…..pick of the week…..
*erkin koray – arap saci – pharaway sounds – 2lp
– master of the fuzz saz, turkey’s answer to eric clapton brings his burly axe attacks to the snaky folk melodies of anatolia. long-proven to cause just the brain-rot you’re looking for, here’s a koray collection of tracks taken from singles and lps for your acid-drenched pleasure. the guitar slinger who was once stabbed for wearing his hair too long around the streets of Istanbul interweaves melodies as old as the ruins of ephesus with the riffs of black sabbath and his own souped-up bağlama. find out why they call him erkin baba. originally released in 1976.
*franco battiato – foetus – vinyl magic – lp
– in tomorrow… loooooooove this album, so glad someone has reissued it again. “an internationally known artist, franco battiato has been everything in his long career, from beat singer to avantgarde performer, producer, and contemporary music composer. his beginnings lay in the mid ’60s, with many singles released with no particular success, the first two under his real name of francesco. he had left his native sicily (he was born in jonia, near catania in 1945) moving to milan around 1965. in 1970 after his collaboration with osage tribe (that he quit before their only album arrowhead) he had a record deal with bla bla, releasing his first solo album in 1972. foetus, housed in a outrageous cover (reproducing a foetus) was definitely a prog album, but a very original one, with a minimalist sound mainly based on the use of a vcs3 synth, unusual lyrics, complex arrangements. two tracks, ‘energia’ and ‘una cellula’ were also released as single. this little gem of italian progressive music is now reissued in its most suitable format, as a black 180 gram vinyl enclosed in a beautiful argent laminated cover.”
…..new arrivals…..
autechre – exai – warp – 4lp/2cd
– in tomorrow… “autechre’s new album on warp records. titled exai, it is rob brown and sean booth’s 11th full length album, and follows 2010’s oversteps and 2011’s 47 track collection eps 1991-2002. with a running time of 2 hours and 32 seconds,”
autre ne veut – anxiety – software – lp
– “anxiety is the full-length follow up to autre ne veut’s 2010 self-titled debut, which was for many the definitive post-millennial failure pop statement outside of time and style. autre ne veut rivaled other lovelorn ‘missteps’ such as marvin gaye’s here my dear and big star’s sister lovers. if you didn’t hear the connection, you weren’t listening closely enough. be that as it may, anv brazenly decided to make it easier for people with his post-canonical return. no longer playing the role of pauper or king, anxiety is simply his high definition arrival. the influences range from david byrne to lee ‘scratch’ perry, laurie anderson and annie lennox to katy perry and rihanna.”
bad guys – s/t – riot season – lp
– bad guys is an album that rides a horse and drives a van. it doesn’t own any furniture and it hasn’t bothered sorting out digital television, it just watched the channels disappear one by one until they were all gone. then it kicked the screen in and broke its foot and didn’t go to the hospital. it drinks, it fucks, it fights, it throws up and it gets up and fucks again. it’s not complicated, it’s heavy rock music. there are concepts there, somewhere, but they’re crushed under a ton of rock, and rendered irrelevant. and rightly so, because who wants to complicate a party? lazy comparisons time — take this lot and bash ’em together: melvins, black sabbath, harvey milk, motörhead, zz top, trans am, killdozer, ’90s am rep, thin lizzy, mc5, deep purple, etc.
beach fossils – clash the truth – captured tracks – lp/cd
– instead of merely going from a ‘bedroom diy’ project to a ‘better fidelity studio project’ the deliberate decision was to capture, if not in style, the spirit and enthusiasm of punk and aggressive music in general. to ensure that dynamic, the drums were recorded live in a room with dustin on bass to give the album a driving and energetic force.
caravan – in the land of grey & pink – klimt – 2lp
– in tomorrow…”pioneering album by canterbury’s own caravan, originally released in 1971, and now reissued in a gatefold sleeve with two full sides of bonus outtakes taken from the album’s original recording sessions at a.i.r. and decca studios in london in 1970-71. this was the last album to feature the original caravan line-up, before david sinclair left to form matching mole with robert wyatt (soft machine) later that year.” housed in a gatefold sleeve; grey & pink colored vinyl.
miki curtis – the first ear – bamboo – lp
– in tomorrow… first released on vertigo in april 1972, this is the first lp by miki curtis (samurai front man) following the break-up of the band. it’s a fantastically otherworldly psychedelic lp and a totally different sound than samurai. the first ear finds eastern-tinged psych of the highest echelon! strange harmony vocals, a spacy guitar solo, queerly sawing synths, everything’s efficient and even compelling! “forty days on a stoned-out camel” moans miki (yes, he knows some English, too) and that is just how this sounds. the track ends with half a minute of noisy slurping on what we presume to be a waterpipe. mind-blowing. digitally remastered and pressed on 180 gram vinyl. comes with an english translation of the original japanese lp insert.
fanta damba – accompagnee a la cora par batourou sekou kouyate – tembo – lp
– the incomparable fanta damba, otherwise known as la grand vedette malienne, was cherished for the sensitivity and emotion that she would bring to all of her work. she was also known as a griot — a west african storyteller and historian who preserves ancient stories and traditions through song — and was among the first female griots to achieve international fame. this superb album, recorded in 1979, and digitally remastered for the first time, has a guest appearance by the legendary kora player batourou sekou kouyaté. it is a vintage slice of west african traditional music, lovingly created by the masters of their craft. includes insert.
doldrums – lesser evil – arbutus – lp
– “marooned in a world of 24-hour status updates, doldrums — aka toronto native airick woodhead — is out to reclaim a space for the individual in a hyper-connected society. fusing classic pop melodies and electro-hallucinogenic freak-outs, doldrums’ androgynous voice floats on a sea of chopped up samples and primal percussion to create the perfect soundtrack to nostalgia infused solitude.”
– “third studio album from new york’s kings of choogle endless boogie. the eight tracks are still rooted in informal jams but this one finds them expanding their sound dynamically: more guitar, more atmosphere, deeper grooves. frontman paul major finds new ways to grunt, holler and groan, sounding more crazed tongue-speaker than vocalist in a rock band. the addition of matt sweeney on third guitar takes the intensity up while providing a willing partner for major to play off. mojo magazine say: ‘it’s a roller-coaster of amplified sound… long island is alive and involving, creating a world of its own.'”
*garbage and the flowers – eyes rind as if beggars – bo weavil/fire – 2lp/2cd
– the long-awaited re-issue of the garbage & the flowers’ classic double album eyes rind as if beggars, a sprawling collection of fragile melodies, abrasive improvisations and velvet voices. the story of the garbage & the flowers, by some measure wellington’s most brilliant pop band, is equal parts classic underground rock’n’roll and a hazy ramshackle history pockmarked with bursts of genius and stoned rehearsals. rare is it for any band to garner so much underground acclaim while leading such a nebulous existence. this is a rock’n’roll classic which will whip the wigs off all the crystalline clowns today.
*syl johnson – dresses too short – numero – lp
– in tomorrow… “released in the summer of 1969, syl johnson’s first full length outing compiles the fruits of his late ’60s twinight sides. included are the seminal — and often sampled — hits ‘come on sock it to me’ and ‘different strokes.’ issued on 150 gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket, dresses too short is the perfect entry point to explore this soul titan’s most productive years.
*syl johnson – is it because i’m black – numero – lp
– in tomorrow… “coming hot on the heels of his first full length, the self-proclaimed ‘most sampled artist of all time,’ released the groundbreaking black concept lp is it because i’m black (a full 13 months before marvin gaye’s what’s going on). throwing away the notion of a sophomore jinx, syl delivered this politically charged document. issued on 150 gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket.”
jombo – pure pleasure – tembo – lp
– a vintage slice of extremely rare nigerian electro-boogie, originally released in 1982 by nkono teles and digitally remastered here for the first time. throughout the 1980s, the name “nkono teles” (or sometimes “nkono telex”) was a regular feature in the credits of records by an array of nigerian artists ranging from new wave funk and boogie acts like dizzy k, falola, mandy brown ojugbana and jombo, to reggae upstarts like majek fashek and ras kimono, to respected old hands like king sunny ade and fela. jombo’s pure pleasure is one of the sleeper lps from Nigeria that criminally fell by the wayside, but has now been restored to its former glory.
– technically his second lp after a collection of singles, this benchmark record from 1974 taught istanbul’s musicians and pop fans how to put turkish folk songs from the 17th century together with meaty, thundering guitar solos. with a crack bass player by his side (ahmet güvenç from bunalim and baris manco’s kurtalan ekspres) and an electrified bağlama in his hands, erkin koray lets his gloomy baritone voice float over wiry double-reed melodies, bulging riffs, and hammer-ons that go on for-friggin’-ever. savagery begins at home people, so make sure you get a physical copy of the best record by the turkish hendrix into your house.
*abbass mehrpouya – soul raga: anthology – pharaway sounds – 3lp
– collected from several 45s and his one lp issued between 1968 and 1976, please enjoy pharaway sounds’ introduction to iranian sitarist, the debonair abbas mehrpouya (1927-1993). tehran’s most exotic musician led a swank and cosmopolitan life, and his deep, low voice lends itself easily to bursting arrangements of snazzy lounge funk. get your ears on the cuts that have been making djs drool across europe and the states. and while you’re at it, introduce yourself to the aching, tear-filled flute and organ dirges of mehrpouya’s earlier years. the most complete overview of his career ever released, so don’t miss one sumptuous instant.
– in tomorrow… this 10″ record brings together two very rare and early eps made by these pioneering electronic musicians. both records have not been in print since 1962. the artwork includes the original sleeves (beautifully reproduced), and there is also an insert with sleevenotes. on side one is daphne oram’s first complete commercial recording as part of vera gray’s listen, move and dance series. side two belongs to dutch electronic pioneer tom disseveltand its comprehensive sleevenotes hinted at the music being “attractive,” “dizzy” and “mysterious.”
prurient – through the window – blackest ever black – lp
– through the window is the new album by prurient, his first for blackest ever black. it is, in a sense, both the conclusion and the climax of the journey that dominick fernow began with 2011’s many jewels surround the crown 7″ and continued with that year’s bermuda drain lp and time’s arrow ep. it was recorded before the hospital productions founder’s move to los angeles, but in tone, subject matter, and scale it firmly anticipates his current stint navigating the desert city’s “hall of mirrors, sycophants, fair-weather friends and social vampires.” unlike his claustrophobic, inward-looking recordings as vatican shadow, this material is widescreen, open, expansive. nonetheless, the goal is exorcism and self-knowledge, not ecstasy. through the window is, at bottom, a work of true sm electronics. music to listen to at night, in the hills, watching as headlights approach.
*robin the fog – ghosts of the bush – the fog signals – lp
– in tomorrow… “created by world service studio manager robin the fog, the ghosts of bush consists entirely of nocturnal location recordings made by him at bush house, the iconic home of the bbc’s world service for over seven decades before it moved to a new location in july this year. the recordings were mostly made during robin’s night shifts at bush house and then eventually manipulated on dual quarter-inch reel-to-reel machines, creating a seamlessly segued side of ghostly, decaying acoustic sounds captured within the stone-clad building’s numerous corridors, lifts, studios and stairwells. as you’d imagine, the effect is immensely evocative, at once recalling daphne oram’s most isolated experiments, konstantin raudive’s famous evp recordings, the disintegrating loops of william basinski, even burial’s most haunting interludes, and not least afx’s saw II classic; a phosphorescing mass of ferric-stroked midnight sonorities and metaphysical murmurs.”
yoshiko sai – mikko – bamboo – lp
– in tomorrow… truly a japanese psychedelic female acid-folk masterpiece. mikkôwas sai yoshiko’s second album, a wonderful acid-folk album on which she gets assisted by a string of big name musicians such as kuni kawauchi (of the happenings four, amongst others) to arrange the songs. mikkô features sai’s original songs, making it her first real complete album. at times the disc draws in middle eastern influences (sitar and tabla), but once she gets to singing, the listener is lulled into her own private, mysterious sonic world, through which one gets sucked in by her wide-ranging vocalizations. at the time of this recording, sai yoshiko was merely 23 years-old. totally obscure, much in-demand by japanese psych heads, and rather hard to track down. this album is really a stunner and a must for people into some more advanced japanese underground historical recordings.
shindig! #31 – mag
– “shocking Blue: long and lonesome road: the dutch pop machine that ate the world; the rolling stones: into the dark heart of their satanic majesties request; iain matthews: from fairport to southern comfort and beyond; jellyfish: short-lived saviours of retro pop with a sting in the tail; the choir & cyrus erie: back to the mod roots of the raspberries. plus: richard thompson, the association, the mynah birds, jefferson airplane and much more!”
time – s/t – prog temple – lp
– in tomorrow… this british progressive gem was in fact the work of the band better known as spontaneous combustion. overseen by legendary krautrock producer/engineer conny plank (who also worked with kraftwerk, neu!, cluster and many others), time originally appeared on the tiny buk label in 1975, and makes its long-awaited 180 gram vinyl debut here.
*robert turman – beyond painting – fabrica – lp
– “now on vinyl for the first time, one of robert turman’s most cohesive and hypnotic recordings from circa 1990. turman began making sound experiments in the early 70’s employing reel-to-reel tape, cassette decks, arp synth, drum sequencers, multiple string and percussion instruments, and whatever else he could scavenge. in the late 70’s he co-founded non (along with boyd rice), but left shortly after the release of mode of infection/knife ladder 7″ to focus on composing and releasing his own music on limited edition, and now extremely rare, cassette tapes. beyond painting, with its 72 minutes of haunting lo-fi ambience, is probably one of robert’s most accomplished recordings so far. layers of meditative synth loops, guitar, and eastern tinged melodies, all beautifully delayed, bring to mind blistering desert landscapes, high-tension cold war era spy action sequences, and dark cavernous sounds.”
*mv & ee – fuzzweed – 3lobed – lp
– “with each successive release, mv & ee strive to map new territory and to travel more distant orbits. it makes sense that this mission is their furthest reaching yet. while they’ve long been comfortable navigating the same planes as such cosmic explorers as sun ra and alan silva, fuzzweed sees them planting their freak flag in the sorts of different galaxies where the atmospheres counterpoint the music of the spheres with the more earthbound plaints of the blues. please remember that the golden record that nasa sent up with voyager back in more optimistic times included ‘dark was the night.’ that concept — listening to blind willie johnson in space — strikes me as an apt analogy for what this fuzzweed accomplishes on every spin.” –pete coward.
– “originally released in 1972, vento sul not only channeled the buzios beach bum vibe, but also manifested a floating dream like psychedelic sound. vento sul features extensive liner notes by san francisco-based writer allen thayer (wax poetics) with exclusive interview content and song-by-song breakdown from marcos himself. fans new and old will finally have easy breezy access to these once hard-to-find brazilian classics. elevated by a strong union between valle and o terco, vento sul’s magical spell is a welcome addition to any south american friendly record collection and sits proudly with the best of brazil. file after os mutantes, but before caetano veloso.”
marcos valle – previsao do tempo – light in the attic – lp/cd
– “previsão do tempo was originally released in 1973 and quickly became a favorite of valle disciples. still committed to political/cultural criticism through his music, marcos was reaching a plateau in terms of sound and vision (previsão do tempo sports an arresting sleeve shot of marcos underwater and also features contributions from waltel branco and o terco). consisting of an ambitious string of early 1970s landmark studio sessions (sympathetic in spirit with stevie wonder and marvin gaye’s game changing work from the same era).”
vietnam – an a.merican d.ream – mexican summer – lp
– “back for the first time in five years with a new six-piece lineup laying down their renowned signature cocktail of apocalyptic street blues. after taking a long break to explore his interest in ambient analog synth soundscapes on the west coast (scoring films and recording with his project d.a.), gerner has now made a bold comeback to both new york city and rock and roll with his best record to date – adding a new dimension to the instrumentation with a moog player and a violinist. an ad is a cinematic dark concrete ride that revs through demons and detours with greasy grace.”
iannis xenakis – grm works 1957-1962 – recollection grm – lp
– in tomorrow… recollection grm assembles greek experimental composer iannis xenakis’ works for groupe de recherches musicales circa 1957-1962. “even though xenakis never made ‘musique concrète’ in the sense given by pierre schaeffer, the grm was a locus for experimenting with his ideas about sound and sound structures. these works, composed between 1958 and 1962, show a boldness as advanced as in his orchestral approach. the relationship between xenakis and schaeffer was often tense. it nevertheless entailed mutual recognition and respect towards each other’s musical approach. schaeffer found the piece disproportionate in terms of intensity but was indeed pleased by the dedication. the four pieces presented here, all produced at the grm, undoubtedly demonstrate the experimental intent and the strictly ‘physical’ character of xenakis’ music, in that it provides the audience with a listening experience of a rare intensity.” –françois bonnet & christian zanési.
various – disco love 3: even more rare disco & soul uncovered – bbe – lp
– “disco love is a series of fabulous disco records that you have probably never heard of. all superb records presented to you by the legendary al kent from the unlikeliest disco haven of Glasgow.” artists include: the mighty gents, north by northeast, bo galigher tsb inc., frank & games, gregory andre and two plus three, magnetic force, michael legrair & the band that played all night, moses, neo experience, rhond durand, marion javius, ronnie april, sandy’s gang, sil austin and cherish.
various – killed by synth – killed by death – lp
– 16 Killer, nervous Synth-Punk tracks from the early days 1977-1986.
various – soul spectrum records vol 1 – jazzman – lp
– when it comes to making available once more lost, forgotten and overlooked soulful masterpieces, jazzman’s expertise is considered second to none. it’s all about finding the artists and reconnecting them and the fans to their forgotten history. dj fryer has been researching this album of dancefloor soul from the late ’70s and early ’80s for the last four years, and jazzman is finally able to present a double lp’s worth of rare, obscure, and good dancefloor soul, rare boogie and soulful disco. to top it off, ashley beedle and tom noble offer up their remixing skills on a couple of tracks that just needed the extra tweak that linear editing prevented back in the day.
*various – tisheh o risheh – pharaway sounds – lp
– ohhh, those rolling 6/8 time signatures, wah-ed out guitars, throbbing bass lines, and shimmery disco strings. after two sets of singles from the jet-setting 1970s tehran pop scene, pharaway sounds brings you a third round-up of tunes from just before the iranian revolution. you’ll find rockers from bands like the rebels, making their way through the western sounds of the late ’70s. but maybe more important, hear the voices of the girls, sweet and tough alike, who all ran out and got their hair cut in a foxy hamill camel just like trend-setter googoosh. a set that veers from gypsy fiddles to crime jazz piano to abba knock-offs, and it’s all from the teen idols of stage and screen, who once filled glossy magazines to promote their latest musical adventures. remastered sound with color booklet including pictures and detailed liner notes.
various – traces 2 – recollection grm – lp
– in tomorrow… recollection grm, a label within the editions mego family of labels, offers a second selection from the vast archives of groupe de recherches musicales (grm). “the idea of the traces series is to unearth from the grm archives short, forgotten, or ignored pieces of music. this second volume, which gathers works prior to 1976, features the ‘early’ works of four composers who each went on to leave a unique trail of music. in addition to reflecting the extraordinary vitality of the musical experimentation of bygone times, traces aims to reactivate the audibility of such pieces, some of which have never been released before.”
bon iver – for emma, forever ago – jagjaguwar – lp
*nick cave – push the sky away – bad seeds ltd – lp/cd
circuit rider – s/t – numero – lp
sam cooke – tribute to the lady… – doxy – lp+cd
dj shadow – endtroducing – mo wax – lp
*donnie & joe emerson – dreamin’ wild – light in the attic – lp
*john fahey – transcendental waterfall – 4 men with beards – 6lp box
fleet foxes – s/t – sub pop – lp
florence & the machine – lungs – island – lp
lee gamble – diversions 94-95 – pan – lp
godspeed you black emperor – allelujah! – constellation – lp
godspeed you black emperor – lift your skinny fists – constellation – lp
grimes – visions – arbutus – lp
gun club – fire of love – munster – lp
ibliss – supernova – wah wah – lp
jim james – regions of light and sound of god – ato – lp
*july – s/t – guerssen – lp
m83 – saturdays=youth – mute – lp
matmos – marriage of… – thrill jockey – lp
marshall mcluhan – medium is the massage – five day weekend – lp
*medusa – first step beyond – numero – lp
nirvana – nevermind – geffen – lp
*peace – world is too much.. – suicide squeeze – lp
pisces – a lovely sight – numero – lp
iggy pop – the idiot – 4 men with beards – lp
portishead – dummy – island – lp
pretty – mustache – numero – 2×7″
*raime – quarter turns over a living line – blackest ever black – lp
*django reinhardt – three fingered lightning – doxy – lp
rhythm machine – s/t – now again – lp
simply saucer – cyborgs revisited – get back – lp
*six organs of admittance – ascent – drag city – lp
smiths – louder than bombs – rhino – lp
ray stinnett – a fire somewhere – light in the attic – lp
andy stott – luxury problems – modern love – lp
wild nothing – nocturne – captured tracks – lp
wolf parade – apologies to the queen mary – sub pop – lp
wolf parade – expo 70 – sub pop – lp
*x-tg – desert shore/final report – industrial – lp
neil young – zuma – reprise – lp
various – beat from badsville – stago – 2×10″
various – eccentric soul: deep city – numero – lp
various – eccentric soul: smart’s palace – numero – lp
various – eccentric soul: young disciples – numero – lp
various – home schooled – numero – lp
various – minimal wave tapes vol 2 – stones throw – lp
*various – nuggets – rhino – lp
*various – recorded at boddie – numero – 5lp box
*various – tomorrow’s achievements – public information – lp
*various – your victorian breasts – three:four – 2lp