listen records

Yikes, mega stock week! Loads of great stuff in this week, so strap on your reading glasses. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to check out our new webstore… if not CHECK IT OUT!  The inventory is live with the shop, so if it’s in stock there, it’s in stock in the store. We have an instore pick up option, so if you are local, but going out of town, or just don’t want to miss out on something, by all means, buy it through the site and it’ll be here waiting for you when you have time to get in.

…..picks of the week…..

Che’SHIZU: A Journey (Black Editions) LP
In tomorrow… Black Editions present the first ever vinyl release of Ché-SHIZU’s signature album A Journey, originally issued in 1994 by Tokyo’s legendary P.S.F. Records. Ché-SHIZU is one of the most original and mystifying groups to ever emerge from the Tokyo underground. Founded by master improviser Chie Mukai in 1981 the group has been guided by her singular vision for nearly 40 years. Throughout its history Ché-SHIZU has challenged traditional notions of song structure and improvisation. Mukai’s signature instrument, the Chinese er-hu, is an ancient two stringed bowed instrument rarely found outside of traditional music. Even within the wildly diverse roster of artists on P.S.F. Records, Ché-SHIZU is a playful and confounding outlier. Early on Mukai became active within the avant-garde movement flowering in Tokyo during the mid-1970s. She studied with renowned Fluxus composer and violinist Takehisa Kosugi, recalling, “that encounter was so huge for me, much more than any one technique. Even in terms of the er-hu, I only started playing it because Kosugi gave it to me.” In 1975 she joined his East Bionic Symphonia, a large improvising ensemble featuring students from Tokyo’s Bigakko art school. From there she contributed to improvising avant-garde groups including an early version of Marginal Consort and later the Vedda Music Workshop. Her work with Ché-SHIZU however is where her vision most clearly emerged. Ché-SHIZU released its first album I Can’t Promise in 1984 on Zero Records, in time the album would become a revered classic. It would be another ten years before another full-length would be released. During that time the group performed extensively with various rotating line ups. In the summer of 1994, Mukai led the group to Studio J in Tokyo to record an album for the P.S.F. label. Released later that year, the album was titled A Journey. Fittingly, it is a sprawling excursion through ethereal dreamscapes, the group confident in its own resplendent joy. Over the album, the group creates a spontaneous, loose form of chamber pop that weaves folk and a light psychedelia into something entirely unique. Pop songs like “Juso Station” intersect with instrumentals such as the title track to create a varied yet coherent improvisational language. Remastered; deluxe double-LP edition cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin and pressed at Pallas Germany. Includes new expansive artwork and lyric translations, housed in a spot gloss heavy gatefold jacket; Includes high resolution digital download.

File Under: Chamber Pop, Psych, Japan
Listen Here
Buy Here

Various: Cups N Cakes (Double Lunch) CS
A DIY labour of love! The Cups N Cakes Network have released their very first compilation and it’s an impressive DIY statement. Out now on Double Lunch Records the packaging is designed to mimic a box of Crayola Crayons. This limited edition cassette comes in a handmade crayon box. Each tape is hand-numbered and coloured to mimic the crayons within. Other goodies found inside include a booklet, stickers and a download code.  The release features 17 songs from these 18 different acts: Screaming Targets (Edmonton), Mulligrub (Winnipeg), Dumb & Friends (Vancouver), Doug Hoyer (Edmonton/Chicago), Gary’s House (Montreal), Ultra Mega (Winnipeg), Chris Page (Ottawa), Bad Canada (Vancouver), Valiska (Calgary), Expanda Fuzz (Ottawa), Cham (Edmonton), Body Lens (Lethbridge), Counterfeit Jeans (Edmonton), Soul Mates (Saskatoon), Sister Ray (Edmonton), Jesse & The Dandelions (Edmonton), Napalmpom (Calgary) & Night Committee (Calgary). Each song was recorded exclusively for release on this compilation, you’ll only find these tracks here! Limited to a run of 300, this special edition packaging will be a one-time release.

File Under: Punk, Indie, Cups N Cakes
Listen Here

…..new arrivals…..

Allovers: Yer Guises (Anxious & Angry) LP

Formed  in  2011,    the  Edmonton/Calgary  hybrid,  made  up  of  guitarist  Matt  Pahl,  bassist  Paul  Arnusch  (The  Wet  Secrets,  Faunts,  The  Whitsundays)  and  drummer  Garrett  Kruger  (Fire  Next  Time),  has  a  way  of  combining  genres  that’s  unique  to  them,  all  the  while  writing  songs  that  either  make  you  think  twice  or  not  think  at  all.    With  titles  like  Dog  Team  Cooperation, Hitchcock  Twist, and Rinkydink (a  song  written  from  the  perspective  of  a  breaking  down  lawnmower  as  a  comment  on  the  cheapening  of  the  modern  world),  The  Allovers  have  levels  that  belie  their  lighthearted  exterior.  With  punk  structures  reminiscent  of  The  Ramones,  melodies  and  harmonies  cut  from  the  same  jib  as  Burt  Bacharach  or  The  Everly  Brothers  and  sonic  textures  entering  similar  territory  as  Thurston  Moore,  The  Allovers  are  guaranteed  to  hook  you,  move  you,  then  keep  you  singing  along  for  years  to  come.

File Under: Punk
Listen Here

Solomon Burke: Best of Atlantic Soul (Run Out Groove) LP

Solomon Burke helped shape the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music. He had a litany of hit singles in the ’60s for Atlantic Records including “Cry to Me, “If You Need Me,” “Down in the Valley,” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.” Drawing inspiration from gospel, jazz, country and blues – Burke developed his own unique style and was often called “The King of Rock ‘n’ Soul.” Atlantic co-founder Jerry Wexler hails Burke as “the greatest male soul singer of all time.” In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Run Out Groove’s twelfth title is a brand new retrospective of Solomon Burke’s critically-acclaimed, recorded material for Atlantic Records from 1962-1965 including the hit song, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” featured on the Blues Brothers movie soundtrack. It is the first domestic vinyl collection of his ground breaking Atlantic recordings released since 1966. Each LP is individually numbered and comes pressed on 180g vinyl courtesy of Record Industry. An old school tip-on Stoughton sleeve with brand new artwork and liner notes rounds out the package. Run Out Groove is a new vinyl only label that caters specifically to music fanatics, pressing titles made by music fans for music fans. Their goal is to uncover, customize, reconfigure and reissue the coolest vinyl titles from the most unique artists of the last five decades. They want the fan to be a part of the process by creating a communal and collaborative environment so they manufacture and release high quality vinyl titles based on fan choices and involve the consumer in the journey from initial concept to delivery of the final product. ROG records are made with the highest quality packaging for the discerning collector and dedicated fan and are all limited to a one time pressing.

File Under: Soul
Listen Here

Neko Case: Hell-On (Anti) LP

An indelible collection of colorful, enigmatic storytelling that features some of her most daring, through-composed arrangements to date, Hell-On is simultaneously Neko Case’s most accessible and most challenging album, in a rich and varied career that’s offered plenty of both. Case’s first solo album in five years is rife with withering self-critique, muted reflection, anthemic affirmation and the beloved singer/songwriter’s unique poetic sensibility. Neko enlisted Bjorn Yttling of (Peter Bjorn & John) to co-produce six tracks with her in Stockholm, Sweden where she mixed the twelve track album with Lasse Mårtén. Hell-On features performances by Beth Ditto, Mark Lanegan, k.d. Lang, AC Newman, Eric Bachmann, Kelly Hogan, Doug Gillard, Laura Veirs, Joey Burns and many more.

File Under: Folk, Country
Listen Here

Chvrches: Love is Dead (Glassnote) LP

In tomorrow… If there’s a theme in Scottish synth pop group Chvrches’ world as they release their third record, Love Is Dead, it’s willful, determined openness, both ideologically and in terms of actual creative process. This time around, instead of Lauren Mayberry disappearing for days at a time, the trio stayed in the same room even while Lauren was writing lyrics. As a result, the album “feels a lot more coherent,” she says. Lauren also consciously pulled from a different psychic well when writing those lyrics, one that’s less introspective and more expansive and imagistic. “I tried to write less about romantic love specifically,” she says. “And more about the overarching concept of love.” And, for the first time ever, Chvrches opened their proverbial doors to outside influence. The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart served as the band’s de facto mentor, providing insight Lauren says “really pushed us to focus on the artistic integrity of the album and everything that surrounds it.” Steve Mac co-produced the soaring ode to hope, “Miracle.” And thanks to some extremely productive time spent in what Lauren calls his “Aladdin’s Cave,” Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia) wound up co-producing eight of the record’s twelve tracks. “We had similar musical tastes and we clicked in the writing process pretty quickly,” Kurstin recalls. “I got to pull out all of the things I don’t have a chance to normally use.” The result is the purest ever distillation of Chvrches’ signature pretty gloom. This conscious move towards openness in the creative process reflects a bigger, deeper existential theme as well. Lead single “Get Out” is a sprawling crescendo of heartbroken joy while”Graffiti,” with it’s lilting syncopated backbeat follows suit. Then there’s the slinky “Deliverance,” which personifies that classic Chvrches blend of punk ethos with a pure pop sound. The band doesn’t consider their music expressly political, per se, but the urgent, brightly haunted “Graves,” feels abject and despairing yet joyful in a decidedly topical way. And on, “Miracle,” Mayberry questions “I feel like but I’m falling but I’m trying to fly, where does all the good go?” The dreamy “Heaven/Hell,” gets at an issue Chvrches have been dealing with since day one: what it’s like to be a rock band with a female frontperson. That’s a lot of what Love Is Dead is about: growing up, “coming to terms with the fact that there are great things in the world and there are awful things in the world and that you can’t get one without the other,” Lauren closes.

File Under: Synth Pop
Listen Here

Father John Misty: God’s Favorite Customer (Sub Pop) LP

Written largely in New York between the summer of 2016 and winter of 2017, Josh Tillman’s fourth Father John Misty LP, God’s Favorite Customer follows-up his Grammy-nominated 2017 effort Pure Comedy and reflects on the experience of being caught between the vertigo of heartbreak and the manic throes of freedom. God’s Favorite Customer reveals a bittersweetness and directness in Tillman’s songwriting, without sacrificing any of his wit or taste for the absurd. From “Mr. Tillman,” where he trains his lens on his own misadventure, to the cavernous pain of estrangement in “Please Don’t Die,” Tillman plays with perspective throughout to alternatingly hilarious and devastating effect. “We’re Only People (And There’s Not Much Anyone Can Do About That)” is a meditation on our inner lives and the limitations we experience in our attempts to give and receive love. It stands in solidarity with the title track, which examines the ironic relationship between forgiveness and sin. Together, these are songs that demand to know either real love or what comes after, and as the album progresses, that entreaty leads to discovering the latter’s true stakes. God’s Favorite Customer was produced by Tillman and recorded with Jonathan Rado (Foxygen), Dave Cerminara (Jonathan Wilson, Foster the People, Conor Oberst), and Trevor Spencer (FJM). The album features contributions from Haxan Cloak, Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood, longtime collaborator Jonathan Wilson, and members of Misty’s touring band.

File Under: Indie Rock
Listen Here

Florian Fricke: Die Earth Und Ich Sind Eins (Wah Wah) LP

Issued in 1983 as a limited private pressing, Die Erde und Ich sind Eins was Florian Fricke’s first ‘solo’ LP. It features the guitar of his Popol Vuh partner Daniel Fichelsher and vocals by Anni Morris Wieland, Bettina Fricke Waldthausend, Dieter Prym, Florian Fricke, Friedemann Berger, Friedemann Wieland, Gisela Von Doering, Ingeborg Jahnke, Jan Lorck-Shjmerning, Jana Faust, Karl F. Weber and Klaudia Wieland. ‘You could label it as ‘body-space-music’ (Körperraummusik) where you sing inside the body and take it in such a way that every cell in the body, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, starts to vibrate. In order to be able to realise this I have experimented to find where speech resonates in the body. The consonants vibrate at the body walls, the bones and flesh and the vowels fill the body spaces. And that sounds like a gong-concert: it also has a great therapeutic effect.’ – Florian Fricke

File Under: Experimental, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Ryo Fukui: Mellow Dream (We Release Jazz) LP

In tomorrow… We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records’ new sister-label) present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, originally released in 1977. Released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor 1976’s Scenery (WRJ 001CD/LTD-LP). Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop, and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent “Mellow Dream” and “My Foolish Heart”) while still packing the commanding punch Fukui’s work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic “Baron Potato Blues” or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced “Horizon” which sees each member of the trio — Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums — demonstrating their virtuosity for nine exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, and reminds you that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back-to-back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo’s Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing two live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore. Sourced from the original masters. CD comes in digipack.

File Under: Jazz, Japan
Listen Here
Buy Here

Ryo Fukui: Scenery (We Release Jazz) LP

In tomorrow… We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records’ new sister-label) presents its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery, originally released in 1976. Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous, and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From “It Could Happen To You” and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of “Early Summer”, or the incredible teamwork of “Autumn Leaves” where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence, and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have. The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (WRJ 002CD/LTD-LP) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo’s Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing two live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come. Sourced from the original masters.

File Under: Jazz, Japan
Listen Here
Buy Here

GAM: 1976 (Wah Wah) LP

After the big success of our reissue of Günter Schickert’s amazing Samtvogel LP we present another of his projects, GAM – on which he joined Axel Struck and Michael Leske. A powerful trio of mind-expanding krautrock sounds formed in 1973, they recorded their first sessions in 1976, improvising directly to tape in Schickert’s basement – but these weren’t released until 1986, originally in cassette format – reissued some years later on CD. The sound of GAM 1976 differs a bit to that of Samtvogel. Obviously, this is a band effort delivering their guts in a one take session, while on Samtvogel Schickert was playing all the parts, layering one after the other using the sound on sound facilities of his reel to reel recorder. Here, instead, we have an energetic echo charged jam that takes us through different atmospheres and moods, a hidden gem in krautrock’s Kosmische history legacy.

File Under: Krautrock, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Gas: Rausch (Kompakt) LP

In tomorrow… “Rausch with no name / My beautiful shine / You are the sun / This is where I want to be / Rausch with no morning / This is where we burn / The Stars sparkle / In a sea of flames / Horns and fanfares / Fanfares of joy / Fanfares of fear / The wine we drink through the eyes / The moon pours down at night in waves / Careful with that axe Eugene / Personal Jesus / No beginning no end / Eighteenth of Oktember / The night falls / The king comes / The hunt starts / Freude schöner Götterfunken / The long march through the underwood / Trust me there’s nothing / Once upon a time, there was a bandit / Who loved a prince / That was long ago / Spring Summer Fall and Gas / There is a train heading to Nowhere / Drums and Trumpets / Future without mankind / Warm snow / Alles ist gut / The bells toll / You are not alone / The murmur in the forest / The murmur in the head / Light as mist / Heavy as lead / Music happens / To flow like gas /A clearing / Heavy baggage / Debut in the afterlife / Death has seven cats / World heritage Rausch / Finally infinite.” –Wolfgang Voigt, 2018; Rausch was created as a single composition. The intention is to listen to the album as a whole from beginning to end. Following a global tour, GASwill continue to perform live throughout 2018 to support Rausch.

File Under: Electronic, Techno
Listen Here
Buy Here

Ghost: Prequelle (Loma Vista) LP
In tomorrow… Grammy Award-winning rock band Ghost unleash their highly anticipated fourth sacred psalm, Prequelle. Previous efforts have dealt with broad themes like impending doom (Opus Eponymous – 2010), the antichrist and the Inquisition (Infesstimum – 2013), humanism and avarice (Meliora – 2015), Prequelle delves into the plague, the apocalypse, and dark ages. It’s a snapshot of the world in which we live in on a daily basis, brought to life through an emotive, enlightening, and riveting body of songs. In an interesting twist in the Ghost saga, Cardinal Copia takes over vocal duties here, introduced by the epic lead single “Rats.” The album was recorded in 2017 at Artery studios in Stockholm with producer Tom Dalgety (Opeth, Royal Blood) and was mixed at Westlake Studios in West Hollywood, CA with Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Slayer). Colored vinyl pressing with accompanying 7-inch featuring covers of the Pet Shop Boys’ “It’s A Sin” and Leonard Cohen’s “Avalanche.”

File Under: Rock, Metal
Listen Here

Head Technician: Profane Architecture (Ecstatic) LP
In tomorrow… Pye Corner Audio morphs into Head Technician mode for the project’s brooding second sojourn with Ecstatic. Taking inspiration from his fascination with Brutalist construction, Martin Jenkins exclusively uses Roland TR-606, MC-202, and TB-303 boxes plus the Roland System 100 modular synth to sketch out a slow, murky sound in furtive pursuit of the vibes on Zones (2017), but this time the results are even darker and obscure. Echoes of early Detroit and UK bleep and bass infiltrate the stark corridors of Profane Architecture as much as the hauntological spirits of Boards of Canada, combining to make a sound that revels in nostalgia yet yearns for the future. It’s not a new idea, but it is one that Jenkins executes with such classic style and unique character that can only lead to comparisons with acid maestros such as early Plastikman or the Analord, Richard J. James. For moody dancers, Profane Architecture is perfect; from the oozing elan of opener “First Pour” through the spheric momentum of “Béton Brut” and the mind-weaving acid of “Formwork” he establishes a slickly hypnotic sound that works its magick with more funk on the flipped, generating the tactile form of “Second Pour” and the ruggedly hewn groove of “The New Brutalism”, then closing out with the exquisite darkness of “Demolition” — a real highlight in his extensive and highly collectible catalog. Cut by CGB at Dubplates & Mastering.

File Under: Electronic,Techno
Listen Here
Buy Here

Joshua Hedley: Mr. Jukebox (Third Man) LP
With the release of his highly anticipated debut album Mr. Jukebox via Third Man Records, Joshua Hedley embraces the role he was born to play: this generation’s classic country champion. Hedley didn’t start writing his own songs until he was about 28 years-old. So on the backend of his 20s, he finally started writing, eventually unlocking a flood of clarity and creativity. The heartbreaking, distilled, defiantly classic country that poured out of him became Mr. Jukebox, a salve and beacon for 60s honky-tonk devotees everywhere. Album opener “Counting All My Tears” carves out the collection’s gloriously tear-jerking territory from the jump. As “oooooohhhs” and “aaaaahhhs” serve as spine-tingling harmonies – a classic-country flourish carried throughout Mr. Jukebox – lonely piano is joined by a familiar cast including steel and of course, fiddle. “Mr. Jukebox” is a swinging nod to those beloved machines – both inanimate and breathing – that dependably play a lot of songs for a little money. It’s impossible to listen to the tune and not smile thinking of Hedley’s years logged in cover bands on Nashville’s Lower Broad. Lush strings kick off the sauntering “Weird Thought Thinker,” which features harmonies that evoke both bass walkdowns and angels. An ace fiddle intro opens “Let Them Talk,” a carefree ode to being in love and not worrying about who knows it. “Let’s Take a Vacation” pleads for one last lovers’ getaway to try to remember what’s been lost. Hedley delivers a masterful recitation over crying steel, soft harmonies, and rich supporting strings. He penned shuffling “These Walls” about FooBar, a beloved East Nashville dive Hedley lived near before it shut down. “This Time” paints a vivid picture of leaving that’s both proud and blue. Simple and brilliant, “I Never Shed a Tear” sounds like a standard, but just like all but one track on Mr. Jukebox, it’s a Hedley original. “You’re trying to say as much as you can in as few words as possible,” he says. “Trying to convey an emotion to make people feel their own emotions.” Hedley’s ability to capture feelings is on spellbinding display in album standout “Don’t Waste Your Tears,” a soaring, gut-punching vocal performance. The final track is the only cover: a goosebumps-inducing version of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Hedley picked the song to honor his dad, who passed away about three years ago without seeing the record deal, glowing press, and peer admiration Hedley’s earned. “We spent a lot of Christmases at Disney World,” he says. “When I was searching for a cover song, it dawned on me that my dad didn’t get to see any of this happen, but he always wanted it.” When asked what he hopes listeners get out of Mr. Jukebox, Hedley doesn’t hesitate. “I just want people to remember they have feelings, and that they’re valid,” he says. “Not everything is Coors Light and tailgates. There are other aspects of life that aren’t so great that people experience. They’re part of life, part of what shapes people. And that’s worth noting.”

File Under: Country
Listen Here

Basil Kirchin: I Start Counting (Trunk) LP

In tomorrow… Sublime unreleased score for the weird cult/brutalist thriller I Start Counting! (1970). Charming, odd, and affecting score by Basil Kirchin, made “in association” with his regular cohorts, Jack Nathan and John A. Coleman. The film was directed by the multi-talented and quite radical David Greene. Greene was also an actor, a successful producer and had already employed the services of Kirchin for his 1967 horror The Shuttered Room and quirky crime thriller The Strange Affair (1968). I Start Counting!, notably starred a 14-year-old Jenny Agutter, is set in brutalist Bracknell, with Agutter’s character living in Royal Point, a classic “threepenny bit” of a 1960s tower block. When she ventures away from the safety of this concrete castle on an obsessive, erotically charged journey, her world is turned upside down. As macabre, coming-of-age thriller, the score for I Start Counting! allowed Kirchin to explore more dark edges of film music and composition: as a score, it bubbles along with lots of classic Kirchin hallmarks, but here you are also treated to a beguiling opening song that is lyrically and musically developed and then slowly pulled apart over sequential cues. There is also an unusual Eastern tinge to some of the percussion and Kirchin’s distinctive pastoral oddness is here too. His sonic jumps between low drama and high tension are extraordinary, and his use of free jazz to bring about unease is both perfectly simple and effective. Basil’s original idea for the opening song was to have it sung by Cilla Black or Jenny Agutter, but in the end Lindsay Moore, the daughter of jazz chum Barbara Moore stepped in. The score is mighty fine but a little short, so included here is more unreleased soundtrack material from the Kirchin archive — a tape labeled “Third World Documentary”. This dates from the early 1980s and was produced for either TV or a festival and musically complements the first score well, even though they are two decades apart. The names of the musicians working here died with Basil, but the drummer for I Start Counting! may well have been Clem Cattini, Evan Parker was more than likely involved with the session, and possibly Derek Bailey too. As for the later recording, there is a distinctive modern “Fairview” sound to the cues and production. Mastered and sequenced by Jon Brooks, AKA The Advisory Circle.

File Under: OST, Library
Listen Here
Buy Here

Abul Mogard: Circular Forms (Ecstatic) LP
In tomorrow… Abul Mogard presents his debut LP, a suite of four analog synth pieces. Mogard was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and spent most of his life working in a metal factory, only beginning to approach music after his retirement. Following two highly regarded cassette releases on Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra’s VCO label and a series of compilations and split releases, Mogard makes a surprising departure on this debut album for Ecstatic Recordings. Circular Forms channels a wealth of soulful modular explorations and shadowy white-noise clouds. The end result is evocative, unsettling, and beguiling modern synth music. There’s a real emotive essence to his almost lyrical arrangements that is very much removed from the contemporary modular revival. Composed and recorded in solitude using a limited equipment array of Farfisa organs in conjunction with a self-built modular synthesizer, the album’s intoxicating distortions and extreme low frequencies translate into personal space and beautifully restrained impressions. Abul Mogard: “Lately I have been reading and appreciating visual art and paintings and this has informed my work on this album. Compared to my previous albums, this was the first time that I had a clear visual representation of my music, as geometrical forms — each element of a track suggested a form that intertwined with the other elements.”

File Under: Ambient, Electronic
Listen Here
Buy Here

Abul Mogard: Works (Ecstatic) LP
In tomorrow… Ecstatic offer a deeply arresting and definitive collection of Works by erstwhile Serbian factory worker-turned-synthesist Abul Mogard; containing selections from two cassettes released in 2012 and 2013 on Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra’s VCO Recordings, as well as a cassette only release on Ecstatic, never before available on vinyl. Abul Mogard’s relatively unusual path to releasing music is well documented, but bears repeating here. Upon taking retirement from a job at a factory which he held for decades, Mogard craved the mechanical noise and complex harmonics of the industrial workplace, and found that the best way to fulfil that need was through electronic music – using a limited set-up of Farfisa organs, voices, samplers and a self-built modular system to realize a peaceful yet haunting, sweetly coruscating sound that resonates uncommonly with music from Leyland Kirby to Alessandro Cortini, or Fennesz and Tim Hecker. The nine tracks on Works are soused in an emotional richness that’s hard to forget once experienced. Broad daubs of distorted bass and naturally glorious harmonic progressions paint panoramas of wide open, grey-scaled skies whilst equally conveying the intimate feel of a person with their nose to the machine, toiling for a sound or feeling that really means something to them, and by turns, us. The fact that Mogard hails from an area hardly well-known for its synth music, and that he’s of an age where most people take up gardening or lawn bowls, rather than synth music, only helps to aid the enigma and magic surrounding this remarkable artist and his layered, emotional music. RIYL: Alessandro Cortini, The Caretaker, Fennesz, Tangerine Dream, Brain Eno, Tim Hecker.

File Under: Ambient, Electronic
Listen Here
Buy Here

Oneohtrix Point Never: Age Of (Warp) LP
In tomorrow… Age Of is Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never’s most cohesive and richly composed work to date weaving a tapestry of disparate musical histories – early music, country and folk balladry, melodic pop, computer music and much, much more – demonstrating both the complexity and range of the artist’s repertoire. With sounds that are unsettlingly familiar and uniquely his own, Age Of guides us through an unclassifiable new world.

File Under: Electronic
Listen Here
Buy Here

107-34-8933 (Nik Pascal Raicevik): Numbers (Wah Wah) LP
If you check the credits of The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup LP from 1973 you’ll find a certain “Pascal” listed on the percussion section. That is none other than Los Angeles based artist Nicolas Pascal Raicevik (1933-1994), aka 107-34-8933, aka Head, aka Nik Pascal, aka Nik Raicevic. Besides his hitting the bongoes on the Stones album, Nik was a great artist on his own, both as a painter and as a musician. As a musician, he was a pioneer in the use of synthesizers, preceeding the Berlin school by some years when his Head LP was released on on Buddah in 1970. Buddah probably saw in Head the opportunity to cash in some money from the remains of the psychedelic scene – the three tracks on the LP are named after drugs used in the late sixties. The sounds, however, are accomplished works that show Raicevic as one of the most interesting pioneers in the use of synths. The album probably didn’t do too well, since Buddah didn’t renew the contract with Raicevic, who instead took his own way releasing his works on his very own Narco Records and Tapes label. Between 1968 and 1975 Narco would issue 4 LPs credited either to Nik Raicevic (Beyond The End… Eternity) or Nik Pascal (The Sixth Ear, Magnetic Web and Zero Gravity) plus one credited to 107-34-8933 (Numbers, which is in fact the same LP as Buddah’s Head, albeit with different cover art). Copies of these LPs came with an ironic sticker over the shrinkwrap that read “Do not listen to this LP if you are stoned”. Numbers was the first reference in the Narco catalogue (NR101), each of the three tracks it contains is named after a drug: Cannabis Sativa, Methedrine and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. The album was credited to 107-34-8933, there is no date of release on the disc, some sources take it as back as 1968 – in any case, this is the same record that was issued on Buddah in 1970 credited to Head and eponymously-titled. The Wah Wah reissue features the original cover artwork from the Narco edition. Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain. “Nik Raicevic’s music is at the intersection of radical psycho-electronic weirdness and kraut kosmische music (in particular the scifi-hypno-minimal modules of Conrad Schnitzler in Grun, Rot and Blau). It presents mega epic & tripped out electronic improvisations. “This is an absolute must for collectors and fans of visceral, neurotic soundscapes.” (www.progarchives.com) “As far as late-60s / early-70s American Bedroom’ Electronic Music goes, these LPS have to be among the first transmissions from this sector, made all the more attractive when coupled with Raicevic’s alien topographIes – the covers are high-color portrayals of Venusian lanes, knotted growths, & future-past architecture in a style you might equate with Vintage’ sci-fi pulp-novel covers – & copious Downer’ sentiment. This music is imbued with a sort of lonely, anti-social sensibility that’s about as far as you can get from the Academic’ Early Electronic vector. I will say that if the Steve Birchall, Cellutron & the Invisible, and/or Pythagoron™ seed your garden, this will likely do the same.” (www.twoheadeddog.com)

File Under: Prog, Electronic, Kosmische, Psych
Listen Here
Buy Here

Nik Raicevic (Nik Pascal Raicevik): Beyond The End, Eternity (Wah Wah) LP
Beyond The End… Eternity was released in 1971 under the Nik Raicevik monicker as Narco NR102. According to http://www.twoheadeddog.com, “Raicevic is clearly still in the early learning-curve stages,” which it a key LP to understand Nik’s evolution and setting the path for more evolved works to follow. Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain. “Nik Raicevic’s music is at the intersection of radical psycho-electronic weirdness and kraut kosmische music (in particular the scifi-hypno-minimal modules of Conrad Schnitzler in Grun, Rot and Blau). It presents mega epic & tripped out electronic improvisations. – Limited Edition of 500

File Under: Electronic, Prog, Psych, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Nik Pascal (Nik Pascal Raicevik): Sixth Ear (Wah Wah) LP
1972 saw the release of The Sixth Ear (Narco NR666), this time credited to Nik Pascal. A more complex work than Beyond The End…, it adds consistent rhythmic patterns to the mix with the addition of bongoes and also explores some interesting chord progressions. Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain. – Limited Edition of 500

File Under: Electronic, Prog, Psych, Kosmische
Listen Here

Buy Here

Nik Pascal (Nik Pascal Raicevik): Magnetic Web (Wah Wah) LP
Magnetic Web was released in 1973. It appeared under the Nik Pascal monicker and showed a clear evolution in sound, favoured by the addition of an Arp 2600 and some rhythm boxes. It also included percussions and cymbals. The Two Headed Dog site thinks “this is his masterpiece in all of its acid-laced glory.” Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain. – Limited Edition of 500

File Under: Electronic, Prog, Psych, Kosmische
Listen Here

Buy Here

Nik Pascal (Nik Pascal Raicevik): Zero Gravity (Wah Wah) LP
Nik’s last album, Zero Gravity (Narco NR123) came under the Nik Pascal name and had a fantastic side long piece on the title track which reminisces of the works of Cluster. B side features four tracks that also bear some Conrad Schnitzler reminiscences. This was to be Nik’s last LP before he would sell all his synths to ex car racer and future electronic/ambient music star Steve Roach. Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain. – Limited Edition of 500

File Under: Electronic, Psych, Prog, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Popol Vuh: Die Nacht Der Seele (Tantric Songs) (Wah Wah) LP
Die nacht der seele is the twelfth album by Popol Vuh, originally released in 1979 by Florian Fricke and friends–Daniel Fichelscher on guitar, Djong Yun and Renate Knaup on vocals, plus guests Alois Gromer on sitar and Susan Goetting on oboe. Popol Vuh had moved again one step farther, ellaborating a complex world music opus based mainly on acoustic instruments plus Fichelscher’s electric guitar and the use of multitracked vocals to reproduce the sounds of Tibetan monk chants.

File Under: Krautrock, Ambient
Listen Here
Buy Here

Popol Vuh: Sei Still, Wisselch Bin (Wah Wah) LP
Originally released on Klaus Schulze’s Innovative Communication label in 1981, ‘Sei still, wisse ICH BIN’ is Popol Vuh’s 13th LP. Fricke and Fichelscher worked under the production of Klaus Schulze himself and were helped for the occasion by Chris Karrer on soprano sax, Renate Knaup on vocals and the Chorensemble der Bayerischen Staatsoper. Two of its songs, Laß los and …als lebtendie Engel auf Erden where used on the soundtrack of Werner Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo, from 1982.

File Under: Krautrock, Ambient
Listen Here
Buy Here

Pyramid: s/t(Mental Experience) LP
In tomorrow… Includes download card. 33 minutes of pure, unadulterated, psychedelic krautrock courtesy of Pyramid, an obscure studio project produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler. These sessions were recorded circa 1975-76 in Cologne for the underground Pyramid label, which was operated by Toby and his friend Robin Page (the Fluxus artist). During that time, Toby worked as engineer and assistant at various studios in Cologne, including the famous Dieter Dierks studios, where most of the albums from the Ohr/Pilz/Cosmic Courier catalog were registered. Having access to the studios during dead hours, Toby recorded lot of sessions just for fun without any commercial interest, featuring friends and musicians who frequented the studios and the underground art/music scene of Cologne. Some of these sessions were later released as handmade vinyl micro-pressings on his Pyramid label with help from artist Robin Page. Master tape sound. Includes insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Cosmic Jokers, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Gila, Porcupine Tree, Amon Düül II. “… from trippy phases with echo guitars and Mellotron onto headfirst plunges into space-rock overdrive territory. In all, an excellent album of spacey krautrock” –Alan Freeman

File Under: Psych, Krautrock
Listen Here

Damien Rice: O (East West) LP
Available for the first time on vinyl, this extended 16-track, gatefold 180g 2LP edition of Damien Rice’s O includes four additional recordings: “The Professor & La Fille Danse” and “Moody Mooday,” which were both originally b-sides to the “The Blower’s Daughter”; “Lonelily,” which also appeared alongside the track “Moody Mooday” as a 7″ single in 2004; and “Woman Like A Man,” which was recorded live in a session at Galway Bay FM and was the lead track for the song’s single release. “Prague” and “Silent Night” (featuring Lisa Hannigan), which were hidden bonus tracks after the album’s closing song “Eskimo,” are also included in this release. O, originally released in the summer of 2002, was one of the last albums to build a true word-of-mouth following before widespread streaming. The Guardian wrote, “Rice’s personality and deft songwriting hoist him above the mass of bedsit mumblers…at its best, O is gorgeous and understated, never too introverted to include a lovely melody.” Three singles were released from O: “The Blower’s Daughter” in 2001, followed by “Cannonball” and “Volcano” in 2002, with many other tracks from the album being audience favorites and mainstays of Rice’s live set, notably “Delicate,” and “I Remember.”

File Under: Indie Rock
Listen Here

Sexedelic: s/t (Wah Wah) LP
With their charming look of exploitation LPs, Sexedelic’s Sexedelic and it’s ‘brother’ album The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation’s Psychedelic Dance Party (also reissued on Wah Wah as LPS185) hide the joint works of German composers Manfred Hübler and Siegfried Schwab that were used on three classic 1970 b-movies directed by Spanish film maker Jess Franco: Vampyros Lesbos, The Devil Came From Akasava, She Killed In Ecstasy. Besides the film director and the soundtrack composers, these three films also shared the presence of Spanish actress Soledad Miranda. Manfred Hübler’s work, other than the one appeared on these three films, remains pretty unknown – although prior to partnering with Siegfried Schwab he did soundtracks for several other films and TV series from 1966 through 1969, among them Intercontinental Express (TV series, 12 episodes in 1966), Code Name Is Kill (1967), Polizeifunk ruft (TV series, 6 episodes in 1968), Der Partyphotograph (1968) and The Butterfly (1970). Siegfried ‘Siggi’ Schwab, on the other hand, has an extense career with hundreds of recordings, including soundtracks and records, and is also known as a key member in albums by krautrock bands like Et Cetera or Embryo (his guitar pyrotechnics are big part of the personality of their Father, Son and Holy Ghosts LP which was also reissued on Wah Wah some years ago). Original copies of these LPs could be found for next to nothing in European flea markets until the mid 1990s, when Lucertola Media compiled them both on the 3 Films By Jess Franco CD. The amazing sounds that mixtured jazz pianos, easy listening brass section, psychedelic fuzz guitar, pop harpsichord lines, exotic sitar, and funky bass & drum beats were rediscovered and given new life when a compilation LP featuring the grooviest tracks from both albums was an instant hit which ran high in the alternative music sales charts. The legend grew when ‘The Lions And The Cucumber,’ opening track from The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation’s LP, was picked by Quentin Tarantino and given mainstream exposure on his third film Jackie Brown (1997), starring Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Robert de Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton. The ‘Vampyros Lesbos sound’ became a classic, awakening also new interest on the movies themselves which have been also issued on DVD since then. The music of Hübler and Schwab has also been sampled and revisited by many artists. Since then, original copies of The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation and Sexedelic LPs fetch small (and not so small!) fortunes in the collector’s market. Now, for the first time, the original albums from which all these amazing tracks were taken from are reissued in its original complete tracklists and sleeve artwork. Owning these two LPs is the only way to have in vinyl format all the original material issued by Hübler and Schwab – all previous reissues omit tracks from the original LPs. Now, for the first time ever, these extremely sought after LPs get a straight reissue in their original artwork, expanded with the inclusion of an 8-page full colour booklet that includes many photos and liner notes. Made in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Get yours before it’s too late!

File Under: Psych, Jazz, Lounge
Listen Here
Buy Here

Shindig #79 Magazine
The Choir, Cleveland’s Anglophile masters’ 1969 unreleased album. TRIP Austria’s “turned on” 1972 TV rock-opera. Moby Grape … enter 1967. Brian James The pre-Damned psychedelic/prog years. John Howard Smartening up and playing the game: 1975’s Kid In A Big World. Gruff Rhys Gentle ruminations surrounding Babelsberg. Regulars. Shindiggin’ What’s hot on the Shindig! turntable. Thoughts & Words Your letters and emails. It’s A Happening Thing Ryley Walker, The Magic Numbers, My Generation, The Resonars, Damien Jurado, Dewolff, Left Outsides, Deep Dark Woods. Happening Right Now The hottest new bands. Family Album Bubble Puppy’s 1968 Texan classic: A Gathering Of Promises. 20 Questions Gary Brooker recollects beat music, big hits, George Harrison, Mickey Jupp… and more. Reviews The best in reissues, new releases, books and live shows. Vinyl Art A late-career statement from Thelonious Monk. Prize Crossword Win a copy of Ace’s brilliant Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs comp Paris In The Spring.

File Under: Reading

Space Farm: s/t (Wah Wah) LP
One of the rarest psychedelic blues rock kiwi LPs gets at last an official vinyl reissue respecting its original artwork. Space Farm formed in 1971 out of the ashes of The Underdogs. When Neil Edwards quit to join Human Instinct, the remaining Underdog members Harvey Mann and Glen Absolum decided to reform under the Space Farm monicker with the addition of bass player Billy Williams and saxophonist Bob Gillet. Zodiac released their LP in 1972 featuring Harvey Mann on vocals. A second version of the album featured Underdogs’ vocalist Murray Grinder replacing Mann’s vocal track. This second version is the one that was issued in 1989 on the Little Wing label as ‘Going Back To Eternity’. The Wah Wah version features the original Harvey Mann vocal. Even though Grinder is undoubtedly a better singer than Mann the original mix is stronger and powerful and makes more justice to the high energy Hendrix influenced sound of the band, plus it makes it the very first official vinyl reissue of the original LP.

File Under: Psych, Blues Rock
Listen Here
Buy Here

Michal Turtle: Return to Jeka (Music From Memory) LP
In tomorrow… Flowers From The Ashes: Contemporary Italian Electronic Music is the latest multi-artist project to bear the acclaimed Stroboscopic Artefacts imprimatur. There is a sensibility of decadence and corroded grandeur etched within the album, reminding you that historically “decadent” times have nonetheless resulted in some of the boldest acts of individual and collective creativity. Like the “floral” theme that has remained a consistent feature of S.A.’s graphic presentation, the music here equally presents fragility and intensity in a way that really drives home this visual metaphor for good, while still holding out the promise that similar creations will be seeded in the near future. Though many of the artists involved have set of residence outside of their native Italy, all contribute here to make a captivating portrait of a shared spirit and cultural memory. The album opens with “Errori”, deceptively fragile sonic ornaments crafted and suspended in space by Blackest Ever Black artist Silvia Kastel. This is followed closely by the mellifluous, warming glow of percussionist Andrea Belfi’s “Spitting & Skytouching”, and then by the resolute electric bass patterns and luminous fog of “Lux Et Sonus” from Eeri label head Marco Shuttle. Hospital Productions alumnus Ninos Du Brasil enters with a similarly dense, amorphous construction built from tribalistic chants and rhythmic patterns, to be followed by Mannequin label boss Alessandro Adriani’s “You Will Not Be There For The End”, showcasing his distinctive take on the “paranoiac breakdance” aesthetic of classic EBM. S.A. veteran Chevelcomes in with interlacing several percolating synth lines together into a richly conversational piece. The journey continues with “Starving The Mind”, an undulating mini-epic from S.A. founder Lucy that is animated by his signature balance of seductiveness and concentration. The bright, biting acid synth tones of “PRV-HH3-X”, by Lory D, then takes a sharp right turn into an invisible metropolis ruled by reflective high fashion and hidden intrigue. The imposing architecture of “Virgo Rebellion”, designed by modular synth futurist Caterina Barbieri, acts as an excellent companion piece, and sets up the closing “4G” from Spazio Disponibile co-founder Neel — a crepuscular serenade that accurately sums up much of the foregoing activity.

File Under: Electronic
Listen Here
Buy Here

Vampires Sound Incorporated: Psychedelic Dance Party
(Wah Wah) LP
With their charming look of exploitation LPs, Sexedelic’s Sexedelic and it’s ‘brother’ album The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation’s Psychedelic Dance Party (also reissued on Wah Wah as LPS185) hide the joint works of German composers Manfred Hübler and Siegfried Schwab that were used on three classic 1970 b-movies directed by Spanish film maker Jess Franco: Vampyros Lesbos, The Devil Came From Akasava, She Killed In Ecstasy. Besides the film director and the soundtrack composers, these three films also shared the presence of Spanish actress Soledad Miranda. Manfred Hübler’s work, other than the one appeared on these three films, remains pretty unknown – although prior to partnering with Siegfried Schwab he did soundtracks for several other films and TV series from 1966 through 1969, among them Intercontinental Express (TV series, 12 episodes in 1966), Code Name Is Kill (1967), Polizeifunk ruft (TV series, 6 episodes in 1968), Der Partyphotograph (1968) and The Butterfly (1970). Siegfried ‘Siggi’ Schwab, on the other hand, has an extense career with hundreds of recordings, including soundtracks and records, and is also known as a key member in albums by krautrock bands like Et Cetera or Embryo (his guitar pyrotechnics are big part of the personality of their Father, Son and Holy Ghosts LP which was also reissued on Wah Wah some years ago). Original copies of these LPs could be found for next to nothing in European flea markets until the mid 1990s, when Lucertola Media compiled them both on the 3 Films By Jess Franco CD. The amazing sounds that mixtured jazz pianos, easy listening brass section, psychedelic fuzz guitar, pop harpsichord lines, exotic sitar, and funky bass & drum beats were rediscovered and given new life when a compilation LP featuring the grooviest tracks from both albums was an instant hit which ran high in the alternative music sales charts. The legend grew when ‘The Lions And The Cucumber,’ opening track from The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation’s LP, was picked by Quentin Tarantino and given mainstream exposure on his third film Jackie Brown (1997), starring Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Robert de Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton. The ‘Vampyros Lesbos sound’ became a classic, awakening also new interest on the movies themselves which have been also issued on DVD since then. The music of Hübler and Schwab has also been sampled and revisited by many artists. Since then, original copies of The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation and Sexedelic LPs fetch small (and not so small!) fortunes in the collector’s market. Now, for the first time, the original albums from which all these amazing tracks were taken from are reissued in its original complete tracklists and sleeve artwork. Owning these two LPs is the only way to have in vinyl format all the original material issued by Hübler and Schwab – all previous reissues omit tracks from the original LPs. Now, for the first time ever, these extremely sought after LPs get a straight reissue in their original artwork, expanded with the inclusion of an 8-page full colour booklet that includes many photos and liner notes. Made in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Get yours before it’s too late!

File Under: Psych, Jazz, Lounge
Listen Here
Buy Here

Tom Waits: Small Change (Anti) LP
After signing with Asylum Records in the early 1970s, Tom Waits recorded a series of acclaimed albums whose noir tales about the after-midnight underworld transformed the seedy into the sublime in songs laced with both dark humor and profound longing. Decades and several musical evolutions later, Waits’ Asylum years still hold a special place in the hearts of many fans. Waits’ first seven albums on Asylum have been remastered and will be re-released via Anti-Records. 1976’s Small Change is a masterpiece that contains some of Waits’ best early work. Classic jazz, Tin Pan Alley, and Stephen Foster filtered through Tom’s unique worldview and lyrical genius. Heartbreaking, hilarious and always vivid, songs like “Step Right Up,” “Tom Traubert’s Blues,” “I Wish I Was in New Orleans,” “The Piano Has Been Drinking” and “Invitation to the Blues” are all classics that have influenced generations of songwriters since. Recorded with a live orchestra and featuring jazz legend Shelly Manne on drums, Small Change stands as one of Tom Waits’ most popular recordings.

File Under: Rock
Listen Here

Zanov: Green Ray (Wah Wah) LP
Under the alias of Zanov we find the works of French electronic pioneer Pierre Salkazanov, who had started playing guitar in the 1960s in a Shadows styled band, Les Ambassadors. Instrumental rock was not enough for Salkazanov, he was always looking for evolution, so when a meeting with French synth player Serge Ramses (of “Secret” fame) got him into the world of synthesizers he just dived deep into the bourgeoning world of electronic music. He got himself his first syths and started producing works into a 4-track Teac tape machine. French music was at its best, it was the time of Jean Michel Jarre, Didier Bocquet, Richard Pinhas and Heldon, Alain Meunier… Even Gong’s Tim Blake was living in France at that time. And so Zanov soon caught the attention of Polydor, who released Green Ray in 1976. It is a work made with minimal equipment if compared to other French sythetists, not to mention their German peers, he worked on the EMS VCS3 synth and used a 4-track Teac and a Revox A77 Mk IV reel to reel tape recorders obtaining huge sound results. You can appreciate an influence from the Berlin school, Green Ray walks the same path of what artists like Tangerine Dream and the likes were producing at the time, Zanov had felt under the spell of Ricochet, but his head was boiling with ideas which gave the recordings a very personal, unique touch. Zanov’s three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe.

File Under: Electronic, Prog, Psych, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Zanov: Moebius 256 301 (Wah Wah) LP
Under the alias of Zanov we find the works of French electronic pioneer Pierre Salkazanov, who had started playing guitar in the 1960s in a Shadows styled band, Les Ambassadors. Instrumental rock was not enough for Salkazanov, he was always looking for evolution, so when a meeting with French synth player Serge Ramses (of “Secret” fame) got him into the world of synthesizers he just dived deep into the bourgeoning world of electronic music. He got himself an EMS VCS3 and started producing works into a 4-track Teac tape machine. French music was at its best, it was the time of Jean Michel Jarre, Didier Bocquet, Richard Pinhas and Heldon, Alain Meunier… Even Gong’s Tim Blake was living in France at that time. By the time of his second LP, Moebius 256 301, issued also on Polydor in 1977, Zanov had already gathered a small collection of gear, including an ARP 2600 and an ARP sequencer, his old VCS3, an RMI Harmonic and a PS 3300. Again under the influence of both first and second generation of Berlin school musicians the LP will appeal to fans of Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, but they will also find a big deal of Zanov’s own personal sound on it, since as the musician himself reckons he had little contact with other peers of his generation, so besides a general love for the electronic gear used and the sounds you could make out of them the creative ideas behind his works were all his own. On his second album a richer sound is found, not only due to the use of the new gear, since some of its tracks where recorded using only his old EMS, but also due to his won experience after having taken his works to the life stages in the Golf Drouot boite, the Lase Olympia venue (on the basement of the famous Olympia), the Paris Planetarium or those for planned one month tour (of which in the end only four dates were accomplished). Zanov’s three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe.

File Under: Electronic, Prog, Psych, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Zanov: In Course of Time (Wah Wah) LP
In Course Of Time, his third LP was originally issued in Canada in 1982 and in France in 1983, although it contains works that he had began working in 1979. The material was originally shelved due to legal matters, although he continued to add some changes even after that. The Canadian edition came out in Les Disques Solaris, a recently created label that wanted to specialise in “cosmic” music. Zanov used the same equipment he had used on Moebius 256 301, albeit this time he gave more use to the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer. Zanov’s three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe. Zanov’s third LP was released in 1982 in Canada on Les disques Solaris and in 1983 in France on Ondes.

File Under: Prog, Psych, Electronic, Kosmische
Listen Here
Buy Here

Zweistein: Trip | Flip Out | Meditation (Wah Wah) LP
Zweistein’s trippy Kraut psych experimental masterpiece from Philips Records 1970, arguably one of the most sought after Kraut titles, period! Remastered from the original tapes, absolutely essential! With roughly a half century between us, the revolutionary spirit of the 1960’s is easily lost – watered downed, its energy and truths rubbed clean by the ubiquity of the pop machine. Our contemporary vision of the past rarely resemblances the true zeitgeist of the day. The 1960’s was an era defined by the underground – by those who made a home there, by those who exited the mainstream, plumbing unknown depths, and by the radicalism which they embraced. Few musical contexts present an accurate lens into the decade’s counter-cultural swell – the joining of pop with the avant-garde, equal to the one which emerged within Germany. Writhing, principled, and unflinchingly revolutionary, this scene pushed further sonically into experimental territory than almost any other. Few of its artifacts present this spirit as well as Trip Flip Out Meditation, the lone, astoundingly ambitious triple LP recorded by Zweistein in 1969 and released the following year. Among the most sought after and coveted artifacts in the sprawling canon of Krautrock / Kosmische, it’s long awaited reissue now joins Wah Wah’s stunning catalog of obscure treasures from the radical depths of time. Zweistein was the brainchild of Suzanne Doucet, who was joined by her sister Diane during the recording process, with added studio effects byPeter Kramper. Doucet spent the first part of 60’s as a pop star – gathering number of hits, and as a TV presenter. Filled with a radical spirit, a love of art and technology, and fueled by a heavy intake of psychedelic drugs, her successes proved unfulfilling by the end of the decade. Zweistein was born. The album, which stretches over three LPs, each with its own theme – Trip, Flip Out, and Meditation, is a writhing radical construction in sound – far closer to the revolutionary gestures of synthesis, electronic and electroacoustic practice emerging during that era, than what is commonly associated with Krautrock or Kosmische. Almost completely abstract, with passages of fleeting melody and drone – enveloping landscapes realized through sound, Trip Flip Out Meditation is pure art, creativity, and experimentation, filtered through the lens of LSD – the heights of the era and all the wonders it brought, with an unmistakable, overt attack on the pop sensibility of its day. An artist diving underground, rearing their head into the mainstream with a thrust of what was found. One of the great artifacts of the 1960’s, and of Krautrock, which few ever heard. Originally pressings of Trip Flip Out Meditation, Zweistein’s lone masterpiece, are as rare as they come, making this reissue long overdue – a grateful offering for a new generation of ears. Suzanne Doucet went on to become one of the most noted voices in the European moment of New Age. She was recently featured on Light In The Attic’s survey (The Microcosm) Visionary Music Of Continental Europe, 1970-1986, but Trip Flip Out Meditation is where it all truly began. Grab a piece of history before its gone again for good. As essential as they come. We can’t thank Wah Wah enough for placing this beauty back into our hands. “A pack of drug and art addled young Germans run amok in a recording studio on a major label’s dime Even better, a pair of sisters, one of them a popular mainstream singing star, travel around Europe making weird tapes on a portable tape recorder and then lavishly package the treated results as a triple LP set in an elaborate and expensive silver and gold foil sleeve circa 1970 in Germany? I’m so there!” Dangerous Minds

File Under: Prog, Psych, Krautrock
Listen Here
Buy Here

Various: Flowers from the Ashes (Stroboscopic Artefacts) LP
In tomorrow… Flowers From The Ashes: Contemporary Italian Electronic Music is the latest multi-artist project to bear the acclaimed Stroboscopic Artefacts imprimatur. There is a sensibility of decadence and corroded grandeur etched within the album, reminding you that historically “decadent” times have nonetheless resulted in some of the boldest acts of individual and collective creativity. Like the “floral” theme that has remained a consistent feature of S.A.’s graphic presentation, the music here equally presents fragility and intensity in a way that really drives home this visual metaphor for good, while still holding out the promise that similar creations will be seeded in the near future. Though many of the artists involved have set of residence outside of their native Italy, all contribute here to make a captivating portrait of a shared spirit and cultural memory. The album opens with “Errori”, deceptively fragile sonic ornaments crafted and suspended in space by Blackest Ever Black artist Silvia Kastel. This is followed closely by the mellifluous, warming glow of percussionist Andrea Belfi’s “Spitting & Skytouching”, and then by the resolute electric bass patterns and luminous fog of “Lux Et Sonus” from Eeri label head Marco Shuttle. Hospital Productions alumnus Ninos Du Brasil enters with a similarly dense, amorphous construction built from tribalistic chants and rhythmic patterns, to be followed by Mannequin label boss Alessandro Adriani’s “You Will Not Be There For The End”, showcasing his distinctive take on the “paranoiac breakdance” aesthetic of classic EBM. S.A. veteran Chevelcomes in with interlacing several percolating synth lines together into a richly conversational piece. The journey continues with “Starving The Mind”, an undulating mini-epic from S.A. founder Lucy that is animated by his signature balance of seductiveness and concentration. The bright, biting acid synth tones of “PRV-HH3-X”, by Lory D, then takes a sharp right turn into an invisible metropolis ruled by reflective high fashion and hidden intrigue. The imposing architecture of “Virgo Rebellion”, designed by modular synth futurist Caterina Barbieri, acts as an excellent companion piece, and sets up the closing “4G” from Spazio Disponibile co-founder Neel — a crepuscular serenade that accurately sums up much of the foregoing activity.

File Under: Electronic
Listen Here

Various: Voices of Mississippi (Dust to Digital) 4CD+Book
In tomorrow… This watershed release represents the life’s work of William Ferris, an audio recordist, filmmaker, folklorist, and teacher with an unwavering commitment to establish and to expand the study of the American South. William Ferris was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1942. Growing up on a working farm, Ferris began at a young age documenting the artwork, music, and lives of the people on the farm and in his local community. The archive of recordings that he created and the documentary films that he had a hand in producing have served as powerful tools in institutions of higher learning for decades. Dust-to-Digital present these films and recordings. The label’s hope is that the enjoyment and educational value that has been received by Ferris’s students over the years will be transmitted to listeners around the world and further the understanding of Southern culture. Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris includes: a 120-page hardcover book in full color edited by William Ferris Writings by Scott Barretta, David Evans, and Tom Rankin; three CDs — two of the CDs feature blues and gospel recordings (1966-1978), and the final CD features interviews and storytelling (1968-1994); and one DVD featuring documentary films (1972-1980). Transcriptions and annotations are provided for each track. Comes in a cigar box. In addition to being a groundbreaking documentarian of the American South, William Ferris is Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History and senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ferris co-edited the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (1989) and is the author of multiple books. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine named him among the top ten professors in the United States. The recordings feature James “Son Ford” Thomas, Lovey Williams, Wallace “Pine-Top” Johnson, Maudie Shirley, and Jasper Love, Scott Dunbar, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Louis Dotson, Sonny Boy Watson, Sam Myers, Tom Dumas, Unidentified Musician with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Walter Lee Hood, Wash Heron and “Big” Jack Johnson, James Hughes, Leland Musician, Inmates at Parchman Farm, George Lee “Sun Bud” Spears, James “Son Ford” Thomas with Sonny Boy Watson, Mary and Amanda Gordon, The Southland Hummingbirds, Lovey Williams, Reverend Smith and Family, Liddle Hines, Providence Missionary Baptist Church, Church of God in Christ, Fannie Bell Chapman, Mary Alice and Alan Mcgowan, Reverend Ott and Family, Rose Hill Church, Lovey Williams and Family, Fannie Bell Chapman and Family, Reverend Isaac Thomas and Rose Hill Church, Barry Hannah, Alice Walker, Alex Haley, Ray Lum, Bobby Rush, Joe “Skeet” Skillet, Joe Cooper, Shelby “Poppa Jazz” Brown, B.B. King, Allen Ginsberg, James “Son Ford” Thomas, and Bill Ferris, Robert Penn Warren, Pecolia Warner, Victor Bobb, and Pete Seeger.

File Under: Blues, Gospel