Dettinger's Intershop and Oasis have long been held, by many fans of ambient and electronic music, to be some of the finest albums in their field. Produced by the mysterious Olaf Dettinger, about whom not much is publicly known, they were some of the earliest full-lengths released by the then-nascent Kompakt, and in many ways, they both articulated and defined the sound that would come to be known as pop ambient, while also existing, somehow, to the leftfield of any clearly recognizable genre. Beautiful, sui generis works, it is a rare pleasure to see them being reissued on vinyl for a new generation of listeners to embrace. Originally released on CD only in 1999, Intershop was Kompakt's first artist full-length. The music here simmers and broods, with opulent banks of tone marking out territory for rhythms that seem to be built from the clacking detritus of technology -- hisses, thunks, knocks. Bass is deployed carefully, each drop a dubbed-out depth charge; drones spin and spiral, warping and weaving between the beats. There is, of course, other music to know Dettinger by, too -- his three excellent EPs for Kompakt, Blond (1998), Puma, and Totentanz (1999), the latter of which, Michael Mayer once argued, "invented dubstep." There is also a small, yet graceful run of compilation contributions, many of which can be found on Kompakt's Total and Pop Ambient series. All this music has plenty to recommend it, sharing a clarity of purpose, and a rare, human warmth and depth. But Intershop and Oasis are the releases that distil Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.
Dettinger's Intershop and Oasis have long been held, by many fans of ambient and electronic music, to be some of the finest albums in their field. Produced by the mysterious Olaf Dettinger, about whom not much is publicly known, they were some of the earliest full-lengths released by the then-nascent Kompakt, and in many ways, they both articulated and defined the sound that would come to be known as Pop Ambient, while also existing, somehow, to the leftfield of any clearly recognizable genre. Beautiful, sui generis works, it is a rare pleasure to see them being reissued on vinyl for a new generation of listeners to embrace. Oasis, released in 2000, refined the palette that Dettinger had explored on its predecessor, Intershop. A blurred crusade of ambient texturology, its unassuming patterns, and subtle, incremental dynamics, admit to real beauty, and a kind of abstract sensuality that you don't often experience with music that is, perhaps, similarly tooled, but not as poetic. Through seemingly simple gestures -- whether lushly expansive repetitions, hyper-acute tremolo tones, or ear-tickling rhythms -- it builds complex emotional resonance. It's no surprise to discover Oasis is held in high esteem by artists like Panda Bear of Animal Collective, who once said of Dettinger, "For us, he was the dude." There is, of course, other music to know Dettinger by, too -- his three excellent EPs for Kompakt, Blond (1998), Puma, and Totentanz (1999), the latter of which, Michael Mayer once argued, "invented dubstep." There is also a small, yet graceful run of compilation contributions, many of which can be found on Kompakt's Total and Pop Ambient series. All this music has plenty to recommend it, sharing a clarity of purpose, and a rare, human warmth and depth. But Intershop and Oasis are the releases that distil Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.
LP version. Står op med solen ("Rising with the sun") is the second album by Amalie Dahl's Dafnie. With this album, the band continues the exploration of their collective sound. There are influences from both old school free jazz, and contemporary Scandinavian jazz like Fire! Orchestra and Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, as well as clear connection to the Trondheim milieu, where the group was founded in 2020. The energetic and expressive band explores their more subtle side with this record. Står op med solen is an album longing for humans to be one with nature. The music comments on the world's ultra-capitalistic power structures of today. The band navigates like one organism through parts of organic free jazz, strict structures and composed cells. They start out where their first record ended, in the familiar free jazz sound with riffs and melodies, and go safely on their onward journey. Amalie Dahl's Dafnie brings together five well-known names from the Norwegian jazz scene, also known from other projects like Kongle Trio, Bliss Quintet, I like to sleep, Veslemøy Narvesen, Galumphing Duo, Treen, and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, among others.
"Mia Doi Todd is known for her quiet, haunting songs, usually conveyed through her evocative and instantly recognizable voice. With a deep body of work spanning twelve albums, and as a formidable collaborator on records by Laraaji, Tunde Adebimpe, Scientist, and more recently with André 3000 and Carlos Niño on New Blue Sun, Mia is an essential element in the richly woven musical tapestry of her native Los Angeles. Morning Music is an instrumental, ambient experience unlike anything else in her catalog. It is a gorgeous, softly stirring work of art that makes full use of its minimal elements. Mia recorded and mixed the tracks at her own Château des Chats Studio in Frogtown, Los Angeles, playing harmonium, piano, tin whistle, tamboura, acoustic guitar, and drums. On the tracks 'Samai'I' and 'Emotion,' she is joined by multi-instrumentalist Andres Renteria on cajon, piano, wooden stool, and udu. Birds and traffic, heard softly in the distance, feel like a natural and comforting part of the proceedings. The small dramas of the piano and tin whistle resolve themselves peacefully, like thoughts arising and falling in meditation. However one chooses to listen, Morning Music is a lovely and aptly named collection of music to encourage even the weariest minds and bodies to quietly awaken. Originally released as a CD in 2009 and now available for the first time on vinyl."
Several years of mutual appreciation and encounters on and off-stage have been the root of this chance meeting, resulting in an unplanned mysterious collaboration album where the aura of each individual is augmented by the magic osmosis of united forces. The 12-tracks display a collage of dreamy musique concrète with desolate instrumental and vocal interventions, masterfully balanced out by Vincent Epplay.
For more than 40 years, Anne Gillis has discreetly unfolded her proper singular universe without any compromise. She playfully moves with determined restrictions, excavating contrasting forces; sensual and visceral, mechanical and organical, black and white. She extends this personal expression in her visuals using self-portrait photos, handwritten text and her theatrical performances are equally aligned. Her music can be considered as musique concrète using the tape machine as compositional tool, manipulating her recorded sources, mainly consisting of extended voice and different (instrumental) sounds with addition of electronics and treatments. In both her photography and her music, Anne Gillis works fully analog.
The strange thing about the music of Anima is that it's often considered as strange, while it's actually very natural. It has a free spirit, analog to nature. For this release the natural spirit is strengthened by the participation of indigenous American flute player and composer R. Carlos Nakai who did a series of concerts in the US and Europe with Paul and Limpe Fuchs in the 1980s. As with almost all Anima work, the natural feel manifests itself not only by the musical approach and sounds generated by metal, wood, stone and air, but also by the absence of electronic devices. This LP is a reissue of a rare privately released cassette from 1988 and was recorded by the Bayerischer Rundfunk.
"Deluxe, fully authorized reissue of R.N.A. Organism's R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O (first released by legendary Osaka label Vanity Records in 1980). A key document of the late '70s experimental music scene in Kansai, Japan, R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O is a hallucinatory trip of dubby bass, churning guitars, sputtering rhythm boxes, twisted vocals and unidentifiable sound effects. Produced by experimental music lifer Kaoru Sato (EP-4), R.N.A. Organism was a mysterious Kyoto trio known only by their aliases -- 0123, Chance, and Zero. They never performed live, and instead sent prerecorded tapes to venues for playback. Remastered by Stephan Mathieu from brand new transfers of the original reel-to-reel tapes, cut by Josh Bonati, pressed by RTI, and housed in a hefty Stoughton tip-on sleeve, this edition also includes an expanded insert with an illuminating essay by producer Kaoru Sato."
VA
Pieces For Sixth-Tone Harmonium 2CD
The only example of a working sixth-tone harmonium in the world belongs to the collections of the National Museum and is permanently exhibited in the Czech Museum of Music in Prague. Sub Rosa presents these new compositions that were written by Phill Niblock, Klaus Lang, Bernhard Lang, Milan Gustar, Judith Berkson, Idin Samimi Mofakham, and Ian Mikyska. The premiere of these compositions took place in August 2023 as part of the Ostrava Days contemporary music festival. Performed by pianist Miroslav Beinhauer, who is currently the only musician in the world to be able to play this unique instrument. The first model of the sixth-tone harmonium was created in the 1920s on the basis of a commission from the pioneer of microtonal music, Alois Hába, whose visions for its construction convinced the company August Förster. The improved model of the harmonium dates from 1936 by the same company. The first Czechoslovak president Masaryk supported the purchase of the new instrument by contributing ten thousand crowns, and the same amount was added by the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment at the time. In 2018, Miroslav Beinhauer participated in the premiere of Hába's sixth-tone opera Come Thy Kingdom, followed by the staging and recording of Alois Hába's opus Six Compositions For Sixth-Tone Harmonium, op. 37, which was the only solo composition for this instrument for more than ninety years. In the last three years, new repertoire for sixth-tone harmonium has been written by renowned Czech and foreign composers.
JOYCE
Passarinho Urbano LP
In 1975, Joyce Moreno, who had just wrapped up a tour with legendary Brazilian composer Vinicius de Moraes, found herself in a studio with producer Sergio Bardotti in Rome, Italy. She had been taking a break from writing and she decided to pick up a selection of her favorite compositions from contemporary Brazilian writers whose songs were beacons of hope in times of an ongoing intense military leadership in her home country. Unlike their previous albums, these recordings live from their reductiveness and intimacy. For a long time, Passarinho Urbano was considered a secret masterpiece and was highly sought after by record collectors, now Week-End Records is glad to be making it available internationally on vinyl for the first time ever.
For the very first time on vinyl, Jah Wobble's 1997 extraordinary descent into downtempo and world beat science. Released on his now-defunct 30 Hertz label, The Light Programme showcased an excellent cast of musicians. On board are historical Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, with more of his African-induced rhythms; multi-instrumentalist and The Wire contributor Clive Bell, conga player Neville Murray, guitar and synth player Mark Ferda, and the exceptional harpist Zi-Lan Liao. If you enjoyed My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts you'll fall in love with The Light Programme.
"The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #11: Madlib sampled composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Henkel on his Bandana album with Freddie Gibbs, leading to this collection of decelerated rare grooves. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs -- listen, ponder, repeat."
WITCH
Witch (Including Janet) LP
"Archival reissue of the Afro-prog-psych Zamrock masterpiece, presented for the first time ever in a yellow vinyl pressing. Witch's musical arc is contained to a five-year span and, in retrospect, is a logical one. The band's fifth and final rock album -- released before the band splintered and an offshoot band traveled to Zimbabwe to record and release disco albums -- makes use of traditional Zambian rhythms and folk melodies alongside progressive rock movements. Like Lukombo Vibes before it, it is in the Osibas 'Afro-rock' style."
Long sought-after by those in know, this essential Irish jazz album finally gets a vinyl reissue on Outernational Sounds. Fully licensed from producer John D'Ardis, remastered at Abbey Road from the original tapes, and with lacquers cut at Dubplates and Mastering, the Noel Kelehan Quintet's stunning 1979 Ozone is presented with unseen photographs of the band and commentary from original band members. Featuring moody, modal jazz of the first order, subtle and original composing and world-class playing, Ozone was the creation of Ireland's most respected jazz composer and musician, pianist Noel Kelehan (1935-2012). The only small-group album under his name, and arguably the first ever Irish jazz LP, Ozone was a landmark recording, but it was far from Kelehan's only achievement. Born in Dublin, Kelehan had studied music from an early age. From the mid-1950s he worked at state-broadcaster Radio Éireann, and from the early 1960s he fronted Dublin's first be-bop unit, the Jazz Heralds. A busy professional career saw him compose for numerous Irish pop stars, arrange and conduct many of Ireland's Eurovision entries, and even contribute string arrangements to U2's Unforgettable Fire LP. But jazz was Kelehan's first passion, and he never stopped playing in both small modernist units and composing for his own big band. The late 1970s saw him fronting the Noel Kelehan Quintet, alongside drummer John Wadham, saxophonist Keith Donald, bassist Frank Hess, and trumpeter Mick Nolan. Playing weekly in Dublin for several years, they opened for visiting stars including Dollar Brand and the Ronnie Scott Orchestra, and eventually played a two-week residency at Ronnie Scotts in London. Though Kelehan had recorded a big-band LP of traditional Irish songs arranged as easy jazz in 1970, Ozone was his first album of modern jazz. Released on John D'Ardis's independent Cargo imprint and press on blue vinyl, it featured original compositions such as the deep collectors cut "Spon Song," subtle Latin flavors on "Spacer's Delight" and a beautiful modal arrangement of the traditional Irish air "Castle of Dromore." A legendary recording in Ireland, Ozone reflected Kelehan's keen appreciation of classic quintet-era Miles, with touches of the cerebral fusion of Ian Carr and the arranging genius of Neil Ardley. Not just a landmark Irish jazz set, Ozone is a lost classic of European jazz more widely.
MAREWREW
Ukouk. Round Singing Voices of the Ainu 2012-2024 LP
Marewrew (pronounced: Ma-leoo-leoo / mɑleːul̯ eːu)̯ is a female vocal group that sings traditional Ainu songs. The music of the long-suppressed people from northern Japan has been a particular focus of Pingipung's output in recent years, together with Oki Kano who recorded and produced many Ainu artists. Following various re-releases by Umeko Ando, the late grande dame of traditional Ainu music, the spotlight is now on the a cappella music of Marewrew, which by the way means "butterfly" in Ainu. Attentive listeners will recognize the voices, as some of the band have already performed as backing singers on recordings by Umeko Ando. Their a cappella versions of traditional Ainu music shed a whole new light on the fascinating songs that have been passed down through generations exclusively through song. Many of the songs are set as tightly interwoven canons: one starts, the others join in, but slightly out of phase. The short songs sometimes unfold into a wondrous trance that seems to spin round and round -- if singing can actually dance, then this is how. Nature sounds and woodpeckers can be heard, and there is a funny miniature in which the ladies imitate birdsong. Things get hypnotic with an evocative song about stranded whales or an ode to the Orca as "Little Sea God." The album culminates in unexpected pop or cumbia moments with a band line-up including percussions and Oki Kano on the famous Tonkori harp. Marewrew are Rekpo, Hisae, and Mayunkiki. Rim-Rim was a member of the group until 2022. Ukouk is a selection of Marewrew's work compiled from CD releases by Pingipung's Andi Otto. Oki Kano has contributed unreleased material and added new versions of the songs which had only been released in Japan. The album has been remastered by Kassian Troyer and is now available on LP for the first time.
Double LP version. Einstürzende Neubauten present their new album Rampen (apm: alien pop music). Since the band was founded on April 1, 1980, Einstürzende Neubauten have been shifting the parameters of mainstream and subculture to make the inaudible audible -- perhaps the unheard as well. This experimental field research, spanning more than four decades, is now entering the next stage. In its 44th year of existence, the band is going back to its roots while redefining itself. It's a change in self-image, for which the Berlin quintet plus one has created its own genre -- alien pop music.
Sonor Music Editions presents this revived issue of Open Air Parade, one of the most sought-after artifacts from the golden era of Italian library music. This holy grail was originally released in 1972 on the legendary Sermi Records label (often referred to as SR Records). It features ten tracks composed by Ennio Morricone's whistler, Alessandro Alessandroni, revealing his great talent and unrivaled sense of melody, accompanied by the brilliant Italian jazz bassist Giovanni Tommaso, also founder and member of the legendary prog-jazz-rock ensemble Perigeo. Open Air Parade is a masterpiece and rightfully sits among the top five in its genre. It has a beautiful cohesiveness throughout and can only be described as sincere. The music ranges from superb psychedelic lounge funk, compelling groovy jazz beat tunes, and far-ranging mood music with lush arrangements. It's an essential album, officially reissued by Sonor Music Editions. This 2024 repress has been carefully remastered, and packed in a thick cardboard sleeve with fully restored artwork using the original painting by Ernst Wilhelm Nay in full fidelity.
RUINS
Brain Flakes (The Lost Combo Tapes) LP
After achieving some decent notoriety, and not only in Italy, as an electro-pop duo (thanks mainly to the single "Short Wave," a small "classic" in the early years of that decade), between January 1982 and March 1983 Ruins morphed into a new five members line-up. With this fresh option, Ruins restructured the previous repertoire and produced entirely new material. The original four-track recording had remained largely unpublished at the time and seemed irretrievably lost. However, thanks to persistent research and with the aid of modern technology, they have been brilliantly recovered from the archives and are now available in this collection aptly titled Brain Flakes (The Lost Combo Tapes), bringing to light the "explosive" blend of prog, funk, new wave, and electro-pop, that Ruins' short-lived lineup managed to create in just over a year of activity.
VA
Fred Ventura Presents Milano Undiscovered 1988-1992 - Unreleased LP
The third chapter of the Milano Undiscovered series, curated by Fred Ventura takes listeners on a journey through the vibrant Milanese techno and house scene of 1988-1992. This latest installment unveils a treasure of unreleased demos, showcasing the productions that emerged from the city's flourishing underground during this era. Inspired by the pioneering sounds emanating from Chicago, Detroit, London and Sheffield, a wave of Milanese producers embarked on a creative odyssey, crafting their own unique sonic interpretations of the electronic dance music landscape. Featuring Sigma Tibet, B-Logic, Grey Area, Mont Blanc, Straight Beat, Love Nation, Soul City Crew, Visions Factory, Periferico, and Beat 4 Life.
Starting out as a typical U.K. club soul band, and then turning toward psychedelia and prog rock in the latter half of the '60s, Pesky Gee! changed their name in 1970 to Black Widow and reached the public eye with their occult masterpiece Sacrifice. Their 1969 debut on Pye is considered a turning point in the British jazz-blues scene. With a cool Hammond organ vibe and some truly fascinating acid-folk harmonies -- both intoned by male and female singers -- Exclamation Mark is more than a mythological album! Licensed from Sanctuary/BMG.
"Big Hotel, the sophomore effort of Winged Wheel, is an evolutionary document. Core members Cory Plump (Spray Paint, Rider/Horse, Expensive Shit), Fred Thomas (Tyvek, Idle Ray), Whitney Johnson (Matchess, Damiana), and Matthew J Rolin (Powers/Rolin Duo, solo) expand their lineup to include Lonnie Slack (Water Damage) and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), and instead of the entirely remote method utilized to create their 2022 debut No Island, the far-flung party convened in person in Kingston, NY for a long weekend of live studio recording. The results are undeniably compelling. The band's signature cyclonic energy is simultaneously augmented and refined with the approach of real-time collaboration. After tracking three days' worth of group improvisations, weirdly-born songs, and other spontaneous creations, the hours of material were edited with a similar intensity. Half-hour jams became three-minute ragers and fragments were looped into infinity, calling on the same spliced aesthetic as some of the most adventurous material by Can, Faust, or more recently the experimental production of the International Anthem camp. The stereo field has been torn apart and sewn together again, rerouted with strange and mesmerizing left turns. Vignettes of ambiguous construction, both tightly coiled and exploding, revolve around themselves, gathering intensity and mass, coalescing into something greater than the sum of its parts. Where No Island was born out of distance and murk, these songs breathe and erupt in close quarters. Though the band isn't necessarily concerned with finding new levels of clarity, there's a newfound power in the steady drive of Shelley's unmistakable rhythmic style, and the unexpected interplay that builds on this foundation. Big Hotel is the sound of what happens in the rare and intriguing moments when Winged Wheel are all in the same room." --Jen Powers
Cara Beth Satalino built her adulthood in feral, eccentric Baltimore, Maryland, waiting tables and playing in a band, keeping her schedule flexible just in case an opportunity arose. Though spontaneity seemed inevitable as an artist, she was stuck. Paralyzed by her own assumptions of what a musician's life needed to be, time passed undetectably -- more songs written, more gigs played, tips in pocket on which to survive, undying hopes of "making it" in the music industry. In a moment of frustration, Cara Beth left Baltimore to pursue further schooling. Along with her partner Chester Gwazda -- fellow member of indie band Outer Spaces -- the couple moved to New Jersey only to be met with a chronic illness diagnosis for Cara Beth, a global pandemic, a surprise pregnancy, looming mental-health issues, and the inevitable obligation to quit school. So much upheaval after fifteen years of a predictable lifestyle led to the creation of Little Green, a bold, stripped-back, ten-song distillation of identity out on UK label Worried Songs. Born in upstate New York, the breeding ground for America's rich history of folk and settler traditions, Cara Beth was steeped in acoustic sounds from a young age. Her father, an accomplished instrumentalist, colored her childhood with the vibrations of fiddle, banjo, guitars, and mandolin. Though she had spent much of her indie rock career rarely allowing these influences to show, the unravelling of her life seemed like a perfect time to be honest about her musical framework. As "Warmth of A Golden Sun" opens Little Green with what feels like a folk-rock dirge over Casio drum machine beats -- Cara Beth offers a sonic analogy about her move from weird city life into warm analog intimacy. "Dandelion Weed" plants the listener firmly into her ecosystem of pedal steel and close-microphoned acoustic guitar, but with succinct rock drumming that gives the song's spaciousness a sturdy foundation. Though the influences of Fairport Convention, James Taylor, and Sandy Denny are all opaquely present throughout the record, surprising twists like the Velvet Underground electricity of "Little Green" and the classic '70s country shuffle on "Time", broaden the scope out of upstate New York into the eclectic artist she has become. Sitting above this spacious sonic palette is the obvious allure of Little Green: Cara Beth's voice. Her vocal tones span centuries, from traditional mountain singing to hints of young Dolly Parton and the delivery of Gillian Welch.
A humanity-reminding suite of miracle moments, Someone Like Me unites a geographically unbound cast of real people in pursuit of a meaningful connection. Taping their lived experience in economic studios in quiet English counties, Pacific Northwest woodland retreats and the big city bustle of Sydney and Los Angeles, these kindred spirits rendered sheer beauty in the process. Custom pressed folk songs of love, loss and the lord savior. Illuminating minor works from seasoned players such as former Syndicate Of Sound chart-topper Sharkey and late-era Canned Heat lynchpin James Thornbury, the collection simultaneously honors the fleeting amateurism of hobby musicians. With their one shot at tangible vinyl, freshman Lynne Ann Kingan realized her loose bubblegum rocker on campus time, while U.S. Navy recruit Fred Potts cut his unconditionally serene ballad remotely stationed on a Spanish naval base. Spartan production continues to reign with Jon Betmead's hair-raising gospel, howling into infinite space, and Goldrust's stripped back garden hymn. Throughout the hour-long reflection, faith has an intermittent yet revelatory presence, most overtly with the divine choral soul of Seventh-day Adventist quartet Remnant. More subtly, Gary Ramey and Jim Kennedy both turned to song in their spiritual quests, offering their all to a universal power. An irrefutable compilation cornerstone, the National Office For Black Catholics showcased Charles Murphy's lionhearted account of the Black experience at a 1971 concert. Five years earlier, high school seniors The Superwomen would use their hauntingly angelic harmonies to address racial inequity with a breathless take on "Lowlands." Reaching the furthest corners, Someone Like Me secures the inaugural license of three homespun masterpieces. Discovered by fluke in the digital haystacks of Youtube and Soundcloud, Jim Huxley's bedroom pop earworm melds peacefully into Charlie Webster's synthesized reverie. Meanwhile, Hollywood's John Agostino introduces us to the bizarre world of tax scam records, with the artist only now learning that his tender psych-folk demos were leaked via a 1977 bootleg. Compiled and lovingly restored by armchair digger Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring/The Green Child), Someone Like Me pays due service to seventeen rarefied journals of truth and devotion. Adorned with visual artist Chris Fallon's figure and flora dream extractions, the uniting songbook is further detailed by expansive track-by-track liner notes and a forward from San Franciscan poet Rod Roland. Also featuring The Bob Hughes Band, Jon Betmead, Robison Kaplan Ltd., and Ritchie Tierney. Original recordings range from 1966 to 1990.
Twenty-three years on from its original release, the debut album of American artist Mike Parker stands proud as a blueprint for deep, hypnotic techno in the new millennium. Originally published as a CD-only edition on Parker's own Geophone label, Field Records are now giving Dispatches the full vinyl release it so richly deserves -- spread across six sides and reproducing Parker's distinctive artwork at scale. Charting the course of Parker's career reads like the evolution of deep techno itself -- moving from early collaborations with Donato Dozzy to appearances on seminal labels such as Prologue, Semantica and Spazio Disponibile. The essence of his approach was forged early on, honing techno's propulsion into a raw essence without losing any of the weight. It's an exercise in minimalism, but the sound is still monolithic and engulfing, crystal clear in its intention and devoted to the power of subtle pressure. When the decay on a reverb opens up a fraction, Parker's music leaves enough space for you to notice. Incremental shifts become monumental in his hands and his commitment to subliminal layering reveals hidden depths the further you submit to his hypnotic sound. This definitive edition of Dispatches looks at the vinyl singles which accompanied the album's original release and creates a more complete picture of the area that Parker was exploring at the time. It's the first time that the alternate take of icy depth charge "Copper Variations: CV1" appears on wax, as goes for the pneumatic tension of "Reduction" and evocative miniature sound sculpture "Blue Equals Black." Expanding the album beyond its original CD form, epic rarity "Dissolution 99" presides over the final side, while the standout Voiceprint release is now represented in full with the inclusion of heavyweight stepped techno workout "Voiceprint: Voice Two." Able to sustain his own creative vision without cowing to the trends or expectations of any scene or clique, Parker's music has progressed on its own terms. What this reissue demonstrates is how fully formed his vision was -- even at a relatively early stage. In an era where the deep techno scene is thriving, Dispatches feels all the more relevant, undiluted by time and still unmatched in its immersive perfection.
An edit-reissue of this gargantuan double cassette released back in 2014 under the Typhonian Highlife moniker, H.R. Giger's Studiolo finds netherworld voyager, Spencer Clark, at a particularly beguiling conjunction of his labyrinthine-esque sound world. With complete disregard for linear timelines and trajectories, H.R. Giger's Studiolo finds both inspiration in the Swiss master's vision and the Cenobite iconography previously explored by Clark on Fourth World Magazine's Pinhead in Fantasia. The CD Head Cenobite picture adorning the cover makes the connection more than apparent. A sprawling, two-and-half hour excursion on the tape version, here properly edited down to the wax container, the first two volumes of H.R. Giger's Studiolo are some of Clark's most mystifying recordings. A baroque odyssey through an hermetic maze of alien voices, warping sound effects, oneiric keyboards and a quasi-orchestral sense of space and dynamics, H.R. Giger's Studiolo feels like an hallucinatory fever dream still unlike everything else, either from before or after. Time doesn't apply here, anyway. Mastered by Rashad Becker. Artwork by Spencer Clark. Gatefold.
WHITELANDS
Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day LP
Repress. The debut album from the London-based four-piece Whitelands. At the forefront of the new generation of Black British guitar music with Big Joanie and Bob Vylan.
James Devane returns with another adept investigation into minimal techno's spaces in between. Searching serves as both companion to Beauty is Useless (UME 001LP, 2022) and the next logical step in James' exploration of process as guiding compositional tool. Conceptually simple, technically robust, the end result elicits both an undeniable groove and a trove of detail for listeners willing to go deep. In his own words: "These recordings are the result of chance. Using hours of source material, everything was 'chosen,' manipulated, and assembled at random via custom software without concern for key, tempo, measures, or rhythm. A search button and a save button."
WRWTFWW Records is flying high as it announces the reissue of the 1997 ambient masterpiece Quiet Logic by electronic music visionaries Mixmaster Morris (The Irresistible Force), Jonah Sharp (Spacetime Continuum), and Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra). Quiet Logic invites listeners to embark on a captivating sonic odyssey, blending intricate rhythms and celestial environments that push the boundaries of electronic music. Co-crafted at Haruomi Hosono's Tokyo studio in 1997, this album represents a time of rapid transformation in the genre, with these three artists at the forefront of redefining soundscapes. With its unique blend of influences from Hosono's immense contribution to electronic, pop, and experimental music to Morris' worldwide chill out DJ performances and Sharp's pioneering label, Reflective, Quiet Logic remains a timeless piece of ethereal electronica. It was originally only released in Japan in CD format on the Harry Hosono-curated Daisyworld Discs label. Remastered for 2024, this reissue is a must-have for fans of Haruomi Hosono/YMO, The Irresistible Force, Spacetime Continuum, Dreamfish, Tetsu Inoue, FFWD, H.I.A., Fax +49-69/450464, and mind-expanding musics. Immerse yourself now.
2024 repress. Be With Records presents a reissue of Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo's Feel My Love, originally released on Salsoul in 1983. If ever an album could transport one to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, or could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches "magic hour" in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it's Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic, it's a masterpiece of "funk love music." A perfectly formed five track mini LP of unparalleled heat, there's one song here that, above the rest, represents Orange County boogie-funk. A straight killer beloved by all that have had the pleasure of moving to it. A track that can fill up a dance floor within seconds of its starting. That song is the eternal title track, "Feel My Love". This is a work of art that made people fall in love with the funk -- it transcends the limitations of genre. "Feel My Love"'s deceptive simplicity makes it perfect to drop during a house set, a classic funk party or at a west coast rap jam. It's sexy, deeply emotional, melancholic, hopeful, passionate and just radiates so much raw energy -- this is music. The rest of the record is hardly filler though. Opener "Oh, Love" is a dizzying, emotional slow jam. With heaven-sent vocals riding gorgeous, sweeping keys that alternate between sweet twinkling lines and funk-fuelled stabbing -- it's sensational. A rollerskating jam named "Rollalong Songs" is an ultra-swish piece of dance floor dynamite; its slick drums, staccato piano, and neck-snapping claps underscore Dayo's buoyant vocals. It's essentially "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II". The flip begins with "Party On The Corner" with smoother-than-silk vocals, day-glo synths, a bubbling bassline, and guitar licks that would surely receive the Prince seal of approval. It's another example of how Mason and Dayo flirt with perfection so routinely. The majestic closer, the kaleidoscopic, cow-bell-assisted synth-funk heater "You Can Do It" is a proto-rap groover that truly smokes. This LP is a stone-cold jam and finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years. Mastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman, with lovingly reproduced artwork, this Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should. 180 gram pressing.
Tara Nome Doyle's latest EP Agape marks her return to the music scene after a two-year hiatus following the success of her acclaimed sophomore album Værmin. Agape is a profoundly intimate collection of songs documenting TND's emotional journey through grief, commemorating the passing of a loved one. Each track explores different facets of this emotional landscape, showcasing TND's otherworldly performances and unique approach to songwriting. This self-produced EP represents an artistic leap for the Norwegian-Irish songwriter. Skillfully capturing the arresting beauty of her compositions, TNDs minimalistic arrangements feature the haunting melodies of Norwegian-Scottish cellist Sunniva Shaw of Tordarroch (known for her work with Fay Wildhagen, Liv Jakobsen, and Juni Habel). The ethereal atmosphere they create together evokes a distinctly Scandinavian eeriness while TND's dedication to crafting poetic lyrics and vivid storytelling pays tribute to her Irish singer-songwriter roots. The EP's title Agape translates to unconditional, selfless love -- a sentiment that permeates each of the six tracks. This timeless collection of songs aims to be a comforting and cathartic companion for anyone caught in the throes of grief.
Double LP version. In the enigmatic realm of electronic music, The Black Dog stands as a visionary act, responsible for crafting, among other things, the mesmerizing album Silenced. Notably, this release marks a significant milestone in the band's evolution, being the first album from the new line-up and their collaboration with the fledgling label Dust Science. Defying industry norms, The Black Dog embodies a DIY ethos. Their artistic journey remains steadfast, with a commitment to originality and creative freedom, unfettered by the limitations imposed by the commercial music industry. The record label Dust Science takes pride in championing The Black Dog's musical prowess, with its first release being the band's four-track EP Bite Thee Back. However, this EP was only a prototype for the revitalized collective, eventually leading to the composition of Silenced, which followed soon after. This creative period denotes a fresh start for The Black Dog, a testament to their resilience and a commitment to evolving their sound. The resulting album represents a new beginning, celebrating and transcending the echoes of the past. It redefines the band's sonic landscape and establishes a distinct musical narrative that resonates with dedicated followers and newcomers alike.
Kraftwerk is the self-titled debut album by the Düsseldorf band Kraftwerk. It was produced by Conny Plank and released in 1970. LP on 180-gram vinyl with gatefold sleeve.
LP version. Wolfgang Tillmans' latest album, Build from Here, is driven by a desire to explore and to expose. It navigates joy and heartbreak amid ruin and rebuilding, embodying hopeful defiance in uncertain futures. The songs vary in style, from propulsive and catchy to contemplative, featuring lush instrumentals transitioning into danceable beats. Tillmans' voice, whether growling and confrontational or tender and stripped down, maintains its prominence throughout, serving as the album's core. Also featuring FRAGILE.
Double LP version. Hot Casa Records present Togo Soul 2, selected rare Togolese recordings from 1974 to 1989. A treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings mostly recorded in Lomé during the '70s and '80s. A fusion of traditional voodoo chants, raw soul and even electro funk. Finding these tracks and their rights holders hasn't become any easier even after few trips all over this west African country bordered by Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso. After eight years, Hot Casa Records, with the kind help of Roger Damawuzan, decided to select thirteen tracks, a snapshot of some hundreds of rare and often forgotten tapes from the most prolific, professional and exciting phase of the country's recording history included international stars like Akofa Akoussah, Gregoire Lawani, and Roger Damawuzan. Many of the tracks featured here are peppered with innovation and experimentation highlighting how diverse, the music scene in Togo was at the time even if the political context influenced their creation. Many of the original albums these tracks are taken from high prices online due to their rarity and so with great pleasure Hot Casa present a selection here that evokes a golden boomtime in Togolese music history. Includes biographies and rare photos. Remastered by Frank Merritt. Includes 32-page booklet. Also featuring Ali Bawa, Napo De Mi Amor, Alognon Degbevi & Les Vétérans Jazz, Mamo Lagbema, Koffi Ottytana Bebli, Deg Dos, Tomede Ehue, Mawuli Decker, Palete Wawa, and Agboti.
A.R. & Machines is the solo project of one Achim Reichel. Released in 1971, this album still retains a magical touch. Ranked between the most original kraut albums of all the time, Die Grune Reise (aka The Green Journey) really is a trip. Turning his back to the original beat movement, Reichel embraced the infinity of a multi-layered sound, experiencing the most prolific path of prog rock while joining the obscure meanders of the lysergic renaissance.
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Skanking With The Upsetter - Rare Dubs 1971-1974 LP
Everything Is Connected: The Best Of Blancmange 1979-2024 2CD
Everything Is Connected: The Best Of Blancmange 1979-2024 LP
Ceres Entropicos Edicion Especial LP
Germ Free Adolescents (Color Vinyl) LP
Flash of the Spirit 2LP+CD
Swallowtail (Yellow Vinyl) LP
Rain On The Road (Blue Vinyl) LP
The Velvet Underground & Nico LP
Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread LP
The Black Breast Has Produced Her Best, Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood LP
Silenced (Remastered) 2LP
Intershop (Remastered 2024) LP
Oasis (Remastered 2024) LP
Liberation 2 (Instrumentals) 2LP
Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974 2LP
Ukouk. Round Singing Voices of the Ainu 2012-2024 LP
Siklus dan Doa (Cycle & Prayer) LP
Jah Wobble Presents The Light Programme LP
No Reino Dos Afetos 2 Cassette
No Reino Dos Afetos 2 (White Vinyl) LP
Witch (Including Janet) LP
H.R. Giger's Studiolo 2LP
New Cross To Ridgewood LP
Straight Out The Fridge LP
Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day LP
Black Water/Brown Earth LP
Slightly Involved Vol. 2 12"
When all you want to do is be the fire part of fire LP
Orbital (The Green Album) 2LP
Orbital (The Green Album) (Splatter Vinyl) 2LP
Cuddling Monsters_CM Vol. 01 12"
Shame on Dry Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP
Electric Baile / Pushin' Too Hard (2023 Repress) (Gerd Janson & Enzo Elia Edits) 12"
A Kingdom In A Cul-De-Sac 2LP
Rodhad Presents: Crimson Rubeus 2LP
My Future and my Past 12"
On the Borderline Book w/CD
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