…..pick of the week…..
three picks this week, but all from the same artist as new label fauni gena reissues all six of these six french mega rare mind benders!
*igor wakhevitch – logos – fauni gena – lp
– in tomorrow…”subtitled ‘rituel sonore pour group pop (triangle), choeur mixte et bande magnetique’ and originally recorded as music for a n. schmucki ballet premiered at festival d’avignon 1970, this is the perfect introduction to wakhevitch dark, powerful and often menacing sound world. an unlikely mixture of 20th century classical avant-garde, both orchestral and electronic and psychedelic rock courtesy of french psych-prog band triangle. a strong piece which pairs epic choral parts with wakhevitch’s taped electronics and triangle’s hypnotic jamming to form, in typical wakevitch occult fashion, an ode to man’s relationship with sound forces, with the composer acting as a medium between the magical forces of sound and listener. the text inside the wonderful red gatefold cover holds some keys to the composer’s universe. it mentions to early 20th russian mystic/thinker georges ivanovitch gurdjieff and also kabbalistic and alchemical traditions are coupled with wakhevitch’s vision of a cosmic art for the 20th century, aligning himself to similar efforts by william sheller and guy skornik. no surprise since this record sits comfortably next to other period pieces like sheller’s ‘lux aeterna,’ skornik’s ‘popera cosmic,’ jason havelock’s ‘pop symphony’ or even vangelis papathanassiou’s ‘fais que ton reve soit plus longue que la nuit.’ french post-mai ’69 orchestral avant-pop vibes galore.” gatefold sleeve with insert.
*igor wakhevitch – docteur faust – fauni gena – lp
– in tomorrow… “housed in a fantastic and menacing sci-fi cover courtesy of druillet and bearing the famous dedication: ‘a mes grands amis robert wyatt et mick rattledge,’ wakhevitch’s second album was a step beyond it’s predecessor into a music alchemy that defies categorization and the one that started to define his trademark sonic collage of styles and moods. like the previous record, this was the music for a norbert schmucki ballet ergonia, premiered at festival d’avignon 1971, and featured top french players of the era like janick top on bass. oozing darkness and mystery, wakhevitch displays a wide array of mind-bending tricks that take the listener to a wild and trippy ride into occult zones starting from the spoken word passages and open drum break of ‘aimantation’ to the psyched-up delirium of ‘sang poupree.’ elsewhere delirious acid passages, hypnotic bass riffing, stoned funk beats, wild free-rock freak outs, avant-garde orchestral drama, dubbed-out passages, and wakhevitch’s trade-mark collage and sound manipulation make up to a really unique listening experience that submerges and puzzles the unexpecting listener. a psychedelic kaleidoscope full of intense moods, from stoned to thrilling drama, from meditative and mystical ritual trance to way out tape and synth manipulation that in spite of all contrast, holds together well. much like the similar collaged, contrasting, and now much revered opus ‘l’enfant assasin des mouches’ by jean claude vannier or some of faust’s work. originally released by pathe marconi in 1972, it has become over the years wakhevitch’s hardest to find album and one that’s been chased also because of his striking cover-art, made by no-other than jean-pierre druillet, one of the top exponents of french 70’s sci-fi comics school together with the great jean henri gaston (better known as moebius) which revolved around the seminal metal hurlantmagazine.”
*igor wakhevitch – hathor – fauni gena – lp
– in tomorrow… subtitled ‘liturgie du souffle pour la resurrection des morts,’ this is probably wakhevitch’s most esoteric and occult-influenced work. some sort of dark ritual for synthesizer and orchestra inspired by kabbalistic writings, where igor’s trademark bottom heavy electronics pulse, whizz, and sweep to a backdrop of heavy tribal drumming. elsewhere, menacing and majestic spoken word passages open us the doors to the netherworld, leading into an esoteric sound ritual that sounds spooky, virulent, powerful, droning, entrancing, and mystical at the same time. again wakhevitch brings together disparate elements, bridging apparently unrelated musical forms and integrate them in order to deliver another unique work that sounds strangely prescient and recalling at the same time works from mort garson (black mass), ruth white (flowers of evil), terry riley (surgery persian dervishes), stockhausen (stimmung), tangerine dream (zeit), and early klaus schulze (irrlicht).” gatefold sleeve with insert.
…..new arrivals……
biomechanica – bm-01 – geometrik – lp
– in tomorrow… the biomechanica project marks the first collaboration between francisco lópez and arturo lanz (founder and member of the current esplendor geométrico tandem) after thirty years of an ongoing relationship. their debut album, bm-01, is the outcome of years of intense work in multiple cities across the world, from beijing to reykjavik all the way to johannesburg. raw power and original rhythms, together with an overwhelming sound complexity, a multi-channel spatial virtuality and a spectacular production come together in biomechanica, synthesizing the insight and experience of two internationally acclaimed industrial/experimental music makers.
*roberto cacciapaglia – sei note in logica – wah wah – lp
– in tomorrow… “roberto cacciapaglia’s legendary 1979 composition for voices, orchestra, and computer. recorded with the ensemble garbarino, conducted by giuseppe garbarino and featuring the voices of elfriede demetz, alexandra althof, cettina cadelo, and eloisa francia, plus the filtered reciting voice of ann steel. for fans of early minimalist composers, philip glass, steve reich, terry riley or even moondog. first time ever vinyl reissue. remastered at abbey road by cacciapaglia himself and simon gibson. limited to 500 copies.”
*caravan – man & buffalo – strawberry rain – 3lp box
– this extremely limited handsome boxset features 3 lp’s by caravan. first included is strawberry rain‘s recent reissue of คนกับควาย (man & buffalo), 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. 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. this is where things get pretty exciting. the boxset also comes with two original dead-stock lp’s that were never commercially sold. inside you’ll find japan jam – a live concert recording & caravan: 20 year anniversary, a promo lp put out in the 90′s + two beautiful posters. the boxes are made from wood and saa paper, which is native to thailand. you can only use this paper during certain times of year as it’s impossible to work with during the rainy seasons. designed and painted by an artist who’s close with the band, this box is limited to only 50 copies, this box set is a must have!
tony carey – explorer and yellow power – medical – 2lp
– “tony carey needs no introduction, but for the uninitiated, he is a keyboard whiz originally from california. he is clearly most famous for his work as keyboardist in the 1970s band rainbow (alongside ritchie blackmore and ronnie james dio) up to 1977. he then embarked on a solo career with multiple charting records under his own name. in the mid-late 1970’s, he took up residence in germany and began working in peter hauke’s studio. carey embarked on a period of intense experimentation and mastery of various studio equipment, songwriting, and the like. influenced by what tony referred to as ‘euro-electronica,’ the product of these enlightening sessions became explorer, no human, tcp, heaven, and yellow power. though both lps have similar tracks, the overall mixes and feel of the two lps are vastly different. instrumental and very catchy, explorer is more stripped down almost proto-techno meets synthed out italo disco while yellow power has a more polished, well-rounded and produced sound with a different array of instrumentation and alteration in mood. released in a sturdy gatefold jacket with ‘montaged’ new artwork on the front and back but preserved original covers in the inside of the gatefold, this is a gorgeous reissue. released on double colored 160 gram vinyl in limited edition of 1000 hand-numbered copies. release also includes a special bonus insert with a retrospective and interview by dave segal. fans of proto-techno, early synth-based disco, and left-field wave/electronica will need this gem in their collection.”
bo carter – banana in your fruit basket: red hot blues 1931-36 – yazoo – lp
– in tomorrow… 180 gram repro of yazoo’s 1979 collection of delta bluesman bo carter. recordings from 1931-1936. “bo carter’s recorded repertoire demonstrates his unusual flair for sexual motifs. while bluesmen like charlie patton used sexual subjects as a performing stock-in-trade, they did not share carter’s affinity for recording them. perhaps they balked at doing so through fear of giving offense to whites.”
j dilla – lost scrolls vol 1 – delicious vinyl – 10″
– in tomorrow… “here it is, your first taste of the lost scrolls release from j dilla. the lost scrolls are all unreleased dilla material, which will probably come as a surprise to more than a few people. not due to the lavish production work — the beats are prime, vintage dilla start to finish. what makes lost scrolls unique is dilla on the mic. this special 10″ release finds dilla at home on the verbals just as he was always at home working an mpc.”
– in tomorrow…”limited edition of 1000 from ‘the doom metal innovator,’ dylan carlson, the front-man of earth. drcarlsonalbion sees carlson experimenting further with field recordings as he re-renders traditional folk as well as contemporary songs with his unique drone sound. joined by teresa colamonaco on vocals, the pair unites to bring a restrained majesty to the reworking of shared favorites, including ‘last living rose’ by pj harvey.”
– ducktails, the increasingly less “solo” endeavour of real estate’s matt mondanile, is set to release the flower lane, which is the project’s fourth album and his first for domino. recorded and mixed over the summer of 2012 with al carlson (peaking lights, oneohtrix point never). taking a tangential turn away from solo home-recording of past releases toward the more collaborative environment of the studio, ducktails’ matt mondanile roped in close friends and colleagues to make something more adventurous yet easy-going. the ten songs on the flower lane move across a range of expressive pop songs that are bright and expansive, but venture even further with forays into saxophone leads, synth lines and piano accompaniment that would have been at home on the early records of sophisticated guitar pop icons such as aztec camera and prefab sprout.
*lee fields – let’s talk it over (deluxe edition) – truth & soul – lp/cd
– “lee released this, his very first full-length lp, in 1979. let’s talk it over featured his most successful song of the era, ‘she’s a lovemaker,’ which was at one time licensed and promoted by london records. mint copies of let’s talk it over, which was self released by mr. fields and mostly sold at shows and out the back of his car, can fetch four digit numbers on ebay. even the bootleg version from the early nineties sells for up to four hundred dollars. truth & soul is proud to present the deluxe re-issue of lee fields’ ‘holy grail’ album. also features songs from his singles catalogue, including ‘funky screw,’ ‘we fought for survival,’ ‘bewildered,’ ‘meet me tonight,’ ‘the bull is coming,’ ‘everybody’s gonna give their thing away,’ and many more. the deluxe re-issue is also repackaged with a new cover and never-before-seen photos of lee fields.”
blind boy fuller – truckin’ my blues away – yazoo – lp
– in tomorrow… 180 gram repro of the 1978 album from north carolina’s blind boy fuller. blues circa 1935-1939, including “homesick and lonesome blues,” “truckin’ my blues away,” “i crave my pig meat,” “walking my troubles away” and “sweet honey hole.”
– in tomorrow… gary war first surfaced in the original line-up of ariel pink’s haunted graffiti, alongside disco madman john maus. lo-fi legend has it that the basis of new raytheonport was penned overnight when the band were left to fulfill tour dates, as best they could, after pink was refused entry to the uk. remastered to the satisfaction of the artist, debut album newraytheonport is perhaps war’s most accessible, successfully reimagining ’60s psychedelia to progressive rock. a murky blend of ’60s garage rock, synth-pop, shoegaze and psychedelia — has a buzzy listlessness, the swamping of it all in reverb and whatever the noun is that comes from “phased-out” making it all seem choked, claustrophobic and airless. 180 gram vinyl with a perforated acid tab sheet reconfigured as a record sleeve.
grouper – the man who died in his boat – kranky – lp
– in tomorrow… an album of unreleased material, and a much needed reissue… “when i was a teenager the wreckage of a sailboat washed up on the shore of agate beach. the remains of the vessel weren’t removed for several days. i walked down with my father to peer inside the boat cabin. maps, coffee cups, and clothing were strewn around inside. i remember looking only briefly, wilted by the feeling that i was violating some remnant of this man’s presence by witnessing the evidence of its failure. later i read a story about him in the paper. it was impossible to know what had happened. the boat had never crashed or capsized. he had simply slipped off somehow, and the boat, like a riderless horse, eventually came back home. the man who died in his boat is an album of unreleased songs recorded alongside the dragging a dead deer up a hill album.”
– third man records is thrilled to announce the release of the first three records in their highly-anticipated document records reissue series. this is a collaboration with document records in making the most important of american blues music available on vinyl. blind willie mctell’s volume 1 from third man’s highly-anticipated document records reissue series on black 180-gram vinyl, remastered by document’s very own gary atkinson and features brand new artwork by grammy-award-winning designer rob jones. the recordings we’ll be presenting in this reissue series are the building blocks and dna of american culture. blues, r&b, elvis, teenagerism, punk rock… it all goes back to these vital, breathtaking recordings.
*medusa – first step beyond – numero group – lp
– in tomorrow… “chicago’s reputation will forever be tainted by the horn-ravaged corniness of their eponymous band. medusa’s first step beyond could have forever altered the perception of chicago rock history had it managed to make the leap from tape to its destined vinyl pressing. instead, this mish-mash of sabbath, hawkwind, and amon duul II remained petrified in the corycian caverns, or rather the drummer’s basement. self produced on four track in 1975, the sole transmission from medusa’s repertoire appeared on the extremely mysterious pepperhead label, whose proprietor allegedly disappeared after a bad trip and has never been seen again. housed in cushy mock-velvet and screened in blood red and gold, and art directed from the band’s elaborate original stage props and artwork, we have positioned this unreleased opus to finally reach its destination: the turntables of pot-smoking teenagers, young and old.”
– third man records is thrilled to announce the release of the first three records in their highly-anticipated document records reissue series. this is a collaboration with document records in making the most important of american blues music available on vinyl. the mississippi sheiks’ volume 1 from third man’s highly-anticipated document records reissue series on black 180-gram vinyl, remastered by document’s very own gary atkinson and features brand new artwork by grammy-award-winning designer rob jones. the recordings we’ll be presenting in this reissue series are the building blocks and dna of american culture. blues, r&b, elvis, teenagerism, punk rock… it all goes back to these vital, breathtaking recordings.
pantha du prince – elements of light – rough trade – lp
– elements of light is the brand new album from german wunderkid, pantha du prince. the album is a 5 track, 45 minute symphony consisting of synthesizer, percussion and a bell carillon – a three-ton instrument with 50 bronze bells. weber first heard the bell carillon in oslo, norway, back in 2010, and he recruited norwegian composer lars petter hagan to serve as his arranger and conductor on the album, while vegar sandholt played the actual instrument.
*charlie patton – complete recorded works vol 1 – third man – lp
– third man records is thrilled to announce the release of the first three records in their highly-anticipated document records reissue series. this is a collaboration with document records in making the most important of american blues music available on vinyl. charley patton’s volume 1 from third man’s highly-anticipated document records reissue series on black 180-gram vinyl, remastered by document’s very own gary atkinson and features brand new artwork by grammy-award-winning designer rob jones. the recordings we’ll be presenting in this reissue series are the building blocks and dna of american culture. blues, r&b, elvis, teenagerism, punk rock… it all goes back to these vital, breathtaking recordings.
*princess flower & the moon rays – dreaming the magic of your maya – wah wah – lp
– in tomorrow… “‘recorded in 1968 and issued as a very limited run private pressing this psychedelic raga freak-out is the brainchild of multi disciplinar artist loren standlee plus his partner ziska with the cooperation of daevid allen and gilli smith in what was an early incarnation of gong. loren and ziska had been involved with the crowd of avantgardist free thinkers that settled in formentera in the sixties, and back home in n.y. they had also been connected to experimentalists such as angus maclise, marian zazeela, tony conrad, henry flynt, pandit pran nath, a.o. an original copy would cost you a small fortune (raising over 4 digits!), but here’s at last an accurate vinyl reissue that comes complete with liner notes plus an amazing poster of one of loren standlee’s psychedelic collages plus an extra lp with previously unreleased studio material. limited to 500 copies only.”
– in tomorrow…”kluster (1969) metamorphosed into cluster (1971) and cluster became qluster (2011). in a period spanning over 40 years, hans-joachim roedelius was a driving force behind this unique transformation. now, as qluster, he has recorded together with onnen bock in the latest incarnation. three albums already released document the current status of their musical journey to pastures new. lauschen is not a studio album, but a live recording of a performance for which roedelius and bock invited world musician armin metz to join them on stage. although qluster sound completely different from kluster or cluster, one thing remains unchanged: the art of improvisation.”
– in tomorrow…”rontheo is one of the rarest folk rock lps to come out of the kraut scene of the seventies. formed by canadian ron di tomaso and german theo busch it has become one of the most coveted pieces among collectors and aficionados. wah wah records is proud to announce at least an official vinyl reissue, made from the original master tapes and with the help & cooperation from both ron & theo themselves! when theo busch and ronnie di tomaso first met in 1975 it was immediately clear that theo’s violin playing matched magically with ron’s guitar and voice. in 1976 they produced one of the most lovely folk rock lps of the era, a delicious orgy of acoustic guitars cleverly punctuated by electric acid guitar riffs and theo’s violin bits. now fetching obscene amounts of money among collectors, it is here reissued on vinyl now for the first time for the enjoyment of folk rock lovers and listeners of rare euro lost gems like emtidi or subway. with sound taken from the original master tapes and housed in its fantastic gatefold artwork, includes an insert with photos and liner notes made with the help of both ron & theo. limited to only 500 numbered copies.”
– wild, loud, raw new jersey hard psych beast from 1970 that’s been a favorite target of record collectors, dealers, aficianados and swamp dwellers for the past few decades. also described thus: “totally fucked up, messed up new jersey hard psych monster that can’t be bettered. loud, wasted vocals, speedfreak riffing / soloing, bashing rhythm section, like a hayride to hell. to me, one of the all-time best albums if you like drugged-out 60s anarchic hard psych.” another quality collaboration between lion productions and the vintage/rockadrome label. deluxe package includes an 11×17 poster and full size insert with liner notes, press clippings and lyrics.
*spacecraft – paradoxe – wah wah – lp
– in tomorrow…”french guitar/synth duo featuring john livengood (red noise) on synthesizers and ivan coaquette on guitar (clearlight, delired cameleon family, música electrónica viva). with sounds recalling pre-zuckerzeit cluster, atem period tangerine dream, the bbc radiophonic workshop, gong, clearlight, or heldon, this french private-press album is one of the most acid, dark and free-form records from the whole progressive era. first ever lp reissue housed in silver-mirror paper cover. Limited to 500 copies.”
– a southern russian wonder band formed in astrakhan, playing a blend of dark psychedelic and prog textures with delightful spacey sounding instrumental passages and an underlying krautrock feel. this is the new official live album that features the instrumental highlights of the band’s various stage performances in the course of 2009. this collector’s vinyl edition includes an extra track not available anywhere else. especially mastered for this edition by alisa coral (a brain-master of space mirrors and psi corps) limited vinyl release of 300 copies in stunning original artwork by zonderzond, with mouth-watering gold foil & textured cover. comes with newly designed color labels.
*yoshi wada – earth horns with electronic drone – em – 3lp
– in tomorrow… 2013 repress, originally released in 2009. new four-color printed 12″ inner sleeves, six sides, including many unseen rare photos from mid 1970s performances and concert posters. triple lp version of the entire 162-minute performance — the vinyl version therefore contains approx 85 additional minutes of music..
– in tomorrow… 2013 repress! includes a new four-color printed inner sleeve including a lot of scarce artist photos and images. reissue of rare evil psycho machine-funk from ’80s washington, d.c., including previously-unreleased mixes. now is not the time to doubt your senses — the wicked witch does exist. wicked witch combines elements from alchemical mentors parliament funkadelic, sun ra, esg, run dmc, james brown and jimi hendrix to cast a crazed spell on the innocent listener. an evil mass of machine-funk with lashings of rhythm and blues and fusion delivered direct from the heart of the witch, a misunderstood psycho-genius weaving his solo web deep within the dark studio walls. trained by masters at the duke ellington school of the arts, wicked witch is in full control; he plays all, knows all, tells all. his message will not be denied. believe your ears, believe your eyes: the wicked witch does indeed exist.
– after almost a decade of struggle, strain and delay, the debut record from edmontonian renny wilson sees the light. sugarglider draws from disco keystones like “bad girls” and arthur russell as well as elements of chillwave, krautrock and a healthy dose of haunted graffiti, employing bold, tempo-matched digital delay. the album opens with a saxed-out, psychedelic, electric-bass-powered dance party, riddled with the sounds of late-’80s fm synths, 12-bit horns and regret. the soul-plane flies high, low and back up again, fizzling away into a motorik opera, only to slap back with deep, white-boy funk, cosmic pulsar-pop and sampled-string schmaltz. the contrast of upbeat music and melancholy lyrical content provides a tasty combination for any groove-oriented listener. tap this valiant freshman effort into your varicose and you’ll find yourself crying vaseline tears of self-pity on the dancefloor.
various – buenos aires soul: raw soul and funk from argentina 1968-1972 – la crema – lp
– in tomorrow… “from the compilers of the celebrated diggin’ down argentina series, which offered some of the best obscure psych and freakbeat sounds you could ever find, here comes buenos aires soul, the first ever comp dedicated to the unknown and exciting soul-funk scene from argentina. after listening to these 14 tracks, you’ll wonder how it’s possible that such crazy and impressive music has remained buried for so long. ultra-groovy sounds full of wild vocals, fuzz guitars, drum breaks, horns, organs — psychedelic soul, mod-soul dancers, raw latin-funk, wild r&b, including many rarities from the likes of jumbo (featuring billy bond on vocals), banana with the dancefloor filler ‘el club de los vampiros’, the satanic girls with a bizarre cover of ‘the beat goes on,’ soulish freakbeat by buchanan and more.”
arcade fire – funeral – merge – lp
beak> – s/t – invada – lp
david bowie – hunky dory – rca – lp
*can – ege bamyasi – united artists – lp
*can – future days – united artists – lp
*can – tago mago – united artists – lp
betty davis – s/t – light in the attic – cd
betty davis – is this love or desire – light in the attic – cd
father john misty – fear fun – sub pop – lp
*bill fay – life is people – dead oceans – lp
aretha franklin – live at the fillmore – 4 men with beards – lp
*serge gainsbourg – historie de melody nelson – light in the attic – lp
gaslight anthem – hold you up – side one dummy – 10″
grateful dead – winterland in 1971 – rhino – 2lp
p.j. harvey – dry – too pure – lp
*hawkwind – warrior on the edge of time – united artists – lp
*lee hazlewood – lhi years – light in the attic – lp/cd
*shin joong hyun – beautiful rivers & mountains – light in the attic – lp/cd
japandroids – celebration rock – polyvinyl – lp
japandroids – post-nothing – polyvinyl – lp
joy division – still – factory – lp
led zeppelin – houses of the holy – atlantic – lp
led zeppelin – ii – atlantic – lp
*sven libaek – solar flares – votary – lp
curtis mayfield – back to the world – curtom – lp
curtis mayfield – curtis! – curtom – lp
curtis mayfield – superfly! – curtom – lp
*egisto macchi – i futuribili – roundtable – lp
metz – s/t – sub pop – lp
nirvana – bleach – sub pop – lp
*peace – the world is too much with us – suicide squeeze – lp
iggy pop – lust for life – 4 men with beards – lp
queens of the stone age – s/t – repro – lp
*django reinhardt – three fingers… – doxy – lp
*django reinhardt – legendary… – doxy – lp
rodriguez – cold fact – light in the attic – lp/cd
rodriguez – coming from reality – light in the attic – lp/cd
*rotomagus – the sky turns red – lion – 2lp
nina simone – black gold – rca – lp
sufjan stevens – illinoise – asthmatic kitty – lp
sufjan stevens – michigan – asthmatic kitty – lp
*jim sullivan – ufo – light in the attic – lp/cd
*gabor szabo – jazz raga – light in the attic – cd
temple of the dog – s/t – a&m – lp
sharon van etten – tramp – jagjaguwar – lp
tom waits – alice – anti – lp
tom waits – blood money – anti – lp
tom waits – mule variations – anti – lp
washed out – within and without – sub pop – lp
white stripes – merry xmas from… – thirdman – 7″
wilco – the whole love – anti – lp
wild nothing – nocturne – captured tracks – lp
*nicole willis – keep reachin’ up – light in the attic – cd
women – public strain – flemish eye – lp
*various – bollywood steel guitar – sublime frequencies – lp
various – the beat from badsville vol 1 – stag-o-lee – 2×10″
various – the beat from badsville vol 2: more trash from lux and ivy’s vinyl mountain – stag-o-lee – 2×10″
*various – country funk 1969-1975 – light in the attic – lp/cd