happy new year all!
hope you had a grand holiday season and ate and drank more than is good for you. despite the short week here, a few real sweet new slabs in for your listening pleasure….
…..pick of the week…..
*monoton – monotonprodukt07 30y++ – desire – 2lp
– a holy grail of electronic music reissued on vinyl for the first time in 30 years, beautiful pressing housed in a deluxe gatefold edition limited. ‘monotonprodukt 07’ has certified holy grail status in the world of electronic music. originally issued by konrad becker aka monoton in 1982 on a then-tiny run of 500 copies, it has been marked out as a genuine milestone by successive waves of respected institutions, featuring in the wire magazine’s ‘100 records that set the world on fire’ and woebot’s ‘100 greatest records ever’ list, respectively. a cd reissue appeared nearly ten years ago, and this faithful edition marks thirty years since it was last pressed to vinyl. as a child of the ’60s inspired by popular sci-fi, who creatively matured during the late ’70s era of kraftwerk and kosmische, konrad becker was obsessed with ideas of automated machine music, applying “meta-mathematical structures, natural constants and resonance patterns in models of “bionic” psycho-active automat music”. this aesthetic is clearly reflected in the lp artwork – blank staves begging to be transformed – and the music, a monotonous moire of motorik rhythm and stark synthetic tones perhaps best compared with the likes of conrad schnitzler, craig leon or suicide, and hailed as “the square root of basic channel, kompakt and oval” by the ever-trustworthy matt “woebot” ingram. this is a methodical, masterfully trippy and forward thinking electronic music, one which consolidates opposing ideas with unsentimental and forward thinking vision, while rooted in something primally affective and mysterious. basically it’s shit hot. don’t miss!
*diminished men – capnomancy – abduction – lp
– in tomorrow… by distorting hard-boiled film music through a cracked, overcast lens, diminished men refocus their influences into something entirely unique. capnomancy, their second release on the abduction label, is a collection of stark, exotic instrumentals full of high-tension energy and infected terror. cloaked in a supernatural fog and man-made electrical storms, chiaroscuro landscapes read like a sci-fi postcard with a giallo ransom note attached. the band’s jagged, hard-charging approach evokes images of slit jugulars and accelerated heart rates, all the while swathing you in a blissful claustrophobia, reflecting elements of morricone’s dissonant horror scores, gritty noir cues, and the bloodshot nerves of a kratom-hazed link wray. distant, searing guitars and pummeling drums seep with slow-pan derangement, panicked suspense and clouded ’50s americana delusion. the smoke clears and reveals a mirage of melancholy wenders-esque backdrops and am radio nightmares, but quickly returns to some other world that it came from. the final album to be released from his now-defunct aleph studio, producer randall dunn (sunn o))), earth, secret chiefs 3, wolves in the throne room, etc.) contributes greatly with his visceral, heavy production, making this album their darkest offering yet. another bizarre series of degenerate no-hit wonders from the phantom guitars of steve schmitt, drummer dave abramson and multi-instrumentalist simon henneman. capnomancy features guest appearances from members of master musicians of bukkake as well as other northwest delinquents, saxophonist skerik and vocalist sara johanne. extremely limited edition of 400 lp copies.
…..new arrivals…..
amon duul – meetings with menmachines inglorious heroes of the past – klimt – lp
– in tomorrow… “this lp was originally released in 1983 on the small british label illuminated records (home to sex gang children, throbbing gristle, etc.), with an album sleeve of original artwork that was soon inexplicably replaced by a mediocre band photo on all subsequent reissues. menmachines was also the second of four all-new studio albums made by this uk-based incarnation of amon düül. the new amon düül featured john weinzierl on guitar, ex-hawkwind bassist dave anderson (both from amon duul ii), ex-van der graaf generator guy evans on drums, and julie waring on vocals. for this lp the band moved away from the more free-form freakout of their earlier days towards a sound that was far more structured and derivative, with definite new wave/post-punk leanings.”
sam cooke – tribute to the lady – doxy – lp+cd
– in tomorrow… the first ever vinyl reissue of sam cooke’s tribute to the great billie holiday! originally released in 1959, features 11 songs famously recorded by lady day during the course of her brilliant career. when asked why he wanted to do this album, cooke simply replied, ‘she was, and still is, the greatest that ever lived for my money,’ no small praise from a man who himself ruled the charts with over 30 top 40 hits from 1957 until his death at age 33 in 1964.” 180 gram vinyl. comes with a cd of the album.
lucrecia dalt – commotus – human ear music – lp
– in tomorrow… today, we seem to have two branches in the school of experimental pop. one branch privileges object-hood, richness of surface, and mass-hallucinatory quotation. the other (much less celebrated) branch seeks to recapture authenticity in the form of a highly personal hallucination of music history. with her sophomore full-length, lucrecia dalt follows the latter branch as far as it seems to go. she leaps into a surrealist landscape with stunning abandon, eschewing the comparatively safe tropes and song structures of her previous work. and she charts a surprisingly inventive and rewarding territory in the process.
earthen vessel – hard rock/everlasting life – guerssen – lp
– in tomorrow… super-rare album released in 1971 by earthen vessel. this is one of the most sought-after records from the u.s. ’70s christian psychedelic scene. psychedelic rock with female vocals. a well-known album for its heavy, way-heavy fuzz guitar leads. comes with an insert filled with extensive liner notes. 350 gram carton cover, 180 gram vinyl.
etta james – second time around – doxy – lp+cd
– in tomorrow… “considered by many to be her best album, 1961’s the second time around, found etta james performing a string of pop hits from the 1940s in an attempt to crossover to a wider audience. songs like 1948’s ‘it’s too soon to know’ (the first rock ‘n’ roll song ever), or 1946’s ‘fool that i am’ (covered by adele in 2009), were both brought to life again here by james. the album’s biggest hit however, was 1929’s ‘don’t cry baby,’ first recorded by the empress of the blues, and james’ idol, bessie smith.” 180 gram vinyl.
*mushroom – early one morning – pilot – lp
– in tomorrow… original copies of this incredible album by mushroom, the dublin duo consisting of pat collins (violin) and joe o’donnell (everything else), fetch hundreds of pounds on the rare occasions that they actually come up for sale. musically, early one morning…, originally released in 1973 on the hawk label, is a real one-off, combining brilliant, heavy progressive rock and psychedelic irish folk with blazing guitar leads battling with fiddle attacks. Includes a printed insert with rare pictures and the original lp full-color poster. on 180 gram vinyl; housed in a gatefold sleeve.
mystic siva – s/t – klimt – lp
– in tomorrow… “underground american psych at its finest: the now-legendary 1970 privately pressed mystic siva lp is one of the most sought-after artifacts in the whole psychedelic rock arena! but back in 1970 mystic siva were just a bunch of detroit teenagers messing around in their parents’ garage with a hammond b3 organ and a wah-wah pedal. little did they know that original copies of this album would one day change hands for thousands of dollars!”
*michael perilstein – the deadly spawn ost – mondo – lp
– in tomorrow… “consistent throughout the jazz-tinged synth excursions of the deadly spawn soundtrack is the same wit that infused his subsequent work, nowhere more evident than in the loungy guitars and synth work on tracks like ‘spawn with the wind.’ ‘let’s spawn,’ the genuinely wistful ‘here today, spawn tomorrow,’ and ‘spawn lake’ are other standouts. the collection ends on a high note with a funky instrumental ballad, the film’s surprisingly beautiful eponymous track: ‘the deadly spawn.’ divorced from film, perilstein’s soundtrack may not always be a creep-fest, but as he writes in the liner notes, it’s certainly ‘dripping with bloody fun!'” remastered by james plotkin. comes on 180 gram vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.
*popol vuh – affenstunde – klimt – lp
– in tomorrow… “brilliant debut by the godfathers of ambient and world music, popol vuh! originally released in 1970, affenstunde (literally ‘ape hour’) was the first album by a german band to employ the extraordinary sounds of the moog synthesizer. blending electronics with traditional percussion instruments, popol vuh – led by the legendary multi-instrumentalist florian fricke – created a tribal and dreamlike blanket of sound that would go on to influence many-a-band on the krautrock scene and beyond. popol vuh would also soon famously begin to collaborate with werner herzog, composing many of the soundtracks to his films from this period (including aguirre: the wrath of god, nosferatu and fitzcarraldo).” numbered edition of 500 copies.
*jon porras – orilla oscura – immune – lp
– in tomorrow… “orilla oscura is the new album from barn owl’s jon porras. the album’s eight tracks focus on devotional solo guitar accompanied by manipulated tapes. post-production was kept to a minimum so the tones, textures, and colors could remain as they appeared. orilla oscura appears less americana influenced than previous works and focuses more on despondent melodies and textures derived from cassette abstractions. at the time of recording, porras was inspired by a book on the san francisco tape music center and wanted to incorporate cassettes as a foundation for the album’s eight tracks. slowing down and manipulating the tape with analog effects, porras would improvise and write parts to compliment the abstractions. his goal was to revive and reinvigorate these taped sounds like ghosts or resonances from the past; interacting and engaging with these reawakened tones.” comes in a gatefold jacket with download card.
psychic tv – dreams less sweet – angry love – lp
– in tomorrow… “angry love productions is proud to present psychic tv’s 1983 classic dreams less sweet, back on vinyl for the first time in over 20 years. holophonic audio from the original uk vinyl masters with meticulously restored artwork. features early ptv classics ‘the orchids’ & ‘white nights.’ officially licensed through sony uk.”
*stars of the lid – ballasted orchestra – kranky – lp
– in tomorrow… 2013 repress, originally released in 1997. “the vinyl version of the second (or third, depending on how you calculate) stars of the lid album, their first for kranky, is finally being reissued. when kranky tried to reorder this title from our then vinyl manufacturer many years ago, we learned that the metal mothers had become oxidized and unusable, probably through poor care in storage. so we shrugged our shoulders and let it be. but with the recent resurgence in vinyl sales, the continued interest in the sotl catalog, and the promise of recent and future activity by the duo, here we are. the original 4 track cassette recordings (yes, 4 track cassette my friends) were remastered and new lacquers were cut, and the original artwork has been updated. the music itself shows sotl with one of their first major transitions, from the found sound and guitar abstractions of their previous music for nitrous oxide to a much more defined and refined compositional structure which would soon develop into the full blown miniature symphonies heard on later works. as an added bonus, the double lp vinyl version has 9 additional minutes of material not on the cd or digital versions. sotl’s first major statement as a sonic force to be reckoned with is now available on the analog format once more.” gatefold sleeve.
*stellar om source – image over image – no label – 12″
– in tomorrow… om-tripping. four brain-bending electronic tracks from stellar om source.
the stooges – a thousand lights – easy action – lp
– in tomorrow… “live in 1970. contains very rare performances from the funhouse era featuring ron asheton on guitar scott asheton on drums iggy pop vocals and dave alexander on bass.”
three legged race – persuasive barrier – spectrum spools – lp
– in tomorrow… three legged race is the ongoing, ever-evolving project of robert beatty, a lexington, kentucky-based multi-media artist and founding member of noise band hair police. persuasive barrier is the debut full-length album from three legged race, recorded over a period of five years. “persuasive barrier” plays like a lost mort garson theme accidentally found on haruomi hosono’s soundtrack to the fictional film cochin moon. the lonely vocal passages and dream-like melody trails lead the listener down a very personal path, where the visual and audio aspects of beatty’s world leave the artist exposed for your examination.
touch – street suite – out-sider – lp
– in tomorrow… repro of the rare original 1969 album by missouri group touch. acid blues-y psychedelic rock made available on vinyl again, with the original gatefold cover and insert with detailed liner notes. housed in a 350 gram carton cover and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
*yoshi wada – singing in unison – em – 3lp
– in tomorrow… recorded live over two nights in 1978, on march 14th and 15th at new york city’s legendary performance space the kitchen, singing in unison is a dramatic yet meditative work: modal improvisations for three male voices, singing, with great gravitas, in purposeful unison. these previously-unreleased recordings, featuring vocalists richard hayman, imani smith, and wada himself are extremely powerful, with a glacial majesty and a sense of timeless wonder. wada’s earliest musical memories are of hearing zen buddhist ritual chants in his native japan, and those memories are reflected in the deep vocalizations here; also evident is wada’s period of intense study with indian master singer pandit pran nath. thus there is a definite “eastern” feeling to singing in unison, with further elements added by imani smith’s sufi background and wada’s interest in eastern european vocal styles, but the music is also informed by wada’s experiences in the fluxus movement and as a member of the new york avant-garde community. the edgy atmosphere of 1970s new york city pervades these recordings, adding a hint of menace. despite the fact that this is purely vocal music, fans of the slow-moving heaviosity of sunn o))) will appreciate singing in unison. a massive, monumental, monolith of vocal sound.
white hills – abstractions & mutations – immune – lp
– in tomorrow… “abstractions & mutations was originally released in 2007 as a tour only cd-r for a uk tour white hills did with spiritualized guitarist tony ‘døggen’ foster’s solo band døgntank. the album contains both studio and rehearsal recordings from the very inception of this full band version of white hills.” Comes with download card.
wooden wand – blood oaths of the new blues – fire – lp
– in tomorrow… “blood oaths of the new blues is the sunday morning ‘wake and bake’ record to last year’s critically acclaimed briarwood’s saturday night revelry. with his once-every-five-years proper rock and roll record out of his system, james jackson toth, aka wooden wand, retreated back to alabama to record this spooky, heady follow-up: an album that demands close attention. this is music for quiet reflection and shares a worldview more in line with noise and doom metal artists than it does summer of love casualties and beach burnouts. every wooden wand album trounces expectations, and blood oaths of the new blues, thankfully, doesn’t break that trend.”
*various – molam: thai country groove from isan – sublime frequencies – lp
– in tomorrow… double lp reissue of the long out-of-print classic cd first released in 2004 — the first modern electrified molam recordings from the 1970s ever presented outside thailand. molam is a multi-faceted folk music native to laos and the predominantly rural northeastern region of thailand known as isan, home to myriad ethnic groups and provinces, and once a part of present-day laos. mo meaning “master” and lam meaning “song,” “molam” literally translates into “master singer,” but it remains more of an umbrella term covering over a dozen types of lam styles in which male and female singers can be backed by a free-reed bamboo mouth organ called a khaen, indigenous lute-like instruments (the phin or the soong), a bowed fiddle called a sor and a percussion ensemble featuring finger cymbals and hand drums. lam phun and lam sing are the two molam styles featured most prominently in this collection. also in the musical family is look thoong, a slower, more tragic style, usually lamenting lost love and perpetual poverty. examples are heard on tracks 10, 15 and 20. costumed isan comedy troupes called talok incorporate hyper-eccentric molam and look thoong renditions with low, vaudevillian comedy and high social satire on stages and tvs throughout the country. maniacal examples are heard on tracks 2, 8 and 11. the classic recordings featured here are selections from rare vinyl lps, 45s and cassettes recorded in isan and beyond between the 1970s and 1980s. this was a pivotal time when music of the region began to be electrified and integrated with western instruments, when electric bass, effected guitars, electric organs, kit drums and horns played alongside the khaen and the phin. molam had never sounded this way before — and due to the typically ephemeral nature of the music industry and the introduction of the modern keyboard work-station, molam will never sound like this again. this vinyl 2lp edition comes housed in a full-color heavy duty gatefold jacket with gorgeous original artwork and liner notes. compiled by alan bishop and mark gergis, october, 2004.
…..restocks…..
syd barrett – madcap cries – fanclub – lp
nick cave & the bad seeds – no more shall we part – mute – 2lp
*susanne ciani – lixiviation – cd
leonard cohen – dear heather – columbia – lp
*tim hecker/daniel lopatin – instrumental tourist – software – lp
jimi hendrix – are you experienced? – barclay – lp
*ilaiyaraaja – fire star – bombay connection – lp
interpol – turn on the bright lights 10th anniversary edition – matador – 2lp
kinks – are the village green preservation society – pye – lp
biz markie – biz never sleeps – traffic – lp
*dean mcphee – son of black peace – blast first petite – lp
mf doom – operation doomsday – metal face – lp
*nazoranai – s/t – idealogic organ – lp
harry nilsson – the point! – get on down – lp
nirvana – outcesticide 1 – fan club – lp
nirvana – outcesticide 2 – fan club – lp
nirvana – outcesticide 3 – fan club – lp
ol’ dirty bastard – return to the 36 chambers – get on down – lp
pink floyd – meddle – harvest – lp
pink floyd – piper at the gates of dawn – emi – lp
queens of the stone age – songs for the deaf – ipecac – 2lp
*raime – quarter turns past a living line – blackest ever black – lp/cd
smashing pumpkins – mellon collie & the infinite sadness – emi – box
andy stott – passed me by/we stay together – modern love – 2cd
andy stott – passed me by – modern love – 2×12″
andy stott – we stay together – modern love – 2×12″
andy stott – luxury problems – modern love – cd
*this heat – out of cold storage – this is – 6cd box
*scott walker – scott 4 – 4 men with beards – lp
neil young – on the beach – reprise – lp
neil young – tonight’s the night acetate – fan club – lp
*various – tomorrow’s achievements – public information – lp
thanks for listening…
listen records
10443a – 124 street
edmonton, ab
t5n 1r7
780.732.1132