Posted in December 2011

…..news letter #517 end of an (y)ear…..

it appears that it’s that time of the year again… days off, lots of food and drink, and year end lists. so once again i deliver to you my little list of things i loved this year. as usual, i’ve stuck to things that are a little less talked about, cuz well, i think that’s what y’all like about what we do here… so with out any further adue….

alvarius b – baroque primitiva - poon village/abduction – lp/cd
- if i were to rank this list, this one would be at the top. hands down. the first solo record from alan bishop of the sun city girls in 6 years, consisting largely of ennio morricone tracks, this is easily alan’s finest solo outting to date. sold out on vinyl in the blink of an eye, but still around on that smaller silver disc. just plain awesome.

anworth kirk – avonwaith – pre-cert – lp
applehead – applehead – pre-cert – lp
– two new albums from the marvelous pre-cert label. while similar both are fairly different. the second anworth release is another great slab of vhs sound collage. applehead delivers a slab of dark library style grooves. both awesome, and both, pretty much sold out.

barn owl – shadowland – thrill jockey – 12″
- before their new album this year, they released this ep, which really out shines the album for me. maybe it’s because the tracks are longer, maybe it’s because the tracks are drone-ier,  maybe it’s because the vinyl is clear with smokey whisps, maybe it’s maybelline.
evan caminiti - when california sinks into the sea – handmade birds – lp
- this solo album from pne half of barn owl isn’t all that different from the newest barn owl album, but to these ears, it’s way better. masterful dark, brooding, expansive guitar explorations.

master musicians of bukkake - totem 3 – important – lp/cd
- the final instalment of the totem trilogy by this seattle based ethno/soundtrack/doom ensemble. this one finds the group really coming into their own and thus producing their most focused release to date.

jakob olausson - morning & sunrise – de stijl - lp/cd
- as always, there’s a late last-minute addition to these lists, and this one having only come out a few weeks ago has hit hard. real nice 70′s private press mellow folk vibes, with great layers of guitars, and olausson’s haunting voice, making this a late night winter favorite.

bill orcutt - how the thing sings – editions mego - lp/cd
- second full-length from this former member of harry pussy. easily the most original man working in the solo guitar field, with his modified four string guitar, aggressive style, and gutteral vocal stylings. the second side on this stunning.

oneohtrix point never – replica – software – lp/cd
- i was a big fan of his last album, returnal, and while the heavy use of a sampler makes this one a big departure from his more synth based sound, this one still has real cool nostalgic vibes going on.

part wild horses mane on both sides – low fired clay escape – carnival – lp
- this euro improv duo create a really lush and psychedelic soundscape with not a whole lot. percussion, voices, electronics and flute. parts remind me of the hinterland who’s who commercials. all parts are awesome.

matana roberts - coin coin – constellation – 2×10″/cd
- the other great constellation album from this year, this is a fantastic free-jazz, spiritual saga. this album mixes all sorts of jazz elements which each on their own could alienate some listeners, but the way they are mixed throughout this album makes them all utterly enjoyable.

……reissues…..

mark hollis - s/t – ba da bing - lp
index – black/red/yesterday – lion – 2cd
erkin koray – mechul – sublime frequencies – lp/cd
les rallizes denudes – great white wonder – phoenix – 5lp/4cd
talk talk - laughing stock - ba da bing - lp
ghedalia tazartes - box – vinyl on demand – 4lps+10″
throbbing gristle – 20 jazz funk greats – industrial – lp/cd
trad gras och stenar - gardet 12.6.1970 – subliminal sounds – 2lp
twinsistermoon - when stars glide through solid – blackest rainbow – 2lp/cd

…..compilations…..

bollywood bloodbath – finders keepers – lp/cd
shin juung hyun - beautiful rivers & mountains – light in the attic – lp/cd
ongaku 70: vintage psychedelia in japan – hiruko records – lp
princess nicotine – sublime frequencies – lp
thai? dai! – finders keepers – lp/cd

hopefully these little lists bring something to your attention that you haven’t heard of, or forgot about, or something to that effect. there was a lot of great stuff out this year, both new, and as reissues. it’s hard to keep up sometimes.

and that wraps up another year here… it’s been a wild one, lots of new friends, good times with old friends, and of course lots and lots of records. thank you all for your patronage over the last 12 months, with out you and your business, we wouldn’t exist, and wouldn’t that be a shame. so again, thanks, and have a happy and safe new year…..

best,

kris and staff

listen records 10443a – 124 street edmonton, alberta t5n 1r7

780.732.1132

www.listenrecords.net www.facebook.com/listenrecords

…..news letter #516 – oh kristmas treeeeee…..

howdy and merry christmas to all!

hopefully you are all ready for the holiday and get to spend some quality time with family and enjoying plenty of good food this weekend. as usual, we will be having our annual boxing day sale! come in on monday and get 20% off everything in the store, including clearance items. sale runs 11 – 5 on monday. come and grab that box set you’ve being eyeing all year, or a whole stack of other killer wax. see you this monday, and enjoy the rest of your christmas holidays.

best wishes,

kris & staff

listen records
10443a – 124 street
edmonton, ab
t5n 1r7
780.732.1132

www.listenrecords.net
www.facebook.com/listenrecords

…..news letter #515 – tis the season to go shopping…..

howdy all,

well it would appear that the holiday season is upon us once again and as usual things are starting to really slow down for new releases. so to make up for it, we bought a big ol’ beatles collection. lots of beatles albums, as well as a ton of solo and spin off records as well. i’ve listed a portion of them below, but stop in or drop us a line if you are looking for something specific.

…..pick of the week…..

daphne oram – the daphne oram tapes: volume one – young americans – 4lp
- daphne oram, founder of the bbc radiophonic workshop, died in 2003 leaving a colossal archive of reel-to-reel tapes and documents behind. this important collection of material eventually made its way to goldsmiths college, london, who have been administering it on behalf of the daphne oram trust for the last few years. the collection holds over 400 tapes made by oram during her lifetime, and 211 of those have been archived and catalogued by the college so far. the daphne oram tapes: volume one is the result of almost two years spent trawling through the archive in an attempt to piece together a coherent document of one of the most pioneering and genuinely experimental characters in electronic music history. although some of oram’s recordings have surfaced on the oramics compilation, this compilation reveals a complex, dark and sometimes disturbing body of work which has, until now, been partially obscured by the more recognizable radiophonic bleeps and whirrs the workshop is best known for. this first volume focuses on oram’s love of experimental forms, of musique concrète, of the science and mystery of sound and composition. It comes at a time when her work is only just starting to gain wider acknowledgment in scholarly as well as popular circles. the “oramics” machine (the first electronic musical instrument in history to be designed and built by a woman) has gone on display at the science museum in london, an important step in what will no doubt be a sustained effort to assert oram’s rightful position as one of the most important figures in modern music. working through the archive has been a life-changing experience, revealing a wealth of musical treasures that include recordings and sound effects made for stanley kubrick’s 2001: a space odyssey and jack clayton’s the innocents, all the way through to field recordings made in africa. this first volume, put together with the help of goldsmiths and daphne’s family, is the first in a planned series that will, for the first time, make oram’s most important and personal recordings available for public consumption. deluxe quadruple vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve. highly recommended!!!

…..new arrivals….. Continue reading

…..news letter #513 – makeshift swahili…..

howdy all,

you know, even when it happens on a weekly basis, i’m still somewhat shocked and annoyed when ups decides once again to not deliver one of my shipments on time. oh well, less work for me today, twice the work tomorrow. anyway, if you haven’t noticed, christmas is creeping up quickly. if you are looking for something specific, be sure to come pick it up sooner than later as it will get harder in the next couple of weeks to get some stuff back in before christmas.

…..pick of the week…..


*omar souleyman – leh jani – sham palaces – lp

- first release on sham palace, a new label from key sublime frequencies conspirator mark gergis. “leh jani” — the legendary omar souleyman track — was originally released in syria as a sprawling 30-minute epic groove, alongside two additional tracks. the entire 60-minute cassette album was recorded live to tape in 1998 at the home studio of producer zuhir maksi in the village of ras al ain in northeastern syria. many of omar’s early tapes were recorded in this fashion to replicate the feeling of his live wedding party performances while minimizing the inherent recording chaos and distractions of those parties. the full track — featured here, reveals plenty more twists and turns from synth and saz during its hypnotic course. “leh jani” appeared in slightly edited form on the original syrian-issued tape, which was distributed throughout the country for a short period of time. the song was further truncated for omar’s debut western compilation, highway to hassake and a concurrently assembled internet video clip of the track helped earn omar his first attention in the west. the album begins with a lively introduction followed by a majestic mawal, before showcasing the incredible uptempo and previously-unreleased “salamat galbi bidek.” all tracks are embellished with the virtuosic folk stylings of longtime collaborators rizan sa’id on keyboards and hamid souleyman on electric bozouk. this complete version of the original leh jani cassette album features an hour of music, and ensures an all-night syrian dabke party no matter where on earth you rest the needle.

…..new arrivals…… Continue reading

…..news letter #513 – unnervingly pathetic service…..

howdy all,

you know how i can tell it’s thursday afternoon? i’m waiting on a box via ups that is apparently gonna come a day late, again. this is becoming all too common… so i guess really, all of this stuff below is in tomorrow then. super. anyway, it’s officially december, which hurts my head to even fathom, but what will hurt my head even more will be all the xmas music that one will have to endure over the upcoming month. super duper. down to business… not a lot in this week, after all, it is december and the new releases really slow down, however the black keys did decide to put out a new record next week so that will be here on tuesday apparently, thankfully it’s not being shipped via ups.

…..pick of the week…..

*taj mahal travellers – july 15, 1972 – klimt – lp
- “now available on klimt on 140 gram black vinyl with original japanese printed sleeve. after returning from a year-long tour of europe and asia, the group returned home to tokyo for this concert. originally released on cbs japan in 1972, the concert remained out of print for decades and has never before been reissued on vinyl! the line up features takehisa kosugi on electronic violin, vocals and radio oscillators, ryo koike on electronic contrabass, suntool, sheet iron, and harmonica, yukio tsuchiya on vibraphone, michihiro kimura on electronic guitar & percussion, seiji nagai on electronic trumpet, harmonica, castanets, and tokio hasegawa on vocals.” i know this was a pick a few months ago, however this version is released with the original cover art, and after all this album is truly a masterpiece. highest possible recommendation!!!

…..new arrivals…..

*brian eno – small craft on a milk sea – warp – 2lp
- now available as a regular 2lp, rather than the super fancy, but expensive box. eno’s first album for warp from last year.
*fennesz/sakamoto – flumina – touch – 2cd
- the third collaboration between legendary composers ryuichi sakamoto and christian fennesz. 24 pieces based on piano compositions/improvisations which sakamoto had recorded whilst touring in japan. sakamoto sent the tracks over to fennesz, who worked on them using electronics, guitars and synths, then they mixed the album together. quiet, restful ambient piano and effected guitar drone. minimal and masterful.
*rick jones – fingerbobs: original television music – trunk – lp/cd
- at last, the classic music from the popular british television series is now available on the trunk label. much of the show’s popularity was due in part to its unforgettable sing-a-long tunes, which have never been released until now. complete with all the catchy themes, the instrumentals and a scattering of stories too. a touch folky, a little whimsical, classically nostalgic, humble, hip, witty and occasionally camp.
lfo – frequencies – warp – lp/cd
- “one of the most influential dance acts to come out of the uk. originally released in 1991, an album that not only plays a crucial part in warp’s history – but also represents a pivotal moment for the british rave movement.”
louvin brothers – handpicked songs – light in the attic – lp
- “a star studded curatorial compilation, handpicked songs 1955-1962 is a shot of louvin brothers magic. featuring tracks performed by the louvin brothers during their golden era, each personally selected by the likes of beck, emmylou harris, will oldham, kris kristofferson, jim james, and dolly parton. morning, noon or night, let the louvin brothers take you to a simpler time, when good old country music ruled the airwaves.”
*mars – live at artists space – feeding tube – lp
- both sets by mars — the most mysterious, and bizarrely-styled ny band of their day — from a five-night festival in may of 1978. one set takes up each side, and while they are similar in song selection, it’s wild to hear how different they are in terms of attack, sonics and approach. the quartet was never captured at its mutational best in the studio, but this live slab is revelatory. tunings, structures and rhythms from a place capt. beefheart once called “the other side of the fence,” this is mars at their most glorious.
dave monolith – welcome – rephlex – cd
- a stellar, forward-thinking debut album. notable influences for this album include: aphex twin, aleksi perälä, bruce haack, david vorhaus, delia derbyshire, dopplereffekt, drexciya, enya, jean michel jarre, luke vibert, the other people place, the tuss and warp 9.
sepalcure – s/t – hot flush – lp
-
the debut full-length by sepalcure, utilizing the broader canvas of the album format to develop their collaborative process and incorporate the diverse influences present in each artist’s solo work into their sonic mixture.
pete swanson – man with potential – type – lp+cd
- comes with a bonus 50-minute album on cd called man with garbage. best known for being a member of now-defunct noise duo yellow swans, but he’s made plenty of solo music since then. this is birmingham techno filtered through the mists of the pacific northwest, coming across like post-apocalyptic house music as heard from a club bathroom.
vladislav delay – vantaa – raster noton – cd
- the beginning of a long-lasting collaboration which will extend and deepen the spectrum of the label, whereas it falls in line with releases of, for example, william basinski, robert lippok, or mitchell akiyama. even though complex electronic manipulations are used, vantaa wants to sound like a piece of nature, resulting in a mixture of techno/dub and organic textures. the tracks oscillate between a decadent, grey-ish, post-industrial sound cloud and the intimate atmosphere of a vast and desolate finnish landscape.
muddy waters – after the rain – get on down – lp
- “the second of two electric-blues albums released on chess records and cadet concept imprint in the late ’60s, after the rain has achieved cult-like status amongst blues fans in the years since his death in 1983. after taking a backlash from critics with first attempt at adopting psychedelic influences on electric mud, muddy made adjustments for the follow-up. he toned down the psychedelic elements and put them in balance with his classic chicago blues sound, and the results yield some vintage tracks that glow with fuzzy guitars and bass.”
various – rangarang – vampi – 3lp/2cd
- it may seem hard to believe now, with the islamic republic of iran swathed in controversial breaches of human rights and nonsensical nuclear issues, but a little over 30 years ago it was all glitz and glamour, rock and roll. the range of the tracks included on rangarang is astonishing, from funky workouts and soulful pop to jazzy grooves and yearning ballads, all wonderfully and imaginatively produced and arranged, giving shape to truly popular music.
*various – travelling through the jungle – sutro park – lp
- subtitled: negro fife and drum band music from the deep south.”this ultra-rare testament release is one of the first and finest presentations of the hill country fife and drum sound — one of the oldest musical practices of the union. on this record, legendary musicologist david evans presents the greatest musicians of north mississippi, recorded in the 40s, 50s and 60s, by the likes of alan lomax. artists include: otha turner, napoleon strickland, r l boyce, and sid hemphill among others.”

…..restocks…..

apple – an apple a day… – guerrsen – lp
big star – third – 4 men with beards – lp
*evan caminiti – when california sinks into the sea – handmade birds – lp
*cluster & eno – s/t – 4 men with beards – lp
*cosmic jokers – s/t – klimt – lp
*drones – a thousand mistakes – bang! – 2lp
*shin jung hyun – beautiful rivers & mountains – light in the attic – 2lp
kaleidoscope – tangerine dream – sunbeam – lp
kaleidoscope – faintly blowing – sunbeam – lp
*thomas koner – nunatak/teimo/permafrost – type – 3cd
*les rallizes denudes – heavier than a death in the family – phoenix – 2lp
octopus – restless night – guerssen – lp
ol’ dirty bastard – return to 36 chambers – get on down – 2cd
*oneohtrix point never – returnal – emego – lp
*oneohtrix point never – replica – software – lp
*sunn o))) meets nurse with wound – iron soul of nothing – idealogical organ – 2lp
*this heat – deceit – this is – cd
various – bombshell baby – bombay connection – cd

thanks for reading….

listen records
10443a – 124 street
edmonton, ab
t5n 1r7
780.732.1132

www.listenrecords.net
www.facebook.com/listenrecords

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