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FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER UPDATE
NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK OF 07/26/2010 |
click on cover art or album info to order online
from http://www.forcedexposure.com
a secure order form is available for credit card purchases.
we also accept orders via FAX at 781 321 0321.
and via mail:
FORCED EXPOSURE / 219 Medford Street / Malden, MA 02148 / USA
for more information about shipping or ordering
please refer to our FAQ: http://www.forcedexposure.com/faq.html |
3LOBED |
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CAMINITI, EVAN: West Winds LP (3LOBED 082LP) 19.00
“Evan Caminiti is a guitarist full of big ideas and even bigger sounds. Currently known as one-half of the San Francisco Bay area avant-droners Barn Owl, Caminiti has spent a great deal of time the past few years playing and recording gorgeous solo explorations focused primarily on the guitar but, when need be, accented by additional instrumentation. Following several prior releases, Caminiti’s abilities have been honed to the razor-sharp point of his new LP, West Winds. Three Lobed Recordings is proud to present this album, Caminiti’s most mature and meditative to date. West Winds is a discourse on solitude and cosmic exploration set primarily to an open tuned guitar. It is a logical successor to Caminiti’s strong, large(r) scale solo debut, Psychic Mud Shrine (Digitalis, 2009) and calls to mind Roy Montgomery, Hex-era Earth, and Popul Vuh. The album is the result of Caminiti’s six-month-long focus on each song’s form and musical composition. Over that span of time, Caminiti assembled and came to know each song intimately, constructing a series of strong structural bases. That knowledge permitted him to record the final takes accentuated by numerous potent improvisational flourishes as heard on West Winds. This long-form approach of adding chaotic, off-the-cuff elements to such long-crafted tracks is basically the opposite approach to that which is used within the context of Barn Owl. Through its contemplative tone, West Winds is the perfect soundtrack to your next night alone in the literal or figurative desert. It is a bold and cohesive statement from a young artist already capable of recording greatness.” |
A STABLE SOUND |
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CUT CHEMIST: Sound Of The Police CD (ASS 004CD) 17.00
Subtitled: A Live One Turntable Mix Of African And South American Inspired Music. “This CD contains African and South American inspired music from around the world. It was constructed for the first of Mochilla’s Timeless series on February 1st, 2009. I had the privilege of performing this set opening for Mulatu Astatke, which was his very first Los Angeles appearance. I recorded the rehearsal using the best parts of multiple takes. This live mix was performed using one Technics turntable, one Rane mixer, and a Boss RC50 loop pedal. Only original 7-inch and LP pressings were used. Special thanks to everybody at Mochilla for having me be part of this historic event. Shout-outs to Egon and Quantic for the opening sets and ongoing inspiration.” – Cut Chemist |
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CUT CHEMIST: Sound Of The Police LP (ASS 004LP) 19.00
LP version. |
ACME GRAMOPHONE/LION PRODUCTIONS (UK) |
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HOWELL & JOHN FERDINANDO, PETER: Alice Through The Looking Glass CD (ACLN 1015CD) 15.00
“The first release (1969) from the home studio of future BBC Radiophonic Workshop composer Peter Howell (he wrote the second version of the Doctor Who theme tune for BBC-TV) and his musical partner John Ferdinando, makers of legendary albums under the names Ithaca, Agincourt, Friends, and Tomorrow Come Someday. This private press record was recorded as a musical backdrop for a stage version of Alice through the Looking Glass by local amateur dramatics group the Ditchling Players. The musical templates are inspired, Lewis Carroll’s surreal poetry is as attractive as ever, and the project is colored by other English psychedelic acts of the era such as the Pink Floyd: indeed, it has been compared elsewhere to a pastoral equivalent of Piper At The Gates of Dawn.There are numerous highlights scattered throughout the album, but pride of place must go to ‘Jabberwocky,’ an impressive mélange of treated vocals and backward tapes that is worth the price of admission alone. With its drowsy atmosphere, myriad sound effects and languid organ-based sound, Alice certainly invokes the spirit of the psychedelic age, albeit from the perspective of photogenic Middle England rather than hallucinogenic Middle Earth. Rarely can an album or book have ended with a more apposite line: ‘Life, what is it but a dream?’ We are pleased as punch to be able to present the compact disc debut of Alice and with extra material, too!” Includes a 16-page booklet and 13 bonus tracks. |
ASH INTERNATIONAL (UK) |
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NORDWALL, JOACHIM: Ignition Cassette (ASH 8.9CS) 7.00
Sweden’s Joachim Nordwall runs iDEAL Recordings and is a member of The Skull Defekts. This release will appear as a compact disc later in 2010. Received and recorded in Brooklyn, Chicago, Gothenberg and Stockholm between 2006 and 2010. Equipment used: analog synthesizers, effects and computer. This cassette was mastered by BJNilsen and edited by Philip Marshall. Program repeats on both sides. Limited edition of 500 copies only. |
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NILSEN, BJ: Draught #1 Cassette (ASH 9.1CS) 7.00
Ash International presents a cassette-only release of 2008 live tracks from Swedish sound recordist BJ Nilsen. BJ Nilsen was born in 1975 and he has been active with experimental music for over 20 years. For the past 10 years, he has been releasing albums on Touch, and making music and doing sound design for documentary film, television and commercials. He is focused on field recordings and on the sound of nature and its effect on humans and the perception of time and space as experienced through sound, often electronically treated. Nilsen has collaborated with artists such as Chris Watson, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Philip Jeck and Stilluppsteypa, amongst others. Illustration by Sav X, entitled Dead Flowerz 1 (first in a series of 6). |
ASTHMATIC KITTY |
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INSTRUMENTS OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 7:Music For Paradise Armor CD (AKR 207CD) 11.00
“Instruments of Science & Technology’s Richard Swift (born Ricardo Sigilfredo Olivarez Swift-Ochoa, 1977) is an artist who lives in the Northwest region on the United States of America. He’s made lots of different music. He normally sings, but doesn’t at all on this recording. Music for Paradise Armor was made on varying recording mediums, such as a Tascam 4-track cassette player/recorder, an Otari 50/50 – 8-track half-inch recorder, a 16-track 2-inch machine constructed by Studer, and a computer made by Macintosh. There are a lot of what Swift calls ‘modern clickity-clacks’ and ‘zzzoops s s s’, as well as the occasional ‘bleep bleep blaaaaap’ found on this disc. These sounds apparently reflect our tech-centric lifestyle in the West. We have magnet trains, remote control car door locks, and affordable robotic limbs, yet we still flush our toilets with drinking water. Guard yourself.” |
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INSTRUMENTS OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 7:Music For Paradise Armor LP (AKR 207LP) 14.00
LP version. |
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MILTNER, KRISTIN: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 8: Music For Dreaming… CD (AKR 208CD) 11.00
…And Playing. “Kristin Miltner is a composer, video and installation artist, and sound designer living in Oakland, California. She most often performs music live with versions of her custom software. She has designed this to scan sound files and live input, allowing her to instantly restructure the sounds into sequenced arrays of units of varying lengths. This scanning idea is like imagining a giant octopus in a long thin hallway with continuous windows on each side. One can touch both sides of the hallway with one’s fingertips (if one is an octopus). The length of the hallway is infinite. So the octopus runs up and down the hallway opening and closing windows, letting a little bit of water in here and there, but never stops moving back and forth, and some windows stay open for longer than others. But there’s a rhythm to it; it’s an efficient octopus. The ocean is the sound source, the hallway and octopus are the scanners, the windows determine what gets in, and the octopus’s rhythm is the sequencing mechanism.” |
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MILTNER, KRISTIN: Library Catalog Music Series Vol. 8: Music For Dreaming… LP (AKR 208LP) 14.00
LP version. |
ATLANTIC |
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COLTRANE, JOHN: Olé Coltrane LP (SD 1373HLP) 14.00
180 gram exact repro reissue, manufactured by Rhino. “Olé, which was originally released in 1962, was recorded in between the two sessions that formed the Impulse! release Africa/Brass. It appears that with Olé, Coltrane was continuing the experimentation of his earlier Atlantic recordings. In this case Coltrane was trying to explore the larger group format. Olé features Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Art Davis, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones, and of course Coltrane himself — a septet…quite a large band/ensemble.” — All About Jazz |
AURORA BOREALIS (UK) |
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SYLVESTER ANFANG II: Sylvester Anfang II 2LP (ABX 035LP) 25.00
“All things must evolve, and given time even the unicellular organisms dwelling in ocean’s deepest fathoms may shift form and take to the skies. In celebration of the mysteries of evolution, Aurora Borealis proudly presents Sylvester Anfang II. In the time since the release of Kosmies Slachtafval, Silvester Anfang have grown into Sylvester Anfang II, a more psychedelic beast, a more tangible creature in some ways, but one that defies and confounds standard classification. Taking their cue from Krautrock communes of yore, the Flemish troubadours have expanded both ranks and minds and now present this giant new opus for general consumption. With cultish numbers swollen with new blood in the guise of Stef Anus (Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat), Father Sloow (Sloow Tapes pontiff), Bram (Ignatz) and Clay Ruby (Davenport, Burial Hex), the sound is much fuller and more reminiscent of Kraut-ish dope jams than ever before. Ruby’s vocal additions create a whole new universe for the band, rather like if Dr. John had been born in a plague pit in Flanders, and the resulting tracks ‘The Devil Always Shits in the Same Graves Parts 1 & 2’ are masterful examples of Flemish voodoo boogie. Sure to upset parents and upstanding citizens with their occult themes and liberal European-style artwork, Sylvester Anfang II reach new levels of consciousness with their mantras of goat worship and the orthodoxy of denial that states, ‘Only analogue is real.’ Dust off your robes, sharpen the sacrificial blade, order in some Trappist beers — tune in, turn on, evolve.” Deluxe gatefold sleeve with red and green colored vinyl. |
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CONAN: Horseback Battle Hammer CD (ABX 041CD) 17.00
“Conan are a caveman battle doom trio from the grim North of England. They summon the heavy riff from the ungodly land and crush the skull of the unbeliever with their low end doom assault. Waves of sludge and galloping crust passages overwhelm the unwary. Horseback Battle Hammer is comprised of four long and crushing tracks recorded in mid November 2009 at Wales’ mighty Foel Studio (Hawkwind, Electric Wizard, Blue Cheer, Godflesh, Amon Duul). The sound is monolithic, and clearly the band made the very best use of this legendary studio to get remarkable results from their custom made gear for a truly crushing debut release. Combining excellent production values, deadly riffs and a unique vocal style, Horseback Battle Hammer stays with the listener like a fresh wound. With artwork by Tony Roberts (Electric Wizard, Unearthly Trance, Cathedral), Conan have set in stone the majesty of their arrival.” |
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MENACE RUINE: Union Of Irreconcilables CD (ABX 042CD) 17.00
“The Montreal duo Menace Ruine release their fourth opus on Aurora Borealis. Entitled Union of Irreconcilables, the album builds on their previous great work, the alchemical collision of black metal, walls of noise, mysticism, martial rhythms, and a medieval affinity for melody leaving the listener with a sense of unforgettable originality. Begun in 2006, Menace Ruine have always followed their own path, combining unusual elements and vocal styles in an effort to capture their unique musical vision. The evolution of the band’s style and sound has been a constant throughout their three previous releases, including 2008’s The Die is Cast (Alien8) with Geneviève’s powerful vocal performance coming to the fore.” |
BOYSNOIZE RECORDS (GERMANY) |
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HOUSEMEISTER: Beef Jerky 2 – Premium Cuts 12″ (BNR 047EP) 12.00
Housemeister presents the second volume in his Beef Jerky series. “Sommer” is probably one of his most melodic jams, reflecting a never-ending summertime breeze in Berlin. “IckSchnallUp” and “Verflixt” are great tools, “Famous” is a typical Housemeister pusher and “Hyperactive” feels like a track that Jeff Mills could have done in his early techno days. All in all, this is not just an ordinary sequel, this will mark the next level, the next shift to the real deal. |
BRIDGE RECORDS |
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MESSIAEN, OLIVER: Visions de l’Amen CD (BRIDGE 9324CD) 15.00
“In the spring of 1943, in German-occupied Paris, a select audience of invited guests gathered at the Galerie Charpentier for the first performance of Olivier Messiaen’s new work for two pianos, Visions de l’Amen. Although originally one of several pieces on the program, a printed announcement of a change of date explained that ‘the significance, the character and the duration of this work have led the Concerts de la Pléiade to present it in a concert which will be entirely devoted to it.’ Performed by Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod, Visions represented the first musical collaboration between the two, and the beginning of a personal and creative partnership that would endure for half a century. This new recording brings together two leading performers of Messiaen’s music — pianists Sarah Rothenberg and Marilyn Nonken.” “…a powerful performance…. For Messiaen, who experienced a type of synesthesia, a particular color could evoke harmonies or sounds. He composed Visions mostly in the key of A, which he associated with blue, the color of the sky and eternity. Ms. Nonken and Ms. Rothenberg (who studied Messiaen’s music in Paris with Ms. Loriod) demonstrate a deep understanding of this shimmering, colorful score…” — New York Times |
CADENZA (GERMANY) |
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CAHN/CESAR MERVEILLE, PABLO: Elle/FK 12″ (CADENZA 053EP) 14.00
Pablo Cahn and Cesar Merveille return to Cadenza and each take a side in a friendly contest to see who can go deeper. Right from the get-go, Cahn’s “Elle” is one of those “yeeeeeah” kind of tracks, frequency-rich and deeply satisfying, with pumping chords as juicy and marbled as slabs of meat. Merveille’s “FK” begins with a bright, feathery loop of acoustic drums and guitars, maybe even banjos, and lets it spin blissfully, over and over. |
CHARLY (UK) |
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VA: Epitaph For A Legend 2CD (SNAX 620CD) 17.00
“Digitally remastered and expanded 2CD limited digi-book edition of this compilation. Reissue of Lelan Rogers’ compilation of alternate takes, demos, rehearsals and rare tracks from the IA vaults. Epitaph For A Legend is the story of the International Artist(s) (IA) label, which operated out of Houston from 1965 to 1970. The label was run by Lelan Rogers, brother of Country music star Kenny. Features rare and alternate recordings from their stable of artists including 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, Lost & Found, Lightnin’ Hopkins and others. This deluxe reissue of the album comes packaged in a double media book with 40-page booklet with extensive liner notes from The Mole (Shindig magazine). It also features a new intro by Jon Savage (Mojo) along with his original interview with Lelan Rogers from the vinyl release.” |
CIRCUS COMPANY (FRANCE) |
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DAVE AJU & THE SOL PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE: Two Tone 12″ (CCS 049EP) 12.00
Dave Aju offers this two-track side project treat with his new Sol Percussion Ensemble. Using a single percussion instrument for each track, Aju and the ensemble bring a raw, acoustic and live-jam session vibe to the proceedings. On “Vibra,” a sunny feeling builds up into a loose, Latin jazz/house interpretation of Bob James’ “Spunky.” “Flexa” starts off with a strong rhythm as warm bass tones and vocal scat chants alternate over the course of this future-meets-primitive hypnotic groover. |
COCOON (GERMANY) |
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ELECTRIC RESCUE: My Inner Colors EP 12″ (COR 072EP) 12.50
This is the second EP for Cocoon Recordings by Antoine Husson aka DJ D’Jedi. He has worked for labels such as F Comm, Communiqué, ELP Medien and Paul Nazca’s label Scandium. Unerringly, Electric Rescue finds the golden compromise between modern rhythmic textures and powerful rave signals in the tradition of the early ’90s. “Crazy Purple” features an unforgettable, steadily-growing noise modulation and “Bleu Electrique” is a mind-expanding span between Chicago-esque phuture sounds and acid trance spinners. |
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FIX/SVEN TASNADI, MARKUS: Dark Side Of Bo/Nordsee 10″ (CORTEN 004EP) 12.50
Cocoon’s 10″ series returns to Germany with the fourth EP. Markus Fix grew up at the decks of Helium bar, and is now at home at Cocoon Club, Frankfurt. His Cocoon debut starts with “Dark Side Of Bo” which features an extremely fat bass line pulsing through the room like an externalized heartbeat. Sven Tasnadi’s “Nordsee” is hypnotic dub techno with a tribal touch and obscure train station-like background sounds — a journey through the heart of the night. |
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CHYMERA/MARTIN DAWSON + GLIMPSE: Pump/Flying Scotsmen 10″ (CORTEN 006EP) 12.50
The sixth 10″ record from Cocoon Recordings features Brendan Gregoriy aka Chymera on the A-side. “Pump” enchants, thanks to an LFO bass line and a steadily climactic harmony crescendo that emits incredibly positive vibes in between Detroit layers and dub pianos. “Flying Scotsmen,” by Glimpse, together with Martin Dawson aka King Roc features a dry, rotating bass drum that forcefully melts small sound bits in between acoustic guitar, wild-pitch layers and disco strings. Standing still is impossible. |
CURTOM |
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IMPRESSIONS, THE: Check Out Your Mind! LP (CRS 8006LP) 11.50
Exact repro reissue, manufactured by Rhino. Originally released in 1970, this was Curtis Mayfield’s last album as a singing member of Chicago rhythm and blues group, The Impressions. Opening with the hit title track, this record is a psychedelic soul classic from Mayfield’s own Curtom label. |
DANKSOUL RECORDINGS (CANADA) |
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BRON: Great White North 12″ (DSR 002EP) 12.00
Bron, a mysterious giant from the plains of Canada’s sub-Arctic region provides Danksoul’s second release. This is a truly Northern take on the infectious grooves of micro-house. “Great White North” is a jacked-up, home-grown classic that has been garnering a cult-like following in Canada. French avant-garde house producer Le K provides a heavy-handed remix. Bron polishes off this EP with the bouncy beats and bass of “Splash Back,” followed by the soulful space-hop of “Postcards From The Prairies.” |
DESSOUS (GERMANY) |
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VA: Dessous’ Best Kept Secrets 2 12″ (DES 095EP) 12.00
This is the vinyl format of Dessous’ Best Kept Secrets, featuring 3 exclusive tracks on the 2CD compilation. Tigerskin’s “Voodoo” features bizarre vocal wanderings and chunky beats. Andrade contributes the cheeky, bumpin’ house of “Merise,” and finally, the delicious phases of Ryo Murakami’s “Off The Wall’ takes a deep, extended trip into modern Chicago house. These tracks seamlessly display the vast array of talent available on the ever-growing Dessous imprint. |
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHONE (GERMANY) |
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HERBERT, MATTHEW: Mahler Symphony X Recomposed By Matthew Herbert LP (DG 2734451) 33.00
LP version. “Gustav Mahler, the great composer on the brink of modernism, wrote his last symphony during a time of great personal trouble. Just as his friend and admirer Arnold Schoenberg believed to observe the loss of subject in Mahler’s 9th Symphony, this subject was to manifest itself fully in the last tragic work of Mahler. His unfinished symphony is an expression of the personal anguish that he was suffering in the summer of 1910. Mahler was desperate and the abyss of loss and madness surrounded him. Death, always a central theme for Gustav Mahler, really seems to take shape in Symphony No. 10, a factor that Matthew Herbert has taken as a departure point for his version of Mahler’s Tenth. And Herbert has taken Mahler at his word. He fitted a coffin with a car radio, played the Tenth on it and recorded the result. The viola solo from the prelude was recorded anew at the master’s grave in Vienna. He played the adagio over the loudspeakers in a crematorium and placed a microphone behind the curtain. For Herbert, it was about focusing on the close proximity of the banal and the profound in Mahler’s work, the constant friction between life and death, love and confusion, grandeur and mortality. ‘My version is not intended to just be fascinated with death though, it is supposed to be an amplification of that unsettling balance he creates between light and dark. I want to relish the friction of the fearful with the glorious.’ This is why one constantly has a feeling of ambiguity when one approaches Herbert’s version of Mahler’s Tenth. Beneath apparently safe ground, an unknown darkness is waiting. That which is audible, tangible to the senses, has a dark side; and ever do the shadows push up to the surface. Herbert has masterfully turned the psychic and artistic thin ice that Mahler was standing on in the summer of 1910 into music. Through subtle adaptation of the structure, the sounds and the spatiality, we hear the Tenth Symphony as we have never heard it before. Occasionally softly underlined, at times overstated, Matthew Herbert regards Mahler’s unfinished symphony from the inside out. Through his sense of time and dramaturgy we are unavoidably drawn into this radio play about Mahler and his last great work. Perhaps the room in which the composer was and surrounded him like a cocoon, the sound of footsteps and the claustrophobically close rustling of paper, are among the few overdubs that Herbert used in his Mahler project. There is an obvious analogy of isolation with the small house in Toblauch (Tirol) where Gustav Mahler composed and struggled. Matthew Herbert has enriched the Recomposed series in one crucial sense: that of the work-immanent approach. He wasn’t just striving to give the Tenth Symphony his own personal point of view, rather to understand and reinforce it in all its complexity. Far more than a re-composition, Herbert has achieved a piece of sound-art which takes the subject matter and creates a mirror image of it. A reflection on Gustav Mahler and his Tenth Symphony in the best sense of the word. Original Recording: Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Deutsche Grammophon (1987).” Includes a large-scale full-color 8-page booklet. |
DISKO B (GERMANY) |
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PULSINGER, PATRICK: Impassive Skies CD (DB 154CD) 17.00
With his fourth studio album Impassive Skies, legendary Viennese producer Patrick Pulsinger draws the attention to the dancefloor. After his highly-acclaimed adventure into jazz with Easy To Assemble — Hard To Take Apart and the classic Dogmatic Sequences Series (DB 142CD), comes an album that extends the unique combination of electronics and recorded instruments even further: synthesizers and hand-played drumboxes, not sequenced by the computer, carefully fitted into the musical performances. All the beautiful irregularities of the human groove with its switches and bleeps of the analog bubble-bath melt into a soundscape that reflects both the history of dance music and today’s production techniques. All eight tracks on the album show great diversity in style and musical approach. The analog recording and mixing process and the wide dynamic range give the material a continuity that makes Impassive Skies such an intense and visionary listening experience. Several guest musicians and vocalists played an important part in the development of the album. Their involvement in the early stages of the compositions allowed Pulsinger to give room to their performances in the arrangement and shape the electronic sound around the instruments. Opening track “Grey Gardens” revolves around trumpet and improvisation genius Franz Hautzinger, whose narrative performance inspired its samba-esque feel, playful drum sequencing and Detroit-style synthesizer chords. In “Future Back” and title track “Impassive Skies” the outstanding soundscape of guitar experimentalist Christian Fennesz set a perfect background for Rhodes, grand piano and organ played by young jazz talent Martin Knorz, as well as modular synthesized drum patterns and Polaroid sampling by the legendary Sebastian Niessen of SND. There is a certain cosmic feel in the 2 tracks that feature the human clockwork Elektro Guzzi as rhythm combo. “Thong” is filled with tom-tom breaks and deep, driving bass. “Blame It” features the voice of Abe Duque with straightforward, dubbed-out disco catching a glimpse of vibraphone and vocoder. Other guest vocalists who bring elements of pop, new wave and punk to the album include G.Rizo and Teresa Rotschopf. |
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PULSINGER, PATRICK: Impassive Skies 2×12″+CD (DB 154LP) 20.00
Gatefold 2LP version. Includes free CD version. |
DOG W/A BONE |
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MARCLAY, CHRISTIAN: Graffiti Composition CD (DWAB 006CD) 15.00
Dog W/A Bone, the recording label established by the Paula Cooper Gallery, is pleased to announce the CD release of Graffiti Composition by American visual artist and composer Christian Marclay. In 1996, Marclay plastered more than 5,000 posters of blank sheet music in public places throughout Berlin during a month-long sound festival. The posters functioned as an open invitation to the public to scribble musical notes, or any other type of graffiti. Marclay photographed the graffitied sheets, selected 150 from the group, and compiled them into a portfolio intended to be interpreted and performed by musicians. Graffiti Composition is the live recording of a one-time performance at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2006. Led by Elliott Sharp, it features five world-renowned guitar players: Melvin Gibbs, Mary Halvorson, Lee Ranaldo, Vernon Reid, and Elliot Sharp. The release of Graffiti Composition coincides with the opening of Christian Marclay: Festival at the Whitney Museum of Art, a groundbreaking exhibition highlighting the interplay between the visible, audible and performance that is the hallmark of Marclay’s work. The show will focus on the artist’s graphic scores: art works with visual cues to be interpreted by musicians in performance. The exhibition will feature select musicians’ daily live performances of Marclay’s scores and runs from July 1st through September 26th, 2010. |
DOXY (ITALY) |
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COLEMAN, ORNETTE: Tomorrow Is The Question LP (DOX 836LP) 21.00
“Born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1930, Ornette Coleman began playing alto sax in 1944 and tenor soon after, and is almost entirely self-taught. From the beginning, Coleman chose the path less traveled, concerning himself with pitch and melody and trying to extract qualities of the human voice with his horn. The result was a sound in jazz that no one had ever heard before, sparking the ‘free jazz’ revolution, which soon became one of its major currents. Despite an early lack of comprehension over what Coleman was doing, the titles of his early albums suggest that Coleman himself knew exactly how his music would influence the jazz world (Tomorrow Is the Question, Something Else), it was just a question of time. This, Coleman’s second album, recorded in 1959 in Los Angeles, was produced by one of Coleman’s early supporters, Lester Koenig of the great Contemporary Records, and features Don Cherry on trumpet, Percy Heath/Red Mitchell on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. It was during this time that Coleman’s career began to take off, thanks in part to John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet who got Coleman and Cherry spots at the School of Jazz in Lenox, Massachusetts. This same year Coleman recorded his watershed album The Shape of Jazz to Come.” |
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COLEMAN, ORNETTE: Something Else LP (DOX 837LP) 21.00
“The aptly titled Something Else really was something else when it first hit the shops in 1958. Ornette Coleman’s debut album sounded unlike anything the jazz world had ever heard before and like any true revolutionary he was simultaneously both heckled as a fraud and lauded as a genius of the future of jazz. Half a century later, and given Coleman’s extraordinary influence in both the jazz and rock world, it is difficult to imagine that Coleman could have had a hard time getting work as a sideman, but his style was so unusual that even fellow jazz musicians thought he was ‘out of tune.’ Only a small group of people understood what he was trying to do at first, and this album, featuring Coleman playing his famous plastic alto sax, Don Cherry on trumpet, Billy Higgins on drums, Walter Norris on piano and Don Payne on bass, a landmark album in jazz, was so far ahead of its time that it still sounds fresh 50 years later.” |
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WILLIAMS, HANK: Shreveport Sessions 2LP (DOY 632LP) 30.00
“When Hank arrived in Shreveport in August 1948, KWKH’s now legendary Louisiana Hayride (but at the time just one of many popular radio barn dance’s being broadcast across the South) had yet to attract a major act (Elvis, Johnny Cash, Faron Young, Webb Pierce, Jim Reeves, and Slim Whitman all came after), and Hank himself was barely known outside of Montgomery. Hank managed nonetheless to get a spot on the Hayride (sponsored by the Johnnie Fair syrup company), which he held down until May of the following year, when the success of ‘Lovesick Blues’ meant that Hank was on to the bright lights of Nashville. During this period (Aug. 1948-May 1949) Hank made a number of recordings, including several acetates that were recorded for KWKH to broadcast when Hank was away on other engagements. This material, almost entirely comprised of Hank singing other artists’ songs, gives fans an enlightening glimpse of Hank’s many influences and how his style developed over the years. However, Hank also recorded acetates of his own material while he was with the Hayride, mostly with Curley Williams, which he sent over to Acuff-Rose in Nashville, and these are also included here.” |
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HOOKER, JOHN LEE: The Great John Lee Hooker LP (DOY 640LP) 21.00
“After a few years spent climbing the ranks of the Detroit blues scene, in rolls 1948 and Hooker’s ‘Boogie Chillen’ — a variation on an ‘old lick’ he says he heard the guys playing way back when in Mississippi — goes to the top of the charts. In the years that follow, John Lee Hooker has one hit after another, backed often only by a single sideman, the great Eddie Kirkland (because he was one of the only guys who could keep up with him!). Not in the sense that Hooker played fast or fancy; in fact, Hooker himself once said, ‘I don’t play a lot of fancy guitar. I don’t want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.’ These ten tracks have ‘mean licks’ a-plenty, and take listeners back to that early period, beginning with his earliest single, 1948’s ‘Sally Mae’ and its B-side, ‘Boogie Chillen,’ through to 1954’s, ‘I Need Love So Bad,’ the year before Hooker signed to Vee Jay.” |
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HOOKER, JOHN LEE: Driftin’ Thru The Blues LP (DOY 641LP) 21.00
“There was an almost religious quality to the way John Lee Hooker saw himself as a musician: the way a preacher is a vessel for the Word of God, John Lee Hooker was a vessel for the blues. After running away from a life of back-breaking labor in the cotton fields of Mississippi at the age of 14, Hooker drifted from town to town until he ended up in the booming city of Detroit, in the early 1940’s. Although Detroit’s blues scene was small compared to that of Chicago, it wasn’t long until young John Lee from Mississippi was a big man on campus. The five tracks on side A were recorded in Detroit between 1949 and 1950 and feature stereo recordings of mainly solo performances by John Lee Hooker. The five tracks on Side B, also recorded in Detroit, are mono recordings primarily from 1954 and feature Hooker in a band format backed by tenor sax, piano and drums.” |
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GILBERTO, JOAO: Chega De Saudade LP (DOY 642LP) 21.00
“It would probably not be an overstatement to call this the most influential Brazilian album of all time. Originally released in 1959, Chega de Saudade is the album cited as creating bossa nova, so to say that it lit a fire in the music world would be putting it mildly. It would be perhaps more accurate to say that it influenced so many musicians both at home (Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, etc.) and abroad (Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, Charlie Byrd) that it effectively single-handedly changed the way people both made and listened to music, and put Brazilian artists on the map. Almost every song on this album has gone on to become a standard, and Gilberto, called ‘O Mito,’ is today, at age 79, truly a living legend. Here Gilberto collaborates with both Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, both legends in their own right. Moraes and Jobim would soon go on to write the song that won them a Grammy in 1965, ‘The Girl From Ipanema.'” |
DRAG CITY |
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CALLAHAN, BILL: Letters To Emma Bowlcut Book (DC 268BK) 12.00
“After years of writing songs and singing them into the space in front of him, Bill Callahan has written a book of words to go out into that space as well. Letters to Emma Bowlcut is just that, the letters from a boy to a girl. It is in fact one side of the story, and as such is a meditation on solitude, at times tracing a relationship but mainly making the expressions of a person’s soul secrets that are too difficult to impart face to face. As the first letter says, ‘I couldn’t talk to you but I had to write to you.’ A fiction with a nameless protagonist, Letters to Emma Bowlcut collects sixty two letters from a few seasons in the sun as he reaches repeatedly outwards, addressing himself to Emma whether countering her unseen words or more often, exploring the possibilities of explaining his self. To entertain, to explain, to seduce or induce a reply, all his intentions are bound together in the letters, which come across alternately as diary entries, tall-tale confessionals and yes, letters. Our writer is up to the tasks, sifting the loose details of his day-to-day, giving emotional weather updates, advising, narrating and delivering dry punchlines with incredible timing. Letters to Emma Bowlcut captures the sensual and esoteric qualities of letter correspondence that cannot be duplicated by any fancy digital technologies — your emails, texts, and the IM. Damn all this modern convenience! There is something in the time it takes the post to deliver and the object that eventually arrives that evokes an intimacy, a passion; a desire to be known and an opportunity to present oneself in the internal fantasy of everyday’s secret internal dialogue. To paraphrase an old adage of the entertainment industry, when fact meets fiction, print the legend. Where comedy meets poetry, print the pros.” 80 pages; soft bound; cover price: $12.98. |
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ROBERTS & FRIENDS, ALASDAIR: Too Long In This Condition CD (DC 421CD) 13.50
“Young Scotsman Alasdair Roberts is an old hand at songcraft — and not just his own, but the songs of the ancients, the near-ancients and their friends. Over the past decade that he’s been singing music in his own name (after graduating from the Appendix Out youth brigade), he’s made a habit out of recording songs of his own and traditional songs with an equal amount of investment and urgency. After all, it’s all music, always deserving of everything we have to give. Following 2009’s deluge of fantastic syncretic epics (as documented on Spoils and The Wyrd Meme EP), Too Long In This Condition stands at the deep well of traditional songs, ready to plunge the murky depths at any moment. It’s the third such album in Alasdair’s career: back in 2001, he recorded his first set of traditionals as a solo act and then in 2005, he made No Earthly Man with production from Bonnie Will Oldham. As ever before, grave robber Roberts circles the elders warily, with suspicion, fascination and adoration. His renditions are based upon multiple versions that he has heard sung and then sung himself. After all this steeling of the self, these auld song stories are reanimated here in raptly personal versions — no slavish renditions these! Instead, new life and color pours from the speakers, with each song playing out in a way that Alasdair and his friends felt best about. The friends! To realize his new antique approach, Ali channeled the talents of an international cartel of musicians, including Edinburgh fiddler/violinist Alastair Caplin, Canadian cellist Christine Hanson, UK singer/concertina player Emily Portman, Scottish piper Donald Lindsay, Glasgow’s own Shane Connolly (drums an’ percussion), Ben Reynolds (lap steel) and Tom Crossley (allsorts), plus Ozark harpist Bill Lowman of Oklahoma USA. Together they rock and reel, with voices raised in harmony and hands and feet stomping the beat, unfurling a range of moods that comprise the endless songs of life. Too Long In This Condition? Not by half! We’re betting that in another thousand years, the sky-creatures that inherit our burnt orb’ll be taking Alasdair’s versions and singing them in their own throatless style, seeking to crack the codes and unravel the mystery of man. Raise your glass to human tradition — it’s a beautiful and horrible thing.” |
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ROBERTS & FRIENDS, ALASDAIR: Too Long In This Condition LP (DC 421LP) 17.00
LP version. |
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MCBEE, HAMPER: The Good Old-Fashioned Way CD (DC 427CD) 13.00
“The late Hamper McBee was a moonshiner, carnival barker, and ballad singer of legendary proportions. First ‘discovered’ and recorded by folklorist and performer Guy Carawan in 1964, Hamper’s prodigious talent and personality won him admirers not only in his native Smoky Mountains but throughout the folk music world, where his wholly unique approach to old-time ballads and lyric songs struck like revelations. He drew from both the oral tradition and from records — he especially loved Bradley Kincaid, Vernon Dalhart, and, surprisingly, Burl Ives — to create a repertoire entirely his own, and that he sung in a warm, powerful voice seasoned by prodigious quantities of cigarettes, booze, and joie de vivre. Recorded by renowned country music scholar Charles K. Wolfe and filmmaker Sol Korine at Hamper’s home in Monteagle, Tennessee, in 1977, The Good Old-Fashioned Way compiles the best of McBee’s traditional ballads, affecting original compositions, and outlandish, side-splitting stories of life on the carnival circuit, at the moonshine still, in the back of Sheriff Bill Malone’s patrol car, and as Hamper McBee. You’ve never met anyone like him before. You’ll be glad you did.” |
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MCBEE, HAMPER: The Good Old-Fashioned Way LP (DC 427LP) 15.00
LP version. |
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MONOTONIX: Never Died Before/Lazy Boy 7″ (DC 436EP) 5.50
“In a little over two years, Monotonix have become an incredible part of the international independent rock scene. Their refusal to sit still, or even leave the drums in one place for more than a song or two, is a part of their charm — the other parts include balls-out rock and roll (sometimes literally!) and a bottomless desire for good times. Monotonix’s two releases thus far, the Body Language EP and the full-length album Where Were You When It Happened? have distilled the rowdy essence of their legendary live shows into recorded sound — but the quest to fill the grooves with the rush that comes from the live experience continues. For their latest attempt, Monotonix traveled to Electrical Audio for some furious recording with Steve Albini. The fast and fun results are available on two 7″ singles ‘Never Died Before,’ and ‘Fun Fun Fun.'” |
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MONOTONIX: Fun Fun Fun/Try Try Try 7″ (DC 441EP) 5.50
“These singles are songs-on-the-run, quickly rendered in best punk rock fashion in order to help pay for dinner or gas or whatever else is needed to get to the next town. They won’t be around forever so pick ’em now!” |
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YOUNG, MATTHEW: Traveler’s Advisory LP (DC 444LP) 15.00
“Mixing a hammered dulcimer and a drum machine makes no logical sense. Taking your lyrics from instruction manuals is not a good idea. Covering Michael Hurley in 1986 is about as out of step with the times as you can get. And yet… somehow this 25-year-old ’12th-century/folk/electronic album’ feels perfectly up to date and dare we say…cooler than anything else you’ll hear this year! Drag City and Yoga Records proudly present Matthew Young’s Traveler’s Advisory. Recorded at home, made and distributed at the end of the first age of vinyl, Traveler’s Advisory is a startlingly original work: an utterly unique mix of vocals, dulcimer, banjo, Casio synths, and electronic drums, Matthew played every instrument & recorded every note. A graphic designer by trade, he too created the album artwork. Aside from a few traditionals and one cover version, Young composed everything. The haunting song Young chose to cover, ‘Werewolf,’ comes from another original, Michael Hurley, approximately 20 years before Hurley came back into fashion with the kids. The striking blend of ‘electronic’ & ‘traditional’ should appeal to fans of Arthur Russell; another pioneer responsible for an unlikely wedding of drum machine and cello. Opener ‘Objects in Mirror’ does indeed evoke Russell’s intimate home recordings compiled on the posthumous Calling Out Of Context. So much private press music comes off as the result of some sort of vanity — ‘private press’ is often nothing more than code for ‘vanity press.’ Hearing Traveler’s Advisory, one is struck by the vivid image of an artist who is full of ideas and learning how to express them as he goes along out of a sense of necessity. Young is the receiver and transmitter of strange ideas drifting in the ether, and renders them quite understandable to any open-minded listener.” |
EAT CONCRETE (NETHERLANDS) |
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BLIPVERT: Quantumbuster Now 12″ (EAT 017EP) 12.50
Whacked-out but well-executed electronics from Blipvert. A highly limited special edition of 250, packaged in truly amazing artwork by Elzo, printed by hand. Stylistically, this EP can be labeled glitch, IDM, noise and psychedelic, but it’s so much more. Borrowing just as easily from free-jazz as from breakcore, Blipvert juxtaposes African drum music with weird vocalizations and instrumentation that is detailed to the extreme. |
ELEVATOR BATH |
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SHOEMAKER, MATT: Isolated Agent/Stranding Behavior PIC. DISC (EEAOA 031LP) 21.00
“Elevator Bath’s ongoing series of picture disc LPs (each record being adorned with full-color artwork by the recording artist) continues with Matt Shoemaker’s debut appearance on vinyl: An enigmatic pairing of new recordings with appropriately cryptic artwork. Much of Shoemaker’s recorded output prominently features the use of field recordings (see his Tropical Amnesia One CD), but in this case he has eschewed such grounded measures and has instead sculpted a two-part puzzle which seemingly exists on some other plane(t). Layer upon evolving layer of sonic phenomena is still the methodological trademark, but the content is almost entirely electronic, lending a great deal of vivid color to a description of blackest space. The two works presented here are powerfully mysterious, unsettling examples of Matt Shoemaker’s prowess as a composer of details, of moods and tenses. The improbably relevant artwork for this picture disc consists of two collages utilizing Shoemaker’s own hand-dyed paper. The images, as well as their meanings, are essentially abstract and yet remarkably familiar. On the A side, the ‘Isolated Agent’ scuttles in a circular motion, forever locked in an endless search for the unknown element. The B side depicts the constant retreat, the ‘Stranding Behavior’ inevitably resulting in/from confusion. ‘You realize what you are implying? That we owe our human condition here to the intervention of insects.’ Matt Shoemaker’s music has been released by such labels as Trente Oiseaux, The Helen Scarsdale Agency, and Ferns Recordings. He resides in Seattle. This picture disc LP has been released in an edition of 233 copies.” |
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BERRY, KEITH: The Cartesian Plane PIC. DISC (EEAOA 033LP) 21.00
“Elevator Bath’s ongoing series of picture disc LPs (each record being adorned with full-color artwork by the recording artist) continues with Keith Berry’s debut appearance on vinyl: An absolutely mesmerizing cycle of deep, meditative tranquility inextricably linked to Berry’s otherworldly painting which appears behind the record’s grooves. The soundscapes along The Cartesian Plane are beautifully absorbing, heavy with the slow unraveling of emotions, almost beyond belief. There is an immense weight to these recordings, the richness of which belies the careful subtlety of the compositions. The sound is expansive and unreal, a perfect complement to the record’s visual aspects which seem to describe a kind of alternate existence. Like bookends, the colorful images house a wealth of experiences, wonderful and frightening. As you gaze upon the rotating colors and Keith Berry’s dense dream-sounds pour out of the speakers, total immersion in The Cartesian Plane is more than probable, it is certain. Five years have passed since Keith Berry’s masterful The Ear That Was Sold To A Fish, a disc that was something of a revelation for the lucky few who were able to obtain a copy of the original release. Since that time Berry’s reputation has steadily grown, even though his discography has not. Aside from a few compilation appearances (including Elevator Bath’s A Cleansing Ascension), he has remained silent. The release of The Cartesian Plane then truly calls for celebration, as it is precisely the record those of us who admire Berry’s work have longed for. Keith Berry’s music has been released by such labels as Trente Oiseaux, Twenty Hertz, and Crouton. He resides in London. This picture disc LP has been released in an edition of 233 copies.” |
FAT CAT (UK) |
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NASTASIA, NINA: Outlaster CD (FAT 082CD) 14.00
“The new album from Nina Nastasia, Outlaster is an achievement of staggering beauty by an artist of pervasive, quiet influence undergoing a sea change in musical form. Recorded with a small orchestra by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, and featuring string arrangements by Paul Bryan, Outlaster brings Nastasia’s now-legendary songcraft to a stunning new level. Though the signposts of Nastasia’s sensibility are still present: songwriting impeccable but not fussy, lyrics intelligent and provocative but not overly enamored with their own cleverness, her work continues to startle and intrigue even Nina Nastasia obsessives. She is, to quote Interview, ‘the rare artist who creates a new form from which others will copy.'” |
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NASTASIA, NINA: Outlaster LP (FAT 082LP) 17.00
Gatefold LP version on 180 gram virgin vinyl. |
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RICHTER, MAX: Infra CD (FAT 1311CD) 14.00
“Originally conceived as a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration between composer Max Richter, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie, Richter’s gorgeous score to Infra is deservedly given life of its own in this album-length release. Expanded and extended from the original piece, Infra comprises music written for piano, electronics and string quintet, including the full performance score as well as material that has subsequently developed from the construction of the album — more a continued reference to the ballet than as a ‘studio album’ in the strictest sense. The composition resonates with Richter’s characteristic musical voice — majestic, involved textures; fluent and sweeping melodies; an enigmatic and inherently intellectual understanding of harmonic complexities that compels and mesmerizes.” |
FAUXPAS MUSIK (GERMANY) |
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MITTEKILL: Zum Spielplatz – Goldwill Remixes 12″ (FAUXPAS 002EP) 12.00
After listening to the original version of “Zum Spielplatz” by Mittekill on byte.fm radio, Fauxpas Musik asked Modul8 to license the track to them. Goldwill delivered two remixes that just blew everyone away and that’s why the label decided to put both on this 3-track EP you’re holding in your hands right now. On white vinyl. Limited, numbered edition of 500 copies. |
FIRE (UK) |
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PIGBAG: Volume 1: Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive 2CD (FIRE 145CD) 18.00
Led by the dancefloor anthem that rocked into the UK pop charts all the way to #3, “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag,” a song that has since become a signature at football matches and television shows alike, Pigbag returns with the definitive collection of their output: Pigbag Volume One and Pigbag Volume Two, encompassing both of their full length releases Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive (1982) and Lend An Ear (1983), along with a collection of their pulsing singles and B-sides and a clutch of amazing live performances. Volumes One and Two kick it up a notch with fresh mastered versions of stone-cold groove classics that sound more at place with the current indie/world music resurgence than they ever have. Mixing punk, funk, jazz, ska, reggae and Afrobeat into a bewitching brew, Pigbag delivers. This is hardly a simple re-issue, but rather a long needed re-introduction. Formed from creative jam sessions in punk’s aftermath, the young group gathered steam after convincing Simon Underwood to join the fun following his departure from The Pop Group. Soon, the band would find themselves on Dick O’Dell’s Y Records and naming themselves after early member Chris Hamlin’s bag that he always carried. Cheekily naming their first single in reference to the James Brown number, they delivered an instrumental classic of their own with “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag” and stormed the charts. Following with funky singles and the massive success of debut album Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive, they embarked on a tour that began to fragment the group, while also bringing several appearances on “Top of the Pops” and other highlights. All the while, “Papa” pounded relentlessly on the dancefloor and the football terraces, culminating in a triumphant third showing on the Christmas edition of “Top of the Pops.” For their second album, Lend An Ear, the group would add vocalist Angela Jaeger and stretch their sound accordingly. The public remained transfixed on their earlier singles and never warmed to the change as quickly as the band would have liked, and soon they would decide to part ways. Deluxe gatefold mini-LP style packaging with a 12-page booklet and die cut lettering on cover. |
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PIGBAG: Volume 2: Lend An Ear + Pigbag Live 2CD (FIRE 146CD) 18.00
For their second album Lend An Ear, originally released in 1983 on Y Records, UK post-punk band Pigbag would add vocalist Angela Jaeger and stretch their sound accordingly. The public remained transfixed on their earlier singles and never warmed to the change as quickly as the band would have liked, and soon they would decide to part ways. While the early work still makes one’s pulse quicken, this second act deserves a fresh listen, as it showcases an incredibly confident collection of players pushing the boundaries of where they had been before — with spectacular results. Includes an instrumental version of “Hit The ‘O’Deck,” and extra track “Six Of One.” The second CD includes the Pigbag Live album of live tracks and remixes. Deluxe gatefold mini-LP style packaging with a 12-page booklet and die cut lettering on cover. |
FUMAKILLA (GERMANY) |
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WOODY/FELIPE VALENZUELA/DANI CASARANO: Woman 12″ (FUMA 034EP) 12.00
Berlin-based Woody recently invited some new blood into his studio: Chilean label mates Felipe Valenzuela and Dani Casarano. The results of their session easily break from formulaic dancefloor cuts: “Woman” will seduce you gently at first, but by the time the groove builds up, she’ll have you completely captivated — a combination of techno energy, house chords and disco string accents. This single-sided 12″ includes the original, nearly 10-minute version. |
GALACTIC ZOO DISK/DRAG CITY |
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SPUR: Spur Of The Moments LP (DC 435LP) 15.00
“Doncha just hate it when a majorly-touted obscurity or ‘major find’ fancy reissue finally makes it into your hands, and it turns out to be nothing but sub-Hendrix acid-rawk jams, tuneless loner plink, some horn-addled overblown studio pomp, or simply just obscure-for-a-very-good reason? Or worse yet, it’s an album you’ve already heard, but you buy it again for a bunch of ‘bonus material,’ which is nothing but lame garage rock covers? Well folks, relax — you are in no such danger with the major unveiling of the soon-to-be-seminal Belleville, Illinois outfit Spur. Little did we all know that still lurking in southern Illinois (near St. Louis actually), was one of the most amazing secret bands that could’ve given any 60s ‘Sunset Strip’ band a serious run for its money. Even more shocking was the amount of beyond-spectacular unreleased tracks lingering in their vaults…stuff that will truly spin heads around. So we cherry-picked only the best material from their insanely rare micropressed LP Spur of the Moments to make room for the plethora of new-found bounty. For 60s ‘psych’ enthusiasts, or really just fans of anything essentially rock n roll, there is a grove of treasures on this lone LP (boy was it hard to edit it all down to 40 minutes). The earliest Spur days, back when they were known (or really unknown) as The Unknowns, finds them in absolutely heartbreaking folk-garage mode, recalling the best of the Blue Things, The Choir, Beau Brummels or even ye olden Beatles. They evolved quickly into full-tilt west coast-style psychedelia, pouring on the fuzz with a laid-back tunefulness that certainly gives outfits like Quicksilver Messenger Service, Relatively Clean Rivers and Thee Dead some competition (indeed Spur opened for Jerry n crew in the day — as well as Cream!). By the 70s Spur had expanded even further, at last answering the age-old question, ‘What if Buffalo Springfield had hung in there and totally kicked ass by 1971?’ Gorgeous harmonies soaring above utterly driving guitars, amid heady studio trickery paints a picture not unlike the sainted pop of your Big Stars or Badfingers. So yeah, if you’re a fan of bands that seemlessly and viscerally integrated country, rock, psychedelia, folk and really everything grand in R n R, a la the Byrds, Moby Grape or even the Flying Burrito Brothers, prepare to have your doors blown off by a band that will soon be regarded as esteemed contemporaries of all of them.” |
GUERSSEN RECORDS (SPAIN) |
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O’BRIEN & JAKE, JUSTEN: Time Will Tell LP (GUESS 067LP) 25.50
The greatest album in the history of North Dakota is Justen O’Brien and Jake’s Time Will Tell (1978). Bootlegged twice already, Guerssen is proud to present the first artist-approved reissue of this mysterious, deep, UFO-inspired masterpiece. Featuring crystal-clear sound, the originally-intended cover art in a gorgeous gatefold cover, in-depth liner notes by Douglas Mcgowan (Yoga Records), and never-before-seen photos capturing the mystique of this long-gone psych/prog/lounge classic, even longtime fans will need to check back in with Justen O’Brien’s unique vision of the cosmos. A truly MAJOR left-field rediscovery on par with Bobb Trimble, Jade Stone And Luv, or DR Hooker. |
INTERNATIONAL FREAKSHOW (GERMANY) |
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STAR, MATT: Ravedub 12″ (IF 017EP) 12.00
Matt Star evokes the Arctic chill sound with “Ravedub,” a track that sounds like it was recorded inside of an ice-cave. You might be reminded of the legendary Basic Channel era by this seriously hypnotizing groove monster. “Hypno’s Back” can be called a worthy post-modern homage to Detroit-style techno in some way — the artist took some of these ingredients and combined them with his individual brand of the new generation techno-style productions. |
IT’S (GERMANY) |
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RVDS: Waiting 12″ (ITS 004EP) 12.00
It’s back, it’s great, it’s acid, it’s deep, it’s house, it’s time … the label It’s is back with a fine release of deep acid house by the DJ artist RVDS. Three tracks (two with vocals) full of soul, acid and love, inspired by Detroit classics like Mr. Fingers, Omar S, etc. All house-heads are in for a treat. Listen, dance or take it as a DJ tool. |
JAGJAGUWAR |
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ALVERSON, R.: The Builder DVD (JAG 167DVD) 20.00
“Following an Irish immigrant carpenter from coastal Queens to the Catskills and beyond,The Builder is an American existential portrait that explores the gulf between the idea of a thing and the thing itself. Having set off to the New York countryside to construct a reproduction of the earliest of American cape houses, the protagonist (Colm O’Leary) finds himself overcome by an inexplicable fatigue. Debts and expectations mount alongside the crudest and most naive of deceptions, that of both self and of family. As the chasm grows the Builder finds himself confronted by the unnerving ambivalence of the world around him.” Featuring music by Bon Iver, Gregor Samsa, Pan American, Spokane and Robert Donne. 94 minutes; stereo; color; NTSC format. |
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YOUNGS, RICHARD: Beyond The Valley Of Ultrahits LP (JAG 177LP) 15.00
“‘Make a proper pop album.’ Thus was the simple dare handed to Richard Youngs from his friend Andrew ‘Paz’ Paine during their weekly Sunday meet-up. Ever the modest master, Youngs said in accepting this friendly challenge that he merely endeavored to capture the ‘beats and hooks’ of contemporary pop. We present the results here as Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits. Among bright, hypnotic loops, Youngs’ voice finds its inner Bowie. But let it be known: this collection of house-inspired gems displays much more than a capacity for pop emulation. It’s a confirmation of Youngs’ craft and prowess, no matter the terrain. With enviable grace, experimental minimalist Youngs sets his sights on the pop world and claims it as his own. Youngs’ heretofore unknown love of Pet Shop Boys and the Madchester sound is reimagined via his unique avant sensibility and atmospheric wand strokes. Originally released in 2009 as a very-limited CD-R on Paine’s Sonic Oyster label, Jagjaguwar is honored to present Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits, remastered and on vinyl for the first time.” |
KLANGFARBE SCHALLPLATTEN (GERMANY) |
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TANDEM: Laid Back EP 12″ (KLA 004EP) 12.00
Two tracks from label manager, producer and DJ team Tandem, remixed by Sweet’N’Candy and John Lagora. “Laid Back” is contemporary, with its own, very special deepness — a true groover with a massive bass line and swingin’ Hammond. “Sweet’N’Candy” aka Rico Henschel picks it up and brands it with freaky samples and warm chords. Tandem shows their darker, more technoid side with “Melting Pot.” John Lagora batches this track with a craggy bass line and slicin’ hi-hats, creating a gloomy room. |
LICKING RIVER RECORDS |
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MASS SHIVERS: Contoured Heat LP (LR 004LP) 15.00
“Consumed by beastly guitars, the songs on Contoured Heat are simply menacing. Opening cut ‘More Bumper Than A Body Shop’ stabs jaggedly before diving into a heavy groove, drums drenched in sweat smelling of the dark days of Altamont. ‘(I’ve Got The Power)’ bounces spryly, reminding you that ‘the crippled and the beaten get even,’ before tearing you through to the eye of a sonic cyclone with its loops and solos shredding in a panorama of psychedelia. Mysticism roars in the tracks that follow — ‘Outsider Erotica’ entices like the dreamy glaze of a single night in Marrakech, its themes of tender seduction sung to something like the bastard child of Ananda Shankar and late-period Black Flag, while ‘Bilateral Dysfunction’ emotes like a desert expanse that would not seem out of place on a soundtrack to the films of Jodorowski. Weighted, meditative explorations are central to ‘Languid Liquid’ and the tracks that follow — ‘Oden v. Odin’ with its wordless chant and enchanting hook, the lamenting lines and dense grooves of ‘Anonynominous’ — an experience ripe with drone, repetition, and layers upon layers of delayed, effects-laden guitars.” |
LIEBE DETAIL (GERMANY) |
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SURREALISM/ALLAND BYALLO: So Much/Can I May I 12″ (LIEBE 032EP) 12.00
Hailing from Sofia, Surrealism aka Nick Nikolov and Kalin Todorov proudly present their liebe*detail debut with the sharp, jacking house of “So Much.” Focusing on raw, classic percussion, smooth, reassuring Rhodes hooks and its identifying vocal treatments, Surrealism pushes heavy house jams full of love and attitude. San Francisco’s Alland Byallo presents a dense, dub-inspired journey, rich in atmosphere, thick percussive layers and rousing synth themes. Pace, power and full-spectrum production that goes hand-in-hand with one of the West Coast’s finest frontmen. |
LIGHT IN THE ATTIC |
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BARRETT & THE YOUTH FOR CHRIST CHOIR, T.L.: Like A Ship…(Without A Sail) CD (LITA 056CD) 14.00
“One time Chicago pastor and civic crusader T.L. Barrett’s long-forgotten gospel-soul LP Like A Ship? (Without a Sail) is finally getting some much-needed direction – straight to the hearts of music-lovers worldwide. Long revered in the Windy City amongst the flock and fervent crate diggers, this end-to-end burner remains one of the holy grails of gospel soul. Self-released in 1971, Like A Ship? (Without a Sail) saw Jesse Jackson Jr. (Operation Breadbasket) ally Barrett channel his passionate love of music, determination to help keep children off the streets, and wholly engaging preaching (which attracted the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Donny Hathaway to his Mount Zion Baptist Church sermons) into a musical offering bolstered by Chess Records’ sax hero/arranger Gene Barge and backed by a cast of music players including Richard Evans, Phil Upchurch and the rapturous vocals of the Youth for Christ Choir. Sanctified grooves, breaks, beats, and spiritual praise, delivered with a righteous and infectious chorus. Once again, we at Light In The Attic are proud to make the best reissue possible: Beautifully re-mastered CD (w/ well-dressed digipak design), original art, stunning archival photographs, and extensive liner notes from Chicago writer Peter Margasak (Chicago Reader). Like A Ship? (Without a Sail) is a testament to the potential of people to do great things in this oft-troubled world of ours, creating better surroundings for those around them and even creating timeless art in the process.” |
LOOP HOTEL |
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UNKNOWN: Room 201/Room 202 12″ (HOTEL 002EP) 12.00
After Hotel 1 hit the house-hospitality industry by storm, part 2 picks up with 2 tracks based on a special “make it up then break it down” formula. While the drums form the backbone for both A and B sides, the musical elements are refreshed with each track, allowing us 2 special cuts based on the same groove. “Room 201” is a slow-building, acidic workout while “Room 202” is a slightly more stripped jam for a darker, more deviant journey. |
LOVEPUMP UNITED |
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HEALTH: Disco2 2CD (LPU 032CD) 14.00
“Two years after releasing the revered noise/dance record Health//Disco, Health return to the remix realm with Disco2, morphing 2009’s Get Color into an electronic masterpiece. Curated and produced by Health, Disco2 features the epic noise jams of Get Color remixed by electronic luminaries Tobacco, Crystal Castles, Salem, Javelin, and Gold Panda (among others), and leads off with the killer new Health single ‘USA Boys,’ mixed by legendary producer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode). Health have turned the dancefloor filthy again. It’s going to be a noisy summer.” |
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HEALTH: Disco2 2LP (LPU 032LP) 16.00
Gatefold 2LP version. Includes a download coupon for 12 additional tracks. |
MADLIB MEDICINE SHOW |
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MADLIB: Madlib Medicine Show No. 7 – High Jazz CD (MMS 007CD) 16.00
“Madlib follows Brain Wreck Show with the seventh installment in his Madlib Medicine Show, a jazz album with his Yesterday’s New Quintet called High Jazz. Madlib’s been busy this year. And while his recorded output always spans the gamut, he often returns to recurrent themes, spread across the genres that serve as home base — or bases, as it were. Jazz is one such base. This year, he’s already released two albums from ‘spin-off bands’ that he introduced on the 2007 Yesterday’s New Quintet Yesterday’s Universe album. And, with High Jazz, Madlib begins anew, offering familiar jazz sounds from a series of ‘new’ groups from his ever-augmenting cosmos. Call it ‘Yesterday’s Galaxy.’ High Jazz, the name itself a tribute to the landmark jazz-fusion album released by Stanton Davis’s Ghetto Mysticism in 1976, shows a marked development in Madlib’s craft. Every element of jazz is there. Is that tune modal-funk? Was that song psych-fusion? Was that a bossa-tinged run or another kind of Latin-affair? Where did that sitar come from? Madlib’s Yesterday’s excursions are never easy to categorize and that’s the point — while experiencing chops like these, the desire to rigidly define takes a backseat to aural pleasure. The Madlib Medicine Show series is a combination of Madlib’s new hip-hop productions, remixes, beat tapes, and jazz, as well as mixtapes of funk, soul, Brazilian, psych, jazz and other undefined forms of music from the Beat Konducta’s 4-ton stack of vinyl.” |
MISSISSIPPI RECORDS |
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HURLEY, MICHAEL: Blue Hills LP (MR 070LP) 13.00
“New recordings by Michael. On this LP we find Hurley stretching out on six longer than usual compositions that are heartbreaking & beautiful as anything he’s ever done. Side one features Hurley on a creaky pump organ & a hammond organ. Side two starts out with two newer compositions – just Michael on guitar & vocals. The record ends with a stunning version of ‘Tea Song’ (which Michael originally wrote & recorded way back in 1963). We rarely resort to hyperbole on these descriptions, but we have to say that this LP is one of the more moving things we’ve ever heard. A sustained feeling of loss & need for redemption haunts this record. It ain’t easy listening, but then what worth a damn is?” |
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MIRAH: Don’t/The Tears That Fall 7″ (MR 071EP) 5.50
“Mirah (K Records) has gratiously blessed the Mississippi label with a beautiful 45. This piece of wax contains two original Mirah songs, celebrating the classic girl group era of the ’60s. Loosely following this format, and with the accompaniment of some individualistic musicians, something unique was born. Backing musicians from Evolutionary Jass Band, Pink Widower and Golden Bears. Recorded at The Pool Recording Studio in Portland, OR with Alex Yusimov. Co-produced by Tara Jane Oneil and Christopher Doulgeris (Hooliganship, Mirah). Old-style full color tip-on sleeve.” |
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ORCHESTRE REGIONAL DE MOPTI: Les Meilleurs Souvenirs De La 1ere Biennale Artistique.. LP (MR 075LP) 14.00
..Et Culturelle De La Jeunesse. “Recorded in 1970 as part of the First Biennale of Arts and Culture for the Young in Mali. The Regional Orchestra of Mopti was a state funded orchestra that participated in country wide music festivals and competitions. A hypnotic band featuring electric guitars & a large horn section. This is the first in a series of six Mali music LPs we will be reissuing this summer from Sterns. A serene and droning record that is both sorrowful & celebratory.” |
MO’S FERRY (GERMANY) |
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KNOPF, MARCEL: Dusty Dance Rmxs 12″ (MFP 049EP) 12.00
Marcel Knopf is stylistically diversified when it comes to the selection of remixers for his debut album, Dusty Dance (MFP 046). Gregor Tresher, Luna City Express and Jeff Samuel are definitely away on different fields. Nevertheless, you will find HOUSE written on the drawer, if you want to open it. Tresher really dusts on his version, Luna City Express release “Rec-chord” from its melodic chord parts and concentrate on the groove and vocals, and Samuel plays with “Rec-chord” on a grooving playground. |
MONIKA (GERMANY) |
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GOLDEN DISKO SHIP/JASMINA MASCHINA: City Splits No. 1 Berlin LP (MONIKA 065LP) 14.50
City Splits is a new series presented by Monika Enterprise. Whereas Monika’s 4 Women No Cry series is designed to unite artists divided geographically, City Splits will instead focus on one city and present two of the most exciting new musicians from that scene. Berlin was a logical choice for the 1st installment, hand-picked by Gudrun Gut: two interesting female musicians/producers who live and work in the German capital. Golden Diskó Ship aka Theresa Stroetges started playing songs live on her laptop since the moment she first arrived in Berlin in 2007. The sound sculptress has quickly become renowned for her imaginative blend of fragile balladry, novel use of found objects, crunchy distortion, quirky visuals and squealing bits that suggest horrific drum machine abuse. Her uniquely chaotic and original music with magnificently swirling sounds has fast made Golden Diskó Ship a favorite of the Berlin underground-indie scene. Jasmine Guffond aka Jasmina Maschina is a celebrated Australian electronic musician who relocated to Berlin from Sydney in 2003 with her band MINIT. Over the last 10 years Jasmine has been recording and performing with MINIT, exhibiting sound installations, and developing works of varied scope based on the use of processed acoustic, electronic, and found sound sources. Equally interested in song, composition and free, improvised music, as Jasmina Maschina has further developed her studio recordings with musicians Theresa Stroetges (guitar, viola, glockenspiel, high hat, zither) and Steve Heather (drums on “City Fever”). The song “Ausland” originates from a live solo electronic performance at Ausland Club in Berlin, then developed into a variation of “Slow Walker,” a song from her album Demolition Series. With a trip to L.A. already planned for #2, City Splits offers a fresh take on the urban musical landscape. |
MUNSTER RECORDS (SPAIN) |
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PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE, THE: Magical Nights 2CD (MR 294CD) 22.00
Munster Records presents the most complete anthology of the legendary Czech band The Plastic People Of The Universe. PPUS was formed in autumn 1968 in Prague by teenagers and former school-mates bass guitarist Milan “Mejla” Hlavsa and guitarist Jirí “Premek” Stevich. They teamed up with vocalist and clarinetist Michal Jernek and drummer Pavel “Eman” Zeman. Their increasing popularity attracted attention from Ivan Martin Jirous, until then the artistic mastermind of the legendary Primitives Group. He secured them a professional license and equipment from a state-owned agency. Eventually, another ex- Primitives, Josef Janícek, joined on guitar (later he switched to keyboards). Since the invasion of the Warsaw Pact armies in August 1968, the Czechoslovakian Communist regime was continuously tightening the reins on most segments of the society, and particularly on the West-influenced youth culture. By 1970, the PPU had lost their agency support and the state-owned instruments. Jernek and Stevich quit, replaced by guitarist and violinist Ji?í Kabes and the Canadian vocalist Paul Wilson. In 1973, Hlavsa, Janícek and Kabes were joined by saxophonist Vratislav Brabenec. As an experienced jazz musician, Brabenec caused a further major shift in the group’s orientation, from relatively straight progressive rock towards more experimental music forms. They also ditched the English lyrics in favor of original Czech poems, supplied at that time by the underground philosopher and poet Egon Bondy. During the winter of 1974-75, the PPU clandestinely recorded their first “album” on archaic equipment in the unheated rooms of the Houska castle. Parts of it were released in France as Egon Bondy’s Happy Hearts Club Banned LP in 1978. In 1976, dozens of members from the underground community were arrested by the secret police, including the PPU musicians, and several of them were put on trial. Brabenec and Jirous were sentenced to eight and 18 months in prison. That trial was the impetus for playwright Václav Havel and other intellectuals to publish the Charter 77 document in January 1977. Despite all the hurdles, the PPU kept on writing new material, which they occasionally performed and recorded at Havel’s private farm. The persecutions by the secret police continued, and in 1982, Brabenec was forced to emigrate. Although the PPU home-recorded several albums through the 1980s, after 1981 they did not play before an audience until their break-up in 1988. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the PPU briefly reappeared in 1992 for a few gigs, featuring the original founding members. In 1997, after being asked by Václav Havel (then Czech president) to perform at the 20th anniversary of Charter 77 at the Prague Castle, the classic 1978-1982 line-up eventually decided to reunite. And despite Hlavsa’s premature death in 2001, they continue touring successfully to the present day. This 2CD package features 31 tracks recorded between 1969 and 1985 by this influential and revolutionary experimental band. Includes liner notes by expert Luká Machata, with rare photos of the band. |
NATION MUSIC (SWITZERLAND) |
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BIG ZIS: Suure Räge Remixes Vol. 3 12″ (NM 087EP) 12.00
This is the third volume of 12″ remixes of “Suure Räge” from Big Zis’ Und Jetz album. For the impulsive electro on the track Big Zis collaborated with the techno producer Michal Ho at the studio to get it her own way. These are high-class remixes from Agnés, Wandler, and M.A.. The unique trilogy comes along with beautiful, detailed artwork by Zurich-based street artist Tika. |
NO QUARTER |
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ENDLESS BOOGIE: Full House Head CD (NOQ 024CD) 14.00
“Deep, heady grooves anchor the second album by New York’s Endless Boogie. Once a hobby, now becoming the powerhouse they were meant to be. Is the world ready? Led by Top Dollar, the egoless frontman and master of his instrument, the Boogie cut seven glorious tracks at Rare Book Room studios in Brooklyn, tacked on a goddamn epic rehearsal jam and called it Full House Head. We’re not one to speak hyperboles, but it could be the first masterpiece of the new decade.” |
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ENDLESS BOOGIE: Full House Head 2LP (NOQ 024LP) 21.00
2LP version with full-color insert. |
NOW-AGAIN |
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JORGE AND ALMAZ, SEU: Seu Jorge And Almaz CD (NA 5068CD) 15.00
“Listening to this remarkable album for the first time you’ll surely be struck first by the deep, soul-piercing voice of that great Brazilian singer, Seu Jorge. Yes: he’s a singer first and foremost. Many may know him as an actor for his screen-stealing performances in the likes of Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic and Fernando Meirelles’ City Of God but Seu has known since he was a child that we was destined to sing. He’s a Brazilian singer who speaks the truth through samba, to paraphrase a well-known Seu Jorge quote. But this project is about a band: Almaz. Drummer Pupillo and guitarist Lucio Maia from the stalwart Nação Zumbi; bassist and composer Antonio Pinto from the soundstages of movies starring Seu Jorge. They came together naturally to record a song for a Walter Salles film; they enjoyed the experience so much that they recorded an entire album of music that inspired them. Songs famous within the Brazilian diaspora (Tim Maia, Jorge Ben) mesh with classic American (Roy Ayers, Michael Jackson) and European (Kraftwerk, Cane and Abel) soul songs begging for a bit of psychedelic samba. They enlisted producer and fellow Brazileiro Mario C. (Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson) to put the finishing touches on the project. Their album is both warm and dark; psychedelic and yet grounded, uplifting but at times somber. To listen to it is to join them in the studio, where the only bandleader is the music and the only agenda is to follow your heart.” |
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JORGE AND ALMAZ, SEU: Seu Jorge And Almaz 2LP (NA 5068LP) 19.00
Gatefold 2LP version. |
ON (GERMANY) |
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ROBAPHEX: Robaphex 12″ (ON 001EP) 12.00
“Twin” from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: “A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy.” We doubt there is a relation in bloodline between the two artists that come together on this release, but there is definitely a relation in sound even before one might have taken notice from the other. One from the empire, the other from a fallen Socialist country, but both pretty much ON a similar understanding for music. Welcome, the extraordinary Robaphex. |
PHILPOT (GERMANY) |
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JUJU & JORDASH: Tattoo’s Island 12″ (PHP 047EP) 14.00
Gal Aner and Jordan Czamanski aka Juju & Jordash are finally on Philpot, presenting their psychedelic-Kraut-techno track “Tattoo’s Island” in three fantastic cuts! The original is a tension-laden epic, rising like a hot tropic thunderstorm, leaving you electrified to the bone. The dub version strips it down a bit and changes the tone mid-track to a more techy-edge — spiritual, snare-driven and dubbed out. Tom Trago’s remix gives the track a whole new twist. On clear vinyl. |
PLAK (GERMANY) |
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QUARION/CHATON/SE-TE-VE: +91 Ahead Session 4 12″ (PLK 022EP) 12.00
Quarion, Chaton, Se-Te-Ve present an external raw groove, dirty keys, and deeply dubby chords. Extended house for club abuse, part 4. |
POLYDOR |
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BROWN, JAMES: I Can’t Stand Myself When You Touch Me LP (PD 1030LP) 11.00
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Another album featuring backing band Famous Flames. This record features three hot models on the cover, the Vox advertisement “Kids Stay In School And Play Better” and tracks like “There Was A Time,” “Need Your Love So Bad” and parts 1 and 2 of “I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me).” Brown knew how to crank ’em out. |
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BROWN, JAMES: I Got The Feelin’ LP (PD 1031LP) 11.00
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Tracks include “You’ve Got The Power,” “Maybe Good – Maybe Bad,” “Just Plain Funk,” “If I Ruled The World,” “Stoned Fox” and “Here I Go.” Pictured on the back cover are 15 other James Brown records but, seriously, this is the one you should get. |
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BROWN, JAMES: Excitement LP (PD 780LP) 11.00
Exact repro reissue of Polydor’s edition of this early album from James Brown backed by His Famous Flames, originally released on King in 1963. Mr. Dynamite letting it all hang out on tracks like ‘Shout And Shimmy’ and ‘Good, Good, Lovin’.” |
ROOT STRATA |
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GRASSLUNG: Sincere Void CD (RS 059CD) 15.00
“Grasslung is the moniker of Brooklyn based musician Jonas Asher. Sincere Void is Asher’s first major above ground release and we’re happy to help him migrate out of the dungeon and into the twilight. After a string of small run tapes & CD-R’s that ventured into the outer realms of damaged analog drone, Asher has taken on a whole new vision for his music. The opener ‘Scarred Hands We Drift’ sets the tone, with lush waves of delayed notes that usher in the records various paths of gauzy atmospherics, piano drift, lost melodies and body rhythms built from static. This music is bare in the best way, with most of the tracks here held together by pings of electricity or faint loops of harmony shot from the other side, all slowly crafted into melancholic tapestries good for keeping you warm during midnight trips to the void. Edition of 500 CDs in offset printed sleeve.” |
SECRETLY CANADIAN |
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WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY: Against Love CD (SC 202CD) 14.00
“In a world of ‘slow’ movements that rail against mindless consumption, rock survivalists Windsor for the Derby represent ‘slow’ music. For their latest outing, they began with a set of seemingly infinite drones and loops inspired by their early beginnings as a band. As those recordings were passed back and forth, the sounds were further sculpted by Dan Matz and Jason McNeely into their own leftfield brand of pop song. This became Against Love.” |
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WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY: Against Love LP (SC 202LP) 15.00
LP version. |
SIMPLE (GERMANY) |
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MIZRAHI, GADI: Can’t Stop This Feeling EP 12″ (SIMPLE 1045EP) 12.00
Gadi Mizrahi, one half of Wolf+Lamb, unleashes a sublime package with remixes from Lee Curtiss and Sideshow. Gadi Mizrahi paints splashes of bold color through “Can’t Stop This Feeling” and “Who’s Gonna Love Me Tonight?” With vocals that hark back to the early days of house music, these two stunning cuts lay down his emotive side. Lee Curtiss’ remix strips the track back, letting the beats lead the way. Curtiss is part of the Wolf + Lamb family that Gadi created alongside his partner Zev. |
SMASH |
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BROWN, JAMES: Grits & Soul LP (SRS 67057LP) 11.00
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1964. Subtitled The Instrumental Sounds Of The James Brown Band, “‘Grits’ is a slow, throbbing blues of the type Brown is best at. The horns are voiced in the harmony of the Flames, Brown’s singing group, and back his moody organ solo with simple chord changes, building up to brassy riffs behind Les Buie’s guitar solo. ‘Tempted’ is a medium tempo swing piece with an organ call and horn response opener followed by alto sax and organ solos… In ‘Virginia Woolf,’ the horns set a chilling, brassy mood, then organ takes over backed by Latin percussion. The only ballad in the set is ‘Infatuation.’ A sulking alto solo is complimented by lush, moody horns. ‘Wee Wee’ is simply a happy dance tune, reminiscent of Barbara George’s old hit ‘I Know.’ ‘Mr. Hip’ is out of the soul vein but adds to the variety of Brown’s repertoire.” — Rhythm & Blues Magazine |
SOUNDWAY (UK) |
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VA: The World Ends Part 1 3LP (SNDW 023A-LP) 29.00
Deluxe gatefold triple LP version. Part 1 of 2. Includes two vinyl-only bonus tracks not included on the CD version. The World Ends is the latest title from Soundway Records showcasing a wave of guitar-driven and psychedelic groups that sprung up in Nigeria during the early 1970s. This bumper collection is brimming with youthful exuberance, fuzzed-out guitar and cosmic organ vibes and owes much to the psychedelic sounds of Jim Morrison, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and James Brown. As the Summer of Love was blossoming in London and San Francisco, Nigeria was imploding into civil war. Also known as the Biafra War of 1967, it was a grisly conflict taking over three million lives, yet at the same time the country was being pulled apart, there was a new world beginning. The tracks featured represent a forgotten chapter in Nigeria’s musical history when the youth threw their varied morsels into the pot, from hard rock to psychedelic soul, when guitars were cherished instruments, symbolic of a new movement, when highlife and Afrobeat played second fiddle to “the beat.” |
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VA: The World Ends Part 2 3LP (SNDW 023B-LP) 29.00
Deluxe gatefold triple LP version. Part 2 of 2. Includes two vinyl-only bonus tracks not included on the CD version. |
ST. IVES |
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MAN FOREVER: Man Forever LP (SAINT 046LP) 15.00
“Recorded by Kid Millions (Oneida) over a weekend after seeing the Fireworks Ensemble’s performance of Ulrich Krieger’s transcription of Metal Machine Music, Man Forever is the maelstrom on the surface of a river. Kid Millions writes: ‘A few months ago I went to see Fireworks Ensemble perform Metal Machine Music. I read the liner notes for the show, listened to the original record and learned how the piece was originally recorded. During the performance I was inspired to record an album right away. A conversation I’d had a year or so ago with Brian Chase (from the YYYs) about just intonation tuning with drums popped into my head and I visualized a monolithic recording that would utilize the rich tonality of carefully tuned acoustic drums, played powerfully and multi-tracked at different speeds onto the Ocropolis (Oneida’s Brooklyn Studio) 16-track 1″ tape machine. I asked Brian Chase to come to the studio and help me tune my drums so I could capture my ambition for the piece. Richard Hoffman (Sightings) added some bass to the final mix. The tempo is something like 180BPM. The piece moves fast at an almost imperceptible rhythm. It feels overwhelming and fluctuates constantly. Turn it up!'” Housed in a hand-made silkscreened sleeve. |
STAUBGOLD (GERMANY) |
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KLANGWART: Sommer LP (STAUB 099LP) 17.00
LP version. Sommer assembles new as well as rarely-heard tracks from German electronic duo Markus Detmer and Timo Reuber (aka Reuber). The duo has recently become aware of two facts: a) that they have known each other for the past 18 years and b) that during 14 of those, they have been making music under the name of Klangwart. Looking back at all those years, they reckoned it was time to put together a retrospective from their extensive archive, including rarely-heard compilation tracks and remixes for other artists as well as hitherto unreleased studio recordings which were recorded at the Inkiek studio in Cologne in 2008 and 2009. They quickly decided that the motto of this compilation was to be “summer” — light, warmth and recreation, but also heat, sweat and adventure. Includes guest contributions from Philippe Petit, Christof Kugel, and Nufa. |
STIL VOR TALENT (GERMANY) |
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AKA AKA: Ich & Du 12″ (SVT 048EP) 12.00
AKA AKA are back on Stil vor Talent with their first 12″, straight for the floor. On “Ich & Du,” (trans. “Me & You”) AKA AKA invite everybody on the dancefloor to sing along to a smooth, deep and melodic vocal by Umami. “4 Fäuste Für Ein Halleluja” features a chunky kick drum and those signature percussions AKA AKA are known for, plus some chopped-up vocals. On “Sandpiper,” happy Southern guitars and some sped-up singing mingle over a slightly faster groove. |
TEMPORARY RESIDENCE LIMITED |
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BOOKS, THE: The Way Out CD (TRR 183CD) 14.00
“Over the course of three albums in nearly a decade’s time, the Books have grown to become one of modern music’s most genuine innovators. Creatively complex and truly unclassifiable, The Way Out continues the Books’ tradition of meticulous, existential songcraft, infusing the playfully surreal elements of previous albums with a humorous, childlike excitement. Produced and recorded as always in the Books’ home studios, The Way Out expands on the charm and intimacy of past endeavors with a deeper emotional resonance and an ever-impressive marriage of seemingly disparate sound worlds. With The Way Out, the Books have mastered the precarious balance of beauty, absurdity and accessibility.” |
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BOOKS, THE: The Way Out 2LP (TRR 183LP) 21.00
2LP version, featuring a vinyl-etching on side D. Includes full-color stickers (“to customize your own cover art!”) if you’re into that sort of thing. |
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THIBIDEAU, KENSETH: Repetition CD (TRR 184CD) 14.00
“Repetition is Kenseth Thibideau’s first true solo album, following a long and rich history of collaborative efforts that includes Tarentel, Sleeping People, Rumah Sakit, Pinback and Three Mile Pilot. Thibideau wrote, performed, recorded and produced every note of Repetition. Inspired by an increasing obsession with the Can/Cluster/Harmonia/Tangerine Dream world of classic Krautrock and European prog, Repetition fittingly centers around a series of circular melodies anchored by repetitive grooves and colored by swirling keyboards and understated vocals. It’s a surprisingly diverse formula that proves extremely successful. Of the dozen or more projects that Thibideau has played a part in over the years, Repetition may be the most subtly rewarding. It’s unusually understated for an album that adequately displays the many strengths of one of the west coast’s most genuinely talented musicians, and thus makes each listen more revelatory than the last.” |
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MAJEURE: Timespan Remixes LP (TRR 185LP) 15.00
“Timespan Remixes is exactly what the title implies: The entire debut album by Majeure (aka A.E. Paterra of sci-fi rock luminaries Zombi), remixed by three of his friends and favorite producers. Zombi co-conspirator Steve Moore expands on the opening minutes of ‘Timespan’ to give it an ominous John Carpenter dread. Jesu mastermind Justin K Broadrick transforms ‘Teleforce’ into a 10-minute vertigo-inducing shoegaze epic. Renowned French producer Black Strobe closes out the album with a staggering 20-minute reinvention of ‘The Dresden Codex,’ a white-hot house banger that scorches straight away before disintegrating into an ambient heap of sci-fi ash. This vinyl-only release is strictly limited to 500 copies.” |
THE TAPEWORM (UK) |
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UNSWORTH, CATHI: Johnny Remember Me Cassette (TTW 021CS) 7.00
Cassette-only release. Edition of 250 copies. Two readings of the short story Johnny Remember Me by its author Cathi Unsworth and by Pete Woodhead (O Yuki Conjugate/The Sons Of Silence). Cathi Unsworth is a writer and editor who lives and works in London. She is the author of three pop-cultural crime novels, Bad Penny Blues, The Singer and The Not Knowing, and the editor of the short story collection London Noir, all published by Serpent’s Tail. Cathi has written on music, film, art, fashion and culture for Sounds, Bizarre, BFI Flipside, Mojo and Uncut, amongst many others. Her collaborator on this release is Pete Woodhead, an electronic composer who cut his musical teeth as part of O Yuki Conjugate and The Sons Of Silence and is now best known for his soundtrack contribution to the hit British zombie movie Shaun Of The Dead. “He stood at the back of the room, in a smartly cut pale blue suit, so cleanly shaven his skin still had a rosy glow from the razor’s kiss, thick brown hair set into a shiny pompadour that looked as though it had been set in plastic. His bulbous dark blue eyes darted around the cellar, and he pulled on a cigarette fretfully. For a second it seemed that he was too nervous to come across the floor, but then his eyes became still as they settled on what he was searching for. With a sudden sense of purpose, he walked towards Johnny. And that was when all the trouble started.” |
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WATKINS, ZACHARY JAMES: Black Spirituals Cassette (TTW 022CS) 7.00
Cassette-only release. Edition of 250 copies. “Black Spirituals was recorded during fall 2009 in Northern California. These four works grew out of intense dialogue with sound artist Morgan Craft that dealt with our mutual interests in questioning the stakes and pushing our art amidst a landscape of sameness. It’s these spaces where ideas on race, gender, sex, politics, etc. inform the imaginations of artists in communities and influence new works. Also around this time, I found a dusty tape recording of a lecture from the late ’70s on the topic of Black Spirituals given by scholar and musician Bernice Reagon, an original member of the vocal group Sweet Honey On The Rock. This tape has helped me incorporate into my performance, stories and voices of New America. These improvised tapestries are tuned by ear and offered as meditations. What does Black Spirituals mean to you?” –Zachary James Watkins, Santa Cruz, CA, March 24, 2010. Zachary James Watkins: PAIA analog synthesizer (A1, B2), guitar (A2, B1), bass (A2), SuperCollider (A2), cassette (B1), percussion (B1), Casio (B1, B2); Jordan Glenn: drums and percussion (B1). Tracks A2 and B1 engineered by The Norman Conquest in October 2009. Illustration by Sav X. |
THE WIRE (UK) |
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WIRE, THE: #318 August 2010 MAG (WIRE 318) 8.50
“On the cover of this month’s magazine: Chris Watson (Ken Hollings meets the sound recordist and Cabaret Voltaire founder whose mic penetrates the wild places humans can’t reach). Features: Terror Danjah (The East London grime footsoldier on surviving the aftershocks of a dancehall revolution); Julian Lynch (Basement psych meets hypnagogic time-travel in the Wisconsin clarinettist’s DIY pop); Helena Gough (Clive Bell enters the microclimate zone with the UK electroacoustic composer); Global Ear: Yogyakarta (June Yap finds electronic grappling with the future sounds of folk in the Indonesian city); Cross Platform: The Morning Line (In Istanbul, Anne Hilde Neset enters Matthew Ritchie’s pavilion of adventurous sonic art); Invisible Jukebox: Rhodri Davies (The Reductionist harper, improviser and sound artist plucks out some gems from The Wire’s mystery record selection); Surgeon (How yoga, hypnosis, S&M and a buried legacy of British noise feed into the disciplined, finely balanced techno of Anthony Child); Chicks On Speed (Louise Gray reports on how the multi-tasking collective has burst out of their Berlin base to become an intercontinental guild of digital craftswomen); Cosmic disco (The interstellar pulse of late 1970s/early ’80s club music signaled the first truly futurist pop. Peter Shapiro on the resurgence of grooving in zero gravity); Howard Riley (Solo, or with colleagues like Tony Oxley and Barry Guy, the free jazz pianist has kept up an uncompromising flow since the mid-1960s); Epiphanies (Owen Hatherley remembers the first time with Pulp).” |
THESONGSAYS (GERMANY) |
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LEECE, NINCA: Feed Me Rainbows 12″ (SONG 003EP) 12.00
With an album already under her belt on Bureau B, Ninca Leece brings her forward-thinking productions to Thesongsays, and romantic techno moves forward. “Feed Me Rainbows” features soft kicks, bubbling bass lines, and a single guitar plucking harmonies, underpinned by a strangely disharmonic whine. The Public Lover (Leece and Bruno Pronsato) remix features a huge bass line, Rhodes, and the couple singing in her native French, grabbing minute pieces here and there from the original along the way. |
TOMLAB (GERMANY) |
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DIAMOND RINGS: Wait & See/On Fire 7″ (TOM 135EP) 6.00
“Diamond Rings is a creative outlet for Toronto based artist and musician John O. His first single All Yr Songs was released on limited edition vinyl via his own boutique label and design house Hype Lighter in August 2009. Diamond Rings’ follow up single Wait & See marks his first release with German record label Tomlab and features gated snares, distorted guitar, and a catchy chorus featuring backing vocals from Toronto based indie-pop star Gentleman Reg. The B Side is an unlikely cover of Sebadoh’s ‘On Fire’ that trades the mid-nineties acoustic aesthetic of the original for nightclub-ready MIDI beats and shimmering analog synth flourishes.” |
TZADIK |
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HILLS, HENRY: Astronome: A Night At The Opera DVD (TZ 3010DVD) 27.00
Ontological-Hysteric Theater Vol. 2. “Richard Foreman is one of the great geniuses of modern theatre, and his dynamic staging of John Zorn’s opera Astronome was one of his greatest works. Premiering in February of 2009 at his Ontological-Hysteric Theatre in the East Village, it continued its sold out run for months. Drawing upon Alchemical and Mystical imagery, the visual world Foreman created was sumptuous, provocative and mysterious. For this DVD, ten performances were captured on film from hundreds of angles and brilliantly edited by filmmaker Henry Hills, a longtime friend of both Zorn and Foreman. You can now experience this once in a lifetime presentation with a whole new intensity. Staged so as to hear the music ‘better and clearer’ than ever, Astronome is a revolution in opera/music-theater.” NTSC all-region format; stereo; color; 16:9 aspect ratio; running time: 63 minutes. |
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MASADA STRING TRIO: Haborym: Book Of Angels Volume 16 CD (TZ 7384) 14.50
“The magical interplay and incredible virtuosity of this exhilarating trio of string masters has made it one of the most beloved and acclaimed of all Masada ensembles. Back now by popular demand for their first studio recording in over five years, their telepathic interplay and endless creativity had never been stronger. Ten more tunes from the rich and inventive Book of Angels featuring moody ballads, hypnotic grooves, intense burners and of course the trademark lyricism of the Masada songbook performed by one of the most acclaimed contemporary ensembles in the world. A long awaited release — essential!” |
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BERGER, KARL: Strangely Familiar CD (TZ 8075) 14.50
Subtitled: 17 Miniatures For Piano Solo. “Composer, arranger, pianist, vibraphonist, conductor and educator, Karl Berger steps out on his own here for a brilliant solo piano recital. Structured as a series of variations and etudes, these moody and spiritually charged compositions showcase Berger’s unique and rarely heard piano stylings. Active since the mid-1950s, Berger has collaborated in concert and on recordings with many of the world’s greatest musicians, was the head of the Music department at Dartmouth and the Hochschule in Frankfurt and ran the legendary Creative Music Studio from its inception in 1971 until its untimely demise in 1984.” |
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FOGEL AND THE SHERIFFS: Exorcism CD (TZ 8153) 14.50
“Jeremy Fogel and his mad band of wandering Israelis hit their stride with this passionate reading of Rabbi Jesus’ sacred message to the world and how it has been diluted and distorted by greed, power and ambition. Beginning with prophecies of wrath, anger and destruction, and moving to the overpowering intonations of good spirits, love and true mystical presences, this is a CD that will have you howling at the hypocrisies of organized religion, and laughing in delight at the ultimate victory of good over evil. Another intense ride of love with the Israeli Gainsbourg who brought you Pissuk Rachav!” |
UNIVERSAL MUSIC |
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OS MUTANTES: Tecnicolor LP (UNI 546680HLP) 15.00
What was supposed to be Os Mutantes’ fourth album. Recorded in 1970 in Paris, but either lost or abandoned and not released until 2000. English lyrics with a more faux-Tropicalia sound imposed by producer Carlos Olmes. On 180 gram vinyl. |
UPON YOU (GERMANY) |
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VLYS/SAMUEL DAN, DARLYN: Aoyama 12″ (UYS 003EP) 12.00
Darlyn Vlys and Samuel Dan tell the story of when they met with this edition of the Sweet & Sour series. As they arrived in Osaka, they were greeted with a strange tea that transformed the first part of their journey into a “Drug Trip.” Darlyn continued his travels from house to house, soon arriving at the “Kiniro” dance mountain, where, after assuming his ascent, he reached the rave plateau. Samuel relished his “Temaki” roll while speeding towards Tokyo. |
UPSET THE RHYTHM (UK) |
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COLD PUMAS: Beat Mystery/Party Drip 7″ (UTR 039EP) 6.00
“Cold Pumas specialize in pounding, motorik repetition that grabs the groove for dear life. This new 7″ on Upset The Rhythm finds Cold Pumas at the zenith of their dance orientated weird-outs. ‘Beat Mystery’ is an epic growing repeato-jam, echoing guitar driven along to euphoric heights with a propulsive energy. The drums hit hard into a kraut vault, shimmering away into cymbals just at the right breathing moments before the guitars pull you onwards. Towards the climax of the song Cold Pumas unleash some haunted vocal blurring before the song finally shudders into a grave. ‘Party Drip’ is equally as restless and relentless in its kinetic punch but certainly channels a more heavy club-based ecstasy. Tumbling drums punctuate the sweet clang and lilt of the guitar work, allowing the track to slip inside a (slightly) more conventional song form occasionally without losing its four-to-the-floor spirit. Both tracks truly testify to Cold Pumas being one of the most exciting bands of the new UK underground, we’re excited to hear where they go next as anything seems possible or probable even.” On blue vinyl. |
VITALIK (SPAIN) |
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JOZIF (FEAT. THE MOLE): Coca Grande EP 12″ (VIT 005EP) 12.00
“Coca Grande” comes in two forms — a spellbinding original version set to deconstruct any dancefloor and The Mole’s MMD mix — more enthralling house music but with a hypnotic advantage. “I Can Read Your Mind” puts the tempo on simmer, its delirious vocals and chopped-up percussion creating a serene Balearic production. Jozif’s quirky output are the stand-out tracks that permeate a twisted 6 a.m. dancefloor, or drive a Balearic afterhours party through the roof. On white vinyl. |
WAX POETICS |
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WAX POETICS: #42 July/August 2010 MAG (WP 042) 9.99
The R&B issue. On the covers, front: Gil Scott-Heron, back: Erykah Badu (alternately, some issues feature Barry White and D’Angelo). Contents: Editor’s Letter, Re:Discovery (Tito Ramos, Curtis Mayfield, Joi, Jeff Redd, D.J. Rogers), Bilal, Spree Wilson, The Bamboos, Kings Go Forth, Record Rundown, Studio Rundown, Melvin Bliss, Erykah Badu, Gil Scott-Heron, Barry White, D’Angelo, An Oral History of the Wah-Wah Pedal, Ernie Hines, Analog Out. 114 pages, full color, high gloss. |
WE ARE FREE (UK) |
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INDIAN JEWELRY: Totaled LP (WRF 008LP) 15.00
LP version. “Woozy, heart-pounding and subject to double-vision, Totaled is more than a record for people doing poppers. It’s an all-in album, an unsprung clock, and it moves sideways in time. In it is the swamp electro of 2003’s We Are The Wild Beast, the nightmare throb of 2005’s Invasive Exotics, and the sonic angel dream of 2008’s Free Gold. It’s a crash course in sound + vision. The record was written and recorded in 2009 in Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, California by Erika Thrasher and Tex Kerschen. Totaled is the sum of hundreds of shows on the road, hundreds of hours under headphones, and the countless songs they’ve already written together. These are songs like iced tongues. Songs for the love hole, mind hole, sink hole, worm hole. This is an encounter with the true and the truly fucked up.” |
WESTERN VINYL |
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SECRET CITIES: Pink Graffiti CD (WEST 072CD) 14.00
“Not so much a concept album as a meditation on a theme, Pink Graffiti is (mostly) about Brian Wilson and young people. It’s about Brian Wilson and his work as a prism through which we view youthful things. It’s about the feelings that start with him getting all mixed up in our feelings for other people and other music (and vice versa). Inspired by a college thesis, changing relationships, and a fateful meeting with the aging once-spokesperson for vibrant youth, Pink Graffiti is a record that uses one artist to anchor and explore a peculiar set of experiences, thoughts and emotions. By drawing on fractured psych, girl groups and minimalist composers, Secret Cities have conjured a kaleidoscopic, strangely moving whole out of disparate pieces. Distorted loops, drones, and thundering toms underpin distant voices. Pianos are pounded. Grainy acoustic guitars come through like AM transmissions received deep underground. But even as strange sounds and frequencies get pushed out front, the melodies, always and forever, get top billing. From the galloping heartbreak of opener ‘Pink City’ to the final, cathartic release of ‘The End,’ Pink Graffiti is pop music turned in on itself, lyrically and musically.” |
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SECRET CITIES: Pink Graffiti LP (WEST 072LP) 16.00
Gatefold LP version. |
WHAT WE DO IS SECRET |
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16 BITCH PILE-UP/VERTONEN: Split LP (WWDIS 003LP) 12.00
“16 Bitch Pile-Up’s side maps the terrain of a haunted cathedral filled with animals wailing while rusty wheat threshers outside try to carry on with their task. It’s almost as if you’re dwarfed by archaic steam engines disengaging inside the hull of a lurching freighter as it docks, scraping portside against a wall of chain. The Vertonen side, ‘Astronomical Icewalk,’ is a six-part, 19 minute journey that documents the bubbling cauldron beneath the brain of one forced into anonymity for their own safety. The result is an audio neuroimage full of pitch and yaw, confusion and clarity, with an overarching sheen of uncertainty.” |
YAALA YAALA |
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TRAORE, TOBA SEYDOU: Toba Seydou Traore CD (YY 006CD) 13.00
“A refresher in all things Yaala: Our last release was the American debut of monumental Malian hunters’ musician Yoro Sidibe, the acknowledged legend and master of what some (like ethnomusicologist Eric Charry) have called the most ancient music still being performed, that of the donso ngoni artists of rural West Africa. Ngoni is a Bamana word meaning stringed instrument; donso means hunter. A donso ngoni player’s strength lies in his ability to sing powerfully and imaginatively for great lengths of time about the great men who’ve won fame tracking and killing wild game. These musicians continue to play an essential role in modern Malian society through both praising legendary hunters and preparing contemporary hunters for the hunt. In parts of Mali, the landlocked country in West Africa where Sidibe, Toba Seydou Traore and Abdoulaye Traore are from, one can still spy these hunters and their musicians loping about in amulet-laden cloaks, pre-Muslim, pre-Christian, pre-modern. It cannot be overstated: this group is a direct link to an ancient world of charmed beasts and superhuman power, which men harness to enact good in a world filled with evil, and vice versa… We here at Yaala can’t get enough of the donso ngoni and we’re wild about the myths and legends that make the culture of the hunters so rich and fascinating. Beyond that, we find our enjoyment of the music to be only partly intellectual; there is little chin-rubbing involved, little suffering through that which we do not understand, and instead much head-bobbing and foot-tapping. This is booty-shaking dance music for getting one fired up to go out and DO IT, and not music to mellow out to, literally: the best hunters’ musicians get the adrenaline flowing in those men who’re about to head out into the night, rifles and shotguns at the ready… The latest releases from YYR feature two prominent contemporary donso ngoni players and singers, both protégés of Yoro Sidibe. In this context the word protégé or apprentice is not inaccurate; not everyone can decide to become a donso, and the gift is said to be passed down from strong women to strong sons; it is equally a gift to be able to recognize which young boys have what it takes to brave both the bush and the strings of the donso ngoni. Young men are apprenticed to the great elder musicians and earn their place in the hierarchical society of the donsos. Toba Seydou Traore and Abdoulaye Traore have apprenticed to the greatest living donso ngoni artist in Yoro Sidibe, and to that end YYR is both proud and excited to bring their music to our little corner of the world. Toba Seydou Traore was born in the early 1960s near Bougouni in Mali, where as a young child he heard the music of hunters. Seydou’s ensuing fascination led to much family conflict, but he persisted, later becoming an apprentice of renowned musician Yoro Sidibe (YY005) and eventually a master in his own right. Consistently satisfying listeners across Mali with his strong voice and truly comic sensibility, Seydou cries out here over the trance-inducing pulse of his deep six-string donso ngoni to exceptional hunters, Muslim holy men, and elderly blacksmiths, lauding their knowledge, power, and invaluable contributions to Mande society.” |
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TRAORE, ABDOULAYE: Abdoulaye Traore CD (YY 007CD) 13.00
“Abdoulaye Traore of the Malian village Mountougoula recalls an early childhood of listening intently to his father’s hunter harp. Abdoulaye quickly learned to scrape the accompanying nègè, sing backing parts, and dance the blurred, rapid-fire footwork of Wasulu hunters. In 2008 he completed apprenticeship with his master, the legendary Yoro Sidibe (YY005). A young lion of this funky old-time groove, Abdoulaye aspires to become a hunters’ musician of the highest caliber, one who lives in accordance with the longstanding way of hunting, inciting hunters to provide wild game, quelling strife where it crosses his path, moralizing listeners from all walks of life, and satisfying performance goers with exceptional music and dance. This CD is a re-release of the first of his seven commercial cassettes.” |
YORE RECORDS (GERMANY) |
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VA: Tokyo Connection EP 12″ (YORE 025EP) 12.00
Yore returns with four funky and warm disco-ish house tracks from Tokyo Connection boys Kez YM, Rodenion and No Milk. The opener is five minutes of deep house delirium in a soulful mix that pairs a looped vocal wail with a bass-powered shuffle. “No Milk Awake” features a hypnotically stepping swing with electric piano and a funk-bass riff. The exuberance and joy of these tracks only heightens the appeal of these 3 cats from Tokyo and their very individual vision of house music. |
FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER EMAIL UPDATES |
new releases are also viewable at http://www.forcedexposure.com/new/newindx.html |
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