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Recent Best Sellers
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AKENAT 004LP
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A collection of mind-blowing songs from Hindi films 1958-1984. 12 musical gems from the Bollywood vaults with a wide variety of styles thrown in the mix, from the classic to the rare, a must! An astonishing overview of the magnificent musical talents populating Bollywood films. With a predilection for movies with a strong musical backbone where songs and musical numbers play a pivotal role, the Hindi cinema boom gave birth to a strong and creative music industry where composers, musicians, musical directors, conductors, producers, singing actors, and playback singers (singers who provide vocals for the musical parts of roles played by actors or actresses) found a perfect place to develop their careers. A sample of those incredible talents is included in this compilation, the ideal point to start digging deeper into the lush garden of musical delights that is Bollywood. Featuring Mohammedd Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, Kalyanji & Anandji, P. Susheela, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, Shankar & Jaikishan, and R. D. Burman.
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2LP
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WRWTFWW 083LP
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Double LP version. WRWTFWW Records is flying high as it announces the reissue of the 1997 ambient masterpiece Quiet Logic by electronic music visionaries Mixmaster Morris (The Irresistible Force), Jonah Sharp (Spacetime Continuum), and Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra). Quiet Logic invites listeners to embark on a captivating sonic odyssey, blending intricate rhythms and celestial environments that push the boundaries of electronic music. Co-crafted at Haruomi Hosono's Tokyo studio in 1997, this album represents a time of rapid transformation in the genre, with these three artists at the forefront of redefining soundscapes. With its unique blend of influences from Hosono's immense contribution to electronic, pop, and experimental music to Morris' worldwide chill out DJ performances and Sharp's pioneering label, Reflective, Quiet Logic remains a timeless piece of ethereal electronica. It was originally only released in Japan in CD format on the Harry Hosono-curated Daisyworld Discs label. Remastered for 2024, this reissue is a must-have for fans of Haruomi Hosono/YMO, The Irresistible Force, Spacetime Continuum, Dreamfish, Tetsu Inoue, FFWD, H.I.A., Fax +49-69/450464, and mind-expanding musics. Immerse yourself now.
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GUESS 244LP
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Fuzzed out psychedelia of the highest order by Korean legends Sanullim. This is their second album, originally released in 1978. It opens with the incredible title track, featuring an extended noisy fuzz guitar intro and which would become one of their most famous songs, especially live. The Kim brothers also dwell into abrasive garage-psych ("Let's Sing") melancholic fuzz ballads ("A Flower Blooming In The Haze") and more. Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Sourced from the original masters. Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos/memorabilia.
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GUESS 245LP
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Legendary Korean psychedelic band Sanullim's third album, originally released in 1978. From heavy-fuzz psychedelic garage to slow burners, including the monster sidelong track "You Are Already Me," the title track (which sounds like a Korean "Blue Cheer") and more. Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Sourced from the original masters. Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos/memorabilia.
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BEWITH 156LP
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Tommy Guerrero's revered Return Of The Bastard gets its first ever vinyl reissue. Endearingly simple but beautifully beguiling, it's lo-fi dusty break business with the most elegant guitars this side of Vini Reilly and Gabor Szabo. Tommy's breezy drum-machine guitar-soul should be prescribed to soothe an aching world. By rights, he should also be a Balearic god. Here's 14 tracks of drop-dead laconic beauty, all of them combining to create this unheralded masterpiece. Working with Tommy directly, the LP has been fully remastered and sounds as dazzlingly, heartbreakingly beautiful as it did back in 2007. As ever, there's heavenly Latin guitar stylings that make you swoon and the melancholic vibe is accentuated by the addition of some melodic wordless vocals from Tommy. The head-nod funk of "Calling For Ya!" features Curumin delivering the clever title as a hypnotic vocal refrain peppered throughout, all hung around some buried spoken word vocals and gorgeous cello work from Lenny Gonzalez. "Bloodinthemud" is a low-down gritty funk workout whilst "Zapata's Boots" is a total low-key groover, all Latin percussion and Morricone muscle aided by a whistled Spaghetti Western melody. The upbeat and bright "40 Summers," featuring congas from Alfredo Ortiz, is as clean and poppy as Tommy gets and it really is a look he wears incredibly well. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possible quality at Record Industry in Holland. The original and iconic sleeve, designed by Natas Kaupas, has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue. Part of Be With's Tommy Guerrero reissue campaign. 140g-vinyl.
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BEWITH 150LP
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Cedar Walton's Mobius is as brilliant as the stunning jacket design, featuring the legendary jazz pianist morphing into a mobius strip, set against a beautiful sky filled with cumulus clouds. A proper jazz-funk fusion slapfest, Mobius is a stellar electric set from -- essentially -- one hell of a superband. Mobius is elevated by Ryo Kawasaki's stinging electric guitar, pristinely clear vocals by Adrienne Albert and Lani Groves, rootsy percussion by Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, trumpet from Roy Burrowes, Gordon Edwards on bass and Frank Foster's tenor sax, and Steve Gadd on drums. Gem after gem of looping, bliss-inducing gold, it's an incredibly revelatory album. It presents a thrilling synthesis of R&B, funk, blues and hard bop (with a hint of rock), all driven by an idiosyncratic electronic keyboard. Mobius was Walton's debut for RCA in 1975. The versatile artist confirmed his abilities as a player, composer, interpreter and arranger with this stunning record, and his own bright compositions offered a springboard for the improvisations of the different soloists. Mobius is really gorgeous mid-'70s fusion, ranging from the funky to the ecstatic. The audio has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue reissue.
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2LP
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EFFICIENT 031LP
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Double LP version. A humanity-reminding suite of miracle moments, Someone Like Me unites a geographically unbound cast of real people in pursuit of a meaningful connection. Taping their lived experience in economic studios in quiet English counties, Pacific Northwest woodland retreats and the big city bustle of Sydney and Los Angeles, these kindred spirits rendered sheer beauty in the process. Custom pressed folk songs of love, loss and the lord savior. Illuminating minor works from seasoned players such as former Syndicate Of Sound chart-topper Sharkey and late-era Canned Heat lynchpin James Thornbury, the collection simultaneously honors the fleeting amateurism of hobby musicians. With their one shot at tangible vinyl, freshman Lynne Ann Kingan realized her loose bubblegum rocker on campus time, while U.S. Navy recruit Fred Potts cut his unconditionally serene ballad remotely stationed on a Spanish naval base. Spartan production continues to reign with Jon Betmead's hair-raising gospel, howling into infinite space, and Goldrust's stripped back garden hymn. Throughout the hour-long reflection, faith has an intermittent yet revelatory presence, most overtly with the divine choral soul of Seventh-day Adventist quartet Remnant. More subtly, Gary Ramey and Jim Kennedy both turned to song in their spiritual quests, offering their all to a universal power. An irrefutable compilation cornerstone, the National Office For Black Catholics showcased Charles Murphy's lionhearted account of the Black experience at a 1971 concert. Five years earlier, high school seniors The Superwomen would use their hauntingly angelic harmonies to address racial inequity with a breathless take on "Lowlands." Reaching the furthest corners, Someone Like Me secures the inaugural license of three homespun masterpieces. Discovered by fluke in the digital haystacks of Youtube and Soundcloud, Jim Huxley's bedroom pop earworm melds peacefully into Charlie Webster's synthesized reverie. Meanwhile, Hollywood's John Agostino introduces us to the bizarre world of tax scam records, with the artist only now learning that his tender psych-folk demos were leaked via a 1977 bootleg. Compiled and lovingly restored by armchair digger Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring/The Green Child), Someone Like Me pays due service to seventeen rarefied journals of truth and devotion. Adorned with visual artist Chris Fallon's figure and flora dream extractions, the uniting songbook is further detailed by expansive track-by-track liner notes and a forward from San Franciscan poet Rod Roland. Also featuring The Bob Hughes Band, Jon Betmead, Robison Kaplan Ltd., and Ritchie Tierney. Original recordings range from 1966 to 1990.
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2LP
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POTOMAK 254751
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Double LP version. Einstürzende Neubauten present their new album Rampen (apm: alien pop music). Since the band was founded on April 1, 1980, Einstürzende Neubauten have been shifting the parameters of mainstream and subculture to make the inaudible audible -- perhaps the unheard as well. This experimental field research, spanning more than four decades, is now entering the next stage. In its 44th year of existence, the band is going back to its roots while redefining itself. It's a change in self-image, for which the Berlin quintet plus one has created its own genre -- alien pop music.
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2LP
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BT 116LP
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Limited restock. Black Truffle announces a major archival release from legendary American composer and live electronics innovator Richard Teitelbaum, centered around his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt's cult 1978 animation Asparagus. Best known to some listeners for introducing Europe to the Moog synthesizer as a founding member of Musica Elettronica Viva in Rome, Teitelbaum's extensive and radically experimental body of work includes collaborative recordings with master improvisers like Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyrille, and George Lewis, intercultural experiments combining electronics with non-Western instruments such as the shakuhachi, works for computer controlled piano, and large-scale multi-media operas. Recorded at York University, Toronto in 1975-1976, "Asparagus (European Version)" sprawls across both sides of the first LP. Discovered by composer Matt Sargent in Teitelbaum's tape archive, this is a previously unheard major work for Moog modular and Polymoog synthesizers, unique in Teitelbaum's oeuvre for its lushness and gently melodic quality. Teitelbaum incorporated much of this material into his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt's Asparagus, which receives its first official release here. Asparagus, famously paired with David Lynch's Eraserhead for a two-year run of midnight screenings at New York's Waverly Theatre, uses hand-drawn and stop animation to unfurl an oneiric succession of images, beginning with a sequence in which the female protagonist defecates two stalks of asparagus, which multiply and float out of the toilet bowl to form the letters of the title. Teitelbaum's soundtrack interweaves delicate drifting tones from the "European Version" with contributions from Steve Lacy and Steve Potts on saxophones, George Lewis on trombone and Takehisa Kosugi on violin. The final side of the set presents a new realization of Teitelbaum's text score "Threshold Music," performed at a memorial concert at Roulette, New York in 2022 by Leila Bourreuil (cello), Alvin Curran (sampler and objects), Daniel Fishkin (daxophone), Miguel Frasconi (glass objects), and Matt Sargent (lap steel). Here the players use a field recording taken at Teitelbaum's home in Bearsville, New York, their long tones and shimmering, glassy textures delicately emerging from the white noise of the location recording. Released with the full approval of both Richard Teitelbaum and Suzan Pitt's estates, Asparagus is illustrated with striking images from Pitt's film and accompanied by detailed liner notes by Francis Plagne. These previously unheard pieces shed new light on the work of a key composer in the American experimental tradition, offering up some of Teitelbaum's most beautiful and engaging music.
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NP 050LP
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Don King was the mid-'80s band from Mark Cunningham (post Mars), originally formed to play Thurston Moore's Noisefest at White Columns in 1981. The six concerts tour in 1986 were the last European appearances of the New York no wave band Don King, starting in Padua and following a wide arc around the Mediterranean, by train, through Switzerland over to Toulouse (France) and then down to Barcelona (Spain). The original cassette was a selection of the best live recordings released by the historic Barcelona collective 4sellos. Featuring Lucy Hamilton (bass clarinet, guitar, vocals), Arto Lindsay, Duncan Lindsay, Toni Nogueira (percussion tape), John Erskine (producer, percussion tape), and Mark Cunningham (producer, trumpet). Photography by Catherine Ceresole.
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BB 456LP
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LP version. Faust is a group of artists who shared intense musical experiences in the years 1971 to 1974. Supported by producer Uwe Nettelbeck and sound engineer Kurt Graupner, they produced an immense array of recordings in a studio in Wumme which had been set up just for them. Two compact album productions followed, recorded at the Manor (March 1973) and Musicland Studios (May 1974). This album presents a selection of recordings from this period, documenting their creative versatility and explosive dynamism. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. A collection of un-released snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. This volume includes recordings which have been previously released on other compilations such as 71 Minutes and BBC Sessions+. When reviewing this material for this compilation some titles have been changed, e.g. "Can't Fly Away," "Children's Toy Etude", "Begluckte Schlagbohrmaschine," and "Stay Or Leave" have been released as "Party 1," "Party 8," "Party 6," and "Party 9" previously, and "Woke Up Outside The Dust Bin" was released as "Chromatic."
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DMOO 061LP
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First issued in 1961 on Columbia's early music venture Colpix, Forbidden Fruit is widely acknowledged as the best of Nina Simone's early releases. Producer Cal Lampley chose to cast her in varied settings, blending a rendition of Oscar Brown's "Rags And Old Iron" with a unique take of Bessie Smith's "Gin House Blues," contrasting with Billie Holiday's "No Good Man" and "I'll Look Around," which Simone shifts to her own image. Her backing trio aim for the understated, the rhythm section leaving ample room for Simone's appealing piano lines, nicely complimented by Al Shackman's guitar. An excellent set from Miss Simone -- grab it!
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BB 450LP
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LP version. Faust is a group of artists who shared intense musical experiences in the years 1971 to 1974. Supported by producer Uwe Nettelbeck and sound engineer Kurt Graupner, they produced an immense array of recordings in a studio in Wumme which had been set up just for them. Two compact album productions followed, recorded at the Manor (March 1973) and Musicland Studios (May 1974). This album presents a selection of recordings from this period, documenting their creative versatility and explosive dynamism. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. A collection of un-released snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. This volume includes recordings which have been previously released on other compilations such as 71 Minutes and BBC Sessions+. When reviewing this material for this compilation, some titles have been changed, e.g. "Ma Trompette (Alternative Version)" has been released as "Party 10" previously, "Zwolf Meter unter der Oberflache" has been "(360)" and "Geister, die wir riefen" was "The Lurcher."
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SHUKAI 008LP
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Transilvania Smile is one of the first solo works (recorded in 1994) of Svitlana Nianio. During this time, Svitlana repeatedly visited Germany, where she had the experience of playing in parks and on the streets, gathering contacts of the local art scene. Her cooperation with the international choreographic group Pentamonia, based in Cologne and consisting of several girls who performed in theaters, took part in various performances, and were engaged in music. They met in the 1990s during joint performances with "Sugar-White Death." After that, they corresponded, and the idea of doing something together arose. Svitlana attended several of their performances, which inspired her to write music for a new project, and the band members helped to realize their creative ideas. Later, they started rehearsing together. The name "Transilvania Smile" was invented by the project participants, and it symbolized the mold on the mirror and the reflection of a smiling vampire. However, shortly before the premiere, they changed it to "Firefox", as the participants actively used flashlights and the play of light and shadows in the scenography. The premiere occurred in the local Urania theater, previously a gallery. Isabel Bartensein directed the choreography, and Svitlana played, sang, and improvised. She said it was an excellent experience for her and the band. Besides Cologne, they also performed in Aachen. Later, Michael Springer offered Svitlana to record this material in his "Phantom" studio. They had already worked together and recorded music for their project (Svitlana Okhrimenko / Phanton). Michael was also interested in the Ukrainian independent scene and participated in the creation of several compilations that featured bands from Kyiv and Kharkiv. Svetlana played the piano and harmonium in the studio and also sang. After the recording, the material was never released in its entirety. Two compositions appeared on the cassette compilation Shovaisia (Hide) in 1995, some episodes were re-recorded for the Kytytsi album in 1999, but for a long time, the full version of this recording remained practically unknown to listeners and was kept in Svitlana's and Michael's archives.
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DMOO 059LP
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John Cassavetes' directorial debut Shadows was a largely improvised film set in the bohemian jazz scene of 1950s New York; often referred to as the first truly independent film of American cinema, it featured a brief disjointed soundtrack improvised by Charles Mingus and his saxophonist Shafi Hadi, with various percussionists slotting in, including Phineas Newborn Jr. Gloriously messy, reportedly unfinished and referred to with scorn by Mingus, the Shadows soundtrack sketches ultimately yielded the great "Nostalgia In Times Square," "Alice's Wonderland," and "Self-Portrait In Three Colours," all included here.
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RRS 121LP
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2024 repress. Adventurous southern California punk trio Agent Orange was the first band to mix surf rock with punk. The group was formed in1979 in Placentia, a small town close to Fullerton and Anaheim, by front man Mike Palm on guitar and lead vocals, Steve Soto on bass, and Scott Miller on drums. That early line-up recorded the classic version of "Bloodstains" in 1979 as a demo produced by Daniel R. van Patten (of the group Berlin). A year later it was included on the seminal Rodney On The Roq compilation album released by Posh Boy Records. Meanwhile, James Levesque had replaced Steve Soto (Adolescents) and the new line-up released their own self-produced and self-released 7" EP in 1980. A year later, the group signed with Robbie Fields' Posh Boy Records for their debut LP, Living In Darkness, co-produced by Fields and former Simpletones guitarist, Jay Lansford. The album was recorded at Brian Elliot's store front studio in North Hollywood (a few years before Elliot struck gold writing Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach"). A milestone in California punk rock history. Includes five bonus tracks. Black vinyl.
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2CD
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POTOMAK 254752
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Einstürzende Neubauten present their new album Rampen (apm: alien pop music). Since the band was founded on April 1, 1980, Einstürzende Neubauten have been shifting the parameters of mainstream and subculture to make the inaudible audible -- perhaps the unheard as well. This experimental field research, spanning more than four decades, is now entering the next stage. In its 44th year of existence, the band is going back to its roots while redefining itself. It's a change in self-image, for which the Berlin quintet plus one has created its own genre -- alien pop music.
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MR 453LP
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Virgin by Traffic Sound is described as the band's greatest album, capturing the essence of their musical and existential outlook. Recorded by youthful members barely 20 years old, the album reflects the non-conformist, profound, and occasionally otherworldly spirit that characterized the youth in Lima during the late '60s. The influence of Anglo-Saxon psychedelia is evident, representing a defiance against the prevailing conservative traditions of the city. Released in January 1970, the album exhibits the bold and free spirit of late '60s pop music, drawing inspiration from post-Sgt. Pepper's rock and Peruvian psychedelia. The lyrics, predominantly in English, emphasize the youthful desire to break free and search for answers in both the real world and the hidden corners of a stimulated mind. The album was a gateway to a more pedestrian future, where Latin music exerted greater influence, and individual egos re-emerged in the wake of hippy collectivism. Virgin also reflects the band's desire to express themselves freely and dream of becoming rock stars. The recording process involved meticulous analysis of foreign records, shaping the band's ability to mix and arrange their own compositions. The album's context is set against the socio-political backdrop of Peru in the late '60s, characterized by a military dictatorship with progressive policies. While most local rock bands embraced the aesthetics of psychedelia, they were viewed with distrust by political activists. Traffic Sound, however, adopted a political stance with the song "The Revolution," criticizing the military government. Virgin itself is described as a sonic journey with carefully arranged tracks. The album's songs are divided into "Tomorrow" and "Today," each offering a unique emotional and sonorous experience. The album includes notable tracks such as "Virgin (I Can't Regret You, My Friend)," "Tell The World I'm Alive," "Yellow Sea Days," "Jews Caboose," "A Place in Time Called 'You And Me,'" "Simple," "Meshkalina," and "Last Song." These songs cover themes ranging from failed romance to personal rebirth and socio-political commentary, all infused with psychedelic and experimental elements. Virgin set a high standard in Peruvian rock in the early 1970s, showcasing Traffic Sound's musical prowess and leaving a lasting impact on the country's music scene. Despite releasing two more albums in the following years, Virgin remained the band's best-selling record, continuing to resonate with audiences even years after its initial release. Extensive liner notes and the original artwork on tip-on gatefold sleeve.
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AWE 001LP
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Limited repress. LP version. Currently based in Los Angeles, Laurel Halo has spent over a decade stepping into different towns and cities for a moment or more, to the point where everywhere almost became nowhere. Atlas, the debut release on her new imprint Awe, is an attempt to put that feeling to music. Using both electronic and acoustic instrumentation, Halo has created a potent set of sensual ambient jazz collages, comprised of orchestral clouds, shades of modal harmony, hidden sonic details, and detuned, hallucinatory textures. The music functions as a series of maps, for places real and imaginary, and for expressing the unsaid. The process of writing Atlas began back in 2020 when she reacquainted herself with the piano. She relished the piano's physical feedback, as well as its capacity to express emotion and lightness. And when the legendary Ina-GRM Studios in Paris invited her to take up a residency the following year in 2021, she spared no time to dub, stretch and manipulate some of the simple piano sketches she'd recorded over the prior months; these subtle piano recordings and electronic manipulations would go on to become the heart of Atlas. In the remainder of 2021 and 2022, with time spent between Berlin and London, Halo recorded additional guitar, violin and vibraphone, as well as acoustic instrumentation from friends and collaborators including saxophonist Bendik Giske, violinist James Underwood, cellist Lucy Railton, and vocalist Coby Sey. All of these sounds were shaped, melted, and re-composed into the arrangements, their acoustic origins rendered uncanny. In short, Atlas is road trip music for the subconscious. With repeated listens, it is a record that can leave a deep sensorial impression on the listener, akin to walking at dusk in a dark forest. Its humor and sharp focus would dispel any notions of sentimentality. Completely distinct from the rest of Halo's catalog, Atlas is an album that thrives in the quietest places, rejecting bombast and embracing awe. Fitting that it's the debut release on her new recording label, whose slogan parallels the mood and atmosphere of the album: Awe is something you feel when confronted with forces beyond your control: nature, the cosmos, chaos human error, hallucinations.
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ELE 034LP
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LP version. Long-awaited compilation of hard-rocking, psychedelic songs from Indonesia's premiere rock outfit Panbers (Pandjaitan Bersaudara) culled from their most fertile years with Mesra Dimita Records. For those uninitiated on the glory Panbers, consider this compilation an introduction to some of earliest and heaviest rock sound to come out of Indonesia.
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JBH 105LP
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Two sublime unreleased scores from Basil Kirchin. The next Trunk/Kirchin assignment. Basically some more unreleased music from the unpredictable and slightly chaotic Kirchin Tape Archive. These tapes were labelled up as follows: Assignment K (with lots of pencil scribbles everywhere); The Strange Affair (with lots of pen scribbles everywhere). As usual with Basil tapes/things there is little else to go on, no tracklist, no list of musicians, no singer names, no dates or anything. Assignment K dates from 1968, and was a film about a toy maker who has a double life as an international spy. It was directed by Val Guest, who'd just finished trying to rescue the cinematic hotchpotch that was Casino Royale -- he had been brought in by the Bond producers after Peter Sellers had walked off the movie. As for the Kirchin score here, there is very little information, apart from the fact that the bass player was Ron Prentice (an ex blacksmith turned musician and craftsman) who worked on several Bond scores. The Strange Affair is also from 1968, and was not only controversial but also a reasonably unsuccessful movie. Directed by David Greene who also directed, amongst other films, I Start Counting and the brilliant Sebastian. In this rather grubby flick a policeman called Peter Strange (played by Michael York) falls for an underage girl (played by Susan George), finds himself compromised by a pair of pornographers and gets lured into an errand for a smack gang. This music has all the classic Kirchin mid-period sonic hallmarks that have always set him apart.
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DMOO 064LP
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At Newport 1958 has the aural dynamite that marked the performing debut of Jimmy Cobb and Bill Evans with the Miles Davis Sextet and it's a thrilling set from start to finish. Just a few months before Kind Of Blue, they hit listeners with an awesome take of Charlie Parker's "Au-Leu-Cha," with Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley in full swing, and on Thelonius Monk's "Straight No Chaser," Evans introduces unusual harmonic chords, the group moving heaven and earth for their own direction. "Fran-Dance," "Two Bass Hit," "Bye Bye Blackbird," and "The Theme" continue the hard-bop brilliance; get it now and play loud and often!
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HONEY 092LP
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Double bassist and composer Cachao Lopez was one of the greatest personalities in the history of Cuban music. A true innovator who already in the '40s pioneered a new exciting form of dance music subsequently worldwide known as mambo. Cuban Music in Jam Session stands as one of his classic albums from the late '50s. A great example of Cachao's innovative jam sessions called "descargas" where various legendary musicians such as tenor sax player Emilio Penalver and trumpeters Armando "Chocolate" Armenteros and Alejandro "Negro" Vivar, improvise over highly infectious grooves and rhythms laid down by Cachao himself on bass and a bunch of super tight percussionists. A great statement from the Latin music golden era!
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2LP
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OP 048LP
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2024 restock. Nicolas Jaar shows he is paying attention to the masses by issuing a widely called for vinyl press of his A.A.L. (Against All Logic) album 2012-2017. Originally issued as a digital-only release back in February of 2018, it's slowly grown to become one of the most cherished releases in the entire Other People discography. Much like Kerrier District did to disco, A.A.L. (Against All Logic) borrows heavily from the samples and sounds ingrained deep within Jaar's listening habits and evidently a record collection packed to the brim with classic soul, house, and most importantly, funk hooks. Keenly twisting these sounds and filtering them through a studio set up that's leaning heavily on the beefed-up kick drums and reverb units to make a well-executed homage to these sounds, pieced together with the inherent idea of making the listener unable to resist the urge to move, be it in a bedroom, basement, or just sat in work staring at a computer screen. A.A.L. (Against All Logic) is both a well-executed homage to all of the above references, yet also just a really strong and enjoyable record from Nicolas Jaar. Its undeniable popularity digitally is sure to see the vinyl evaporate in no time at all.
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SVVRCH 063LP
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2024 repress; reissue, originally released in 1973. An icon of Brazilian popular music, Tim Maia was a musical polymath and prolific recording artist best known for introducing American soul to the Brazilian music scene, pioneering the sambalanço style by blending elements of soul, funk, rock, and samba. Maia recorded four self-titled albums for Polydor Brazil, this fourth release from 1973 is arguably the best, with its outstanding hits "Réu Confesso" and "Gostava Tanto de Você"; "Do Your Thing, Behave Yourself" shows how the soul form fitted him perfectly and "O Balanço" full to bursting with Brazilian flavor. A superb set from start to finish, it's a must for all Tim Maia fans.
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VAMPI 160LP
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2023 repress; LP version. Includes "Todo en La Vida", the track featured in the Netflix Narcos series, "an ode to patience propelled by a yearning riff that wouldn't have been out of place in a Gainsbourg perv-jam").
The recordings that the sisters Elia and Elizabeth Fleta made, hand-in-hand with music arranger Jimmy Salcedo in the early '70s in their native Colombia, remained hidden like lost pearls in the undervalued musical pop history of Latin America until today. Their concise and natural mix of styles sways between soft-pop with a touch of tropical-pastoral funk, singer-songwriter sweetened by the subtle perfume of Caribbean music and the psychedelia of a world in the midst of discovering all the possibilities offered by the recording studio. These elements blend graciously and fortuitously, brimming with freshness, in a perfect partnership of sharp melodies with lyrics inspired by a genuine juvenile curiosity about life's mysteries, love and nature in its simplest forms. Elia and Elizabeth Fleta Mallol were born in Bogotá by chance. Their parents were both from Spain but met and got married in Barranquila, and soon after moved to Bogotá. Their father, Miguel Fleta, was the son of the renowned tenor of the same name. Given the family's musical history, the sisters were fully supported and motivated by their parents, who bought them acoustic guitars and encouraged them to take lessons. Mr. Fleta's work would take them to Cali, back to Barranquilla, Lima, and finally Madrid and Barcelona in 1971. In Spain, Elia y Elizabeth were invited to a televised homage for their famous grandfather and were heard by composer and musical arranger Juan Carlos Calderon, who had previously worked with their aunts, the popular duo of sisters Elia and Paloma Fleta. Immediately, he invited them to record under his direction two songs in the studio of the Zafiro label from Barcelona. The chosen songs were "Cae la lluvia" and "Fue una lagrima," two of Elia's compositions. Both songs were released on a 45rpm single, although it lacked any kind of promotion given that, yet again, the Fleta family was about to move back to Colombia. Back in Barranquilla, after performing at a charity event with their friends from the Bakarett Blues Band, the sisters were heard by Graciela Arango de Tobon, a wealthy lady and composer who recommended them to Alvaro Arango. The latter was the musical director of Codiscos, subsidiary of Zeida, a label with headquarters in Medellín which was looking for a female duo with the characteristics of the Fleta sisters. After hearing them sing over the phone, Mr. Alvaro traveled to Barranquilla the next day, where he formalized his intention to record the duo. Soon after, Elia and Elizabeth were in the studios of Codiscos in Medellín. Humberto Moreno, head producer, entrusted the musical arrangements and direction to the pianist Jimmy Salcedo, a Mompox native. A talented and charismatic musician from the bohemian and jazz scene in Bogotá, Salcedo was a former member of The Be-Bops who had become a TV interviewer and started his own band, La Onda Tres. The support of Jimmy Salcedo and his band contributed to the Fleta duo becoming regulars in the local media. During their meteoric career, the sisters were the winners of the Coco Festival in Barranquilla, the recipients of the Principe de Oro -- an award given by the eponymous radio station -- and were nominated for the Onda Award as the best new band of 1972. A second LP appeared the following year and the TV shows continued weekly, leaving Elia less and less time to devote to her studies, which she was most interested in. She decided to talk to her family and explain to them her desire to stop her television performances and instead completely devote herself to her university education in music pedagogy. Elizabeth, meanwhile, understood and accepted her sister's decision and also quit the world of entertainment. Includes a booklet with liner notes by compiler Carlos Icaza and photos from Elia Fleta's personal archive.
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VAMPI 296LP
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In the few years that the Disperú record label was operative, it managed to open its doors to emerging artists, who were often ignored by the major labels but would go on to leave their mark on Peruvian popular music. In 1967, Disperú commissioned trumpeter Toño Reyes to form a band he called Toño y sus Sicodélicos. During the recording sessions for this album, they performed a series of songs that reflected the latest tropical music trends, in his inimitable style. Instrumentals such as "Mr. Boogaloo", "El Guayacol", "La Anticuchera", "La Peinadora", and "La Fiesta es Mañana" are versions that follow the lines traced by the Mexican composer and drummer Leo Acosta. In the early sixties, based in Los Angeles, Acosta played with the orchestras of Harry James, Sammy Davis Jr, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, and Dámaso Pérez Prado. Mid-decade, Acosta turned to the novel sounds of boogaloo, which immediately caught the attention of young South Americans. The song "Borinque Bella" is another cover version, originally recorded by The TNT Band, based in New York. Another noteworthy influence on the album is the blind Venezuelan organist Tulio Enrique León, who performed cumbias and guarachas enhanced by his Hammond organ, as is the case of "Chin Chin". Songs in vogue at the time complete the album. The best known is perhaps "Es la lluvia que cae", popularized in Spanish in 1967 by Los Iracundos. "Tequila" and "No te bote", by The Champs and Sonora Matancera, respectively, were also classics on Lima's radio stations. "Las hojas secas", by the Mexicans Los Zignos, was so popular that it was even covered by Peruvian rock groups such as Los Steivos and Los 007. The success reaped by Toño y sus Sicodélicos took them straight to another record company, and the group's records were also re-released in neighboring countries, always with striking psychedelic cover illustrations. First time reissue. Includes original striking psychedelic artwork and remastered sound.
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WRJ 002LP
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2023 repress. New "regular edition" on 140 gram vinyl. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, originally released in 1977. Released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor 1976's Scenery (WRJ 001CD/LP/LTD-LP). Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop, and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent "Mellow Dream" and "My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui's work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic "Baron Potato Blues" or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced "Horizon" which sees each member of the trio -- Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums -- demonstrating their virtuosity for nine exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, and reminds you that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back-to-back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing two live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore. Sourced from the original masters. Mastered at half speed; 140 gram vinyl; includes sticker.
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DMOO 062LP
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The Jazz Track LP has an unusual backstory. The bulk of the album is Miles' evocative improvised score for Louis Malle's Elevator To The Gallows (1959), a proto-new wave film about a bungled crime of passion. Davis cut this on the fly with a Parisian pick-up band, the work holding dramatic tension and moody features. In the USA this soundtrack was reissued as Jazz Track with three additional songs first issued on a ten-inch the year before, the last of his work with Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, and the first with Bill Evans; "On Green Dolphin Street," "Fran-Dance," and "Stella By Starlight" are all stone-cold classics.
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BT 117LP
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Black Truffle announces The Mountains Pass, a major new work from Olivia Block. A key player in Chicago's vibrant experimental music scene since the late 1990s, Block has developed an extensive body of work grounded in a personalized, at times emotive approach to the studio-based practices of the musique concrète tradition, while also encompassing improvisation, orchestral pieces, sound installations, and a sustained engagement with the piano. On The Mountains Pass, recorded by Greg Norman at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio and meticulously edited and constructed over the course of three years, Block pushes into new terrain, introducing her singing voice and drums played by Jon Mueller into flowing assemblages that move seamlessly from ruminative organ tones and fragmented piano airs to explosions of sizzling synths and thundering percussion. Like many of Block's past works, which include, for example, a sculptural installation using the sound of oyster beds, The Mountains Pass draws inspiration from nature and the animal world. Time spent in a particular mountain range in Northern New Mexico informs this suite of pieces, whose lyrics and titles refer particularly to animal life in the area. The music sometimes suggests the great outer-limits works of '70s Italian prog figures like Franco Battiato or Arturo Stalteri in the languorous drift of synthesizer, organ, and piano tones and the meticulous yet organic flow of its construction. Block's crystalline voice and rich piano chords at times call up the restrained chamber songs of Janet Sherbourne, but fragmented and threaded through passages of woozy pitch-bent keyboards, hypnotic distant thuds, tinkling bells, and searing distorted synth tones. On "f2754," the freedom of the roaming wolf surges through dense layers of rapid keyboard attacks and long organ tones over a propulsive drum performance straight out of Animal Magnetism-era Arnold Dreyblatt. This distinctive sound world is then reencountered in a darkened mirror image in the uneasy, metallic shimmer of the closing "Ungulates," named in reference to a heard of elk roaming through the mountains. Like Battiato's Clic or Gastr del Sol's Upgrade & Afterlife, The Mountains Pass inhabits the underexplored terrain where the beauty of song coexists with a radical formal openness, illuminating the deep musicality and warmth that have been present in Block's work all along.
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DMOO 060LP
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Complex, emotive, and straddling several genres, Sketches Of Spain is one of Miles Davis' masterpieces, a landmark of orchestrated jazz. The third of his collaborations with Gil Evans, Sketches was inspired by the classical Concierto de Aranjuez, which sparked the suite that makes up the LP. Drummers Jimmy Cobb and Elvin Jones and bassist Paul Chambers reconfigured their approaches to blend with the orchestra under Evans' command and Davis uses a muted flugelhorn for the epic opener; his solo on "Saeta" is blinding and the adapted Andalusian folk song "Solea" draws on flamenco. This absolute stunner is a must-have!
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KR 115LP
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LP version. A new piece by minimalist/experimental composer Phill Niblock (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds. In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, two proposals regarding Phill Niblock albums arrived at Karlrecords: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release, while the other email was from Anna Clementi saying she and Thomas Stern were working on new pieces that Phill Niblock has written for her. When Zound Delta 2 was complete, Phill sent photographs for the two artworks, and Karlrecords met with him twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly in January, 2024, so the album now is a posthumous release. An intense goodbye from one of 20th century's most iconic composers.
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CD
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RCD 2235CD
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After a solid run of five studio albums and two double live albums, Psychedelic Backfire I and II, (both 2019), Elephant9 had taken their groovy mix of high energy rock and power jazz as far as they could. In this respect their previous album Arrival of The New Elders (2021) came as a welcome and most timely addition to their recorded output. More varied, mature and reflective, they were as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented. Mythical River is molded much in the same way and a natural follow-up, with six stellar new compositions by keyboard maestro Ståle Storløkken, bookended by two short cosmic snippets. From the hypnotic and magical to the razor sharp and polyrhythmic, this is yet another strong group effort from a trio on top of their game. Comparisons have been made with bands dating as far back as the sixties, but with Arrival of The New Elders and Mythical River, Elephant9 appear as a thoroughly contemporary, timeless and even futuristic sounding band. Mythical River was recorded and mixed by previous Dungen producer Mattias Glavå. Ståle started his musical journey in Veslefrekk with Jarle Vespestad and Arve Henriksen in the '90s, soon morphing into Supersilent with Helge Sten on board. He´s also a member of Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns, Møster!, and Humcrush, and have collaborated with a number of artists, most notably Motorpsycho. Nikolai is also a member of Bigbang, Needlepoint, and Band of Gold, and have appeared on a couple of hundred records. The same goes for Torstein, an associate member of numerous bands ranging from pop and soul to free jazz. But Elephant9 has always been their special baby.
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2LP
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12XU 156LP
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"Volume, repetition, volume, repetition, volume and repetition, this is the sonic mantra of Austin, Texas's Water Damage. On their new double album, Water Damage continues to scorch the earth with walls of punishing sound. It's no secret that something truly special can happen to the psyche when you are being pummeled with trance inducing drones, you can transcend time, you might laugh, you might cry but hopefully you look inward, letting a calm wash over you with metric tons of distortion. Water Damage are the rare 'rock' band that follow in the lineage of artists like Faust, Tony Conrad, Steve Reich, and Pärson Sound, one that creates such heavy yet minimalistic audio treasures that not only hit you viscerally but also give space to contemplate on your place in the cosmos. Their longest offering yet, Water Damage hits you with four side-long tracks of krautpunk ending with a cover of 'Ladybird' by Shit & Shine featuring Craig Clouse on vocals. Drone until you hear god speak." --Joe Trainer, Dummy
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BB 456CD
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Faust is a group of artists who shared intense musical experiences in the years 1971 to 1974. Supported by producer Uwe Nettelbeck and sound engineer Kurt Graupner, they produced an immense array of recordings in a studio in Wumme which had been set up just for them. Two compact album productions followed, recorded at the Manor (March 1973) and Musicland Studios (May 1974). This album presents a selection of recordings from this period, documenting their creative versatility and explosive dynamism. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. A collection of un-released snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. This volume includes recordings which have been previously released on other compilations such as 71 Minutes and BBC Sessions+. When reviewing this material for this compilation some titles have been changed, e.g. "Can't Fly Away," "Children's Toy Etude", "Begluckte Schlagbohrmaschine," and "Stay Or Leave" have been released as "Party 1," "Party 8," "Party 6," and "Party 9" previously, and "Woke Up Outside The Dust Bin" was released as "Chromatic."
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BB 450CD
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Faust is a group of artists who shared intense musical experiences in the years 1971 to 1974. Supported by producer Uwe Nettelbeck and sound engineer Kurt Graupner, they produced an immense array of recordings in a studio in Wumme which had been set up just for them. Two compact album productions followed, recorded at the Manor (March 1973) and Musicland Studios (May 1974). This album presents a selection of recordings from this period, documenting their creative versatility and explosive dynamism. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. A collection of un-released snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. This volume includes recordings which have been previously released on other compilations such as 71 Minutes and BBC Sessions+. When reviewing this material for this compilation, some titles have been changed, e.g. "Ma Trompette (Alternative Version)" has been released as "Party 10" previously, "Zwolf Meter unter der Oberflache" has been "(360)" and "Geister, die wir riefen" was "The Lurcher."
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12"
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RMVL 022EP
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Limited orange vinyl. King Tee aligns producer DJ Pooh on this Bass EP consisting of tracks recorded in 1987. They're joined by The Compton Posse that includes the late Mixmaster Spade and J-Ro from Tha Alkaholiks. This EP sharpens the skillful wordplay King Tee made famous on his debut album Act A Fool. From song to song, this EP has a superior sheen, a tightness and cohesiveness between rhyme and music.
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DMOO 065LP
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Removing the obligatory piano from his group for Tomorrow Is The Question! gave an inkling of Ornette Coleman's need to break free from traditional jazz strictures. Though not nearly as wild as what was to follow, on Tomorrow Coleman and trumpeter Don Cherry make use of every opportunity to bust loose musically, as heard on "Giggin" and "Rejoicing," even as the rhythm section strives to keeps things anchored and grounded. There's a touch of blues bordering on funk on "Tears Inside" too, and "Endless" switches timeframes repeatedly. This is Ornette on the brink of major change -- an engaging, instructive listen with unexpected twists.
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WWSLP 073LP
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LP version. Wewantsounds continues its Akiko Yano reissue series with the release of the singer's third studio album To Ki Me Ki, recorded in New York and released in 1978 in Japan. It follows her cult Iroha Ni Konpeitou LP and keeps the similar blend of Japanese pop and New York funk found in the latter. To Ki Me Ki features such musicians as Rick Marotta, Will Lee, and David Spinozza, and also programmer Hideki Matsutake who would soon join the YMO with Akiko. To Ki Me Ki is reissued outside of Japan for the first time, remastered in Tokyo by revered engineer Mitsuo Koike and featuring original artwork by Tsutomu Murakami with four-page color insert and new liner notes by Paul Bowler.
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RANDB 135LP
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The Who's 1973 US tour saw the band focusing on their just-released Quadrophenia LP. The seven Quadrophenia songs presented here have a harder edge and a raw power missing from their studio counterparts. Recording quality is excellent throughout, the record comes with full recording details and extensive sleeve notes. Recorded live at The Spectrum, Philadelphia in 1973 and broadcast on The King Biscuit Flower Hour US FM. LP comes with extensive sleeve notes.
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LP
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MIND 865LP
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The show at Tavastia, in Helsinki, Finland, recorded on June 18th 1993, Townes Van Zandt's first visit to the country. Stripped back, it features just the voice and guitar of TVZ, a voice that whilst still full of conviction, appears somewhat more fragile than on the previous recordings. Described by Billboard magazine as "largely-obscure-if-legendary," Townes Van Zandt was a remarkable singer/songwriter, and this release is worthy of consideration, shining, as it does, more bright rays of light on a much-missed songsmith.
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LP
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BB 440LP
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LP version. "Martin Rev's eponymous debut solo record was released in 1980, not long after the second Suicide LP appeared. It is one of the most seminal albums to have emerged in the early years of electronic music?. The tension between his hypnotic drum machine salvoes and Alan Vega's irrepressibly expressive voice on stage or in the studio created an electrifying mix, and yet these six supremely minimal compositions were no less impactful without Vega's voice. There is an enchanting simplicity to the beautiful bubblegum melodies of the opening pieces 'Mari' and 'Baby Oh Baby' (the only track with a Rev vocal, everything else is instrumental). Like a clandestine heart, embedded in dissonant textures and infinite rhythm loops, echoing the doo-wop and rock and roll songs at the tempestuous epicenter of New York, the place which had such a profound influence on the youthful Martin Rev, there is also an incongruousness to Rev's own music, etched into the DNA he shares with the city?. Above all, there's a sense that Suicide's records and the solo works of Martin Rev could not be any more different to those of their European contemporaries such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre. If this is music as dystopian psychedelia, it glows nevertheless with substantial warmth. Sounds grab you instantaneously and, by virtue of endless repetition, never let you go. Rev's 1980 debut thus offers us something of great value: an insight into the beginnings of an impressive solo career which would play such an important role in the development of successive generations of artists. It is as enthralling today as it was when it first appeared." --Daniel Jahn, July 2023
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DC 128LP
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Repressed; 2024 vinyl reissue. Blue color vinyl. "Returned from early '90s Japan are the holy sounds of Ghost. Their collective, clearly inspired by various forms of transcendental music throughout history, created a new syncretic psychedelia with these albums, mixing the texture and vibe of multinational forms of traditional music, with strummed antique stringed instruments and the haunting wail of a recorder on top of their heavy beats and guitars. The considerable depth of this approach was explored through 2014 over another five Ghost LPs, as well as the further explorations to the present day of leader Masaki Batoh, as a solo artist and with The Silence, Damon & Naomi, Helena Espvall, and most recently, nehan. The first three Ghost titles (Ghost, Second Time Around, and Temple Stone) were originally released by P.S.F. on CD in 1990, 1992 and 1994, respectively, radiating enigma and energy in palpable waves with their original sound. After the acclaim that greeted Drag City's 1996 US release of Lama Rabi Rabi, the label quickly reissued all three on vinyl -- and they quickly went out of print! At which point, Ghost had Snuffbox Immanence and Free Tibet ready to go. And then, Hypnotic Underworld. And then, and then... Now, it's been 25 years since they were last offered on vinyl. In the twenty-year sweep of Ghost history, these first three releases qualify as primitive early Ghost -- sort of like a German Os Mutantes (or perhaps a Brazilian Amon Düül). The subterranean presence of a diversity of progressive/avant classic rock influences (Pink Floyd, Incredible String Band, Captain Beefheart, Scott Walker, Led Zeppelin, Popol Vuh, Third Ear Band, to name but a few) provokes further synthesis, making for an entirely new meditation on the traditional order of psychedelic music. The first two studio albums, each one an iteration of Ghost's unique lysergic folk music, were followed by the monolithic 'live in various places' happening of Temple Stone, which raised the trippiness levels considerably."
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DC 129LP
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Repressed; 2024 vinyl reissue. Green color vinyl. "Returned from early '90s Japan are the holy sounds of Ghost. Their collective, clearly inspired by various forms of transcendental music throughout history, created a new syncretic psychedelia with these albums, mixing the texture and vibe of multinational forms of traditional music, with strummed antique stringed instruments and the haunting wail of a recorder on top of their heavy beats and guitars. The considerable depth of this approach was explored through 2014 over another five Ghost LPs, as well as the further explorations to the present day of leader Masaki Batoh, as a solo artist and with The Silence, Damon & Naomi, Helena Espvall, and most recently, nehan. The first three Ghost titles (Ghost, Second Time Around, and Temple Stone) were originally released by P.S.F. on CD in 1990, 1992 and 1994, respectively, radiating enigma and energy in palpable waves with their original sound. After the acclaim that greeted Drag City's 1996 US release of Lama Rabi Rabi, the label quickly reissued all three on vinyl -- and they quickly went out of print! At which point, Ghost had Snuffbox Immanence and Free Tibet ready to go. And then, Hypnotic Underworld. And then, and then... Now, it's been 25 years since they were last offered on vinyl. In the twenty-year sweep of Ghost history, these first three releases qualify as primitive early Ghost -- sort of like a German Os Mutantes (or perhaps a Brazilian Amon Düül). The subterranean presence of a diversity of progressive/avant classic rock influences (Pink Floyd, Incredible String Band, Captain Beefheart, Scott Walker, Led Zeppelin, Popol Vuh, Third Ear Band, to name but a few) provokes further synthesis, making for an entirely new meditation on the traditional order of psychedelic music. The first two studio albums, each one an iteration of Ghost's unique lysergic folk music, were followed by the monolithic 'live in various places' happening of Temple Stone, which raised the trippiness levels considerably."
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ELE 034CD
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Long-awaited compilation of hard-rocking, psychedelic songs from Indonesia's premiere rock outfit Panbers (Pandjaitan Bersaudara) culled from their most fertile years with Mesra Dimita Records. For those uninitiated on the glory Panbers, consider this compilation an introduction to some of earliest and heaviest rock sound to come out of Indonesia.
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WWSLP 083LP
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LP version. Wewantsounds continues its extensive Meiko Kaji reissue program in partnership with Teichiku Records and Meiko Kaji herself, with the release of Gincho Wataridori, her debut album from 1972. This is the first time the album is reissued since release and it comes with its original Japanese artwork and newly remastered audio. Famous for her '70s exploitation movies, Meiko Kaji also released a string of great albums on Teichiku mixing Japanese pop and cinematic grooves. This reissue comes with deluxe gatefold sleeve LP, OBI strip and a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha. Renowned for her roles in the highly acclaimed Stray Cat Rock and Female Prisoner Scorpion film series, Kaji became one of the most famous exploitation actresses in Japan in the early '70s. Invited by film studios to sing the theme for many of her films, she ended up recording five albums for Teichiku between 1972 and 1974, which have become increasingly sought-after over the years. Gincho Wataridori was the very first album released by Meiko Kaji in 1972 and is a great mix of kayokyoku (Japanese Pop), traditional Enka Music, psych rock and '70s cinematic groove. The album features the song "Gincho Wataridori" a theme song for the eponymous gangster film released by Toei Films in 1972 (and known outside of Japan as "Wandering Ginza Butterfly"). On the cover of the album, Meiko actually wears the kimono she wears in the film. The song showcases Kaji's distinctive singing over a funky backbeat and fuzz guitar. Ginchou Wataridori was produced by two seasoned Teichiku producers, Yorifumi Ito and Kenji Nakajima and features a superb mix of pop songs ("Hakodate Monogatari"), funky ones ("Koini Inochio," "Shitto") and atmospheric ones ("Jingi Komoriuta") making the perfect setting for Meiko Kaji's unique singing, reflecting the cool, dangerous atmosphere of the films she would star in. The first of a series of five LPs produced for Teichiku between 1972 and 1974, Gincho Wataridori marks the beginning of Meiko Kaji's fruitful career as a recording artist and is a unique testament of her singing talent which Wewantsounds reissues in its full glory with gatefold sleeve, remastered from the original master tapes.
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2LP
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UNROCK 026LP
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Saginaw Racket, the new double album by Sir Richard Bishop, features the first new recordings from the former Sun City Girls guitarist in over five years. It is a singular work for electric guitar in four parts with each part being a full side. Each of the four parts were recorded in one take and they are presented in the order they were originally recorded. But this is also a circular work with no fixed beginning or end. One can start the record with any of the four sides, with the remaining sides then played in order. Known for his interpretations of Spanish, North African, Middle and Far Eastern guitar and string compositions, Richard Bishop never remains long in any one musical territory. There are no Eastern or exotic touches here. It is more reminiscent of early '70s underground rock (unrock). The entire work is improvised, with recurring motifs and melodies. It is similar in approach to Neil Young's Dead Man Soundtrack, but Saginaw Racket is louder, more energetic and more complex, while retaining its cinematic quality. The tone of the guitar is the voice of the record. It is noisy at times but it is not "noise." It definitely is a racket, though, and it unleashes all the pent-up energy of the last few years, during much of which, SRB never even picked up a guitar. So in a sense Richard Bishop is returning to his roots in the form of a spontaneous soundtrack to old Saginaw where he grew up and first learned to play the guitar -- a Saginaw that certainly doesn't exist anymore. Saginaw Racket is limited to 400 copies pressed on 140g black vinyl.
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LP
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VL 900051LP
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2024 repress. Although Warhol, who was listed as producer on the album, allegedly gave the Velvets free reign over their sound, it was on his insistence that Nico performed on this album. However, this does not detract from the fact that when this album was made the Red Sea parted, and the Velvet Underground crossed into the Promised Land. Deluxe gatefold jacket with peeling banana and "Chelsea Girls" bonus track on B5
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CD
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BT 115CD
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Following on from 2023's acclaimed Vrindavan 1982 by rudra veena master Z.M. Dagar, Black Truffle present a pair of archival releases from the Dagar Brothers, among the most revered 20th century exponents of the ancient North Indian dhrupad tradition. The vocal duo of Moinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar (sometimes referred to as the "senior" Dagar Brothers to distinguish them from their younger siblings, Zahiruddin and Faiyazuddin Dagar), belonged to the nineteenth generation of a family of musicians in which dhrupad tradition has been kept alive through patrilinear transmission, each generation undergoing a rigorous education of many years' duration that can include singing up to twelve hours each day. Famed for the meditative purity of their approach to dhrupad, the Dagar Brothers helped to keep the tradition alive in the years after Indian independence in 1947, when the royal courts that had traditionally patronized dhrupad musicians were abolished. Many Western listeners were first introduced to dhrupad by the Dagar Brothers's tour of Europe in 1964-65 and their LP in UNESCO's Musical Anthology of the Orient collection, both organized by pioneering musicologist and scholar of Indian culture, Alain Daniélou. Documents from this tour are especially precious, as Moinuddin Dagar passed away in 1966. Unheard until now, Berlin 1964 - Live (released alongside BT 114LP) documents a concert held at the Charlottenburg Palace in September 1964. Accompanied only by Moinuddin's wife Saiyur on tanpura and Raja Chatrapati Singh on pakhawaj (a large double-headed drum), the brothers present stunning performances of two ragas stretching out over 65 minutes, exemplifying what a journalist at the time called the "pristine severity" of their style. Much of each piece is taken up by the alap, the highly improvised exposition section where the notes of the raga are gradually introduced as the singing builds in intensity. As Francesca Cassio points out in her extensive liner notes, both performances are somewhat unorthodox in beginning with the raga scale being sung in its entirety, ascending and descending. Both ragas settle into alaps of breathtaking beauty, with the two brothers trading long solo passages that move gradually from extended held notes at the bottom of the scale to animated melodic variations as it ascends in pitch. Within the atmosphere of meditative attention, the range of melodic, rhythmic, and timbral invention is remarkable. Especially on the opening "Rāga Miyān kī Todī", the final moments of the alap find the voices at a peak of intensity, their microtonal ornamentation taking on an ecstatic, warbling quality. Only once the wordless, free-floating alap is over and the composition proper begins to the brothers sing in unison, joined by the pakhawaj for a rhythmic section that in both ragas develops gradually into a propulsive display of melodic invention and metrical nuance. Accompanied by detailed liner notes and striking archival images, Berlin 1964 - Live is a rare document of these masterful exponents of one of the world's most profound musical traditions.
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BB 039LP
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2024 restock; LP version. The fourth full-length album by legendary German electronic music duo Cluster, originally released on Sky Records in 1976. Sowiesoso follows on from their most highly-acclaimed album, Zuckerzeit (1974). Michael Rother's influence was clearly audible on the latter, Cluster already having recorded two albums with him under the name of Harmonia. 1976 saw the duo looking for new musical forms. More than any other Cluster album, Sowiesoso represents the utopian vision of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius, its mellow transparency evoking the landscape of the Weser Uplands where the two musicians lived at the time. Sowiesoso is not the work of fanatic dreamers who have fled the metropolis, but the reward for their tenacious search for a new musical language. The LP's seven cuts were recorded in their own studio with modest equipment -- a four-track tape machine, two Revox A77 stereo tape-decks and a simple 8-channel mixer. Cluster were thus completely independent, able to work where and when they wanted, at their own pace. With no guest musicians, sound engineers or producers to accommodate, Cluster thrived on their new-found autonomous freedom. Sowiesoso captures them at the peak of their creative development, with the limited range of recording equipment enhancing the clarity of their vision, allowing them to concentrate on the music without drifting into narcissistic muso territory. Minimalist, yet neither formulaic nor automated, the album is a rhythmic tapestry of otherworldly electronic and acoustic elements -- relaxed, organic and gentle ambience. This could only be Cluster music; its harmonies reaffirm the quality of song, in spite of eluding song structure as such.
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