| FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER UPDATE NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK OF 10/10/2011 |
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order from our NEW! beta site: http://beta.forcedexposure.com you can also click on cover art or album info to order online a secure order form is available for credit card purchases. and via mail: for more information about shipping or ordering direct any questions to mailorder@forcedexposure.com |
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| 4 MEN WITH BEARDS | |
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COHEN, LEONARD: Death of a Ladies’ Man LP (4M 813LP) 21.00 “Cohen’s fifth album (released by Warner Bros. in 1977) was produced and co-written by Phil Spector. The duo managed to write 15 songs in just three weeks together (at the time Spector exclaimed they had written ‘some great fuckin’ music’) but only 8 made the final cut of the album. The combination of Spector’s famous Wall Of Sound, a general sense of loose fun in the studio and the unbridled sexuality and voyeurism of the lyrics certainly represents a big step forward. At the same time, Death of a Ladies’ Man both lyrically and stylistically is one of Cohen’s career peaks, maybe even a masterpiece. Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg sang backup vocals on the chorus of the classic ‘Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On.'” Housed in a gatefold sleeve; on 180 gram vinyl. |
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COHEN, LEONARD: Various Positions LP (4M 814LP) 21.00 “Recorded with vocalist Jennifer Warnes, Various Positions (originally released in the U.S. in February 1985 by independent label Passport Records) is a stunning return to form. Cryptic and raw, Various Positions is an eclectic set ranging from the Gainsbourg-esque pop ballad of ‘Dance Me To The End Of Love’ to the classic ‘Hallelujah.'” On 180 gram vinyl. |
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DYLAN, BOB: Oh Mercy LP (4M 815LP) 21.00 “Released in 1989, Oh Mercy is often considered to be Dylan’s greatest comeback record, as it came after a long string of badly reviewed albums. Produced by Daniel Lanois in New Orleans, it was hailed by most critics as a triumph. The swampy, organic and hazy atmospheric production was unlike anything ever released by Dylan before and as Robert Christgau of The Village Voice wrote, ‘Daniel Lanois’s understated care and easy beat suit [Dylan’s] casual ways, and three or four songs might sound like something late at night on the radio, or after the great flood.’ Oh Mercy, featuring standout tracks such as ‘Ring Them Bells,’ ‘Most Of The Time’, ‘Man In The Long Black Coat’ and ‘Shooting Star’, is Dylan’s best chart record in years reaching #30 on the Billboard charts in the US and #6 in the UK.” |
| A NUMBER OF SMALL THINGS (GERMANY) | |
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FENSTER: Oh Canyon/White To Red 7″ (ANOST 032EP) 7.00 Fenster plays deconstructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives and schadenfreude. The two songs evoke a futuristic nostalgia — playing with Tom Waits percussion and Velvet Underground guitar riffs with a nod to the macabre Dada sweetness of early Beck and Cat Power. Their instruments include slamming doors and trashy synths, utilizing the analog warmth of their instrumentation to underscore the interaction between the two vocalists. |
| A.R.T.LESS (GERMANY) | |
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REEL BY REAL: Surkit Chamber – The Melding 2×12″ (ARTLESS 001LP) 25.50 The Mojuba sub-label A.r.t.less is very proud to present the debut album by Detroit techno veteran Martin Bonds aka Reel By Real. After 2010’s retrospective of his most seminal work, including some collaborations with Juan Atkins and Anthony “Shake” Shakir, these are the first new tracks under his Reel By Real moniker for almost two decades. These nine new pieces of music show the unique, fresh colors of Detroit techno and could only have been created by someone like Marty Bonds. This album takes you on a multifaceted journey through one of America’s definitive music capitals — the birthplace of techno, narrated by one of its very own musicians and a true ambassador of its soundtrack. To support the scene of authentic Detroit artists, the cover illustration for this album was created by Abdul Haqq from Third Earth Visual Arts who is still (after more than 20 years) giving Detroit techno a visual face with his artwork for the likes of Underground Resistance, Transmat and Red Planet, just to name a few. Enjoy the resurrection of Reel By Real with this very special debut album. |
| AREAL RECORDS (GERMANY) | |
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DAVIS, RYAN: Windmills 12″ (AREAL 060EP) 12.00 They appeared just before sunrise. No one had ever seen this kind of creature ever before: red flashing, and bright, shining alien butterflies attracted by the windmills. People stopped and got out of their cars to watch this spectacle. The flying creatures were constantly creating new, kaleidoscope-like formations, and slowly, and very softly at first, they started singing. And although nobody really understood their behavior, everybody understood their wistful and hopeful song. Remix by Pan/Tone. |
| BANANASTAN | |
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PARKS, VAN DYKE: Arrangements Volume 1 CD (BSR 1000CD) 16.00 “This new compilation is presented by Van Dyke Park’s Bananastan label. All of the tracks on this album, by a diverse range of artists, have one thing in common: they were arranged by Van Dyke Parks. This compilation covers Parks’ first solo recordings through the classic creative period of Warner Brothers, where his arrangements and production can be found throughout the roster. Including both rare sides and hit records, Van Dyke’s touch can be heard throughout these fine tracks. From the mid sixties through the early seventies, this new compilation contains fifteen classics appearing together on one album for the first time. From the earliest work of Ry Cooder to classic Little Feat; Bonnie Raitt’s calypso to Arlo Guthrie’s gospel; The Mojo Men’s psychedelic sounds to six rare or unreleased Van Dyke Parks solo recordings; from Dino Martin Jr.’s hot reggae to Beau Brummels’ Sal Valentino’s and Little Feat’s Lowell George’s solo sides; these fifteen songs all have the arranging imprint of the great Van Dyke Parks.” |
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PARKS, VAN DYKE: Arrangements Volume 1 LP (BSR 3300LP) 20.00 Gatefold LP version on 180 gram vinyl. |
| BIS (SWEDEN) | |
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GUBAIDULINA, SOFIA: Glorious Percussion/In Tempus Praesens CD (BIS 1752CD) 19.00 “Coinciding with her 80th birthday, this substantial addition to Sofia Gubaidulina’s discography on BIS presents two recent works by the grande dame of contemporary music. As always with this composer, the music is intimately connected to her religious and philosophical beliefs. In the violin concerto In tempus praesens the numbers 1 and 3 — derived from the Holy Trinity — play an important role, as well as the concept of ‘Sophia’, implying divine wisdom and the creative power of God. The work was premiered by Anne-Sophie Mutter at the 2007 Lucerne Festival, and belongs to the most frequently performed instrumental concertos by a living composer.” Performed by: Vadim Gluzman, violin; Glorious Percussion (Anders Loguin, Anders Haag, Mika Takehara, Eirik Raude, Robyn Schulkowsky); Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan Nott, conductor. |
| BLACK ACRE (UK) | |
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BLUE DAISY: The Sunday Gift 2×12″+CD (ACRE 003LP) 18.00 2×12″ version, including a free CD of the entire album. Debut album from hotly-tipped London beat maker Blue Daisy. His acclaimed EPs have earned him comparisons to the likes of Massive Attack, Burial and Flying Lotus. Ever since his instant classic debut single, Space Ex exploded onto an unsuspecting world through a series of highly-regarded EPs, Blue Daisy has delivered on the promise that caused Radio 1’s Mary Anne Hobbes to proclaim his talents far and wide. Black Acre, the label that has nurtured his meteoric assent, is sure to announce his graduation from underground pretender to fully-fledged maestro — making some of the most weighty, emotive, atmospheric music of recent times. From the rumbling low-end and portentous strings of opener “Distance” swathed in reverb and dub delay, it’s clear that no concessions to trend or whimsy are being made — this is music that heads straight for the jugular — a mosaic of bleeps, beats, bass, sample shards and heart-rending melodies paired with elegiac vocals. From the heavy sci-fi stomp of “Raindance” to the heavy, low-slung urban angst of “Psyche Inquiry,” featuring the vocals of Hey!Zues, to the dream-like bliss of slo-mo house stomp “Spinning Channels” (one of several collaborations with vocalist Anneka) or the rumbling, percussive head-nodder “Shadow Assassins,” Daisy displays his unique talent for peppering his grimy textured synths and scuzzed drum tracks with moments of melodic levity and beauty — like RZA and Angelo Badalamenti collaborating on the soundtrack to a lost David Lynch widescreen epic. “Fallin'” includes a guest appearance from Cinematic Orchestra’s Heidi Vogel. This is an album that demands repeated listens to soak up all the rich details and nuance that go into making it such a genuinely special release. |
| BLACK BOX (UK) | |
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LAS: Power Surge/(Desto Remix) 12″ (BLACKBOX 018EP) 11.00 LAS’ “Power Surge” channels both the earthier, more vital tones of Mala and the techier aesthetics of Icicle’s productions, or Youngsta’s DJ sets for Rinse FM. Built ’round a lean beat of razor-sharp hats & snares, LAS constructs a heavy roller. On the flip, Desto turns the track completely inside-out, inverting the beats & bass to create a vacuum-formed Y3K electro-warper. Heavy support from Rinse FM DJs including N-Type & Youngsta, and repeat plays on XFM from Mary Anne Hobbs. |
| BLACK SAINT/SOUL NOTE (ITALY) | |
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HADEN, CHARLIE: The Complete Remastered Recordings 5CD BOX (BXS 1001CD) 36.00 …On Black Saint & Soul Note. “Bassist Charlie Haden began his life in music almost immediately, singing on his parents’ country & western radio show at the tender age of 22 months. He started playing bass in his early teens and in 1957, left America’s heartland for Los Angeles, where he met and played with such legends as Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes and Dexter Gordon. Haden has earned countless honors from around the globe, including two GRAMMY awards. This set includes five albums — Old and New Dreams, A Tribute to Blackwell, Etudes, Silence and First Song.” |
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RAVA, ENRICO: The Complete Remastered Recordings 5CD BOX (BXS 1002CD) 36.00 …On Black Saint & Soul Note. “Enrico Rava is a prolific jazz trumpeter and arguably one of the best known Italian jazz musicians. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri’s Italian quintet in the mid-1960s; in the late 1960s, he was a member of Steve Lacy’s group. Rava has played with artists such as Carla Bley, Jeanne Lee, Paul Motian, Lee Konitz and Roswell Rudd. This set includes five albums – Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi, Andanada, Rava String Band, Secrets and Electric Five.” |
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PIERANUNZI, ENRICO: The Complete Remastered Recordings 6CD BOX (BXS 1004CD) 36.00 …On Black Saint & Soul Note. “Enrico Pieranunzi is an Italian jazz pianist whose specialty is fusing classical technique with jazz. He has performed with, among others, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. Pieranunzi has performed widely with his own group at European and American jazz festivals and has also composed several film scores. This set includes six albums – Isis, Deep Down, No Man’s Land, Flux and Change, Seaward and Ma l’Amore No.” |
| BLOW UP (UK) | |
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BONGOLIAN, THE: Bongos For Beatniks CD (BU 060CD) 17.50 “Bongos For Beatniks sees the welcome return of the Bongolian, AKA multi-instrumentalist and Big Boss Man front man Nasser Bouzida. His fourth album under the Bongolian moniker continues the musical journey where 2007’s Outer Bongolia left off, bringing us back down to Earth possibly via France circa 1967 via 2011, in a wildly eclectic rare groove fusion of funk soul Hammond beat jazz and a sci-fi boogaloo. Dig it.” |
| BLUE NOISE (GERMANY) | |
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OMD: Live In Berlin CD/BOOK (BNL 005CD) 34.50 Worldwide renowned artist OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark), live in concert — recorded at the Tempodrome Berlin on November 18, 2010. Limited edition collector’s CD & book in a deluxe package with a long box size. OMD were formed in Liverpool with Paul Humphreys (synthesizers) and Andy McCluskey (vocals). They played their first gig in 1978 at Eric’s (Liverpool), then had a run of UK chart hits after swapping labels from Factory to the Virgin-owned label DinDisc, starting with the 1980 release Messages. Although Humphreys left the group in 1989, McCluskey made a comeback in 1991 with the UK top 5 “Sailing On The Seven Seas,” and followed that up with a UK top 3 album Sugar Tax before finally calling it a day in 1996. In 2007, they toured together again featuring the classic line-up of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper. September 2010 saw the release of History Of Modern featuring the original classic line-up. The CD is 20 tracks strong, including all the big hits plus seven selected live versions from the current studio album History Of Modern. The book includes exclusive images from the OMD tour, never-before-seen handwritten notes by the band, recent letters from the band to the fans, pictures of memorabilia, a selection of lyrics, and more. |
| BPITCH CONTROL (GERMANY) | |
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NEGROT, AEREA: Arabxilla CD (BPC 240CD) 14.50 The debut album from the Venezuelan Aérea Negrot is one of those records that speaks with such intensity that her deepest emotions are instantly laid bare to the listener. This heartfelt account in music and words relays her unique outlook and life story to the world without a hint of inhibition. Sometime in 2004, having passed through Caracas, Porto, The Hague and London, Aérea Negrot arrived in Berlin and sensed she had finally found the place she had been looking for ever since her childhood. Aérea first settled for a while in London, studied at the Centre of Contemporary Music and began producing her first songs. After moving to Berlin, she set her mind on gaining the attention of the public with avant-garde dance performances. She earned a living in her spare time as a sales assistant at a furniture store on Savignyplatz. She finally appeared on the musical radar in 2010 with the release of her first official EP All I Wanna Do on BPitch Control. But instead of continuing to concentrate on her solo career, she started making a name for herself as a singer and dancer with the band Hercules & Love Affair, based around the American producer Andy Butler. After recording the album Blue Songs with the band, she set off on a world tour. Now, following her recent second BPitch Control EP Right Body Wrong Time and a remix EP featuring re-interpretations from Hercules & Love Affair, Seth Troxler and Ricardo Villalobos (who was so captivated when he heard the song “Miss You” in Tobias Freund’s studio that he produced two epic remixes the very next night) — the moment has arrived for Arabxilla. The album is filled with extraordinary avant-pop songs leading a merry dance around the genres of techno, house and electronica. Adding to the musical language, Aérea Negrot tells stories of her adventure-filled gypsy life in a varied patchwork of German, English and Spanish. Her vocal style follows her mood, sometimes classical opera, sometimes a sassy spoken-word style, sometimes simply speaking as the words come to her. There is a constant spirit of experimentation, but the magic of the initial, visceral feeling never goes missing. It was this instantly-recognizable magic that also inspired Tobias Freund, co-producer of the album, the first time he heard the tracks. There is very little about the songs, all of which Aérea Negrot composed at home on her computer, that Tobias has changed. A new bass line here and there, a few fresh drum sounds and a little analog boost were all that was needed to complete this musical bag of tricks, which will find its place in music history somewhere alongside Klaus Nomi, Yma Sumac, Marika Papagika and Maria Callas. |
| BUREAU B (GERMANY) | |
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PYROLATOR: Neuland LP (BB 084LP) 17.00 LP version. Pyrolator (Kurt Dahlke) is back, after a hiatus of 24 years! And he delivers pure electronic club music gold. If the name Pyrolator is new to you, here, he explains everything: “I have been a solo performer for a long while already, but the pieces I play are not entirely suited to the medium of LP or CD. They are either created as multi-channel sound or are heavily dependent on visuals. Nevertheless, I have always had a secret love of more club-oriented music. Since the mid-’90s, I have often produced or remixed projects like Antonelli Electr., Repeat Orchestra, Kreidler or Rocket In Dub. I had a lot of fun in the process, so I began to introduce elements like these into my live repertoire. They always went down really well, which gave me the idea of releasing something along those lines.” On the title: “First and foremost, it continues the ‘land’ series of my solo albums (1979’s Inland, 1981’s Ausland, 1984’s Wunderland, 1987’s Traumland). Neuland was always pencilled in as the title for my fifth solo album.” On constructing the album: “Basically in the same way as all of the other Pyrolator albums. I only played a really small portion of the music on the keyboard. I first used ‘Brontologik,’ a kind of flexible sequencer, on Ausland. In those days, it still counted as hardware. Today, it’s software, something I have developed continuously over the years. I am currently using the ‘Monome’ as an input device. I program a kind of matrix of rhythms, chords and melodies. I like to work with loops, refining them bit by bit, piecing them together. Music created through programming — composition, one might say — is simply nothing like the music I would come up with on a keyboard.” On 180 gram vinyl; includes free download code. |
| CAPTURED TRACKS | |
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THIEVES LIKE US: Your Heart Feels 12″ (CT 119EP) 12.00 “Repress on 12″ inch vinyl of the difficult to find German EP from 2008. The songs here actually were recorded in the bedroom of the band’s basement flat in London during the summer of 2005. ‘We were starving,’ says drummer Pontus Berghe. ‘You don’t earn anything working in a London pub. The other two were drunk all the time and I was usually feeding them or cleaning up after them.’ The title track can be described as an indie teen anthem programmed on a tone generator and then recorded through a Big Muff. The B-sides ‘Fur Judith’ and ‘Don’t Take Your Hands Away’ remain in the band’s live set to this day. A small and important page in TLU history!” |
| COCOON (GERMANY) | |
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RARESH & SASCHA DIVE: Green & Blue – Raresh & Sascha Dive In The Mix 2CD (CORMIX 036CD) 23.00 Since its beginnings in 2003, the Green & Blue festival definitely belongs to the mandatory dates of the season for lovers of electronic dance music. And with its ninth edition, the annual open air highlight of the Rhein Main techno scene returns to its starting point: the former Waldschwimmbad in Sven Väth’s birthplace, Obertshausen. Besides Sven Väth, Carl Craig and Ricardo Villalobos, there is also Raresh and Sascha Dive, who invite us to probably the last Sunday dance this season. For sure, the Bucharest-based producer and DJ Rares Ionut Iliescu aka Raresh is not unknown to many Cocoon fans, as he has sustainably proven his extraordinary DJ talent already. His mix is steeped in a distinct soul factor in the tradition of the dub techno that Basic Channel releases, and is, at the same time, so much more. To start, the Detroit neo-dubbers from DeepChord provide a traditional intro with “Sofitel” from the 2011 album Hash-Bar Loops, but there are also incredibly deep tracks from Danilo Schneider and Delano Smith. The techno density of the mix increases significantly with Ion Ludwig’s “Harnas Rythm,” only to savor the hypnotic factor towards the finale to the full extent with the Romanian discovery Dan Andrei and the great Ricardo Villalobos dub of the ’90s, Energy 52’s “Cafe Del Mar.” Sascha Dive’s set combines the best elements of American and European club tradition. He starts with techno globetrotter Margaret Dygas and continues with the ’99 dub soul hymn “I Will Lead” by Problem Kids, perfectly illustrating his stylistic bandwidth between deepness and fragmented sound aesthetics. The highlights in this visionary set include tracks by Osunlade and Ben Klock, a Luciano remix of the Planet E classic “Can’t Take It” by Recloose and the suggestive minimal soul anthem “Walking The Pattern” by Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts. Other artists include: Priku, Harrison Fnord, Cezar Lazar, Star*Dub/Vermittelnde-Elemente, Och, Claro Intelecto, Daze Maxim, Mondo, Rootstrax, Andrés Zacco, Kelvin K, Ernesto Ferreyra, Hollway & Eastwick, Elif Bicer, Kenny Larkin, Rino Cerrone, Agoria, Argy, Recloose, Dwele, Stephen Hitchell, Orange Muse, John Selway, Diego, Marc Antona and Mr. G. |
| CRITICAL HEIGHTS (UK) | |
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SAVAGING SPIRES: Savaging Spires CD (CRITTER 003CD) 17.50 “This eponymous debut from Savaging Spires has ‘cult hit’ written through it like a stick of Blackpool Rock. Broadly split between standalone songs and sound-collaging passages, the ensemble glide seamlessly through the pagan eeriness of The Wicker Man soundtrack, Espers’ druggy bucolic edginess, the underrated invention of Tyrannosaurus Rex’s Unicorn and the affectionate irreverence of Can’s Ethnological Forgery Series pieces.” |
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SAVAGING SPIRES: Savaging Spires LP (CRITTER 003LP) 20.50 Gatefold LP version. |
| DAPTONE | |
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JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, SHARON: Dap-Dippin’ With… LP (DAP 001LP) 16.50 2002 release. “Sharon Jones’ brand of raw, heavy, hard-driving funk is such a throwback to the ’70s, and she pulls it off so well, that you wonder how she could have escaped that decade without at least a few rare, classic 45s (in the vein of labelmate Lee Fields). It’s not hard to believe she once made her living as a prison guard, based on the tough-as-nails, no-nonsense performances she belts out on Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the first full-length release on Desco’s descendant, Dap-Tone. Backed by the Dap-Tone house band (a conglomeration of studio pros with connections reaching back to the Desco orbit), Jones delivers a storming set of tunes that would have sounded perfectly at home on the James Brown’s Original Funky Divas compilation.” |
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JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, SHARON: Naturally LP (DAP 004LP) 16.50 2007 release. “Another session of full-force funk that pays homage to the genre’s glory years without coming off as contrived. It’s a session worthy of being found in any beat-miner’s record collection and any funk enthusiast’s basket of obscurities and rarities. Her cover of ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is equally as impressive, as she somehow takes the song from being an American folk standard and turns it into a full-on sonic explosion.” Gatefold sleeve. |
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JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, SHARON: 100 Days, 100 Nights LP (DAP 012LP) 18.50 2007 release. “Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. The artwork for 100 Days, 100 Nights is unabashedly steeped somewhere in the early ’60s. It is this era that the Dap Kings and their bodacious frontwoman cannily inhabit. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings set the gold standard for the so-called ‘retro-soul’ movement that reached its peak in 2007. While some groups seemed like pale imitations of the Funk Brothers and the Meters, the Dap Kings were the genuine article. The ferocity of Sharon Jones, too, could single-handedly squash other vocalists clamoring for a slice of the soul pie. Irrespective of genre, 100 Days, 100 Nights is an essential music-listening experience.” |
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MENAHAN STREET BAND: Make The Road By Walking LP (DAP 015LP) 18.50 2008 release. “Soulful instrumentals featuring members of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, The Budos Band and El Michels Affair. Includes ‘Make The Road By Walking,’ as sampled by Jay Z in ‘Rock Boys (And The Winner Is…).'” |
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SHELTON & THE GOSPEL QUEENS, NAOMI: What Have You Done, My Brother? LP (DAP 016LP) 15.50 2009 release. “Like many gospel and R&B singers, Naomi Davis Shelton learned to sing at an early age in the church where she was baptized in Alabama. What Have You Done, My Brother? is a testament to the singular sound of gospel and soul music.” |
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JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, SHARON: I Learned The Hard Way LP (DAP 019LP) 16.50 2010 release. “Sharon’s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha in the canon of soul music. From the lush Philly-Soul fanfare that ushers in ‘The Game Gets Old’ at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style ‘Mama Don’t Like My Man’ at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. I Learned the Hard Way is the ‘Daptone Sound’ at its finest.” |
| DE STIJL | |
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PARASITES OF THE WESTERN WORLD, THE: Politico/Zytol Automation 7″ (DESTIJL 095EP) 7.00 “De Stijl’s excavation of The Parasites Of The Western World turns up the lead single for their second album in the form of an exact reissue. Originally released circa 1980-81, ‘Politico’ opened the B-side to Substrata with a rippin’ new wave roller full of glam stomp, proggy arrangement and punky attitude. The synth-fueled instrumental B-side was exclusive to the single, and as tradition dictates, far more interesting, featuring Terry Censky and Patrick Burke in an ebullient symphony of synths, drums and guitar.” |
| DESSOUS (GERMANY) | |
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STEVE BUG/PHONIQUE: Best Kept Secrets 3 2CD (DES 017CD) 17.00 Dessous presents the third volume of their Best Kept Secrets compilation series. Over two CDs, Dessous’ boss Steve Bug and Phonique have hand-picked the best recent Dessous tracks alongside some of the more illustrious B-sides, album tracks and hidden gems from the recent back-catalog. CD1 features 11 un-mixed tracks in their full glory, including four new exclusive tracks from Salvatore Freda, Andrade, Echonomist and Steve Bug himself, representing the future stars of Dessous. The second CD is a 12-track mix by central Dessous artist Phonique, taking you through even more hidden classics, with exclusives from Jamie Anderson & Owain K, Vincenzo & Aram Chabdjian, Phonique himself and Tigerskin. Other artists include: André Lodemann, 9west, Salvatore Freda, Goldwill, Burnski, Zoë Xenia, Lisa Shaw, Langenberg and Jimpster. |
| DUST-TO-DIGITAL | |
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FAHEY, JOHN: Your Past Comes Back To Haunt You 5CD BOX/BOOK (DTD 021CD) 81.00 Subtitled: The Fonotone Years 1958-1965. More than 10 years in the making, this box set features the earliest recordings and the first book ever written about one of the most influential guitarists from the 1960s and ’70s, John Fahey. The five CDs feature 115 tracks, most of which are available on CD for the first time. The audio was remastered from Joe Bussard’s reel-to-reel tapes to achieve pristine sound quality. As for the accompanying book, the list of scholars who contributed essays includes Eddie Dean, Claudio Guerrierri, Glenn Jones, Malcolm Kirton, Mike Stewart and John’s childhood friend R. Anthony Lee. Byron Coley contributed a poem about John, and Douglas Blazek’s 1967 interview with Fahey is published for the first time. Released 10 years after John Fahey’s death, this set puts one of the final puzzle pieces of Fahey’s career in place. Everyone can now hear where this guitar legend got his start — a smoky basement in Frederick, Maryland. Co-produced by Dean Blackwood of Revenant, Glenn Jones, and Lance Ledbetter of Dust-to-Digital, this set is released with the support of Joe Bussard and the John Fahey Estate. The set is dedicated to John’s mother, Jane C. Hayes and the late musician Jack Rose. Includes a 88-page hardcover book with 5 CDs in a separate gatefold portfolio — all housed in a deluxe slipcase. Book measurements: 12 x 12 x 1.25 inches. |
| EM RECORDS (JAPAN) | |
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OHNO, MATSUO: Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals) 7″ (EM 1094EP) 16.50 Em Records presents a slice of lost history unearthed for your enjoyment and delight. A first-ever reissue, on limited edition 7″ vinyl of Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals), an ultra-rare 33rpm 7″ flexi-disc by esteemed sound designer Matsuo Ohno, the legend behind the soundtracks for anime classics Astro Boy (1963-1966), Submarine Cassiopeia (1964) and Space Battleship Yamato (1974-1975). The original flexi-disc was released as a souvenir during the famed World Expo ’70 in Osaka (think Stockhausen and Xenakis), but was available for only a brief time and soon disappeared, an object of rumor and mystery for collectors. As befitting Expo ’70’s remit as a meeting of world cultures, Ohno chose 6 well-loved Japanese and international songs — and rendered them entirely in animal and bird sounds, using analog tape recordings. Choju Gigaku contains equal measures of musicality, magic, madness and mayhem, with domestic and barnyard animals combining their natural and pitch-shifted voices with the calls and cries of a multitude of birds. Eschewing musical instruments, Ohno utlized Japan’s first variable-speed tape recorder to create these melodies, adding delay and reverb to the warm analog mix. The five songs on Choju Gigaku are “Sekaino Kunikara Kon’nichiwa,” the theme song for Expo ’70 originally sung by Haruo Minami, the Japanese traditional songs “Sakura Sakura” and “Yagi Bushi,” an Italian song “Funiculi, Funicula,” the Russian “Volga Boatman” and an American classic “Oh My Darling, Clementine.” Recording in Sogosha studios (his production company) in Aoyama, Ohno was ably assisted by avant-garde composer/musician Takehisa Kosugi (Taj Mahal Travellers, Merce Cunningham and many others), who was an integral part of the recording process. Housed in a full reproduction of the original triple gatefold sleeve with liner notes newly written by Matsuo Ohno (in 2011). |
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KUNITAKA, SATO: Wandering Shadow Of Southern Streets LP (EM 1095LP) 25.50 Subtitled: Blind Itinerant Musician From Amami Island. Em Records presents Wandering Shadow Of Southern Streets, 1970s recordings from Sato Kunitaka, dark star of the southern islands of Japan. Sato Kunitaka was born in 1919 in the Amami Islands, south of Kyushu. He lost his sight at eight months; his grandfather taught him to play sanshin, the southern shamisen, to ensure that Sato would be able to earn a living when he grew up. When he was 12, he began to play tategoto, a vertically-held form of koto. He developed a unique style on both of these instruments. From the age of 17, he began his wandering lifestyle, travelling through the Ryukyu Islands, a thousand-kilometer subtropical archipelago including Okinawa. He supported himself as a travelling musician, performing island folk songs, pre-War popular songs and his own compositions. Although he was a fine instrumentalist, Sato’s real power resides in his voice: a powerful, wailing, howling sound dredged up from the depths of his being. Some have likened the impact of his voice to that of Charley Patton — a dark, intense sound-world most unlike the relatively smoother, sunny vocal styles of other Ryukyu/Okinawa singers. After World War II, Sato’s popularity spread to the U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa, and it is rumored that his wanderings took him to Hawaii. He continued his itinerant ways, travelling through the archipelago, singing, playing, living and loving (a man of rumor and mystery, he is said to have married at least eight different women during his lifetime). In the early 1970s, he came to the attention of Takenaka Ro, a writer and political activist, and through Takenaka’s enthusiastic support, Sato travelled to Tokyo in 1975 to record his first album. Sato’s fame continued to spread, and he performed at various folk festivals and made other recordings, some of which were released posthumously. Travelling and playing throughout the islands to the end, he made his last public appearance in Okinawa in 1985 and died the same year. “WSOSS” features recordings of Sato Kunitaka made in the late 1970s in Okinawa. These recordings, by Harada Kennichi, show Sato in his element, playing Ryukyu Island songs on his home turf, capturing his innate wildness and his elemental, raw spirit. Released on 12″ vinyl, one side of “WSOSS” features Sato playing tategoto; the flipside is devoted to his sanshin. Both sides, of course, spotlight the mystery and majesty of his voice. Includes a 4-page insert with liner notes in both English and Japanese. |
| ERASED TAPES (UK) | |
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FRAHM, NILS: Felt CD (ERATP 033CD) 15.50 Berlin-based pianist Nils Frahm is already a firebrand in the modern classical world, collaborating with contemporaries such as Peter Broderick, Ólafur Arnalds and Anne Müller. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. He finally returns with the successor to his highly-acclaimed solo piano works Wintermusik (ERATP 018CD/LP) and The Bells (ERATP 021CD). Having recorded his last album live in a large, reverberant church, Nils Frahm now invites you to put on your headphones and dive into a world of microscopic and delicate sounds — so intimate that you could be sitting beside him. Recorded late at night in the reflective solitude and silence of his studio in Berlin, Frahm uncovers a new sound and source of inspiration within these peaceful moments: “Originally I wanted to do my neighbors a favor by damping the sound of my piano. If I want to play piano during the quiet of the night, the only respectful way is by layering thick felt in front of the strings and using very gentle fingers. It was then that I discovered that my piano sounds beautiful with the damper.” Captivated by this sonic exposition, he placed the microphones so deep inside the piano that they were almost touching the strings. This brought a host of external sounds to the recordings which most producers would try their hardest to hide: “I hear myself breathing and panting, the scraping sound of the piano’s action and the creaking of my wooden floorboards — all equally as loud as the music. The music becomes a contingency, a chance, an accident within all this rustling. My heart opens and I wonder what exactly it is that makes me feel so happy.” Felt creates its own personal microcosm, offering a refuge of tender and honest beauty. |
| FENOU (GERMANY) | |
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KADEBOSTAN & LAOLU: Salome 10″ (FENOU 015EP) 12.00 The topic of Salomé fits the two producers Kadebostan & Laolu from Switzerland perfectly. The melodies sway back and forth — dreamy and full of peace. The rhythm group plays along and even though the vocal phrases retain their own character, they blend into the musical structure as if they were made for these tracks. The A and the B sides show a masterly, crafted arrangement. As usual, the lovingly-designed 10″ record is a limited edition and numbered by hand. |
| FIAKUN (SPAIN) | |
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VOLTA CAB: Loved By The Sun 12″ (FIAKUN 004EP) 12.00 Russia is a cold country, but it seems that Volta Cab has created an underworld in his hometown, where he creates dance music with a warm, acoustic and timeless point of view. These are three original tunes where acoustic is mixed with synthetic as never before. Two pure, elite remixers, Daniel Bortz and Ene! have remixed “Be Madly In My Love,” adding their own unique perspective and initiative. |
| FIRE (UK) | |
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ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS: Barfly CD (FIRE 197CD) 17.50 “The group that spawned Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. This is their first ever release in 37 years. 2002 saw the first official release of Rocket From the Tombs, culling bootlegs, demos and live rarities on the universally loved The Day The Earth Met Rocket From The Tombs, which went on to influence bands today affirming Rocket From The Tombs songs are as imperative now as they were 37 years ago.” |
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TEENAGE FANCLUB: Deep Fried Fanclub CD (FIRE 224CD) 17.50 “Deep Fried Fanclub is re-released as part of the Fire Records Embers reissue series. This album is an amalgamation of Teenage Fanclub’s currently out of print B-sides, rarities and also includes universally loved ‘Everything Flows’ from their debut album A Catholic Education. Featuring ‘Speeder’ (a B-Side on ‘Everything Flows’ and ‘Everybody’s Fool’) and none other than Don Fleming at the helm for production duties on ‘Weedbreak’ (B-Side from their very first single ‘God Know It’s True’). Complete with covers of Neil Young and Beat Happening to name a few, this album is perfect for a sunny afternoon with some time to kill. Reissue design by Alex Hornsby.” |
| FIRE FIDELITY (ITALY) | |
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TEENAGE FANCLUB: Deep Fried Fanclub LP (FF 224LP) 31.00 LP version, with a download card. “Teenage Fanclub’s sugary indie sound is delivered with a forthright rock approach you’d expect from Big Star or Dinosaur Jr. Celebrating a career spanning two decades this collection highlights lost gems making them available once again in a lovingly packaged LP. “ |
| FIVE DAY WEEKEND | |
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MR. CHOP: Switched On 2×10″ (FDW 7705-10) 21.00 “The producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist behind several Now-Again and Jazzman Records releases, Mr. Chop is the proprietor of Cheshire, UK based Ape Recording Studios — one of the finest analog studios in the world, and a repository for vintage synthesizers, guitars, drums and gear sourced from the world over. Which brings us to Switched On, his homage to the great Moog-lead albums that proliferated in the wake of the synthesizer’s invention in the late ’60s and early ’70s. But, unlike those records – like Dick Hyman’s Age of Electronicus which contained one great synth-funk track amidst a series of soft pop hits, this album is all killer, and no filler. Mr. Chop tackles songs by the likes of Can, the JBs, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Smith via a still-futuristic blend of heavy drums and funky basslines by The Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto and Jake Ferguson, and his own fuzzy guitars and cosmic keys.” |
| FLEDG’LING (UK) | |
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SNAKEFARM: My Halo At Half-Light CD (FLED 3086CD) 15.50 Ten classics from the American folk song tradition receive a series of gorgeous remakes by the remarkable Snakefarm. It has been a long ten years since Anna Domino and Michael Delory made their debut with the widely-praised Songs From My Funeral. As a solo artist, Anna Domino released four remarkable albums and two EPs for the Belgian label Les Disques du Crepuscule, between 1984 and 1990. Those recordings are often cited as major influences on the British trip-hop movement centered around Massive Attack and Portishead. Yet, the glorious New York summer afternoon that Snakefarm crept into her consciousness, Domino knew she’d found a whole new musical window to leap through — “I was waiting for the light” and said “We should take a bunch of those great old songs about murder and such, and start doing them with modern arrangements.” The idea refused to sit still, and as soon as she returned home, Domino and Delory set to work on the experiment. “Just to see what would happen.” Though subtle percussion and loops had distinguished her earlier recording, in Snakefarm, Anna wanted the beats to be more prominent, yielding percolating arrangements that could carry the narrative content of the words. It worked. “It was so much fun,” confesses the singer, “the arrangements almost wrote themselves. What surprised me was how it didn’t take any forcing at all.” My Halo At Half-Light continues where the previous album left off and features scintillating arrangements that bring these stories from our collective past into the sunlight of today. |
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MCNIFF, JASON: April Cruel CD (FLED 3087CD) 15.50 Fledg’ling Records are very proud to present April Cruel, the new album from acclaimed singer-songwriter Jason McNiff. This long-awaited collection sees Jason delivering on the promise of his highly-regarded previous albums. What keeps one fascinated by McNiff, live and on record, is his unpredictability — never the same twice. Jason is an enigmatic character, a troubadour and one of the finest singers from the UK. He is a brilliant guitarist and resolutely follows the path his guitar takes him. Born in Yorkshire of Polish/Irish descent, Jason McNiff has released 3 albums on London-based independent labels. He follows in the line of the finest storytelling of people like Bert Jansch, Richard Thompson and Nick Drake, to the great American singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Leonard Cohen. Students of love, seekers after truth, old soldiers and the musically adventurous should all find solace in this heartfelt collection. |
| FORCED NOSTALGIA (BELGIUM) | |
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PUMP: The Decoration Of The Duma Continues LP (FN 003LP) 23.50 Pump were Andrew Cox and David Elliott, a pair of like-minded electronic music fiends who met at Brighton University in 1979. After staring a fanzine and a tape label, the pair eventually began to record their own material (initially under the moniker MFH) and released several cassette albums typified by underground industrial strains inspired by Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Faust and Heldon. They spent the middle of the 1980s often geographically estranged, with David writing for the notorious Sounds magazine alongside David Tibet, and Andrew working in Cornwall. In 1987 they finally recorded new material, making for their exceptional debut album under the Pump moniker The Decoration Of The Duma Continues, originally released on Andrew Hulme’s Final Image label. The album has languished in the out-of-print wilderness pretty much since its release and has now been carefully remastered and reissued by Forced Nostalgia on a beautiful gatefold vinyl pressing with a suitably rich cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. The Decoration… is clearly influenced by the era that immediately preceded its release, capturing the vapor trails of the post-punk movement while fermenting industrial and electronic ideas that would go on to dominate their incredible, criminally-overlooked second album Sombrero Fallout. The album opens with “Dance Without Music,” constructed around a spiralling synth line and skittering percussion somehow reminiscent of early Talking Heads, Cabaret Voltaire and the squashed anti-funk often heard on tracks by The Cure from the same era. But there is a much darker undercurrent permeating the pores of these tracks — and “A Veiled Woman” marks a watershed of sorts — taking a turn towards more unstable terrain with treated glass-bottle gamelan effects draping a veil of sadness and tension over inherently beautiful, original material. “A Sort Of Accident” goes even further towards establishing the stylistic links and aesthetics shared by Pump and some of their contemporaries, most notably — Coil. Reviewed at the time of its initial release, the album was described by The Observer as “bad mood music” while Melody Maker said it sounded like “the clanging and abrasion of rusted and misaligned gears and ratchets…” — and it is precisely that slightly unhinged, brilliantly forward-thinking marriage of beauty and decay that makes The Decoration Of The Duma Continues stand out so brightly against the backdrop of almost all of the music released at the time. Pump, to our minds at least, really are one of the great forgotten bands of the era. Limited edition of 500 copies only. Housed in a full-color gatefold sleeve. |
| FREUDE AM TANZEN (GERMANY) | |
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GREED, DOUGLAS: KRL CD (FREUDE 006CD) 17.00 “I want the music to give me goosebumps. Music that moves my heart and soul.” –Quincy Jones; These words are in the deepest part of Douglas Greed and the approach to his debut album. He allows his heart to lead, the better to look where it goes. Therein he’s distributing straight dope; however, in the sense of emotional impact, dancefloor dictation it is not. Greed crafts music that serves up euphoria for your mind on the terrace, massage table, train or car trip and so on. This album has an enduring touch, and will remain in the mind for seasons to come. This is more weeping or laughing in the mirror rather than admiring the physical. Douglas favors sophisticated simplicity here, a sort of future-pop author who expressions his passions to the fullest. Beauty in darkness is also at play here — Greed’s unique signature. Features musician friends such as Mooryc, Pascal Bideau, Kemo, Ian Simmonds and Delhia de France. Greed casts twelve expressive pulse beats of pure Greed cosmos. |
| GET BACK (ITALY) | |
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COMUS: First Utterance 2LP (GET 541) 38.00 2011 repress of this legendary album, originally reissued on Get Back in 1998. Housed in a gatefold sleeve. “The first LP is rock music only by association. Taking British folk as a point of departure, the music twists and oozes as a vile bunch of snakes, pairing gorgeous melodies and expert playing to ecstatically altered vocals and vicious lyrics. Rape, murder, witchcraft and abuse are main ingredients to the menu, which is cooked with raging madness, but still manages to taste delicately composed. One of the very first British folk albums that creates a totally new, dangerous and utterly unique atmosphere.” — Marcel Koopman. The second disc in this Get Back reissue is a 12″ EP with 3 bonus tracks from their 1971 7″ on Down Records featuring “Diana” (single version) and 2 non-album tracks. The classic weird-folk British album from 1970, infamous for its influence on Current 93 and countless others. |
| GET ON DOWN | |
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WORRELL, BERNIE: All The Woo In The World CD (GET 51277CD) 15.00 “As important as his own musical contributions were, a large part of George Clinton’s legacy lies within his ability to nurture and develop talent; along with Bootsy Collins and Garry Shider, keyboardist Bernie Worrell is amongst the most accomplished of Clinton’s various proteges. Having joined Funkadelic in 1970, Worrell would become a stable of any and all P-funk projects for the next decade and in 1978 he struck out on his own with All the Woo in the World. Anchored by the epic 12-minute jam ‘Insurance Man For the Funk,’ the album shows an artist eager to put his personal stamp on the sound he helped develop alongside Clinton, who co-wrote several of the tracks. Worrell takes the lead on vocals and keys, crafting bouncy cuts in the vein of Funkadelic (‘Woo Together’) and also slower, more vocal-driven songs like ‘I’ll Be Here.’ Worrell would go on to play extensively with the Talking Heads in the 1980s and was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet his debut record remains an enduring chapter in his storied legacy. After being out of print for 20 years, Get On Down is proud to present this rare, classic record as it was intended to be heard, with a new audio transfer direct from the original master tapes and packaged in a four-panel digipak.” |
| GIZEH RECORDS (UK) | |
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FAREWELL POETRY: Hoping For The Invisible To Ignite LP/DVD (GZH 035LP) 25.50 FareWell Poetry is a collective of Parisian musicians and an Anglo-Saxon poet and filmmaker. From indie to modern classical to drone and shoegaze, spoken word and experimental film, FareWell Poetry represents the pooled influences of its core members and passionate collaborators. The band’s richly-arranged songs seek out subtle and luminous climaxes, the hypnotically simple melodies falling away like scaffolding to reveal a complex structure narrated by a haunted voice drumming out a dark poetry, echoes from a deep well. Performing in festivals, movie theaters, concert halls, churches and collaborating with a wide range of guests such as Bérangère Maximin, Gaspar Claus, David Moore, David Fenech, this ambitious project combines incandescent and powerful drama, orchestrated minimalism, experimental film, dark sensuality and luminous poetry. Hoping For The Invisible To Ignite was recorded and mixed between Paris, Normandy (FR) and Saint-Margaret of Antioch Church in Leeds (UK). These four haunting, orchestral pieces were performed in the studio live, and re-recorded using a “wall of sound” process, adding the natural reverb of the church to the raw tracks. The DVD includes the Super 8/16mm black&white film As True As Troilus by Jayne Amara Ross and a bonus live performance shot by Alain Grodard and Rod Maurice during the “Festival des Nouveaux Arts Sacres” at Saint-Eustache Church in Paris. Somewhere between a sleep-starved Man Ray, the visual performances of Throbbing Gristle or The Velvet Underground, FareWell Poetry exudes a creativity inspired by a state of trance and seeks new boundaries to push back, new doors to open. DVD is European PAL format, region free; 40 minutes, stereo. This deluxe vinyl version includes a download code for the music, plus an insert and exclusive postcards. |
| HANDMADE BIRDS | |
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CROOKED NECKS: Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t LP (HB 017LP) 18.00 “First official full length from Crooked Necks, six years in the making! Previously known for their acclaimed 2010 split with Circle Of Ouroborus on Cocainacopia. Featuring members of Hostage Pageant and the now defunct Toil. Mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin. Formed as Frail in 2006, changed to Crooked Necks in 2009. Highly innovative blend of post punk and metal.” |
| HFN (GERMANY) | |
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DARKNESS FALLS: The Void (Limited Edition) 12″+7″ (HFN 008EP) 16.50 Taken from their forthcoming debut album, the spellbinding Alive In Us (HFN 009CD/LP), Darkness Falls single, the melancholic and mysterious The Void. Featuring the heartwarming tones of lead singer Josephine Philip, who co-writes with band partner Ina Lindgreen, the whole album was produced by leading Danish composer and recording artist Anders Trentemøller. Remixes come from Trentemøller himself, alongside Clueless, Lightbluemover vs. Black Light Smoker, and Terje Bakke. This limited 12″ version includes a free bonus 7″ with the original track plus a Trentemøller piano version. |
| HISTORY ALWAYS FAVOURS THE WINNERS (UK) | |
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KIRBY, LEYLAND: Eager To Tear Apart The Stars CD (HAFTW 010CD) 17.00 James Leyland Kirby is a prolific artist with a remarkably long and varied career working inside, outside and beyond the electronic underground. From his roots as one-half of renowned audio pranksters and sonic agitators V/VM, to his critically-acclaimed work as The Caretaker and, most recently, Leyland Kirby — he’s always attracted the attention of an often bewildered audience, although his stature and position as serious auteur has somehow grown exponentially with every year that has gone by since his beginnings in rainy Edgeley back in the mid-’90s. Eager To Tear Apart The Stars is his follow-up proper to the now-classic Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was trilogy of LPs, which were released in 2009 to widespread critical acclaim. Since then, he’s quietly ushered in the demented white label vinyl series Intrigue & Stuff, and released another album as The Caretaker, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World. Eager To Tear Apart The Stars echoes and refracts the maverick solo synth classics of Roedelius and Harold Budd, but with a temporal warping and sense of decayed decadence individual to Kirby’s oeuvre. There’s an ostensible sadness to these six pieces, but of a life-affirming and subtly ambiguous kind, evoking almost indecipherably mixed emotions of a rare and enigmatic variety which continue to haunt long after the record has come to a close. The album artwork features another specially-commissioned painting by Ivan Seal. Housed in a digipak CD. Mastered and cut at Berlin’s Dubplates & Mastering. |
| IMMUNE | |
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TUMA, SCOTT: Not For Nobody Cassette (IMMUNE 013CS) 7.00 Limited cassette version — with a download coupon. “Not For Nobody is the third solo album from Chicago’s Scott Tuma. Originally released on CD in 2008 by the Digitalis label. Tuma is a luminary of the Chicago musical environment from his days as guitarist in pioneering Chicago alt-country band Souled American to his work in the Boxhead Ensemble and Good Stuff House (with Matt Christensen and Mike Weis of Zelienople).” |
| IMPORTANT RECORDS | |
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MIMINOKOTO: Hitoyogiri CD (IMPREC 338CD) 14.00 “Brand new full length from Miminokoto. Highly recommended for fans of Tokyo-Underground, classic era PSF and contemporary Japanese outfits such as LSD March and Suishou No Fune. Featuring members of Acid Mothers Temple, Overhang Party & Che-Shizu. Seven tracks, recorded at Peace Music by Nakamura Souichiro in late 2010, including an amazing cover of the late Jutok Kaneko’s (Kosokuya) Milky Light. Get deep into the decadent death doom of Miminokoto.” |
| INCUNABULUM (NETHERLANDS) | |
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OPERATING THEATRE: The Early Years 2CD (INC 006CD) 22.00 Operating Theatre is an Irish music theater company founded by composer Roger Doyle and performer Olwen Fouéré. This collection was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their founding, originally by the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival label in 2006. Featuring Bono of U2. Operating Theatre has been active in two phases: the first from 1981 to 1988, and the second from 1998 to the present. This double CD celebrates the first phase, during which the company operated as both a theater company, integrating music as an equal partner in the theatrical environment, and as a band releasing records. Roles were flexible within the company in that Fouéré also sang and Doyle also acted. In phase two there has been no band, and the texts (if any) have been “found,” devised and/or drawn together from various strands, instead of being commissioned from writers as in phase one. Performances have taken place in both conventional and non-theatrical environments (e.g. an abandoned warehouse, a glass room in a hotel), and music has become more integrated. The first appearance by Operating Theatre (the band) was in the summer of 1981 with the release on CBS Records (Ireland) of the single “Austrian,” with “Positive Disintegration” on the B-side. A second single “Blue Light And Alpha Waves” followed a year later, with “Rampwalk” as the B-side. “Fingerdance Waltz/Hymn” contains two developed extracts from the music for “Ignotum Per Ignotius,” a 50-minute piece of music-theater performed by Doyle and Fouéré, written and directed by visual artist James Coleman, which Operating Theatre went on a tour of Holland with in 1982. “No Come,” “Syllable,” “Dragon Path,” “The Confectioners” and “Miss Mauger” were included on the LP Miss Mauger by Operating Theatre released in 1983 on the Kabuki label in London. ‘Sir Geoffrey,” “Satanasa” and “Clubmusic/Amene-Moi” are from the Operating Theatre production of The Diamond Body written by Aidan Mathews, a 75-minute solo performance by Fouéré, which opened at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin in 1984 and toured in London, Glasgow, New Jersey, Avignon and Caracas up until 1988. Also in 1984, the company mounted a production of the Lorca play The Love Of Don Perlimplin And Belisa In The Garden, turning it into an “electronic chamber opera of sorts.” This time, Fouéré directed and Doyle and Elena Lopez played the title roles. A 56-minute suite of Doyle’s music from this production, developed as a music-only experience, was released in 2000 as part of a double CD called Fairlight Memories. Three tracks are included here. In October 1983 Olwen and Roger were asked to perform new material for an Irish TV arts show and to demonstrate the latest in music technology — the Fairlight Computer Music Instrument. “Part Of My Make-up” is the song they wrote for that occasion. “The Tractor” comes from 1984, from days of intense Operating Theatre activity, but was never used for anything in the end. It gets its first outing here. “Queen Of No Heart” and “Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” were the result of an initial collaboration between singer/lyricist Elena Lopez and Roger Doyle and were released by Mother Records, the label set up by U2, as a single by Operating Theatre in 1986, with Lopez on main vocals and drummer Sean Devitt joining the band for this recording. Fouéré was asked to play the title role in the Gate Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome, directed by Steven Berkoff in 1988, and Doyle was asked to compose the music — a two hour on-stage live piano score. “Before She Was Asked To Dance” is an early version of what was to become “Salome’s Dance.” The first phase of the company’s activity had come to an end. “Johnny’s Body At 002” is a work made in preparation for the first Operating Theatre production in phase two, Angel/Babel (1999). |
| ITEMS & THINGS (CANADA) | |
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MAGDA/MARC HOULE/TROY PIERCE: Down & Out Vol 1 12″ (ITEM 007EP) 12.50 Troy Pierce, Marc Houle & Magda team up to present their first-ever trio release on Items & Things, Down & Out Vol. 1 — which takes its name from their newly-created party series — events that are based around the dark & intimate, off-the-radar and under the ground. |
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VA: Various Items 12″ (ITEM 008EP) 12.50 Items & Thing presents creative sounds from producers tucked in various corners of the world, with each track having as much distinct character as the producer who created it. Parisian Clement Meyer has crafted a sound that’s bold and against the grain. On “Making Moves At Random,” he showcases his deeply intense style with signature precision. Every which way the cinematic production twists and turns, it builds subtly yet intricately. Other artists include: Tomas More, Andy Martin and Gabriel Ferreira. |
| KISMET (UK) | |
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ALEXANDER, GORDON: Gordon’s Buster CD (KIS 4015CD) 17.00 This enigmatic singer-songwriter was hyped alongside Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman in 1968, but his sole album — released that August — swiftly sank into obscurity. Co-produced by the legendary Curt Boettcher (whose Millennium bandmates are also featured) and arranged by David Angel (best-known for his timeless work on Love’s Forever Changes), it’s a lost classic of West Coast psychedelic pop, and makes its long-overdue CD debut here, complete with explanatory liner notes. Note hilarious song-title: “A Bunch Of Us Were Sitting Around A Candle In San Francisco Getting Stoned And I Hope You’re There The Next Time.” |
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EVE: Take It And Smile CD (KIS 4016CD) 17.00 Recorded by three members of legendary female harmony quartet Honey Ltd. (whose 1968 LP is one of the rarest ever released), this fine sunshine pop album (released on CD for the first time, ever) originally appeared in the summer of 1970. Boasting musical support from luminaries such as Ry Cooder, James Burton, Hal Blaine and Sneeky Pete Kleinow, it’s a classy blend of covers and originals — including a rare early composition by future Eagle Glenn Frey — and comes complete with historical liner notes and a rare bonus track. |
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BIT A SWEET: Hypnotic 1 CD (KIS 4017CD) 17.00 Formerly known as The Satisfactions, this hard-hitting Long Island club act were veterans of the local scene when producer-arranger Steve Duboff (who also worked with The Cowsills, The Monkees, The Insect Trust and others) signed them up as a vehicle for his songs in early 1968. Their sole album was released that May, and makes its long-overdue CD debut here. A likeable blend of psychedelic pop and early synthesizer sounds, it’s presented complete with both sides of their rare 1967 debut 45 (as performed in the exploito movie Blonde On A Bum Trip), and liner notes. |
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AMERICAN DREAM, THE: The American Dream CD (KIS 4018CD) 17.00 Originally known as The Great American Dream, this Philadelphian quintet were local legends who’d opened for The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Santana and many others. Packed with snappy songs and infectious good humor, their sole album was taped in New York’s just-opened Record Plant in the fall of 1969, and marked Todd Rundgren’s debut as producer. Issued in February 1970, it stands as one of the best pop-rock albums of its time, and makes its long-overdue CD debut here. |
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LINN COUNTY: Proud Flesh Soothseer CD (KIS 4019CD) 17.00 Originally known as The Linn County Blues Band, this quintet formed in Iowa and moved to San Francisco in 1967. Having adopted a more psychedelic sound, they soon found themselves gigging alongside Led Zeppelin, Sly & The Family Stone, Ten Years After and other icons in the city’s leading venues. Packed with lengthy acid-rock jams, their classic debut was originally released in September 1968, and makes its long-awaited return to CD here. Includes liner notes. |
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LITTLE BOY BLUES, THE: In The Woodland Of Weir CD (KIS 4020CD) 17.00 Formed in Chicago in 1964, The Little Boy Blues soon became local heroes, opening for The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and many others. Having played innumerable live dates and appeared on top TV shows, their sound took a psychedelic turn in 1967. Their sole album — made with a revised line-up and originally released in October 1968 — incorporates jazz, classical and acid-rock influences, and makes its long-overdue return to CD here, complete with all their non-album singles sides. Includes liner notes. |
| KITSUNE (FRANCE) | |
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VA: Kitsuné Maison Compilation 5 CD (CDA 005CD) 15.50 2008 release. The fifth volume in Kitsuné’s absolutely essential Kitsuné Maison series, focused on straight-up danceable gems. Artists include: Au Revoir Simone, Exchpoptrue, Digitalism, Ruede Hagelstein, Tomboy, Popular Computer, Architecture In Helsinki, Italian X-Rays, VHS Or Beta, Tom Vek, Lo-Fi-Fnk, Hot Chip and Metronomy. |
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GILDAS & MASAYA: New York CD (CDA 017CD) 15.50 2008 release. Kitsuné Music’s founders, Gildas Loaec and Masaya Kuroki, present another edition in their compilation series devoted to the music of the cities they love. This one is dedicated to the electro-pop/dance beat of New York City, featuring the artists Heartsrevolution, Joe And Will Ask?, Treasure Fingers, Laidback Luke, La Roux, autoKratz, In Flagranti, Holy Ghost!, A-Trak, Alex Gopher, The Faint, Boys Noize vs. D.I.M., Moulinex, Edu K (feat. Madame Mim), DJ Mujava, Fan Death, Beni, Guns’n’Bombs, Para One, Lykke Li and Fred Falke. |
| KOMPAKT (GERMANY) | |
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WALLS: Coracle LP+CD (KOM 245LP) 18.00 Limited white vinyl version with a free copy of the CD. Walls’ Alessio Natalizia and Sam Willis return swiftly on the back of 2010’s critically-lauded self-titled debut, an album that picked up MOJO’s coveted “Electronic Album Of The Year,” featured in NME’s end-of-year lists, not to mention winning fans such as Jamie XX, Caribou, James Holden and impressing U.S. trio Battles. Yet it isn’t these admittedly impressive accolades that make the announcement of second LP Coracle such an anticipated one; what makes Walls so alluring is the fully-immersive experience of their mellifluous electronica — reaching out far and wide to pull influences sonic, emotional and theoretical together into patterns of blissful phantasmagoria. Taking their debut as the prototype, Willis and Natalizia have taken those initial early-sunrise evocations and pushed them to even more grandiose expanse. Coracle also takes a more dance-oriented stance, the soft-edged rhythms of ambient combining with influences from the protean Detroit techno and Chicago house music of Juan Atkins, Mr. Fingers et al., to propel the likes of opener “Into Our Midst” and lead-off single “Sunporch” forth. Sonic shapes often collide in slow motion, while a greater usage of guitars and pedals — twisted to push the instruments beyond their comfort zone — have further cemented links to Krautrock (Cluster/Popul Vuh) and shoegaze (MBV/Ulrich Schnauss). At times aural ideas bleed together, sometimes one pushing the other into the background, elsewhere combining to morph into something new. Tracks like “Vacant” and “Drunken Galleon” glimmer with the sense of voyages not entirely known, the former shimmering and shaking as though ready for take-off, the latter’s introductory keyboards tiptoeing naively, like an explorer feeling their way amidst freshly discovered surroundings. There’s no sense of a directed level at which we the listener should respond to their music, so long as we can connect with it — indeed, for a group whose most obvious tools remain electronic machines and samplers, theirs is a sound that could hardly sound more human. This open-ended approach is inspired by the ideas of German film director Werner Herzog — the track “Ecstatic Truth” is named after his talk on the subject. Coracle is cerebrally-created music, but it’s a work that hasn’t been allowed to escape the more impulsive — and yet in many cases more complicated — spectrum of human emotion imbued in it first. It’s an album that connects on the most satisfying and accessible level, as the pair say: “we learned to trust the goosebumps that we’ve both felt throughout making this record;” they won’t be alone in experiencing such spine-tingling reactions. |
| KRANKY | |
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HECKER, TIM: Dropped Pianos CD (KRANK 161CD) 10.00 “This Tim Hecker release is composed of sketch pieces recorded in 2010 in preparation for what would become the Ravedeath, 1972 album. All of the compositions are piano driven and minimal in nature. This is not a new Tim Hecker album, but rather a peek behind the curtains into the working process. That these pieces stand on their own as compelling soundworks is a testament to the fact that Tim Hecker is at the absolute top of his game at the moment, and has been for years.” |
| LAID (GERMANY) | |
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LAWRENCE: Never As Always (Pt. 1) 12″ (LAID 013EP) 12.00 Lawrence is back on his co-owned Laid imprint with a real house music series — Never As Always. As a favorite in Carsten Jost’s CD-R box, “Rise” seemed to be one of those magic deep house tunes, whether it was at the Dial Allnighter residency at Panorama Bar, the Laid Nights at Cookies Berlin or some fancy hangout at the label-chief’s apartment. Now, for the first time only on vinyl, Never As Always (Pt. 1) comes with two dub versions by Sten. |
| LOAD RECORDS | |
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SEX CHURCH: Growing Over CD (LOAD 135CD) 15.00 “The attitude may be sickly & the guitars may bleed, but this double guitar troop furrow known as Sex Church, with FX of truly claustrophobic origin seek the shiny skin inside your ear. Up until now they have left some 7 inches & an LP, but their pale limo arrives to the door & goes right on in. This record really arrives & tells a heavy tale, so please sprinkle some lighter fluid on your skin & hop into the fire.” |
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SEX CHURCH: Growing Over LP (LOAD 135LP) 15.00 “Vinyl limited to 600 copies. Way more addictive than Oxycontin. Way more.” |
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SKOAL KODIAK: Kryptonym Bodliak CD (LOAD 136CD) 15.00 “While Minneapolis band Skoal Kodiak has a prestigious lineage (Quad Muth, The Cows & Seawhores), they’ve already released a 12″ a few years back, & this record ups the ante large. Echoes of the hard funk jut up against Mars Rover squelch to create something totally timeless & new but also borne of a future so toxic that there is no escaping. I dare you to listen & not be immediately summoned to movement. Buy one, buy several, you are now a foot soldier with a flesh uniform, go out and preach the word of Skoal Kodiak from a tall structure loudly.” |
| MGM/PRIDE RECORDS | |
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VINER’S INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND, MICHAEL: Bongo Rock LP (PRD 028LP) 11.50 Originally released in 1973, this record’s second song, The Shadows’ “Apache,” has been sampled by Massive Attack, Sugarhill Gang, Fatboy Slim, Tommy Seebach, Grandmaster Flash, Vanilla Ice, The Roots, Nas, M.I.A., Amy Winehouse, the Beastie Boys, Missy Elliott, DJ Shadow and your mom. What else is there? Side two, track two: “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” |
| MIASMAH (UK) | |
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SCOTT, SIMON: Bunny LP (MIA 017LP) 20.00 LP version, including a download code for the full album and bonus material. This is UK multi-instrumentalist Simon Scott’s second album for Miasmah. He might still be best known for his tenure as the backbone of influential shoegazers Slowdive, but after his debut solo effort Navigare in 2009, he showed that there was far more to his oeuvre. With an ease and fluidity that eschews the usual trappings of the genre, he injected Slowdive’s freeflowing bliss into the kind of blackened soundscapes the Miasmah label has made its calling card and gave the sound a rich, multi-layered quality that was effortlessly enticing. Bunny sees him take on a plethora of themes and ideas, distilling them into a coherent, well-defined narrative. The overall premise of the record is apparent from the very beginning, and might surprise some with its inspired take on the blackened jazz and smokey Americana heard in Paris, Texas or Mulholland Dr.. It would do Scott a disservice to simply label the music as Lynchian however; his success is to treat the layers of instrumentation (drums, guitars, cello, synthesizers) with a masterful fluidity, allowing the influences to melt into a delicate and delectable whole. Occasionally Scott acknowledges his shoegazing past, nudging the sound towards the blurred haze of his former band, but even these moments are cavernous enough for us to imagine them oozing from a Midwestern jukebox in an abandoned suburban diner. Bunny is an ambitious and daring journey for an artist who refuses to stay still; and it might just be the best road trip you’ve never taken. |
| MOBILEE (GERMANY) | |
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RODRIGUEZ JR.: Bittersweet CD (MOBILEE 013CD) 17.00 As an artist with already a lot of very successful material to his name, Rodriguez Jr.’s debut album Bittersweet is a highly-anticipated release. There are, in fact, many reasons why people should hold their breath for it — an impressive 11-track body of work that features some of the well-renowned and loved Rodriguez Jr. sonic traits, as well as a lot of new and previously-unchartered musical ground. It simultaneously presents techno, atmospheric dub, hypnotic, melancholy and hands-down hedonistic music, with a focus on exploring textures and moods — something here for everyone to get lost in. Rodriguez Jr. aka Oliver Mateu, was originally introduced to music through radio in the south of France, where he closely followed a selection of ’80s bands, as well as forming a strong love for synthesizers. It wasn’t long before he was inspired to start his own group with partner Giles Escoffier, The Youngsters, which quickly signed to Laurent Garnier’s F-Communications, taking them to some of the biggest clubs and festivals around the world. After great success, the project was put on hold and over the last five years, Mateu has been given the space to focus more on his solo work and finally the opportunity to create an album. In spite of his French origins, both Olivier Mateu’s artist name and productions lean more towards his father’s Spanish roots, with a Mediterranean warmth and party atmosphere often coming to the fore. Bittersweet, however, embodies influences from all over the world. Inspired during recent trips to Japan, Canada and Europe, the voyaging Rodriguez Jr. accompanied by his laptop lay down ideas in hotel rooms after playing in clubs and absorbed the different environments around him into his work. With each country creating a new experience, his touring has played a big part in the variety of tracks that are presented here. While the spice of Bittersweet was cultivated in far away places, the main body of the production of the album was carried out in Mateu’s hidden-away studio in Belgium, filled with many loved pieces of analog gear and synthesizers. Ranging from the Roland TR909, for a classic house drum feel, to the Korg MS10 for dirtier sounds, and a selection of Roland keyboards to choose from. He has also drawn on the creative input of two musicians who are featured on two of the tracks — And.Id playing his trumpet and Cari Golden’s vocals. A masterpiece that truly reflects the Rodriguez Jr. of today, it also offers enough variety and surprise to keep us inspired by this ever-evolving artist. |
| MODERN LOVE (UK) | |
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STOTT, ANDY: We Stay Together 2×12″ (LOVE 072LP) 20.00 Recorded in the immediate aftermath of his last EP Passed Me By, this new double pack from Andy Stott features six new productions that are more desolate and exposed than anything on its predecessor. The opening “Submission” tumbles into being with layers of washed-out digital revolutions, creating an artificial landscape that’s quite at odds with the analog machinations that follow — yet somehow rendering the alienated feel of this material perfectly. “Posers” nudges its way into being abruptly and embeds another squashed funk variant that’s all low-lit neon and growling textures, awkwardly shuffling into a more robust 4/4 template suffused with sparkling percussion and disembodied vocals. “Bad Wires” is the centerpiece of the EP, a relentless percussive clusterfuck that belies its slow tempo with a fearless, rhythmic attitude. It’s as immersive and narcotic as anything ever produced by Stott — peeling away one layer after another with each repeated listen. “We Stay Together” (Part One) was the first track written for the EP and offers a more spacious narrative and a more sparkling, hazy palette — culminating in a beautifully frayed central hook that’s somehow in keeping with the VHS aesthetic of both Jamal Moss and Ferris Bueller. “Cherry Eye” tumbles deep into a darkened hole before EP closer “Cracked” turns up, fueled by an odd mixture of adrenalin and sorrow to send you on your way, buzzing and forlorn. Mastered and cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Limited to 700 copies for the world. |
| MONKEYTOWN (GERMANY) | |
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MODESELEKTOR: Monkeytown CD (MONKEY 015CD) 15.50 Berlin duo Modeselektor returns full-force with a new album whose immense energy and club-boiling beats will inject the global dance community with inspiration that reverberates across the entire musical spectrum. Flowing freely between styles and tempos, Monkeytown experiments with the edges and extremes, exploring fresh sonic territory from a solid base of beats located deep within the groove. With massive drums, minced vocals and a mastery of mounting tension, Modeselektor creates a new animal out of dance music, a mutating chimera with body parts of left-field hip-hop, soulful R&B, punk, rap and playful surprises. Contributing to the album is an exciting palette of guest vocalists and musicians, including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Busdriver, PVT, Anti-Pop Consortium, Miss Platnum, Sascha Ring (aka Apparat), Pillow Talk, Gordon Boerger, Siriusmo and Otto von Schirach. Monkeytown immediately sets the stage on a higher level with intro track “Blue Clouds,” which loosens limbs from the start with a deep and sparkling hook. “Pretentious Friends” is a full-throttle experience whose beats bump like elephants between Busdriver’s scratched-up, screwed-down vocals. Thom Yorke collaborates on two tracks, contributing his production finesse and haunting falsetto to the dark tension of “Shipwreck” and to the psychedelic caverns of “This,” where pixelated vocals echo from the shadows with ominous overtones. Trashy dancefloor rocker “Evil Twin” is drenched in metal and concrete, and Modeselektor pulls out hidden drawers of bass in the funky “German Clap,” a steaming monster that grabs with gasping urgency. Miss Platnum rides low and slow into “Berlin,” smoothly spreading vocals over the chunk-ridden rhythm, a luscious R&B offering to lap up like cream. The album breaks open entirely and monkeys run wild on “Grillwalker,” a slamming club behemoth fashioned from mutilated 8-bits and a delirious bassline. PVT shines on “Green Light Go,” a poignant, off-kilter track that shuffles forward between loose drums before lifting off into the ether. Beneath Monkeytown’s exquisite orchestration and eclectic sound, pure energy is at the core of the release, vibrating with an emotional vivacity that dares to escape its sonic cage and fling itself upon the world. Joining the heavy ranks of Hello Mom! (BPC 115CD/LP) and Happy Birthday! (BPC 159CD/LP), Monkeytown will light up the club and the cerebrum with Modeselektor’s incredible abilities to move the body, melt the mind and gather disparate genres and their listeners together in one monkey-filled, musical metropolis. |
| MOODMUSIC (GERMANY) | |
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LUOMO: PLUS CD (MOOD 016CD) 17.00 Luomo aka Vladislav Delay, Sistol, Uusitalo — under a raft of names Finnish artist Sasu Ripatti has in the past experimented with ambient, broken beat, glitch as well as grooves and house music with soulful vocals, working with Scissor Sisters, Black Dice, Apparat, Craig Armstrong, Massive Attack, Robert Owens and Towa Tei. Luomo is about experimenting with pop music, a big influence for Ripatti, and bringing it into a fusion of house, disco and electronica. PLUS is Luomo’s fifth album, taking the songwriting abilities of Ripatti to a new level, dwelling deep into first generation Chicago house and the pop sensibilities of ’80s London, coupled with his impeccable crossover pop appeal. Never going for a one formula approach, PLUS has a distinct Luomo sound — hypnotic, sexy and delicately insistent, rhythms following a self-movement and never standing still. Conquering the world of electronics with a hi-tech approach, PLUS grabs the listener mostly because of the soul infused into the works. Sometimes cold and brittle, at other times warm and ductile, the deeply-layered backgrounds make way for outstanding vocal performances which are this time credited to the cryptically-named Chicago Boys, a boy group of more or less known vocalists. Songs like “Good Stuff” and “Shy” are pure pop-bliss, while “Form In Void” and “Twist” shimmer in glacial electronics and gliding synths, all keeping the focus on the organic vocals to extend the album’s scope and reach far beyond expectations. The less song-focused, synth-driven tunes like “Medley Through” and “How You Look” are undoubtedly reflecting the early Luomo sound from Vocal City (2000) and The Present Lover (HUUME 70202CD, 2003), and combined with his finest songwriting makes a cohesive album which actually can and should be listened to as one whole piece. |
| MULE MUSIQ (GERMANY) | |
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MR RAOUL K: Remixed Vol. 1 12″ (MUSIQ 059EP) 14.00 Kuniyuki’s remix of Mr Raoul K’s “Africa.” “More club friendly” with a “modern deep house sound.” Unique. |
| MUSIK KRAUSE (GERMANY) | |
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SIMMONDS, IAN: The Tokio Drifter EP 12″ (MKR 036EP) 12.00 Ian Simmonds presents two sonic rockets at the ready to be blasted off into the auditory world. His penchant for percussive rhythm in connection with a powerfully meditative character is one of a kind. In spite of a multiplicity of tones, melody fragments and densely-packed rhythmic finery, the tracks manage an unbelievably well-organized deepness. For the new Musik Krause, he brings forth cinematic adrenalin and sensuality for free-spirited dancers. |
| MVD AUDIO | |
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MEAT PUPPETS: Up On The Sun LP (MVD 5198LP) 17.00 “Vinyl version of the Meat Puppets’ landmark 1985 album, reissued and remastered for vinyl. This one is a stone cold classic; a mix of punk rock, folk, country, jams and poetic lyrics that was a shock when originally released on SST way back when. From the stoned and sunny opening title track to the whirling dervish of sound that is ‘Two Rivers,’ this album has absolutely no filler and holds up insanely well, like a classic should! For fans of Black Flag and the Grateful Dead.” |
| NOT NOT FUN | |
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PEAKING LIGHTS: 936 LP (NNF 217LP) 14.00 Repressed; LP version. “936 takes every facet of the Peaking Lights mighty diamond and shines it to fluorescent perfection. The songwriting is insane; ‘All The Sun That Shines,’ ‘Amazing & Wonderful,’ ‘Tiger Eyes (Laid Back),’ etc, all seep into yr mindstream and float there like melodic gold dust. Indra Dunis’ silky soul-jazz keys and tranced vocals have never sounded so exquisite, and Aaron Coyes busts out the best bass/drum loops and sneaky dub guitar of his musical lifetime. Recorded by Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studios in Iowa City (where both the NNF Wet Hair LPs were tracked) and mastered in Berlin, 936 retains the cool crate-digger grit of their earlier highlights, but within a much more vivid spectrum of sound. Could not be more jazzed and honored to unveil this total groove-wave classic.” |
| NOW-AGAIN | |
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VA: Where Are You From? CD (NA 5073CD) 18.00 “This anthology took root in a most unusual meeting of the minds: Christophe Lemaire, then creative director at French sportswear giant Lacoste, contacted Eothen ‘Egon’ Alapatt, then general manager at L.A. indie Stones Throw Records, to inquire as to a collaboration between his eponymous clothing line and two of Stones Throw’s most well known talents — Madlib and J.Dilla. A collaboration did follow, and a friendship between the two was born — one stemming from a mutual respect for each other’s craft, and a conjoined goal to celebrate the classic while pushing forward into the future. This anthology took form after one of many meetings at Lemaire’s boutique in the Marais district in Paris. The designer wondered if some of Egon’s Now-Again titles would be available for purchase, for sale in his shop? Egon — aware of Lemaire’s deep knowledge of the past forty-some-odd years of musical innovation and impeccable taste — proposed something more fitting: another collaboration, whereby Lemaire would pick songs from Now-Again’s vast catalog, which they could present as something unique, something new, as Lemaire puts it in his liner notes to this anthology — ‘a psychedelic journey of delicate perception.’ While the worlds of fashion and music often meet, the missions of Christophe Lemaire and Now-Again – to break down the barriers that exist between genres; to entice those who might be interested not by force, but by subtle suggestion — mirror each other almost directly. And now: Where Are You From? sixteen tracks of global psychedelic rock, funk and folk grooves from 1968 until the present day,’ as procured by Now-Again, selected and annotated by Lemaire, and handsomely packaged for your enjoyment. Contains exclusive tracks not available elsewhere on CD.” Artists include Satwa, Kourosh Yaghamaei, Mrr-Adm, Galt Macdermot, Rikki Ililonga, Koushik, Mazhar Ve Fuat, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Gary Wilson, Panbers, Damon, Rasela and Dan Lambert. |
| ORANGE MOUNTAIN | |
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GLASS, PHILIP: The Concerto Project, Vol. IV CD (OMM 077CD) 19.00 “Orange Mountain’s fourth volume documenting the concertos by Philip Glass features the world premiere recording of the composer’s 2010 Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, performed by violinist Tim Fain and cellist Wendy Sutter. The work originated as a commission from the Nederlans Dans Theater for a new dance piece choreographed by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. It is an exciting tour-de-force with three orchestral movements enveloped in duets by the soloists. The second work on this disc is Glass’s first piano concerto, the Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra from 2000. It is performed by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra with Dennis Russell Davies as conductor and soloist.” |
| PHILPOT (GERMANY) | |
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SOULPHICTION: Freerotation 12″ (PHP 056EP) 14.00 The fantastic vibes of 2011’s Freerotation Festival inspired SoulPhiction to record these two tracks during the rehearsal for his live set. Both sides are unedited and “Freerotation II” is the instrumental remix by Jackmate of an upcoming album track featuring Suzana Rozkosny on vocals. Pressed on colored vinyl. |
| PILOT RECORDS (UK) | |
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OTHER HALF, THE: The Other Half CD (PIL 6001CD) 17.00 This legendary early psychedelic band are best-known for featuring the guitar wizardry of Randy Holden (who went on to join Blue Cheer and record a shattering solo LP). Based in Los Angeles, they gigged regularly in San Francisco, sharing stages with many of the city’s best-known acid-rock bands throughout 1967. Their sole LP — a mixture of singles and newer material — appeared in March 1968, by which time Holden had departed. Brilliantly showcasing his innovative playing, it’s a psychedelic classic, and is issued here complete with five bonus tracks culled from rare 45s and a French EP. |
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FIELDS: Fields CD (PIL 6002CD) 17.00 This U.S. power trio’s sole album appeared on both sides of the Atlantic in 1969, but sank without trace. Equally influenced by blues, soul and acid-rock, it’s an enjoyable mixture of snappy hard rock songs and the lengthy “Love Is The Word” suite, which occupied a whole side of the original LP. Featuring backing vocals from Northern Soul legend Brenda Holloway and production by Merry-Go-Round guitarist Bill Rinehart, it’s a must for all fans of bluesy psychedelic rock. |
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LAMBERT AND NUTTYCOMBE: At Home CD (PIL 6003CD) 17.00 Dennis Lambert and Craig Nuttycombe had been on the fringes of L.A.’s music scene for some time, including stints with bands such as the East Side Kids and the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, when they decided to proceed as a duo. This beautifully intimate 1970 release was recorded live at the home they shared in Sausalito, California, and co-produced by David Anderle (The Doors, Love), Chad Stuart (Chad And Jeremy) and Glyn Johns (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones). A mellow collection of self-penned ballads that showcases their superb vocal harmonies and subtle guitar interplay, it has attracted a major cult following over the years. Though they gigged widely in California, Lambert’s heroin addiction made it hard for them to break nationally and they parted after recording one further album in 1973. |
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MOLOCH: Moloch CD (PIL 6004CD) 17.00 Produced by Don Nix (widely-credited as a key architect of the “Memphis Sound”), this hard-hitting collection of bluesy acid-rock first appeared on Stax subsidiary Enterprise in 1970. Featuring the outstanding guitar-playing of the late Lee Baker (later to play with Alex Chilton) and the original version of “Going Down” (covered by Freddie King, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale and others), the album makes its CD debut here, complete with two rare bonus tracks, and is an essential purchase for all fans of blues-influenced rock and roll. |
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PARISH HALL: Parish Hall CD (PIL 6005CD) 17.00 This superb San Franciscan power trio only recorded one album, which stands as one of the best of its kind. Rooted in blues, its snappy, self-penned songs display a clear acid-rock influence, while avoiding excess of any sort. Though it was released in Europe and even Australia in 1970, it sank without trace, spelling the end for the band, though their reputation has been growing ever since. |
| PLAIN RECORDINGS | |
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LOW: Long Division LP (PLAIN 171LP) 19.00 “Kramer produced and recorded Long Division by Duluth, MN based Low: it’s their second album originally released on Virgin Records’ Vernon Yard imprint in 1995. These Minnesota slowcore legends established themselves as critical darlings with their striking vocal harmonies, slow tempos and minimalist song structures and Long Division is one of their best albums.” On 180 gram vinyl. |
| POKER FLAT (GERMANY) | |
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DEXTER, DANIEL: No House For Old Men 12″ (PFR 122EP) 12.00 After some success with his strong, futuristic productions on Exploited, Berlin-based producer Daniel Dexter has found a new home in Steve Bug’s modern house magnate. The moody, storming “No House For Old Men” is a superb example of Daniel’s talents. Synth-heavy, dramatic and restrained, this slow-burning houser lifts and climbs into spacey, ecstatic moments as its Detroit-influenced keys and Carl Craig-esque peaks bring it home. |
| POLE (GERMANY) | |
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POLE: Waldgeschichten 12″ (PL 010EP) 12.00 After a long break, Pole returns. This break was necessary for Pole to find his musical direction and produce a series of new tracks, starting with this 12″. With these three easy-going works, Pole connects once more with his past. Bass and space are at the heart of both this release and the specially-established artist label, Pole. The warm, experimental atmosphere grooves slow and easy, carried from the funk of an old rhythm machine and connected through Pole’s endless echo chambers. |
| PROFAN (GERMANY) | |
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VOIGT, WOLFGANG: Kafkatrax CD (PROFAN 010CD) 15.50 For Wolfgang Voigt, techno is a means of constantly reinventing himself. After the publication of the highly idiosyncratic Freiland Klaviermusik (PROFAN 009CD), the two Sog records Abweichung and Fremde Hände, and Du Musst Nichts Sagen, on Profan, his new album Kafkatrax is dedicated to the human voice. As in previous projects, Voigt is solely interested in the sound and the structure of the original material — in this case, recited text. Using various cutting and covering techniques, he disassembles the text into a disturbing, abstract “literature rap” that at best creates an illusion of comprehending fragments of the shredded words and sentences left over. In combination with Voigt’s typical Umta techno beat, the outcome is a kind of vocal polka consisting of voices and their side acoustics that sound like psychedelic without guitars or acid without 303. The fact that Voigt used a Kafka audio book CD, reminiscent of his literary preferences as a teenager, is entirely meaningless to the final musical product — Voigt is only interested in the sound of recited vocal text. He could have equally used Thomas Mann or the Grimm Brothers. What is interesting, however, is that by covering and layering the voices across up to 5 octaves, a claustrophobic, nightmarish atmosphere is created that can definitely be described as Kafkaesque. |
| PTN (UK) | |
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HACKMAN: More Than Ever 12″ (PTN 002EP) 11.00 Hackman is one of the Funky movement’s best and brightest producers, rising fast and unleashing unstoppable rhythm after unstoppable rhythm. His impressive grasp of bass betrays his initial foray into dubstep, and it lends his music a power both more nuanced and more visceral than many of his contemporaries. |
| QDK MEDIA (GERMANY) | |
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QUESTION MARK: Be Nice To The People CD (QDK 054CD) 15.50 Question Mark recorded this album in 1974 in Kenya, the land of safari parks, of elephants & lions. Five musicians, all English vocals, heavy fuzz guitar, 8 freakin’ tracks. If you think BLO and Witch were great African albums, you will love this one. Right up there with Ofege, Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family, Rikki Ililonga and Mack Sigis Porter, with mostly Western-style songs with great and heavy guitar sounds all over and a strong African touch, of course. Finally out on CD for the first time, ever. This CD version includes a massive interview with the band in the booklet. |
| QUINTESSENTIALS (UK) | |
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UGLY DRUMS: Quite Frankful 12″ (QUINTESSE 025EP) 12.00 Quintessentials 25 is a stunning 3-tracker from new signing Ugly Drums aka Steffen Baldo (who released an obscure white label on Rush Hour). Steffen is a master when it comes to deep, spooky house tunes, just check the A-side track “Alright Alright.” The B-side reveals Steffen’s second love, which is pure house music with a disco twist. |
| RAMP (UK) | |
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TEETH: Swarm/Shift/Sequence/Spawn Part 1 10″ (RAMP 046.1EP) 11.00 Fresh from his huge Shawty 12″ on Oneman’s 502 Recordings, Teeth continues Helsinki’s 2011 invasion with Swarm/Shift/Sequence/Spawn. Spread over two pieces of vinyl, Teeth’s heavy 808 usage manages to land somewhere between early DMZ & Source Direct. Limited copies with full artwork. |
| RASTER-NOTON (GERMANY) | |
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ALVA NOTO: Univrs 2LP (R-N 133LP) 21.00 Gatefold 2LP version. Alva Noto’s (Carsten Nicolai) Univrs follows on from and develops the concept of the album Unitxt (R-N 095CD/LP). Whereas the focus of Unitxt was on the processing of rhythmic patterns (“unit” = unit of measurement, element) and information (“txt” = data, language), with Univrs the focus is on the conceptual differentiation of a universal language (“universum/universal” = unity, entirety). The 14 tracks on Univrs have evolved from a live context, hence, the approach is more continuous and dense. For the track “Uni Acronym,” Alva Noto works again with the French vocal artist Anne-James Chaton. The track is based on a number of 208 three-letter acronyms (set in alphabetical order), creating a random narrative. The audio-visual performance of Univrs is based on the real-time manipulation of software-generated test images by audio signals. A customized hardware box triggers the video signal according to the value of the audio signal. The resulting color patterns change constantly without repetition. The visualization of Univrs (Uniscope Version) — an expanded screen projection setup — on a digital level combines a variety of modules demonstrating different methods of audio analyzing. The resultant signal processing is shown as a relay structure and is performed in real-time. Each module can be zoomed in on the expanded screen, enabling greater visual detail. The Univrs (Uniscope Version) was developed with the Touchdesigner software in close cooperation with Derivative in Toronto, Canada. Alva Noto would like to thank Anne-James Chaton for his on-going inspiration, Martin L. Gore for providing a sample for the track “Uni Rec,” and Daniel Miller for advice and support. The album was mastered by Rashad Becker at Clunk, Berlin. |
| REEL TIME (UK) | |
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VA: Psych-Out Original Soundtrack CD (RT 1003CD) 17.00 Starring Jack Nicholson and released in early 1968, Psych-Out has been described as “a groovy movie par excellence, the Citizen Kane of the late ’60s Haight-Ashbury scene.” Its superb soundtrack originally appeared in April 1968, combining classics by acid-rock heroes The Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Seeds with exclusive material from The Storybook and Boenzee Cryque. Packed with flute, organ, sitar, fuzz and more, it makes its long-awaited CD debut here, complete with explanatory notes and a bonus track. |
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VA: Candy Original Soundtrack CD (RT 1004CD) 17.00 Starring Ringo Starr, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, John Huston and others, Candy was one of the more grandiose follies of the late 1960s. Its soundtrack, however, is a lost classic. Featuring superb contributions from The Byrds and Steppenwolf, as well as atmospheric instrumentals by composer Dave Grusin that incorporate fuzz, sitar, electronica and other period flourishes, it’s nothing short of a psychedelic gem, and makes its long-overdue CD debut here, complete with explanatory notes. |
| ROIR | |
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TELEVISION: The Blow-Up 2LP (RUSLP 8249LP) 19.00 2011 repress; 2007 release. “Double disc! 1978 live performance from Tom Verlaine’s personal collection. Originally released on cassette in 1982. Over 85 minutes and digitally remastered. Extended versions of ‘Little Johnny Jewel’ & ‘Marquee Moon.’ Green & blue vinyl LPs.” Gatefold sleeve. |
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SUICIDE: Half Alive LP (RUSLP 8264LP) 14.00 2011 repress; 2007 release. “Earliest, most innovative Suicide material. NYC’s pioneer electronic punk rockers with never before available ’75 to ’79 tracks. Original liner notes by Lester Bangs. 3 bonus tracks!” “What we got here is vintage studio Suicide from the archives and live tapes on a par in atmosphere if not violence with ’23 Minutes In Brussels,’ their own notorious Metallic K.O. There is none of the onstage carnage which frightened early audiences, but maybe that wouldn’t have transferred to tape anyway. ‘Space Blue,’ ‘Long Talk’ and ‘Speed Queen’ were recorded at Suicide Home Studios in 1974/5, ‘Dreams’ at Sun Dragon Studio in ’75, and are not all that different from their later work except perhaps in murkiness which is all to the good. ‘Dreams’ is very close to their later Island single ‘Dream Baby Dream,’ and also sounds a lot like certain things Eno would be doing in the mid-to-late seventies. Similarly, ‘Love You,’ recorded at Suicide Home Studios in ’79, displays Suicide’s little recognized sense of (no joke) pure pop. Play the Velvet’s original ‘Waiting For The Man’ back to back with the Ohio Express’ ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy,’ then this back to back with Archives’ ‘Sugar Sugar’ and the connections are clear. ‘Cool As Ice’ from the same sessions is the coolest (only?) take on Stooges’ ‘Penetration’ ever, and proves once again that Alan can scream like nobody since Iggy at his pinnacles.” — Lester Bangs, 1981 |
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10 FT. GANJA PLANT: Shake Up The Place LP (RUSLP 8318LP) 16.00 “10 Ft. Ganja Plant comes back with a vengeance. Two years after releasing their critically acclaimed album Bush Rock and a year removed from dropping 10 Deadly Shots, the ‘Plant is back stronger and with their deep in the pocket roots sound in full effect. The ‘Plant were thrilled to collaborate with reggae legends Prince Jazzbo & Sylford Walker, each dropping two vocal gems, while Meditations great Winston Watson kindly provided additional harmonies throughout. Pulling out all the stops, ‘Shake Up The Place’ was flown first class to the UK and mastered by Blood & Fire veteran mastering engineer Kevin Metcalfe. The sound is ’70s exquisite.” On 180 gram vinyl, with download card. |
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DUB TRIO: IV LP (RUSLP 8322LP) 14.00 “Dub Trio is back with their fourth and most powerful album to date – IV – an overwhelming blend of sounds, styles and ideas that come out swinging, and hit harder than ever. Can metal coexist with dub’s bass heavy riddims? Dub Trio’s newest album proves that not only can such incongruities coexist, but that in the right hands they flourish!” “In all languages this music simply rocks.” –The Wire |
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DIGITALDUBS: #1 LP (RUSLP 8323LP) 14.00 “On this, their first release on Roir and outside of their native Brazil, Digitaldubs drops a wicked selection featuring singers, deejays and, of course, killer dubs. Lead by Marcus a.k.a. MPC and Nelson Meirelles (formerly of popular Brazilian band O Rappa), they enlist such legendary vocalists Ranking Joe, Earl Sixteen and Brinsley Forde of Aswad to set fire to some crucial riddims. And don’t sleep on Brazilian contributors Jeru Banto and Dada Yute, who flow so smoothly in Portuguese, you won’t miss a beat. Brazil meets Jamaican roots & dub, a very special interstection.” Includes a download card. |
| ROJAC | |
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TOLLIVER, KIM: Kim Tolliver CD (RO 155CD) 18.00 “Despite recording albums for Chess and Fantasy, most of her singles output was on the smallest of indie labels with little or no promotion despite some incredible releases. Probably her best 45s were recorded for Rojac and Tay-Ster Records, owned by legendary Harlem entrepreneur Jack Taylor, who was also responsible for guiding Big Maybelle’s career in the ’60s. Kim’s style epitomizes deep and southern soul singing at its finest. She can wring every last ounce of emotion out of any lyric, as her performances on ‘Where Were You’ and ‘I’ll Try To Do Better’ may more than amply prove. She’s not afraid to belt it out on up-tempo numbers such as ‘(You’re Trying To) Copy My Stuff where you just know she’s going to beat the s**t of any woman who tries to take her man. This is the first time any of these Rojac and Tay-Ster singles have been released on CD. Great music deserves the appropriate presentation, and this retrospect is beautifully packaged in a limited edition casebook with great memorabilia and new liner notes.” |
| RUNNING BACK (GERMANY) | |
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SECOND LIFE (FEAT. JIMMIE WILSON): Inner Love 12″ (RB 001EP) 12.00 2011 repress of Running Back’s first release, originally released in 2002. This is what it said back in 2002: “The latest jam from Thorsten Scheu aka Glance and Jimmie Wilson follows the vibe of classic, timeless house music — three mixes that span a wide range. The A-side features the gospel and organ-driven ‘original’ mix whereas the dope dub pays dues to Jamaican craftsmanship.” This is what it says now: “U.S. garage-influenced house with that special hump. Check the contemplative ‘Black Keys Rework’ (not the> Black Keys) or the “Original Dub” for less vocal power.” |
| SAVE TO DISC (GERMANY) | |
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DER DRITTE RAUM: Swing Bop (Remixes) 12″ (STD 106EP) 12.00 Der Dritte Raum is a super project at constant altitude flight. Releasing music on labels such as Harthouse and Cocoon since the early ’90s, Der Dritte Raum has established a name for high quality electronic music. With their überhit “Swing Bop” in 2008, Der Dritte Raum kicked off an ongoing roaring ’20s-hype in the electronic music scene in Berlin. T.Raumschmiere turns this track into a dirty, wrecking rave monster and Acid Pauli made “Swing Bop” even more dreamy. |
| SHADOKS MUSIC (GERMANY) | |
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BUMP: 2 CD (SHAD 133CD) 17.00 BUMP’s 2 (the unreleased second album) was recoded in 1971, just a year later after the debut album, also on Pioneer Records and also produced by Gary A. Rubin. Paul Lupien (organ), George Runyan (bass, vocals), Alan Goldman (guitar) and Jerome Charles Greenberg (drums) recorded 8 great tracks which never came out. This is a fantastic prog/psychedelic monster, a mixture of dreamy organ psych with heavy fuzz bluster, very much like CA Quintet. Ghostly, swirly organs, burning rough guitars, sound effects, fuzz/wah-wah guitars, trippy, lysergic vocals and great melodies. A killer album from start to finish. Includes the original artwork. |
| SIGNUM U.K. (UK) | |
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ANDRIESSEN, LOUIS: Anais Nin/De Staat CD (SIG 273CD) 19.00 “An exciting start to a new orchestral collaboration for Signum Records, this disc is the first of a new series with the London Sinfonietta– one of the world’s elite contemporary music ensembles with a reputation built on the virtuosity of its performances and ambitious programming. This live recording brings together the world premiere of Anais Nin, a new work for soprano and small ensemble, alongside his famed work De Staat. Anais Nin is a monodrama based on the diaries of the same famed author, as well as those of her lovers (Antonin Artaud, Rene Allendy, Henry Miller and her own father). A sometimes disturbing tale of desire and passion, Andriessen felt that the music should ‘closely track the irony, despair and passion of this brilliant, many-sided woman.'” Performed by: London Sinfonietta David Atherton, conductor. Cristina Zavalloni, soprano. Synergy Vocals. |
| SING SING RECORDS | |
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CLAP: Have You Reached Yet? LP (SING 029LP) 14.00 “Like most followers of rare seventies rock esoterica I first heard about Have You Reached Yet? via the pages of the now-legendary BOMP fanzine. It was the surf issue if I recall correctly, and editor Greg Shaw, in the course of a pretty positive review, mentioned Clap’s ability to mix up what seemed like a healthy late-sixties punk rock attitude with the prevailing hard rock winds of the early-seventies from whence this album came. The album was a charm with the hefty Rolling Stones influences so common of the day being reshaped by a strong Shadows of Knight snarl all filtered through an early seventies heavy metal consciousness giving us a sound and style that although part and parcel to the stoner seventies mentality had a totally unique and refreshing approach that sounded as if it could stand on its own not only in 1972 but 1966 or even 1987 for that matter. It was teenage rock & roll that continued to sound so long after the entire teen mystique of the sixties and seventies shriveled away, yet it was hard enough for even the most experienced pothead at the supermarket to roll joints to during his coffee break. So for you youngsters here’s an example of what ‘do it yourself’ rock used to mean when you pretty much had to create your own fun, energies, and lives even from scratch and for your oldsters, now’s the time to drag out the boas, the mascara and the nylons and re-live the post-Vietnam era the right way. Of course if you get arrested don’t come complain’ to me, but then again wouldn’t that only add to the overall glam/slam effect so common during those rather peculiar times?” — Chris Stigliano |
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ONION DOLLS, THE: The Kids/Hot Love 7″ (SING 030EP) 7.00 “The Onion Dolls, a four piece punk band from Belgium managed to release this lone 45 before changing their name to Crossfire and fully embracing the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement that was sweeping Europe in the early 1980s. Both tracks on this 45 are unsuppressed killers with shredding guitar lines giving up more than a hint of the NWOBHM influenced sound that was to come. Originally released in 1980 on the Twinkle label in an edition of 1000 copies with a truly great picture sleeve this highly sought after single is one of Belgium’s greatest punk rock gems.” |
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LONG, BRAD: Love Me Again/Come To Me 7″ (SING 031EP) 7.00 “In and out of unrecorded regional combos since the late 1960s, Logansport, Indiana music store owner Brad Long issued this, his lone single, on his own Music Stand label in the summer of 1977. Featuring a warm, lo-fi basement pop sound with stylistic roots firmly grounded in the mid 60’s, both ‘Come to Me’ and ‘Love me Again’ evoke a hazy mood reminiscent of early Twilley. Also included with the release were a series of press releases, a section of which listed Long’s heroes as Roger McGuinn, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Meek.” |
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LEOPARDS, THE: Kansas City Slickers LP (SING 032LP) 14.00 “By 1977, the year of Kansas City Slickers release, most bands had happily ensconced themselves in one niche or another–one was either punk or power pop or new wave or — (fill in the trend of your choice), but The Leopards fell into no such handy category. Kansas City Slickers was unique for its time–certainly no other record of its day sounds remotely like it–and remains so today. Back then its uniqueness baffled critics who, in the few places where the album was actually reviewed, did little more than point to the album’s Kinks influence. While the influence of The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Easybeats and other ’60s groups is indeed evident on the album, such a superficial assessment does not begin to do justice to the cornucopia of sound on Kansas City Slickers. Herein rock n’ roll meets ragtime, old Hollywood musicals and other forms of early 20th century American music, a delightfully original melange you will not taste elsewhere.” |
| SKAM (UK) | |
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VHS HEAD: Midnight Section 12″ (SKA 031EP) 14.00 In the run down metropolis there are places you don’t go at night, places even cops avoid. On the limits of a not-so-distant, high-tech society, terror lurks down every ally and in every slum and subway. Towering above the ghetto, stands one block, taller than the rest. Trapped on the top floor the only escape is down. Nocturnal eyes scan from the darkness, barricades blink like beacons of safety as night falls. Mayhem lurks in every corner, there is no escape. |
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VHS HEAD: Trademark Ribbons Of Gold CD (SKALD 025CD) 14.50 Skam presents a full-length album from Blackpool recording artist VHS Head. A collage of vocals, melodic splatters and stop/start rhythms grind against industrial soundscapes and atmospheric backdrops, while basslines and mutated guitar hooks grab the listener for a very enjoyable ride. The name Trademark Ribbons Of Gold was a reference to the pre-cert era of video tapes. A “pre-cert video” is any videotape issued in the UK before the introduction of the 1984 Video Recordings Act. Pre-cert videos were not required by law to be submitted to the BBFC so the era was unregulated, leading to many uncut releases of videos which would have fallen foul of the BBFC’s strict guidelines. Some of the smaller independent companies decided to take advantage of this by issuing “strong uncut” versions depicting graphic violence and gore. A whole barrage of titles previously banned by the BBFC from getting a cinema release suddenly ended up uncensored on home video. This was the true golden era of home video. |
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VHS HEAD: Trademark Ribbons of Gold 2LP (SKALD 025LP) 21.00 2LP version. |
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NUEARZ: Face Lift CD (SKALD 026CD) 14.50 Skam proudly announces the second full-length album from the mysterious artist Nuearz (“new ears”), entitled Face Lift. The front sleeve image is taken from a small film piece and appears courtesy of Swiss photographer Chantal Michel, “Oh, wir haben viele Wünsche” (Video, 2005). |
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SENSATIONAL MEETS KOYXEN: Sensational Meets Koyxen CD (SKALD 027CD) 14.50 Skam Records present an album from Sensational and Koyxen, recorded in Berlin, Osaka, Japan and Brooklyn, NY in 2009-2010. Sensational (formerly Torture) debuted in 1993 on Jungle Brothers’ J. Beez Wit The Remedy, then busted out a strong solo with 1997’s Loaded With Power, a maverick, lo-fi piece of speaker-wrecking bass, chest-caving beats, and gruff, marble-mouthed self-aggrandizement. Koyxen aka Kouhei Matsunaga grew up in Osaka, Japan listening to hardcore techno and rap and studying architecture. He started to make music back in 1992 focusing on the experimental. Kouhei has worked with artists such as Merzbow, Asmus Tietchens, Conrad Schnitzler, Autechre’s Sean Booth and Mika Vainio (Pan Sonic), Max Turner and Paul PM (Puppetmastaz). In 2006, Koyxen and Sensational made Sensational Meets Kouhei on WordSound, and this album is meant to be volume 2 in this remarkable collaboration. |
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SENSATIONAL MEETS KOYXEN: Sensational Meets Koyxen LP (SKALD 027LP) 17.50 LP version. |
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NHKYX: yx aka 1ch aka Solo CD (SKALD 028CD) 14.50 NHKyx is Kouhei Matsunaga’s solo alias. The NHK project started in 2006 with Toshio Munehiro and debuted in 2008 on Raster Noton. Kouhei was born in Osaka, a musician and drawing artist. He started drawing during childhood under the influence of his grandfather. He grew up listening to hardcore-techno and hip-hop, studied architecture, and has been making music since 1992. At the end of his teenage years, his first album Upside Down was released by Mille Plateaux in 1998. His compositions have been released by record labels around the world. He has also had numerous collaborations with notable artists such as Merzbow, Autechre’s Sean Booth, Mika Vainio, Conrad Schnitzler, Asmus Tietchens, Rashad Becker, the Puppetmastaz crew, Sleeparchive and Sensational. Featuring Google Premier (Max Turner from Puppetmastaz), Internet Magic (Kouhei Matsunaga) and female hip-hop/rap vocalist AthenA. |
| SKULLSNAP RECORDS (UK) | |
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GESCOM: Skull Snap EP 12″ (SKULLSNAP 005EP) 14.00 Five exclusive tracks from Gescom’s beat division — check! |
| SMALLTOWN SUPERJAZZ (NORWAY) | |
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YOUNG GALAXY: Shapeshifting LP (STS 205LP) 17.00 “Young Galaxy won acclaim (Polaris Prize nomination) for their previous release Invisible Republic and once finished, the band was looking for a different creative outlet, so they made Shapeshifting by trying to erase the shape of songs, making an impressionistic & esoteric album that’s wowed just about everyone.” |
| SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND (NORWAY) | |
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MUNGOLIAN JETSET: Schlungs CD (STS 209CD) 17.00 “Mungolian Jetset presents their first album of totally original compositions. Rather than delivering another take on the epic entertainments that have become the staple of their reputation, they have now taken more scoops of melody, poptastic whimsy and lighter shades of oddness, to hybridize with their already mutated sound. The result is full of drunken synths, obscure samples of the psychedelic past, bleeping & squeaking, contemporary choirs alongside funky guitars, ethereal landscapes & chipmunked vocals, as well as guest vocals from Dominique Leone & Cartsen Loly. Tunes you can chew your bubblegum to.” |
| SOUL JAZZ RECORDS (UK) | |
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VA: The Legendary Studio One Records CD (SJR 248CD) 18.00 Subtitled: Original Classic Recordings 1963-80. “The Legendary Studio One Records is the first new Soul Jazz/Studio One album release in nearly four years. This album here is a lightning roller coaster musical journey through the music of Studio One, the most important record company in the history of Jamaican reggae music. Ska and rock steady feature from the greatest names in reggae: The Skatalites, The Maytals, Marcia Griffiths and The Heptones alongside vocal and roots styles from Horace Andy, Willie Williams and Wailing Souls; DJ and dancehall styles from Michigan and Smiley, Prince Jazzbo and Lone Ranger; plus some wicked instrumental and dub. It’s all here! 100% essential foundation style. The Legendary Studio One Records kick starts a new set of releases from the mighty vaults of Studio One Records. Expect the next one at the end of the year.” |
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VA: The Legendary Studio One Records 2LP (SJR 248LP) 24.00 Gatefold 2LP version. |
| SOUNDWAY (UK) | |
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MONOMONO: The Dawn Of Awareness LP+12″ (SNDW 029LP) 23.50 Soundway Records and Tummy Touch are proud to present Dawn Of Awareness, the second album by Joni Haastrup’s band MonoMono. Amid the OPEC oil embargo, Watergate and IRA bombs, the sound of MonoMono’s follow-up record, 1974’s Dawn Of Awareness, took on the blues rock grooves of Santana and Hugh Masekela, but with their own unique Yoruban flavor. A deeply spiritual record, Dawn Of Awareness was Haastrup’s reaction to what was going on in the world around him. One hears echoes of the Allman Brothers’ “Revival” on MonoMono’s “Awareness is What You Need” and after listening to “Plain Fighting” you could easily imagine the band sharing the stage with the Doobie Brothers at an East Side San Jose street festival. Re-issued on replica gatefold LP with bonus 12″ vinyl and a download voucher. |
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MONOMONO: Give The Beggar A Chance LP+12″ (SNDW 030LP) 23.50 Soundway and Tummy Touch are proud to present a blistering album of Afro-rock and funk from Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Joni Haastrup and his band Monomono. Re-issued on replica gatefold LP with bonus 12″ vinyl. This is their 1971 debut album Give The Beggar A Chance. Soundway have been championing Joni Haastrup since day one, featuring Monomono tracks on both the Nigeria Special and Nigeria Rock Special releases. Joni also appears as a guest keys player on Black Goddess, an Afro-jazz soundtrack collaboration with Remi Kabaka. Growing up in a royal household in Nigeria, Joni Haastrup began his musical journey performing for his brother’s band Sneakers and was quickly snapped up as a vocalist for O.J. Ekemode and his Modern Aces’ Super Afro Soul LP, one of Afro-beat’s formative LPs. Soon after, Ginger Baker of Cream fame replaced Steve Winwood with Joni on keys for Airforce’s UK concerts in ’71 and the success of the collaboration led to further shows with Baker as part of the SALT project before he returned to Nigeria to set up Monomono. Includes bonus 12″ vinyl and a download code voucher. |
| STIL VOR TALENT (GERMANY) | |
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KOLETZKI, OLIVER: 6 Years Stil Vor Talent 2CD (SVT 065CD) 21.00 Six years and over sixty releases later, Stil vor Talent can look back at many magnificent moments in the label’s history. Originally started to give other musicians the chance to showcase their music, Stil vor Talent has preserved this very down-to-earth attitude until today. Now it is time to congratulate everyone involved and the fans of Stil vor Talent with a special birthday present: a six-year anniversary compilation that celebrates the past, present and future of the label on two CDs. The first CD titled “What We Do” presents 17 all new and exclusive, unreleased tracks by a lot of the label’s closest artists, while the second CD named “What We’ve Done” is a 70-minute mix by Oliver Koletzki that includes some of his personal highlights of the more recent past of the label. “What We Do” is a unique compilation that features 17 new tracks that are very much orientated towards all corners of the contemporary dancefloor. From melodic house on tracks by Niko Schwind, Björn Störig, Mick Rubin, Murat Kilic and Chroma & Inexcess to Animal Trainer’s beautiful early morning anthem “Krambambuli,” house is an overarching theme on this compilation. But other genres find their way into the mix as well: Bruch & Junior have contributed a piece of vocal dub techno with “Slack Me” while Niconé and Sascha Braemer have teamed up with singer Anna Rikje Rosenthal to create a slow-moving pop track. Leaning more towards the tech-house side of things are the tracks by newcomer Ryan Dupree, Kellerkind, Jürgen Kirsch, Tobi Kramer and Channel X. Last, but not least there are tracks by engineering genius Florian Meindl, with his personal take on disco, and by Daso as well as Oliver Koletzki himself. On “What We’ve Done” Oliver Koletzki has carefully selected and mixed 12 tracks from the back catalog of Stil vor Talent. Starting out with the two piano-based tracks “Jazzbians” by Bruch & Junior and “Shine” by Niko Schwind, Oliver slowly moves into more peak-time territory that culminates in an early climax with the first ever single by David August, “Trumpet’s Victory.” Things stay hot with Sascha Braemer & Dan Caster’s best-selling “People” before calming down a little again with Channel X’s “Snug Descent” which features Jake The Rapper. On the last two tracks, the mix gets very musical with a Marek Hemann remix of Oliver Koletzki and Fran’s “Arrow And Bow” before things are finished off by a Daso remix of Oliver Koletzki’s own “Since You Are Gone.” This mix embodies the groove and soul of house music while being delivered with the right punch for a hungry dancefloor. |
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VA: Oliver Koletzki Presents 6 Years Stil vor Talent Part 1 12″ (SVT 066EP) 12.00 Stil vor Talent presents the first of two six-year anniversary EPs celebrating the present and future of the label. Part 1 features five new tracks. From Niko Schwind and Björn Störig to Animal Trainer, house is an overarching theme. But other genres find their way into the release as well: Niconé and Sascha Braemer have teamed up with singer Anna Rikje Rosenthal to create a slow-moving pop track and Oliver Koletzki himself chips in a breathtaking tech house cut. |
| SUBLIMINAL SOUNDS (SWEDEN) | |
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AMAZING, THE: Gentle Stream CD (SUBL 085CD) 14.50 This is the second proper full-length album by Swedish super-group The Amazing. The Amazing fell far from the tree. A natural process: coming together through affection, then slowly crystallizing into a folk-rock-psych-pop-collective slowly pushing, bending, then playing with any preconceived notions of pop. When a band takes a name like The Amazing, they’d better have the chops to back it up. Happily, this Swedish outfit — a collective headed by Reine Fiske and Johan Holmegard of neo-psych juggernauts Dungen and singer-songwriter Christoffer Gunrup — are masterful enough to take that mantle on. Friends first and foremost, it’s this kindred spirit that imbues the band album with a feeling unlike that of most releases — one of natural harmony, persistent progression and with a panoramic gaze fixed on distant settings. Gentle Stream is widescreen, panoramic, horizon-reaching stuff. An elegantly-constructed record of moody psychedelic majesty, it comes with a greater dose of CSNY-style Laurel Canyon bliss than those previous recordings. Its eight songs clock in at a luxurious 45 minutes long, during which astral guitars intertwine in serpentine solos, horns blast rainbow melodies and Gunrup’s flute-like voice floats elegantly over the sunset sounds. Nothing is introverted or overworked — everything is balanced, kept together by natural melodies, soulful vocals and just how perfect should be. Gentle Stream is a feeling, an organic consequence of something that effortlessly came together. The line-up completed by Fredrik Swahn, Alexis Benson and highly-rated jazz musicians Moussa Fadera and Jonas Kullhammar, The Amazing recorded the new LP in Stockholm, Sweden and formed plans to collect themselves in this incredible unison. There are doubtless stories to be told. Including the one about playing a show for the Swedish Royal Family and Pink Floyd, where in the crowd Roger Waters appreciatively caught a bouquet thrown from the band during a standing ovation, but this mysterious band hold one principle dear to their hearts: “The music speaks for itself.” |
| TAPETE (GERMANY) | |
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DOWNPILOT: New Great Lakes CD (TR 221CD) 17.00 For the follow-up to the acclaimed They Kind Of Shine (TR 166CD/LP) (including songs featured on television series One Tree Hill), Hiraga sequestered himself on Seattle’s nearby Vashon Island in a spacious woodland studio and set to writing and recording, far from the distractions of the city. Although several Downpilot alumni would later make cameos, the feeling from the start was that this would be a more intimate, solo-style album. With his arsenal of self-made recording equipment and surrounded by an extensive collection of vintage keyboards and other instruments, the multi-instrumentalist recorded ideas in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness fashion. After a solitary week, the foundation was laid for the fourth Downpilot LP: New Great Lakes. Time and distance function like a filter, obscuring some details while bringing others into sharp relief. Time might heal all, but we always, inevitably, find ourselves back where we started. Why isn’t an issue. Whether you can go home again or not is actually an issue, because there’s an inherent need to revisit the past at some point in our lives. The landscape itself may have altered — the landmarks eradicated or erased or at least redecorated — but there’s a part of ourselves that will always see the skeleton of what was there back when; a part of our soul that needs to process the journey; a longing that we might never find the words to identify but persists nonetheless. Home. Whatever that means. It’s here, and yet it’s inescapably there — and it creeps up on you in the strangest ways. It certainly does on Downpilot’s latest offering. Singer/songwriter Paul Hiraga may not have set out to revisit his Midwestern roots, but if you listen closely you can hear the wind whipping off the great plains, or the desperation of the industrial rust belt. The disorienting sights and sounds and sentiments of displacement, made all the more profound because you never expected to be displaced (or distanced) from the place that you disowned. And yet hopefulness somehow inexplicably prevails. Forward progress is a human impulse — we just forget that sometimes we need to stop and consider what got us to our current vantage point. You can run, as they say, but you can never, ever hide. |
| TARTELET (DENMARK) | |
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MIKKEL METAL: Cassini/Mazurski 12″ (TART 019EP) 12.00 Mikkel Metal’s Tartelet EP travels deep into the spectral voids of space. Empyrean pads and raw drums reverberate on “Cassini” — soft kicks with shrill claps and a prodding bassline bringing back memories of Mikkel Metal’s earlier dubby excursions. “Mazurski” is a galaxy of beaming details and radiant synth lines. Following on the same side is the dub version (vinyl-only), outlined by a scrapping kick, filtering sequences of sonic waveforms and abraded sub-basslines. These cuts will transport you beyond. |
| TERANGA BEAT (SENEGAL) | |
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GUELEWAR: Halleli N’dakarou CD (TBCD 014CD) 19.50 Teranga Beat proudly presents legendary group Guelewar from Banjul, Gambia. Amongst the most experimental, psychedelic bands out of Africa, Guelewar offer a unique sound and instrumentation, mixing traditional compositions with modern instruments such as the Mini-Moog. The Alligators was a group led by Bai Janha who was the most important musician from Gambia. The Alligators later became Guelewar when Bai began to collaborate with Laye N’Gom. Guelewar fused a blend of bougaraboo and saourouba mixed with soul and funk and were heavily influenced by traditional singer Moussa N’Gom. For a decade, Guelewar was the biggest influence in the region of Sene-Gambian music. Here, on their last recording, live in the Canari Club de Kaolack, Senegal, 1982, the 12 members guide you to another level. The CD includes a 16-page booklet with information and photographs outlining the beautiful story of this exceptional band from this distinctive West African country — Gambia. |
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DIOP & CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL, IDRISSA: Diamonoye Tiopité 2LP (TBLP 013LP) 26.50 Gatefold double LP version with full-color innersleeves. Includes liner notes and historic photographs. Teranga Beat is a new record label based in Senegal. The aim of the label is to highlight some of the recordings made in the golden era of the Senegalese, and more generally, West African music produced from the late ’60s until the mid-’80s and to offer them to an international audience. Almost all the recordings are either until now unreleased, or were only released for the local market. Teranga Beat also has a keen interest in and is already working with established names in Senegalese music alongside newer artists with the aim of combining musical elements and instrumentation from the past with those of the present day. This is a compilation of music created by one of Senegal’s most important and highly-respected artists Idrissa Diop, highlighting his recordings made from 1969 until 1976, which was the last made in Senegal before leaving to live in France. The liner notes include more information on “IDY,” his legendary band Sahel and the music in Senegal. |
| TERPSICHORE (SPAIN) | |
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FLORIAN MULLER PROJECT, THE: As Usual 12″ (TER 004EP) 12.00 Terpsichore welcomes The Florian Muller Project with the marvellous “Jam With It.” The funky live bass and the amazing deepness of its chords and vocals make this track a must for any deep connoisseur. The Oliverwho Factory blessed us with two splendid remixes: hear their vocals and scream. Last but not least, what would be a Terpsichore release without Jefferson Velazquez’s touch? Deep as always! |
| THRILL JOCKEY | |
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FRIEDBERGER, MATTHEW: Death-In-Life LP (THR 262E-LP) 15.00 “Death-In-Life is the fifth album released in Matthew Friedberger’s 2011 six album series Solos. Death-In-Life was made with organ and Matt’s vocals.” |
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FUTURE ISLANDS: On The Water CD (THR 285CD) 14.00 “Future Islands’ romantic synth sound scales new heights with On the Water, the Baltimore trio’s most ambitious and fully realized statement yet. Built around a song cycle exploring love, loss, and memory, their latest album finds the band continuing to deliver pounding rhythms, swelling melodies, and undeniable hooks – but finding new ways to probe inner space and tug at hearts. What emerged is a lush yet visceral album about two parallel journeys–one physical and one psychological. On the Water’s narrator offers enough detail that their story feels personal, yet open enough that any listener can inhabit each twist and emotional pang as their own.” |
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FUTURE ISLANDS: On The Water LP (THR 285LP) 15.00 LP version. |
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HIGH PLACES: Original Colors CD (THR 286CD) 14.00 “The album is dotted with sun-drenched references to Australia’s inimitable foliage, the expansive desert of Northern Mexico, and the crystal, blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Such allusions are presented over a bed of swirling stereo rhythms and infectious melodies that are the band’s signature. Each track possesses a specific texture and emotion that serve to create a variegated yet unified album that is held together by the binding force of Mary’s mezzo-soprano vocals. The air of naivete has been peeled away since the first album, and her voice is pushed to the fore; liberated from the dense sonic waves of previous work, and blossoming into a truly melodic instrument.” |
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HIGH PLACES: Original Colors LP (THR 286LP) 16.00 Gatefold LP version. |
| THRONE OF BLOOD | |
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REMAIN & MLLE CARO: Heat/Rogue 12″ (THRONE 017EP) 12.00 Remain & Mlle Caro are two of the brightest talents in the fertile Parisian scene with their dark, moody party music fine-tuned for peak-time devastation. While “Heat” and “Rogue” go for the jugular with dark-side intensity, the remixes hand-chosen by Remain and Caro open things up. Holmar Filipsson from Thugfucker teams up with Neurotic Drum Band’s Ulysses to transform “Heat” into a mid-tempo disco chugger. Populette unleash a late-night dancefloor bomb complete with hypnotic arpeggios for their corking refix of “Rogue.” |
| TOUCH (UK) | |
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FENNESZ: Seven Stars CD (TONE 044CD) 12.00 Fennesz’s first solo release since Black Sea (TO 076CD/LP). Using acoustic and electric guitars, bass, synths and computers, Fennesz continues to engage and entrance us in equal measure. Fennesz writes: “Seven Stars was recorded in Vienna in January 2011. I recorded and mixed the album within 3 weeks. ‘Liminal’ and ‘July’ were existing pieces which I have reworked. (I wrote an early version of ‘Liminal’ in a hotel room in Bali in 2010). There is also a version of ‘Liminal’ that I have been playing live for some time. My friend Steven Hess, with whom I have worked before, happened to be in Vienna at the time of the sessions, so I invited him to join me in the studio. Christoph Amann recorded the drums using a selection of his great microphones, including his amazing new Josephson. I wanted to make a record that has a certain lightness about it and at the same time explore new territory using drums on one track. This might be something I will continue with in the future.” |
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AMBARCHI & JOE TALIA, OREN: Hit And Run LP (TONE 045.3LP) 14.50 The third in the Touch white label series after BJNilsen’s Vinyl and The Sight Below’s N-Plants Remixes. This was recorded live at Café Oto, London, on April 14, 2011. Australian sound artist Oren Ambarchi performs along with drummer, percussionist/electro-acoustic artist Joe Talia. |
| TRI ANGLE | |
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AYSHAY: WARN-U CD (TRIANGLE 008CD) 11.00 With the upcoming release of her debut EP WARN-U, Tri Angle is extremely excited to introduce Ayshay. Born in Senegal, raised in Kuwait and now living in New York City, Fatima Al Qadiri is the producer and vocalist behind Ayshay. Fuelled by her fascination with the sacred songs of Islam, WARN-U is a homage and reinterpretation of the sounds that have haunted Al Qadiri since she was a child. Constructed entirely out of her own vocals, which she filtered and layered upon one another, WARN-U is Al Qadiri’s attempt to reconfigure the concept of “sacred” music as inspiring divine love and divine fear. Even in her adoption of the name Ayshay, a flippant term which means “whatever” in Arabic, Fatima Al Qadiri seeks to distance the austere values inherent in worship music from her own interpretation of the latter. Listening to the three songs Al Qadiri has created for this record, which work in sequence almost as a tone poem, conjures up a dizzying array of mixed, sometimes indefinable emotions. They sound menacing and yet strangely comforting, ancient and bizarrely futuristic. As well as Al Qadiri’s own original material, the record features an epic 12-minute long megamix by L.A.-based production duo, Nguzunguzu. In keeping with the tone poem vibe of the original songs, the label agreed that the remix element of the record should mirror this, and so as opposed to commissioning a bunch of different remixers to put their spin on the material, they decided to have one act create one giant reinterpretation of all the songs featured on WARN-U, something which they referred to throughout the creative process as a remix suite, of sorts. When she’s not producing music as Ayshay, Fatima Al Qadiri is responsible for the “Global.Wav” column on the brilliant online NYC culture magazine DIS, using her column to draw attention to the kind of obscure pop music that generally goes unnoticed in the Western world. Late last year, she gained some online attention with the “Muslim Trance” mix she made exclusively for DIS. The mix was made up of original Ayshay material which in contrast to the original a cappellas of WARN-U, reinterpreted Islamic anthems by sampling sacred Shi’ite and Sunni vocals with original music. |
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WATER BORDERS: Harbored Mantras LP (TRIANGLE 009LP) 18.00 LP version. Tri Angle presents the debut album by San Franciscan duo Water Borders. Primarily inspired by their lifelong passion for ’80s industrial legends Coil and the kind of underground UK dance productions often heard on Rinse FM, Harbored Mantras is a dense and dizzying soundworld; a dank, tribal and often disorientating dance record which, as the two piece state, was intended to be “a coalescence of digital and analog sounds and textures.” As well as looking to Coil and the UK dance scene for inspiration, Harbored Mantras also incorporates a vast array of Water Border’s influences, including Gamelan rhythms, proto-techno, Scott Walker, African drum patterns, dub, Popul Vuh and Glasser, who actually designed the artwork for the album. Harbored Mantras sounds like nothing else you’ll hear all year. |
| TRUNK (UK) | |
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GARRICK & SHAKE KEANE, MICHAEL: Rising Stars CD (JBH 041CD) 15.50 1964 was a pretty special year, especially for groovy jazz in Britain. Not only did it see the release of Moonscape by the Michael Garrick Trio (JBH 022CD) but also the birth of these fine and exceptionally rare recordings. Modern, jazzy, exotic and progressive, early British jazz rarely sounded so good or beautiful. In 1964 the modern British jazz scene was growing, progressing and bursting out in creative musical rashes. Following the release of Moonscape (the UK’s rarest British jazz LP), Michael Garrick teamed up with horn legend Shake Keane to cut an EP of modern ideas in a quartet setting called A Case Of Jazz. It was issued the same year in a run of just 99 copies. At the same time, flugelhorn maestro Shake Keane was working with several arrangers and set-ups, one of the results being a peculiar (and possibly unreleased) acetate of 4 cues: two recorded with The Hastings Girls Choir, two in a small but lively and slightly Latin combo. Coming directly from Michael Garrick’s own archive, these exceptionally rare eight cues from 1964 have now been brought together for this unusual and exciting release. Opening with two cues with Keane and the Hastings Girls Choir, the music is ethereal and strangely exotic. Moving then through a fine British bossa nova and into the quartet recordings, we find the music pleasing, progressive (for 1964), creative and exciting. Also of note is the mighty fine “Sun Maiden,” which has the kind of classic piano riff and repetitive regal rhythm so sought-after by many jazz collectors. These tracks and complete album are worthy additions to the growing archive of the classic modern British period jazz, and feature two major artists flourishing early in their careers. Personnel (last four cues only): Shake Keane (flugelhorn), Michael Garrick (piano), Coleridge Goode (bass) and Bobby Orr (drums). Housed in a beautiful period color sleeve. CD comes with a 6-page rolled booklet with images of the original recordings, the acetate and photos. |
| UNIVERSAL SOUND (UK) | |
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AKLAFF, PHEEROAN: House of Spirit: Mirth CD (US 036CD) 22.00 “Drummer and composer Pheeroan AkLaff’s House of Spirit:Mirth featured in Soul Jazz Record’s recent revolutionary jazz covers book compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records). This album was originally released in 1979 on the composer Oliver Lake’s bespoke private-press label Passin Thru’ Inc., a not for profit label ‘dedicated to fostering, promoting and advancing the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the arts.’ Consequently House of Spirit remains one of the most elusive deep jazz releases of its time to collectors. Aklaff was an original of the Detroit jazz scene of the early 70s alongside musicians of the Tribe (Wendell Harrison, Phil Ranelin, Doug Hammond) and Strata collective (Kenny Cox and Charles Moore) and local luminaries such as Travis Biggs before moving to New York in the mid-1970s to work at the centre of the vibrant loft/radical jazz scene. Here he worked and recorded with original greats such as Oliver Lake, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Davis (with numerous releases on India Navigation and other radical NY avant-jazz labels). At this time Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali became mentor to AkLaff , with Aklaff practically living at Ali’s legendary club/live space ‘Ali’s Alley’. House of Spirit: Mirth is one of the most radical of deep jazz releases of its time. Avant-garde beyond a doubt but with an Afro-centric rhythmical intensity hard to find in the myriad of independent free/loft jazz recorded in New York at the time. This bespoke perfect replica reissue comes in a limited edition hardback box-case CD edition.” |
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AKLAFF, PHEEROAN: House of Spirit: Mirth LP (US 036LP) 25.00 Gatefold LP version. |
| VAMPISOUL (SPAIN) | |
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FRENTE CUMBIERO: Meets Mad Professor CD (VAMPI 136CD) 16.50 Bogota, Colombia’s Frente Cumbiero travel incessantly through the cumbia land. Exploring both the roots and the newer trends, they offer their own distinctive take on one of the most popular musical styles in Latin America: cumbia! Led by Mario Galeano, for years a prominent figure in Latin music as DJ, musicologist, record label owner and musician, the band also comprises Pedro Ojeda, Elbis Álvarez and Marco Fajardo. In 2009, they met legendary dub producer Mad Professor for a collaborative three-day recording session (as part of the British Council’s Incubator project) in which Mad Professor’s son, Joe Ariwa, and key participants of Bogota’s music scene also took part. The goal was to achieve a musical encounter between cumbia and dub. The recordings took place at Javeriana University and out of those improvisational sessions came three collective compositions. Together with another four tracks by Frente Cumbiero, these seven recordings were then remixed by Mad Professor in his London studio, Ariwa. The result is this record, a fantastic addition to the thriving international cumbia movement. |
| WARP RECORDS (UK) | |
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BIBIO: T.O.Y.S. 12″ (WAP 320EP) 10.00 Four track single from multi-instrumentalist Bibio — the third single from his acclaimed album Mind Bokeh. The full-length’s single “You Take Off Your Shirt” and three new tracks, including an 80s, Prince-esque reworking of the lead track titled ‘Take Off Your Skirt.'” |
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RUSTIE: Glass Swords CD (WARP 217CD) 15.50 “Following Rustie’s Warp debut–2010’s Sunburst EP–as well as essential remixes for the likes of Jamie Lidell, Kelis, The Big Pink and Nicki Minaj, he emerged as a crown jewel within Glasgow’s already-deep talent pool of genrebusting electronic music producers. The now-classic early releases showcased Rustie’s love for obscure Japanese prog-rock, 16-bit video game sonics, icy grime and Detroit techno; creating a vision of the future of rave music. But for Glass Swords, his immensely anticipated, two-years-in-the-making full length debut, Rustie ushers in an otherworldly landscape. Both epic and alien (as the artwork suggests), the rushing neon strains of bright melody and earthquake drums hit you after a brief intro of beguiling synths and guitar meditations. Building colossal tension and release throughout, from first single (and club favorite) ‘Ultra Thizz’ to the soaring hooks and basement low end of ‘Death Mountain’ and ‘Cry Flames’, his record may well leave permanent marks on your stereo. As the album evolves, skittish hooks and warm textures sweep in and out of focus without ever losing the warped narrative that effectively joins Glass Swords into a startling cohesive whole. As an album, it’s one that doesn’t let up and demands repeat listens to fully appreciate the myriad hum-along melodies and wicked production u-turns, and don’t worry about the jittery over-caffeinated feeling you’ll have after listening — it’s to be expected.” |
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RUSTIE: Glass Swords 2LP (WARP 217LP) 23.50 Gatefold 2LP version. |
| YORE RECORDS (GERMANY) | |
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VAZ, ANDY: Straight Vacationing 2LP (YORE 028LP) 20.00 Gatefold 2LP version. Andy Vaz’s Straight Vacationing is his first full-length artist album since the 2006 release of Repetitive Moments Last Forever. This album registers as less a straight-up collection of dancefloor burners and more of a variety pack that mixes club tracks and full-fledged house songs. Listeners hungry for just ordinary 4/4 throw-downs will not entirely get their share of those, but they’ll also get a whole lot more on this dynamic and well-rounded set of eight album tracks. Straight Vacationing dives into house in all its rich variety: from deep melodic, early Chicago-influenced acid house, jacking-Jedi mind tricks to disco-type grooves and last but not least excursions into Bizzaro World, with an almost psychedelic experimental-edged sound. The album perks up the moment the first track, “Detroit In Me,” appears and when its acidy bass line percolates so determinedly alongside a female vocal motif, Vaz polishes the track’s Detroit surfaces to a mirror-like sheen. It sounds a little bit similar to what Maceo Parker might sound like soloing over a funky Detroit-styled bass. Saxophonist Andreas Pasternack spreads his creamy playing all over “Stubnitz” and in so doing, bolsters the album’s already soulful character. The album’s poppiest moment arrives on “Just Another Round,” whose hooks Vaz powers with a lead bass line and sweetens with a chirping female vocal. The funky-as-hell bass playing and the music’s cold sweat, not to mention the honk of Pasternack’s sax, might remind listeners of a certain age of the J.B.’s, James Brown’s ’70s band. On the experimental tip there’s “Fukuoka Liquid,” a bubbly, acid-techno shape-shifter featuring a hammering groove overlaid with synth smears, and “Worlds Collide,” an exercise in jacking acid-house — old school all the way. The album features occasional guest players contributing to the house-driven sun-showers. As a bonus, the album offers free additional digital remixes from Yore all-stars such as: Patrice Scott, Rick Wade, Alton Miller, Memory Foundation, Ibex, Kez YM and Orlando B. |
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