –Chicago Weekly Online
EXTRAORDINARY POPULAR DELUSIONS: Apocryphal Fire in the Warehouse, and Other Explanations CD (HC 002CD) 13.50
“In 2005, when Richard Syska offered Jim Baker and his trio a weekly gig at Hotti Biscotti, a neighborhood bar in Logan Square, little did the pianist, bassist Brian Sandstrom, and percussionist Steve Hunt know that they would still be at it more than five years later. Things have changed since that first performance on May 24, 2005. It didn’t take long for saxophonist Mars Williams to join, expanding the trio into a quartet. And in September 2010, after Hotti Biscotti was sold, the band moved their weekly gatherings from Tuesdays to Mondays and relocated to the Beat Kitchen in Roscoe Village. The quartet adopted the moniker Extraordinary Popular Delusions after the release in 2006 of their debut on Okkadisk, an album titled after Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds, a treatise on popular folly written by Scottish journalist Charles MacKay and published in 1841–a book still relevant today as it addresses economic bubbles and mass hysteria, among other topics. EPD’s creative process regularly reaches an apex, a magical moment that ineluctably occurs every time. Mars Williams calls it the ‘fifth sound’; it could be the fifth member of the band, an offspring of their polyphonic approach, an improbable and elusive sound that no one in particular–but everyone–is responsible for. This is likely to be the primary reason why a group of aficionados and friends (they know who they are) comprise a kind of core audience for the weekly series.”
HEMLOCK (UK)
UNTOLD: Stop What You’re Doing (James Blake Remix) 10″ (HEK 006EP) 11.00
“Hessle Audio co-owner Pangaea and James Blake deliver two wildly different but utterly sick remixes on a double A-sided 10″. James Blake proves why he’s one of the most exciting and promising prospects in UK bass music right now. Taking the bare bones of the Untold original and creating a completely new lick, Blake throws in p-funk synths alongside chipmunk gospel vocals that relentlessly swell to an apocalyptic climax. ‘The most utterly next level piece of music I’ve heard in years.’ Ben UFO (Hessle Audio). The Hessle Audio co-owner comes with his hypest, rudest most surprising tune to date. A 140bpm, Chicago-style jackin’ remix of Untold’s Hessle Audio release from earlier this year. Raw house stabs, those trademark swung drums and a breakdown that’s a lesson in tension and release –the mix just rules the dancefloor. Huge support worldwide from Joe Nice, Mark Pritchard, Bok Bok, Gilles Peterson, Ben UFO, Ramadanman and many more.”
HENCH (UK)
MRK1: Dirty Dubstep Music 12″ (HENCH 023EP) 11.50
“Having been perfecting his production skills for the last 10 years, Mrk1 is no newcomer to the world of bass-led music. A member of Manchester’s infamous ‘Virus Syndicate,’ he’s become internationally recognized as a huge dubstep talent. So when Hench got the opportunity, they jumped at the chance to sign two typically down-right dark and dirty numbers from the man like Mrk1.”
HFN (GERMANY)
DARKNESS FALLS: Darkness Falls 12″ (HFN 006EP) 12.00
The Danish duo Darkness Falls is a new alternative rock duo — a collaboration between Josephine Philip (vocals, keyboards) and Ina Lindgreen (guitar, bass). Their sound is rooted in rock tradition, with elements of post-punk, distant beats, and chanting, textured productions wrapped up with a passion for classic ’60s twang guitar sounds. A beautiful mixture of charming pop and melancholy, this is feel-good music for 2011 and beyond. Produced by Trentemøller. This exquisite 4-track EP comes with a full-color printed innersleeve.
HIGHGRADE (GERMANY)
HIGHGRADE DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: Dizzy Horns 12″ (HIGH 092EP) 12.00
Todd Bodine, Tom Clark, Philip Bader, Daniel Dreier and Dale aka Highgrade Disharmonic Orchestra have bundled their musical creativity together and shown audiences at Watergate and other key locations their premium quality live performance. This unique live atmosphere now comes to you as an EP release — three tracks that exude the groove of a sweaty night on the dancefloor, forming a coherent, highly varied and engaging work that all electronic music fans will feel in their hips.
HOHENREGLER (GERMANY)
GRUB, BASTI: How Does That Grab You, Darlin’? (Re-Edit) 12″ (HOEHE 017EP) 12.00
Here is the next Höhenregler from Basti Grub — a nice re-edit of Nancy Sinatra’s “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?,” featuring Daria. Also includes the song “Bombe Ma Chi Chi.”
HONEST JON’S RECORDS (UK)
TREMBLING BELLS: The Constant Pageant LP (HJR 055LP) 17.00
LP version. Glasgow four?piece Trembling Bells release their third slice of Caledonia dreaming, following on from the acclaimed Carbeth (HJR 043CD/LP) and Abandoned Love (HJR 047CD/LP). From its very first notes, The Constant Pageant flies the flag — a banner of arms — with a more confident, anthemic sound than ever before. Trembling Bells are 21st century troubadours who know their history, on a quest to connect with the core tradition of Song, and live deep within its mysteries. Medieval ballads, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are amongst the guiding lights in a music that embraces British folk?rock, American roots and electric psychedelia. The album title pays tribute to folkloric culture as “omnipresent in my thinking, and a source of personal joy and affirmation,” says the Bells’ Alex Neilson. “A kind of florid, seething, creative wellspring that taints everything I do. Though, with this collection of songs, there were a number of other influences too. I think of traditional folk music as being like my first serious girlfriend, and all subsequent dalliances with other forms have been indelibly affected by it.” It’s a record of windswept bitterness and joyous elation: “Cold Heart Of Mine” is a paean to embattled lovers written in the shadow of Verona’s ancient amphitheatre; “Where Do I Go From You” and “Torn Between Loves” describe doomed romance, dramatized by Mike Hastings’ screaming fuzz guitar. There’s also a strong sense of place. Neilson’s native Yorkshire is the setting for “Goathland” — home of folk’s first family, the McCarthy? Watersons (not to mention the BBC’s Heartbeat) — and “Otley Rock Oracle,” in which a small Yorkshire market town is re?imagined as a place of dead roads, where severed golden heads and cauliflower?clouds clue in a young adept. Classical and early music come to the fore on “Colour Of Night” — in which a medieval feast seems to be taking place behind the song’s stately gavotte — and the melancholic closer, “New Year’s Eve’s The Loneliest Night Of The Year,” a tribute to favorite modern songwriters like Gordon Jenkins, Nelson Riddle and Hoagy Carmichael (with a cheeky aside about stolen Roman marbles). The Constant Pageant is a rhapsodic celebration of the power of Song, from one of the UK’s most eclectic and inventive groups.
HYPERDUB (UK)
FUNKYSTEPZ: Fuller/Hurricane Riddim 12″ (HDB 049EP) 12.50
“Funkystepz are a collective of house producers from North London, with a show on Rinse FM and a string of self-released underground hits under their belts. They’re definitely some of the producers to watch out for this year. After a period of trial and testing on dubplate by DJs like Kode9 and Marcus Nasty, this first release for Hyperdub doesn’t mess about. ‘Fuller’ is a dancefloor destroyer of a very British vintage. Hard without being rigid, with a cold, elastic sense of melody that bounces and snaps around the midrange between the bass and snares. Tempered by an occasional organ stab, it’s one of those tracks that will lively up any club straight away, doing away with the forced euphoria of a lot of contemporary dance music, and instead honing the harder-to-master skill of energetic intensity and building anticipation. ‘Hurricane Riddim’ takes the listener through a number of contrasting moods simply but effectively. Opening with heavy orchestral stabs and military snares reminiscent of classic grime, the addition of a complicated, snaking bassline gives the track a jump up feel, and the eight-bar aggression gives way to sections of orchestral calm and a sad but bouncy piano melody.”
INFINE (FRANCE)
TRISTANO, FRANCESCO: Idiosynkrasia 12″ (IF 2030EP) 12.00
Francesco Tristano released his third solo album for InFiné Idiosynkrasia (IF 1012CD), recorded in the Planet E studio in Detroit. “Idiosynkrasia”: an aesthetic manifesto livened up by the search for an idiosyncratic language between acoustics and electronics, a musical odyssey permeated by the peculiarity of the town, which originated the rhythm and blues as well as the techno genres. The eponymous track is reinterpreted here by Ben Klock, Ark, Tom Taylor & Paul Woolford and Fumiya Tanaka.
INTERNATIONAL FEEL (URUGUAY)
BUBBLE CLUB: The Goddess 12″ (IFEEL 012EP) 12.00
Bubble Club is Dan Keeling. While leaving Island last year to set up a new record label, he recorded and launched the Bubble Club project and released 3 singles, including the lauded Violet Morning Moon. The Goddess is his first single for International Feel and continues his journey into deep space production, beautiful, uplifting melodies and chunky beats. Backed by an oh-so deep and mesmerizing rework from Quiet Village.
JACKPOT RECORDS
WIPERS: Silver Sail LP (JPR 82805LP) 19.00
“Depending on whom you ask, the early Wipers recordings innovated punk, invented what came to be popularly known as ‘grunge’, or initiated the blueprint for DIY postpunk. A listen to the 1993 release Silver Sail puts the Wipers legacy in an entirely new context. Written and recorded while Sage lived in Arizona, the desert informs Silver Sail’s dry, desolate and ghostly feel. The down tempo pieces are positively haunted by it. Stand-out tracks such as ‘Y I Came’, and the album’s centerpiece, the epic and lumbering ‘The Prisoner’ countervail the heavy guitar sounds of 1993 and exhibit traits of the then burgeoning slow-core scene. Side two is all plodding surf rock, eerie soundtracks and jangly punk echoing an Athens, Ga. sound through the filter of Northwestern gloom and 90s detachment.”
WIPERS: The Herd LP (JPR 82806LP) 19.00
“The impact of the early Wipers records on the musical scene of the 1990s cannot be overemphasized. The majority of popular music was steeped in their influence, leaving the Wipers in the unenviable position of attempting to find solid footing in the landscape they had forged. After 1993’s slow, haunting and introspective Silver Sail, Sage and crew returned to the classic Wipers sound with The Herd. Originally issued in 1996 on Tim/Kerr (and nearly impossible to find on vinyl for over a decade) the album is fast, fuzzy and moody. Drenched in rocket-fuel guitar tones, the paranoid beauty that spilled forth from the early recordings resonates on blasts such as ‘Green Light Legion’ and ‘No Safe Place’. On The Herd’s slower pieces, such as ‘Wind The Clock Slowly,’ Sage’s urgent and virtuosic leads peel away at the psyche leaving only underlying and once hidden truths.”
KAPSIZE (UK)
L-WIZ: Straitjacket/4.42 OZ 12″ (KAP 006EP) 11.00
“Kapsize kick starts 2011 with 2 fresh cuts from a new label artist: L-Wiz. While L-Wiz is new to Kapsize, the Swedish duo are in no way new to the dubstep scene – drawing attention with killer tracks like ‘Girl From Codeine City’ and the classic ‘Girlfriend’, the production pair have been making high quality dubstep tracks since the early 2004-5 days, even launching the first ever release on Dub Police! It is with pleasure that we announce ‘Straitjacket’ and ‘4.42 Oz’ find a home on Kapsize! Keeping in the spirit of Joker’s own melodic productions, L-Wiz take a different angle from their previous output – pushing layer after layer of perfectly produced synth lines in harmonic syncracy. ‘Straitjacket’ is the more dancefloor focused of the two cuts, with a sleazy, low-slung take on the ‘purple’ sound we all know and love at Kapsize – while keeping it heavily weighted to provide bass fans with plenty of satisfactory rumble! Flip for the equally melodic ‘4.42 Oz’ which takes a more relaxed approach in vibe, taking things in a futuristic direction while simultaneously referencing the past. Beautifully produced elegant music that you will keep coming back to. DJ support from everyone from Plastician to 2562 as well as of course being a main staple in Joker’s own sets last year.”
KILL ROCK STARS
FORBIDDEN FRIENDS: Tiny Hands 7″ (KRS 544EP) 5.00
“Forbidden Friends is an exciting new project from Hutch Harris, his first new project since starting The Thermals eight years ago. But Forbidden Friends sound nothing like the brash, biting power-pop for which Harris and The Thermals are famous, except maybe the sweet nasal croon that is Harris’ trademark vocal sound. ‘Tiny Hands,’ the first single from Forbidden Friends, is a fresh slice of minimal acoustic pop-rock, the likes of which we haven’t heard since The Violent Femmes first LP dropped back in 1983. And like The Violent Femmes, though there are no loud amplifiers or distortion, and instruments are played rather than smashed, there is still an awesome high energy not unlike the best melodic punk rock. The songs are catchy and incredibly UP. You can dance to these songs, ah-oo. You can sing along with these songs, ah-ah-ah-oo. You may possibly fall in love to these songs, ah-oo! Ok.”
KRAM RECORDS
KASHMERE STAGE BAND: Zero Point LP (K 104LP) 11.50
Texas bandmaster Conrad O. Johnson conducts this top notch funk record. Next to The Equatics, Kashmere Stage Band was one of the greatest high school funk bands. Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1972.
KRANKY
BELONG: Common Era CD (KRANK 155CD) 13.00
“It’s been five years since the last Belong long player, as the duo works slowly to organize their sound works. Both the time invested, and the wait, have been well rewarded with this return. Common Era shows extraordinary progression from that first album of dense, scorched earth instrumentals, hints of a new direction having been revealed on the Colorloss Record EP from 2008 which contained covers of four should-have-been classics from the original psychedelic era. The new material has such common pop elements as ‘songs’, vocals and drum machines, but the results could hardly be called conventional and are like little else happening on the current ‘scene’. The songs themselves are akin to radio transmissions received from another time and place, just as likely to be the future as the past, or even from a contemporary alternate universe. They are both passionate and dispassionate, grey yet technicolor, ghostly and palpable, distant yet immediate, grainy and focused. Upon listening these conceptual contradictions are dismissed with ease, as the recordings reveal that they fit all of these descriptors simultaneously, an extraordinary balancing act.”
BELONG: Common Era LP (KRANK 155LP) 13.00
LP version.
LA SOCIETE EXPEDITIONNAIRE
COLUMBOID: We Were One CD (LSE 019CD) 12.00
“In January of 2009, Neil Benjamin and Ryan Hamilton stepped into a basement in Queens, New York. Without having a sense of what the music would sound like or who would be playing what instrument, they almost immediately created their first song, ‘Statehoarders.’ It became the precedent of chemistry that Columboid (named before the first practice) would establish and a full set of dirty primal-synth new wave minimalism followed suit. Their first proper studio recorded release We Were One is set for release, naturally, by La Societe Expeditionnaire. Columboid consists of past and/or present members of many outfits, most notably Coyote, Man-Man, Lewis and Clarke, Vaz, and Icy Demons.”
COLUMBOID: We Were One LP (LSE 019LP) 14.50
LP version on clear vinyl.
LES DISQUES PLUTON (FRANCE)
VA: Après Ski Original Soundtrack CD (PLTN 002CD) 15.00
“Almost 40 years after the first release of the cult quebecois sexploitation movie Après Ski by director Roger Cardinal, Pluton Records are proud to announce the release of a limited 500 copies reissue of its mythical sound track. Holy grail and masterpiece of Quebec funk, this original score is renown and sought after worldwide for its groovy and jazzy legendary B-side, loaded with drum breaks and warm horns. In 2010, Pluton Records reveal the name of the genius who composed and performed this killer record: John Ranger and his band, Illustration. Since the original release of this record in 1971, the identity of the real composer and cast of the funky side of Après Ski was a total mystery. Jacques Crevier and his ensemble were falsely credited as the band that played these songs. Pluton Records are happy to give this credit back to Illustration, a band formed of Quebecers, Ontarians and Americans, led by John Ranger’s Hammond B3 organ. This cultural melting pot included the perfect ingredients to create a tasty gumbo, turned into a classic soundtrack, recorded in Montreal in1970. In order to please the collectors out there, Pluton have included a previously unreleased tune, found on the original master tracks brought out of the attic to be remastered. Pluton are also adding more sounds from the movie, including a psychedelic freak out titled Le cauchemar électronique de Philippe, string backgrounds from the OST and some funny French dialogs from the movie, including a comedy bit by Rene Angelil, Celine Dion’s famous husband and manager. Pluton are also pleased to reissue the pop gems found on the A side of the record, including the movie’s theme Après Ski, sung by the young and beautiful star of the movie Celine Lomez, and another tune sung by a co-star, Mariette Levesque, titled Dors avec moi, whose music sounds like Serge Gainsbourg’s sexiest moments.”
LODUBS
TRUTEK: Crossrhodes 12″ + CD (LODUBS 10020EP) 8.50
“TruTek is a trio from the midlands consisting of Rutile, Panza, and Senate. Between the three of them is many years of experimentation if electronic production in forms as widely spaced as drum and bass (Rutlie is the editor of the drum and bass magazine Uprise) and heavy metal. In the process of all this experimentation, the sounds of the minimal techno influenced side of dubstep have crept in, which has led to a trio that from the very start is galvanized in the art of constructing some of the more intricate steppers to be pushed out of a sub. A clear touchstone for ‘Crossrhodes’ would be something along the line of the 140 leanings of Instra:mental should he be channeling the tropical elements of UK funky into that tempo, yet with leanings far more akin to that of LTJ Bukem. In doing so, we are witness to one of those rare moments of near grace in dubstep when a track can be overpowering with the lightest of elements. This one will likely become a secret weapon for many, and exist as that perfect way to add a bit of substance to the dancefloor. As for ‘Mystery Machine’ the trio take things in a slightly darker direction, with a subtle 4/4 that leads into a slightly old skool rhythm track territory, in a way that creates a bounce in its interplay.” Includes a CD with the same tracks from the 12″.
MATCHLESS RECORDINGS (UK)
ALLUM & PREVOST: Penumbræ CD (MRCD79) 19.00
Jennifer Allum (violin) and Edwin Prévost (bowed percussion) perform on four tracks: “Investigative Study” in three parts (recorded July 13, 2010 at The Welsh Chapel, London) and “Dolwilym Penumbra” (recorded Oct. 12, 2010 at the Mwnci Studios, Wales). “The co-bowed industry recorded here sounds exactly as you will discover, contingent on your subsequent listens. It interrogates, employs and deploys a common system — the bow and its range of purchase. The bows here-used follow parallel clines of provenance, from the generic to the unique. Jennifer Allum alternates two, a 17th century German and a ‘conveyor-belt’ bow. Eddie Prévost switches between a similarly mass-produced model and two boys of historic largesse, gifts from his friends, and erstwhile AMM colleagues, Lou Gare and Lawrence Sheaff.”
MEANDER MUSIC (GERMANY)
LUDWIG, ION: BB & TT 12″ (MEANDER 007EP) 12.00
Meander Music presents a powerful record from Ion Ludwig, including a DeWalta rework. After playing a residency at legendary Club der Visionäre in Berlin alongside other Meander members, it was just a matter of time until the very talented Dutch producer joined the roster. Releasing a well-received album with timeless house music on his own imprint Quagmire in 2010, he’s now back with pretty, charming music. These tracks have a deep dynamic, all produced with a remarkable flow and energy.
MEMPHIS INDUSTRIES (UK)
BANJO OR FREAKOUT: Banjo Or Freakout LP (RBR 007LP) 17.00
Limited edition LP version on white vinyl with download code. “Banjo Or Freakout’s self-titled debut, a heady collection of introspective beats and carefully constructed moments forged across borders and genre. Italian-born and London-based Alessio Natalizia makes stargaze pop that stares stellar, but with feet firmly set forwards from the sonic footprints left by artists like Kevin Shields, Can, and Arthur Russell, and contemporaries Caribou, Deerhunter and A Place to Bury Strangers.”
MGM/PRIDE RECORDS
SYLVERS, FOSTER: Foster Sylvers LP (PRD 027LP) 11.50
Exact repro of the 1973 solo album from the youngest member of Jackson 5-ish singing group, The Sylvers. Actually, Sylvers’ voice sounds remarkably like a young Michael Jackson on album-opener & R&B hit “Misdemeanor.” Sylvers went on to be sampled by numerous hip-hop acts, produce tracks for Janet Jackson and become a registered sex offender.
MINIBAR (GERMANY)
GLUCK: Silence-Friction 12″ (MINI 023EP) 12.00
Minibar is proud to welcome Gluck’s first solo EP Silence-Friction. Gluck is best known for being 1/2 of Minibar’s super-boy-band UltraKurt and for his sparse solo productions under the moniker Spasm. Gluck now returns on his own for a funk-packed house EP, far from all things minimal but still in the purest Minibar tradition, in full compliance with official UltraKurt regulations: nonsense as a state of mind, moronic loops for breakfast and cheap bleeps à go-go.
MISSISSIPPI RECORDS
CHALK CIRCLE: Reflection LP (MR 069LP) 12.00
“Chalk Circle existed in the Washington, DC metro area punk/hardcore scene between 1981 and 1983. They were the first all-female rock or punk band to ever record and perform in DC, their recorded output is finally available on vinyl for the first time. Reflection includes 12 songs from compilations, and live shows, and unreleased recordings and a 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes by Don Fleming. Chalk Circle, although personally part of the birth of hardcore as friends and fans of the Dischord scene, musically never fit in to the stringent rules of that scene. They sound like they were from a time where experimentation was rewarded, where new ideas were examined and transformed by people who were curious and excited to fit with the moment. For those who want a tag, well, think about the post punk of Delta 5, Liliput, The Swell Maps and the Slits. Think about the youthful energy of DC Hardcore and the enthusiasm of teenagers making music that comes from the heart and not from copying riffs from rock records. Co-released by both Mississippi Records and Post Present Medium.” Digital download included.
MOABIT MUSIC (GERMANY)
MALARIA!: Compiled 1981-1984 CD (MOABIT 006CD) 14.50
Repressed; 2001 year release which compiles 16 tracks from all their early releases, originally released 1981-84. Malaria were an all-female art-wave group from Berlin, with connections to Die Haut, Einsturzende, Nina Hagen, Static, etc. A seminal early 80s document. “Contagious diseases, uncertain modes of transmission: Malaria evolved from Mania D., a trio that had already gained a following even without music through their style and artwork. When they expanded into a quintet, they not only retained the first two letters, recurring in medieval, mask, magister artium and mama, they also kept a world of signifiers: heat, illness, fever, ill-defined states. At the time, the beat and the saxophone, which signalled the continuity of both bands, could only be comprehended through inevitable misunderstandings and other contemporary beats and sounds. And — like an italicised letter — they incarnated the promise contained in the title: elusive funk, undeveloped jazz, an unresolved and strained insistence on a difference for which no words existed at the time, and certainly no music that one could put a name to.” — Diedrich Diederichsen. Malaria! were: Gudrun Gut, Bettina Koster, Susanne Kuhnke, Christine Han, Manon Duursma.
MOBILEE (GERMANY)
AND.ID: Psychedelic Love 12″ (MOBILEE 075EP) 12.00
And.Id is back with a brand-new solo release, full of energy and that special And.Id flavor with a psychedelic twist! Psychedelic Love is a strong three-track EP, served with his revered signature trumpet sounds and melodies, layered over tightly-programmed, swinging beats — bringing his completely unique live act out from the clubs and onto wax. You may also notice a slight change in his sound on this release, with an enjoyable harder and more raw feel creeping in.
MOODMUSIC (GERMANY)
SASSE: On My Mind Remixes 12″ (MOOD 099EP) 12.00
“On My Mind” gets a remix treatment from the hottest trio of club cowboys right now. Roberto Rodriguez digs his 909 out of the closet and works out a mid-’90s inspired slammer, not far away from the golden times of Strictly Rhythm. Mano Le Tough brings us some of his trademark Balearic deep techno with soothing melodies and a churner of a bass line.
MOTE EVOLVER (UK)
PLANETARY ASSAULT SYSTEMS: Deep Heet Vol. 2 12″ (MOTE 022EP) 13.00
“Comprising three state-of-the-art expeditions into deep space techno, Deep Heet Vol. 2 takes techno back to its primitive roots, adding details inspired by yet to be explored points in the galaxy; only visible from Slater’s Spacestation UK studio. ‘Sucktion’ opens the EP in glorious style. The basis being a powerfully hypnotic groove, the track evolves steadily, drawing the listener in completely before revealing its subtle, beautifully powerful, harmonic breakdown. Mechanical and tense, ‘Pow Wow’ combines the sonic dynamism of hollow reverberating rhythms with oscillating melodic loops which together create a tightly woven groove that ultimately implodes into a shrill explosion of frequencies. ‘Raid’ closes out the EP with its shimmering minimalism crafting a calm contrast to the rest of the EP. Pulsing melodies and echoing chimes attract the focus while a heavy flat kick and spurts of firing hats add the necessary dance floor momentum.”
MY BEST FRIEND (GERMANY)
BROOMBECK: WTFAI 12″ (MBF 12077EP) 12.00
A big blast coming here from multi-talent Broombeck. “WTFAI” is a mega-rocker with a monstrous vocal and seductive, speedy drum programming. This is bass-driven techno on the highest level and frankly, if you don’t move your feet to this tune, you better retreat back home. The remix was done by M.in & Jonas and features a long intro and step-by-step percussion, creating a rush in the second half that makes it a worthy companion.
NEW JAZZ
LATEEF, YUSEF: Into Something LP (NJ 8272LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1961. Featuring Barry Harris (piano), Herman Wright (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). “…features Yusef Lateef on some straight-ahead tunes, including ‘When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles with You),’ ‘I’ll Remember April,’ and ‘You’ve Changed.’ In addition, there are some more adventurous and exotic works too, making this a well-rounded program.” –All Music Guide
NEW RUINS
THUNDERBOLT PAGODA: Second Ascension LP (NURU 007LP) 20.00
“Thunderbolt Pagoda is a heavy space rock group illuminating the darker reaches of the cosmos at high volume. Their approach to long-form rock and heavy ambience (realized through large amplifiers, Mellotron and vintage analogue electronics) has gained them a modest but fervent audience in the Twin Cities and among space rock connoisseurs in other parts of the world since the release of their debut LP in 2008. Their new LP, Second Ascension, builds on the template of the first LP; one side working a condensed, song-oriented approach and one side a thematic, multi-part apocalyptic suite in several parts. While the format of the LP may be similar, the music has become more focused, darker and more complex, maintaining the Lovecraftian foreboding and cosmic expansiveness to which the group has always gravitated. Deluxe RTI pressing, presented in a die-cut, hand silkscreened cover with OBI, in an edition of 500 copies.”
NUMERO GROUP
PENNY AND THE QUARTERS: You And Me/You Are Giving Me Some Other Love 7″ (NUMES 018EP) 5.50
“As featured in Blue Valentine, completely out of left field, we heard from respected screen actor and avowed Numero fan Ryan Gosling that Penny’s piercing bit of stripped down doo-wop was being considered for inclusion in Derek Cianfrance’s indie-weeper film Blue Valentine. What we didn’t know was that ‘You and Me’ had been given a major role in what became a minor hit on the indie circuit, and that Penny & the Quarters would acquire instant status as the world’s most famous unknown doo-wop group.”
OLMETO RECORDS (UK)
LAYO & BUSHWACKA!: Summer Gone/What Do You Say Now 12″ (OLM 029EP) 12.00
Layo & Bushwacka!’s “Summer Gone” kicks back with a really strong vocal and groove. “What Do You Say Now” hits from the moment it begins, with a stripped-down sound and dub vocal. Totally tested out by Layo & Bushwacka! but supported big by the only two other DJs with copies, Richie Hawtin and Laurent Garnier.
ON THE EDGE (UK)
INDIGO: Zero Point 2×12″ (OTE 014EP) 23.00
“On the Edge are back with a new EP from Indigo! He first made his debut for On the Edge early 2009 with a collaboration with Synkro called Alabama and Turning. Then Indigo went on to produce two solo singles for On the Edge, 8 and 9 that I would describe as true masterpieces. Dubby, techno, industrial and gritty to the core! If you haven’t checked any of those releases out, then I would say ‘Not Alone,’ ‘Home’ and ‘Cosmos’ are all well worth a listen. He is one of the most talented producers I have ever heard and extremely diverse in production styles. He never sticks to formulas and his musical knowledge and passion for diversity really shines though in his music. Zero Point is a mix of wonderfully produced soundscapes that show us what Indigo is all about.”
PEOPLE
COLLINS, LYN: Check Me Out If You Don’t Know Me By Now LP (PE 6605LP) 11.50
Exact repro of this 1974 release from “The Female Preacher.” “A sterling effort from one of James Brown’s most talented finds. Wearing the producer’s hat, Brown showcases the ‘Female Preacher’ on songs and styles from standards to funk to Southern and Philly soul. On the funk tip you have ‘Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again’ and ‘How Long Can I Keep It Up.’ Collins injects soul and sweat into the standards ‘A Foggy Day’ and ‘Try a Little Tenderness’; shows her southern roots on ‘Put It on the Line’; and pays homage to the sound of Philadelphia on a quality remake of ‘Back Stabbers’ and a dramatic five-minute-plus rendition of ‘If You Don’t Know Me by Now.'” –All Music Guide
PLANET E COMMUNICATIONS
OLIVERWHO FACTORY, THE: Night Lights 12″ (PE 65318EP) 8.00
“Catcalling from the depths of a city seen from the outside as crumbling, sonic grooves carve a path to the soulful Detroit duo known simply as the Oliverwho Factory. First noticed across the primitive music sharing plateaus of a decade past, the Oliverwho Factory quickly gained notoriety overseas with a Glasgow-based distribution, and a keen sense of product importance, releasing rich, mood-driven tracks on vinyl, inspired by and resonating the roots of rock, pop, jazz, and R&B. Earth near-silently stumbles with the distinct yet mysterious, funk laden blend of house and techno that Oliverwho and Shonie C. so naturally provide. Like stepping into dreamscapes of unknown desire, the obscure flavor of OWF’s tunes keeps unconventional beauty and otherworldly adventure at the forefront of this duo’s Detroit-based soundboard. With a scant 10 releases under their belt since they premiered on their own Madd Chaise Inc imprint in 2003, they have created a name for themselves that is rarely heard but when it is, it’s uttered in a reverent tone. Their sound is one that doesn’t fit easily into a box; it’s raw and electrifying blend of soulful house and jackin’ techno. The Oliverwho Factory’s disposition has been cautious and a bit resistant with any major spotlight. Whatever the reason, it’s only a matter of time before the world realizes what they’ve been missing. After sticking to small quantities of vinyl through the years they’ve made each release sought after and instant gems.”
RECLOOSE: Can’t Take It Remixes 12″ (PE 65329EP) 8.00
“Artist friends of Planet E choose their favorite Planet-E release and add their take on it. The first in the remix series from the Planet-E back catalogue is Luciano’s remix of Recloose’s ‘Can’t Take It’, originally released in 2000. The package also comes with a Milton Jackson remix, as well as the coveted original. Swiss/Chilean producer Luciano, owner of Cadenza Records and a DJ to witness-with-reason, creates almost 13 minutes of rhythmic anticipation that leaves you lost in a trance.”
POLYDOR
BROWN, JAMES: The Popcorn LP (KSD 1055LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue of James Brown’s 1969 record and one of his finest. Featuring Alfred Ellis as the musical director, arrarnger and composer. “”James Brown developed and wrote the ‘Popcorn’ first as an instrumental to fit a dance he dreamed up. He started doing it on stage.. the kids started copying it in the aisles. A man of tremendous ‘insight’ into what is new and what his fans want, James rushed the band into the studio and out popped ‘Popcorn.'”
PRO-TEZ
KOMATON: Sweet Princess 12″ (PROTEZ 019EP) 12.00
Komaton now joins the Pro-Tez family. “Sweet Princess” is a bass-bin filling, dancefloor-destroying track from the hottest Austrian export since Arnold Schwarzenegger. The A-side has the original version that deeply pulsates through some lonely piano with noise fractals and druggy vocals. A2 follows with a sublime aural dub version by Bvoice & Khz. SCSI-9’s remix has the power to fill the room with sound in a way that only Pro-Tez releases do. A must-have!
PTN (UK)
HACKMAN: Made Up My Mind/Bam Bam 10″ (PTN 008EP) 12.00
“Hackman surrenders his last single before his album drops. Moving from his technicolour funky/grime hybrid of his first PTN excursion, ‘Made Up My Mind’ & ‘BAM BAM’ descends into solid house beats and hefty basslines.”
QUINTESSENTIALS (UK)
VA: Deep, Real And Raw Part 3 12″ (QUINTESSE 020.1) 12.00
Quintessentials presents Deep, Raw And Real part 3 with some deep, raw and real tunes showcasing the best in contemporary global house music. Part 3 features Lukatron, the new project by Luke Solomon and Japanese wizard Radiq. The flipside offers the mighty Cottam plus up and coming Deymare from Finland. Watch out for him and his releases on Quintessentials, KindaSoul and others.
RAMP (UK)
FALTYDL: Hip Love 12″ (RAMP 042EP) 12.00
“FaltyDL. Jamie xx. RAMP Recordings. 2011. Love.”
RCA
TOUSAN: The Wild Sound Of New Orleans By Tousan LP (LPM 1767LP) 11.50
This is an exact repro reissue of an early Allen Toussaint record, originally released in 1958 and one of his earliest solo recordings. Compelling and soulful New Orleans R&B, featuring the songs “Whirlaway,” “Up The Creek,” “Happy Times,” “Nowhere To Go” and “Nashua.”
AXELROD, DAVID: Messiah LP (LSP 4636LP) 11.50
David Axelrod’s rock interpretation of Handel Messiah, originally released in 1971. Conducted by Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. High-concept stuff from a studio genius.
REMOTE AREA (NETHERLANDS)
HUNER & 2000 AND ONE, SANDY: Tap Deux 12″ (REMOTE 032EP) 12.00
One-sided solid red vinyl with a 3D cover. In 2009, they produced “Rare Tap” (Remote Area) which became a dance bomb overnight, so they’ve teamed up again for the sequel “Tap Deux,” a Northern Soul-influenced, swinging house monster.
REPHLEX (UK)
OMARR, DWAYNE: Multi Funk CD (REPH 202CD) 15.50
The crown prince of electro funk is back! Dwayne Omarr has been in the shadows as a ghost writer, vocalist, and producer for many years, creating songs for many artists with major deals, even reaching number one on the charts in the U.S. He has, so far, generally preferred to remain behind the scenes… until now. Dwayne Omarr grew up in Boston and was first interviewed by Tom Bergeron and featured on the NBC program Superkids at age 14 for his ability to play multiple instruments. He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music and is a member of ASCAP, with a personal catalog of over 300 songs. Dwayne Omarr is managed by businessman and music impresario, Cornell (“The Genie”) Brown. In 1978, a young Dwayne Omarr traveled to New York with “Prince Charles” Alexander to record “Bush Beat” for the project known as Slyck on Solid Platinum Records, which was a highly successful cult single around the world. In 1982, Prince Charles introduced Dwayne Omarr to Maurice Starr, and they collaborated on another one of Omarr’s classics This Party’s Jam Packed, originally on Survivor Records. In 1984, Dwayne played bass, lead guitar, and performed background vocals on Prince Charles & The City Beat Band’s Stone Killers album on Virgin Records. 1985 marked the release of Holy Rock featuring the cult-hit single “Save The Children.” Dwayne Omarr also created an alter ego named Sir D and released the single Born To Be Free on Solid Platinum Records the same year. In 1986, Omarr produced the single Mr. Gigolo for Omarrs’ Girls. In 1987, Omarr collaborated with Ralph Tresvant of New Edition, producing many unreleased projects and touring the U.S. and Japan. In 1988, Dwayne Omarr produced Suave’s I’m Your Playmate, featuring the classic hit-single “My Girl” for Capital Records. In 1989, Omarr collaborated with singer Betty Wright and Luke Skywalker. That same year Omarr also collaborated with Cornell Brown on many projects, including the first Ralph Tresvant solo album and 4-Fun’s The Unbelievable Fun Boys project on EastWest Records America. Omarr now links up with Rephlex to release the highly-anticipated Multi Funk album, an unashamed funk-rock R&B showcase featuring new tunes plus dub versions of favorites like “Save The Children,” “Breakdown New York Style,” “Mr. Gigolo,” and others.
REPRISE RECORDS
METERS, THE: Trick Bag LP (MS 2252HLP) 14.00
The Meters’ seventh album, originally released in 1976. Featuring the songs “Disco Is The Thing Today,” “Find Yourself,” “All These Things,” “Mister Moon” and a cover of the Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman.” 180 gram exact repro reissue, manufactured by Rhino.
ROCKET RECORDINGS (UK)
SERPENTINA SATELITE: Mecanica Celeste LP (LAUNCH 038LP) 21.00
This is the third official recording by South American space-rockers Serpentina Satelite. After the success of their album Nothing To Say, the band returned to their studio in Peru to record this more ambitious and accomplished-sounding follow-up. The album recalls all the great psychedelic bands from the past 40 years, from ’70s bands like Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Düül II and Hawkwind; through to ’80s bands like Monster Magnet (particularly Tab-era) and Loop and today’s contemporary cosmic warlords like Eternal Tapestry, White Hills and Magic Lantern. Mecanica Celeste is a conceptually unique take on psychedelia, conceived by manipulating traditional religious songs, text ideology and poetry with heavy fuzz guitars, swirling drones, spaced-out wah solos, motorik rhythms and delayed vocals, to create a head-melting experience of an album which climaxes with the proto-metal riffs of track “Sendero,” giving the band a fresh-sounding approach to the well-trod grounds of space rock: Serpentina Satelite tried to get to heaven but ended up in space.
RUMBLE RECORDS
HAWKINS, DALE: Oh! Suzy-Q LP (RUM 201101LP) 21.00
“A true legend in his own way, the Louisiana born and bred Dale Hawkins is mostly known to the world for his all-time rockabilly classic ‘Suzie Q’, as made famous by Creedence Clearwater Revival in their successfully revived, million-seller 1968 version. One of the very few white artists on the legendary Chess label, although often overlooked, Dale Hawkins’s contributions are as valid as any of rock ‘n’ roll’s founding fathers, and his 1958 Oh! Suzy-Q debut is one of the best hidden rockabilly treasures of the fifties.”
HAWKINS, SCREAMIN’ JAY: At Home With Screamin’ Jay Hawkins LP (RUM 201102LP) 21.00
“By far one of the most outrageous performers of the early years of rock, prone to emerging from coffins on stage, with a flaming skull named Henry as his constant companion, Screamin’ Jay was an insanely theatrical figure long before it was even remotely acceptable. His 1958 debut, At Home, featuring his legendary ‘I Put A Spell On You,’ along with surreal hits like ‘Hong Kong,’ ‘Take Me Back To The Boot And Saddle,’ or his wild-ass reinventions of old standards like ‘I Love Paris’ and ‘Deep Purple’ is a carefully arranged yet gritty, Ray Charles-gone-crazy styled, full band rhythm and blues masterpiece, filled with enough howls and groans to send chills down your spine.”
WRAY & THE WRAYMEN, LINK: Link Wray & The Wraymen LP (RUM 201103LP) 21.00
“Collecting both sides of his first three epic singles along with half a dozen other numbers, Link Wray’s all-instrumental 1959 debut album introduces to the world the power chord, the basis of modern rock guitar-playing without which punk rock or heavy metal would never have existed. Such classics as ‘Rumble’ (featured in the film Pulp Fiction), his astonishing version of Duane Eddy’s classic ‘Raw Hide,’ ‘Dixie Doodle,’ or ‘Comanche’ were about to influence fifty years of rock and roll to come.”
SMOKIN SESSIONS (UK)
LEWIS B: Dark Clouds 12″ (SMOKE 013EP) 11.50
“If you’re into a bit of dubstep with a jazzy twist, then I’m sure Lewis B is a name that you’re very familiar with. It’s a style of dubstep that is really taking shape and Lewis is riding that ever increasing moment that surrounds this beautiful sound. Lewis has such a deep knowledge of jazz, ranging from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery, all the way to the more modern twist on jazz, like Jazzanova and Quantic. Dark Clouds screams out Lewis B and reminds me a little of Pinball, but in so many ways extremely different and unique. Then we have Synkro on the remix duties, but a first for Smokin Sessions, it’s a D+B remix! The sound seems to amalgamate genres where BPM are merely a speed, but has a definite distinct flavor. I think it’s such a refreshing sound and love the minimal deepness that the genre brings to electronic music.”
SONICULTURE (PORTUGAL)
DALESSANDRO, BILLY: Polis: The Remixes Volume Two 12″ (SONIC 016EP) 12.00
Soniculture presents the second and last volume of the remix project for Billy Dalessandro’s Polis (SONIC 003CD), with four great floorfillers for the most demanding audiences. Exercise One takes “Only Your Touch” through a ride of arpeggiated bass lines and dark grooves, drifting into uplifting moments. Jason Emsley takes a darker path down the techno lane and creates a mind-blowing version of “In The Red,” with his own processed vocals. Also features remixes by Brian Ffar and Expander.
SOUVENIR MUSIC (GERMANY)
HAGELSTEIN, RUEDE: Emergency Remixes 12″ (SOUVENIR 034EP) 12.00
Ruede Hagelstein’s “Emergency” has been hailed as one of the best singles of the year in the reader polls of Groove, De:Bug, Resident Advisor and many more. No wonder why! Ruede Hagelstein knows how to treat an after-party stomper. “Emergency” is the perfect early morning pick, the sun shines on his bongos, the nonsense raves with his lyrics, the horns roar with delight, and a plane flies over a crowd of happy, sleepless dancers. Remixed by Super Flu and Re.You.
SOWESO (NETHERLANDS)
CARRIER, CHRIS: Logic Sunrise 12″ (SWS 008EP) 12.00
The eighth release on Soweso brings you Parisian house music guru Chris Carrier. “Logic Sunrise” and “Street Machine” are both examples of how modern club house should sound. High production value and amazing drive make these two sure shots for house DJs worldwide. On the B-side are two rare gems from Chris’ musical vault. “Love Supreme” is an amazing collaboration between Chris and long-time friend Hector Moralez and “One Night Stand” is a playful, classic house affair.
STIL VOR TALENT (GERMANY)
NICONE (FEAT. NARRA): Caje 12″ (SVT 057EP) 12.00
Niconé is back on Stil vor Talent. Again, he features the wonderful vocal of Narra on this hypnotically happy percussive house affair “Caje.” Stil vor Talent has aligned a high quality and diverse array of current top-notch producers for the remixes. Things go dark and minimal with Pan-Pot’s take, then Adam Port sucks you in with a constantly-morphing groove. Dirty Doering adds some melodic synths and guitars to his track that turn “Caje” into an even more summery house affair.
STREAMLINE
BASINSKI, WILLIAM: A Red Score In Tile CD (STREAM 1030CD) 13.50
“Originally released as a limited edition LP on the Three Poplars label in 2003, it is now available on CD for the first time ever. Some quotes from reviews of the LP version illustrate how this enigmatic earliest of Basinski’s released works takes a special place among his catalogue and his listeners: ‘Think how Erik Satie could have sounded like if his most famous pieces had been inserted in a muffling mix after dropping him down a couple of octaves: a lament of decaying sounds, the feeling of a growing sorrow… I suggest you to listen to this on a sunny late afternoon; you could have a lot of secrets revealed.’ –Massimo Ricci”
SUBWAY (UK)
DJ MADD/MATT-U: Arpz 3000/Hidden 12″ (SUBWAY 015-5EP) 11.50
“The two finest exports Hungary has to offer are joining for forces for this intermission release on Subway. DJ Madd comes correct with the epic ‘Arpz 3000,’ a rough Detroit like stepper in the signature DJ Madd vibe. Keeping it tough and sweet at the same time is something only DJ Madd can do and on ‘Arpz3000’ he delivers 100%. On a big system this one will blow your audience away with ease — the epic drop packs a giant punch that can’t be absorbed that easy. So make sure you anchor yourself to the dance floor when this one comes in. On the flip it’s Matt-U with his epic track ‘Hidden.’ This one has been a regular in Youngsta’s sets ever since it was created.”
MATT-U: Watchin U 12″ (SUBWAY 016EP) 11.50
“The title track ‘Watchin’U’ has been cained by the likes of Skream, 16Bit, Mensah, Von D, Madd, N-Type, Nicon, Akkachar, Noah D, The Others and who know who else. Matt-U brings back the dubstep sound from back in the day and updates it in a way only he can do. Reminding you a lot of the eski grime stuff but also a lot of the older DMZ vibes, a serious riddem in these times and an essential one for in the bag. Turn the lights off put on your hood and skank out! On the B1 Matt takes on a lighter form with ‘Down with You’ a lush sweet RnB like stepper that’ll met like butter in your hands. The thick bass line underneath the light surface is one that rattles like a heavyweight, so don’t be mistaken by its looks. They say girls respond to bass…just saying. B2 serves up ‘Magma’. This dark productions sounds like the bubbly lava inside the belly of a volcano. Echoing from inside its hollow caverns and building pressure by the minute. The perfect tune to end this sublime EP.”
SUNBEAM RECORDS (UK)
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND, THE: Companion CD (SBR 5079CD) 17.00
Few ’60s artists have attracted such mystique or so devoted a cult following as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. This fascinating compilation draws together many of the rare recordings made by its members before, during and after their existence. Taking in pop, garage, folk-rock, psych, the avant-garde and more, the set highlights the disparate elements that fused to create their extraordinary and enigmatic music, and comes complete with rare pictures and comprehensive notes by the world’s leading WCPAEB authority, Tim Forster. Artists include: Bob Markley, Lucifer & The Peppermints, Bobby Rebel, Judy Brown, Sonny Knight, The Rogues, The Laughing Wind, Neo Maya, Boystown, California Spectrum, Rockit, Brigadune, California and Halim El-Dabh.
SUSSEX RECORDS
CREATIVE SOURCE: Creative Source LP (SRA 8027LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue of this 1973 debut from this classic funk & soul outfit. Songwriter Skip Scarborough does the vocal arrangements and this album features his “Can’t Hide Love,” later a hit for Earth, Wind And Fire.
SWAMP 81 (UK)
ADDISON GROOVE: Work It/Sexual 12″ (SWAMP 009EP) 13.00
“Loefah’s label Swamp 81 and Addison Groove combine again dominating the dance floors of underground music venues all over the world. 180 gram vinyl.”
THE TRILOGY TAPES (UK)
COLTRANE, ANDREW: Systems Of Chaos LP (TTT 001LP) 28.00
“There’s a reason why Andrew Coltrane’s name is always mentioned within Midwest noise circles with a hushed reverence…. Nerve-jangling, hair-raising, teeth-grinding absolute-bloody-racket from Michigan. Outstandingly bad-minded, and good for ears. Brilliantly mastered and pressed.” Limited edition of 200 copies with silkscreened covers and insert.
THE WIRE (UK)
WIRE, THE: #326 April 2011 MAG (WIRE 326) 8.50
“All copies of the April issue will come complete with an exclusive free CD stuck to the cover, The Wire Tapper 25, the latest volume in our ongoing series of new music compilations. As with previous volumes in the series, the CD will contain a range of new, rare or exclusive tracks from across the spectrum of the kind of underground/outsider musics covered in The Wire. Packaged in a heavy duty card sleeve designed by The Wire’s art director Ben Weaver, the CD will be given away free with every copy of the April issue worldwide. On the cover of this month’s issue: Richard Skelton (As A Broken Consort, Riftmusic and others, the UK sound artisan enters the wild places to create a ritual music of mourning and rebirth). Features: Funkystepz (The London trio are spreading their dancefloor delirium across the capital); Jenny Hval (The Norwegian songwriter/novelist sings her lungs and liver out on her visceral new album); Olivia Block (Field recordings inserted into real-time improv keeps the element of surprise); Global Ear: Helsinki (New venues like Ptarmigan encourage disorderly musical conduct in Finland’s capital); Cross Platform: Charlie Nothing (Byron Coley on a forgotten American outsider artist whose work stretchted from psychedelic saxophone to inventing metallic Dingulators); Invisible Jukebox: Green Gartside (The Scritti Politti frontman hears some songs to remember in The Wire’s mystery record selection); Peter Evans (Philip Clark meets the New York trumpeter whose deconstructions of historic jazz are forging a new, dynamic version of the music’s future); Once Upon A Time In… Harlem (Andy Battaglia revisits the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, where the ghosts of Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening and Milton Babbitt linger); Epiphanies: Little Annie Bandez penetrates the secret heart of New York via the magic tones of Mile’s Kind Of Blue.”
THRILL JOCKEY
ELEVENTH DREAM DAY: Riot Now! CD (THR 261CD) 14.00
“Riot Now!, Eleventh Dream Day’s 10th album, is a call back to the urgency of 1988’s Prairie School Freakout, with a string of mostly first takes tracked in one session with few overdubs. Eleventh Dream Day, a Chicago treasure, have been active in the rock underground for a staggering 25 years.” “Eleventh Dream Day have forged one of the most durable sounds to emerge from the indie-rock underground. Balancing ragged guitars against fragile melodies and sweet vocal harmonies, the Chicago group’s three late ’80s/early ’90s albums perfectly encapsulated the promise — both artistic and commercial — of post-punk alternative rock.” — Rolling Stone
TREIBSTOFF (GERMANY)
DIEGO: Holidays For Hypocrites 12″ (TREIB 096EP) 12.00
Diego Hostettler presents his premiere on Treibstoff, extending his palette and integrating several flavors of funk into his set-up, stretching the well-lubricated machinery and producing brilliant results. This record is a loveletter and an indispensable tool for all those DJs that still take their job seriously and who haven’t forgotten about their roots: the club. We all live off air, love… and sweat.
TRUST LOST
MEIRINO & BRENT GUTZEIT, FRANCISCO: Five Years of Work for a Strange Result CD (TRUST 008CD) 13.50
“This five year mail-collaboration brings together veteran sound artists Francisco Meirino, better known as PHROQ and Brent Gutzeit, a member of TV Pow. These artists compose bleak melancholic soundtracks using field recordings, electronics and noise. More music concrete than harsh noise, this release would fit in more closely with Luc Ferrari than Merzbow.”
TURNED WORD
PORTER AND MARK MELNICOVE, BERN: Music For Children Of All Ages Vol. 1 LP (WD 022LP) 14.00
“Born on Valentines Day 1911, in Maine’s northernmost county, Bern Porter was a North American artist, writer, publisher, free thinker and scientist who found meaning in the things that others discarded or ignored. Porter is known in mostly underground circles as one of the earliest and most prolific practitioners of found poetry. Through his gleaning of founds in recycle bins, telephone books, and repair manuals, he created hilariously cunning, sometimes irreverent works of art that often bear his signature, as well as an anti-copyright statement. Many of these works have been published in collections over the past seventy years. On top of all this he was a sharer of knowledge who opened his home, ‘The Institute of Advanced Thinking,’ in Belfast, Maine, to dropouts, artists, children of all ages, and anyone who felt like dropping by. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bern’s birthday, Turned Word Records presents this 34-minute LP of performed poetry, philosophical musings, and general word play, by Bern Porter and longtime collaborator, Mark Melnicove. Though Porter is not known for his sonic explorations, this LP is quite musical, channeling improvisational song chant modality and rhythm oriented slamesque poetry. On side B we hear what should be Bern’s most famous work ‘The Last Acts of St. Fuck You.’ While a child is gently cooing in the background, the acts are presented in alphabetical order. All this is on vinyl for the first time ever. Many of the pieces have never been heard outside of a small circle of friends. Includes loose-leaf booklet of rare photos and twenty founds, most never before published. Hand stamped photocopy sticker covers on recycled jackets. Mastered by Caleb Mulkerien. Edited by Dan Beckman-Moon.”
TYPE (UK)
SKELTON, RICHARD: Landings CD (TYPE 055CD) 14.50
2010 release, repressed. This is UK artist Richard Skelton’s second album under his own name. Since the release of the genre-defining Marking Time, the music of Richard Skelton has been widely celebrated for its raw, organic beauty — its honesty and restraint. Whether the work has been under his own name or under one of his many shadowy guises (A Broken Consort, Riftmusic, Carousell, Clouwbeck, and others), there is a level of skill, a sureness of touch, and an emotional resonance that is virtually unparalleled by his peers. Landings is the culmination of four years of recording on the moors and hillsides of Northern England. The resulting album isn’t simply a suite of songs in the mold of Marking Time, but a form of diary; a dialog with the landscape itself. It is imbued with a real sense of narrative — and of place — that is both epic in scale and yet intimate in feel. And so, we are taken on a literal journey across the threshold of “Noon Hill Wood,” with its achingly-beautiful, interleaved bowed melodies, drifting through ranks of pine, larch and birch. From there, we cross the river and climb the slopes of the nearby hills in search of the source of “Greens Within Brook” — a crushing Eno-esque ballad for concertina, recorded by the banks of the fledgling stream as the ice melted one wintry morning. We are then taken across miles of bleak moorland, and to the album’s desolate centerpiece, “Voice Of The Book,” a symphony of bowed metallic sounds recorded in the ruins of a centuries-old farmhouse. Finally, we make a long, slow descent into the valley, and follow the river as it leaves the moorland behind. Landings is a demanding, involving experience and is, without a doubt, Skelton’s most complete work to date, containing within it the very essence of his musical output. Slowly, over the course of its 70+ minutes, he reveals the heart of his compositional skill, and with that we are drawn into the depth of his work. Rarely are albums so involving and so absolutely moving. *Please note that the vinyl edition comes with a bonus CD of extra material.
DEAF CENTER: Owl Splinters LP (TYPE 080LP) 21.00
LP version. Repressed on orange vinyl — now without the bonus CD. Last copies. It’s hard to believe that six years have gone by since Deaf Center’s Pale Ravine hit the shelves. In the time that’s passed, the distinct melodies of Norwegians Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland have become almost synonymous with a specific shard of mysterious imagery so it feels high time that the duo should return to add a new next chapter to their shadowy story. In contrast to Skodvin and Totland’s previous work, Owl Splinters was recorded in a studio setting (Nils Frahm’s Durton studio, to be exact), and the lo-fidelity, haphazard techniques of their early recordings are now all but gone. With the benefit of some high-end engineering and analog equipment, Skodvin and Totland’s murky compositions have been transformed from sketches into glorious widescreen spectacles. The blackened, scraping tone of Skodvin’s strings ring out on the album’s opener “Divided” before seismic bass drones push up from beneath with a cacophonous, earthy clarity. This is the same Deaf Center we fell in love with all those years ago, but bigger and more powerful than ever before. Between these epic compositions, the two musicians take time to give their own solo instruments the time to breathe — Totland on the piano and Skodvin on the cello. These small vignettes are crucial to the overall narrative of Owl Splinters, allowing a crack of sunlight through the oppressively bleak atmosphere. Everything slots into place on the album’s centerpiece “The Day I Would Never Have” — piano and cello tumble into each other, forming a dense, affecting cloud of sound. Echoes of half-remembered horror movies, love songs and the dark arts come together in a Norwegian cauldron to reveal something that at its heart is deeply moving and beautiful. Deaf Center are back, and Owl Splinters might just be their most defining statement to date.
UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS
MACDERMOT, GALT: Cotton Comes To Harlem LP (UAS 5211LP) 11.50
Exact repro of the soundtrack to Ossie Davis’ 1970 blaxploitation film. Galt MacDermot was the composer behind the late ’60s Broadway musical Hair, but later widely sampled by crate-digging hip hop producers in the ’90s. Killer funk instrumentals and vocal appearances from George Tipton, Melba Moore, Denise Dillapena and Leta Galloway.
UNKNOWN LABEL
808 STATE: Narcossa 12″ (STATE 009EP) 10.00
“Narcossa” from 1998’s Newbuild, originally released on Creed Records. On the flip: “Olympic (Euro Bass Mix)” and “Reaper Repo (12″ Mix)” (originally released in 1990/92).
VICTORIAVILLE (GERMANY)
BARRICADE: Aleko 12″ (4 46081EP) 12.00
Produced in 2004, this EP marks an essential shift in the productions of Stefan Goldmann under his Barricade guise, inducing some serious deviations into the techno realm; yet, heads weren’t ready. “Aleko” is 4/4 techno with locked-in clonk patterns built around a nitrous bass line. “Frantic” could be a future development to today’s dubstep, if it wasn’t its actual historic predecessor. Add the schizophrenic bass excursion “Heliotrope” and you have a package of painstaking, current relevance.
WERGO (GERMANY)
LACHENMANN, HELMUT: Accanto, Consolation I, Kontrakadenz CD (WER 6738) 24.00
“On the occasion of Helmut Lachenmann’s 75th birthday, Wergo presents a re-release of the reference recordings of his works Accanto, Consolation I and Kontrakadenz. ‘Here we must depart from a conception that only accepts the “showy” side of sound, usually promoted as a medium for a certain kind of spurious social ostentation,’ the conductor Clytus Gottwald wrote about Lachenmann’s ‘sound realism.’ Lachenmann creates, ‘music that removes the false aspects of sounds by returning sound to its natural realm.'”
MUSIKFABRIK: Unerwartet (Unexpected) CD (WER 6857) 24.00
“Unexpected events rupture continuity; they occur suddenly and they create a moment, a now, in which the flow of history dissolves into ‘suddenness.’ The question posed by David Lang in the title of his melodrama Are you experienced? is rhetorical in nature, given that the piece takes a speculative look at the unexpected end of a concert evening. Philippe Boesmans, best known as a composer of operas, surprises us with a Biedermeier sextet. For Richard Barrett, interference becomes a structural principle, and Luca Francesconi knows the formula for driving the formulaic out of music.”
VA: Earle Brown Contemporary Sound Series Vol. 5 3CD (WER 6940) 48.00
“With Earle Brown — A Life in Music — Volume 5, Wergo has once again dug up treasures of contemporary music from the 1960s and 1970s. The 3-CD set not only contains one of the first recordings of Charles Ives’s ‘Concord Sonata by Aloys Kontarsky but is also a testimony to the virtuosity of Severino Gazzelloni who is, without doubt, one of the greatest flutists of the 20th century. In addition, it contains music from the group Sonic Arts Union with the four pioneers of electronic music: David Behrman, Robert Ashley, Alvin Lucier and Gordon Mumma. The 18 LPs of Earle Brown’s legendary Contemporary Sound Series, recorded between 1960 and 1973, have become a rarity in great demand since the series was discontinued in 1978. These rare and historically important recordings have been carefully digitized and re-mastered by the Earle Brown Music Foundation.” Also features works by Franco Evangelisti, Niccolo Catiglioni, Luciano Berio, Olivier Messiaen and Yoritsune Matsudaira.
WHATPEOPLEPLAY (GERMANY)
LA FLEUR: Flowerhead Revisited 12″ (WPP 001EP) 12.00
Whatpeopleplay, Wordandsound’s digital download store, starts his very own physical (and digital) record label with Sweden-born and Berlin resident producer and DJ Sanna La Fleur Engdahl. Sanna’s “Flowerhead” has been buzzing with its fresh piano-laden drive since Autumn 2010 and has yet again been nominated #8 of the 10 most important releases by the UK’s Mixmag! Spencer Parker revisits the original track for an 11-minute killer of epic proportions. La Fleur’s bonus track “Racine” makes the package complete.
WHEEL & DEAL (UK)
LX ONE AKA JOKER D: You/Give It Up 12″ (WHEELY 013EP) 11.50
“Proper bass dubstep from N Type’s label. As one person said on Dubstep forum, ‘Cyrus dropped you at DMZ and over that system you truly realize how low the bass goes and the production quality.’ LX One is absolutely smashing it at the moment. ‘Give It Up’ is a staple in Youngsta’s sets recently, like the a side, this is real deal dubstep with out the cheese.”
WOLFSKUIL LIMITED (GERMANY)
GATZIGRISTOS, GIORGOS: Rehearsal 12″ (WLTD 014EP) 12.00
Giorgos Gratzigristos is back with yet another stunning EP on Wolfskuil. Rehearsal is a techno tale in 4 parts, a dark story with a moody ambiance and unexpected twists. Giorgos fine-tunes his outspoken productions and incorporates his broad influences which range from dubby techno, hypnotic tech house and quirky electronics to even neo-classical breaks. Arrangements are more detailed then ever before, like there was no rehearsal at all.
FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER EMAIL UPDATES
new releases are also viewable at http://www.forcedexposure.com/new/newindx.html