Alright, we are in the thick of the summer lull as far as new releases. Fortunately we’ve had a decent stream of used stuff trickling in and hitting the bins, so you should probably come down for a dig.
…..pick of the week…..
Rega Planar 2
The Planar 2 turntable returns to the line-up. The new Planar 2 was developed over the past two years alongside the recently released Planar 3. Featuring the brand new RB220 tonearm which is packed with groundbreaking new features. A new 24v, low noise motor, acrylic laminated plinth, newly designed central bearing and so much more. Every feature of this innovative new turntable is designed to extract the maximum amount of information and detail from your vinyl collection.
Tonearm – Featuring the brand new RB220 tonearm which is packed with groundbreaking new features. Incorporating new ultra low friction, Rega designed, bespoke, zero play ball bearings (Patent Pending), housed within a brand new, stiffer and lightweight bearing housing which was developed with a new automatic bias setting negating the need for the user to set bias, making it almost completely plug and play apart from simple arm balancing. The new housing also includes an integrated arm clip and uses Rega’s latest custom aluminium arm tube.
Hub bearing – The Planar 2 has a new 11mm self securing brass bearing (Patent Pending) offering improved fit and less stress on the bearing preventing the transfer of potential energy.
Plinth – High gloss acrylic laminated plinth, stiffer and vastly improved appearance with ergonomically positioned power switch. Two plinth finishes at launch: gloss black & gloss white
Motor – New 24v low noise, low vibration motor assembly and new PCB.
Platter – New float glass ‘Optiwhite’ 10mm – Improved accuracy platter.
Other features :
Re-designed feet – New improved foot assembly to increase stability and reduce vibration transfer.
Carbon cartridge – supplied as standard on all Planar 2’s for simple plug and play convenience.
Motor cover tray – with integrated cooling.
Optional lid / plinth protectors – supplied to prevent marks on the plinth and keep it looking its best.
Instructions – Easy to use multi-lingual quick start guide for easy set up.
File Under: Gear
…..new arrivals…..
Bloodshot Bill: Guitar Boy (Norton) LP
Bloodshot Bill is heir apparent to our own Hasil Adkins and now takes his own crown with his newest hot as Hades release GUITAR BOY. Slated as this summer’s sizzler, this slab slams the rock-n-roll hit parade just in time for the one man band roadshow circuit – catch him on tour in support of the album! TRACKLIST: The Wobble / Love Me Twice / Mary Ann / Be My Own / Big Eyes, Crazy Curls / I’m Telling You / That Lonesome Feeling / Hypnotize / Gonna Get Gone / Don’t Wanna See You Anymore / Bad Bad Girl / Last Call / Break My Heart / Pretty Little Gal Fro Mars / Tell Me You Love Me / Baby Farewell
File Under: Electronic
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Khanate: s/t (Hydrahead) LP
After being out of print for well over a decade, Khanate’s s/t 2001 debut is finally available on vinyl again. Khanate is Stephen O’Malley (Sunno))), etc), James Plotkin (Old, Jodis, etc), Alan Dubin (Old, Gnaw, etc), and Tim Wyskida (Blind Idiot God, etc). Expanded edition includes audio re-mastered by James Plotkin, the “No Joy” 12”, and deluxe packaging by Stephen O’Malley. This is music about power — the exaltation, manifestation, the consolidation, and the earth-shattering use of sound entwined with power as means to the insular mythologies of Khanate. Call it doom. Call it sludge. Call it drone-metal. Call it anything you like, as long as the neologism focuses on the gravitational axis of power and sound. Khanate’s collective history of slow corrosion and avant-metal practice lends to the supergroup conceit that was applied from afar. At that time, O’Malley had recently formed SunnO))) and come to the conclusion of Burning Witch; Plotkin’s presence in the more adventurous camps of metal and dark electronica is highlighted by his work in Old, Phantomsmasher, The Lotus Eaters (with O’Malley), etc; Tim Wyskida providing the convoluted rhythmic foundation to Blind Idiot God; and Alan Dubin’s distinctive tortured invocations had been nakedly displayed in Old (with plokin). Together, they produced an immensely influential body of work that stands as an endurance test of crushing torpor, beginning with this self-titled album. Two versions of “No Joy” land on the remastered repress of the eponymous record, taking Iggy’s snarl about “No Fun” to one logical extreme of negation for the human condition under the duress of a slow choke.
File Under: Metal, Doom
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Khanate: Things Viral (Hydrahead) LP
Expanded edition includes extra tracks, audio re-mastered by James Plotkin and deluxe packaging by Stephen O’Malley. Khanate — the quartet of Stephen O’Malley (guitar), James Plotkin (bass), Tim Wyskida (drums), and Alan Dubin (vocals) — released their second album, Things Viral, in 2003 to considerable international acclaim. This still stands as an opus of systematically deconstructed metal and crawling avant-rock tropes. The slow pace of these recordings follows that of Khanate’s eponymous debut, with the band sterilizing much of the grime and distortion to highlight the space between. Things Viral deliberately vacates and erases the sustained tone that is often liberally employed as a doom/drone standard, leaving behind an emaciated structure of rhythmic heft, subharmonic progressions, and Dubin’s torturous vocalizations. Thanks to this reductive ethos, these demonic vocals puncture through like knives blindly stabbed into the dark. His poetics of psychopathic delusions and death-blink finality require such a harsh scrape from throat and larynx to achieve the dismal affect. This re-issue expands the original to include the track “Dead” (not on the Southern Lord cd) and a reprised version of “Commuted” (not on the Load 2LP).
File Under: Metal, Doom
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MSTRKRFT: Operator (Last Gang) LP
After a five year hiatus, Canadian electronic music agitators MSTRKRFT (Jesse F. Keeler & Al-P) return with the highly anticipated new album Operator. The duo quietly began work on Operator in late 2013 at their Toronto studio, optimizing their analog attack with an arsenal of synths, 808s, 909s and other equipment to track and perform what would eventually become Operator. They left the computer set to “record” and banged out hundreds of hours of music to draw from. “The ‘operator’ concept for us was essential in the creation of the music on this album, but I’m not sure what came first, the title or the idea,” says Keeler. “While browsing military related websites and blogs, mostly consisting of vets talking to each other like any civilian I suppose, I noticed repeated reference to something they called ‘operator culture.’ It seemed to be something that was sometimes laughed at, sometimes caused disdain, but was referenced constantly and seemed to be understood by everyone. I came to believe the operator concept is one of detachment.” “For example, an operator of a tank referring to himself as merely the operator, rather than defining himself by what he is actually doing with the tank,” he continues. “‘Operating’ a sniper rifle would seem to be a much easier concept to deal with than the reality of what being a successful sniper means. In the comfort of our rehearsal space, we had been going through a similar phase of discovering detachment. As we had decided to work entirely with hardware, all our old drum machines and modular synth collection, we had begun to feel more like operators than musicians.”
File Under: Electronic
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OST: The Neon Demon (Milan) LP
The Neon Demon is the latest film from acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives). Starring Elle Fanning (Maleificent, Trumbo), The Neon Demon follows Jesse, a young woman who moves to the neon-drenched city of Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion modeling. Soon thereafter a group of beauty-obsessed women begin to circle her, hungering for her youth and vitality. Before long, Jesse finds herself caught in the sinister world of Los Angeles’ unforgiving underbelly. Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, John Wick), Christina Hendricks (Drive) and Jena Malone (The Hunger Games series) round out the principal cast. Director Refn turned once again to his frequent collaborator Cliff Martinez (Drive, Traffic) for scoring duties. Martinez has created a powerful, modern tapestry of sound utilizing synthesizers as a framework for the dark corners and vibrant vistas that make the City of Angels. The soundtrack also features the dark electro piece “The Demon Dance” by Julian Winding, as well as “Mine” a pop track by Sweet Tempest. “Waving Goodbye,” an original song written by Australian singer Sia and produced by the Grammy Award-winning producer Diplo serves as a bookend to the album. The vinyl release features two colored 180-gram vinyl LPs, housed in a pair of Euro sleeves and a double tip-on jacket. A download card for a digital version of the album is also included.
File Under: OST
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…..Restocks…..
13th Floor Elevators: Psychedelic Sounds (Snapper) 2LP
Aesop Rock: Impossible Kid (Rhymesayers) LP
Aphex Twin: Cheetah (Warp) CS
Avalanches: Wildflower (Astralwerks) LP
The Band: The Last Waltz (Rhino) LP
Bathory: s/t (Black Mark) LP
Black Mastiff: Music Machine (New Damage) LP
Burzum: Filosofem (Back on Black) LP
Neko Case: Blacklisted (Anti) LP
Johnny Cash: American Recordings (American) LP
Johnny Cash: American VI (American) LP
City & Colour: If I Should Go Before You (Dine Alone) LP
Clipse: Hell Hath No Fury (Get on Down) LP
Death Grips: Money Store (Sony) LP
Doors: s/t (Rhino) LP
Faith No More: Angel Dust (Rhino) LP
Charlie Feathers: Tip Top Daddy (Norton) LP
Charlie Feathers: Wild Side of Life (Norton) LP
Charlie Feathers: Honky Tonk Kind (Norton) LP
Charlie Feathers: Long Time Ago (Norton) LP
Flaming Lips: Transmissions From The Satellite (Warner) LP
Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma (Warp) LP
Flying Lotus: Los Angeles (Warp) LP
Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes (Warp) LP
Lauryn Hill: Miseducation of… (Sony) LP
Massive Attack: Mezzanine (Virgin) LP
MF Doom: Mm… Food (Rhymesayers) LP
Misfits: Earth A.D. (Caroline) LP
Misfits: Static Age (Caroline) LP
Mos Def/Talib Kweli: Black Star (Universal) LP
Mumford & Sons: Sign No More (Glassnote) LP
Nirvana: Nevermind (Geffen) LP
Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold (What’s Your Rupture) LP
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Getaway (Warner) LP
Pharoah Sanders: Karma (Impulse) LP
Andy Shauf: Party (Arts & Crafts) LP
Wayne Shorter: Night Dreamer (Blue Note) LP
Slayer: God Hates Us All (Universal) LP
Slayer: Seasons in the Abyss (Universal) LP
Smiths: Hatful of Hallow (Rhino) LP
Smiths: Meat is Murder (Rhino) LP
Smiths: Strangeways Here We Come (Rhino) LP
Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch (Warner) LP
Them Crooked Vultures: s/t (Interscope) LP
Venom: Possessed (Back on Black) LP
White Stripes: Complete Peel Sessions (Third Man) LP
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (Universal) LP
Amy Winehouse: Lioness (Universal) LP