Now that summer is over and life tenses up once more I'll be posting here again. I didn't listen to the Spirogyra album as much as I thought I would this summer, probably the new Portishead more, but that wasn't really the point of the post anyway.
Here's some releases I have yet to check out or otherwise just forgot to post up:
$17.99 Over the years, German producers Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus have been endlessly influential in shaping the directions of modern techno and experimental electronic music. Be it in their seminal Chain Reaction label (which released landmark material from the likes of Vladislav Delay, Monolake, and Porter Ricks), the great releases they've presided over as Maurizio and Rhythm & Sound, or the stellar Wackies reissue program they have been working on for a number of years, Von Oswald and Ernestus have created a dub-inflected pulse felt around the world. The most notable of all their efforts, however, is Basic Channel, the beat that started it all in the early 90s with a series of singles that almost single-handedly redefined techno. While edits and exclusive versions of the tracks on these records have been available as a compact disc throughout the years, the stunning full-length pieces have remained a strictly vinyl proposition. Now, however, Basic Channel presents a second compact disc compilation, this one collecting six full-length tracks culled from the original run of singles. Making their debut in the digital format, tracks like "Enforcement" and "Phylyps Trak" show where it all began for these two, as they took reverberant bass lines and mixed them with endlessly repetitive percussive patterns to create epic, transcendental pieces. Though the music contained here represents only a fraction of what was on those original Basic Channel singles, it's still a valuable collection, one worthy of introducing new fans to the sound and providing the long faithful with a refresher course. [MC]
BASIC CHANNEL
BCD 2
(Basic Channel)
"Inversion"
"Octagon"
$17.99 The curators at Soundway really struck gold when they began digging up all sorts of variegated vinyl slabs from down in Nigeria. And it's paying handsome dividends in 2008 for open-eared listeners. The High Life 2CD set from earlier this year is one of the most stellar African comps period, and the follow-up Rock and Disco sets weren't too shabby either. Now the label follows all that up with a handy one-disc overview of guitar dandy Sir Victor Uwaifo. If the sight of the young African pork-chopped guitarist bedecked in a white jumpsuit tearing into his Fender on the front cover doesn't draw you in, the 19 tracks will. For us in the west, Uwaifo was a heavy on the Nigerian scene, his trajectory including poetry, sculpture, ambassador, and even Commissioner for Culture! This set documents Uwaifo's return to his home of Benin City after a stay in Lagos spent absorbing the musical culture there. Searing leads, tough chops, playful tugs at the polyrhythms, and all other sorts of six-stringed incandescence are on display throughout. [AB]
SIR VICTOR UWAIFO
Guitar Boy Superstar
(Soundway)
"Kirikisi"
"Ebibi"
KOTIK, PETR: Many Many Women 3CD (DWAB 003CD) 36.00
"Digitally remastered from the original 1981 Labor Record release, Kotik's Many Many Women has long been considered a masterpiece of 1970s underground music. The polyphonic composition sets Gertrude Stein's entire novella Many Many Women to music and marks the crystallization of Kotik's musical aesthetic. Described by Richard Kostelanetz as 'continually austere and yet engaging, realizing a musical reinterpretation of Stein's text,' Many Many Women highlights both the musicality of Stein's poetry and Kotik's distinctly personal treatment of melody. The liner notes include essays by Kostelanetz and Village Voice critic Kyle Gann."
SANDHY & MANDHY: Para Castukis LP (LION 105LP) 28.00
"Here at last is a chance to discover why people have been willing to pay a very steep price to hear Sandhy & Mandhy, the duo who were not a duo, the band who were not a band, creators of perhaps the rarest and most expensive album from Argentina. To tell the story of Sandhy & Mandhy, we have to go back to 1967, when Alberto Infusino (Sandhy) and Alberto Vanasco (Mandhy) began their musical partnership in the beat band The New Free Men. Like many bands of that time, Los Shakers and Los Walkers, for example, the New Free Men played covers of songs by The Zombies, Animals, Kinks, Yardbirds, Doors, and so on, in clubs and at parties. Yet at the same time, Infusino and Vanasco started to play their own compositions, with a national touch to the music. Let's let Vanasco (Mandhy) take up the story: 'In 1969, we went to talk with Billy Bond, chief of La Pesada del Rock Roll to ask about the chance to make an album. Bond said that he was not looking for a band, but for a duo who sang songs in Spanish… So, we called some friends to play together, and we called the project Sandhy & Mandhy.' They recorded the album in three hours, with a full band (Farfisa organ, congas, drums, bass, and guitars) — one take of each song. Instead of a demo, they decided to press an LP: the company (Phonalex) pressed 110 LPs in total, which the band gave out at gigs. Sandhy & Mandhy were one of the first bands in South America to bring a rebellious attitude to the music scene — all this in a period of military repression, when forced haircuts in the streets were a common occurrence. Although they broke new ground, success was not their fate. And so 38 years after the burst of improvisation that was Sandhy & Mandhy, the rest of the world can finally take a taste of their dark, groovy, beat-influenced psychedelia (that fuzz guitar on the excellent 'Lluvia'!). At times introspective and acoustic, at others manic and ramshackle in the best way, it's quite a discovery. Now, on to the presentation — the highest quality mastering and pressing (done at Acoustech Mastering/RTI in California, the same people who master and press every title that audiophile label Classic Records makes); the resulting LP is housed in a poly-lined sleeve, inside an ultra-heavy 1960's style gatefold jacket, which is housed in a loose-fitting plastic sleeve. Inside the sleeve, you will find an insert with full details on Sandhy & Mandhy, including lyrics in Spanish and English, printed on 100% recycled paper. The LP labels are replicas of the originals. A top of the line pressing all the way. Limited edition of 800 copies."
PARRENIN, EMMANUELLE: Maison Rose LP (LION 106LP) 28.00
"We begin by saying that this is an album unlike any other. A bold statement, perhaps. Yet look in the Scented Gardens of the Mind book and you will see this description: 'A revelation of a folk album, with songs of incredible beauty and innovative arrangements. It features traditional instruments you've hardly ever heard before and touches of the avant-garde. Play this album directly after that of another randomly chosen female folk album, and you will notice the difference! This is one of the best!' Parrenin had been part of a traditional 'antique folk' movement in France in the late 1960s (she was in many ways a French equivalent to Sandy Denny or Mandy Morton); indeed, she had recorded eight albums with musicians from this scene before Maison Rose — her best, and last album, recorded in 1976 and released the following year. The record seems to alternate between a cosmic take on an ancient Breton sound, and delicate, multi-tracked ballads — ranging from sounds that would not be out of place on an Ash Ra Tempel album to elements of traditional French folk music (including home-made instruments) that are just as exotic. Certainly, the avant-garde edge lurking beneath the simple folkiness of Maison Rose puts in mind the explorations of Brigitte Fontaine with her sometime musical voyager Areski; there are also suggestions of the pastoral caranavserai aesthetic of Vashti Bunyan, as well as the multi-track sensuality of Linda Perhacs (to name two much-touted singers who seem to have a similar ability to enchant). But Parrenin has her own style, her music has its own deeply ethereal quality, and the album itself has its own magic spell to cast that renders comparison with other albums unimportant in the end. Magnificent, we say. Now, on to the presentation — the highest quality mastering and pressing (done at Acoustech Mastering/RTI in California, the same people who master and press every title that audiophile label Classic Records makes); the resulting LP is housed in a poly-lined sleeve, inside an ultra-heavy 1960s style gatefold jacket, which is housed in a loose-fitting plastic sleeve. Inside the sleeve, you will find an insert with full details on Ms. Parrenin, printed on 100% recycled paper. The LP labels are replicas of the Ballon Noir originals. A top of the line pressing all the way. Limited edition of 500 copies."
AYERS, KEVIN: What More Can I Say… CD (REELR 009CD) 17.00
Kevin Ayers is one of UK rock's greatest contributors, both as a key member of Soft Machine as their original bassist/vocalist, and later as a collaborator with noted prog musicians Mike Oldfield and Steve Hillage. This is a collection of recently-discovered private demo recordings and out-takes straight from Kevin Ayers' personal archives — a refreshing reminder of a musical innocence unique to the 1970s. Much more than nuggets from a golden era, these songs remain compellingly personal in their simplicity, and sit alongside sunny instrumentals featuring friends David Bedford, Mike Oldfield, Archie Leggett (1944-1997) and Robert Wyatt. Of special note is the 14-minute private demonstration for the "Doctor Dream"suite, a stunning "audio letter" synopsis with acoustic performances and wry commentary. Never has Kevin Ayers' voice and guitar been captured in such natural intimacy. These beautifully recorded reel-to-reel tapes are an indispensable portrait of an artist as a young man. Or to convey the response from manager Tim Shepard, "this is Kevin's Holy Grail!" What more can we say?
BAKER, JOHN: The John Baker Tapes Volume 2: Soundtracks, Library… CD (JBH 029CD) 15.50
…Home Recordings, Electro Ads. Subtitled: Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings 1963-1975. This is volume two of Trunk's John Baker Radiophonic retrospective. The legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio. Sounds for programs were created by using recordings of everyday sounds such as voices, bells, gravel and other raw materials for "radiophonic" manipulations, in which audio tape could be played back at different speeds, pitches, cut and joined, or processed. The Workshop's innovations in manipulative sound are akin to those used in musique concrète, and has had a profound influence on the evolution of modern electronic music. The 39 tracks on volume two represent the major body of important work John Baker produced while moonlighting for other companies (under the pseudonym of John Matthews), and most tracks have remained unissued, until now. This CD brings together the most complete overview of his work outside of the BBC, his freaky library music (for Southern and Peer), incredible electro-advertising commissions, rare soundtracks, and private home recordings, nearly all of which have also remained unissued. This CD also includes the first-ever release of the soundtrack to Boy On A Bicycle, the debut film by Ridley Scott from 1965. The album also comes with his test tone experiments, feedback loops and the first-ever recording made by John Baker (pressed originally on a 78 RPM record) from 1954. There's also the original obituary broadcast on BBC Radio 5 back in 1997. None of these recordings have been released until now. This is another essential release for followers of British electronic music, British electronics, and of the Workshop output.
MERZBOW: Rainbow Electronics 2 CD (DEX 006CD) 13.00
1996 release on Jim O'Rourke's old label, surprisingly repressed for 2008. First non-reissue on this label — an unreleased companion to the 1990 Alchemy label masterpiece. "The designation 'Rainbow' contrasts with the odd colorlessness of the many noise records. Like Voice Crack, this is power electronics at its most detailed, most subtly varied, and most exhaustively kinetic. It doesn't stop. It's a thrill every two seconds, for seventy-five minutes… It splits into halves, quarters, and more unwieldy f(r)actions. It splits prime numbers… it's the closest we've found to an infinite palette."
COCTEAU & LES SIX, JEAN: Once Upon A Time CD (ACMEM 152CD)17.00
"Paris 1919. Playwright, novelist, poet, surrealist, filmmaker and self-publicist Jean Cocteau was the literary spokesman for Les Six. With his endorsement, and the inspiration of Erik Satie and fired by the principles of Dada and surrealism, the group, comprising Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Germaine Tailleferre and Louis Durey, expressed their irreverence towards the twin spectres of lifeless tradition and bloodless modernism. They embraced the previously forbidden worlds of popular song, 'primitive' music and jazz and in so doing, helped purge the classical music establishment of its deeply ingrained snobbery and pave the way for generations of iconoclasts — in classical, jazz and rock music — still to come. Our edition comprises famous examples of the work of this group of composers who so scandalized twenties Paris Pacific 231, Les Biches, Le Boeuf sur le Toit and La Creation du Monde along with themes from Georges Auric¹s scores for Cocteau s the very influential surrealistic film fantasies; Orphée (Orpheus), La belle et la bête (Beauty and the Beast) and L'aigle à deux têtes (The Eagle has Two Heads)."
JOBRIATH Hailed by fans from Morrissey to Mark Stewart as an under-appreciated glam rock icon, Jobriath was the first openly gay rock star and one of the biggest major label failures of the 1970s. Unfairly criticized as a cheap Bowie rip-off, in retrospect, it's quite clear that Jobriath was an immensely talented songwriter and performer in his own right. Originally released on Elektra, these two highly sought after albums from 1973 and 1974 are reissued to a new generation who may finally be ready for all the lavish production and theatrics within. Think a Broadway musical directed by Klaus Nomi and starring Major Tom, or how about Velvet Goldmine meets The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Essential stuff!
Jobriath
$12.99 CD
Creatures of the Street
$12.99 CD
JOBRIATH
Jobriath
(Collector's Choice)
"Take Me I'm Yours"
Creatures of the Street
(Collector's Choice) "Heartbeat"
IN CAMERA: Open Air CD (ROBOT 036CD) 16.00
"Remastered CD edition of the second album by In Camera (a collaborative project by Christoph Heemann and Timo Van Luijk). Open Air features very dynamic live material recorded outdoors, under the moon, in March 2004. Live improvisation integrating a stream of acoustic elements with continuous modulation. Packaged in a full-color digipak in an edition of 400 copies."
O'ROURKE, JIM: Long Night 2CD (STREAM 1023CD) 20.00
"Long Night, a 2½ hour electronic drone work produced by Jim O'Rourke in 1990 around the time of his graduation from music school had been buried in the archives along with several other electronic music pieces Jim had created before he went about to explore other musical territories. Unearthed, remastered and now released for the first time, its ageless qualities shine as brightly as ever." "…the tower was not a tower; it was a needle. Standing on top a high hill, it jabbed a finger heavenward. At the base it measured a good six feet across, tapering to a sharp point a hundred feet or more above the ground. It was of a rather nasty pinkish color and was made of a substance that appeared similar to the substance of which the cube had been constructed. Plastic, he thought to himself, although he was fairly sure it was not plastic. When he laid his hand flat against its surface, he could feel a slight vibration, as if the wind out of the west, playing upon it, was causing it to vibrate along its entire length as a freestanding, tapering, most unlikely violin string would vibrate to the bow. It was not generally loud, although at times it became a little louder. Despite the fact that more often than not it was a soft music, it had fantastic carrying power."
CRANDELL, RICHARD: In The Flower of Our Youth LP (TSQ 2035LP)13.00
Reissue of this classic solo acoustic guitar album. "In The Flower of Our Youth, originally released on the private press label Cutthroat Records in 1980, was Richard Crandell's first LP. His tune 'Rebecca' was famously covered by admirer Leo Kottke on his Chewing Pine album. Crandell has gone on to record several other guitar albums, as well as two mbira recordings for John Zorn's Tzadik label. Crandell's music has recently been featured on Tompkins Square's Imaginational Anthem Vol. 3, as well as the guitar compilation Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli."
TAUSSIG, HARRY: Fate Is Only Once LP (TSQ 2042LP) 13.00
"Harry Taussig's Fate Is Only Once was originally self-released in 1965. Taussig's only other recordings appear on a deleted 1967 Takoma Records sampler LP entitled Contemporary Guitar Spring '67, which also featured John Fahey, Bukka White, Max Ochs and Robbie Basho. Fate Is Only Once has long been a coveted collectible among American Primitive guitar enthusiasts."
AMACHER, MARYANNE: Sound Characters Volume 2 CD (TZ 8055)14.50
"One of contemporary music's greatest and most elusive mavericks returns to Tzadik with yet another CD of ear-bending electronic sounds. A student of Stockhausen and close collaborator of John Cage and David Behrman, Amacher has been creating acoustic art, electronic soundscapes and site-specific installation work since 1967. A new CD of Amacher compositions is a true cause for celebration and Teo! is one of her greatest works. The winner of Prix Ars Electronica in the Digital Musics category. Teo! premiered in the Esplanade of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and is a collaboration with scientists at the Sun Pyramid of Teotihuacan. An absolutely stunning electronics masterpiece!"
HAIGH, ROBERT: Written On Water CD (CROU 042CD) 16.00
"In the early '80s, Robert Haigh released a handful of recordings under his own name, as well as the monikers Sema, Fote, and Truth Club. His atmospheric piano, guitar and sound arrangements were in a class of their own, but ranked among the quality level of other experimentalists such as Nurse With Wound, Current 93, and The Hafler Trio (coincidentally with whom he also collaborated). These recordings quickly developed a cult following and even today are scarce, some fetching high prices on the collector's market. Haigh departed this work in the '90s, moving into an entirely different sound under the moniker Omni Trio. Signing with the esteemed electronic label Moving Shadow, Haigh became highly regarded as one of the originators of drum and bass music, although his style during this time continued to reflect his use of fluid melody and space. And now, Crouton is absolutely delighted to present his newest work, Written On Water. Within these songs, listeners will hear nods to the distinct melodicism of his early Valentine Out of Season-era solo piano work, while also referencing like-minded composers such as Eric Satie, Steve Reich, and Harold Budd. Gone are the drum machines of his '90s work, yet this new music is as much about rhythm as it is about melody."
RUSSELL QUARTET, RAY: Turn Circle CD (CDSML 8436CD) 20.00
"From a 1968 CBS 'Real Jazz' series LP comes Turn Circle — the recording debut of the quartet led by guitarist and composer Ray Russell. This is arguably Ray's finest jazz album, mixing compositions by such notable figures as Wayne Shorter ('Footprints') and Charles Lloyd ('Sombrero Sam') with Ray Russell originals. The best known of these is the suite in three movements 'A Day in the Working Life of a Slave of Lower Egypt.' This remarkable work blends modal writing and free collective improvisation to stunning effect while showcasing the individual talents of quartet members Roy Fry (piano), Ron Mathewson (double-bass) and Alan Rushton (drums)."
VALENTE, DINO: Dino Valente CD (RPM 289CD) 17.00
"A fascinating enigma of the San Francisco psychedelic scene, Valente is most famed as the author of the song 'Get Together.' This definitive '60s love-and-peace anthem was recorded on the Jefferson Airplane's first album, and taken into the Top Ten by the Youngbloods. Valente was an original member of Quicksilver Messenger Service, and his one off solo single in 1964, a folk pop song called 'Birdses' became the inspiration for Gene Clark to name his new band the Birdses, amended of course, to the Byrds, because of his admiration for Valente's single 'In 1968,' following a spell in jail for drug possession, he got a deal with Epic Records, recording an album produced by Bob Johnston (most famous for overseeing much of Bob Dylan's classic '60s output). It was idiosyncratic even within the psychedelic community. Valente sang elliptical, stream-of-consciousness hippyisms without much in the way of narrative, beginning, or end, but with an evocative lyricism. The accompaniment is mostly stripped down guitar playing pleasingly haunting minor folk-jazz acoustic chords, swelled by wads of studio reverb. In March this year, Mojo's 67 Lost Albums You Must Own article included this album: 'On leaving Quicksilver Messenger Service after changing his name to avoid the taxman, the chemically deranged but incredibly charming Dino Valente knocked off this beautifully elongated acoustic ramble, then promptly disappeared. Emotional, aching and gloriously daft in places, its stream of lo-fi consciousness spawned generations of bedroom strumming by moody suicidal peaceniks. All a bit intense on the surface, it's wonderfully engaging even today. (DH)' RPM make this album available once with this timely re-press and in a package with an insightful essay by Nina Antonia. In the current climate of Devendra Banhart, James Yorkeston et al, Valente sounds neither out of place nor out of time."
MUHLY, NICO: Mothertongue CD (HWY 018CD) 13.00
"The young composer Nico Muhly — recently subject of a 6000+ word profile in the New Yorker — amassed a string of commissions and premieres that would be notable for a composer twice his age. The Boston Pops, the BBC, American Ballet Theater, the New York Public Library, Whitney Museum and, yes, even a debut at Carnegie Hall. More intriguing to pop listeners, perhaps, are Muhly's contributions to projects by a striking constellation of modern musical icons: Rufus Wainwright, Philip Glass, Antony, Björk, Will Oldham, The National, et. al. Thankfully, Mothertongue's contents are more impressive than Muhly's resume. The title track is a mystery that grabs your attention with ambient chatter and soothes you with strident noise. 'Wonders' collapses the distance between early music and music of the future. And 'The Only Tune' is an exploded folk song that stimulates your brain while tightening its grip on your heart. Classical music can be a daunting exercise for those unfamiliar with the genre. Luckily, the composer Nico Muhly prizes communication — both in day-to-day life (note his frequently updated blog at nicomuhly.com) and in his music. It's this sensibility which has inspired the titles of both his records, Speaks Volumes and now Mothertongue. Mothertongue, in particular, sounds like the product of someone in love with language. Voices are treated as exquisite instruments. (The click of the teeth, the tap of the tongue, the smack of the lips, etc.) The music itself speaks to deeper meanings and specific ideas and emotions, like words on a page."
CASTRUS, PETRUS: Mestre LP (GUESS 042LP) 28.00
"We're very, very pleased to introduce you to this wonderful album, after more than 2 years working on it! One of the top Portuguese '70s rock names, Petrus Castrus is surely better known for his Ascençao e Queda second album, reissued in Korea on CD a few years ago. But for most of the lucky people who could listen to both albums, the 1973 debut Mestre is the best one. Very highly rated (among the ones who know it!) in the progressive rock scene, this is so rare in original, very few people have it even in Portugal. The album consists on 11 tracks featuring Portuguese lyrics, effective drumming and strong use of keys, though never falling into the symphonic field, this might be a blend of progressive rock and slight psych tinges. Remastered sound from mastertapes and with the original gatefold cover, this is a welcome and long awaited release sure to fill lots of prog collection gaps! 500 copies only!"
KANENOBU, SACHIKO: Misora LP (GUESS 043LP) 30.00
"Misora (which can be roughly translated as Beautiful Sky), the 1972 debut album by Sachiko Kanenobu, a woman generally acknowledged as Japan's first female singer-songwriter. It's a near-perfect folk masterpiece, alternating full-bodied arrangements (produced by Harry Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Happy End) with Sachiko's lonesome guitar and pure, soaring vocals. Discovered as a precocious 18 year-old in Osaka, Sachiko was signed in 1968 to Japan's first-ever independent record company, URC (Underground Record Club), who changed Japan's musical landscape irrevocably in the late '60s and early '70s with artists like Happy End, Folk Crusaders and Kenji Endo. Sachiko was the only female artist on this era-defining label and the very fact that she wrote and sang her own songs made her a rarity among Japanese women. Limited reissue of 500 copies, in gatefold cover and with a 4 page insert featuring extensive liner notes, lyrics translated into English by Sachiko herself, and never before seen photos from the singer's own archives."
TREE PEOPLE, THE: The Tree People LP (GUESS 045LP) 28.00
"Self-titled album by Oregon group Tree People has finally reached its deserved status after the excellent CD reissue released by Japanese label Tiliqua a couple years ago. Tree People is no other than a fantastic piece of hippie acid folk that clearly anticipates today's freak folk movement. Very clean production, with an Eastern flavor noticeable in many passages and using acoustic guitars, varied percussions and flutes, while the strong vocals of Stephen Cohen finalize the picture. Remastered sound from masters, has insert with rare photos."
VA: Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted: Baghdad, 1925-19292LP (HJR 035LP) 20.00
Double LP version, in deluxe gatefold sleeve. This is the second in Honest Jon's series of albums exploring the earliest 78s held in the EMI Hayes Archive. In the mid-1920s, The Gramophone Company — soon before it became EMI — employed two or three Europeans to criss-cross Iraq. They logged regional demographics, assessed the German competition, and checked out the scores of record shops and hundreds of musical venues. In Kerbala, its man fearfully disguised himself as an Arab. This was the groundwork for three sessions, conducted in Baghdad in the second half of the decade, which produced nearly 1,000 recordings. Business was good — the first group of records, though deemed aesthetically unsuccessful by the Company, immediately produced 12,000 sales to just two outlets in the city. Drawing on the full range of these Baghdad recordings, it is a wondrous, deeply poignant glimpse of social living since obliterated, in which ethnicities, faiths and traditions appear woven richly and meltingly together, however precariously. There is dance music featuring Arab folk singers from the countryside, backed by professional Jewish musicians in Iraqi styles popularly termed "Egyptian," and perfected in nightclubs where the first duty of the secular women singers on this album was prostitution. Also including some Arabic word-play, in a nod to the musical form of the Arabic mawwal, a Hebrew hymn is kick-started with a cry of "Allah!," most likely from one of the Jewish performers. There are pieces from Bahrain and Kuwait; sometimes mixed together in one performance — the different dialects are far-flung. There are beautiful, high and lonesome Kurdish violin improvisations; and some unaccompanied circular breathing on a zourna so unearthly it seems to cross late Coltrane with Sun Ra. All the songs are characterized by searing emotion and crises of feeling, many by erotic urgency. As with the other titles in the series, the recordings have been startlingly restored at Abbey Road; and they are presented with full translations, rare photographs (in this case, several performers), and notes — including an extensive interview with a citizen of Baghdad throughout this period, who knew many of the musicians here personally.
MARS: Mars LP: The Complete Studio Recordings NYC 1977-1978 CD (NO 014CD) 14.00
[Note: Mars LP is the title, but this is a CD-only release]. The Mars LP is the definitive collection of the 32 minutes of studio recordings released on vinyl between 1977 and 1979 by the most influential no wave band from the era, Mars (Sumner Crane, China Burg, Mark Cunningham, Nancy Arlen). Supervised by the surviving members, remastered from original sources without any added effects, and packaged with detailed notes and lyrics, the Mars LP is an effort to showcase the group's legacy and make up for the unavailability of these tracks in their original sound. Described by Lydia Lunch as "Static transmissions from a distant dark star. Taking up and tripping out further than The Velvet Underground's 'Black Angel Death Song,' Mars punished not with blunt force, but with a propulsive agitation which signaled a neurological insanity. A crippled tension swathed in nervous friction. A cavernous musical universe riddled with eerie sound storms whose poisoned atmosphere seduced and threatened. Obtuse and unforgiving. Sickly sexy. Red noise redefining bass urges, forcing the listener to question their own sanity by drilling into ear holes using electroshock guitars as saw blades trepanning into grey matter. Mars unleashed a choking cacophony illustrating the body as machine in disrepair fuelled by the impending repulsion and disintegration of a perverse romance with one's own demons. Demons who once wrenched free, made mimicry of the jangling nerve centers, and given voice as song, turned schizophrenic and howled these testimonials to the unbearable." Includes their first single on Rebel/Ze, the No New York tracks, and the Mars EP on Lust/Unlust Music — the complete discography. This CD should be considered as an alternative to the still-valid 78+ CD on Atavistic — this one features all the original recordings as intended, with all the Thirlwell sound reprocessing of the Atavistic CD eliminated.