"A legendary concert by one of the great unrecorded bands in free jazz history is here at last. WEBO, the third installment in the Black Editions Archive series of previously unreleased recordings from Milford Graves' private tape library, roars into the station June 21, 2024. For the first time, Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker -- three lions of the Black American jazz avantgarde -- are finally heard together on record, presented here across three audiophile-quality LPs for two brutalizingly joyous hours of real ju-ju & musical mastery. The trio of Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker gave only seven public performances between 1985 and 2013, and released no recordings. Their June 1991 two-night stand at the short-lived Lower East Side venue Webo, long referenced as a signal event in New York free jazz's 1990s resurgence, has been a topic of discussion among close followers of the music for decades. In the uncompromising grassroots spirit of the 1970s New York Musicians Organization and loft jazz movements from which they had emerged, the band produced and promoted the WEBO concerts themselves. Photography and audio recording were not allowed at the concerts, and this official recording, commissioned by the artists, was never released -- until now. So vivid was the lore surrounding WEBO that it topped the list of recordings sought by Black Editions Archive from Graves' private collection. The tapes maximally substantiate eyewitness accounts describing extra-sensory levels of communication within the band, and the extraordinary clarity and impact of their performance. From William Parker's liner notes: 'Imagine a village or choir of drummers, horn players and strings. You can hear the bass and drums churning with a call and response, a melodic-rhythmic propulsion. In reality there is only one drummer, one bass, and one saxophone.' Age 52 at the time of these concerts, Charles Gayle had only recently made his first recordings. To all but the most immediate insiders he was still more myth than reality. Milford Graves, two months out from his 50th birthday, was about halfway into his body of recorded work and had sanctioned just one appearance on a commercially released recording in the last 14 years (Pieces of Time by an all-drummer quartet with Kenny Clarke, Andrew Cyrille, and Famoudou Don Moye). William Parker, the young man of the group at age 39, was a mere fifty entries into his discography, now 500+ entries and counting. All three musicians were at least a quarter century into passionately developing a personal and collective music rooted in the cultural values and radical aesthetics of the 1960s and '70s Black American avant-garde. 30+ years after the WEBO concerts, Black Editions Archive is honored to make these historical recordings available to the public. The three LPs are presented in a heavy black, pigment-stamped box with mounted cover painting along with liner notes by William Parker, commentary from Alan Licht (witness to night one of the WEBO concerts), a reproduction of the original concert flyer, and a set of 6"x9" printed photos from the 2021 WEBO reunion outside MoMA PS1, Queens, NY. Cover Painting by Jeff Schlanger/musicWitness, made June 8, 1991, at Webo during the band's performance. Vinyl pressed at RTI, lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio." --Michael Ehlers, 2024

Cardinal Fuzz/Feeding Tube Records in collaboration with Deep Water Acres and in tribute to Sunrise Ocean Bender Records bring to you: Elkhorn -- Other Worlds. Drew Gardner and Jesse Sheppard, the two-guitar duo of Elkhorn, share a musical brotherhood that spans several decades. From their nascent high school socialist-realist post-punk band Mayfirst, to teenage scavenger trips to the Princeton Record Exchange and City Gardens, the two came of age goofing along to the Dead Kennedys, the Butthole Surfers, and Sonic Youth in the dank Jersey/Philly-scene music holes. Elkhorn has long traversed the valleys between fried cosmic psychedelia and American Primitive, particularly the latter style's reverence for a wide range of folk and blues idioms ranging from County Records compilations to the Mississippi Sheiks. While the pair is best known for their acoustic guitar explorations, Other Worlds continues their recent experiments with other instrumental possibilities. For instance, on the previous Elkhorn release On the Whole Universe in All Directions, Drew switched to vibraphone and drums, with Jesse playing 12-string guitar. Other Worlds, on the other hand, finds them in a recognizable "rock trio" format (in improvisational mode) -- Drew is on electric guitar, with Jesse playing bass, and they are again joined by Ian McColm on drums, with the free-flowing groove he brings. On the opening track "Watching the Skies" you can feel the forward propulsion this power trio sets up, a cosmic widescreen which Elkhorn proceed to rock and groove across the whole of Other Worlds. Three flawless musicians in their own right, together they form a telepathic psychic link that taps into the otherworldly flow that is Other Worlds, as the synergy created by Jesse and Ian leaves Drew plenty of space to take off on exhilarating and soaring flights of fuzzy haze fire that results in a musical journey toward transcendence. Elkhorn demonstrate again and again that there is no height they won't scale, no direction they won't travel. Have Elkhorn ever sounded as heavy or as on fire as the recordings laid down here? You be the judge. The trio is multitudes. The trio is one.

Double LP version. For an aesthetic of (dis)obedience. The impressions Richard Siegal and his company Ballet of Difference gathered on a trip to Japan in September 2022 now find their way into a full-length dance evening. Siegal and his team had set off for Tokyo to learn the practice of Shuudan Koudou, also known as "Japanese Precision Walking". The strictly synchronized group choreographies are astonishing in their radical stringency and have become a secret YouTube hit, not least because of their peculiar subtle humor. Siegal recognizes in the extreme disciplining of the bodies an analogy to the training practice of classical ballet. In the mutual exchange of these movement cultures, questions are raised about individual and collective thinking, about personal decision-making power and social responsibility. For this extraordinary project, Richard Siegal has invited a special guest: Nazareth Panadero, long-time companion of Pina Bausch, who has long since become an icon of Wuppertal dance theatre and will be on stage with the BoD ensemble. On the other hand, Hybrid III is inspired by Noh Play -- Japanese performances and deals with the refusal of rules musically. Hybrid III continues the two previous albums and weaves both rhythmic and beatless musical pieces into a holistic work.

2024 repress. Be With Records present a reissue of Sweet And Nice, the vital debut album from Jamaica's undisputed first lady of song Marica Griffiths, originally released in 1974. It's reggae at its most soulful. Slinking through a tight ten tracks of R&B and pop-sourced material, it became an instant best seller. Sweet And Nice has appeared over the years with a revised running order and under different titles. But the original's opening sequence of loping soul is legendary, even beyond reggae circles. These songs are now returned to how they were presented on that first Jamaican release, and under their intended album title. Be With doesn't mess with magic. Marcia's version of "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" has long been lusted after, played by genre-hopping selectors to snapping necks for decades now. It's followed by the sophisticated, rollicking wah-wah funk of "Everything I Own" and the slice of smooth lovers soul par excellence that is "Green Grasshopper" and her ace, lilting Neil Diamond cover "Play Me". The thundering, humid funk of "Children At Play" "sounds uncannily like a precursor of Massive Attack", as FACT Mag astutely noted when they put Sweet And Nice at number 16 in their list of the 100 best albums of the 1970s. Otherworldly, moody, and essential. Side two keeps the fire burning. "Sweet, Bitter Love" should leave you swooning, and is also one of the album's alternate titles. Curtis Mayfield's already-eternal "Gypsy Man" follows, recast as proto-lovers rock. "There's No Me Without You" is elevated to canonical status by the majestic, forlorn horns of the Federal Soul Givers and Marcia's heartbreaking delivery. And if this doesn't get you then surely the next track will: arguably the definitive version of Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". "I Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" re-takes its rightful place at the end of the LP's second side... but Be With Records added an entire second record of rare material recorded around the same time as Sweet And Nice, much of it unavailable since it was originally released. Amongst these 14 extra tracks you'll find the exquisite late-60s singles "Melody Life" and "Mark My Word" which, along with the sumptuous reading of "Band Of Gold". All material is remastered. 140 gram vinyl.

"Following its release in the winter of 2018, Landmarks, a collaboration between veteran ambient artists Celer and Forest Management, initially drew quiet accolades and a steadfast listenership that has since swelled to unimagined proportions, resonating with listeners perhaps now more than ever and cementing its status as an experimental classic. Inspired by Paul Theroux's novel The Mosquito Coast and Peter Weir's 1986 film adaptation of that book, Landmarks sets out 14 tracks in a 'stunning hour of music' (The Quietus) that creates a 'general sense of foreboding, critique of romantic retreat into individualism and colonialism' (A Closer Listen). The album is now offered on vinyl for the first time (originally out on cassette tape), newly remastered by Stephan Mathieu to enhance the depth and richness of this oneiric soundscape. Both Americans, Celer (Will Long) resides in Tokyo, Japan and Forest Management (John Daniel) in Chicago, USA. Landmarks was born of their months-long collaboration, trading music back and forth and reshaping each other's work using a series of patches, tape looping, and electronic manipulation. As a throughline in each piece we hear their distinct voices and cultural contexts blend to unique, often otherworldly effect, conjuring a dreamlike tension that refuses easy resolution. We are hooked by a mood that captured listeners back in 2018 and continues to hold us today in the context of current events, related disquietudes, and a nostalgic longing for solutions that may be more imaginary than real."

British percussionist Tony Oxley returned to his piece "Angular Apron" multiple times after debuting it in the early 1970s. Drawing equally on his interest in contemporary composed music by folks like Xenakis and Ligeti and on his long tenure as one of the central figures in European improvised music, Oxley assembled a quintet to play the work in Bochum, Germany, in 1992. The one-time ensemble consisted of five players from varied backgrounds. Trumpeter and flugelhornist Manfred Schoof, who delivers one of his last performances before turning exclusively to composition, is one of the pioneers of free music in Germany, a somewhat understated figure of immense power and authority whose 1969 FMP LP European Echoes stands as one of the great documents of orchestral improvisation, and whose own quintet helped define the transitional forms of new jazz a few years earlier in the decade. American bassist Sirone is best known for his work in the Revolutionary Ensemble, with violinist Leroy Jenkins and drummer Jerome Cooper. Sirone's presence in Oxley's group confirms the drummer's commitment to a transatlantic aesthetic, one he explored extensively with Cecil Taylor and William Parker in the Feel Trio. Saxophonist Larry Stabbins brings his incredible versatility to the band, adding the mix of ferocity and buoyancy that he added to diverse projects from Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Peter Brötzmann to Weekend and Working Week. On piano and electronics, Pat Thomas was at the time a relative newcomer to the British scene, rapidly becoming one of its leading lights and most sought-after collaborators. Oxley drew on this crew's wide range of orientations for this "Angular Apron," exploiting their extremes of timbre and register, calling on their acuity as listeners, and prodding them with his finely-honed junkshop of metal percussion, with which he detonates the hour-long piece. Presenting the never-before-released music in its complete glory, mastered from the original tapes, the Angular Apron CD design features images of two of Oxley's paintings. Recorded October 2, 1992, at the Ruhr Jazz Festival, Bochum, Germany. Mastered by Larry Stabbins. Design by David Khan-Giordano. Produced by John Corbett. Thanks to Tutta Oxley.

LP version. "Emerging once again from the unending waves crashing upon fragile timecraft (adrift on the eternal ocean, and taking on water), Dirty Three are a) back, b) tangled in seaweed, rank with saltwater and possessed of three rather ominous thousand-mile stares, and c) not wasting another minute -- as nothing is guaranteed. For their first album in over a decade -- yep, it's been since 2012's Toward the Low Sun -- they flew in, got together and started playing. End of story. What else is there to say or do but that? Music's their language, their true love; they never stop listening to that. And like the label says, Love Changes Everything. The Dirty Three -- Warren Ellis, Mick Turner, and Jim White -- formed up in Melbourne in 1992, to play with guitar drums and violin or viola, and within a couple years, they'd broken out -- out of Australia, out of anything else they might have been inside of, to boot -- and got worldwide. Over the next ten years, they toured over and over the planet, ceaseless like, and cut seven albums out along the way. After this, their unique style of play, fitted together like puzzle pieces, was decoupled, more often than not, and pieced together in many other, fruitful collaborations with many other esteemed talents. Over the past 20 years, they've gotten together a few times, renewed the vow, revved the engines and played some shows, or made an album. These lot were born to be as weathered as they are today. Time doesn't matter. They make their gathered wisdom of the ages sing like something new every time. It renews. And Love Changes Everything."

"Evil Does Not Exist is an expansive new soundtrack undertaking from Eiko Ishibashi, a stellar further display of her ability to explicate the depths of the unspoken in her music. That it is also the soundtrack to the new Ryusuke Hamaguchi feature is marvelous news for all who loved her score for his Oscar-winning 2021 film, Drive My Car. That her music harmonizes effortlessly with the state of nature as depicted in his film, a nuanced tale of humans' uneasy efforts to maintain co-existence with the delicate state of the planet, is a further profound achievement. At play here, though, is much more than fantastic new music from a powerful new film -- it is evidence of a vital recomposition of the relationship of sound to narrative, and composer to filmmaker. The impetus for this came when Eiko was asked by overseas promoters for a program of live performances backed by visuals. After some thought, she asked Hamaguchi if he would make something for her to use for this purpose. This led Hamaguchi to develop the script further, with sequences of dialogue. In the end, he made two works: Gift, a silent film to act as a visual score for a live performance by Ishibashi, and Evil Does Not Exist, his new narrative feature film, which provided the visual material for the silent film Gift and features Eiko's music as its soundtrack. This is a fittingly synergistic exchange within their two disciplines, in which the moods and intentions of the music and the film acted in practical conversation: each one a sovereign statement, made possible by its relationship with the other. Eiko's compositions are scored for violin, cello, guitar, drums and keyboards. Her longtime partner Jim O'Rourke played the guitar and mixed and mastered the recordings when they were done, eliciting further the necessary nuances of atmosphere and mood that one would expect in one film, much less two!"

"It is absolutely appropriate the second volume of Wednesday Knudsen's Soft Focus suite appears as spring finally begins to take hold. Like the brilliant first section of this work (the whole of which was initially released on CD), the music here is a celebration of shimmering sunlight and the awakening of nature's tonal brilliance. But where the first LP focused on more bite-sized pieces of work, this one envisions and documents instrumental horizons that are ever expanding. The first of the three tracks, 'Sunshine,' is the shortest, and picks up where Volume One left off -- slow single note electric piano runs with lightly buzzing sustain that are darker than the song title suggests, but utterly devoid of overt bummer tongues. The way the keys' edges are muted for its ending feels like washing your hands in a bag of rough-cut diamonds. The second, 'Ariel's Letter and the Rain,' has a mysterious title that turns out to be far less abstract than you might imagine. It references a friend making some suggestions involving the rhythms and flow of nature at a crucial moment in the tune's gestation. As simple as that, and the resultant sounds are stunning. The final, side-long 'Soft Focus II' begins with the same slow-massed notes that end 'Soft Focus I,' but it mostly explores long tones generated by two or three notes that fluctuate and pulse like soft drops of dew on a car's window, drooling to the wind's commands while accreting size and strength. After a while, things shift to small piano figures that repeat and mutate casually, before cascading upwards with a sense of coalescent rebirth. Unlike Soft Focus Volume I, there are no vocals on this album, but the music creates its own meditative language that will transport you from wherever you happen to be, into warm sunshine and air filled with the languorous scents of earth awakening. Paradise is rarely this portable." --Byron Coley, 2024

E Gone is Daniel Westerlund from Stockholm, Sweden, and Adventures Before the Body is his long-awaited latest excursion into cosmically earthy musical alchemy, rounding out a trilogy of albums begun in 2013 with All the Suns of the Earth, and continuing with Advice to Hill Walkers in 2016 (both also released by Deep Water Acres and Sunrise Ocean Bender). Musically, Adventures builds on its predecessors' eclecticism and love of sonic juxtapositions -- astute psychedelic guitar lines swirled together with exotic instrumentation and modal motifs, rock riffs alongside ethnic percussion and old-school beats, drones and atmospheric effects blending into electronic deep dives. A pair of songs bring back Westerlund's vocals, though the overall compositional logic scales up from the shorter instrumental pieces on Advice into more progressive territory (most notably the 14-minute title track). As that suggests, Adventures also extends the triptych conceptually -- if All the Suns was about waking up and breaking free, and Advice was a metaphorical travel guide of diverse vignettes, Adventures is about expansion or explosion, whether outwards or inwards; evoking, in the man's own words, "a feeling of vertigo in the vastness of the universe." That said, deep philosophical musings are in no way necessary to appreciate the sheer enjoyment within Adventures' grooves. These are songs and sounds of mystery and wonder, as sonically experimental as they are melodically accessible, taking form somewhere outside of conventional genre lines. An album of shifting textures and formidable scope that rewards attentive ears and repeat listening. Adventures Before the Body is brought to you by Cardinal Fuzz/Feeding Tube Records, in collaboration with Deep Water Acres, and in tribute to Sunrise Ocean Bender Records and Kevin McFadin.

Repressed on LP. Born Herman Poole Blount in Alabama during 1914, Sun Ra first emerged on the Chicago jazz scene during the late 1940s. One of the great avant-garde composers of his generation -- leading the way on piano, organ, and (eventually) synthesizer -- beginning in the mid-1950s and lasting until his death in 1993, led the Arkestra, a band through which a near countless number of important artists passed and collaborated with, and many remained for the duration of their careers, notably Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and June Tyson. Known for their wild costumes and theatrics, Ra's eccentric image and claims that he was from Saturn was deeply political, imagining an alternate social order, history, and future for African Americans that rests as a pioneering force in the Afro-Futurist movement. Recorded live at Teatro Giulio Cesare on March 28, 1980, comprising an astounding 27 compositions, including the highly celebrated "Astro Black," "Mr. Mystery," "Romance of Two Planets," "Space Is the Place," "We Travel the Spaceways," and "Calling Planet Earth," over six vinyl sides. High among the greatest live gigs by the Arkestra captured on tape, carefully mastered by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio, Live in Rome 1980 is a near perfect snapshot of the band's versatility and range, including many of their most notably and famous songs, as well as striking renditions of the Horace Henderson penned Benny Goodman number "Big John's Special," Fletcher Henderson's "Yeah Man!," and "Limehouse Blues," displaying Ra's willingness to address and rework the entire, diverse history of jazz in a single go. Heard in its totality, perhaps what makes Live in Rome 1980 most striking is the way in which the concert plays out. Roughly the first half encounters the band locked in some of the most out-there, free jazz fire that can be imagined, weaving a startling sense of interplay and furious energy into a brilliant tapestry of writhing sonority, the likes of which were only really achieved by this band. The second half, with only moments of exception that return to the furious energy of the first, is a very different affair, easy toward the vocal standards, led by June Tyson's vocals and the joyous collective chanting of the band, for which they have become so widely celebrated, threading the sounds of off-kilter big band swing with heavy grooves and imagines of outer space.

2024 repress. Edward Artemiev's re-recording of his score to Andrei Tarkovsky's classic 1972 film Солярис (Solaris), reissued on 180-gram vinyl. When Artemiev recorded this score in Moscow in 1989 and '90, there was no legitimately available releases of the original soundtrack. Artemiev chose to fill that void himself with this recording, released on Torso Kino in the Netherlands as part of a 1990 double-LP set also containing re-recordings of Artemiev's scores to Зеркало (Mirror) (1975) and Сталкер (Stalker) (1979). This set is now long out of print, and Mirumir is pleased to present the collection on two separate LP releases, remastered, with new artwork, and officially licensed by the artist himself.

Simultaneity (同時性) is a musical attempt to represent a journey of a spirit which seeks warmth, contentedness and ultimately the answer to his question of existence. The word "simultaneity" is a technical term from the theory of special relativity representing two distinct events happening at the same time. This fluidity is embodied in the musical exploration of Ari Tsugi. Comprised of mostly self-taught musicians, the soundscape is a unique melting pot of UK Jazz scenes and the raw energy that comes from psychedelic rock. Produced and mixed by Glasgow-based musician Sam Bancroft (Starsky-Rae) alongside engineer-producer Villus Vilo Jokubaitis, the album features offerings from Liam Shorthall and India Blue (Azamiah) alongside the original Ari Tsugi trio -- Clement Gaud, Joe Weisberg, and Mashu Harada -- with keys from Angus MacDonald being added later down the line. Now consisting of eight members, including bass, vocals, flute and cello, Ari Tsugi have had multiple DIY residencies in Glasgow, London, and Epinal (France). They have toured through Europe, playing at various jazz bars and small underground venues, always playing one rehearsed set and one improvised set with a guest musician. They have showcased their talents at festivals including Karakumai Festival (Lithuania) and Tranzl8tor Festival (Germany). Also featuring Iona Bermon, Mateusz Sobieski, Peter Konecny, Ben Boswell Jones, Finn Rosenbaum, and Lene De Montaigu.

2024 repress. "Regular edition" on 140 gram vinyl. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, originally released in 1977. Released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor 1976's Scenery (WRJ 001CD/LP/LTD-LP). Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop, and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent "Mellow Dream" and "My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui's work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic "Baron Potato Blues" or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced "Horizon" which sees each member of the trio -- Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums -- demonstrating their virtuosity for nine exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, and reminds you that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back-to-back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing two live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore. Sourced from the original masters. Mastered at half speed; 140 gram vinyl; includes sticker.

2024 repress, yellow vinyl. "Flex Your Head was first released in January 1982 and was the first full-length album released by Dischord Records. The compilation features 32 songs by 11 DC area bands and went a long way towards 'putting DC on the map' as one of the era's great punk scenes. This album has remained in print, first on LP and later on CD, and has remained a perennial must-have for each new generation of kids looking to re-trace the roots and ethos of DIY punk. One of the unique features of the album over the years has been its revolving front cover image. The first pressing featured a generic stock cover with a classical music theme chosen from the pressing plant's catalog. Over the years there have been 4 different covers, the violin, the wheat field, the DC Flag and the blurry man. This new edition, which has been re-cut and includes a free MP3 download coupon, features the DC Flag stars and bars (on a red field), an image so associated with DC punk that many mistake it for a made-up symbol for straight edge. This cover image was also used (on a black field) for an edition of the album briefly pressed in conjunction with Alternative Tentacles in the '80s."

2024 repress. Lilith present a reissue of Os Mutantes' self-titled debut, originally released in 1968. With the release of their debut LP in 1968, Os Mutantes cracked the already red hot Tropicalia scene wide open. Fusing traditional Brazilian music, psychedelia, rock, and a good dose of pure experimentation, they quickly became giants both in Brazil and in the outer fringes of pop music, where they have managed to reign supreme for the past four decades. Not an easy task in such a crowded arena. Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben, Tom Zé, and Os Mutantes? What do these people put in their drinking water? The band went on to release several more albums, but this one was their magnum opus. Obi "bookmark" Japanese style; 180 gram vinyl; Includes CD.

LP version. "Like a bolt echoing back from the blue, We Have Dozens of Titles restrikes the iron of Gastr del Sol, plunging the listener back into the maelstrom of their all-too-brief passage of 1993-1998 via an assembly of previously uncollected studio recordings and beautifully captured unreleased live material. Gastr del Sol's music was of the transformative variety -- or was it transfiguration they were up to? Or transmigration? Flux was key, to be sure. David Grubbs formed Gastr from the final lineup of Bastro; on Gastr del Sol's debut, The Serpentine Similar, Grubbs, Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire downshifted from a thrashing electric outfit into a droning, acoustic-based one. Following this, the lineup shifted again, decisively -- Brown and McEntire departed to focus on the project to be known as Tortoise, and Jim O'Rourke arrived, pairing with Grubbs to make a sequence of unpredictable leaps across genre and practical approach alike, over three LPs and a pair of EPs. We Have Dozens of Titles contains nearly an hour of previously unreleased live recordings, alongside another near-hour of studio recordings culled from previously uncollected singles, EPs, and compilations. At long last, vinyl purchasers will hear the full range of 'The Harp Factory on Lake Street,' 'Dead Cats in a Foghorn,' 'Quietly Approaching,' and 'The Bells of St. Mary's' for the first time on vinyl -- all of it, live and studio alike, lovingly mastered and remastered by Jim O'Rourke, and packaged in a three-LP box set with a wicked Roman Signer image on its removable lid, interior printing on the box bottom and inner sleeves for each LP with performance credits for all the songs. As much as Gastr del Sol's albums showcase a group eminently at home in the studio, they were inclined to thoroughly reinvent their compositions in performance. While reviewing live tapes for this compilation, the studio versions of most things felt more and more definitive, with the exception of the live takes included here, which essay startling new qualities in pieces that have been in the public ear for several decades. The majority of these live performances come from a miraculous find in the CBC archive -- a broadcast-quality recording of Jim and David from the 1997 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. The extended company of players on these numbers includes Jeb Bishop, Bundy K. Brown, Steve Butters, Gene Coleman, Thymme Jones, Terri Kapsalis, John McEntire, Günter Müller, Bob Weston, and Sue Wolf. We Have Dozens of Titles revisits the slow-burning incendiaries of Gastr del Sol, finding, once again and after so much time elapsed, another, further set of reinventions."

The Long Shadow Falls is Current 93's first-ever CD box-set, and is as beautiful as the moon! This gorgeous, elaborate, boxset consists of 7CDs, plus a 7" single, and a beautiful 48-page art-book. The Long Shadow Falls collects the 41 unknown and redreamt mixes that C93 created for two (long-ago sold-out) lathe-cut 12" releases, respectively titled The Long Shadow Falls and Why Can't We All Just Walk Away?, which were both issued in editions of just 39 copies, cut by The Bricoleur at Bladud Flies!, which came with hand-painted covers by David Tibet, and with original artwork by him inserted into each copy. It also adds two final mixes of "The Long Shadow Falls" that were not released on vinyl. The box-set cover, booklet, CD covers, and 7" single all carry images from David Tibet's Channelled Hallucinatory Shadowed Found Fotograph series. For these photographs of ghosts, C93 spelled: David Tibet, Andrew Liles, and ChoirBoyHigh.

"What might appear to be the most unlikely collaboration of 2024 proves also to be one of the most invigorating listens of the year! Shackleton & Six Organs of Admittance are in full aural/metaphysical alignment in their mutual effort to become Jinxed by Being. On first listen, it becomes immediately clear that this fusion of Shackleton's bass-heavy cosmic dread and Six Organs' ritual folksong makes total sense. Longtime listeners know that both Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance have been unafraid to pursue their muse into any and all encroaching depth of darkness or outer boundary of potential dissonance -- in fact, that has always been their default mode, finding more of resonance way out there in the process. They also share that ol' maverick psychedelic ritual transcendental music vibe, don't they? And a fascination with repetition and cycles. And a mutual inspiration drawn from alternative tunings and literature -- all this considered, it's been basically inevitable that Ben Chasny and Sam Shackleton would work together. It took a while for them to find each other -- and once they did, it was almost eerie, how preordained it felt. When the music started coming, though -- that's when it got really eerie. The mood rises from the music like smoke, a sure signal of total integration. Jinxed by Being finds Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance delighting in their synthesis. Reveling in the unique sonic textures found in the collage, they launch small details that unfold into a massive space, then fracture into multiple lines of dimensional reality, crossing the stereo spectrum with enervating motility. Here lies all the proof you need against the danger of categorizing by perceived genre rather than intention -- encounters like Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance might never have found the linear space in which they sit next to each other, beyond alphabets and other institutional organizing principles. Rearrange your libraries -- or you might miss getting Jinxed by Being.

Color vinyl version. Since 1995, orphaned by their previous project, the three founding members of Zu (Jacopo Battaglia, Luca Mai, and Massimo Pupillo) had been hanging out in the historic small room in Piazza Degli Zingari in Rome, every day, all day long, working nights and sometimes sleeping directly in the basement so as not to waste time. Looking for their own voice, without excluding any direction: electronics, tapes, sequencer cello (played by their friend Francesco Chiari), and of course their first iconoclastic outbursts on bass sax and drums. One can obviously hear the shared love for NoMeansNo and Ruins, but much more was already part of Zu's DNA, including an instinctive ability to digest the myriad listens and influences that permeated them, without ever copying anything but transforming everything into their own personal voice. After about two years of intense and continuous rehearsals, this tape was the first demo they sent out, recorded in that room by their friend Giampaolo Felici, with whom they shared that space and with whom years later they would also found Ardecore. The cassette went around so much that the Zu themselves could not find a single copy of it, until one mysteriously reappeared, intact and still perfectly listenable, which transferred and mastered became, more than 25 years later, The Lost Demo.

LP version. Wewantsounds announces the reissue of Norio Maeda's cult classic Rock Communication Yagibushi, released in Japan in 1970. The album has since become a Japanese jazz funk cornerstone and is now highly sought-after on the international DJ scene. The album reinterprets 14 traditional Japanese folk songs into jaw-dropping jazz funk instrumentals featuring killer arrangements by Maeda that would fit perfectly between David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin. One of the most prolific Nippon arrangers, Norio Maeda on a par with Yuji Ohno and Kentaro Haneda and this album has long been on many collectors' wantlist. Rock Communication Yagibushi is reissued internationally for the first time, with newly remastered audio, original gatefold artwork and new liner notes by Paul Bowler. Norio Maeda was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1934 and learnt to read music from an early age thanks to his father. He was largely self-taught on piano and quickly got into jazz, before moving to Tokyo in the mid '50s to immerse himself in the city's thriving jazz scene. There Maeda started his own group before joining The West Liners led by saxophonist Konosuke Saijo as pianist and arranger in 1959. Maeda arranged many pop and jazz albums by the likes of Nobuo Hara, Terumasa Hino, jazz singer Mieko Irota and, in 1969, he released the album This is Jazz Rock with saxophonist Jiro Inagaki, reinterpreting international pop, jazz and soul hits with groove arrangements which would pave the way for Rock Communication Yagibushi a year later. For the album, Maeda used two lineups -- a reduced one comprising Takeshi Inomata on drums, Shigeo Suzuki on sax and flute, Kiyoshi Sugimoto on guitar, and Tetsuo Fushimi on trumpet -- and an extended one adding three trumpets, four trombones and a different drummer, Takahiro Suzuki. The album is an explosive succession of instrumental funk and breakbeat nuggets that are reminiscent of David Axelrod with shades of Italian cinematic groove adding a Japanese twist to the mix. It's hard to pick a favorite track as Norio Maeda hits the mark every time and manages to display many fascinating shades of funk throughout the album. One of the most coveted Japanese classics on the international diggers scene, Rock Communication Yagibushi is finally available internationally and will please Japanese jazz funk's many fans.

LP version. Introducing Azerbaijani Gitara Vol. 2 by Rəhman Məmmədli, the eagerly awaited sequel to Bongo Joe's acclaimed debut featuring Rüstəm Quliyev. Born from the vibrant streets of Baku, Azerbaijani gitara culture has evolved into a mesmerizing fusion of indigenous traditions and global influences. From the oil boom era to Soviet rule, musicians have embraced the electric guitar as a symbol of cultural expression. Rəhman Məmmədli, a legend in his own right, revolutionized the sound with his innovative techniques and impassioned performances. Drawing inspiration from mugham music, Məmmədli's compositions resonate with soul-stirring melodies and electrifying solos. Azerbaijani Gitara Vol. 2 promises to captivate listeners with its depth, diversity, and unbridled passion, inviting you on a journey through the heart and soul of Azerbaijan's musical heritage.

Yellow color vinyl version. Guitar explorer Nels Cline is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco. His recording and performing career -- spanning jazz, rock, punk, and experimental -- is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Beyond Wilco, Cline has, in the last few years, performed and recorded in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage as well as in his quartet The Nels Cline 4 (featuring Lage plus bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Tom Rainey). Other collaborators include Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Elliott Sharp, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Larry Ochs, Phil Lesh, Medeski, and Martin & Wood, among many others. Nels currently collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, performs as Stretch Woven with percussionist Scott Amendola, and has led The Nels Cline Singers for 23 years. Chris Corsano is a New York-based drummer who has been active at the intersections of collective improvisation, free jazz, avant-rock, and experimental music since the late 1990's. He's been the rim-batterer of choice for some of the greatest contemporary purveyors of "jazz" and "rock," as well as artists beyond categorization. His dedication to collective improvisation has led to Corsano to join forces with many kindred spirits and his appearance on over 180 records and thousands of live performances. Darin Gray is known as a solo artist, tireless collaborator, session bassist, improviser, composer, educator, Jim O'Rourke's go-to bassist for over 25 years, as half of the long standing duo On Fillmore, as the touring bassist for TWEEDY, as a member of Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi, and as the bassist for Grand Ulena, Dazzling Killmen, You Fantastic!, and Brise-Glace. Darin's discography includes over 150 releases. Its Glenn Kotche's ability to thrive in different and seemingly disparate worlds -- that really makes him stand out as a drummer, percussionist and composer. Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in the rock band Wilco, garnering a Grammy award and seven Grammy nominations. He has appeared on over 150 recordings by artists as diverse as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Jim O'Rourke, First Aid Kit, Neil Finn, John Luther Adams, Iron and Wine, Radiohead's Phil Selway & Ed O'Brien, Missy Mazzoli, Andrew Bird and KD Lang, and Neko Case & Laura Viers.

Released in 1970 on the British cult label The Village Thing (owned by singer/songwriter Ian A. Anderson), the sole album by couple Anne and Graham Hemingway is a superb acid folk manifesto. Coming all the way from Cardiff, the duo has been described as a mystical, magical hippie small family. Alongside classic guitars, they played dulcimer, glockenspiel, vibes, bells, kazoo and small percussion, joined throughout by label-mate John Turner (bowed and finger-picked string bass) and Andy Leggett.

Panoram makes soundtracks for daydreams gone sideways. Picture the scene: an afternoon nap with the television on, quietly, in the corner; snatches of conversation drift in through the open window. Wandering, half-formed thoughts take unexpected detours; before you know it, there's a movie playing out against closed lids, the colors bright, the characters unfamiliar. Accidental rhythms, incidental melodies, imitations of life, messages in code. Across 17 fragmentary, sketch-like tracks, Panoram carves a labyrinthine path in which nothing is what it seems: a fantasy world of breathy vox pads, faux guitar, detuned synths, bursts of flute and orchestral percussion, and even the occasional cheeky cartoon sample. It's chillout music with a chilly edge, ambient with a darkly ironic undertone. Panoram has been making music under his principal alias for more than a decade now, releasing albums on labels like Firecracker, Running Back, and his own Wandering Eye. Panoram's output has ranged widely, taking in abstract pop, classical composition, twisted takes on library music, and cyborg funk. One record of "bio-acoustic transmissions" came with a cannabis leaf pressed in clear wax; his 2021 album Pianosequenza Vol. 1 gathers his experiments on the Yamaha Disklavier. But Great Times offers the truest picture yet of a project that has never been easy to pin down. Loath to overshare details about his personal life, Panoram instead lets the music do the talking, using his cryptic tracks to express the slipperiest sorts of ideas -- the thoughts that take root where anxiety, distraction, and the most fleeting traces of grace commingle. Panoram's approach flies in the face of contemporary ambient orthodoxy, with its emphasis on immersion and uplift. Great Times expresses something thornier, more difficult to translate, yet also more tantalizing to contend with. Its 17 tracks offer a chance to get lost -- and an invitation to remain in the maze as long as you like.

Blue color vinyl version. Eight years after the breathtaking Somewhere Anywhere EP, The Mad Walls return to re-ignite psych rock with this gorgeous, floatily heavy, effortlessly groovy and sublimely sinuous debut LP. Driven by bone shaking acoustic guitar, visceral drums, wonderfully trippy basslines and the throwaway perfection of Christopher Mercado's spooked vocals. Pure rock n' roll yet devoid of cliché. Informed by, but no way in hock to, early MC5, Skip Spence, Sonic Youth, Syd Barrett and Jefferson Airplane when they still all lived together. Recorded on tape in Mercado's garage, there's a DIY heart with epic results across sixteen songs. Only one track over three minutes and some under thirty seconds. "It's just chatter about life and human feelings. Stylized human expression," is Christopher's self-effacing explanation of his mind bending, playful, storytelling. Somehow the Mad Walls manage woozily florid and sharp as a blade. Studiedly detailed but effortless. Whip smart and dumb.

Yellow color vinyl. Les Disques Bongo Joe present the release of Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek's DOST 1&2! This double gold printed LP gathers all tracks from the acclaimed DOST 1 and DOST 2 released respectively in 2021 and 2022. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek's subtle and groovy Anatolian psych folk sound matches the powerful quality of the songs often led by Yıldırım's sublime vocals and bağlama (Turkish lute). They captured a lively, unique piece of interpretation which connects to the meaning of DOST. "DOST is a friend, a comrade, a brother, a sister and even more than that. DOST is the connection to keep this life and world meaningful." No doubt that with this project Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek will bring sounds, people and emotions together.

In the serene expanse of empty spaces, there exists a profound stillness that attracts contemplation. These voids, whether they manifest physically or within the recesses of minds, are spaces for the interplay of light and thought, where time perception is different, allowing for a deeper connection with the inner self. These are moments frozen in the endless flow of existence, a tranquil pause that invites listeners to reflect and to contemplate. The emptiness that permeates this mental space is a canvas upon which ideas are painted. The emptiness that pervades this cerebral realm becomes a blank canvas upon which ideas are woven into existence. Grand River and Abul Mogard's In uno spazio immenso, (translating to "in an immense space,") embodies the essence of this boundless expanse -- a limitless and eternal chamber where the boundaries of thought expand endlessly. For fans of: Caterina Barbieri, Alessandro Cortini, Perila, Sarah Davachi, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Raime, Drew McDowall.

Second edition, no longer comes with large booklet. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Isaiah Collier connects with the divine ancestors on a transcendent direct-to-disc session, Parallel Universe. A saxophonist by trade whose multi-instrumental talents and compositional prowess have stretched the limits of the form, Parallel Universe represents a new chapter in Collier's musical journey. Having already performed with a diverse range of musicians such as Chance The Rapper, Waddada Leo Smith, Chicago jazz royalty Angel Bat Dawid and his own band The Chosen Few, Collier's latest work as a bandleader explores the shared musical heritage of the African diaspora with a sense of grace and assurance that belies his years. Embracing the risk and vulnerability that comes with the live process, Collier and his band tapped into the frequencies of improvisation that fired up so many of the most timeless jazz recordings. Name-checking Sun Ra, Ras G, J Dilla, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Gil ScottHeron, Whitney Huston, Aaliyah, and Frankie Knuckles, the opening track of Parallel Universe imagines a genreless musical lineage that resonates with the polyphony of stories his band bring to the table, from Chicago and beyond. Featuring gospel soul singer Jimetta Rose, AACM, and former Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpet player Corey Wilkes, blues-rooted guitarist Michael Damani, regular collaborators Julian Davis Reid, James Russell Sims, and Micah Collier, the eight-track album bristles with a sense of love and understanding between players at the top of their game. With vocals sung in Yoruba -- inspired by a gift from legendary saxophonist Kenny Garrett -- "Village Song" soars between rhythms and references, from Afro-Cuban syncopation to the deep triplet swing of mid-'60s Coltrane. Laying the foundations for the album as a whole, the result is truly exhilarating.

LP version. Moon Diagrams -- the solo project of Deerhunter co-founder and drummer Moses Archuleta -- returns with a second album, Cemetery Classics. The 12-track album is a co-release between Sonic Cathedral (in the UK and Europe) and Angus Andrew from Liars' new label No Gold (in the US and the ROW) and was mixed by James Ford. It features guests including Anastasia Coope, Patrick Flegel (Cindy Lee) and Josh Diamond (Gang Gang Dance). It's Moses' first new music since 2019's Trappy Bats mini-album and the follow-up to 2017's acclaimed debut Lifetime of Love and everything seems a bit more extreme -- from the Basinski-esque degradation of "Neptune" to the Faustian industrial noise of "Listen To Me" via Art of Noise-style postmodern pop (the first single "Very Much My Promise to You"), Daft Punk bangers ("Fifteen Shows at One Time"), trip-hop, shoegaze, Jan Hammer, Depeche Mode, late Leonard Cohen and more.

2 x 10" version. Nanocluster started as a bespoke one-off popup gig that turned into an album series. Built around Colin Newman from acclaimed UK post-punk band Wire and his partner in life and sound Malka Spigel from Minimal Compact with various guests, they define collaboration. They became a couple and created their own projects like the instrumental electronic duo Immersion in 1994. Growing out of Immersion, Nanocluster was birthed as a series of one-off gigs at the Rosehill in their new hometown of Brighton in 2017 with an added cast of influential and cutting-edge musicians. The songs had been written and rehearsed prior to each performance. This adventure led to a debut album, Nanocluster Vol 1 (WM 056CD), released in 2021 with Stereolab singer/guitarist Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss and experimental artist Robin Rimbaud (Scanner). Now, the new album Nanocluster Vol. 2 has further developed this idea with a stark beauty that sounds like a future pop with sleek lines and unexpected great melodies. First comes Thor Harris, the charismatic percussion player from Swans and many other projects, who they met and performed with at South By South West in Austin, Texas in 2023. Thor adds ideas, his tuned percussion instruments, clarinet and trumpet to the sessions. Then comes Cubzoa (Jack Wolter from the band Penelope Isles) who brings his musical craft, beguiling voice, guitar and much more. Meanwhile, Matt Schulz from Holy Fuck plays drums across both combinations helping the resulting music become a third entity. What results is a true collaboration that, enhanced via Immersion's production, merges its elements to develop a new harmony. Nanocluster Vol. 2 is a 21st century collusion of shared ideas, creating a momentary extended musical family. It's about musical and personal relationships and the meeting place in the middle. A temporary band of house guests. The place where Immersion happens.

For his fourth release via Touch Sensitive under the Dyslexia Sound banner, Autumns strips it right down to the bone and takes it back to the Source. "Raw Product" indeed, Dyslexia Sound Source sucks up and spits out influence over ten tracks that are both lean but massively heavy. A decade on from his nascent, no-wave debut for Downwards Records, Autumns' productions have both matured and sonically expanded into a dubbed-out dysfunctional metal dance without losing any of the intensity from those early blasts. Anyone who has caught him live over the last few years knows there is simply no compromise. There is the raw rhythm of Cut Hands, the weight of Jah Shaka's sound system, the slink of an ESG bassline, the sensuality of Chris & Cosey, and the soundboard magic of Adrian Sherwood. However, as always, an Autumns release is far from a facsimile. With a unique touch and endless desire to push things forward, this collection can only be classified as the Dyslexia Sound.

After playing with Mingus, Coltrane, Lady Day, and Abbey Lincoln, inventive jazz pianist Mal Waldron moved to Europe and first reached Japan in 1970, where he met Idaho-born double-bassist Gary Peacock, who had played with Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bill Evans, and free-jazz giant Albert Ayler before moving to Japan to study Zen Buddhism. First Encounter, recorded in Tokyo in 1971 for French producer Herve Bergerat, shows that the intense pairing was quite natural, the harmonic dissonance of Waldron's "She Walks In Beauty" contrasted by the up-tempo groove of Peacock's "What's That"; future Native Son founder Hiroshi Murakami makes important contribution on drums.

Keith Hudson, who temporarily worked as a dentist in the ghettos of Kingston, emigrated to New York City in 1976 and died there prematurely in 1984. He is best known for his work as a producer for artists such as U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe, and Horace Andy and within short order Hudson brought his all-round talent to full fruition. In 1974, he produced two ground-breaking albums. Pick A Dub was one of the first official dub albums ever, and is still considered to be one of the greatest moments of Jamaican music. In addition, the unique Flesh Of My Skin, Blood Of My Blood became the first concept album in reggae history. Thematically dedicated entirely to black history, this masterpiece captivates with an atmosphere that is as dark as it is deeply spiritual, charged by Hudson's eccentric vocals. In 1981, he created the dub masterpiece Playing It Cool, Playing It Right which he produced with the help of Wackie's founder and mastermind Lloyd 'Bullywackie' Barnes. It remained the only collaboration between the two producers. Hudson decided to release it on his own label Joint International as he has done on his previous releases. The album continues Hudson's psycho-acoustic journey into the abyss of existence and has the power to overwhelm the listener with the beauty of artistic self-empowerment. "Too Much Formula" sings Hudson, whose voice occasionally recalls Sly Stone, "Darkest Night" answers an echoing background chorus found elsewhere on the track "California." Hudson's production techniques are fascinating on this album. There is often a kind of flashing-whip sound on the snare, which adds dynamics to the whole album. Rarely has a dub record sounded so electrifying, with radical spatial sound spreading out in all directions and rarely has it been as crystal clear, with warm bass and echophonic treatments as contained within these 30 minutes of music. 43 years after its first release and 20 years after its last re-release on the German-British label Basic Replay (Basic Channel/Honest Jon's), Playing It Cool, Playing It Right is now finally available again via Week-End Records, with a newly revised master and a rare interview with Lloyd 'Bullywackie' Barnes, talking about the making of this amazing album.

"It feels fresh and sounds amazing." --Lloyd Barnes Wackie's

"Legendary, strange, compelling music." --Mark Ainley, Honest Jon's

"Drag City presents the first ever vinyl pressing of guitarist Lee Underwood's under-sung 1988 acoustic guitar opus, California Sigh. Lee Underwood had been Tim Buckley's stalwart, inspiring, accompanying and being inspired by Buckley as they both navigated a heady set of changes in the late '60s and early '70s. Then, he abruptly stopped working as a professional musician, leaving behind a body of work, that, as noted by Eugene Chadbourne, was the work of 'a loner, who didn't quite march under any one flag, whose improvisations involved the level of sophisticated harmonic development one finds in jazz, floating as freely as Ornette Coleman.' 35 years later, yet still in time, train your ears on the meditations of California Sigh! As Byron Coley's liner notes observe: 'The music is guitar-based acoustic instrumental melodicism with a lovely tone and alternately ruminative and jazzy structuring. The playing is generally in the vein of William Ackerman and Alex de Grassi rather than progenitors like Basho and Fahey, although 'Lady of the Streams' does display a bit of a Fahey lilt at times. Throughout these pieces there are also flashes of single string runs straight out of the Django Reinhardt playbook. But the overall mood is tranquil -- reflecting the musical joys Underwood found when surrounded by nature.' The tenor of the production is transcendent to be sure. The playing of Chas Smith and Kevin Braheny Fortune, on pedal steel and soprano sax respectively, lend additional colors to Lee's music on several songs, but it is largely the soulful depth of Lee's guitar figures, limned by Steve Roach's synthesizers and the Roach/Underwood co-production, that give dynamic shape and elevation to Lee's lovely cycle of songs. And now, with this remastered vinyl edition, the air around the instruments -- both real and implied -- and the full sonic impact of California Sigh -- alternately gentle and mighty, like the natural world that inspired it -- is magnified incomparably. In the years following the release of California Sigh, Lee wrote and recorded two solo piano CDs, Phantom Light and Gathering Light. He continues to live in Northern California. California Sigh is 'dedicated with love and respect' by Lee to his late wife, Sonia Crespi, for the friendship and inspiration she brought."