|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12"
|
|
LER 1020EP
|
Mysterious Sydney songstress Justine recorded one album in 1979, which was never officially released. Left Ear have chosen two tracks here for Wordless Songs, which they feel best highlight Justine's unique vocal talents and songwriting ability. The A side features the haunting "Wordless Songs," a melancholic soulful number which according to Justine explores the "capacity to comprehend a partner's internal quest for authenticity and connection". The B side "Mama Didn't Tell Ya" is more uplifting in both tempo and arrangements, comprising an extended outro, while the lyrics remain just as personal and reflective.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
LER 015LP
|
Left Ear Records present Antipodean Anomalies, a killer compilation that sheds light on oddball tunes made in Australia and New Zealand during the '70s and '80s. For musicians inhabiting the Antipodean countries of Australia and New Zealand during the '70s and '80s, it was a geographically and culturally isolating environment. Boutique shops, community radio and mail-order exchanges championed independent and contemporary music from across the globe. It was, however, this isolation that caused a number of small community-focused scenes to evolve, creating their own unique interpretation and re-appropriation of outside influences. Through both these scenes and government initiatives, a vast amount of music emerged on self-released and independent labels. Yet, even among small scenes that were creating unique sounds, a number of artists seemed to be making music that was neither here nor there, often meshing together numerous genres and influences to create anomalous sounds. Artists like Olev Muska along with Ingrid Slamer meshed traditional folk songs of their Estonian heritage with cutting-edge computer technology. Ngahiwi Apanui used his native language of Te Reo and a cheap drum machine to create a pulsating tale that highlights the creation of Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand); while the Free Radicals would sing through PVC pipes to construct their vision of post-apocalyptic tribal music. Sydney's Nic Lyon used his classical training to craft a distinctive gem which matched eastern and African-influenced instruments with syncopated drum machines, while artists like Delaney Venn and Toy Division managed to challenge their post-punk sensibilities by blending both dub and atmospheric sounds respectively. Compiled by Chris Bonato and Umut Turkeri. Also features: Errol H. Tout, Helen Ripley-Marshall, and Rainbow Generator.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
LER 1011LP
|
Melbourne's Left Ear Records present a reissue of Nigeria's Kingsley Bucknor's Just U And Me, originally released on Kinglsley's own KAB Records in 1985. After cutting his teeth playing with Fela in the '70s and releasing two Afrobeat LPs, Kingsley traveled the globe before finding himself in London. In London he laid down six distinctive electro-funk tunes inspired by African rhythms and music he'd heard through his travels in the States and in Europe. According to Kingsley, the release was well-received at the time, but due to constraints on international marketing, the record remained mostly unknown outside of his homeland. Fast-forward to 2017 and the stage is set for a new global audience to appreciate the distinct sound of Bucknor.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
LER 1010LP
|
Left Ear Records re-introduce another ten lost tracks from Nicholas Georgieff and Virgil Work, St Louis's basement electronics duo Workdub. The release spans material from 1989-95 and includes recordings from their sole LP (1989) and both cassette albums (released in 1992 and 1995). Workdub's music hardly fits into a vacuum and some might even say it's otherworldly. Tracks like "Reach For The Stars" and "Lunar Module" reflect dreams of space-age exploration, all the while their investigations into drum machines, synthesizers, samples and digital FXs matched with their organic live instrumentation work to create a unique atmospheric dubbed-out sound.
|