|
Recent Best Sellers
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
WRWTFWW 030LP
|
LP version. 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish. Liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond. WRWTFWW Records announce the reissue of Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2). Initially released in 1982 as part of the Wave Notation series (which includes Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards), Still Way is, without a doubt, a seminal Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalism album, often mentioned alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass (1983) (WRWTFWW 018LP, WRWTFWW 019CD/LP) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green (1986) as one of the genre's most important pieces. "Like the moment of stillness, after the wind passes through the garden, when the rain stops for a brief second..." Notably inspired by Erik Satie's Furniture Music and Brian Eno's ambient work, Satoshi Ashikawa aimed to compose music "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object -- not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment." The result is simply phenomenal, subtle minimalism and emotional elegance exquisitely orchestrated by Satoshi Ishikawa and his team consisting of his wife Masami Ashikawa (on flute), Midori Takada (on vibraphone), Yuko Utsumi (on harp), Tomoko Sono (on piano), and Junko Arase (on vibraphone). In conjunction with Still Way, WRWTFWW Records is releasing Laistigh den Ghleo (WRWTFWW 039CD/LP), a companion album by Irish ambient/minimalist composer Gareth Quinn Redmond, inspired by Ashikawa's approach. Liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
FKR 101LP
|
After years of mythology, misinterpretation, and procrastination Nurse With Wound's Steven Stapleton finally chooses Finders Keepers as the ideal collaborators to release "the right tracks" from his über-legendary psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List, commencing with a French specific Volume One of this authentically titled Strain Crack Break series. Featuring some Finders Keepers' regulars amongst galactic Gallic rarities, this double-vinyl dossier demystifies some of the essential French free jazz and Parisian prog inclusions from the alphabetical "dedication" inventory as printed the anti-bands 1979 industrial milestone debut. When Steven Stapleton, Heman Pathak, and John Fothergill's anti-band Nurse With Wound decided to include an alphabetical dedication to all their favorite bands on the back of their inaugural LP the notion of creating a future record dealers' trophy list couldn't have been further from their minds. By adding a list of untraveled European mythical musicians and noise makers to their own debut release of unchartered industrial art rock they were merely providing a suggestive support system of existing potential like-minded bands. Many of the rare, obscure and unpronounceable genre-free records on The Nurse With Wound List have slowly found their own feet and stumbled in to the homes of open-minded outer-national vinyl junkies, mostly without consultation of the enigmatic NWW map. Via vinyl vacations, on cheap flights and interrail tickets, buying bargain bin LPs on a shoestring while oblivious to the pending pension worthy price tags after their 40-year vintage, Stapleton and Fothergill, even if you've never heard of them, were at the bottom of the pit before "digging" became pay dirt. The List has been mythologized, misunderstood, and misconstrued. It's also been overlooked, overestimated, and under-appreciated in equal measures. Bolstered by the sub-title "Categories strain, crack and sometimes break, under their burden," all bands on the inventory (many chosen on the strength of just one track alone) were chosen for their genre-defying qualities. Forty years after Nurse With Wound's first record, Finders Keepers, in close collaboration with Steve Stapleton remind fans of this kind of "lost" music, that there once existed a feint path which was worn away decades before major label pop property developers built over this psychedelic underground. A collaborative attempt to officially, authentically, and legally compile the best tracks from the list, succeeding where many overzealous nerds have deferred. The first volume of the series focuses exclusively on individual tracks of French origin, the country that unsurprisingly hosted the highest content of bands on the list. Comprising of musique concrète, free jazz, Rock In Opposition, Zeuhl School space rock, macabre ballet music, lo-fi sci-fi, and classic horror literature inspired prog.
Features Jacques Thollot, Philippe Besombes, Igor Wakhévitch, Mahjun, Lard Free, Etron Fou Leloublan, Jean Cohen-Solal, Z. N. R., Red Noise, Pierre Henry, Horrific Child, Dashiell Hedayat, and Jean Guérin.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ROKURE 004LP
|
Otoroku present the first vinyl reissue of Louis Moholo Octet's Spirits Rejoice!, originally released in 1978 on Ogun Recordings. One of the most legendary free jazz records ever produced, Spirits Rejoice! is a high achievement in the movement of the era as it soars beyond oppression with a raucous and spiritually uplifting surge of movement and melody. Featuring Harry Miller, Johnny Dyani, Keith Tippett, Evan Parker, Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti, and Kenny Wheeler, this is former Blue Note artist Louis Moholo's first album under his own name and is a classic example of the cross-pollination between South African and British players. Mongezi Feza's 'You Ain't Gonna Know Me 'Cos You Think You Know Me" alone is enough to make your life a better place. Made with permission and in association with Ogun Recordings. Features an exact reproduction of the original artwork and liner notes, along with new liner notes from Matthew Wright. Remastered by Giuseppe IIelasi. High gloss sleeve; edition of 1000.
From Matthew Wright's new liner notes: "The South African melodies, now so familiar, were wholeheartedly taken on board by the individual musicians, their unity of purpose mirroring the belief in the strength of the collective. Stunning solos, often close to the edge, feature throughout -- Evan Parker and Keith Tippett on 'Shine Wherever You Are'; the contrasting trombone styles of Nick Evans and Radu Malfatti on 'You Ain't Gonna Know Me...'; the octet sounding like a full big band; and behind them, the relentlessly rhythmic urgency of the piano, bass and drums. Add to this Kenny Wheeler's moving and all-encompassing trumpet on the elegiac 'Amaxesha Osizi' and the joyous flamboyancy of 'Wedding Hymn' with Parker's relatively straight-ahead tenor and Tippett's dextrous piano solo over a bed of riffing horns, (fast) walking bass lines and a supreme sense of swing. Louis' early hero, Big Sid Catlett, would have loved it!"
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP+CD
|
|
AUK 133LP
|
LP version. 180 gram, ruby vinyl. Includes CD. The debut album release from L'Epee, the band of Emmanuelle Seigner (Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle), Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre), Lionel and Marie Liminana (The Limiñanas). It is very rarely that a musical project lives up to the billing of being a "supergroup". However, the exception to this rule comes in the shape of L'Epee. A stellar combination of the talents of The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe, cinematic femme fatale Emmanuelle Seigner and ice-cool pop provocateurs The Limiñanas, L'Epee transcend artistic and traditional borders. Far from being defeated by a world seemingly regressing into turmoil, L'Epee's strength comes from a long history of challenging the status quo -- they all share a fierce intelligence and an outsider aesthetic which, over the decades, has been sharpened to a razor's edge. Fitting, then, that their name translates as "The Sword". This pent-up creative energy has been channeled into their extraordinary debut album, Diabolique. Named in tribute to Mario Bava's 1968 cult classic Danger: Diabolik, it's a musical masterclass where elements of garage, ye-ye, sleaze rock, cult soundtracks, sci-fi, spaghetti westerns, and girl-group pop noir are combined with the cut-and-thrust zeal of a band bursting with ideas and energy. All delivered by Emmanuelle in a sultry Gallic drawl which will send a frisson of recognition through anyone familiar with her iconic roles in, among many others, Frantic (1988), Venus In Fur (2013), and Bitter Moon (1992) (all directed by her husband, Roman Polanski). "I've loved rock music since I was a kid," she says, namechecking Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, and The Stooges as key influences. Having asked close friend Bertrand Belin to provide lyrics for three further tracks ("Grande", "On Dansait Avec Elle", and "Lou"), the trio set to work at The Limiñanas' studio in Cabestany, Southern France, in November 2017. Satisfied with the results, the trio flew to Berlin to hook up with Anton and Andrea Wright at his Cobra Studio in Berlin. Utilizing a treasure trove of vintage equipment, Anton set to work, re-recording the drums with Marie and adding -- and deleting -- tracks so that the shifting layers of sound suited the mood of each individual track.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
CD
|
|
WRWTFWW 030CD
|
WRWTFWW Records announce the reissue of Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2). Initially released in 1982 as part of the Wave Notation series (which includes Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards), Still Way is, without a doubt, a seminal Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalism album, often mentioned alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass (1983) (WRWTFWW 018LP, WRWTFWW 019CD/LP) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green (1986) as one of the genre's most important pieces. "Like the moment of stillness, after the wind passes through the garden, when the rain stops for a brief second..." Notably inspired by Erik Satie's Furniture Music and Brian Eno's ambient work, Satoshi Ashikawa aimed to compose music "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object -- not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment." The result is simply phenomenal, subtle minimalism and emotional elegance exquisitely orchestrated by Satoshi Ishikawa and his team consisting of his wife Masami Ashikawa (on flute), Midori Takada (on vibraphone), Yuko Utsumi (on harp), Tomoko Sono (on piano), and Junko Arase (on vibraphone). In conjunction with Still Way, WRWTFWW Records is releasing Laistigh den Ghleo (WRWTFWW 039CD/LP), a companion album by Irish ambient/minimalist composer Gareth Quinn Redmond, inspired by Ashikawa's approach. Liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond. CD version includes a bonus track.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
MFM 041LP
|
Repressed! Outro Tempo II: Electronic and Contemporary Music from Brazil, 1984-1996 is the second instalment of Music From Memory's Brazilian series. This volume picks up where the first Outro Tempo (MFM 016CD/LP, 2017) left off, shedding light on a new wave of experimentalism that emerged in Brazil in the late 1980s and 1990s. The twenty tracks collected uncover another area of Brazilian music that looked to the future for inspiration. This time it drifts beyond the rainforest and into the pulsating heart of Brazil's great cities, where it meets a generation of young artists eager to radically change the face of contemporary Brazilian music. In Outro Tempo II, the avant-garde and pop worlds meld in a haze of percussion and electronics. It presents another uncompromising and magnetic reinterpretation of the limits of Brazilian music. Outro Tempo II is compiled again by John Gómez and features original artwork by Alice Quaresma. Features May East, Dequinha E Zaba, Oharaska, Fausto Fawcett, R. H. Jackson, Edson Natale, Akira S, Low Key Hackers, Chance, Jorge Degas & Marcelo Salazar, Priscilla Ermel, Voluntários Da Pátria, Angel's Breath, Tetê Espíndola, Nelson Angelo, Jorge Mello, Júlio Pimentel, and Tião Neto.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
3LP
|
|
MORR 058RE-LP
|
Triple LP version. Gatefold sleeve. Morr Music present a 20th Anniversary Edition of múm's Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK. In 1999, on December 23rd to be precise, the electronic music landscape changed forever. On that day, the now legendary Icelandic band múm released their debut album Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK. The thing is though, back in the day, hardly anybody realized. It was Christmas after all, people were busy with potentially more important things and didn't pay attention to some kids selling records on Reykjavík's high street. Thankfully, those ten tracks weren't overlooked for long. On the contrary: the album went on to become one of the most influential building blocks of what back then was called electronica and today is considered an art form playing a crucial and important role in shaping and defining the rich electronic music culture of the 21st century. Now, 20 years after the record dropped onto planet Earth, Morr Music is re-issuing the remastered album with its original artwork, adding newly commissioned re-works: a note-for-note representation of "Smell Memory" by Kronos Quartet (with additional drums by múm's Samuli Kosminen), a gentle reinterpretation of "Random Summer" by acclaimed pianist and composer Hauschka and an otherworldly new version of "Ballad Of The Broken String" recorded by label mate Sóley. In 1999, electronic music was in full bloom. Yet the concept of using electronic sounds in acoustic-based productions (or vice versa) was still in its infancy. Many producers were trying, most of them failed. The results felt often forced, fabricated, unimaginative, random, and forgettable. New ideas require new mindsets after all. With Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK, múm established a new approach in music production. Instead of setting a fixed agenda and working with a distinct hierarchy for their sonic palette, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, Gunnar Örn Tynes, and Örvar Smárason let each instrument and sound source be true to itself, creating an ever-evolving universe of sonic bliss. Combining drill-and-bass-inspired beat-chopping, future-informed DSP-programming, ethereal vocal work, indie rock's boominess, folk music's soulful brittleness, and a lofty feeling for melody and arrangement, the album is a rare example of musical transcendence and remains impossible to categorize. Many of the ideas formulated and recorded for the album quickly became an integral part of the canonical self-conception musicians around the world were and still are aspiring to. Includes four remixes produced in the early 2000s by Ruxpin, Bix, µ-Ziq, and Biogen.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
CTI CTV2019LP
|
LP version. Triumvirate = the combined power of a group of three in creative collaboration. Carter Tutti Void (Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Nik Void) have announced their third and final studio album. Containing all new studio recordings, Triumvirate brings Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Nik Void's collaborative partnership as Carter Tutti Void to a conclusion. The trio first came together as a collective for a live performance, invited by Mute for the Short Circuit Festival in 2011 and released their acclaimed debut, the live album Transverse the following year. Carter Tutti Void went on to release f(x) (IRCTV 001CD/LP, 2015), their first studio recording and performed a handful of selected shows, culminating in their final live performance in Hull, part of a series of events for Hull City of Culture 2017 centered around the COUM Transmissions retrospective at Humber Street Gallery. For some time Carter, Tutti, and Void have been awaiting an opportunity when all three artists were able to gather at Carter and Tutti's Studio47 in Norfolk, where the album was recorded, produced, and mastered. Triumvirate was approached with the improvisational spirit of previous Carter Tutti Void albums. The rhythms, created by Chris Carter, formed the foundation and starting point from which the process began of melding the live instrumentation of Cosey Fanni Tutti and Nik Void's searing guitars, vocals, effects and the arsenal of sounds each had amassed from a variety of sources, some sounds manipulated to extremes, all fed into the mix. Tying the album together is the power of three, and a free open approach to sound shared by the trio.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ACOLOUR 013LP
|
If Wishes Were Horses, Blueboy's first and now legendary album is finally reissued by Australian label A Colourful Storm. Presented for the first time on vinyl since its release in 1992, the recording by Keith Girdler, Gemma Townley, Paul Stewart, Lloyd Armstrong, and Mark Andes is immortalized in Sarah Records' history as an evergreen of indie-pop and modern DIY. "...the sort of feelings that rarely escape from the Sarah daydream factory" wrote NME at the time. This long-overdue reissue is presented with the original artwork faithfully restored by Sarah Records' own Matt Haynes. Full-color reverse-card sleeve with printed insert and lyrics sheet.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ESPDISK 1014LP
|
2019 repress. 180-gram black vinyl. The astonishing sessions that went light years beyond "free jazz" improvisation to create a music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gesture made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony are now reissued on 180 gram vinyl with Sun Ra's original, self-created cover art. Recorded by Richard Alderson on April 20, 1965, this set of tunes finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. Remastered..
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
BT 050LP
|
Double LP version. Full title: In the past only geniuses were capable of staging the perfect crime (also known as a revolution) Today anybody can accomplish their aims with the push of the button. For its 50th release, Black Truffle presents the ninth album from one of the label's core ensembles, the power trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi. Drawn from a November 2015 performance at Tokyo's now-defunct SuperDeluxe, the record's opening piece drops us immediately into the maelstrom, abruptly cutting into an extended episode of Ambarchi's pummeling drums, O'Rourke's fuzzed-out six-string bass, and Haino's roaring guitar and electronics. Eventually settling into a hypnotic bass and drum groove over which Haino unleashes some almost Ray Russell-eque skittering atonal screech, these opening 13 minutes act as a potent reminder of the trio's power. Alongside showcasing the steady development of a unique language for the guitar-bass-drums power trio, the group's succession of releases over the last decade has demonstrated a constant experimentation with new instruments, which continues here with O'Rourke use of Hammond organ (played at the same time as his roaming, sometimes knotty basslines). On the album's second piece, the organ plays a key role, furnishing a harmonically rich shimmer over O'Rourke's angular six-string bass chords, Haino's distant, chirping electronics and Ambarchi's crisp cymbal work; arriving somewhere halfway between Albert Marcoeur and Terje Rypdal, this piece is undoubtedly a highlight in the trio's catalog so far. The second and third sides are slow-burning, multi-part epics that range from spacious reflection to furious tumult. Where the trio's previous double-LP set -- This Dazzling, Genuine "Difference" Now Where Shall It Go? (BT 030LP, 2017) -- was primarily instrumental in focus, here you find Haino's voice taking the spotlight on the expansive third side, intoning, wailing. and exhorting in Japanese and English over a backdrop that moves from hushed bass and organ atmospherics to rolling toms and cymbal crashes before arriving at an ecstatic finale of searing guitar, tumbling drums and reverb-saturated bass. The fourth side returns to the hypnotic grooves of the opening piece, fixing on a relentless riff and riding it into oblivion under Haino's roaming psychedelic soloing and jagged chordal slashes. Cover image by Traianos Pakioufakis; Live action pics by Ujin Matsuo. Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering. LP design by Lasse Marhaug; gatefold sleeve.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ESPDISK 1017LP
|
2019 repress. 180-gram black vinyl. Volume two of Sun Ra's classic Heliocentric recordings from the 1960s. The astonishing sessions that went light years beyond "free jazz" improvisation to create a music of deeply-felt, explosive and gentle gesture made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony are now reissued on 180 gram vinyl with Sun Ra's original, self-created cover art. Recorded by Richard Alderson on April 20, 1965, this set of tunes finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. More explorations of outer space by the spokesman for the space age. Manufactured in the U.S. by the original label. Digitally re-mastered.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP/10"/CD
|
|
BEC 5543732
|
Limited 2019 edition of Clandestino, remastered for the first time. Includes two 180 gram, 12" black Vinyl and a blue 10" (in a dedicated printed inner sleeve) with three new songs: "Bloody Bloody Border", "Roadies Rules", and "Clandestino" featuring Calypso Rose (2019 version). Includes the remastered CD (tracklisting in the same order). Gatefold packaging. Vinyl mastering and lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studio.
"The first solo album released by the former frontman of Mano Negra, Clandestino is an enchanting trip through Latin-flavored worldbeat rock, reliant on a potpourri of musical styles from traditional Latin and salsa to dub to rock 'n' roll to French pop to experimental rock to techno... Just about every track has odd sampled bits from what sound like pirate radio-station broadcasts (a possible link to the title). There are so many great ideas on this record that it's difficult to digest in one listen, but multiple plays reveal the great depth of Manu Chao's artistry." --All Music Guide
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
WRWTFWW 039LP
|
LP version. 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish; WRWTFWW Records announce the release of Irish ambient/minimalist producer Gareth Quinn Redmond's Laistigh den Ghleo, a companion album to Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2) (WRWTFWW 030CD/LP). "Conceptually derived from the work of Japanese minimalist composer Satoshi Ashikawa, I have composed an album which hopes to engage, enrich and reflect the listener's surroundings, an Environmental Music" --Gareth Quinn Redmond. Working with Still Way as a base for inspiration, Gareth Quinn Redmond takes Ashikawa's meditative sound designs to more dramatic and lyrical landscapes, gracefully instilling his personal touch into the master's melodic patterns and presenting six pieces which blend and reflect the modern listener's ever-changing environment. As Midori Takada explains in the liner notes, "Even though Gareth is deeply influenced by Still Way, he looks above, toward the air and the sky. He pays respect to Ashikawa's approach, but adds bold elements from another dimension -- Satoshi Ashikawa aspired to crystallize the sound structure of nature that exists in the environment. Gareth tries to capture what flourishes out of it." Laistigh den Ghleo is released in conjunction with Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2) reissue on WRWTFWW Records. Liner Notes by Midori Takada and Gareth Quinn Redmond. LP version comes in 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
BLUME 016LP
|
Blume present the first ever reissue of Winfried Mühlum-Pyrápheros's Musica Nova Contemplativa, originally released in 1970. This stunning artifact of its era has, until now, remained among the rarest artifacts in the field of cross-disciplinary efforts known as the Artist Record: sonic adventures embarked on by artists primarily dedicated to the visual realm. Creatively challenging, ahead of its time, and unquestionably beautiful, its rare musicality sets the stage for alternate understandings of what minimalism was and came from, during its early years. Droning and tense, subtle melodic elements underpin sheets of tone and atonality, sculpting an incongruous sense of spatial ambience; the concept of Musica Nova Contemplativa drew on a unique, unfixed compositional system created by combining traditional musical notation with mobile and variable elements, expressed graphically as a system of coordinates which leave variation, interpretation, and improvisation up to the performer. Captured as eleven distinct movements, the work, in hindsight, can now be understood as a lost, freestanding work of musical minimalism, echoing idiomatic roots in Fluxus and the raw temperaments of artists like Tony Conrad and Henry Flynt, threaded with touchstones in the work of Eliane Radigue, Giacinto Scelsi, and Jani Christou. Born in Germany during 1941 and educated in philosophy and psychology, over the last half century the bulk of Winfried Mühlum-Pyrápheros's artistic output has been largely oriented around painting, sculpture, and installation, each focused on the experiences of phenomena, environment, and light. Musica Nova Contemplativa was composed in 1964 as a graphic score, then it was interpreted and recorded by Mühlum-Pyrápheros on violin and Johann Georg Ickler on organ three years later in a Franciscan church in Bensheim as is a logical extension of the artists broader concerns: seeking further territories of inclusive and expansive environments of experience. Intended as acoustic extensions of his paintings, the collective contents of the album are a metaphysical and esoteric rising in sound. Out-of-print for almost 50 years, this edition represents its first ever reissue in any form, complete with an interview between Winfried Mühlum-Pyrápheros and Stefan Bremer conducted for the occasion of this reissue, and newly commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey. Includes printed inner sleeve and an original insert that functions as obi; Edition of 300.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
HOS 641LP
|
The best Vatican Shadow release, bar none, finally lands on vinyl for the first time as part of a long overdue remaster/reissue series for the project's earliest, fêted releases Originally slunk out on tape in 2011, Pakistan Military Academy sees Dominick Fernow (Prurient, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement) calibrate his night-vision goggles to scan the most potent, affective visions of dark ambient and militaristic techno in his war chest. At the time of release, only months after the capture of Osama Bin Laden by US Army SEAL "Night Stalkers", the project really came into its own as a form of impressionistic reportage, daring to grasp the nettle of contemporary US geopolitics in a way that, as music and art history will only make starker, everyone else broadly avoided at the time. In place of literal lyrics, a mix of quotes from newspapers and official government communiques, together with evocative photo documentation, supply the song titles and narrative/aesthetic framework for what are essentially abstracted emotions related to American military and foreign policy. Depending on how much you read or buy into it, for us at least the music rarely fails to evoke the shadowy unease and precarity of that era, as the sound betrayed an underlying mood contrary to the positivity of Obama-era politics, and that also spoke to the realignment of borders between musicks and socio-economics. The A side is worth the cost of entry alone for "Whitewashed Compound Stealth Helicopter Crash", a spine-freezing tract of arcing synth pads leading to one of this decade's most memorable codas, but when we factor in the scudding techno-stepper "Staccato Bursts of Gunfire", plus the haunting late period Muslimgauze styles of "CIA Contractor Freed Over Pakistan Killings", and the deep systolic thrum of "Prime Minister Defiant As Pakistan Outs CIA Agent", this plate becomes an absolute essential for any and all connoisseurs of modern industrial and dark ambient music. RIYL: Muslimgauze, Prurient, Alberich, Raime. Remastered at Dubplates & Mastering.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
3CD
|
|
DPROMBX 666CD
|
Originally recorded and released in 1988, Nurse With Wound's ambient opus was years ahead of its time, a ground-breaking set of atmospheric sound patterns designed for ritual ceremonies. Hailed as a masterpiece on release, it soon became a firm favorite of NWW fans and topped the world ambient chart for over three months. Originally a limited-edition, three-album set housed in a handsome 12-inch gold and black foil embossed box, this new edition, a CD facsimile of the original vinyl set, contains the entire album, plus 40 minutes of superb quality, previously unreleased music from the original sessions that did not appear on the vinyl. A green foil blocked cover and new parchment insert makes this one of Dirter Promotion's most elegant and desirable releases to date.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
V 25AH426
|
Victory present a reissue of Pacific, originally released in 1978. Reuniting the best session musicians Japan had to offer to make an album that would evoke the atmospheres of the South Pacific islands, the kind of places Japanese people spend their vacations. Pacific is a treat to the ears; its theme of the southern Pacific ocean and its warm cerulean waters relax its listeners with a fusion of city pop, soft jazz, and that good old 1970s funk while remaining surprisingly fully instrumental throughout all contributions from artists Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. A true cult LP and an inspiration for a lot of so called "vaporware" music. LP includes insert.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
CD
|
|
AUK 133CD
|
The debut album release from L'Epee, the band of Emmanuelle Seigner (Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle), Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre), Lionel and Marie Liminana (The Limiñanas). It is very rarely that a musical project lives up to the billing of being a "supergroup". However, the exception to this rule comes in the shape of L'Epee. A stellar combination of the talents of The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe, cinematic femme fatale Emmanuelle Seigner and ice-cool pop provocateurs The Limiñanas, L'Epee transcend artistic and traditional borders. Far from being defeated by a world seemingly regressing into turmoil, L'Epee's strength comes from a long history of challenging the status quo -- they all share a fierce intelligence and an outsider aesthetic which, over the decades, has been sharpened to a razor's edge. Fitting, then, that their name translates as "The Sword". This pent-up creative energy has been channeled into their extraordinary debut album, Diabolique. Named in tribute to Mario Bava's 1968 cult classic Danger: Diabolik, it's a musical masterclass where elements of garage, ye-ye, sleaze rock, cult soundtracks, sci-fi, spaghetti westerns, and girl-group pop noir are combined with the cut-and-thrust zeal of a band bursting with ideas and energy. All delivered by Emmanuelle in a sultry Gallic drawl which will send a frisson of recognition through anyone familiar with her iconic roles in, among many others, Frantic (1988), Venus In Fur (2013), and Bitter Moon (1992) (all directed by her husband, Roman Polanski). "I've loved rock music since I was a kid," she says, namechecking Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, and The Stooges as key influences. Having asked close friend Bertrand Belin to provide lyrics for three further tracks ("Grande", "On Dansait Avec Elle", and "Lou"), the trio set to work at The Limiñanas' studio in Cabestany, Southern France, in November 2017. Satisfied with the results, the trio flew to Berlin to hook up with Anton and Andrea Wright at his Cobra Studio in Berlin. Utilizing a treasure trove of vintage equipment, Anton set to work, re-recording the drums with Marie and adding -- and deleting -- tracks so that the shifting layers of sound suited the mood of each individual track.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ASH 3002LP
|
2019 repress. Deluxe LP format; 180 gram pressing. Reissue of the second Flower Travellin' Band album, originally issued by Atlantic Records in Japan in 1971. Satori is a conceptual hard rock/psych album driven by Hideki Ishima's furious guitar licks which erupt and explode over the harmonic heart beat of the drums and bass. Yamanaka's banshee-like vocal style turned him into an occidental Iggy Pop or Robert Plant while the band itself was rapidly becoming Japan's answer to Led Zeppelin. Satori is a huge album in every way. From power chords to Eastern-tinged North African six-string freak-outs and crashing tom-toms, the band flexes its collective muscle from start to finish. In short, this is a real rock classic of the type they simply don't make any more.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
CD
|
|
HAFTW 008CD
|
2019 repress; Originally issued in 2011. An Empty Bliss Beyond The World returns our doddering protagonist to the deserted ballroom, wandering its waxed floor and dilapidated grandeur in an attempt to capture an era which has long since disappeared but still haunts the atmosphere. James Leyland Kirby conjures a quieter, more introspective spirit, lost in his own mind amidst a low-lit labyrinth of ever-decaying and antediluvian shellac phrases. Sourced from his mysterious collection of 78s, these vague snippets of archaic sonics reflect the ability of Alzheimers patients to recall the songs of their past, and with them recollections of places, people, moods and sensations. The effect is subtly amplified by the chronic mastering at D&M, allowing each memory to segue seamlessly and unpredictably into the next for an otherworldly and disorienting experience. Coupled with another deeply enigmatic artwork commission from Ivan Seal, An Empty Bliss Beyond The World, is a highly potent transmission from one of the most singular characters in electronic music. Mastered by Lupo.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
SR 164LP
|
Early electronic music from 1959 to 1969 produced by the Institute of Sonology/Instituut voor sonologie, in Utrecht, Holland. Works composed by Dick Raaijmakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig, and Rainer Riehn. Raw material -- a real revolution: music produced by machines designed to construct a new era. Officially founded on September 1, 1960, at the instigation of several people representing cultural institutions, the Institute for Sonology had already taken initiatives in the field of electroacoustic music since 1954. A large complex of studios (initially under the name STEM = STudio voor Electronische Muziek) was set up under the patronage of Utrecht University in an old house on Plompetorengracht in Utrecht. Instruments, machines, and tapes (among them, that of Varèse's "Electronic Poem") coming from Philips laboratories. Double-LP includes insert.
Notes on the five radical composers featured here. Ton Bruyneel: The realization of "Reflexen" took place at the Institute for Sonology and in the composer's private studio. Brunèl has written numerous works for tape and for tape and live instrumentalist. Gottfried Michael Koenig: He studied church music in Braunschweig and composition in Detmold. From 1954 to 1963 he worked at the famous studio for electronic music of the West German Radio (WDR) in Cologne. From 1964-1984, he was the artistic director of the Institute for Sonology. Koenig is one of the pioneering composers of electronic and computer music of the first generation of post-WW2 composers. Dick Raaijmakers: Born in Maastricht, he studied piano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. From 1957-1960 he joined the Studio for electronic music at Philips in Eindhoven. Rainer Riehn: Born in Danzig, in 1960 he studied composition under Johannes Aschenbrenner and then (until 1963) at the Robert-Schumann Conservatory in Dusseldorf. Until 1966 he studied music in Mainz, Zurich and Berlin. In 1965-66, he participated in courses on electronic music in Utrecht under the direction of G.M. Koenig. Frits Weiland: He enjoyed a technical as well as a musical education. After working for the Dutch Radio and television broadcasting system, he worked from 1961 to 1990 for the Institute for Sonology. Konrad Boehmer (1941-2014): Born in Berlin, from 1959 to 1961 he studied composition under Godfried Michael Koenig. From 1961 to 1963, he worked in the electronic studio of the Cologne Radio (WDR) where one of his creations was "Position" for tape, voice, and orchestra.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
TW Q-LP
|
75 Dollar Bill is one of the essential groups at the heart of NYC's underground. Driven by the telepathic union of Che Chen's microtonal electric guitar and Rick Brown's odd metered percussion their long-form sound is unmistakable and compelling. On their third album I Was Real, the group expands in bold new directions, embracing brilliant fuller orchestrations, joyous rockers and entrancing new textures. Having emerged as a vibrant musical force with their previous effort -- with Wood/Metal/Plastic/Pattern/Rhythm/Rock (GB 047CD, TW J CS/LP, 2016) -- 75 Dollar Bill have spent the last few years bringing their music to new places and people, delivering what NYC locals have known for years, with their dedication to performance in venues of all shapes and sizes. The fruits of this work can be heard here on their expansive new double-LP I Was Real. The album, its title's origin a jumbled misremembering of the lesser-known Motown song "He Was Really Saying Something", is 75 Dollar Bill's third, featuring new directions accompanying the band's previously established interest in sprawling, unusual grooves and microtonal melodies. The record is enhanced by the presence of eight additional players in various combinations over its nine tracks -- but also shows off the duo's strength when stripped down to the core. Requiring a variety of approaches, the album was recorded over a four-year period, in four different studios, with the band's closest associates and collaborators in a range of different ensemble configurations. The album also features several "studio as instrument" constructions that harken back to the collage-experiments of the band's early cassette tapes, while at the same time pointing to territories altogether new. The players involved highlight the "social" aspect of the band and the eight guests that appear on the record are some of the band's closest friends and collaborators. Some pieces were conceived in the band's very early days and others are much newer, but the music is unmistakably 75 Dollar Bill. As Steve Gunn said about the previous record: "Strings come in underneath Che Chen's supreme guitar tone. Rick Brown's trance percussion offers a guiding support with bass, strings, and horns supporting the melody. They have gathered all the moving parts perfectly." Double-LP version presented in a heavy tip-on gatefold jacket with textured clothe wrap and matte foil stamping.
Personnel: Rick Brown - plywood crate, hand and foot percussion, crude horns; Che Chen - 6 and 12-string and quarter-tone guitars, percussion; with: Sue Garner - guitar and bass guitar; Cheryl Kingan - alto and baritone saxophones; Andrew Lafkas - contrabass; Karen Waltuch - viola; Jim Pugliese - percussion; Barry Weisblat - signal processing, Casio SK-1; Steven Maing - quarter-tone guitar; Carey Balch - hi-hat.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
WWSLP 025LP
|
Following the success of Wewantsounds' Alice Clark RSD edition featuring an extra 20-page booklet, the label reissues the standard version of Alice Clark's highly sought-after soul jazz classic produced by Mainstream Records' Bob Shad in 1972. Featuring original artwork, remastered sound making this reissue is the first official reissue of Alice Clark's original album for decades, a long overdue release of one of the best Soul albums ever recorded. When it comes to legendary albums, very few can match the cult status achieved on the international jazz and funk scene, by Alice Clark's eponymous album, recorded for Mainstream Records in 1972. The record which went unnoticed when it first came out has become one of the most sought-after albums ever since it became cult on the London jazz and funk scene in the late '80s. It is now being acknowledged as one of the best soul albums of all-times. Recorded live over two days at the Record Plant studios in New York City, the album was produced by Bob Shad and arranged by jazz veteran Ernie Wilkins with a big band setting. The music is a superb mix of jazz and soul blessed by Clark's superb singing and including two all-time favorites, "Don't You Care" and "Never Did I Stop Loving You" plus a selection of heart-wrenching songs beautifully sung by Clark. Hailed as a soul masterpiece alongside Aretha Franklin or Roberta Flack's best albums, Alice Clark's LP took almost fifty years to achieve classic status and Alice Clark is now finally getting the recognition she deserves.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
JBH 082LP
|
The rarest of all exotic LPs, like Eden Ahbez but with extra added death. This bizarre, rarely heard masterpiece brings together jazz, ancient manuscripts, and a convicted murderer... Issued originally in 1959 it originates from Phoenix, Arizona. The concept behind the recording was unusual -- to bring together two unconnected worlds: the jazz genius of Buddy Collette with the academic oriental studies and translations of A.I Groeg. Little can be found of A.I. Groeg, but before the LP was recorded A.I Groeg had translated several Polynesian and Japanese manuscripts. These form the basis of the dark narrations and lyrics across the album. Sublime vocalist Marni Nixon, the voice of Maria in West Side Story (1961), was brought in for two songs and fledgling actor Robert Sorrels (now a convicted murderer) supplied the strangely unsettling and almost otherworldly narration. The original LP states that "Buddy was given carte blanche with the material. After six months of composing and studying with the voice soloists, the results were two instrumentals and two songs on side one, and tone poems on side two. The latter represents a new musical genre. They are musical descriptions, preceded by spoken lines, and they become tone poems or musical illustrations inspired by the islanders, their words and marvelous simplicity. The mood is complete, yet hovers strangely in the air like a vague tantalizing dream." Jonny Trunk on the reissue: 'I'd first heard the album in about 2010 on a bizarre bootlegged CD (edited strangely with exotic library music), and spent the next few years desperately trying to find an original pressing. About one copy turns up a year, it seems to be far rarer than the legendary Eden's Island album (1960) and occupies a similar musical space. But this album has a little more death. Heaven knows what new listeners will think of Polynesia, but it sure is a dark and weird musical trip. One I feel everyone should take." Personnel: Buddy Collette - flute, clarinet; Gene Cipriano - oboe, English horn, bass clarinet; Gerald Wilson - trumpet; Justin Ditullio - cello; Al Viola - guitar, banjo; Red Callender - bass, tuba; Earl Palmer - drums; Ed Lustgarden - cello. New sleeve notes by Trunk.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
BE 1003LP
|
Psychedelic Speed Freaks is a new power trio led by Munehiro Narita, founding member of Japan's legendary High Rise and easily one of the wildest, most original guitarists in rock history. Blazing in total hyper-saturated glory, Psychedelic Speed Freaks centers on the raw, unrelenting attack of Narita's "motorcycle fuzztone guitar" and a rhythm section driven by a pair of untamed LA acid punks. Recorded deep in-the-red and punched into overdrive, Psychedelic Speed Freaks is a full-throttle adrenaline shot into the 21st Century. Deluxe Edition housed in heavy tip-on jacket featuring silver foil printing and embossed paper. Includes metallic printed insert. Pressed to high quality vinyl at RTI; Digital download included.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
12"
|
|
PRESH 008EP
|
The Bug and Burial return as Flame 2, on The Bug's Pressure imprint. Following Flame 1's Fog/Shrine 12" on Pressure (2018).
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
PAPR 2006LP
|
Past & Present presents Girls In The Garage Volume 6, the sixth volume of a series of garage rock compilations focusing on female artists. Prior to Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Courtney Love, there were the girls in the garage. Like their male counterparts had discovered, being in a band was not only cool and alluring, it was sexual and ultimately political. The garage band was a medium that enabled their voices to be heard; these girls weren't going to be kept in the kitchen. Like Pebbles did for the boys, Girls In The Garage captures the raw essence of dreams played out through guitars, drums, mics and amplifiers. Prevailing gender roles would be tested as rock'n'roll became someone else's domain: the girls! Although it's been said that it was rare for a girl group to play on their own records in the mid-1960s, they were not alone. On both sides of the Atlantic, cynical producers largely employed session musicians, afraid of any conceivable faults at the hands of inexperienced groups, male and female. The ones who didn't were visionaries that believed in a new generation's ambitions and capabilities. As the rise of a female presence in rock 'n' roll rose through the appearance of figures such as The Vejtables's Jan Errico, The Honeycombs's Honey Lantree, and the Maureen Tucker (whose deliberately primal technique is such an undervalued part of the Velvet Underground's sound), so too did the rise of all-female bands. Liverpool's Liverbirds and Hull's Mandy And The Girlfriends gave weight to the idea that it was 'normal' and paved the way for likeminded girls to drop the dream boy and pick up the guitar. The prevailing attitude amongst both major and independent record labels was never going to be inspiring or welcoming, but like the wailing blues mamas such as Memphis Minnie or Jessie Mae Hemphill, times were-a-changin' and girls didn't just want to have fun. Emerging groups such as The Pleasure Seekers, White Boots, Ace Of Cups, Bittersweets, and The Luv'd Ones were playing rock 'n' roll on their own terms whilst breaking new ground; whether they were trying to or not. Features: Kari Lynn, Pat Downey & The Vistas, Dori Peyton, Cupons, Ellaine & The Shandells, Crazy Girls, Jonna Gault, Mille Rogers, Karin Krogh & The Public Enemies, Tacey Robbins, Donna Loren, Fatimas, Karen Verros, Roberta Wolfson, and Venus Flytrap. 180 gram light blue vinyl, hand-numbered sleeve with full-color four-page vinyl booklet.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
HJR 111LP
|
2019 repress; Double LP version. A stunning survey of the 1970s heyday of great Japanese singer and countercultural icon Maki Asakawa (1942-2010). Deep-indigo, dead-of-night enka, folk, and blues, inhaling Billie Holiday and Nina Simone down to the bone. A traditional waltz abuts Nico-style incantation; defamiliarized versions of Oscar Brown Jr. and Bessie Smith collide with big-band experiments alongside poet Shūji Terayama; a sitar-led psychedelic wig-out runs into a killer excursion in modal, spiritual jazz. Existentialism and noir, mystery and allure, hurt and hauteur. With excellent notes by Alan Cummings and the fabulous photographs of Hitoshi Jin Tamura. "Japan's answer to Scott Walker, with a visual aesthetic and a death-decadent appeal that is straight out of the Keiji Haino songbook." --Volcanic Tongue
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
EMEGO 262LP
|
First time outing from two ardent explorers of peripheral sound tactics. Cylene is the first collaboration by François J. Bonnet (Kassel Jaeger) and Stephen O'Malley (Sunn O)))). Laid bare, you have a subtle and nuanced study of their individual practices forming a titanic whole. O'Malley's guitar inscribes a void that patiently opens up a spacious universe for Bonnet to discreetly alter with perception re-orientating studio maneuvers. Cylene is infinitely rewarding for those that succumb to its delicate detours. A vast glacial plain unfurls slowly upon the listener invoking a mood similar to the stillness found following despair. As Joseph Ghosn succinctly outlines in his liner notes, "Stephen and François deal in those moments and instants that happen after the violence, and the ugliness and the mess. Their music is about chaos being summoned and ordered. It is about the noise that nurtures your ears after a long heartbreaking pain. I have heard the sounds of wars being fought and the noises of hearts being broken, and I have never found a shelter as soothing as this music which makes me think of sunken ships and beauty found in the depths of oceans long forgotten." Art direction: Stephen O'Malley. Portrait photographer: Eléonore Huisse. Recorded at GRM Studios, Paris May 2018. Edited and mixed by François Bonnet at GRM studios, Paris August 2018. Mastering by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin January 2019.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2CD
|
|
MORR 058RE-CD
|
Morr Music present a 20th Anniversary Edition of múm's Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK. In 1999, on December 23rd to be precise, the electronic music landscape changed forever. On that day, the now legendary Icelandic band múm released their debut album Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK. The thing is though, back in the day, hardly anybody realized. It was Christmas after all, people were busy with potentially more important things and didn't pay attention to some kids selling records on Reykjavík's high street. Thankfully, those ten tracks weren't overlooked for long. On the contrary: the album went on to become one of the most influential building blocks of what back then was called electronica and today is considered an art form playing a crucial and important role in shaping and defining the rich electronic music culture of the 21st century. Now, 20 years after the record dropped onto planet Earth, Morr Music is re-issuing the remastered album with its original artwork, adding newly commissioned re-works: a note-for-note representation of "Smell Memory" by Kronos Quartet (with additional drums by múm's Samuli Kosminen), a gentle reinterpretation of "Random Summer" by acclaimed pianist and composer Hauschka and an otherworldly new version of "Ballad Of The Broken String" recorded by label mate Sóley. In 1999, electronic music was in full bloom. Yet the concept of using electronic sounds in acoustic-based productions (or vice versa) was still in its infancy. Many producers were trying, most of them failed. The results felt often forced, fabricated, unimaginative, random, and forgettable. New ideas require new mindsets after all. With Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK, múm established a new approach in music production. Instead of setting a fixed agenda and working with a distinct hierarchy for their sonic palette, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, Gunnar Örn Tynes, and Örvar Smárason let each instrument and sound source be true to itself, creating an ever-evolving universe of sonic bliss. Combining drill-and-bass-inspired beat-chopping, future-informed DSP-programming, ethereal vocal work, indie rock's boominess, folk music's soulful brittleness, and a lofty feeling for melody and arrangement, the album is a rare example of musical transcendence and remains impossible to categorize. Many of the ideas formulated and recorded for the album quickly became an integral part of the canonical self-conception musicians around the world were and still are aspiring to. Includes four remixes produced in the early 2000s by Ruxpin, Bix, µ-Ziq, and Biogen.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
12"
|
|
SS 077EP
|
"Stop looking back for something you left behind. The future holds the thing you need to find." "The new EP sees the Detroit house artist working with an array of musicians, including Lori (Laura Christoforidis) on vocals, Silentjay -- who released a collaborative EP on Rhythm Section -- on sax and three members of the popular neo-soul group Hiatus Kaiyote, Simon Mavin, Perrin Moss and Paul Bender, on keys, drums and bass respectively. There are two versions of the title track on the EP. Parrish's mix is on the A-side, with an alternate mix from Dego." --Resident Advisor
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
BLUME 014-15LP
|
2019 repress. Very limited double-LP bundled version of the two individual LPs, 180 gram color vinyl. Includes printed inner, Nagaoka anti-static record sleeve, plus and Obi-style insert in a fold-out outer sleeve. Only a handful of years ago, the name Julius Eastman would have been met by a unanimous blank look. The legacy of this once-darling of the New York post-minimal avant-garde had, since his untimely death at the age of 49, in 1990, been almost entirely lost. Eastman's story is as fascinating as they come: black, angry, and queer in an all too polite, straight white musical world. A prodigy and genius whose music took him to astounding heights, whose unwillingness to conform and play by the rules took him down the path of drug abuse and homelessness, as well as the loss of his scores. Even before his death, he was already a forgotten name. Eastman belongs to a generation of composers who inherited the mantel left by minimalism, but despite being highly respected by his peers, he was given few chances to record his work, relegating most of his talent as a singer and pianist to the realization of others' work. It was Eastman who conducted the iconic recording of Arthur Russell's Tower of Meaning, and whose piano cuts its way across the 1976 recording of Morton Feldman's For Frank O'Hara. It's likely that Eastman's work would have been entirely lost, had it not been for rigorous efforts of a few close friends, the most persistent of whom was the composer, Mary Jane Leach, who spent years tracking down his lost scores. These efforts eventually led to the comprehensive CD collection, Unjust Malaise (2005). It was the beginning of a turning tide, and over the 13 years since, Eastman's singular voice has slowly returned to the audience he always deserved. It also represented the recorded debut of some his most thrilling and controversial work, three compositions for piano from what he called the N*gger Series: Gay Guerrilla, Evil N*gger, and Crazy N*gger. The three pieces are now issued across two LPs in their first-ever vinyl release with extensive liner notes by Leach and Bradford Bailey. These three seminal works by one of the most important, but neglected, American composers of the 1970s and '80s, return to the light once more. Not only are they an entire rethinking of musical minimalism, but they ferociously blow the doors off of what classical music can be. Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi. All three compositions on these 2 LPs are for piano quartet: Performed by: Frank Ferko, Janet Kattas, Julius Eastman, Patricia Martin. Recorded 1979/80.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
7"
|
|
BEWITH 003-7
|
Breakwater's earth-shattering "Release The Beast" is unquestionably the standout song from their 1980 funk masterpiece LP Splashdown. "Release The Beast" is a showcase for Breakwater's phenomenal power-funk capabilities. The energy is astounding. It also came out as a now-hen's-teeth-rare 7" in the same year; It's one of the best album cover shoots of all time. For the B side, Be With Records backed Breakwater's biggest track with their favorite: the quietly majestic gem "Let Love In", another winner from the same LP. Remastered for this vinyl reissue. Picture sleeve.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
CD
|
|
CTI CTV2019CD
|
Triumvirate = the combined power of a group of three in creative collaboration. Carter Tutti Void (Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Nik Void) have announced their third and final studio album. Containing all new studio recordings, Triumvirate brings Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Nik Void's collaborative partnership as Carter Tutti Void to a conclusion. The trio first came together as a collective for a live performance, invited by Mute for the Short Circuit Festival in 2011 and released their acclaimed debut, the live album Transverse the following year. Carter Tutti Void went on to release f(x) (IRCTV 001CD/LP, 2015), their first studio recording and performed a handful of selected shows, culminating in their final live performance in Hull, part of a series of events for Hull City of Culture 2017 centered around the COUM Transmissions retrospective at Humber Street Gallery. For some time Carter, Tutti, and Void have been awaiting an opportunity when all three artists were able to gather at Carter and Tutti's Studio47 in Norfolk, where the album was recorded, produced, and mastered. Triumvirate was approached with the improvisational spirit of previous Carter Tutti Void albums. The rhythms, created by Chris Carter, formed the foundation and starting point from which the process began of melding the live instrumentation of Cosey Fanni Tutti and Nik Void's searing guitars, vocals, effects and the arsenal of sounds each had amassed from a variety of sources, some sounds manipulated to extremes, all fed into the mix. Tying the album together is the power of three, and a free open approach to sound shared by the trio.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
SNDW 133LP
|
Soundway Records completes the Lord Echo album collection, finally reissuing the second album in the trilogy from the in-demand New Zealand multi-instrumentalist and producer. Originally released in 2013, Curiosities is available here as a DJ-friendly double-LP for the first time. The entirely self-produced album blends jazz with disco-tinged neo-soul, reggae, and classic Afro-beat in effortless manner -- and joins the dots between the more downtempo first album from 2011 Melodies (SNDW 091LP, 2017) and the disco, electronic, club-ready of his third album Harmonies (SNDW 090CD/X-LP, 2017). The album also features a dub-funk cover of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has A Master Plan", with vocals from Lisa Tomlins. Also features Leila Adu and Mara TK. RIYL: Julien Dyne, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Black Seeds, Electric Wire Hustle.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
SNDW 131LP
|
Soundway release their first compilation of 2019: Esa Presents Amandla: Music To The People. Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, during the last days of Apartheid, Esa Williams recalls the immense power that music had in resisting oppression and division. "Amandla, Awethu", which literally means "the power is ours", was a ubiquitous chant echoing throughout the politically charged atmosphere of the time -- a call to unite, and a call from which this release derives not only its title, but its intention as well. "Music was a crucial way of bringing people and communities together", reflects Esa, "and it's what I hope to achieve with this compilation, too". For Esa is not only a musical polymath but also passionate about connecting people through music -- be it as a skilled DJ, an educator in production, a band leader reigniting the legendary Ata Kak band from Ghana, or a collaborator with the likes of Tanzanian artist Mim Suleiman. A firm favorite on the DJ circuit, he held a monthly residency at Phonox London for over six months -- bringing guests such as Nu Guinea to Brixton audiences -- as well as delivering memorable sets at Dekmantel, Atlas Festival, Boiler Room, and more. The last few years have seen a recent surge in interest in South African music from the '80s and '90s, including bubblegum, which was recently showcased on Soundway's critically acclaimed 2018 compilation Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie In 1980s South Africa (SNDW 124CD/LP), put together by DJ Okapi. It was only natural that the label looked to delve deeper into the country's rich musical legacy and tap another of its esteemed ambassadors for the role of compiler. The result is a rainbow of complementary electronic styles hailing from not only South Africa but further afield, including zouk from Brazil and the French Antilles, as well as Afro-futurism. Together, they form a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa's musical journey -- from growing up in South Africa, to artists he has encountered in his worldwide travels who have helped develop his identity as a musician. Features Penny Penny, Alaska, Ze Spirits Band, Esa, Nonku Phiri, Dion Monti, Os Panteras, Pascal Latour, Boulo, Masalo, Doussou Koulibaly, Narchbeats, and DJ Spoko. RIYL: Nozinja, Black Coffee, Gumba Fire, Dekmantel "Best Of" compilations, Kokoko!, DJ Khalab, Palms Trax, Masalo, Ata Kak, Awesome Tapes From Africa.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
DO XYZ004LP
|
LP version, back in, 2018 repress. Dark, hypnotic, tripping nyabinghi from 1974. Led by Jamaican Rastafarian singing hand-drummer Ras Michael over four extended excursions, the music is organic, sublime and expansive, grounation drums and bass-heavy (with no rhythm guitar; rather, Willie Lindo brilliantly improvising a kind of dazed blues). Lloyd Charmers and Federal Studios engineer George Raymond stayed up all night after the session to mix the recording, opening out the enraptured mood into echoing space, adding sparse, startling effects to the keyboards. At no cost to its deep spirituality, this is the closest reggae comes to psychedelia. Previously squandered in an incongruous 2-for-1 reissue, now lovingly returned to its original, singular glory at Abbey Road. Pressed on super-fly vinyl and housed in new standard-printed sleeves.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
CT 085LP
|
Reissue of the 1976 historic collaboration between producer instrumentalist Augustus Pablo and dub engineer King Tubby.
"If you had to pick one album that best represents the pinnacle of the art of dub, you'd cull the candidates down pretty quickly to ten or 12, and it would get very difficult after that. Few would fault you for ending up with this one, though, which stands as perhaps the finest collaboration between two of instrumental reggae's leading lights: producer and melodica player Augustus Pablo and legendary dub pioneer King Tubby. Among other gems, this album offers its title track -- a dub version of Jacob Miller's 'Baby I Love You So'-- which is widely regarded as the finest example of dub ever recorded. But the rest of the album is hardly less impressive. 'Each One Dub', another cut on a Jacob Miller rhythm, possesses the same dark and mystical ambience, if not quite the same emotional energy, as 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown,' and the version of the epochal 'Satta Massaganna' that closes the album is another solid winner. Pablo's trademark 'Far East' sound (characterized by minor keys and prominent melodica lines) is predominant throughout, and is treated with care and grace by King Tubby, who has rarely sounded more inspired in his studio manipulations than he does here. Absolutely essential." --Rick Anderson, All Music
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
LMS 5521265
|
Double LP version. 180 gram vinyl; Gatefold sleeve, printed with a metallic pantone; Printed inner-sleeves; Includes 29-track download card (with bonus tracks) -- includes the complete full-length triple-CD album. London Records present a 21 Year Anniversary Reissue of Goldie's Saturnz Return, originally released in 1997. Goldie collaborated with London Records as they aimed to identify current artists who apply his innovative, cross-genre experimentation to the contemporary scene. They called upon the essential current Metalheadz pair Gremlinz & Jesta; HLZ, previously of the drum 'n' bass duo Need For Mirrors; the enigmatic Martyn, who continues to push bass music towards a bold new future; Dengue Dengue Dengue, a Peruvian duo who craft a futuristic hybrid of traditional rhythms and modern electronics; and finally the cutting edge and artistically inclined DjRUM, who paused his current no-remix policy when he learned of Goldie's interest. The collection also adds three rarities that were discovered in Goldie's personal archive, all of which shine fresh light on the influence that classical music had upon him. These consist of the string arrangement for "Mother", plus early instrumental versions of "Dragonfly" and "What You Won't Do For Love". It's completed by remixes that were discovered in the London Records archive. Goldie's 1995 debut album Timeless changed the face of music culture. Bringing the nascent drum 'n' bass scene to the masses, the album careered into the Top 10, hit a number of album-of-the-year polls and earned enthusiastic praise from David Bowie. Goldie became a star in the process. But while everyone was eagerly anticipating a repeat of the Timeless formula, Goldie had other ideas. Instead, he pushed his creativity to the max and released Saturnz Return. Brave, innovative, experimental and bursting with emotion, the two-disc 150-minute album proved to be one of the most bold and divisive sets in history. Yet twenty years on, his vision is thoroughly vindicated. His innovative blend of beats and orchestration has been emulated by everyone from Carl Craig to Pete Tong. Saturnz Return is now ready for a long overdue critical appraisal with this"21st Anniversary Edition". Remastered.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
CACK 025LP
|
Cehennem is the first-ever collection of the highly sought after and largely previously unheard EMS Synthi AKS recordings of Gökçen Kaynatan, one of Turkish pop and rock's best kept secrets. A key figure during the birth of Turkish rock and roll, a founding father of Anatolian rock and the studio brains behind the first Turkish electronic pop records, Kaynatan's influence runs like the lifeblood through Turkish pop and rock. Having shunned the recording industry early in his career, he remained a driving force behind the scenes and on TV screens, spearheading the explosion of synth technology in Turkish music with his pioneering use of the EMS Synthi AKS, the fruits of which would only be shared on stage, never to be repeated television broadcasts, and in archival recordings that haven't seen the light of day until now. Having chanced upon the newly released EMS Synthi AKS in 1972 during a sabbatical in Cologne, Gökçen undertook six months of tuition in order to fully explore every intricacy of the highly versatile portable modular analog synthesizer. As the beating heart of his now self-sufficient custom-built studio it would propel Gökçen's forward-thinking aural ambitions to a new plane. Making his first entirely synthesizer-based public performances in Germany in 1974, he then returned to his homeland to soundtrack the dawn of the Turkish television age as in-house composer and one-man house band for Turkey's first TV channel TRT, signaling the arrival of a new era in Turkish pop and rock. Increasingly dogged by ill health, Gökçen privately harnessed the Synthi to channel his suffering caused by what would later be diagnosed as a brain tumor, dutifully recording and archiving his studio experiments, which would remain in the proverbial can for over 40 years. With unparalleled access to Gökçen's closely guarded private vault, Finders Keepers Records presents another first with this previously unheard collection of EMS Synthi AKS recordings that represent a vital yet hitherto missing thread in the development of modern Turkish music. Recorded between 1973-75, this modest compendium comprises two of Gökçen's earliest synthesizer compositions and an updated recording made whilst recovering from brain surgery -- arguably some the earliest Turkish synthesizer music committed to magnetic tape, further cementing Gökçen's indelible legacy within Turkish popular culture. Cehennem was mastered from the original quarter inch studio tapes with full cooperation from the man himself.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
Cassette
|
|
TW Q-CS
|
Cassette version. 75 Dollar Bill is one of the essential groups at the heart of NYC's underground. Driven by the telepathic union of Che Chen's microtonal electric guitar and Rick Brown's odd metered percussion their long-form sound is unmistakable and compelling. On their third album I Was Real, the group expands in bold new directions, embracing brilliant fuller orchestrations, joyous rockers and entrancing new textures. Having emerged as a vibrant musical force with their previous effort -- with Wood/Metal/Plastic/Pattern/Rhythm/Rock (GB 047CD, TW J CS/LP, 2016) -- 75 Dollar Bill have spent the last few years bringing their music to new places and people, delivering what NYC locals have known for years, with their dedication to performance in venues of all shapes and sizes. The fruits of this work can be heard here on their expansive new double-LP I Was Real. The album, its title's origin a jumbled misremembering of the lesser-known Motown song "He Was Really Saying Something", is 75 Dollar Bill's third, featuring new directions accompanying the band's previously established interest in sprawling, unusual grooves and microtonal melodies. The record is enhanced by the presence of eight additional players in various combinations over its nine tracks -- but also shows off the duo's strength when stripped down to the core. Requiring a variety of approaches, the album was recorded over a four-year period, in four different studios, with the band's closest associates and collaborators in a range of different ensemble configurations. The album also features several "studio as instrument" constructions that harken back to the collage-experiments of the band's early cassette tapes, while at the same time pointing to territories altogether new. The players involved highlight the "social" aspect of the band and the eight guests that appear on the record are some of the band's closest friends and collaborators. Some pieces were conceived in the band's very early days and others are much newer, but the music is unmistakably 75 Dollar Bill. As Steve Gunn said about the previous record: "Strings come in underneath Che Chen's supreme guitar tone. Rick Brown's trance percussion offers a guiding support with bass, strings, and horns supporting the melody. They have gathered all the moving parts perfectly."
Personnel: Rick Brown - plywood crate, hand and foot percussion, crude horns; Che Chen - 6 and 12-string and quarter-tone guitars, percussion; with: Sue Garner - guitar and bass guitar; Cheryl Kingan - alto and baritone saxophones; Andrew Lafkas - contrabass; Karen Waltuch - viola; Jim Pugliese - percussion; Barry Weisblat - signal processing, Casio SK-1; Steven Maing - quarter-tone guitar; Carey Balch - hi-hat.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
OP 048LP
|
2019 repress. 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.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
BB 320LP
|
LP version. Bureau B present a reissue of Conrad Schnitzler's Conditions of the Gas Giant, originally released on cassette in 1988. The Berlin artist first released these recordings on a small American cassette label. Admirers of the seminal artist Conrad Schnitzler can be found all over the planet, including the USA, of course. Matt Howarth, illustrator and independent comic artist, is one of them. He has been following Schnitzler's music since the early 1970s whilst drawing offbeat science fiction stories. One day Howarth came up with the idea of making Schnitzler a member of a notorious band -- The Bulldaggers -- who featured in one of his comic series. Not wanting to go ahead without permission, he got in touch with Schnitzler who readily embraced the idea. In fact, he posted a pile of photos by return so that the graphic artist could draw him properly. The Bulldaggers popped up repeatedly in the comics and Schnitzler was (repeatedly) delighted. A friendship soon developed between him and Howarth. In 1986, Howarth designed his first cover for a Schnitzler album (Concert) and the following year Schnitzler entrusted him with tapes which Howarth was able to bring to the notice of the small American label Bird O' Pray. Considering the label's predominantly punk and early garage leanings, Howarth and Schnitzler were as surprised as each other to see the album successfully released on cassette. Howarth and Schnitzler came up with the album title together. Conditions of the Gas Giant reflected the atmosphere they associated with the music, clouds of manifold colors, whirling nervously above a gaseous planet. A methane and helium tryst in sonic form -- fireworks, pyrotechnics for the eyes, like the surface of Jupiter, just as Schnitzler's tracks are pyrotechnics for the ears. This is the image conveyed by Matt Howarth in the liner notes for the reissue -- naturally designed by himself -- based on the aborted 1990s CD release. He also called on his friend D.H. Kister for further assistance, the man who first introduced him to Schnitzler's music almost fifty years ago. First CD and vinyl release.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
TRD 001LP
|
2019 repress. "One of Treader's most requested recordings sees the great UK free saxophonist Evan Parker on soprano and tenor saxophones, duetting with European birdsong. A fitting tribute to his friend, the celebrated soprano saxophone player Steve Lacy, who died in the year of its initial release."
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
3CD
|
|
LMS 5521276
|
London Records present a 21 Year Anniversary Reissue of Goldie's Saturnz Return, originally released in 1997. Goldie collaborated with London Records as they aimed to identify current artists who apply his innovative, cross-genre experimentation to the contemporary scene. They called upon the essential current Metalheadz pair Gremlinz & Jesta; HLZ, previously of the drum 'n' bass duo Need For Mirrors; the enigmatic Martyn, who continues to push bass music towards a bold new future; Dengue Dengue Dengue, a Peruvian duo who craft a futuristic hybrid of traditional rhythms and modern electronics; and finally the cutting edge and artistically inclined DjRUM, who paused his current no-remix policy when he learned of Goldie's interest. The collection also adds three rarities that were discovered in Goldie's personal archive, all of which shine fresh light on the influence that classical music had upon him. These consist of the string arrangement for "Mother", plus early instrumental versions of "Dragonfly" and "What You Won't Do For Love". It's completed by remixes that were discovered in the London Records archive. Goldie's 1995 debut album Timeless changed the face of music culture. Bringing the nascent drum 'n' bass scene to the masses, the album careered into the Top 10, hit a number of album-of-the-year polls and earned enthusiastic praise from David Bowie. Goldie became a star in the process. But while everyone was eagerly anticipating a repeat of the Timeless formula, Goldie had other ideas. Instead, he pushed his creativity to the max and released Saturnz Return. Brave, innovative, experimental and bursting with emotion, the two-disc 150-minute album proved to be one of the most bold and divisive sets in history. Yet twenty years on, his vision is thoroughly vindicated. His innovative blend of beats and orchestration has been emulated by everyone from Carl Craig to Pete Tong. Saturnz Return is now ready for a long overdue critical appraisal with this"21st Anniversary Edition". Remastered.
Debut on CD format; Includes rare mixes from Optical and Grooverider; Also features remixes by Gremlinz & Jesta, HLZ, Martyn, DjRUM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, and Boymerang.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
2LP
|
|
JMAN 115LP
|
Double LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes download card. With 20 years passing since his first foray into recorded jazz, Nat Birchall now ranks as one of the premier saxophonists of his generation. With several highly acclaimed albums in the locker, he now returns with his most ambitious project yet: a tribute to the legend that is Yusef Lateef titled, The Storyteller - A Musical Tribute to Yusef Lateef.
Nat Birchall on the project: "When Jazzman Gerald first mentioned to me the idea of doing an album as a tribute to the jazz giant Dr Yusef A. Lateef, my first thought was 'Where on earth do I start?' Lateef was such a colossus of music, and his scope so broad, that I couldn't hope to begin to cover his musical universe. He was a master of the tenor saxophone, a master of the flute, a master ballad player, a master blues player. Not to mention his skills as a composer and arranger and of course his exploration and use of musical methodology and instruments from all over the world. I've always been a great admirer of Lateef, and the challenge was intriguing, so I decided to give it go. We interpreted some of his own compositions (Brother John, Morning and Ching Miau) as well as some compositions by others that he made his own by careful arrangement and interpretation ('Love Theme from Spartacus', 'Ringo Oiwake'). I also wrote some original songs that, while certainly not written in his style, might be said to fall into his very broad approach to music making. I also wanted to utilize as many different instruments as possible, something I hadn't explored too much until this album. So it was a nice opportunity to finally get around to playing some of the many small instruments I've collected over the years; the Turkish zurna, the mbira from Zimbabwe, the balaphon from Mali and the arghul from Egypt. We have also tried to use varied time signatures in the music, so we have songs in 3/4, 5/4 and 7/4 time, as well as the standard 4/4. Ultimately the best music tells a story to the listener and takes them to places they might not have imagined themselves. Yusef Lateef certainly did that, and as such was a master storyteller."
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
12"
|
|
AUK 131LP
|
Exit EP is the second release by The Vacant Lots on Anton Newcombe's label A Recordings. Recorded in Berlin in 2017 over three days in between tours with The Dandy Warhols and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Anton Newcombe played bass, synths, guitars, and backing vocals on previous single "Bells", as well as operated the desk. Jared Artaud of the band goes into the recording process: "About a week or so before we left for tour I just invited Anton and his wife out to dinner, since we were gonna have a few days off in Berlin. He said 'f*ck that? Let's make a record? come ready with your ideas.' And that was how we made Berlin EP. I like working with Anton in the studio because through this collaboration we're able to distill ideas on the spot and turn fragments into songs. Anton pushes you further to get the best results and that really drives the process of making records. With Anton you don't get more than one or two takes to record something. You're executing your ideas with speed and intensity then moving on to the next idea. There is no time to overthink when you're constantly creating." 180 gram, white vinyl.
The Vacant Lots are an American psych-electronic duo comprised of Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen. The key element of The Vacant Lots' minimalist, primitive rock and roll songs is their boundless energy, which tears up the psych template with a genuine punk spirit. The notion of duality is also a recurring theme in the band's minimal means maximum effect aesthetic, whether in their lyrics or fiercely monochromatic artwork. The group has collaborated with underground music legends including; Sonic Boom, who mixed their debut album Departure (2014), Alan Vega of Suicide (whose vocals are featured on the band's second album Endless Night (2017) and who they've done a split 10" with), and Anton Newcombe who has recorded and produced two EPs at his Cobra Studio in Berlin with the band.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
WRJ 001LP
|
2019 repress; New "regular edition" on 140 gram vinyl. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) presents its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery, originally released in 1976. Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous, and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence, and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have. The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (WRJ 002CD/LP/LTD-LP) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing two live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come. Sourced from the original masters. LP version is mastered at half speed; 140 gram vinyl with sticker.
|
|
|
# |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
|
LP
|
|
LTJC 007LP
|
Le Très Jazz Club present the first reissue Naosuke Miyamoto Sextet's Step!, originally released in 1973. A fantastic modal jazz LP, led by Naosuke Myamoto on bass, with Masayoshi Yoneda on the piano and Takashi Goto on saxophone. On "One For Trane", the group delivers a strong and amazing moment of spiritual jazz. Also features Kunji Shigi (trumpet), Takashi Furuya, and Shoji Nakayama (drums). Produced by Takeshi Jujii. Recorded on August 25, 1973. Le Très Jazz Club keeps on exploring the Three Blind Mice catalog with this reissue, marking their seventh release.
|
|