| INSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE (FRANCE) |
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HOMSY, IMANE: Lord Kanun CD (IDMA 321085) 20.00
Performed by Imane Homsy, kanun and vocal. "The kanun is traditionally used to accompany singing. It repeats the musical phrase and is played with two fingers. Here, we see it in a new light: accompanist-interpreter-soloist on a par with any singer. The kanun as a 'complete' instrument, in fact, revealed in all its glory by Imane Homsy and the ten fingers technique developed by her, a technique that conjures up new ambiences and colors. The kanun has at last found the place it deserves at the heart of the classical Arab orchestra." |
| LONG HAIR (GERMANY) |
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RUFUS ZUPHALL: Phallobst CD (LHC 030CD) 24.00
2008 repress. "Reissue of the second Rufus Zuphall longplayer originally released BASF Pilz, in 1971. Additionally as bonus tracks the second part of the Farewell concert Aachen 1972 (pt1 is on LHC 29). Cool photos….Belongs to most legendary progressive Krautrock LPs from the '70s."
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ET CETERA: Et Cetera CD (LHC 071CD) 24.00
Heavy, crazy and amazing Wolfgang Dauner album, reissued for the first time ever. "First ever released on CD, Et Cetera's eponymous album (1980 reissue on Brain titled Lady Blue), originally released in 1971 on Global is an extraordinary album of weirdly trippy fusion that rides somewhere between instrumental Amon Düül II, Embryo and Dauner's own earlier classic Output. Full of ethnic (Arabic and Indian) spice with lots of the ethnic color added by legendary guitar and sitar (et. al.) player Sigi Schwab (Embryo), odd keyboard sounds by Wolfgang Dauner, dreamy bass patterns by Eberhard Weber and driving percussions by Fred Braceful and Roland Wittich, this is spacy, crazy, Krautrock and — a bit jazzy. Alan and Steven Freeman (The Crack In The Cosmic Egg) present this album in their The Krautrock Top 100. Maybe the album was originally planned as a double-LP because there are three more titles from the same recording session, which really knock you out. 'Kabul' is a killer, especially because of Schwab's exploding electric guitar and Weber's driving bass. 'Tau Ceti' is a wonderfully dreamy delight presenting Schwab's gorgeous acoustic guitar playing. Last but not least, the bonus track 'Behind The Stage' connects Schwab's special electric guitar with the band's atmospheric but rhythmic fundamental playing. This album will be a masterpiece for all time. It's unique. Digitally remastered from the original master tapes. The sound is brilliant. CD comes with informative booklet." Includes 3 bonus tracks. |
| LOVELY MUSIC |
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GORDON, PETER: Star Jaws CD (LCD 1031) 13.00
Digitally remastered reissue of an old Lovely Music LP from 1978. "Peter Gordon and 'Blue' Gene Tyranny are long-time Lovely Music stalwarts, having contributed their talents to many a LML release: Peter Gordon has acted as producer for a few early Robert Ashley recordings; 'Blue' Gene Tyranny is Robert Ashley's go-to pianist. Gordon and Tyranny have also collaborated in Gordon's Love of Life Orchestra (aka LOLO) and on Jill Kroesen's Stop Vicious Cycles. So, it's only fitting that when we dug into our vaults to give some classic Lovely LPs a new lease on life, we decided to release these three en masse. Star Jaws is a panoply of art-pop, '60s folk revival, and '70s funk; an amalgam of downtown minimalism, new-wave synthesizers, and soulful sax solos; a musical snapshot of late '70s New York City."
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BLUE GENE TYRANNY: Just For The Record CD (LCD 1062) 13.00
Digital remaster of this Lovely Music LP from 1979. "Just For The Record is a musical snapshot of West Coast post-classical music via Mills College: multiple-keyboard works by Robert Ashley, Phil Harmonic, Paul DeMarinis and John Bischoff."
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BLUE GENE TYRANNY: The Intermediary CD (LCD 1063) 13.00
Digital remaster of this Lovely Music LP release from 1982. "The Intermediary gathers all of 'Blue's' musical impulses together in one, sweeping work for prose, improvisation, electronics, and piano. A program records, processes, and plays back the changed sounds so that 'Blue' Gene must act as an 'intermediary': both the sender and receiver of information." |
| MANTRA (FRANCE) |
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HEDAYAT, DASHIELL: Obsolete CD (MAN 806191) 21.00
New remastered CD version (from original tapes according to the cover info), in cardboard sleeve (aka "vinyl replica" packaging); edition of 999 copies. "When Obsolete was published in November of 1971, the reporter from the magazine of reference, Superpop Hebdo (Superpop Weekly), questioned the repetitive aspect of this disc. He couldn't know that this musical approach would take flight thanks to English and German groups like Hawkwind, Amon Düül, and soon after, Gong, in France, whose founding members (Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilly Smith, Christian Tritsch) accompany Dashiell Hedayat. From this space-rock album is torn 'Chrysler Rose' — a little known masterpiece in its day, but which has today become a cult anthem to the 'joint' at all hip celebrations, revered by multiple generations of partiers. Humor and derision exist alongside the unreal on 'Love Song for Zelda,' realized with the help of William Burroughs, author of the hippies' must-have bedside book Junkie. Drugs are omnipresent in the hallucinatory texts of Dashiell Hedayat. The musical and lyrical composition date from the autumn of 1969, from whence the choice of the title Obsolete. An avant-garde disc so cool, it'll never go out of style! After having composed a second, very rare, opus under the pseudonym Melmoth (the beginning of intoxication), Dashiell Hedayat has since adopted a different type of writing, and today has authored novels and Hollywood screenplays under the name Jack-Alain Léger." |
| SHOWBOAT/SKY STATION (JAPAN) |
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KIYOKO, ITOH: Woman At 23 Hour - Love In CD (SWAX 058CD) 28.00
"Identical and deluxe reissue of this deliriously mega-rare and hardly known Itoh Kiyoko record. Normally if you want to score a copy of the original vinyl you are required to donate most of your vital organs to some yakuza-typed black marketer, but luckily enough, this one here is easier to attain without ripping out a lung or a liver to pound off. The CD is housed in an eye-popping foldout jacket. It was the final album Itoh recorded in 1971 and on this effort she got backed up by again a bunch of Tokyo underground heavy weights such as J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawauchi of the Happenings Four. On this album, Itoh's talent is fully flowering and apart from merely eargasmatic songs, she hushes into being, atmospheric city-life field recordings and well-balanced sound snippets find their way in and between her compositions. These flashes of cosmopolitan Tokyo city life grandeur and the feeling of desperate desolation it tails along elevate her impeccable melancholic love ballads and softly erotic excursions to even higher levels of artistic expression, catapulting the whole affair towards eerie, stratospheric, heavenly, delightful realms. Sadly enough, both of her albums failed to catch on, not poppy enough, too melancholic, way too creative, artistically too advanced, hard to categorize and probably even too erotically sophisticated without degrading herself to mere carnal sonic one-hit wonders. In one word, a delicate, soft, psychedelic wonderland avenue of an album that will entrap simple airhead listeners into a deadlock without giving them the chance to fully explore the absinthial pleasures it conceals. If one only cares to listen to what lies underneath its surface layer, a new form of aural addiction will commence to besiege you. One of the greatest underrated delicate psychedelic female vocal albums to seep out of Japan. Original copies just never surface and if they do, you have to trade in — in most cases — a limb in order to take one home with you. So this eye-popping delicately crafted reissue might be just the thing you need. If you got entangled into Kaji Meiko's sonic universe, you should try Itoh Kiyoko. All-time highest recommendation and forget about original vinyl copies, they are even scarcer that all your Blues Creation, Too Much and Oz Days records together. Highest recommendation."
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SHUJI, TERAYAMA: Roujin To Garigarihakase No Hanzai CD (SWAX 070CD) 28.00
"Tenjosajiki-related, Dixieland-styled madness out of 1972."
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SHUJI, TERAYAMA: Aesop's Fables CD (SWAX 078CD) 28.00
"Tenjosajiki-related CD, reissue of a rare 1973 album, edition of only 500 copies."
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MASATO, MINAMI: The Tropics CD (SWAX 080CD) 28.00
2nd CD reissue from Showboat of this classic Japanese underground folk-rock album, originally released by RCA Japan in 1971. Great mini-LP gatefold packaging, but very few made and not long for this world. "The Tropics was Minami Masato's first record on which he got assisted by Mizutani Takeshi of the Rallizes Denudes, his only appearance on record ever. Minami Masato was one of Japan's first beatnik hippie scum singers, who before venturing into the music world, spent some time in Mexico where he indulged himself in the narcotic goodies the country had to offer, went to America and witnessed in 1964 the rise of the beatnik movement and saw one of Bob Dylan's early performances. Minami's life would never be the same again. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, criss-crossed through Europe and returned to Tokyo in 1966. He participated at the 1968 Kyoto Folk Jamboree Festival. However, his debut single did not appear until October 1969, followed by a second single in 1970. This album, his debut appeared in July 1971 for which he got assisted by a loose collective of fan musicians and befriended artists. Hadaka no Rallizes' Mizutani Takeshi was such a fan collaborator since he was quite in awe for what Minami stood for, being the unattached beatnik and drugged singer-songwriter he was. He let loose some ear shattering electric guitar on the album's closing track. This is the sole recorded output of Mizutani on disc. At least officially, if one ignores the dozen bootlegs and unofficially released music of his (like the Arthur Doyle-Mizutani 2LP set that was released without his consent). An unbelievably valuable document of the early Japanese underground. Hyper-rare and demented all the way. For lovers of Hadaka no Rallizes, Tomokawa Kazuki, acid folk, Jandek, and obscure and psyched-out sounds." |
| SOUL JAZZ RECORDS (UK) |
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ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO: Les Stances a Sophie LP (SJR 191LP)24.00
"To coincide with the release of the Les Stances a Sophie DVD, Soul Jazz are re-issuing the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Les Stances a Sophie as a one-off super-luxury U.S.- heavy card gatefold limited edition LP edition (strictly limited to 1000 copies). The album features the epic 'Theme de Yoyo,' the Art Ensemble of Chicago's finest ever moment featuring the soaring vocals of Fontella Bass and the super-heavy funk drums of then current newcomer to the Art Ensemble Don Moye. The Art Ensemble of Chicago were living in Europe in 1970 when the film was made along with a host of other US jazz émigrés such as Archie Shepp, Ornette Coleman and more." |
| SPACE AGE (UK) |
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SPACEMEN 3: DJ Tones CD (ORBIT 028CD) 16.00
"Spacemen 3 have a limited edition (2000 copies) five track mini-album released by Space Age Recordings in cardboard sleeve wallet which features two previously-unreleased Spacemen 3 tracks, a radically different mix of the classic Spacemen 3 cover of the Red Krayola's 'Transparent Radiation' and appearing for the first time on CD, the ultra rare remix of 'I Love You' (originally only 50 promo white label vinyl copies were ever pressed). Rounding off this mini-album is a studio version of 'Ecstasy Symphony.' Track listing: 'These Blues, 'Transparent Radiation (violin mix),' 'Modulated Tones,' 'I Love You (remix),' 'Ecstasy Symphony.' Spacemen 3 consisted of the core duo of Jason Pierce (Spiritualized) and Somic Boom aka Peter Kember (Spectrum & E.A.R.) who formed the group in Rugby, Warwickshire, having met at art college. Other members of what would become a fluid line-up over the years included Pete Bain (Bassman, also of The Darkside), Natty Brooker, Sterling Roswell (Rosco), Will Carruthers, Jonny Mattock (Slipstream), and for the final few shows, Mark Refoy (also of Slipstream). From the outset, Spacemen 3 had a very defined set of aesthetic principles. They based almost their entire sound on their own concept of minimalism — droning guitars, feedback, as few chords as possible, pounding drums — with their motto 'Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to.' Their minimalism bled into their stage show as well. Sitting down to play their guitars and covered in the spinning colors of a cheap psychedelic light show, their stage 'act' was very anti-performance. Another striking aspect of Spacemen 3 was their willingness to cover and share their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to bands and artists they believed shared their 'minimal is maximal' aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, the Stooges, the MC5, early Captain Beefheart, free jazz musician Sun Ra, the Silver Apples, 1960s garage punk such as the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, the Electric Prunes, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands, 1980s rockabilly groups the Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco, blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker, and the production techniques of Joe Meek, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band." |
| WORLD ARBITER |
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VA: Japanese Traditional Music: Gagaku, Buddhist Chant… CD (WA 2009CD) 17.00
…Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai 1941. First in a series of 78 restorations, this one focuses on gagaku & Buddhist chant. Beautiful, lost-in-time recordings — produced to perfection from one of the world's greats . In the words of World Arbiter's Allen Evans: "Current gagaku sounds brittle, easily cracked, very delicate. And in 1941 they used fewer performers but have a solidity, a weight. They were carrying on a tradition that was part of an immortal empire, a vision of permanence. Four years later it was over." "In 1942, a set of sixty 78 rpm discs documenting the most authentic traditions in Japanese music was privately issued. Due to the war and neglect, few copies survive. This disc marks the beginning of its restoration."
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| MODE |
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XENAKIS, IANNIS: Electronic Works 2 CD (MODE 203CD) 15.00
"Featured pieces" "Polytope de Cluny" (1972, for 8-channel tape); "Hibiki hana ma" (1969-70, for 16-channel tape); "Fer Chaud" (1957, original film soundtrack). "Mode continues its Xenakis Edition with the second volume dedicated to his electronic works, again restored from the best quality source materials. New high-resolution transfers were made of 'Polytope de Cluny' from the original analog master tapes. 'Hibiki hana ma' has been restored from the existing digital masters. 'Hibiki hana ma' was created for the Expo 1970 World's Fair in Osaka, Japan, where it was experienced by thousands. It was designed to be played on a tape loop in a hall which boasted state-of-the-art acoustic equipment, with some 700 speakers scattered under the floor plus 128 surface and suspended speakers symmetrically distributed throughout the pavilion's amphitheater. Both works have been remixed to stereo by Gerard Pape, who worked closely with the composer as the former director of Xenakis' CCMIX studio in Paris. The experimental film Fer Chaud (1957), directed by Jacques Brissot and Nicolas Schoeffer, focused on the work of Op-Art artist Victor Vasarely. It featured a musical score for ensemble by Xenakis. This score is unique to the film and has never been published elsewhere. It has been carefully remastered from the film soundtrack and presented here." Also to be released on DVD-audio format. |
| TAIGA |
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DEEP LISTENING BAND: Then & Now Now & Then: Celebrating 20 Years 2LP (TAIGA 005LP) 27.50
The Deep Listening Band is an improvisational group founded in 1988 by Pauline Oliveros with members David Gamper and Stuart Dempster. Now, 20 years later, the trio celebrate an anniversary of improvisation, innovation and commitment with their first-ever vinyl release. This vinyl-only document contains four side-long tracks, one reissued and three previously-unreleased. "Cannery Row" was originally available on the Troglodyte's Delight (1990) album and captures the band in Tarpaper Cave, which Dempster recalls as "an old limestone quarry near Rosendale, New York that had lovely dripping water sounds and Valhalla-like mists." The previously-unreleased tracks were gathered from three separate live performances at the Sounds Like Now Festival, Sound Exchange American Composers Forum, and Engine27, a 16-channel installation of special speakers. The audio was mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin, cut direct to metal and pressed on 200 gram virgin vinyl in a limited edition of 500. The records come packaged in a custom-designed slipcover and a jacket with doublewide spines. The slipcover features two exquisite photographs and is dual-finished with a gloss front and matte back. The jacket is printed on a cardboard brown stock with the pocket flooded green and features three rich essays including: an introduction by David Felton, a short history by Dempster and information about the Expanded Instrument System (EIS) from Oliveros. |
| IMPORTANT RECORDS |
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ELEH/PAULINE OLIVEROS: The Beauty Of The Steel Skeleton/Drifting Depths LP (IMPREC 206LP) 19.00
"Important Records is quite pleased to be presenting this split release consisting of two new drone works from Pauline Oliveros and Eleh. Oliveros, an early American minimalist who has pioneered the technique of 'deep listening,' has created a new work exclusively for this release. 'Drifting Depths' is a new improvised piece made on a harmonica being processed through Pauline's Expanded Instrument System. Eleh's side, also exclusive to this vinyl only release, is super slow melodic drone full of stillness, tension and relief. Vinyl only, handmade and handassembled, letterpressed jackets. Limited edition. A central figure in post-war electronic art music, Oliveros is one of the original members of the San Francisco Tape Music Center (along with Morton Subotnick, Ramon Sender, Terry Riley, and Anthony Martin), which was the resource on the U.S. West Coast for electronic music during the 1960s. The Center later moved to Mills College, where she was its first director, and is now called the Center for Contemporary Music. Oliveros often improvises with the Expanded Instrument System, an electronic signal processing system she designed, in her performances and recording. Eleh was formed to specifically to pay tribute to early experimental minimalist pioneers especially La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Eliane Radigue, Pauline Oliveros and Charlemagne Palestine. Using an enormous vintage modular analog synthesizer, a battery of glowing HP tube test oscillators and occasionally guitar/piano, Eleh creates highly minimal and deeply spiritual pure analog drone music with emphasis on the physical ultra-low end. Incorporating tones as low as .05 hz (well below the range of human hearing) Eleh is as much of a physical experience as it is an audio one. This engaging record was created as a tool for meditation and to be heard/felt correctly the listener must be sitting with ears at speaker height at least 7 feet away from the speakers. Volume reveals detail."
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ELEH: Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis III LP (IMPREC 207LP) 19.00
"Deluxe pressing of 500 copies packaged in letterpressed covers designed by Important and printed by 23rd Parallel. Mastered by James Plotkin. Hand numbered/hand assembled. Eleh's Intuitive Synthesis/Floating Frequencies III is the third release in their Intuitive Synthesis series (Volume 2 was released over a year ago) and it is being released simultaneously with an Eleh/Pauline Oliveros split release. Both are limited edition and LP only. Meticulously minimal analog drone. Eleh was formed specifically to pay tribute to early experimental minimalist pioneers especially La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Eliane Radigue, Pauline Oliveros and Charlemagne Palestine. Using an enormous vintage modular analog synthesizer, a battery of glowing HP tube test oscillators and occasionally guitar/piano, Eleh creates highly minimal and deeply spiritual pure analog drone music with emphasis on the physical ultra-low end. Incorporating tones as low as .05 hz (well below the range of human hearing) Eleh is as much of a physical experience as it is an audio one. This engaging record was created as a tool for meditation and to be heard/felt correctly the listener must be sitting with ears at speaker height at least 7 feet away from the speakers. Volume reveals detail." |
| PLAIN RECORDINGS |
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MY BLOODY VALENTINE: Loveless LP (PLAIN 105LP) 17.00
Repressed! "The greatness of this classic album proved that MBV was inimitable…a true masterpiece…audiophile remastering from the original master tapes…180 gram HQ vinyl…original artwork…gatefold sleeve." Originally issued in 1991. |
| SUNDAZED |
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ANIMATED EGG, THE: Guitar Freakout CD (SC 11172CD) 18.00
"The late L.A. session guitar genius Jerry Cole has long been worshipped for his work with everyone from the Beach Boys and the Byrds to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and by surf fans as the leader of the Spacemen. But unbeknownst to many, Cole was also the driving force behind the Animated Egg, a fictitious band whose lone, self-titled LP is one of the greatest psychedelic exploitation records ever to hit the budget bins of U.S. chain stores — and eventually the want lists of big-spending DJs and collectors. Comprised of splashy, fuzz-drenched 'now sound' instrumental groovers, The Animated Egg easily lives up to both the eBay hype and the promise of its evocative track titles: 'Sure Listic,' 'Sock It My Way,' 'Sippin' and Trippin',' and — yes indeed ? 'I Said, She Said, Ah Cid.' In addition to the rare self-titled LP by the Animated Egg, this collection also includes cuts by other related Cole projects: the Projection Company, the Generation Gap, T. Swift & the Electric Bag, and the Stone Canyon Rock Group. Sourced from the original analog masters, Sundazed's glorious CD and high-definition double-LP vinyl editions of this hallowed prize are a must for turntablists and brain-trippers alike." Extensive liner notes by Mike Vernon. |
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MILLENNIUM, THE: Begin CD (SC 6260CD) 13.50
"The Millennium looms large in the hearts of fans of the '60s sunshine pop genre. The studio group was the creation of legendary tunesmith/studio genius Curt Boettcher, who had previously been instrumental in the formation of the fabled '60s cult acts the Ballroom and Sagittarius. In 1968, Boettcher assembled a group of talented California singers and musicians (including singer/guitarists Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec and Michael Fennelly and Music Machine drummer Ron Edgar) to record the Millennium's sole album, Begin. Begin, produced by Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen, with assistance by California rock legend Gary Usher, is an exquisite progressive pop opus, combining breezy melodies, ambitious baroque arrangements, stirring psychedelic touches and angelic vocal harmonies to create a suite-like concept album that perfectly captures the optimistic mood of the time in which it was made."
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SAGITTARIUS: The Blue Marble CD (SC 6261CD) 13.50
"The shimmering follow-up to Present Tense, 1968s pop-psych cult classic by producers Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher's studio-only project Sagittarius ('My World Fell Down'), 1969s The Blue Marble once again finds Usher crafting still more sunshiney, Beach Boys-esque dreamscapes. As he did for Present Tense, Usher called on the cream of L.A.'s studio pros as well as members of the like-minded Millennium, and the results are once again magnificent. Layered with creamy vocal harmonies, brass, flute, and Moog synthesizer, The Blue Marblewill have fans of the Millennium, the Association, the Yellow Balloon, and similarly grandiose baroque pop acts positively floating on air. Sourced from the original Together Records analog masters, these editions contain four bonus tracks on the CD and two bonus tracks on the LP." |
| AUDIKA RECORDS |
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RUSSELL, ARTHUR: Love Is Overtaking Me CD (AU 1010CD) 15.00
"Four years ago, Audika Records began releasing the exceptionally varied, long sought-after music of Arthur Russell, and in the process has succeeded at helping the beloved, late artist find the broader audience he always believed he would reach. A new generation of listeners and critics has come to appreciate Russell as a visionary and an influence upon a broad range of today's most compelling musical artists. Now, Audika will bring to light an as-yet-unavailable side of Russell's body of work — the most rare and, at the same time, arguably the most accessible part — in Love Is Overtaking Me, which comprises 21 demos and home recordings of unreleased pop, folk and country songs from his vast catalog. While much critical and popular affection for Russell's music has come about well after his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, many fellow artists believed in his genius and were drawn to collaborate with him during his lifetime. The legendary producer John Hammond (Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen) recorded Russell on several occasions; a number of these recordings will finally be heard on Love Is Overtaking Me. So, too, will songs recorded with various incarnations of The Flying Hearts, a group formed by Russell and Brooks whose shifting line-up included, by turns, Jerry Harrison, Rhys Chatham, Jon Gibson, Peter Gordon and Peter Zummo as well as Larry Saltzman and David Van Tieghem. Several other Russell projects are represented on Love Is Overtaking Me, including The Sailboats, Turbo Sporty and Bright & Early. Compiled from over eight hours of material, three years in the making, Love Is Overtaking Me reaches back further to Russell's first compositions from the early '70s and spans forward to his very last recordings, made at home in 1991. Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear contributed mixing, restoration and editing to the album, whose tracks were selected by Audika's Steve Knutson, Ernie Brooks and Russell's companion, Tom Lee. A number of the songs feature prominently in Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell, Matt Wolf's film, which had its world premiere this year at the Berlin International Film Festival and will be released theatrically and on DVD by Plexifilm. Love Is Overtaking Me is the fifth release of Russell's material by Audika Records, whose work has proven that the music remains as contemporary today as when it was first recorded. The label launched with the disco/new wave collection Calling Out Of Context (2004) and continued with a reissue of the cello-and-voice masterpiece World Of Echo (2005); the instrumental compositions double-disc First Thought Best Thought (2006); and the hip-hop-inspired Springfield EP (2006), which includes a DFA remix of the title track. Extensive Love Is Overtaking Me liner notes by Tom Lee provide an intimate perspective on Russell's diverse catalog, which spanned an extraordinary diversity of styles and won the love of artistic communities that would seem utterly disparate, from Philip Glass, John Cage and Allen Ginsberg to rock bands like The Talking Heads and The Modern Lovers; the pre-Studio 54 disco-party scene of Nicky Siano's Gallery and David Mancuso's loft; and DJ-producers like Francois Kevorkian and Larry Levan, among others." |
| KRANKY |
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CARTER, CHRISTINA: Original Darkness CD (KRANK 122CD) 13.00
"The latest album from the longtime Charalambides mainstay follows her Electrice album from late 2006 on Kranky as well as a split album with Pocahaunted from early in 2008. Christina Carter has a gift. In a world where most people shy away from the truth, from honesty in emotion, Christina has the strength to address those feelings head on through her music. Within the songs of Original Darkness, she confronts loneliness, self doubt, inadequacy and desire. She bares these emotions in a sometimes tender, sometimes forceful, sometimes pleading voice, a voice in which you can hear her vulnerability, her trepidation. Christina's words, and the mournful sound of them, stirs a melancholy that is supported and framed by her gently plucked guitar notes, notes that echo the sadness in the world she sings of, as well as the words she sings. These 10 new songs are effective at painting pictures, exposing the underbelly of what we all really think but most will not say, of what we all really feel but push away. With the addition of gentle bells and occasional keyboards, Christina reminds us of what it means to be honestly human." |
| BASTA (NETHERLANDS) |
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SCOTT AND HIS ORCHESTRA, RAYMOND: This Time With Strings CD (BASTA 9187) 19.00
"Raymond Scott's reputation as a 20th century musical maverick has grown in the 21st century. Sometimes considered the 'Man Who Made Cartoons Swing' because dozens of his melodies were enshrined in classic Warner Bros. animation of the 1940s and '50s, Raymond Scott was a man of numerous accomplishments: chamber-jazz composer, big band leader, electronica pioneer, intrepid audio engineer, music visionary. Scott's 100th birthday is celebrated in 2008, and Basta is planning a series of compilations of unreleased archival recordings, reissues, and remix projects. Scott (1908-1994), who was both musician and inventor, musically re-invented eleven of his compositions for full orchestra and strings on the 1957 album This Time With Strings. It is now being released as part of Basta's Essential Reissue Series — the first time the album has appeared on CD. Many of these tunes were originally recorded by Scott's novelty jazz six-man Quintette in the late 1930s; others date from the 1940s and '50s. All get a spectacular makeover under the baton of the legendary maestro. This Time With Stringscontains some of Scott's most famous works, including Quintette favorites 'Powerhouse,' 'The Toy Trumpet,' and 'Twilight in Turkey,' retooled for an expanded setting. 'There are many of the old Quintette things in this LP,' said the composer in the original liner notes. 'Also some older things for dance band, material written for Broadway and the screen, and some of my more recent writing. Indeed, a potpourri given hi-fidelity dressing, and a certain vividness in string treatment.' The CD booklet includes the complete original liner notes by jazz historian Burt Korall. The album was recorded in glorious monophonic sound, which is retained on CD. No artificial processing. Crank up the hi-fi!"
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HARRIS AND THE POWERHOUSE FIVE, DAVE: Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals CD (BASTA 9189) 19.00
"Dave Harris played tenor sax in Raymond Scott's legendary late 1930s six-man 'Quintette.' Over a long career as a sought-after session musician in New York and L.A., Harris (1913-2002) released only one record as a bandleader. That was Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals in 1958, and it was a tribute to his old boss, for whom he held deep respect. Harris and the Powerhouse Five recaptured the manic elegance and rhythmic wit of twelve classic Scott tunes. Nostalgia was the inspiration, but sharp musicianship and a celebratory gusto mark this album as a missing link in the Scott legacy. Basta presents the first CD reissue of this long out of print album. When Raymond Scott organized his Quintette, he recruited CBS Radio Orchestra compatriot Harris. The group was short-lived — in 1939, Scott expanded the group into a swing orchestra. However, the original RSQ created a sensation during its brief existence, and left a lasting impact on music history. Scott composed 'portraits in music,' programmatic novelties with eccentric titles like 'War Dance for Wooden Indians,' 'Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner,' and 'In An 18th Century Drawing Room.' A dozen tunes from this group's repertoire were later adapted by Warner Bros. music director Carl Stalling in hundreds of classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Thus was the RSQ's legacy — quite apart from the bandleader's own efforts — preserved for future generations. One title, 'Powerhouse,' has become a staple of cartoon fare, having been used in The Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, and Animaniacs, as well as in forty anarchic WB shorts and several major motion pictures. In addition to leading a succession of orchestras, Scott composed a Broadway musical in 1946, conducted orchestra on TV's Your Hit Parade in the 1950s, and was a pioneer in electronic music development. But in late-life interviews, he professed that his 1937-1939 Quintette was his favorite band. That opinion was doubtless shared by Harris, who always spoke fondly of working under Scott. Such was Harris' affection for this band that in 1958 he organized a sextet, called his sidemen the Powerhouse Five, and recorded an album of RSQ favorites in modern high fidelity. After the RSQ, Harris remained with Scott's first swing band, then compiled an impressive résumé as a session player on radio and TV, and in the recording studio. In a career that extended into the 1970s, he worked with Billie Holiday, Gene Krupa, Eddie Cantor, Mickey Katz, Stan Webb, Russ Case, Bob Haggart and countless others. As a director with a musical pedigree, Harris, on Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals, maintains the high standards set by his old boss, recapturing the spunk, energy, and humor of the original RSQ. While there's an obvious element of nostalgia at play, don't underestimate the joyfulness and craftsmanship of these performances." |
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CLEAN, THE: Compilation LP (LA 002LP) 14.00
"Compilation collects many of the greatest tracks by New Zealand legends The Clean, including songs from their first single and first two EPs. Very catchy pop with the energy and rawness of the best punk rock combined with a strong psychedelic feel. An amazing collection by one of the best bands of all time!" |
| MATCHLESS RECORDINGS (UK) |
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TILBURY, JOHN: Cornelius Cardew (1936-1981): A Life UnfinishedBook (MR COPULA4-HC) 110.00
Limited hardcover edition. "Cornelius Cardew was a musician of genius for whom life and art were as one. He was a radical, both artistically and politically, becoming a tireless activist and uncompromising Marxist-Leninist. Passion and imagination governed all he did: his boldness and humanity continue to intrigue and inspire. John Tilbury, whose close friendship with Cardew dates from their first concert together in January 1960, has worked for many years on this biography, and brings his subject vividly to life. In doing this, he has drawn extensively from Cardew's journals and letters, and obtained first-hand accounts from friends and colleagues. The handling of this material is thoughtful and meticulous. Tilbury is a master story-teller and this particular story is of epic scale and character. We begin in 1932, appropriately on May Day, with the first meeting of his parents. Later, we encounter the intrepid schoolboy and student, who impressed sufficiently at the Royal Academy of Music to receive funds to study in Cologne with Karlheinz Stockhausen. The narrative during this period is delightfully picaresque, a colorful prelude to the years of family responsibilities and extraordinary musical endeavor and achievement (AMM, Treatise, the Scratch Orchestra and The Great Learning). As events unfold, discussion of the music is given due weight, but is never unduly weighty. Towards the end, there is an implacable gain in momentum as Cardew's political work makes increasing demands on his time and apparently limitless reserves of energy. A life unfinished? The final chapter is entitled '12/13 December 1981' and eloquently 'vibrates in the memory.' 1071 pages (230cm x 153cm), including 16 photographs and numerous musical illustrations. Published in 2008 by Copula, an imprint of Matchless Recordings and Publishing." |
| WATER |
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LA DÜSSELDORF: La Düsseldorf CD (WATER 227CD) 15.00
"Upon the break-up of legendary Krautrock duo Neu!, drummer Klaus Dinger formed La Düsseldorf with his brother Thomas and keyboard player Hans Lampe. This, their self-titled debut, was recorded in 1975 and is a staggering mix of Dinger's trademark motorik rhythms, glammy synths, pulsing organs, and urgent guitar work that altogether create a sound that, at times, predates both punk and post-punk, no small feat. Featuring their European hit single 'Silver Cloud,' La Düsseldorf's debut record is classic Krautrock on par with the best offerings of Neu!, Kraftwerk, and Can."
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LA DÜSSELDORF: Viva CD (WATER 228CD) 15.00
"Viva is the second release from Klaus Dinger's post-Neu! group. Originally released in 1978, Viva is a stunning combination of washed-out synthesizers, swirling guitar work and Dinger's trademark motorik rhythms. Featuring the classic 'Cha, Cha 2000,' Viva is another fine effort from one of Krautrock's legends and stands as a testament of just how gloriously ahead of their time the German progressive rock scene of the '70s could be. An essential record, released domestically for the first time ever." |
| NEW WORLD RECORDS |
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DAVIS, ANTHONY: Amistad: An Opera In Two Acts 2CD (NW 80627CD)30.00
"'Amistad is an opera that was ten years in the making. Thulani and I first discussed the idea of making an opera on the Amistad Rebellion in 1986, after the premiere of our opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. We were drawn to the drama of the story, a successful uprising of captives on a slave ship, and the implications of the Amistad incident in an understanding of ourselves and the American experience. Through the Amistad, we could revisit the story of the Middle Passage, the contradictions implicit in the ethos of America, and also explore the emergence of the African-American as a cultural entity. Amistad is my most ambitious work to date and gave me the opportunity to expand upon what I learned from my previous operas as well as the chance to explore new musical areas.' — Anthony Davis. The music of Anthony Davis (b. 1951) embodies an intercultural approach, drawing not only upon traditional and current African-American sources, but upon Javanese gamelan, American minimalism, and the European and American avant-garde. Amistad, Davis' fourth, is an opera in two acts with full orchestra, double chorus, and an integrated jazz ensemble with trap drums that drives its motoric rhythmic flow. In many ways, Amistad revisits aspects of Davis' previous operas, X and Tania, but in a form that exhibits maximum focus and a tightened compositional practice. The musical language is marked by constant motion and kaleidoscopic permutation of the same elements, including a four-note ending cadence that appears constantly, but in ever-shifting guises. This recording is drawn from Lyric Opera of Chicago's 1997 world-premiere performances."
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IVES, CHARLES: The Light That Is Felt: Songs Of Charles Ives CD (NW 80680CD) 15.00
"Charles Ives composed nearly 200 songs throughout his life. Wiley Hitchcock, in the thorough introduction to his 2004 critical edition 129 Songs, described the Ives song canon as 'the contents of a kind of scrapbook or commonplace book or chapbook, or even a desk drawer. Into such a receptacle Ives tossed irregularly, if not casually, his reactions — in the form of songs — to memories, personalities, places, events, discoveries, ideas, visions, and fantasies in his life.' Whether popular tale or personal reflection, this concept of the songs as memorabilia is realized in a most powerful way: the songs emotionally and viscerally evoke memory. Captured memories — real or idealized, distant or near — are the materials for the music. From cosmopolitan incident ('Ann Street') to pastoral stroll ('The Housatonic at Stockbridge') Ives's songs describe a range of experience: a child's playtime, a commuter's observations, a courter's hope. His songs exhibit reverence for the populace and pop culture, daring adventure, and family devotion; life and death. This new recording of 27 songs features superlative performances by soprano Susan Narucki, renowned for her authoritative interpretations of contemporary American music, and Donald Berman, whose recordings of Ives's piano music have been critically acclaimed." |
| EM RECORDS (JAPAN) |
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WADA, YOSHI: Off The Wall CD (EM 1078CD) 20.00
More Yoshi Wada from EM Records! The long-awaited reissue of Wada's 1985 LP Off The Wall, recorded in Berlin and originally released on the esteemed FMP-subsidiary SAJ label. A minimalist yet majestic monsterpiece ("massive," as Tom Johnson declares in his perceptive liner notes), Off The Wall features Wada and Wayne Hankin on bagpipes, Marilyn Bogerd on adapted organ, and percussionist Andreas Schmidt-Neri. The original album consisted of two side-long pieces recorded on successive days by Jost Geber, who captured the power and dynamics of the quartet without losing the meditative delicacy of the bagpipes and the intricacy of their interplay with the homemade organ (constructed by Wada), resulting in a slowly-evolving mosaic of combination tones and overtones. Simultaneously static yet changing, rooted and ethereal, homespun and alien, ancient and very modern, the music is created entirely with acoustic instruments but has "electronic" textures at times, yet is very warm and human, always pulsing, shifting and mutating. Em Records is pleased indeed to release Off The Wall for the first time ever on CD, with the bonus track "Die Konsonanten Pfeifen," a slightly earlier recording with Wada and Hankin on bagpipes and Kevin Newhoff on percussion, originally released as a cassette. |
| OMNI RECORDING COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) |
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WAGONER, PORTER: The Cold Hard Facts Of Life/Soul Of A ConvictCD (OMNI 118CD) 18.00
"Here for the first time on one CD are two of his very finest 'concept' albums (both originally issued in 1967) The Cold Hard Facts Of Life and Soul Of A Convict plus a number of rare 45-only tracks and versions. Superb showmanship and earth-cracking sincerity abound as Porter's cast of inebriates, cutthroats and troubled souls are captured on wax in all their moribund glory. Remastered from the original tapes and complete with original artwork and exclusive liner notes, these albums were recorded at a time of great tumult in Porter's personal and professional life and are without doubt the darkest jewels in country music's crown. 30 tracks on one CD including the hits 'The Cold Hard Facts Of Life,' 'Julie,' and 'Be Proud Of Your Man.'"
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CLAYTON, PAUL: Sings Homemade Songs And Ballads/Folk Singer!CD (OMNI 120CD) 18.00
"The late Paul Clayton is the great 'could have been' of folk music — the 'missing link' between Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Possessed of a strong voice and driving intellect he spent many years researching traditional songs and writing his own superb originals. Bizarrely neglected by history, Clayton is often cited for his profound inspiration on Bob Dylan yet his own sterling and pivotal recordings are all but forgotten. Among his varied and splendid discography the two LPs he cut for Monument Records are rightly considered the best and are presented here for the first time in over four decades. 28 remastered tracks from 1959-1965 released on CD for the first time. Includes four non LP singles."
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ROSE, BIFF: Biff Rose CD (OMNI 121CD) 18.00
"Biff Rose is well known as a wordsmith, satirist and vivid prankster. A 'flower-power' Tom Lehrer exploding across rollicking canvases of song best illustrated on his 1968 album The Thorn In Mrs. Rose's Side and 1969's Children Of Light. What is far less well known is that Biff Rose also had a serious side. Divorced and cast adrift his self-titled 1970 album is solemn, heartfelt and an undiscovered gem in his catalog. Grand orchestrations swirl around lyrics awash with loss and contemplation as they ride above Biff's dexterous tickling of the ivories. 14 tracks remastered and on CD for the first time." |
| WATER |
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BRIGGS, ANNE: Anne Briggs CD (WATER 199CD) 15.00
Reissue of the first Anne Briggs album, originally issued on Topic. "The first full-length album from the legendary folk singer, originally released in 1971. Anne Briggs was a huge influence on the entire British folk-rock movement, especially other female singers such as Sandy Denny, Jacqui McShee, and Maddy Prior. Anne Briggs is a strong collection of traditional folk songs and original material and one of the most important releases of the British folk revival. Despite the fact that Briggs had been on the folk scene since the early '60s this was her first full-length effort, delayed by erratic behavior and studio fears, and she would record only two more records before dropping off the scene entirely. Thankfully we have this, her first and strongest record, reissued for the first time with the original cover."
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WALKER, SCOTT: 'Til The Band Comes In CD (WATER 226CD) 15.00
"In discussions of Scott Walker's body of work 1970's 'Til The Band Comes In is unfairly left out or, even worse, derided as excruciatingly saccharine. However, the first ten songs on this album, all Walker originals, are on par with his finest work on classic albums Scott 3 and Scott 4. While the covers that close out the album (with the notable exception of 'It's Over') do feel like additions that reek of label pressure, it shouldn't detract from the rest of the record. Scott Walker's fifth solo album is a fine example of the early work from one of pop music's most idiosyncratic geniuses, reissued on CD for the first time domestically." |
| TOUCH (UK) |
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IKEDA, RYOJI: Matrix 2CD (TO 044CD) 20.00
Touch reissues Japanese electronic composer Ryoji Ikeda's 2001 release, Matrix, without postcards. Matrix is the final element in a trilogy of CDs that began with +/- in 1996. When it was first released, +/- came like a bolt out of the white. Nobody had used digital recording processes to produce sound as pure, as intense and as exhilarating. Since releasing 0° in 1998, Ryoji Ikeda has progressively refined and enhanced the distinctive sonic fields and microsounds that have strongly influenced post-digital composition, resisting the transitory cycle suggested by the term "glitches," creating compositions that deeply probe our relationships to time and space, sound and light. That's the only forewarning of what awaits you on putting the first CD into your player. The layers of sound that make up Matrix transform both the listener and the listening environment into another dimension. The dimensions change as you move about the space, or simply turn your head around the sound like surveying the angles of a building. Matrix has much in common with the work of La Monte Young, Tony Conrad, and Alvin Lucier, but, poised closer to the imminent and auto-interactive virtual world we are promised, Ryoji Ikeda's new work pushes the parameters of the drone to ask timely questions concerning our relationship to our own perceptions, and to our existing living spaces. Double CD in gatefold wallet.
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O'ROURKE, JIM: Despite The Water Supply 7" (TS 007EP) 7.00
American musician and producer Jim O'Rourke continues the Touch Sevens 7" vinyl-only limited edition series with an epic, two-part track recorded at Tokyo's Steamroom, May 2008. This series is a non-digital statement that cannot be applied to digital formats — the sonic texture, the use of a locked groove, the A & the B. The label chose not to specify the RPM, encouraging listeners to experiment with playback options and personal preferences. Artwork and photography by Jon Wozencroft. |
| BROKEN HORSE (UK) |
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PLUSH: Fed CD (BKH 015CD) 19.00
"Six years after its Japan-only release on the After Hours label, Broken Horse is thrilled to announce the first European release of the much-talked-about but seldom-heard Fed, the second album by Liam Hayes' Plush. Since Plush's debut 7", Three Quarters Blind Eyes / Found A Little Baby was released to universal praise in 1994 on Drag City, the tale of Plush has been one mostly concerned with the promise of new recordings, scrapped sessions, rumor and speculation concerning Hayes' quest to match the songs in his head with the recordings in his hand. What has been vastly overlooked is the music. It was four years before Drag City released Plush's debut album, More You Becomes You. Few albums can be described as being truly unique, but More You Becomes You is, without doubt, one of those albums that can actually put in a serious bid for that description. While a full-blown orchestral pop album was indeed planned, Hayes instead delivered a uniquely minimal set of intimate piano & vocal ballads, which somehow managed to present a unique, first-take feel despite the incredible attention to detail Hayes applied to the performances and recordings that had actually taken place. Although upon completion Hayes found himself without a label in either the US or Europe, the artistic success of the album could not be denied. Throughout its 14 tracks, from the roaring opening track 'Whose Blues' to the epic 'No Education' to the pop-masterpiece 'Born Together' to the closing lullaby 'The Woods,' Fed remains spectacularly melodic and inventive throughout. Upon its Japanese release, Uncut called the album 'the dazzling symphonic album he always threatened to produce,' whilst Rolling Stone called it a 'soulful symphonic masterpiece' suggesting that its non-domestic release was further proof of the decline of American culture." |
| LE CHANT DU MONDE (FRANCE) |
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ELAHI, OSTAD: Destinations 2CD (CDM 7741626) 24.00
This is the 9th volume of Elahi recordings on this label, documenting his dedication to "the art of oriental tanbur lute". By European standards, this is somewhat budge-priced for 2 CDs. These previously unissued recordings date from the early 70s (with one track from the late 50s!). It's worth saying again: for music of transcendational quality via stringed instruments, these are some of the most important releases of recent vintage. "A mystic amongst men, Ostad Elahi's profound reflection on the relationship between music, the soul and god enabled him to transmit an entire musical heritage of popular origin through transforming it into music of the most classical type." |
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I bought Eleh’s “Homage to a Square Wave” LP a few months ago. Stinks.
The “Woman at 24 Hour Love…” is pretty good but not worth what they’re asking for it. The Masato Minami on the same label looks pretty interesting and I haven’t found a download of it, so it may be worth dropping some cash to see.