A long-lost vinyl album is back in stock: for the last 20 years, Kosmischer Pitch by Jan Jelinek, originally released in 2005 on ~scape, existed only as a digital download. Right on time for the 20th anniversary, the remastered album is available again on vinyl. What the press said about Kosmischer Pitch back in 2005: "For Kosmischer Pitch, Jelinek draws from the obsessed-over rock produced by his German countrymen in the 1970s. Trance-inducing repetition is constantly modulated by variations that hover on the threshold of audibility. One of the more remarkable bodies of work in electronic music." (Pitchfork). "Like the cosmic compositions it delicately references, Kosmischer Pitch is proof that the higher and lower pleasures can triumphantly combine." (The Wire Magazine).
La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata was the Mexican psychedelic rock band that achieved the most commercial success internationally in the early '70s. Their self-titled and much sought-after debut LP (1971) is considered one of the best acid rock albums in Mexico, recorded under the influence of groups like Credence Clearwater Revival or the Who but also adding their own style featuring an original and stunning guitar sound. Remastered from the original tapes. Includes poster. 180g vinyl. Their fantastic "Nasty Sex," along with other songs like "If You Want It" or "Melynda" boosted their first album at the top of the sales charts worldwide. Sadly, Mexican record labels lost interest in local rock bands due to the repression of La Onda movement by the Mexican Government, resulting in rock bands being banned. This, in addition to internal disagreements between members of the group, eventually led to the end of their relationship with Polydor in 1973. La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata entered a new artistic phase in their career, focusing on ballads and adopting different new musical trends over the years.
After the poor sales of their debut album, Faust's So Far (1972) presents the more commercial and accessible side of the legendary German krautrock band without giving up their advanced and experimental personality. It is a perfect album to begin exploring the group's discography, featuring one of their most well-known songs, "It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl," and is considered a striking work on par with Neu!'s first album or Can's "Tago Mago." Preceding other artists like Throbbing Gristle and Nurse with Wound, Faust were pioneers in creating industrial and futuristic atmospheres using processed rhythms. An essential krautrock masterpiece. Remastered from the original tapes. 180g vinyl. Booklet included. Their approach to rock includes elements of electronic music and improvisation, drones and dissonance, becoming one of the main groups in the kosmische musik movement also known as krautrock. Their debut album was innovative and received critical acclaim but did not sell well. Unavailable on vinyl for quite some time, here is a much-awaited reissue of an essential krautrock masterpiece.
Swiss rock band The Young Gods present the vinyl reissue of their acclaimed acoustic studio album Knock on Wood. Originally released in 2008, this album presents a captivating departure from the band's signature electronic sound. The reissue was remastered from the original 96kHz/24- bit files. With Knock on Wood (The Acoustic Sessions) the band offers acoustic renditions of some of their most beloved tracks including "Gasoline Man" and "Skinflowers," alongside stunning reinterpretations of classics by other artists. The tracklist features "Ghost Rider" by Suicide and "Freedom" by Richie Havens. This unique project was recorded with acoustic guitars and percussions, bringing a raw and intimate energy to the music. For this occasion, The Young Gods expanded their lineup, welcoming Geneva-based guitarist Vincent Hänni, whose contributions added depth and texture to the acoustic arrangements. Hänni's collaboration extended beyond the project, as he remained with the band until 2011. Now, with remastered audio sourced from the original high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit files, fans can experience these performances in unparalleled clarity. The rich sound quality combined with the immersive warmth of vinyl, makes this reissue a must-have for collectors and newcomers alike. Rediscover the acoustic brilliance of The Young Gods and celebrate the artistry of this timeless album.
Originally released in 1981 on the legendary ZickZack label, the debut LP by Munich's Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle soon reached cult status and became one of the most important NDW/German postpunk releases ever. F.S.K. were one of John Peel's all-time favorites and actually did more Peel Sessions than any other band besides The Fall. For quite a while it was almost impossible to grab a copy of Stürmer, but right on time for its 30th anniversary this seminal LP finally is reissued, accompanied by an eight-page booklet with lots of unpublished photos and extensive liner notes by NDW-historiograph Frank Apunkt Schneider (in German).
VA
Singapore Nuggets. The Ladies: Vol. 2 LP
Second installment of this wonderful compilation of gems from the '60s and '70s Singapore music scene, focused on the amazing ladies that helped make it so vibrant. 14 gems of female fronted Pop Yeh Yeh, another eye-opening collection of amazing Singapore treasures. Be it as solo singers, backed by other bands or as band leaders, women had a huge presence on the Singapore music scene. All under the idiosyncratic Pop Yeh Yeh umbrella and each with her strong personality and musical tendencies, the music contained in this beautiful record is an absolute trip for anyone interested in '60s and early 70s music. Featuring Li Li Wong, Lena Lim & The Stylers, Fung Po Po, Ervinna & The Stylers, Nancy Sit, Mai Le Huyen, Lara & The Trailers, Chen Jie & The Golden Melody Band, Alina Rahman & The Bateks, Wong Shiau Chuen & Brothers Hawk, Nam Hong, Lotus Liew, The Crescendos, and Siti Zaiton & The Firebyrds.
Mauricio Moquillaza, in his debut album, charts new directions for electronic music in Peru through the use of modular synthesizers and improvisational methods, crafting minimalist sequences with rich melodic and textural qualities. The four compositions in the album belong to a modern tradition of modular synthesizer use, an instrument that has experienced a global resurgence in recent years, expanding the aesthetics and possibilities of analog sound. These four pieces, created with a modular synthesizer, blend innovative sequencing processes and minimalist repetitions while interweaving organic and melodic patterns with noisy abstract soundscapes. These works, the result of extensive experimentation in his studio, have been recorded in a single take, without any overdubs. Emerging from Lima's experimental music scene, Mauricio Moquillaza is also a bassist who has developed his sound practice at the intersection of noise and free improvisation. He is the founder of the collective Deshumanización, which has served as a platform to showcase a new generation of experimental music artists in the city. This perspective is crucial to understanding his work with the synthesizer, which he views as an extension of the spontaneous nature of improvisation. Consequently, his pieces have an irreproducible quality and explore the ongoing tension between control of the instrument and its generative possibilities. From this vantage point, Moquillaza embarks on his own exploration, offering a narrative that is striking in both its conciseness and its openness to the unknown. Mauricio Moquillaza's debut album is presented in a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies by Buh Records. It has been mixed by Christian Mun and mastered by Simon Davey, with artwork by Aaron Julián.
"After a near-total silence of twenty years, Edith Frost is back again, and in full bloom with In Space. Her first new record since 2005's It's a Game is just in time -- the world needs Edith's voice back in the conversation. It seems Edith needed something, too: from the notebooks of her long hiatus, a line like 'I say too much/I wait too long/I wait forever/ And notice that it's gone' speaks volumes about feelings of lack. Overwhelmed by the demands of day-to-day living and the details and anxieties that always come, Edith squirreled herself away for as long as she could -- only to find herself isolated, spun even farther into the doldrums. In Space isn't simply a song-cum-album title so much as very real exploration of the remote place she'd found herself, with her songs registering this recognition and measuring the vast distances between herself, the life that is and the life that was. It was the only way back in! Over the years away, Edith was immersed in music everyday, and spent lots of time learning -- in addition to new lyric perspectives, her reinvention of herself as a keyboard player is one of the waves lifting the album In Space. The keys suggested different places within Edith's harmonic palette; for us listening, this attenuation seems to create a deep focus on emotional life within the songs and a breathtakingly visceral presence in the performances. Her voice as well, in all its iterations, sounds quite fine and vital. The songs, as ever, are low-key brilliance elevated by the vitality of Edith's voice. Mark Greenberg, alongside longtime Frost A&R man Rian Murphy, brought fresh arrangement ideas to complement the strange-new-world vibe of Edith's songs. Recorded at The Loft in Chicago, with invaluable contributions from Jim Becker (Califone, Air Blue Gowns), Sima Cunningham (Finom, formerly OHMME), Bill MacKay, and Jeff Ragsdale, In Space feels like the most Edith Frost record yet made, pulled from deep inside with great feeling, awash in harmonized voices and -- more often than ever before -- featuring her own playing. Alternatively approaching and avowing connection, Edith's crafty songwriting orbits the human exchange with an increasing sense of possibility. It's what the world needs the most of today."
"Don't look up! Whistle from Above is David Grubbs' first Drag City release in over a decade and his first-ever instrumental album for the label. The suspiciously youthful Grubbs is four decades into his career, with former bands including Gastr del Sol, Squirrel Bait, and Bastro, along with a wild ride of collaborators including Bitch Magnet, Richard Buckner, Codeine, Tony Conrad, The Red Krayola, Royal Trux, Dirty Three, Edith Frost, Mats Gustafsson, Susan Howe, Will Oldham, Stefano Pilia, Taku Unami, The Underflow, Ryley Walker, Jan St. Werner, and The Wingdale Community Singers. If all that doesn't imply 'Trying something different,' what ever will? Whistle from Above is the first solo collection David's released since 2017's Creep Mission. During the 2020 shutdown, David played what he precisely quantified as 'a shit-ton of guitar,' more than he could recall playing ever previously. Reinvigorated by this period of enforced woodshedding, he produced a series of new pieces, mostly for guitar, but also a piano composition and an exceptionally eerie bit of musique concrète. These seemed to imply a solo set that would tour marvelously when the time was right again. Meanwhile, David was reconnecting with the Gastr del Sol archive, as a new collection of old performances was being prepared from extensive archival material. The duo magic of that storied collaboration (released in 2024 as We Have Dozens of Titles) left David hungry to play in this format again -- as he had recently with Loren Connors, Alan Courtis, Manuel Mota, and Liam Keenan. These duo experiences showed David the path forward to complete this new solo material. Thus he sought out collaborations with folks he's called 'some of the musicians whom I adore most on the planet' -- Rhodri Davies, Andrea Belfi, Nikos Veliotis, Nate Wooley, and Cleek Schrey -- and their stunning contributions flesh out Grubbs' innate, deeply person brand of minimalism. Whistle from Above is a colorful, compulsive set of instrumental pieces in which David and his chosen collaborators interact amid the steady roll of an expansive landscape based in the hypnosis of David's immediately recognizable guitar style. Throughout the album, the listener may recall some places visited over the years, but will find them -- as David and his traveling companions have as well -- changed again, reactivated in a new light."
The initial return of the playful and mystical Austrian outfit General Magic came with the 20th year anniversary vinyl reissue of their classic debut Frantz (EMEGO 010LP). A record so audacious and playful it still baffles as much as it entertains. At some point whilst working on this reissue GM's Ramon Bauer and Andi Pieper were spurred on to rummage around with ideas and tools once more and after more than two decades of inactivity sonic sorcery was conjured once again. Live shows in honor of Peter Rehberg were performed in Vienna and London. Softbop, a limited risograph collaboration with Tina Frank came with the first new recordings as a digital download came out discreetly online. The first full length album following Rechenkönig in 2000 Nein Aber Ja released in 2023 on Finlay Shakespeare's GOTO Records on CD and cassette. An ongoing series of mix tapes online further highlights their interests encapsulating a new found angle on electronic mayhem. Now comes General Magic's second official full length comeback recording, Bosko, landing exactly 30 years after the initial General Magic flights into the fantastic. The new album is initially notable prior to the needle hitting the wax or the cursor identifying a track due to the artwork. Made by long term collaborator Tina Frank, this is Frank's first analogue artwork, with a painting of a happy/nervous machine thing hovering in a landscape of no discernible identity. It's quasi science fiction hovering amongst the potential for fun. Bosko sees Bauer and Pieper update and reframe their original investigations with a fresh supply of head scratching, heart racing tunes that hit the inexplicable with a wild mesh of drums, pianos, synthetic voices and all manner of immaterial sonic play. Absolutely nothing within Bosko is predictable. The amount of change in the miasma of existence and the things we touch in order to make things has shifted so exponentially we are at the point where minds are starting to glaze over. All of this makes the return of the always original, always surprising, always fresh and exciting General Magic totally in tune with the artificial intelligent apocalyptic age. The tools may have changed but the wonderfully warped gaze of Bosko offers a fresh new vision of perplexing funk and robotic punk.
Peter Rehberg is known for his pioneering electronic work with computer software which over time evolved into a modular set up alongside running MEGO and then Editions Mego labels. Rehberg was a prolific collaborator, with other musicians and with contemporary dance and theatre productions, most notably with French artist and choreographer Gisèle Vienne, with whom he created a series of soundtracks from Showroomdummies, released under the name DACM in 2002, to Crowd in 2017. Editions Mego now presents a previously unreleased theatre soundtrack made for Icelandic choreographer Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir, whom Rehberg had a decade long collaboration with until his untimely passing in 2021. The original composition for Liminal States was created by Rehberg for the performance Pervasive Magnetic Stimuli in 2018 and then revisited as a catalyst for the concepts behind Liminal States. This work is based on an ongoing artistic research conducted by the choreographer into altered states of perception through phenomenological embodiment. It is the last in a trilogy dealing with the notion of larger forces that act on listeners beyond their conscious mind. The trilogy consists of Pervasive Magnetic Stimuli (2018), Boundless Ominous Fields (2024), and now Liminal States (2024). Rehberg's score for Liminal States is a vast canvas of spectral ambience at once tangible and unfathomable in its constantly shapeshifting lysergic dread. The results are a psychological journey through the mental effects of sound on space and subsequently the mind. The first part presents cascading waves of shimmering electronics laying the groundwork for the second part where the psychological illusion splinters into all manner of sonic effects taking the listener on a deep mental voyage. Unlike any other release in Rehberg's output Liminal States is a single long form work which, despite the form, retains Rehberg's idiosyncratic sound vision. Guðjónsdóttir and Rehberg's collaboration blurs that relationship into a greater force which truly enables the theme of liminal states to unfold in a brave new fashion. Rich in timbre and sonic invention this is powerful work easily holding its own outside of the intended performance whilst still complimenting the mission statement entirely. This profound collaboration has the cumulative effect where the concept and soundtrack are one and may be one of the strongest works in the entire Rehberg canon.
Russell Haswell and Florian Hecker have both a long history with Mego/Editions Mego. The individual exploration of sonic phenomena by these two practitioners has resulted in both being highly regarded for their uncompromising approach to sound as matter. Russell Haswell and Florian Hecker came together as a collaborative duo with the now-legendary record Blackest Ever Black, somewhat inexplicably, on the classical imprint of Warner Brothers. In 2025, Hecker and Haswell return with a new album featuring the two-channel edit produced initially for their UPIC Diffusion Session #23, performed as a live diffusion across eight-channels at the X100 Festival, Berlin, 2023, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Xenakis' birth. This record furthers the duo's exploration of Xenakis's UPIC system as the sole instrument. The UPIC is a computer music system that generates sound from visual input. The original intention of the system developed by Xenakis was to make a utopian tool for producing new sounds accessible to all, independent of formal training. One can locate footage of Xenakis and a group of children making drawings for the system in the '70s. The duo set off experimenting with a diverse array of hand-drawn images to feed the UPIC system including news photographs of disasters and atrocities, "food porn" through to depictions of the natural world and microscopic images of molecular structures (including "the blackest ever black"). The resulting eccentric audio from these images is claimed by the artists to heighten synesthesia and is as mysterious as it is baffling. Throughout UPIC Diffusion Session #23 frequency clusters move and morph in the most unusual manner, shifting and stretching into shapes that hint at some kind of magical process. What starts out deceptively simple soon unravels into a large array of sonic mayhem. Symbolic jet planes are shredded by a swarm of insects, a metal bowl howls into the void, a tiny tin toy crawls into a thicket with the resolute aura of a black hole. A burning geyser of laser forms liquid shrapnel. This is sound as an alchemical process, a constant chimerical flow into the netherworld and is the net result of the decades long radical investigations by the two artists involved. UPIC Diffusion Session #23 is a direct, rich and rewarding listen for those willing to invest time into the outer limits.
ISKRA is the debut album by Polish multi-instrumentalist and composer Olga Anna Markowska. Starting at "Dawn" and ending at "Dusk," it is a journey of melancholic depth and true beauty filled with warm memories from what was and what could be. Using zither, cello, electronics and occasional wordless voice, Olga weaves together something so affecting and under the skin beautiful that it is hard to shake, bringing to mind classics from artists like Jacaszek and William Basinski, or the films of Kieslowski. However, there's a personal touch in her playing and compositions that stands out. Olga explains: "The cello pieces, in particular, were born from a desire to reconnect with the instrument I've known intimately since childhood. However, I had to step away from it for two years to gain perspective and find a fresh approach when I returned." She continues: "ISKRA is an album about 'ignition' -- a gradual shift in how I think about music and a search for new values. It also marks the closing of a chapter, blending archival recordings with the dawn of new ideas." The album feels deeply personal from the first note, and bridges the difficult point between classical and ambient music in a truly natural way, leaving any typical tropes far off, instead demanding your full attention. Olga uses plenty of loops throughout, which together with the cello and zither builds a transcendent atmosphere. Standouts contain amongst others the stunning "Train Ride Home" -- a seven-minute piece with zither as main focal point; "Fever Dream" -- a plunge into warm static noise and deep plucks, as well as the beautiful "Helix," which sounds like a washed out dream with its minimal tape loops and ambient vocal washes. Overall, the album connects very well with Olga's subjects of identity, memory of the places and human relations with nature. There is a deep humanity burrowed within these 40 minutes of music which feels immensely appropriate in these contemporary times. ISKRA was recorded in different times and places from 2017 to 2022 and lands with perfection on Miasmah -- connecting the dots from the early years while reaching into the stars.
Spatter vinyl version. Shelly y Nueva Generación was a cult Spanish soul and garage band that left an indelible mark on the late 1960s music scene. Their rare 45s, now classic DJ spins in the mod/psych '60s scene, boast a funky Le Beat Bespoke style freakbeat sound. Three singles were released on Philips between 1968-69, including their stunning take on Nonato Buzar's "Vesti Azul" and the outstanding original "I'm Just a Fool", as featured on Ivan Zulueta's cult film Un, Dos, Tres, Al Escondite Inglés. This collection not only encapsulates the entirety of their known discography but also unveils many previously unreleased recordings, providing a treasure trove of sonic gems that now see the light of day for the first time. These recordings were made for a TV show and consisted of international hits of the moment performed by Shelly, mainly soul songs brought to fame by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. This compilation stands as both a celebration of the band's legacy and a rediscovery of the timeless allure that made Shelly y Nueva Generación an enduring force in the annals of Spanish music history. Includes eight-page booklet with extensive notes and rare photos of the artists.
LP version. Recorded in remotely in Berlin and Scotland during lockdown, Dot Allison and Anton Newcombe collaborate as All Seeing Dolls. Produced by Anton Newcombe in Berlin, he and Dot would send each other vocal and musical ideas, blending Dot's haunting vocals with their fellow skills as a multi-instrumentalists. The album features guitar, ukulele, piano and auto-harp played by Dot, alongside additional contributions from Hakon Adalsteinsson (guitar), and Uri Rennert (drums).
Highly-anticipated 50th Anniversary Edition re-issue of Ash Ra Tempel's legendary fifth studio album Starring Rosi. Originally released in 1973, this seminal work remains a cornerstone of the Krautrock and "Kosmische" movement, blending psychedelic rock, ambient soundscapes, and early electronics into a transcendent auditory experience. The album has been recorded by Manuel Göttsching in its entirety, with additional help from producer Dieter Diercks, Harald Grosskopf, and of course Rosemarie "Rosi" Müller. Starring Rosi is an essential piece of their continuation of blending cosmic psychedelia, ambient textures, and avant-garde electronic experimentation. Starring Rosi stands out in Ash Ra Tempel's discography for its lighter, more accessible sound, balancing the band's signature cosmic explorations with melodic structures and poetic lyrics. The album is a sonic journey that takes listeners through seven distinct tracks, each showcasing Manuel Göttschings pioneering approach to music. This reissue of Starring Rosi has been introduced and overseen by Manuel Göttsching, and finalized by his family exactly to his standards, in which the meticulous approach to his work lives on. An updated 2024 recut carefully commissioned by Schnittselle in Berlin ensures the warm depth sound while bringing out the rich textures and nuances, all of the original recordings. Comes with a replica of the original vinyl artwork including its original backside. The Limited Edition (MGART 615LTD-LP) also includes a poster of the alternate backside, used later on the CD editions showing Rosi and Manuel improvising during studio sessions. Also included are prints of previously unreleased original "The Fairy Dance" and "Schizo" composition sheets, handwritten by Manuel.
Wewantsounds reissues Roy Haynes' 1971 LP Hip Ensemble, recorded in New York for Bob Shad's Mainstream Records and featuring Hannibal Marvin Peterson, George Adams, Teruo Nakamura, and Lawrence Killian. Together the musicians create a superb mix of jazz funk and spiritual jazz showcasing Haynes powerful drumming and creativity. Hip Ensemble is presented in its original gatefold artwork with first generation photos and includes the bonus track "Roy's Tune." It comes with newly remastered audio and a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre. Roy Haynes, who passed at age 99, is one of the undisputed giants of jazz. Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1925, Haynes started drumming during his teenage years before moving to New York in 1945 where his career took off. He went on to play with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Lester Young, becoming an institution over the decades. In the late '60s, after a stint with the John Coltrane's quartet, he put together the Hip Ensemble, a small group featuring the young turks George Adams on sax, Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Japanese bass player Teruo Nakamura, Lawrence Killian on percussion together with German pianist Carl Schroeder on Fender Rhodes. Bob Shad, who had worked with Haynes in the '50s when he was running EmArcy, saw the group live in New York one night and decided to sign them on his label Mainstream Records as he was starting to produce jazz again after a few years releasing psychedelic rock. His idea was to plug into the new modal and jazz-funk scenes that was flourishing at the time and Haynes was also experimenting with. The album Hip Ensemble reflects this new direction with a superb mix of spiritual jazz. Complementing the group for this session were Mervin Bronson, adding a touch of Fender bass and a second percussionist, Elwood Johnson. "Roy's Tune" has been added as a bonus track, which was recorded at the same session but not included on the original album -- it briefly came out on a low-key Mainstream compilation two years after. The track is another fascinating breakbeat that has strangely never been sampled. Hip Ensemble has been remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio in Paris and is a timely reminder that Haynes is one of the greatest jazz drummers of all times.
"One of a number of sessions cut at the Choreographers Workshop, this 1963 set established Sun Ra's Arkestra as a New York band, sonically coupled to developments in the decidedly urbane downtown arts underground. The stargazing clamor of the music reflects the intensity of a cultural crossroads where concrete and dust pervade any skyward view, from East 3rd Street to Mars and beyond. One of Sun Ra's rarest releases, it had negligible circulation through records shops upon release. While most of the Saturn output couldn't get any rarer or mysterious than it already was, When Angels Speak of Love was released in 1966 it was the most elusive and mysterious in the Sun Ra catalog. It's speculated that the record was issued in two micro runs, with estimates around 150 copies. Hard core collectors around the world had been searching for this gem to no avail until Evidence Records released a CD of the music in 2000. This updated offering utilizes the actual master tapes and we get to hear the Arkestra in its cosmic mid-'60s prime via mono and stereo fidelity. Liner Notes by Clifford Allen."
One-sided LP. "While much of early 2025 appears to be a whirlwind of abject disappointment littered with genuine horror and an undeniable waste of actual human potential, here we find a much-needed escape from modern agonies in this mesmerizing collaborative from Joshua Burkett & Lau Nau. Both artists have been laying trails of singular beauty for decades and the combination of their aesthetics create a true mind meld as complimentary as softly falling snow lit by the first light of dawn. Subtly swirling magical elements twinkle and undulate and slowly suck the listener in deeper and deeper to the very heart of the album's nest. A fragile, melancholic aura transcends the poignant and insular sound world, and evokes a camera panning back to slowly reveal a vast landscape of wintry yearning in which heartbreak and reverie calmly intermingle, both create an extremely comforting bath of sound. Lau Nau (Laura Naukkarinen) is a Finnish sound artist and musician whose multi-disciplinary endeavors also include film scores, compositions for theatre, dance and choral performances and multi- channel sound installations, as well as her passion for presenting live scores for silent films.. She participated in projects with an improvisatory bent such as Avarus & Kemialliset Ystävät as well as collaborations with Kuupuu and Tsembla (plus don't forget Hertta Lussu Assa!). Her solo recordings as Lau Nau emerged with a fully formed aesthetic of a dreamy sound world in which a hybrid of song craft and abstraction merged to generate ultra evocative pastures of bliss and melancholy. Each subsequent album has achieved greater levels of sophistication with her most recent amazing works. Burkett is a musician, writer, illustrator, painter, and naturalist and has been a quietly guiding light of the Western Massachusetts underground music community for the past 30 years... He has many previous duo collaborations under his belt, having worked with the late, great Ed Askew, releasing a duo album with the phenomenal Tucker Zimmerman in 2020, his electronic project TARP with Conrad Capistran and others. There is an undeniable specialness to this new release which exudes a time stopping magic that is guaranteed to stretch out your latest night or earliest morning... My only critique of this album would be that as a single sided LP, so one is left craving more of these glorious sounds to bask in. But what could be more novel and precious in this era of the endless tsunami of content than to be left wishing for more of something?" --Robert Thomas, 2025
Grains (15th Anniversary), for the first time since the original pressing, appears on vinyl again. Remastered, extended 11 tracks on 180g vinyl. In 2009 Boozoo Bajou released their third album Grains. It is the duo's most organic album so far, making beautiful sounds by blending modern electronics with live instruments. An album of underground sounds, but based on strong melodies and emotional vocals. Inspired by acoustic singer-songwriters they made Grains out of their love for the Laurel Canyon sound. They created something fresh and modern from their old-school inspirations, weaving them into their studio soundscapes. Their fans will appreciate the rich mix of contemporary and vintage sounds. A folk songbook for the 21st century.
"Rashied Ali stood as a magnetic force for the musical environment around him. In his last decades he sponsored rehearsal opportunities for young musicians, tightened up neighborhood street-corner drum circles he happened to pass, and for years would pull promising young talents into his orbit. One unique group that Ali led at the 2002 Vision Festival in NYC, along with Frank Lowe, he also took into the studio -- and the moment you hear on Sidewalks in Motion features Ali and Lowe along with young musicians Jumaane Smith (trumpet), Andrew Bemkey on piano, and bassist Joris Teepe. In the years after Lowe's death Ali selected the best takes, and mixed and mastered for release, but the material remained on the shelf, frozen on the runway at the time of Rashied's own untimely passing. The reborn Survival Records is honored to reanimate these sounds in 2025. Survival Records SR-553 is a single LP in an old-school tip-on jacket featuring photos and recollections from Joris Teepe."
"Part of Rashied Ali's artistic strength involved turning improbable sound combinations into unchallenged masterpieces. After the pattern established by John Coltrane's Interstellar Space, and Duo Exchange with Frank Lowe, the drummer stepped into a rather unlikely duet with violinist Leroy Jenkins for Swift are the Winds of Life. Five years with the Revolutionary Ensemble had established Jenkins as a composer; he designed all the pieces played on these 1975 duets with Ali. That record is issued on vinyl here for the first time in almost a half century. The LP is augmented by an informal phantom session in which Ali and Jenkins explore thoroughly other territories -- standards, Coltrane's music, and two untitled, unbridled improvisations. SR-512 is a deluxe 2LP set packaged in an old-school tip-on gatefold jacket that includes Stanley Crouch's original 1975 essay along with new liner notes and excerpts from an interview with Jenkins."
Highly regarded as a former resident at Salon Des Amateurs at his native Düsseldorf, Tolouse Low Trax/Detlef Weinrich has carved one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary leftfield club music, thanks to his deeply unusual grooves and hypnotic arrangements over the past 15 years as a solo artist. Fung Day is his first album with entirely new material since Leave Me Alone which was released through Bureau B in 2022. Fung Day was written and recorded over the course of two years, slowly mutating and progressing from one state to another. Mixed, produced and finally mastered in Paris, his new domicile by choice.
A few words by Yvan Smagghe about Fung Day: "He pretended he was in exile from Germany but he was a French lover like all of us; his MPC Sampler was smoking hot, an Enigma machine, an ashtray full of ghosts. I had left Paris for the same reasons he came. I could strangely relate. We'd met before he left Düsseldorf, and I knew of him through his oeuvre, his art over words (they were few) and piercing blue eyes. He was now texting me on a night train from Warsaw going East, as in a Greene novel, asking me to go over his file. He sent me a spontaneous, fun, brave and bold record which is his new album -- one that curiously smelled of mechanical grease -- machinery of the soul, broken transport rhythms, samples like memories, noise at peace. Referenced yet uncoded. I don't believe in ulterior motives and complex explanations. Not here at least. On the other hand, I do believe that works can be exposure -- especially with the silent type or mistaken identities -- and I knew about these too." --London, 2024
Brigid Mae Power's latest release, Songs for You, is a heartfelt collection of cover songs dedicated to her father. This album features her unique interpretations of tracks written by legendary artists like Roy Orbison, Tom Verlaine, Neil Young, and Cass McCombs, among others. With a minimalist yet emotionally resonant sound, Songs for You offers a fresh take on these timeless songs while remaining deeply personal. Brigid Mae Power's ethereal vocals and atmospheric arrangements bring a sense of nostalgia, reflection, and heartfelt tribute, making this album a powerful bridge between memory and music. While many of the songs are performed solo, Brigid is joined by Ryan Jewell on drums and Shahzad Ismaily on bass, with Brigid herself playing vocals, guitar, electric guitar, organ, and accordion. Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 were recorded at Analogue Catalogue by Julie McLarnon, while tracks 2, 5, 6, and 9 were recorded at home. The album was expertly mixed by Sean McErlaine and mastered by Brian Pyle.
"After the very acoustic ¿Dónde estás María?, I decided to try a new experiment taking as a reference the legendary group Cumbia siglo XX which is a group who explores a futuristic vision of coastal cumbia in the '80s, together with other groups such as Grupo folclórico, 2000 voltios, and others, mainly under the label Machuca and Felito records. This new '80s cumbia was a combination of funky basses and a further evolution of the rhythms, blending this style with disco and even rock music and superimposing the traditional versus the urban context and the modernity. Meridian Brothers took this as a departing point and inspiration, making the same experiment but in XXI century, using the modern media of this time; all kinds of drum machines, guitars and synths, algorithmic software etc, and also taking into account the global exposition of modern cumbia in the 2010s. So all kinds of influences and genres are blended around this cumbia axis. Urban beats, synthy grooves, glitches and all kinds of swear words, and all kinds of slang language are included in the songs of the album. All these elements are filtered and passed through the traditional train of thought of Meridian Brothers, which is the figuration of an abstract picture of sound put it within a concrete context or cultural tendency." --Eblis Álvarez/Meridian Brothers
VA
Ambientale (Compiled by Charles Bals) LP
LP version. Collector, seeker and storyteller Charles Bals brings his curatorial finesse to Hamburg's Bureau B with Ambientale, a journey into otherworldly sounds from the years 1983-2000. Drifting effortlessly between digital exoticism, mellow fusion, new age groove and library electronics, the pieces range from largely obscure to utterly un-google-able, and coalesce into a stunning soundtrack to tranquil seas, desert sand and starlit skies. Cinematic and enigmatic, Ambientale is a stranger you've only just met but can't stop thinking about. A familiar face to those who dwell in the deep end of the record pool, Charles is an obsessive digger, always on the track of an otherwise unheard sound. Through two trips to "Club Meduse" and star-crossed lovers "America Dream Reserve" and "Black Rain," he's also established himself as a mixtape auteur, weaving together the strange and beautiful into evocative compilations that transport listeners to distinct, imaginative realms. While his previous sets resembled Super-8 vignettes, populated by sun-kissed hedonists and drifting outsiders, Ambientale sees Charles leave the human world behind, exploring all the world's wilderness on the scale of an IMAX epic. Bals opens his sonic travelogue with the bamboo flutes and resonant gongs of esteemed Italian maestro Luigi Ceccarelli, joined by the clean lines and Eastern tonalities of the little-known RanōBoru. The journey deepens with a double-feature from Tokyo composer Akira Mitake, sliding from dreamy New Age soundscapes into the lush groove of floral fusion. Digital rhythms and snaking bass add a Latin accent to the bouzouki of Individual Sensitivity's "Greece Ambientale," while the lilting percussion and shimmering synths of Steve Shehan's smooth jazz rarity "Evening In The Sahara" segue perfectly into a masterpiece of French Balearic from Private Joke. A smoky saxophone rises like mist, echoing through the rainfall on Adriano Maria Vitali's "Velvet Blue Circles," before Masami Tsuchiya pulls listeners into the depths with the aquatic ambience of 1983's "Never Mind," its electronic palette the perfect vehicle to ensure that Akira Mitake's "Spectrum" surprises, rather than startles, with its booming machine drums a superb point of difference. From there, we wander once more into the digital undergrowth, exploring the mystical and magical sounds of the Italian library ensemble Gruppo Sound, along with a rare glimpse of Blue Note new age from Gil Mellé. Police sirens and street noise signal our return to the city, forming the backdrop to the tumbling drums and moody electronic stabs of "Ship Out" by Ferris Wheel, an utterly unknown piece rumored to be a promotional track from a Venezuelan garbage company -- the final twist of intrigue to this otherworldly voyage.
"Moon Beams is a bonafide opus -- a masterful mix of jazz, Latin, folk and electroacoustic, topped with bandleader Fuminosuke's soaring, spectral vocals. Bassist Takuyuki Moriya was also a member of Ghost, and drummer Yuta Suganuma is a long-time member of the Shintaro Sakamoto band. The quartet's third album in as many years, Moon Beams found Tsuki No Wa taking a gigantic leap forward in both compositional sophistication and sonic experimentation. Beautifully recorded in a (since demolished) Meiji-era ballet studio, and featuring guest performances from such underground luminaries as Yoshihide Otomo and Ami Yoshida, this timeless, ambitious work sounds just as spellbinding today as it did a couple decades ago. Originally released on CD by Japan's Soundscape label in 2003, and now on vinyl for the very first time, this 2025 version features an updated mix from the band and brand-new album art with unseen photos of the group in their heyday. Mastered by Josh Bonati, 2LP (3 sides of music/ 4th side is blank), packaged in a full-color, double panel gatefold jacket with eye-popping gold foil lettering."
"The eponymously titled third and final studio album from Television was recorded and released in 1992, fourteen years after the band's sophomore album Adventure (and subsequent breakup) in 1978. In a decade kicked off by alt-rock guitar albums, Television regrouped in early 1992 with a new sonic identity. Released later in the year, Television was completely unexpected and unexpectedly wonderful. 'Call Mr Lee,' '1880 Or So In World' and 'No Glamour For Willi' rank among the best of the bands material, and the guitar interplay between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd was as mesmerizing and unique as ever. Television was met with met with high critical praise from The Village Voice a droll, warm-hearted, sophisticated, cryptic, jazzy yet unjazzlike, they sound like nothing else except, just a little, like old Television, NY Times referred to the album as 'scaled-down Television with exquisite design details,' and Rolling Stones' David Fricke said it was worth the fifteen year wait, citing the albums 'celebration of the lost virtues of precision, emotional depth and sonic elegance.' Television toured the record into 1993, then would again disappear from the public eye. Upon worldwide release by Capitol Records, a vinyl version was not available commercially in North America, it was never pressed past the white label promo version, so fans had to do with the CD (or cassette) or source a pricey import. This version is released on the bands imprint Ohoo Records, and has been remastered for vinyl by longtime Tom Verlaine musical collaborator Patrick Derivaz, who was an assistant engineer on these sessions."
DOVS
Psychic Geography LP
DOVS are the duo of Vienna's Johannes Auvinen, aka Tin Man, and Mexico City's Gabo Barranco, aka AAAA. Psychic Geography is their second album together, but it differs considerably from both their respective solo work and their 2019 debut LP together, Silent Cities. Where that album's hardware-based acid kept its gaze focused squarely on the dancefloor, Psychic Geography is a strictly ambient affair. The album has its roots in a trio of beatless tracks that peppered Silent Cities; this time, the duo decided to try making an entire album with no drums. Ambiguity and uncertainty are key watchwords for their music, which moves with eerie, liquid grace. Untethered from 4/4 kicks, their music drifts and morphs; familiar acid sequences give way to surprising shifts in tone and mood. And with no drums to distract the ear, the seeming simplicity of their silvery synth lines opens up to reveal remarkable depth and dynamism. Barranco and Auvinen recorded the album together in the studio utilizing machines like the Roland TB-303, Juno G, Prophet 5, Elektron Octatrack MKII, Make Noise DPO and René, Mutable Clouds, Roland SH-101, Behringer TD3, and Sherman Filterbank. Listen on good speakers or headphones, and you can tell: Their gear yields a tonal richness that recalls the ambient and cosmic music of decades earlier. You can practically feel the heat from their circuits warming the air. The meaning behind the name DOVS is as ambiguous as the duo's music. But Psychic Geography needs little explanation. DOVS' album is a collection of mental maps of imaginary places. Set your coordinates for the mirage on the horizon and prepare to dissolve.
Recorded during a residency in Tenerife powered by Keroxen Festival and Discrepant back in 2020 -- amidst the Pandemic, no less -- the duo of Carlos Godinho and Mestre André return after their Mãe D'Água debut on Sucata Tapes and an entry on Keroxen's Aquapelago Series through a split with tropical druids Lagoss. Mostly captured in performance through a quadraphonic system placed inside a huge disused fuel tank, with a few tracks recorded out in the open throughout the island, Lava Love evokes the tectonic shifts and motions inherent in their title in 13 tracks. Based around Godinho's percussive arsenal, from found objects to instruments from all sorts of cartographies, and André's electronic processing, each of these expositions is a point in a map that is created between the island's concrete and fictional existence, discarding any superficial overdubs and crescendos, to focus on the balming and transporting properties of sound itself. From stripped down vignettes like "Bajamar I" and "II", "Chacho" or "Tangana I" to hypnotic tapestries that confuse the real and imagined like "Haha No!" or "La Gomera," Banha da Cobra conjure a collective dream of the island. All tracks performed and recorded by Banha da Cobra in a quadraphonic system inside an enormous fuel tank, except "Bajamar I and II" (recorded outdoors at cantonera de Bajamar, with Lagoss), "Taganana I and II" (recorded outdoors at Playa de Almáciga) and "El Guachinche de Los Realejos" (recorded outdoors at Playa de Castro, with Lagoss). Banha da Cobra are Mestre André and Carlos Godinho. Recorded by Jorge Lozano. Mixed by Mestre André. Mastered by Dani Tupper. Cover photography by Nestor Torrens. Cover design by Óscar Silva.
Three years in the making, at last comes the stunning new Band Of Pain album. It features contributions from Steven Stapleton and Andrew Liles from Nurse With Wound and Jean-Hervé Peron and Jeanne-Marie Varain from Faust, as well as the usual suspects. It is packaged in a beautiful gloss laminated 12" gatefold sleeve with artwork that is unique to this release by Steven Stapleton (Babs Santini). It also features calligraphy by the wonderful Geoff Cox, who is known for his previous work for Current 93/NWW and, of course, the book "England's Hidden Reverse". The format is a double-CD set -- one CD for side one and one for side two. This keeps with the intended LP concept, but has CD fidelity for the best audio quality for this type of music. In the sleeve's rear opening is a vinyl LP. It's an unplayable 12" record with exclusive Steven Stapleton etchings. It truly has to be seen to be believed, possibly as much of an art object as it is a record. Gatefold sleeve.
Up In Her Room present their first release of 2025, and a return to the label from Oli Heffernan, aka Ivan the Tolerable! Ten new chunks of lo-fi instrumental library-hop -- recorded in over two days in Summer 2024, Nocturnes is the first ITT album of 2025, and the first one made solo by Heffernan since Wild Nature in 2019. Known for his genre-defying and boundary-pushing approach to music, Heffernan -- who has spent years experimenting with various styles, instruments and production techniques has crafted a collection of tracks that defy categorization. The new album is a sonic tapestry of atmospheric library music, dusty hip-hop beats, and the organic, unfiltered essence of field recordings, all neatly packaged up into a format that allows each element space to breathe. Nocturnes weaves intricate layers of samples, loops, and live instrumentation, combining elements of hip-hop, dub, jazz, and electronic music, all while maintaining a sense of urban cinematic flair. The album is released by Up In Her Room on limited edition black heavyweight vinyl.
JITWAM
Honeycomb Deluxe Edition LP
Musical powerhouse jitwam invites listeners back into his colorful world with the deluxe edition of his hit album Honeycomb, marking five years since its original release in 2019. Featuring a fresh art direction and behind-the-scenes photography taken from the Mumbai-filmed music video to "busstop," the deluxe edition is a true collectible item. Inside the vinyl cover, a download code gives fans access to all 20 digital titles, including a remix package by Max Graef and Glenn Astro and three new ambient versions of Honeycomb tracks by jitwam himself. Originally released in 2019, Honeycomb quickly sent ripples through the music scene, garnering rave reviews from around the world. Across 12 tracks, jitwam masterfully fuses his musical identities, incorporating warm guitar riffs, smooth basslines, and lyrics about the comforting chaos of urban life in India. "Honeycomb is a universe where rock 'n' roll meets soul, where the blues sing techno, and jazz can be anything you want it to be" jitwam explains. With his roots in Assam, India and a diverse upbringing in Australia, Thailand, and South Africa, jitwam has made a name for himself with his soul-soothing sound that transcends borders and genres. On his journey, he's worn several musical faces, within the world of psychedelic indie rock, the hip-hop realm, and underground house music. His fluidity as an artist has earned him a place in the rich lineage of Indian composers, fusing disparate styles and ideas into a world that is truly and uniquely his own. Featuring Marie Bashiru.
ADAM F
Colours Revisited (Red Color Vinyl) 3LP
Triple LP version. Red color vinyl version. Colours Revisited, a revision of Adam F's MOBO Award-winning 1997 debut album, is a story of musical rebirth and passion. Adam F, realizing that Colours had found a new audience -- partly thanks to artists like PinkPantheress -- decided to recreate the album. Instead of simply remastering the tracks, Adam went all in. Over two years, he meticulously reworked the original music, from restoring vintage instruments like his Fender Rhodes piano to enlisting UK jazz legends like Julian Joseph. Vocalists including Kirsty Hawkshaw and the late MC Conrad re-recorded their parts, while new solos from world-cla8ss musicians added fresh life to the tracks. "Colours holds a special place in my heart because it was not only my first solo album, but also because I had the opportunity to collaborate with diverse talents," says the seminal producer on his ground-breaking album. "Musicians of a caliber such as Dave Ital (Guitars), The Jazz Great Julian Joseph (Keyboards and Fender Rhodes), MC Conrad (MC/Artist), Roni Jordan, Tim Philbert/Tim the Bass (Bass), Greg Leicester (Bass), Maurice Capillaire/MC MC (Live MC)." The revisited album deftly weaves together the energy of new live instrumentation with the '80s British electronica and jazz fusion inspired sounds of the original. The result is a project which not only brings the album into the glistening present but somehow manages to add further depth and sense of understanding of the original Colours, the influences latent within it and how and why it has gone on to influence so many others since its inception throughout the world. This is a must have album which pays homage to what has become a cornerstone of British electronic music history.
"Chicha Libre celebrates early seventies Peruvian music styles which mixed cumbia and funk with Andean melodies, Cuban son, and heady swirls of surf guitar, farfisa organ and moog synth. The Brooklyn based band pushes their music way beyond mere pastiche and into strange, sun-blanched epiphanies with elegant homages that take a sublime twist of the new, re-interpreting chicha and pop classics such as 'Popcorn', Joe Dassin/Toto Cutugno's 1975 hit 'Indian Summer', and subtly executed cumbia takes on pieces by Satie and Ravel. Bandleader Olivier Conan initially developed a passion for vintage Chicha during a trip to Peru in the nineties, which resulted in the internationally acclaimed 'Roots Of Chicha' compilations he produced, before going even further by forming his inventive 21st Century band. Personnel: Olivier Conan (lead vocals, cuatro), Joshua Camp (keyboards), Nicholas Cudahy (bass), Vincent Douglas (guitars), Greg Burrows (percussion), Timothy Quigley (percussion) and others. Side D is an etched disc."
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We Are Not Alone: Part 7 2LP
UPIC Diffusion Session #23 LP
Girls Gang (Includes Bonus 12") LP+12"
The Second Time Around LP
Grains (15th Anniversary) 2LP
Knock On Wood (The Acoustic Sessions) 2LP+CD
Singapore Nuggets. The Ladies: Vol. 2 LP
Shelly Y Nueva Generacion (Splatter Vinyl) LP
La Revolucion De Emiliano Zapata LP
Colours Revisited (Red Color Vinyl) 3LP
Fly Away (Deetron Mix) 12"
The Way I Am and The Way You Yawn LP
Meditation/Dubplate Mixes 12"
Swift Are The Winds of Life (Expanded Edition) 2LP
Honeycomb Deluxe Edition LP
Uncle God's Pag Pag Banquet 2CD
Live Cuts 1981-1983 Cassette
Ambientale (Compiled by Charles Bals) LP
Instrumental Ensemble: Soundtrack For Imaginary Movie Vol. 1 2LP
Drinking Songs Live 20 Years On + Drinking Songs 2LP BOX
Drinking Songs Live 20 Years On 2LP
They Blessed The Body Breadcrumbed LP
Vielleicht Bist Du Ein Clown? LP
As One Aflame Laid Bare By Desire 2LP
Tokyo Bliss: Japanese Funk, Boogie And City Pop From King Records 1974-88 CD
Il Giro Del Giorno In 80 Mondi LP
Yasmina, A Black Woman LP
Eternal Dubs Chapter 2 LP
When Angels Speak of Love LP
Live From a Shark Cage 2LP
Psychedelic Underground LP
O Amor, O Sorriso E A Flor LP
Cults Percussion Ensemble LP
Assignment Kirchin: Two Unreleased Scores From The Basil Kirchin Tape Archive LP
The Velvet Underground & Nico LP
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