hey all…
soooooo… it’s after 7 and i’ve been at this for hours, so here you go… lots in, both new and restocks… yay!
…..pick of the week…..
*various – scattered melodies: korean kayagum sanjo – sublime frequencies – lp
– sublime frequencies releases their first 78 rpm compilation, and true to form, these are sounds rarely heard by contemporary western ears. this album has been compiled by robert millis, a long-time sublime frequencies contributor and a founding member of climax golden twins. he is the author of victrola favorites: artifacts from bygone days, a book of historic early recording documentation, ephemera and music drawn from millis’ 78rpm collection. in 2011, he produced and helped design i listen to the wind that obliterates my traces, a similar book drawn from the collection of artist steve roden. in addition to composition, sound art practice, and design, he has filmed and produced experimental documentaries on asian music: phi ta khon: ghosts of isan and this world is unreal like a snake in a rope (both for sublime frequencies dvd release) and is an obsessive collector of 78rpm music records and ephemera. scattered melodies: korean kayagum sanjo is a compilation of korean kayagum sanjo music. sanjo, meaning “scattered melodies,” is a form of stylized string improvisation developed in the 1890s originally for the korean kayagum, a smaller distant cousin of the japanese koto. stark and haunting, falling in the gaps between folk and classical music, kayagum sanjo employs a gradually increasing tempo, focused improvisation (the “scattering of melodies”), elastic rhythms, and intense snaps and vibrato that seem to power through the hazy abstractions of the 78rpm recording technology (these are old, exceedingly rare records that have survived nearly insurmountable odds: invasion, occupation, war, division.) presented here are a few of the masters of sanjo as it originally emerged in the early part of the 20th century on 78rpm recordings from 1925 to the early 1950s. this limited edition lp comes enclosed in a beautiful tip-on jacket with a two-sided insert featuring extended liner notes by compiler robert millis.
*various – the crying princess: 78 rpm records from burma – sublime frequencies – lp
– sublime frequencies releases their second 78 rpm compilation, and true to form, these are sounds rarely heard by contemporary western ears. this album has also been compiled by robert millis. the crying princess compiles rare burmese 78 rpm records gathered by robert millis and sublime frequencies co-founder alan bishop during various trips to burma (myanmar) and continues the tradition of amazing music from this southeast asian nation released by sf (princess nicotine, guitars from the golden triangle, music of nat pwe). spanning the years 1909 to 1960, these unique and ridiculously rare records feature early sides by po sein (one of the giants of early burmese music and theater), vocal and harp music from 1929, “modern songs with electric guitar,” and unique burmese pop songs with piano, all from 78 rpm sources. this limited edition lp comes enclosed in a beautiful tip-on jacket with a two-sided insert featuring liner notes by compiler robert millis.
…..new arrivals…..
eden ahbez – eden’s island – moi j’connais – lp
– eden ahbez was an american songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in california was influential on the hippie movement. he was known to friends simply as ahbe. ahbez composed the song “nature boy,” which became a #1 hit for eight weeks in 1948 for nat “king” cole and has since become a pop and jazz standard. living a bucolic life from at least the 1940s, he traveled in sandals and wore shoulder-length hair and beard, and white robes. he camped out below the first l in the hollywood sign above los angeles and studied oriental mysticism. he slept outdoors with his family and ate vegetables, fruits, and nuts. he claimed to live on three dollars per week. in 1959, he began recording instrumental music, which combined his signature somber tones with exotic arrangements and “primitive rhythms”. he often performed bongo, flute, and poetry gigs at beat coffeehouses in the la area. in 1960, he recorded his only solo lp, eden’s island for del-fi records. this mixed beatnik poetry with exotica arrangements. ahbez promoted the album through a coast-to-coast walking tour making personal appearances, but it sold poorly.
*broadcast – berberian sound studio ost – warp – cd
– “peter strickland’s berberian sound studio has emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed indie films of 2011. the film’s sublime soundtrack, composed by broadcast (aka trish keenan and james cargill), before trish’s untimely passing last year, sets a sinister and atmospheric tone that still exists well within broadcast’s sonic universe.”
precious bryant/algia mae hinton – gran’mas i’ve never had – moi j’connais – lp
– in front of an age-old trailer, or under the porch of a broken-down home, sit two weather worn ladies. guitar in hand, they sing their songs of wonder, distilling years of struggle into blissful and blithe melodies. and still their dry-but-mellow voices dance into the world… precious bryant (4 january 1942 – ) and algia mae hinton (29 august 1929 – ) have wandered through the century, singing lullabies to their children and grandchildren. real, timeless, their music has travelled across the atlantic, meandered between the piedmont and the blue ridge mountains, and settled into a style of fingerpicking a little reminiscent of mississippi john hurt, jimmy rodgers, or their buddy elizabeth cotton – of this particular sound that travelled all the way from europe and collided with africa.
*caravan – man & buffalo – strawberry rain – cd
– reissue of one of the rarest and most sought after releases from the thai scene. having been rated 6 stars by hans pokora (well deserved as this lp consistently sells for 4 figures locally in thailand), this has become near impossible to source, even in its native county as many were destroyed over the years. having been part of the student movement in thailand, caravan was forced into exile after the thammasat university incident. as some of the founders of the ‘songs for life’ genre, the music contained on this album helped bridge the gap between the farmers and students, which in turn changed the political and social landscape of thailand to this day. arguably one of the most important albums ever released in south east asia, this is not only a beautiful slab of ethnic folk rock, but has become a landmark in thai history.
esben & the witch – wash the sins not only the face – matador – lp/cd
– “dispelling any burden of ‘the difficult second album’, esben and the witch have comprehensively transcended any such slump or curse with wash the sins not only the face: a majestic, haunting and triumphant work that is not ‘difficult’ in the slightest. their second full-length brings to fruition concepts that glimmered on their first, 2011’s acclaimed violet cries, but there are no laurels being rested upon here.”
nils frahm – screws – erased tapes – lp
– berlin-based pianist nils frahm presents a 30 minute mini-album to his fans. nils experienced an unfortunate accident, which saw him fall from his bunk bed located directly above his studio, which resulted in a broken thumb. but through inspiration from his fans and despite the four screws that had just been surgically placed inside his thumb, he started recording with nine fingers, which later resulted in nine intimate piano recordings.
lee gamble – dutch tvashar plumes – pan – lp
– dutch tvashar plumes seems to map the changes in lee gamble’s approach to music-making over the last couple of years. from his initial exposure and subsequent immersion into jungle as a teenager, he soon began experimenting with structure and sound design, which led him to a more “academic” approach to “computer music.” there were many self-imposed rules he adhered to during this time. these last few years he decided to break with that and make an intuitive venture forward. this record is the first real document of that. lee gamble started out as a teenager djing on pirate radio and on the emerging jungle scene; however, his own approach to music has taken a more experimental direction. exploring the outer realms of abstraction through digital synthesis/re-synthesis, lee has described his current compositional process as: “the configuration of material (ex nihilo) via various digital synthesis methods, prompts further disfigurations and reconfigurations. what you then have left is often the detritus or debris of an idea. phantasms of both previous and current musical, pseudo-scientific and sculptural influences are manifest as new material abstractions, created from the digital blank canvas. this abstraction allows several interests to appear in the works simultaneously.”
*hand – everybody’s own – golden pavilion – lp
– recorded in lausanne, switzerland in 1972, it highlights the timeless compositions of marc osborne and tony angier. written and performed when most band members were still in their teens, it blends the characteristic sounds of the british folk revival as represented by donovan, nick drake and pentangle, with the psychedelic vibe of the byrds, crosby, stills & nash and neil young, producing music that still sounds fresh and relevant, particularly as current bands such as the decemberists, mumford & sons, arcade fire, gillian welch with david rawlings, and the jayhawks are drawing from the same rich heritage. when much of today’s music is inspired by the great bands of the 70’s, “everybody’s own” arrives fully formed and beautifully preserved from that fruitful era, and ripe for rediscovery.
lightning hopkins – first meetin’ of blues giants – doxy – lp
– “the complete studio session along with lightnin’ hopkins live at the ash grove club, now for the first time ever on 180 gram double vinyl. this 1960 studio session commemorates a rare moment in blues history. with the help of the ubiquitous lomax family, pacific world records managed to get four giants of the blues — lightnin’ hopkins, brownie mcghee, sonny terry, and big joe williams — together in-studio for this informal jam session on 6 july 1960. interestingly, it was also the first time that hopkins and mcghee had ever met (although each man had always admired the other’s guitar playing tremendously). eight years prior, mcghee had even written a ‘challenge’ song called ‘a letter to lightnin’ hopkins,’ to which lightnin’ had the chance to respond for the first time here in this entirely improvised ‘answer song’ called ‘first meetin’.’ in fact, most of the songs on this album, like ‘wimmin from coast to coast’ and ‘ain’t nothin’ like whisky,’ are recorded in a rare call-and-answer format between lightnin’, brownie, and big joe. in addition, side d features a live recording of lightnin’ hopkins playing the legendary ash grove folk club in l.a. the following night (7 july 1960). pure unrehearsed genius. these men were not mere blues players, they were mediums for the divine.”
jahiliyya fields – uni hex – l.i.e.s. – 2lp
– moving further into territories of experimental electronics comes the debut album from brooklyn artist, jahiliyya fields. this double lp evokes emotions of equal pain, passion, beauty and disgust, as it delves into areas of the psyche many are afraid to come in contact with. read between the lines, close your eyes and listen. not unlike new age music of the past meeting the harsh textures of the early industrial pioneers, this music serves as another narrative to our quickly deteriorating western societal structure. outsider music for those of us pushed to the side and living on the fringe. pressed loud on four sides for maximum aural damage.
sekou batourou kouyate – et sa cora – tembo – lp
– this definitive example of malian kora playing, by the legendary and influential sekou batourou kouyaté was recorded in 1976, and has been digitally remastered for the first time, allowing the delicate notes of this instrumental album to shine through. creating a melodious sound that resembles at times a harp and remarkably, the delta blues guitar, the kora players are known as storytellers and historians, passing on traditions and folk tales. for the uninitiated listener, allow yourself the pleasure of hearing the kora played to perfection by the master of this mighty instrument. released on cd for the first time, including a new booklet with updated information and pictures.
mountains – centralia – thrill jockey – lp
– “mountains’ music is defined by slow builds, and subtle transformations, textures, and melodic lines that evolve in a variety of ways to create grand soundscapes and acutely detailed compositions. for centralia, the duo of koen holtkamp and brendon anderegg wrote and recorded in a way that mirrors the pace of their music. while the current trend in experimental music is towards hyper-prolificacy, mountains have taken their time on centralia, resulting in an album that is as precise as it is boundless. holtkamp and anderegg approached the album layer by layer, throughout much of the record, combining purely-acoustic recordings with purely-electronic sounds rather than using electronics to manipulate acoustic source material. guitar, cello, organs, electric piano, and more are seamlessly combined with modular electronics, synthesizers, and other sound sources. the result is a fully engrossing listen, always shifting focus between acoustic instruments, processed instruments, and electronic sound.”
nosaj thing – home – innovative leisure – lp
– it’s been three years since the release of nosaj thing’s highly acclaimed debut album, drift, which topped countless best of year lists, but 2013 will mark a new chapter for the 27-year-old producer, musician and dj from los angeles. with a new album, label and imprint for innovative leisure, home marks the first time nosaj has incorporated guest vocalists. having remixed and worked with the likes of the xx, flying lotus, charlotte gainsbourg, beck & kendrick lamar, it was time to incorporate a few collaborations of his own with toro y moi and kazu makino (blonde redhead) providing ethereal vocals for two of the tracks on home. the rest of the album is rounded with nosaj’s signature cinematic soundscapes that explore the space from where the drift left off.
*os brazoes – s/t – moi j’connais – lp
– here is an obscure slice of late-’60s killer brazilian psychedelia ! little is known about os brazoes except that they formed in rio de janeiro late in 1969 and that their main claim to fame was being picked by gal costa as her backing band when she was making her early, and hugely, influential forays into tropicalia – her best and most psychedelic effort being the tuareg song. it turns out her sidemen had a pretty great album in them as well; they created a synthesis of north american rock & roll and native brazilian styles, with results similar to those being explored by tropicalia ringleaders os mutantes, gilberto gil, jorge ben, whom the band cover on this record. buzzing fuzz guitars, pop vocals, space-out effects and exotic percussions: the band blend ethnic rhythms with some jazzy, western-influenced pop-rock before launching into weird euphoric space trips!
gils peterson – black jazz radio – snow dog – cd
– peterson, well-known for his record label (brownswood), bbc radio show, and deep crates, takes the challenge and pays tribute to one of his favorite labels, black jazz records. not merely a “best of” the label, gilles successfully links the disparate corners of a first-class soul/jazz/funk catalog (black jazz, 1971-1976) with tracks by calvin keys, doug carn, kellee patterson, and label-head gene russell, while making the listener nearly forget the thread that ties the tracks together.
*rictus – christelle – strawberry rain – lp
– christelle is a 6 year old girl. she is happy. one day she meets an evil genius who makes her have bad hallucinations. each song is one of her hallucinations. reissue of a rare, 250 copy private press progressive rock album from france, rated 5 stars in the pokora books. recorded on a 4 track akai in the small town of luxueil-les-bains, this album was only sold at a few shows and in one local shop. pressed at the small le kiosque d’orphee pressing plant, this was truly a private offering with the band having made and glued the covers themselves. a long album, including the 14+ minute progressive gem ‘theme guerre’, the music spans from lo-fi fuzz laden numbers to strong progressive songs with numerous bridges and changes. conceptually a rock opera, but plays like a full length progressive album that could rival anything from france at the time.
*marcos valle – s/t – light in the attic – lp/cd
– evolving from samba’s percussive pulse in the late 1950s, bossa nova (literal translation: new trend), is brazil’s internationally accepted gift to the global melting pot of music. initially brought to prominence by the likes of antônio carlos jobim, joão gilberto, and joão donato, by the mid-1960s, there was an emerging pool of youthful talent ready to make their voices heard. marcos valle and his lyricist brother paulo sergio were no exception. after signing to odeon records (a subsidiary of emi) the pair penned a classic of the south american songbook, “samba de verão”—known in english as “so nice (summer samba).” a musical trip to the united states in 1966, where the singer worked with sergio mendes and jazz giant verve records, provided even more inspiration. by the dawn of the 1970s, the multi-talented valle was entering a new era, ready to test the government censors (brazil was under strict military rule since a coup d’état in 1964) and express a socially aware stance and a playful hodge-podge of musical styles including samba, bossa nova, baião (a rhythmic beat from the rural northeast of brazil), black american music, and rock.
*marcos valle – garra – light in the attic – lp/cd
– the follow-up album to valle’s 1970’s self-titled long player. marcos and lyricist brother paulo sergio recorded the disc with some of brazil’s top studio musicians and created the pair’s most overtly political statement. recorded amongst sessions for a steady stream of popular tv novella soundtracks—a side gig for the sun-kissed composer—the results tested the military led government’s hand picked sensors, looking over the country’s art and music with sharp eyes for critical or objectionable content. unfortunately, some of valle’s peers didn’t’ fare as well and were either exiled (like tropicália movement icons gilberto gil and caetano veloso in 1969) or fled the country for the united states or europe.
yo la tengo – fade – matador – lp/deluxe lp/cd
– “fade” is the most direct, personal and cohesive album of yo la tengo’s career. recorded with john mcentire at soma studios in chicago, it recalls the sonic innovation and lush cohesion of career high points like 1997‘s “i can hear the heart beating as one” and 2000’s “and then nothing turned itself inside out”. the album is a tapestry of fine melody and elegant noise, rhythmic shadowplay and shy-eyed orchestral beauty, songfulness and experimentation. but “fade” attains a lyrical universality and hard-won sense of grandeur that’s rare even for this band. it weaves themes of aging, personal tragedy and emotional bonds into a fully-realized whole that recalls career-defining statements like “blood on the tracks”, “i want to see the bright lights tonight”, or al green’s “call me”. soft, gentle, persuasive, melancholy, beautiful and triumphant in turns, the effect is both heartbreaking and reassuring.
various – american noise – l.i.e.s. – 2cd
– after two years of existence, new york’s l.i.e.s. records has transformed itself from a bedroom label into one of the more interesting and diverse labels in the world of modern underground electronic music. cd1 of this double cd compiles and documents some of the label’s early moments, showcasing out-of-print tracks by legowelt, terekke, steve moore, two dogs in a house, and bookworms, to name a few, showcasing the broad yet cohesive spectrum of styles the label has worked within. the second disc is comprised of almost all new and unreleased material from the label’s current pool of talent, with tracks by the likes of newcomer delroy edwards, mutant beat dance’s beau wanzer, cult figure terekke, early label contributor marcos cabral and more.
various – pop ambient 2013 – kompakt – lp+cd
– kompakt returns with its annual compilation and, as in the years before, pop ambient 2013 collects an illustrious cast of producers uniting genre pioneers alongside old friends and some surprising new arrivals. leandro frescokicks, michael mayer, wolfgang voigt, jens-uwe beyer, jörg burger aka triola, marsen jules mikkel metal, scsi-9, rückverzauberung, leandro fresco, and more.
*various – pop yeh yeh – sublime frequencies – cd
– until now, for some unknown reason, the psychedelic rock movement in singapore and malaysia, aka pop yeh yeh, has never been given the worldwide attention it deserves. this compilation — pop yeh yeh – psychedelic rock from singapore and malaysia 1964-1970: vol. 1 — is the first of its kind to focus solely on the malay rock groups of this region. the pop yeh yeh era, which took place roughly between the years of 1964 to 1970, coincided with the rapid modernization happening at the time in singapore and malaysia. sublime frequencies has already released many incredible compilations from neighboring indonesia, so it’s about time that the malaysian groups got some attention! pop yeh yeh artists instinctively cross-pollinated electric sounds of the west with malay melodies, and added their own local poetic voice to the lyrics they wrote — sung in malay and sometimes bawean. the pop yeh yeh musicians started out playing in styles inspired by western groups like the beatles and cliff richard, but they eventually succeeded in creating a sound all their own — a sound that is not only accessible to the western ear, but also retains an undeniable malay personality. nearly eight years in the making, this compilation was exhaustively researched and compiled by carl hamm and features 26 classic tracks of the very best bands and singers from singapore and malaysia’s pop yeh yeh era, including m. osman, orkes nirwana, adnan othman, a. halim, roziah latiff and the jayhawkers, j. sham, hasnah haron, zaleha hamid, and many more. this cd edition comes in a tri-fold digipak with gorgeous artwork, two 40-page booklets with insanely extensive liner notes including band/artist bios, an overview of the era, translated lyrics, and plenty of rare photos taken from vintage magazines, album covers, and the artists’ own personal collections.
various – music from saharan cellphones volume 2 – sahelsounds – lp
– “contemporary pop music from the sahara desert, where songs are stored on cellphones. collected in northern mali in 2010 (since taken over by extremists who’ve banned music on cellphones) the second volume expands into new sonic territory – from dreamy niger guitar ballads, bamako club juke, and hi energy moroccan child raï – with a focus on the autotuned diy creations circulating the desert.” includes insert with liner notes.
…..restocks…..
animal collective – spirit they’ve gone – fat cat – 2lp
arcade fire – neon bible – merge – lp
arcade fire – suburbs – merge – lp
beach boys – smile sessions – emi – lp
beastie boys – check your head – emi – lp
beatles – revolver – emi – lp
beatles – magical mystery tour – emi – lp
jane birkin – di doo dah – light in the attic – cd
jane birkin/serge gainsbourg – s/t – light in the attic – cd
black flag – damaged – sst – lp
black keys – the big come up – alive – lp
nick cave – nocturama – anti – lp
city & colour – bring me your love – dine alone – lp
d’angelo – voodoo – modern classics – lp
*karen dalton – in my own time – light in the attic – cd
*betty davis – s/t – light in the attic – cd
*betty davis – they say i’m different – light in the attic – cd
miles davis – birth of cool – pan america – lp
nick drake – family tree – sunbeam – 2lp
*brian eno – lux – warp – lp
luc ferrari – preque rein – re-grm – 2lp
flying lotus – los angeles – warp – lp
grimes – visions – arbutus – cd
grinderman – s/t – anti – lp
grinderman – 2 – anti – lp
grizzly bear – shields – warp – lp
*lee hazlewood – a house safe for tigers – light in the attic – lp
*tim hecker/daniel lopatin – instrumental tourist – software – lp/cd
*shin joong hyun – beautiful rivers and mountains – light in the attic – lp/cd
iron maiden – number of the beast – emi – lp
iron maiden – powerslave – emi – lp
robert johnson – king of the delta blues – doxy – 3lp
sharon jones – 100 days, 100 nights – daptone – lp
sharon jones – i learned the hard way – daptone – lp
sharon jones – soul time! – daptone – lp
liars – drums not dead – mute – lp
louvin brothers – satan is real/handpicked songs – light in the attic – 2cd
m83 – hurry up we’re dreaming – mute – lp
*om – god is good – drag city – lp
radiohead – king of limbs – tbd – lp
*django reinhardt – are you in – monk – lp
*django reinhardt – swingin’ – monk – lp
*django reinhardt – rhythm futur – monk – lp
*rodriguez – cold fact – light in the attic – cd
*rodriguez – coming from reality – light in the attic – cd
*shadow ring – remains – kye – 2lp
nina simone – to love somebody – 4 men with beards – lp
nina simone – here comes the sun – 4 men with beards – lp
nina simone – little girl blue – bethlehem – lp
*benny soebardja – night train – strawberry rain – lp
*soundtrack – drive – invada – lp
*soundtrack – let the right one in – death waltz – lp
*soundtrack – reservoir dogs – geffen – lp
*laurie spiegel – expanding universe – unseen world – 2cd
andy stott – luxury problems – modern love – 2lp
upsetters – return of django – sunspot – lp
*velvet underground – & nico – 4 men with beards – lp
tom waits – real gone – anti – lp
white stripes – elephant – xl – lp
wicked lady – axeman cometh – guersson – lp
neil young – live in san francisco – vinyl passion – lp
neil young – psychedelic pill – reprise – 3lp
neil young – zuma – reprise – lp
*various – brand new wayo – comb & razor – lp
*various – psych-funk 101 – world psych funk classics – lp
thanks for listening…
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