Category Archives: New

…..news letter #515 – tis the season to go shopping…..

howdy all,

well it would appear that the holiday season is upon us once again and as usual things are starting to really slow down for new releases. so to make up for it, we bought a big ol’ beatles collection. lots of beatles albums, as well as a ton of solo and spin off records as well. i’ve listed a portion of them below, but stop in or drop us a line if you are looking for something specific.

…..pick of the week…..

daphne oram – the daphne oram tapes: volume one – young americans – 4lp
– daphne oram, founder of the bbc radiophonic workshop, died in 2003 leaving a colossal archive of reel-to-reel tapes and documents behind. this important collection of material eventually made its way to goldsmiths college, london, who have been administering it on behalf of the daphne oram trust for the last few years. the collection holds over 400 tapes made by oram during her lifetime, and 211 of those have been archived and catalogued by the college so far. the daphne oram tapes: volume one is the result of almost two years spent trawling through the archive in an attempt to piece together a coherent document of one of the most pioneering and genuinely experimental characters in electronic music history. although some of oram’s recordings have surfaced on the oramics compilation, this compilation reveals a complex, dark and sometimes disturbing body of work which has, until now, been partially obscured by the more recognizable radiophonic bleeps and whirrs the workshop is best known for. this first volume focuses on oram’s love of experimental forms, of musique concrète, of the science and mystery of sound and composition. It comes at a time when her work is only just starting to gain wider acknowledgment in scholarly as well as popular circles. the “oramics” machine (the first electronic musical instrument in history to be designed and built by a woman) has gone on display at the science museum in london, an important step in what will no doubt be a sustained effort to assert oram’s rightful position as one of the most important figures in modern music. working through the archive has been a life-changing experience, revealing a wealth of musical treasures that include recordings and sound effects made for stanley kubrick’s 2001: a space odyssey and jack clayton’s the innocents, all the way through to field recordings made in africa. this first volume, put together with the help of goldsmiths and daphne’s family, is the first in a planned series that will, for the first time, make oram’s most important and personal recordings available for public consumption. deluxe quadruple vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve. highly recommended!!!

…..new arrivals….. Continue reading

…..news letter #513 – makeshift swahili…..

howdy all,

you know, even when it happens on a weekly basis, i’m still somewhat shocked and annoyed when ups decides once again to not deliver one of my shipments on time. oh well, less work for me today, twice the work tomorrow. anyway, if you haven’t noticed, christmas is creeping up quickly. if you are looking for something specific, be sure to come pick it up sooner than later as it will get harder in the next couple of weeks to get some stuff back in before christmas.

…..pick of the week…..


*omar souleyman – leh jani – sham palaces – lp

– first release on sham palace, a new label from key sublime frequencies conspirator mark gergis. “leh jani” — the legendary omar souleyman track — was originally released in syria as a sprawling 30-minute epic groove, alongside two additional tracks. the entire 60-minute cassette album was recorded live to tape in 1998 at the home studio of producer zuhir maksi in the village of ras al ain in northeastern syria. many of omar’s early tapes were recorded in this fashion to replicate the feeling of his live wedding party performances while minimizing the inherent recording chaos and distractions of those parties. the full track — featured here, reveals plenty more twists and turns from synth and saz during its hypnotic course. “leh jani” appeared in slightly edited form on the original syrian-issued tape, which was distributed throughout the country for a short period of time. the song was further truncated for omar’s debut western compilation, highway to hassake and a concurrently assembled internet video clip of the track helped earn omar his first attention in the west. the album begins with a lively introduction followed by a majestic mawal, before showcasing the incredible uptempo and previously-unreleased “salamat galbi bidek.” all tracks are embellished with the virtuosic folk stylings of longtime collaborators rizan sa’id on keyboards and hamid souleyman on electric bozouk. this complete version of the original leh jani cassette album features an hour of music, and ensures an all-night syrian dabke party no matter where on earth you rest the needle.

…..new arrivals…… Continue reading