This watershed release represents the life's work of William Ferris, an audio recordist, filmmaker, folklorist, and teacher with an unwavering commitment to establish and to expand the study of the American South. William Ferris was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1942. Growing up on a working farm, Ferris began at a young age documenting the artwork, music, and lives of the people on the farm and in his local community. The archive of recordings that he created and the documentary films that he had a hand in producing have served as powerful tools in institutions of higher learning for decades. Dust-to-Digital present these films and recordings. The label's hope is that the enjoyment and educational value that has been received by Ferris's students over the years will be transmitted to listeners around the world and further the understanding of Southern culture. Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris includes: a 120-page hardcover book in full color edited by William Ferris Writings by Scott Barretta, David Evans, and Tom Rankin; three CDs -- two of the CDs feature blues and gospel recordings (1966-1978), and the final CD features interviews and storytelling (1968-1994); and one DVD featuring documentary films (1972-1980). Transcriptions and annotations are provided for each track. Comes in a cigar box.

In addition to being a groundbreaking documentarian of the American South, William Ferris is Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History and senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ferris co-edited the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (1989) and is the author of multiple books. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine named him among the top ten professors in the United States.

The recordings feature James "Son Ford" Thomas, Lovey Williams, Wallace "Pine-Top" Johnson, Maudie Shirley, and Jasper Love, Scott Dunbar, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Louis Dotson, Sonny Boy Watson, Sam Myers, Tom Dumas, Unidentified Musician with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Walter Lee Hood, Wash Heron and "Big" Jack Johnson, James Hughes, Leland Musician, Inmates at Parchman Farm, George Lee "Sun Bud" Spears, James "Son Ford" Thomas with Sonny Boy Watson, Mary and Amanda Gordon, The Southland Hummingbirds, Lovey Williams, Reverend Smith and Family, Liddle Hines, Providence Missionary Baptist Church, Church of God in Christ, Fannie Bell Chapman, Mary Alice and Alan Mcgowan, Reverend Ott and Family, Rose Hill Church, Lovey Williams and Family, Fannie Bell Chapman and Family, Reverend Isaac Thomas and Rose Hill Church, Barry Hannah, Alice Walker, Alex Haley, Ray Lum, Bobby Rush, Joe "Skeet" Skillet, Joe Cooper, Shelby "Poppa Jazz" Brown, B.B. King, Allen Ginsberg, James "Son Ford" Thomas, and Bill Ferris, Robert Penn Warren, Pecolia Warner, Victor Bobb, and Pete Seeger.

Sinister Whimsy For The Wretched contains the long out-of-print albums, Sugar Fish Drink (1992) and Large Ladies With Cake In The Oven (1993). Both discs are remastered by Andrew Liles. You will never hear these better. Sugar Fish Drink, "Cod Surrealism", is a distinctly wet aberration on paranoid aesthetics occasionally coordinated by John Balance and Steven Stapleton. For Large Ladies With Cake In The Oven, all tracks were previously released in some form or another. Songs titles have been altered from their original forms on their original releases. "Head Cold" is very close to being the exact song as the Miss Ticker remix of "Cold" from the Thunder Perfect Mind CD reissue and "Steel Dream March Of The Metal Man".

Black Editions present the first ever vinyl release of Ché-SHIZU's signature album A Journey, originally issued in 1994 by Tokyo's legendary P.S.F. Records. Ché-SHIZU is one of the most original and mystifying groups to ever emerge from the Tokyo underground. Founded by master improviser Chie Mukai in 1981 the group has been guided by her singular vision for nearly 40 years. Throughout its history Ché-SHIZU has challenged traditional notions of song structure and improvisation. Mukai's signature instrument, the Chinese er-hu, is an ancient two stringed bowed instrument rarely found outside of traditional music. Even within the wildly diverse roster of artists on P.S.F. Records, Ché-SHIZU is a playful and confounding outlier. Early on Mukai became active within the avant-garde movement flowering in Tokyo during the mid-1970s. She studied with renowned Fluxus composer and violinist Takehisa Kosugi, recalling, "that encounter was so huge for me, much more than any one technique. Even in terms of the er-hu, I only started playing it because Kosugi gave it to me." In 1975 she joined his East Bionic Symphonia, a large improvising ensemble featuring students from Tokyo's Bigakko art school. From there she contributed to improvising avant-garde groups including an early version of Marginal Consort and later the Vedda Music Workshop. Her work with Ché-SHIZU however is where her vision most clearly emerged. Ché-SHIZU released its first album I Can't Promise in 1984 on Zero Records, in time the album would become a revered classic. It would be another ten years before another full-length would be released. During that time the group performed extensively with various rotating line ups. In the summer of 1994, Mukai led the group to Studio J in Tokyo to record an album for the P.S.F. label. Released later that year, the album was titled A Journey. Fittingly, it is a sprawling excursion through ethereal dreamscapes, the group confident in its own resplendent joy. Over the album, the group creates a spontaneous, loose form of chamber pop that weaves folk and a light psychedelia into something entirely unique. Pop songs like "Juso Station" intersect with instrumentals such as the title track to create a varied yet coherent improvisational language. Remastered; deluxe double-LP edition cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin and pressed at Pallas Germany. Includes new expansive artwork and lyric translations, housed in a spot gloss heavy gatefold jacket; Includes high resolution digital download.

Double LP version. Includes download code. Surgeon's new full-length, Luminosity Device, takes Bardo Thödol -- the Tibetan Book of the Dead -- as a starting point for a rhythmic journey into those interstitial spaces where body, mind, and soul no longer seem like distinct categories. It has the potential to turn anything from a club visit to a train commute into a collision with the otherworldly. Since the 1990s, Anthony Child has been one of the most consistent and pivotal electronic music producers to use that craft as a tool for achieving transcendence. Under his aptly chosen DJing and production alias Surgeon, his technical precision and clarity of creative vision have resulted in a highly influential form of techno-mesmerism documented in exhaustive live sets and incisive studio recordings. His talent for wielding beats and sonic textures as healing technologies and as magical weapons simultaneously, and particularly for excelling in "long-form" treatments, has made him not only a key contributor to the legacies of touchstone labels Tresor and Downwards, but also a prized collaborator (his British Murder Boys duo with Regis has capitalized on both producers' natural intensity to devastating effect). The pure techno idiom has never been his sole method of exploring the vastness of inner space, or of illustrating the interaction of thought and memory with the external environment: the work published under his own name, e.g. the two-volume set Electronic Recordings From Maui Jungle (EMEGO 215CD/LP, EMEGO 230CD/LP), along with newer collaborations like the Transcendence Orchestra with Daniel Bean (EMEGO 246LP), have shown Child to have a masterful knowledge of the intimate qualities of drone and atmospheric sound: the sound-scaping talent utilized in these projects is capable of drawing out acute emotional reactions from a broad spectrum of listeners.

LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes download code. When Malian singer and guitarist Samba Touré was planning Wande ("The Beloved"), his third Glitterbeat release, he had strong ideas for the way it should sound. But once the sessions were over, he knew he had something entirely different, something even more satisfying: a collection of songs where warmth filled the grooves of every song. "We had a totally different album in mind," Touré admits, "a return to something more traditional, almost acoustic. I think this album is less dark than the previous ones. It has some sad and serious songs, but it sounds more peaceful. All the first takes have been kept." That spark of spontaneity fires across the whole disc. It was recorded quickly, in "about two weeks, only in the afternoons and with breaks on weekend to play in weddings, so it was very relaxed!" Wande is just as direct and powerful as Touré's previous work, but everything moves with a bright, danceable sensibility. Gone are the intense guitar and ngoni duels, replaced with short, incisive guitar solos and a solid, laid-back groove. Only two songs had been written before going into the studio: the title cut, which is a love song to his wife, and "Tribute To Zoumana Tereta", a memorial to the late sokou fiddle player who often collaborated with Touré. Everything else came together almost on the spot, like the rhythmic "Yo Pouhala", composed one afternoon and recorded the next, or "Yerfara", with an impeccable, chunky rhythm guitar riff to make Keith Richards weep with envy. The emphasis throughout is on rhythm, and the tama talking drum that's always been a feature of Touré's music takes a place near the front of the band. "I've always loved tama, for its sounds . . . It's a symbol of call to reunion." Starting out as a guitarist in a soukous band, everything was altered when he became an accompanist to Mali's greatest legend, the late Ali Farka Touré (with whom his mother had performed). Later, as a solo artist, he's become renowned across the globe for his passionate guitar work and fiery singing, one of the masters of his art. But, Touré says, don't call it desert blues. Don't call it African rock. That's lazy. It doesn't need labels like that. Instead, call Wande the unexpected. Call it joyous. Call it the music Samba Touré is making right now.

LP version. Includes download card. 33 minutes of pure, unadulterated, psychedelic krautrock courtesy of Pyramid, an obscure studio project produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler. These sessions were recorded circa 1975-76 in Cologne for the underground Pyramid label, which was operated by Toby and his friend Robin Page (the Fluxus artist). During that time, Toby worked as engineer and assistant at various studios in Cologne, including the famous Dieter Dierks studios, where most of the albums from the Ohr/Pilz/Cosmic Courier catalog were registered. Having access to the studios during dead hours, Toby recorded lot of sessions just for fun without any commercial interest, featuring friends and musicians who frequented the studios and the underground art/music scene of Cologne. Some of these sessions were later released as handmade vinyl micro-pressings on his Pyramid label with help from artist Robin Page. Master tape sound. Includes insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Cosmic Jokers, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Gila, Porcupine Tree, Amon Düül II. "... from trippy phases with echo guitars and Mellotron onto headfirst plunges into space-rock overdrive territory. In all, an excellent album of spacey krautrock" --Alan Freeman

First in a series of two releases unveiling the previously unissued soundtracks made for the films of Ursula Reuter Christiansen by her partner and collaborator Henning Christiansen. The Executioner ("Skarpretteren") is Ursula's first film from 1971 and is now considered one of the most important works of early Danish feminist art. A highly praised recent show at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen highlighted the pertinent themes and ongoing urgency which lies within this bold symbolic work. The exquisite score is one of the key neo-romantic works in Henning's far reaching output. A deeply melancholic set of vocal based works which place the listener deep within the tension and despair of Ursula's themes. This unique vinyl presentation also features nature sounds recorded for the film on the island of Moen along with surprising works that defy anything else in Henning's output. Assembled from the original master tapes sourced from the Henning Christiansen Archive by Mark Harwood. Remastered for vinyl by Giuseppe Ielasi. Comes in a reverse board sleeve with printed gloss inner sleeve featuring a host of images from the film; sorrowful black vinyl; Edition of 500.

LP version. Comes on clear vinyl; obi strip; Edition of 1000. Souffle Continu Records present the first ever reissue of Areski's Un Beau Matin, originally released in 1970. Only those who read all the credits on record liner notes will know the full details: Areski is of course Brigitte Fontaine's partner in life, but also her creative alter ego, and the composer of the music of most of her songs. Even though it was his wife Brigitte and not him who wrote the lyrics, Areski is a poet in his own right. Furthermore, he is polyvalent: composing, arranging, singing, improvising, playing every possible instrument, and even acting. Areski, to sum up, is the perfect mix of the tradition of Munir Bashir with the European "sophistication" of someone like Jean-Claude Vannier, one foot permanently in Versailles (where he was born) and the maghreb. Areski, is left bank French songs without the stylistic effects, revised and updated through contact with Arab-Andalusian music. He is a Living Theatre style happening with a dose of cosmic free jazz; surrealist poetry viewed through the prism of Kabyle culture... Areski honed his talent observing the stars of traditional chaâbi, testing it out in bars and dives before meeting, during military service, the singer Jacques Higelin with whom he would record his first cult album (1969), and who would present him to his wife-to-be, Brigitte Fontaine. Between 1969 and 1980, with Fontaine, Areski would contribute an essential chapter to French underground music including classics such as Comme à la radio (with the Art Ensemble of Chicago) (1969), Je ne connais pas cet homme (1973), L'Incendie (1973), Le Bonheur (1975), and Vous et nous (1977). For all that, Areski has never really tried to have a career under his own name, in spite of the wonderful Un Beau Matin first published in 1970, and which it is high time to (re)discover. Those already in the know will not be surprised to see, especially, Jean-Charles Capon, author of the inspired L'Univers-solitude (1972), Brigitte Fontaine of course, or Daniel Vallancien, author of a no-less inspired duo with saxophonist Philippe Maté. All contributing to an acerbic poetic universe, concerned but never militant, and open to worldwide influences long before they became a fashion. Inspired, poetic, in a word essential: Un Beau Matin is one of the best albums of the French underground produced by Pierre Barouh on his label Saravah.

Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, Strafe Für Rebellion, or Strafe F.R., is a long-term collaboration between the artists Bernd Kastner and Siegfried M. Syniuga, which started in 1979. After a long period of hibernation, The Bird Was Stolen marks their return to Touch following four previous releases in the '80s and early '90s. From their early connection with the local scene, centered around the Ratinger Hof in Düsseldorf, Strafe went on to develop a unique and influential form of sound sculpture that pioneered the use of field recordings alongside home-made instruments and the use of the studio as a performance space. A new track, "Virgin", which appeared on the recent Touch Movements CD/book (FOLIO 002CD, 2017), gave an early indication that they are back at the peak of their powers. The Bird Was Stolen presents 14 new compositions that push the signature sound of Strafe F.R. All songs recorded by Strafe F.R. in 2017 at STRAFE Studio, Düsseldorf, Germany. Features vocals by Caterina De Re and Strafe F.R. Artwork and photography by Jon Wozencroft. Mastered by Denis Blackham.

Strafe F.R. explain the recording:
"1. We have a piano that is somehow completely bare-boned as if a butcher had been at work. The piano is lying on its back -- we can climb into its corpse. The piano strings are easy to access and we prepare them with anything that influences a possible recording. Loudspeakers are installed. Inside the piano we play bass and guitar to use the resonance of the strings of the piano. 'Pianosmoke' was recorded in this way.

2. Sound sources are often 'accidents'. We were recording with our old Uher Portable Tape Recorder -- all of a sudden the machine developed a strange malfunction: the Uher had problems with its engine. Himmelgeist was born. The recorder began to 'scratch' like a vinyl record, but it was the recorder doing everything itself; we could also manipulate the speed with our hands. This was magnificent. Strange rhythms just happened, the tape recorder did it... We are thankful that we managed to record all of this.

3. We often amplify sounds quite loudly, that actually have a very low natural dynamic. This is interesting when recording guitar, piano and the human voice... To reduce the normal recording level by an extreme and amplify the soft, low sounds."

LP version. Mastered at half speed. 180 gram vinyl; Stoughton tip-on sleeve. 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/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.

Rhyw is Alex Tsiridis, aka one half of Cassegrain. On this, his solo debut for Arcing Seas, his smoldering, alien techno sound manifesto continues to thrive over three unique tracks. The morphing, deconstructed acid of "Unpunishable" -- a molten statement of lusty intent -- strikes first in a heady, hazy pummeling of doom-funk. "Vertisol" pushes crisp and dry snaking percussion through an anechoic chamber; the bass end neatly warming at first then burning hard through your mid-section. An icy cold shot of "Aqua Velva" is the final offering -- a pushing sub-level trip through Rhyw's private domain.

2018 repress; 140-gram LP. Cluster's self-titled debut was originally released by Philips in 1971; this edition is the first reissue to restore the track running order of the original Philips release. Includes liner notes by electronic avant-garde pioneer Asmus Tietchens. In 1998, The Wire listed Cluster's self-titled debut as one of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (When No One Was Listening)." Very few albums from Germany can lay claim to this honor. Cluster is a monster; it contains a mere three untitled tracks and was quite an ordeal for untrained ears when it was released. Yet the album pointed the way forward like no other electronic opus. Cluster's previous incarnation was a trio called Kluster. A change in direction and musical differences moved Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius to split from the group's third member, Conrad Schnitzler, in 1970. The following year, in addition to playing live, they recorded their first album in publisher Ralf Arnie's Star Musik Studio in Hamburg. Here they first met Conny Plank, who would himself become a legend. They remained close friends until Plank's death in 1987. Early Cluster music was new. New in the sense that it did not continue any tradition, instead laying the foundations for a future tradition. The duo's utter renunciation of conventional harmony and rhythm, embrace of near total aural abstraction, and confident use of noise, rigorous live electronic improvisation, and a positive mindset were all factors in Cluster's innovative trailblazing of 1971. For want of a better category, Cluster was classified rather inappropriately and incorrectly as "cosmic." Few recognized Cluster for what it was -- a synthesis of pop music, stripped of embarrassing glamor, and so-called serious music without intellectual constraints. Moebius and Roedelius took the liberty of raiding both disciplines to perfect their musical concept. A common enough practice today, but akin to a palace revolution in 1971. So it is that three pieces of electronic music meander and pulsate through Cluster, with no beginning and no end. Cluster's music is free and open in all directions. There are sounds, noises, and structures to be heard on this album that would become ingrained in the electronic pop music of the 1980s and 1990s. Cluster had taken the first step into the future.

2018 repress. Abul Mogard presents his debut LP, a suite of four analog synth pieces. Mogard was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and spent most of his life working in a metal factory, only beginning to approach music after his retirement. Following two highly regarded cassette releases on Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra's VCO label and a series of compilations and split releases, Mogard makes a surprising departure on this debut album for Ecstatic Recordings. Circular Forms channels a wealth of soulful modular explorations and shadowy white-noise clouds. The end result is evocative, unsettling, and beguiling modern synth music. There's a real emotive essence to his almost lyrical arrangements that is very much removed from the contemporary modular revival. Composed and recorded in solitude using a limited equipment array of Farfisa organs in conjunction with a self-built modular synthesizer, the album's intoxicating distortions and extreme low frequencies translate into personal space and beautifully restrained impressions. Abul Mogard: "Lately I have been reading and appreciating visual art and paintings and this has informed my work on this album. Compared to my previous albums, this was the first time that I had a clear visual representation of my music, as geometrical forms -- each element of a track suggested a form that intertwined with the other elements."

Seán Mac Erlaine's richly-textured woodwind sound meets an expanded palette on Music For Empty Ears, the Irish musician's breathtaking new album. Having honed his distinctively-shaped soliloquies over his first two solo records, Mac Erlaine's work now bears the mark of collaborations with Norwegian luminaries Jan Bang and Eivind Aarset to reveal a fresh, variegated musical language. The album journeys through a splendor of musical shades: from the gently insistent minimal grooves and hushed invocations of tracks such as "The Melting Song"; to slow pans across dark, saturated vistas on tracks such as "Winter Flat Map"; to a warm, celebratory treatment of the Irish traditional tune "An Buachaill Caol Dubh"; and to moments of visceral, splintered abstraction in "Love The Way They Sing" and "The Alchemist III". Whether it's the elusive vocals of Galway singer Sadhbh Ní Dhálaigh or Mac Erlaine's sublime clarinet melodies that catch you, Music For Empty Ears is an album that reveals more and more with each listen. Bespoke print by Dublin design studio Destinctive Repetition. Comes on heavy-weight vinyl.

Seán Mac Erlaine is a Dublin-based woodwind instrumentalist, composer and music producer, recognized as one of Ireland's most forward-thinking creative musicians. Mac Erlaine works in a variety of settings from free improvisation, contemporary jazz, folk music and experimental theatre, and is a member of the groups This Is How We Fly and the Quiet Music Ensemble. "One of the most interesting and adventurous musicians of his generation" --The Irish Times.

Electronic musician/producer Jan Bang has worked with such luminaries as Jon Hassell, David Sylvian, Brian Eno, and Arve Henriksen. From his work as a pop producer in the '90s, his pioneering work in developing the concept of live remix has led to him being constantly in-demand as producer and performer today. "[Jan Bang is] defying all misconceptions about the vast potential of electronic composition." --All About Jazz

Eivind Aarset is a guitarist with a unique musical vision that absorbs and reflects all manner of music while retaining an enviable individualism and high quality craftsmanship that can span from quiet intimacy to searing intensity. As one of Norway's most in-demand guitarists, Eivind Aarset has worked with Jon Hassell, David Sylvian, Bill Laswell, Jan Garbarek, and many more. "Norwegian Eivind Aarset is in a class of his own proving that lyricism and raw noise aren't contradictory." --The Guardian

After his stunning debut on Fuck Reality 03 and an excursion on Full Pupp, Frantzvaag from Oslo is back, delivering four shimmering house cuts to present his very own vision of Norwegian dancefloor deepness.

"By the time the Jungle Brothers rapped about it in 1988, house music had been bumping in NYC Clubs for years. Even though the genre would go on to become a global phenomenon, house music had humble beginnings in predominantly gay and black clubs in Chicago. Musically, house music was inspired by the eclectic dance records played by DJs Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy at Clubs like 'The Warehouse' and 'Muzik Box'. With a growing club scene, labels like Trax Records and DJ International played a major role in the development of the genre. Founded in 1984, Trax was an important outlet for house music in its early days, releasing many classics including 'No Way Back' by Adonis, Larry Heard's 'Can You Feel It,' and the first so-called house anthem in 1986, 'Move Your Body' by Marshall Jefferson. This latter tune gave a massive boost to house music, extending recognition of the genre outside of Chicago. Adonis recorded many innovative and influential dance tracks. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Adonis was introduced to music at a young age. He played bass guitar with several jazz and funk bands and was eventually introduced to House music by Gary B. After listening to Jesse Saunders' 'On and On'; Adonis felt the drive to make better-produced music than what he had heard and began recording. Despite his formal training and lack of clubbing experience, Adonis made waves on the dancefloor when he recorded several of the best Chicago house singles of the 1980s, including 'No Way Back,' 'Do It Properly' and 'We're Rockin' Down the House.' He was 19 years old when he made the dystopian classic 'No Way Back,' one of Chicago house music's most iconic tracks. 'No Way Back' was a smash hit for the Trax label; according to some estimates, the single sold over 100,000 copies. The lyrics -- 'Release my soul / I've lost control / Too far gone / Ain't no way back' -- seemed to perfectly encapsulate the feeling of being lost in music with no way out. Adonis' cold, minimalist vocal delivery -- no ornamentation, or obvious emotion -- made 'No Way Back' sound effortlessly cool, and utterly terrifying. The stripped-down track, devoid of extraneous flourishes, still sounds ruthlessly modern."

"By the time the Jungle Brothers rapped about it in 1988, House music had been bumping in NYC clubs for years. Even though the genre would go on to become a global phenomenon, House music had humble beginnings in predominantly gay and black clubs in Chicago. Musically, House music was inspired by the eclectic dance records played by DJs Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy at clubs like 'The Warehouse' and 'Muzik Box'. With a growing club scene, labels like Trax Records and DJ International played a major role in the development of the genre. Founded in 1984, Trax was an important outlet for house music in its early days, releasing many classics including 'No Way Back' by Adonis, Larry Heard's 'Can You Feel It,' and the first so-called house anthem in 1986, 'Move Your Body' by Marshall Jefferson. This latter tune gave a massive boost to house music, extending recognition of the genre outside of Chicago. 'Gotta have House, music, all night long with that House, music, you can't go wrong give me that House, music, set me free lost in House, music, is where I wanna be It's gonna set you free (rock your body)' Part of what made House music so appealing was how democratic it was. Without much recording gear or a studio, anyone could make a song, have their records pressed and played in the same clubs they'd go party. Marshall's story was not that much different but the impact of his early recordings would set the blueprint for many of the artist that came out of Chicago. Jefferson's first tune, recorded in 1986, become the scene's official anthem. In titling it, 'Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)' it was almost as if Jefferson knew what he was doing. The swing of those opening keys, the deep, anchoring beats and bass and that infectious sing-a-long chorus -- all the key elements for a dance hit were there; more than that, they would be chronicled indisputably as the core building blocks of house. Jefferson culled the song's vocalists -- including lead crooner Curtis McClain -- from his post-office graveyard shift. And, with his lyrics, he helped foment the long tradition of the self-referential track: house music about house music itself. Today we can talk for days about this influential track, however it almost never saw a release. Trax owner Larry Sherman apparently hated the song and had no interest in ever releasing it. Even after Marshall payed for his own pressings, the Trax boss didn't really see any value in that recording. It wasn't until Jefferson handed limited cassettes of the cut to preeminent Chicago DJs Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles that a buzz began to spread as far as Ibiza and London for the Chicago House anthem. The record's unprecedented rise soon changed Sherman's thinking, making it Trax Records' first global hit."

Glitterhouse present the live recording of a magic night -- the Dutch/Belgian chanteuse Chantal Acda in a duo-setting with Grammy award winning guitarist extraordinaire Bill Frisell. Captured in superb sound quality. Chantal Acda on the recording: "When I wrote the songs of my record, I dreamt to hear Bill's sounds on it. I thought this feeling would go away but it never did. So I decided to contact him to see if he would work with me and put the last pieces of the puzzle together on this record (Bounce Back, 2017). He liked the music so I flew to Seattle to record his wonderful guitar playing on the songs. Meeting him felt like coming home. And this connection was still so fresh in my memory when I arrived back to Belgium. We kept in touch by writing each other and sometimes he drew me funny faces. We were invited to play at the wonderful Jazz Middelheim festival and finally ended up on stage together. In the dressing room we quickly went through the songs but we kept all surprises for the stage. It was a wonderful experience for me. One of the highlights of my musical career. It wasn't meant to be recorded but it was. So listening back to these recordings we thought it would be nice to be able to share this with the people who were there but also the people who missed it and are curious to hear what happened. I truly hope you will enjoy these moments. These moments that will always stick with me."

2018 repress. Guerssen Records is proud to release on vinyl nothing less than an essential album to anyone with a minimum interest in psychedelic music. This very rare 1968 UK album, originally released on the Major Minor label, features essential psych classics such as "Dandelion Seeds" and "My Clown." This is the definitive vinyl reissue of this beauty, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a high-quality carton cover with old-style backflaps and a fantastic 4-page insert with photos and extensive liner notes by UK psych authority David Wells. Also included is a full-color reproduction of the rare-as-hell original promo poster.

"Saz Power features a special sound: the saz, acoustic and electric. This lute instrument is the most commonly used folk instrument in Turkey. It is connected both to Ottoman classical music -- the centuries-old tradition of the wandering bards of Aşıks -- and to the psychedelic Anatolian rock of the 1970s. Through archaeological excavations of mounds in Anatolia, the saz can be traced back to an age before the Common Era. And yet the saz is an international as well as a specifically Turkish instrument. It has gained a wider popularity due to its unique sound and its unique history, especially with the renewed interest in Anatolian rock music that has been growing for a decade now, and the new wave of psychedelic music worldwide. This global appeal is reflected on the album by the choice of artists: one half is played by musicians from Turkey, the other by players from Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, and Israel. The concept for this album was conceived by musician Demir Kerem Atay (aka Elektro Hafız) and developed by the two label directors Cem Şeftalicioğlu and Ercan Demirel. It was to showcase different models of the saz (acoustic, electric) and saz-related instruments (like the buzuq and cümbüş), but also different styles, different ways to play the saz through different countries, to offer a full spectrum of the music that can be produced with it. This concept was immediately embraced by all the musicians asked to participate in the album. Here they could show their love for the instrument -- and indeed they all did so. The arrangements combine the traditional or the electric saz with the diverse sounds and vibrations of psychedelic guitars, basses, organs, synths, drums, and percussion. The tunes are based on different styles of Anatolian folk music or are contemporary compositions written by the artists. As a result, the music belongs partly to a new generation of Turkish folk music and Anatolian rock -- always updating the living tradition of these styles -- and partly to a fresh blend of Anatolian rock with other styles like electronic music or the soundtrack to a psychedelic Western." --Holger Lund

Features MLDVA & Çınar Timur, Kaan Boşnak, Elektro Hafız, Yasak Helva, Baba Zula, Boogie Balagan, Cem Yıldız, Hudna, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Ozan Ata Canani, Grup Ses, and Duble Salih.

Facta delivers two lithe new cuts for the latest Livity Sound 12", featuring fresh artwork from Tess Redburn. The Wisdom Teeth label boss and Bristol resident deploys his deep rolling style, inviting dancers in to their groove with supple rhythms and rounded bass. Established in 2011, Livity Sound is a frontrunning label in UK electronic music. Since its inception, Peverelist's imprint has dedicated itself to releasing innovative music, eschewing existing forms and forging its own stylistic path.

Günter Schickert, four decades of multi-instrumental cosmic explorations, under Berlin's sky, above genres, and compromises. Marmo present on his seventh album to date, Labyrinth, the first to be released on vinyl format since 1983's Kinder In Der Wildnis. Schickert's Samtvogel (1974), equaled the imaginative leap and sonic power of the early Pink Floyd, Manuel Gottsching's 1975 album Inventions For Electric Guitar (MGART 401CD/901LP) or A.R. & Machines's Die Grüne Reise (1971). Überfällig -- originally released on Sky Records in 1979 and reissue by Bureau B (BB 096CD/LP, 2012) -- little acclaimed, spans a large spectrum of music styles, always through a distinctive and personal aesthetic, that is deeply linked to the one he firstly crafted back in '74, when Schickert pioneered the use of echo effects applied to guitar playing. And now Labyrinth, a record that stands for versatility, where soundscapes or life situations take over. The album is divided into two parts, two different production bulks and periods of Günther Schickert's life. Side A features a selection of tracks recorded in 1996, appearing on the 2012 album HaHeHiHo, released via Pittsburgh based VCO Recordings. The raga-inspired "Morning" opens Labyrinth with exotic charm and bitter-sweet nostalgia. "Sieben" kicks off with the same guitar scales of the previous theme, before the motorized progressions of a Korg MS-20 synth surprisingly storm in. "Ninja Schwert" remains on astral dimensions, it is a struggle of cosmic forces, where the steady ride of a pounding beat gets embraced by different guitar layers and analog electronic filtering. The side closes up with "HaHeHiHo", a slow ballad featuring Schickert on vocals, guitar, bass guitar, and drum machine. Side B contains material produced between 2007 and today. "Tsunami" shows the multi-instrumental and recording abilities of Günter Schickert: a field-recorded storm with mesmerizing powers, a peculiar progressive approach to guitar playing. In contrast, "Oase" muffles the intensity and jumps into a completely different soundscape, where in liaison with the sounds of a rolling drum tom and a desert-like trumpet. Like "HaHeHiHo", "Checking" represents the vocal gem of the B side, in a raw and direct way of songwriting like if Syd Barrett was his invisible helper. "Palaver" assembles different vocal recordings of Schickert into a bizarre free-style conversation. "Morning (Slide)", reprises the opening theme, this time solely performed through the caressing dilated sounds of Günter's slide guitar. Includes printed inner sleeve and download code.

Megaphone and Knock Em' Dead present a reissue of Guigou Chenevier and Sophie Jausserand's A l'Abri Des Micro-Climats, originally released on RecRec Music in 1984. Guigou Chenevier was the drummer of Etron Fou Leloublan, a band that was barely like any other. To describe them in words could only take a mind so far to the reality of what they were like -- Eccentric, absurd, whimsical, and distinct are words that come to mind. Every member was a big part of their distinction. Guigou played extremely driven, tight rhythms that cut through previous human rhythmic logic, even though progressive rock was exploring new rhythms for years beforehand. A year before Etron Fou Leloublan's last record, Face Aux Elements Dechaines (1985), Guigou released his second solo album, A l'Abri Des Micro-Climats, or in English, "In the Shelter of Microclimates". A l'Abri Des Micro-Climats is a concept-album based on a series of non-conventional "songs", composed by Guigou Chenevier and his wife Sophie Jausserand. Sophie wrote a big part of the lyrics of this album, sings on some songs (also as a duo with Guigou in "La Maladie des Fourmis"), and she also realized all the sleeve design of the album with the whale. Sophie and Guigou also used two poems by Sophie's father for this project on "Vive l'Anarchie" and "Ecartelage". They also invited some musician friends to add some parts on this record: Guy Sapin on guitar (Guigou played many years together with Guy with different groups like Encore Plus Grande, Octavo, or Barbarie Légère, amongst others), Dominique Grimaud on synths (of Video Aventures; Dominique participated to Guigou's theater and music project Le Diapason du Père Ubu in 1990-93), and Christiane Cohade on bass (of French groups Les I and the female quartet Virgule IV). A lost treasure that will surely captivate and intrigue listeners, now brought back to life. Edition of 300.

"Asked whether he would describe his music as 'Sound for the sake of sound,' James Tenney (1934?2006) replied, 'It's sound for the sake of perceptual insight -- some kind of perceptual revelation.' This release aptly demonstrates Tenney's deep exploratory fascination with the nature and potentialities of aural perception. His attraction to these topics was simultaneously intellectual and sensuous, and its musical products at once invite both sustained reflection and the most immediate of corporeal responses. A number of his works feature pitch collections that progressively approach or diverge from the structure of the harmonic series, or that gradually move between its 'harmonically complex' or 'dissonant' upper reaches and its 'harmonically simple' or 'consonant' lower regions. A paradigmatic example is provided by Harmonium #1 (1976). For 12 String (rising) (1971) represents an arrangement for strings of Tenney's classic electroacoustic composition For Ann (rising) (1969), which predated his interest in harmony. It nonetheless shares with much of his subsequent music a ruthless simplification of form and structure that eschews narrative drama in order to highlight the subjective processes and perceptions of the listener. The first movement of Two Koans and a Canon (1982) is entitled "First Koan (a gentler Beast)" and constitutes a variation upon Tenney's earlier Beast (1971) for solo double bass. It is a study in acoustical beating, an alluring rhythmic pulsation audible between tones whose pitches are sufficiently close to each other. The "Second Koan" in turn recalls Tenney's Koan (1971) for solo violin. It exhibits another of his radically reduced formal designs: a steady cross-string tremolo that gradually migrates upwards in register across the strings of the instrument. The brief final "Canon" is the most structurally complex of the movements. Alone of the three it employs a live tape-delay system. From 1975?84, Tenney produced a number of other compositions calling for the use of a tape-delay system in live performance, which he once referred to as 'the poor man's orchestra' for its ability to produce lush textures from few instruments. The most texturally sophisticated of these pieces is Voice(s) (1984), which requires the use of four separate tape machines. The final track, Blues for Annie (1975), offers a glimpse into the breadth of Tenney's personal musical interests. His appreciation for the blues is expressed forthrightly in a literal transcription and arrangement of Jaybird Coleman's 1927 recording of 'No More Good Water 'Cause the Pond is Dry.' "

NovaMute welcomes Brazilian producer ANNA to its roster. The first track on ANNA's debut EP for NovaMute, "Razor" was born while playing with her Roland MKS-80, a synth from 1985 and one of ANNA's favorites. "Dreamweaver" is a simple track that always works well on the dancefloor. "Escapism" plays with trippy arpeggio's that lay down the atmosphere for the whole track, it feels really dense and trippy but still powerful, making use of heavier drum sounds for the groove.

Inspirational Quotes is Stockholm-based Sissel Wincent's killer second charge of buzzing techno. It follows her remix of Fever Ray's "Wanna Sip". "Ponytails" starts with roving kicks scanned by searchlight synths and an ice-cold melody, while "Cynical" holds that glaring sound in clenched suspense with a push-and-pull of jarring atonalities. On "Yellow Lines" Sissel swerves closer in effect to the primitivist bangers of Frak with unflinching style, but an element of trippy emotive pathos creeps in with the curdled synths smeared over militant steppers' ballistics on "Still Undetermined", before "Distance As Distance" holds her anti-banger stance with bruising, abrasive force.

2018 repress. LP version. Gatefold sleeve. Originally released in 1981, this is another killer album by the Turkish legend, recorded with the same line-up as 1979's Yeni Bir Gün album (GUESS 050CD/119LP). Psych/funk/progressive sounds full of heavy drums and basslines, Moog/analog keyboards, and psychedelic guitar. Featuring the killer duet with Deniz Tüney ("Alla Beni Pulla Beni"), the superb boogie-funk-styled "Adem Oğlu Kızgın Fırın Havva Kızı Mercimek," the cosmic prog sounds of "2025 (Üçüncü Ve Son Yolculuk)," and more. Remastered sound. Original artwork.

LP version. Includes download card. Pharaway Sounds present the first ever reissue of Cuasares' Afro-Progresivo, originally released in 1973. A wild, esoteric mix of psychedelic funk, Afro-Latin grooves, jazz, and Italian/French-styled library sounds courtesy of Cuasares, an enigmatic studio project created by pianist/arranger/visionary Waldo Belloso. Acid fuzz guitar, cosmic synth splashes, distorted organ, flute, vibraphone, and trippy studio effects. Originally released in Argentine in 1973 as a micro-edition. Includes insert with photos and detailed liner notes by Eduardo A. Elizalde Pietruczyk (aka Bubbling Minds) and Mike Wallace.

The second volume of Rhythm Trainx only features only one drummer and one drummer only. Said drum is by courtesy of Ketiov (brain child of Catz N' Dogz, Voitek Taranczuk) and what was initially expected to be just a contribution to a various artist compilation, mushroomed into a six-track exercise in bonus beats and rhythm tools, with propelling percussions, murky bass lines, and tribal thrills. Impressively crafted, brilliantly executed, and perfectly pounding. Even deaf DJs could spice up their sorry lives with two copies of this.

Sommor Records present a reissue of Catch Up's Vol. 1, originally released on Calig in 1975. One of the best jazz-funk-fusion albums from the '70s Euro scene, featuring such giants as Charly Antolini (famous for his MPS recordings) on drums, Max Greger Jr. on electric piano, Moog, Hammond, and Mellotron, and Milan Pilar on electric bass. Top-notch jamming and soulful funky-jazz sound with some kraut-prog touches, recorded at the legendary Studio 70 in Munich. Includes the rare-groove classic "Onkel Joe" and more. Original artwork and master tape sound.

"On his fourth album, Clic, Franco Battiato moves further out -- into realms of pure and elemental approaches to sound -- to create a seminal work that flows naturally from one musical form to the next. Every second ripples with orbital chords, kosmische textures and schizophrenic string quartets, yet somehow manages the same dramatic pacing and variety as his avant-rock albums Fetus and Pollution. Originally released in 1974 on Bla Bla, Clic features Battiato on VCS3 synthesizer and piano, along with trusted collaborators Gianni Mocchetti on guitar and Gianfranco D'Adda on percussion. While only 'No U Turn' bears the maestro's voice, these seven tracks contain some of his boldest melodies, an underlying thread that runs through the choral arrangements and meditative compositions. Clic's dedication to Karlheinz Stockhausen comes into focus on the final piece, 'Ethika Fon Ethica' -- a rapidfire journey into Italian shortwave radio, interrupted by fleeting fragments of folk music from around the world (sampled from Henry Cowell's celebrated Folkways compilations from the 1950's). It's the perfect ending to Battiato's beautiful and expansive tour of the cosmos, signaling the uncompromising experimentalism that would dominate much of the composer's mid-1970s oeuvre. Superior Viaduct presents the first-time domestic release of Clic. Reproducing the original gatefold jacket and booklet, this reissue is part of an archival series that chronicles Franco Battiato's masterful body of work from 1971 to 1978."

LP version. High-gloss laminated gatefold cover; Includes printed insert and a download code. Teranga Beat present composer Kyriakos Sfetsas and his Greek Fusion Orchestra, an artist with a truly multi-faceted body of work. Sfetsas formed GFO in 1976, in order to accomplish an ambition dating back to his 1960s avant-garde period in Paris: to create a piece of work that would expand the boundaries of Greek traditional music. The result is a progressive-jazz fusion masterpiece comprising complex and intriguing compositions, and performed by Athens's best musicians of the day. Sfetsas grew up in the island of Lefkada where he studied classical music from a very young age at the local conservatory. At the same time he was genuinely connected to traditional music and especially to the sound of clarinet, the lead instrument in the region's folk music. From a young age Sfetsas would perform with Gypsy orchestras in local feasts. It was this experience that inspired him to create the GFO after his return from Paris in 1975. Sfetsas founded the orchestra while working at the National Radio, an orchestra comprising mostly members of the Variety Music Orchestra who had a solid background in both classical and traditional music. In that way he was able to realize his ambition, something he could not do in Paris since it was impossible to find musicians trained in both musical cultures. The recordings on Greek Fusion Orchestra Vol. 1, forming only a small part of his overall body of work with GFO, are previously unreleased. The music was recorded stereo on reel tape and with high standards for the time, with the current mastering process highlighting even more the quality of the recordings. The result is truly impressive and pure audiophile album.

Huerco S' West Mineral label follow Pendant's sublime Make Me Know You Sweet album (OUEST 099LP) with uon's wholly absorbing study in Brownian motion and isolation tank ambience. It's the second release from the enigmatic project whose debut 12"s in 2017 was among the year's finest. On this extended player, uon poetically describes three different behaviors of water and its amorphous states through a gently elemental push-and-pull of forces best considered in the vein of Basic Channel, Wolfgang Voigt's Gas, or the shimmering convections of Ross 154. Beautifully elusive but crucially watermarked with a sense of originality in personalized style, "Solaris" opens with the 17-minute title cut -- a seemingly infinite journey through swells of diffracted chords and silty filters, simultaneously connoting sensations of opiated amniotic safety and oceanic infinity. Where the A side feels like floating in a lush mass, the bass-heavy articulation of his B side's "J" may well urge listeners onto the 'floor with the same, inexorable traction of classic Vainqueur records, and in a way smartly reflects uon's mutable DJ style, before the aqueous qualities of his final track "Bus" soothes to a deeper blue state of loved-up introspection which, like "Solaris", could have easily taken up a side to itself. Bliss. Master and lacquer cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy.

Freerotation founder Steevio lands on Wisdom Teeth with two deep, psychedelic cuts of modular two-step techno -- backed up by a low-slung, downtempo remix by Timedance label head, Batu.

After a period of hibernation, Aperture awakens with a bang and a compelling program in the pipeline. Following their first album released on Aperture at the tail end of 2015 with No.3 Obliate (AP 008LP), the Italian duo T.e.s.o. present their second full-length album Costruzione 04. As the title suggests, the album centers around an underlying theme of construction, inspired by radical architecture, brutalism, and collages from Superstudio. The concept and title evolved from the nature of the album and the process of building up tracks from a number of separate samples, much like the singular elemental materials used to assemble a structure. Alongside their music production, the duo has previously created a multimedia installation that investigated the geometric studies of Le Corbusier in parallel to the musical production of Erik Saite and Matteo Castiglioni continues to create impressive audiovisual installations such as the recent "Freddo Flusso" and "neon(i)", as well as a collaboration with Danilo Randazzo. T.e.s.o. also continue to perform absorbing live sets of their own inimitable range of musical perspective and vision. Intense, visual, and structured, Costruzione 04 again showcases T.e.s.o.'s complex, obscure, and dominant beats and their oblique and sometimes challenging style.