Jazz / Soul / Funk

Hot on the heels of Impulse’s recently unearthed Coltrane number one hit album comes another beauty from Jazz’s ‘Holy Trinity’. This is a previously unreleased, precious lost treasure from Monk’s most critically acclaimed line-up; Charlie Rouse on saxophone, John Ore on double bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. The music was recorded live in Copenhagen in 1963 at the peak of Monk’s career. A year later he was to feature on the cover of TIME magazine, one of only for 4 Jazz artists ever to do so.

The performance, a mixture of Monk originals and interpretations of standards, showcases Monk at his prime: full of avant-garde flair and wit, but always with a swinging feel that explains his title as the 'High Priest of Bebop'.

The original tapes, saved from a skip and blessed with the approval of the Monk estate, have been faithfully restored, mastered and cut using Gearbox's legendary all-analogue process.

Line-up

Thelonious Monk - piano
Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
John Ore - double bass
Frankie Dunlop - drums

First making waves with the almost cult level ‘Hype Williams’ project, and then more recently solo and as part of the group Babyfather, the new 8 track LP sees Dean Blunt step back into the shadowy role of producer for a new band called Blue Iverson. It’s a vibesey one, this; digging a vein of smoke-hazed living/bedroom feels in eight parts that could almost be passed off as a Dam-Funk jam. Well, almost, but there’s still something off kilter and economical about the fidelity and mixing of the recording that hints it’s from the UK, or is even made to sound like the private pressed soul obscurities picked out by PPU. Hotep strongly reminds of those lush soul bits from Yves Tumor’s Serpent Music or even selected Letherette cuts released on Alex Nut’s namesake label. The image of Lauryn Hill on the sleeve is a cherry on the cake.

The long-awaited reissue of the popular "Summer Touch" by Neoncity's signature producer Macross 82-99! Included are "Together," a tribute to "Summer Madness," "For You," featuring a coquettish female vocalist, and eight other tracks. Color vinyl.

Long-awaited reissue of Neoncity's signature producer Macross 82-99 (Macroxx 82-99)'s popular Shibuya Meltdown, featuring Toriena, Puniden and more! Japanese culture-inspired electro-pop album featuring Toriena, Puniden, and others! Color vinyl.

Bay Area singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Lindsay Olsen is the brilliant mind behind the warped and magical project Salami Rose Joe Louis. Drawing from her studies in planetary sciences, she creates a unique experience: exploring ideas of multiverses and climate change through the lens of a fictional post-apocalyptic keyboard-toting earthling with a flashlight, a can of cashews and a hopeful optimism. Melding influences from jazz, rock and hip-hop – Shuggie Otis, Captain Beefheart, Stereolab, and R. Stevie Moore – she creates a unique blend of experimental galaxy sounds with jazz influenced vocals and keys. 

Her album “Akousmatikous” (Ah-coooz-mat-e-koi) features collaborations with Brijean (Ghostly International) and Soccer96 (a project from The Comet is Coming’s Danalogue and Betamax). It is released on 19th May 2023 with SRJL’s headline North American tour kicking off the following week. 

Akousmatikous/Akousmatikoi (or acousmatic) translates to “sound where there is no identifiable source”. The Akousmatikoi were a sect of Pythagorean mystics from the 5th century BC that were called the “listeners” as opposed to the Mathematikoi sect that were called the “learners”. The Akousmatikoi focused on ritual, harmony, and ethical behavior. “I am enamored with the concept of listening to a sound when we don’t know the source,” says Lindsay. “The act of listening in this great expanse of the universe, for answers, for questions, or just for something undefinable that we seek.” 

The former climate scientist signed with Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label to release “Zdenka 2080” (2019) and “Chapters of Zdenka” (2021). Both collections were packed with short bursts of experimental pop, abstract beats and bedroom R&B songs connected by a sci-fi narrative describing a future dystopian Earth in the year 2080 that has been mis-managed by unethical governments and corporations. The Line of Best Fit proclaimed “Zdenka 2080” “disorientating and fascinating” whilst Bandcamp described “a sweet journey into a world of pure imagination” and charted it in their Best Albums of 2019. The album was also nominated for Album of the Year 2019 at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards. 

“Akousmatikous” is the narrative sequel to “Zdenka 2080”: 
After the metropolis spaceship crashes into earth at the end of “Zdenka 2080”, there is a dimensional collapse. As a result, the earthlings have their heads and hands transformed into screens, which is where we begin the new album. The earthlings get stuck in a never ending video feedback loop between their heads and their hands. An interdimensional being, Zeeanori, is manipulating this feedback loop because he wants the plants to reclaim Earth and for nature to be flourishing and healthy again. An old friend and past love of his, Akousmatikous (from a distant planet), comes to earth to speak to him, curious about his motives and the complicated ethics of the situation. Akousmatikous agrees that nature will be beautiful and flourish, but is concerned for the fate of the earthlings trapped in infinite feedback loops. Akousmatikous hopes for a solution that can be beneficial for every being and entity, a path toward symbiosis. 

The title track ‘Akousmatikous (feat. Soccer96)’ is blessed with a stunning animated video directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Carlos López Estrada (Disney, MARVEL). 

As on previous releases, Olsen primarily worked alone to write, record, produce and mix this record on her beloved Roland MV-8800 music workstation, but did venture out of her comfort zone to bring in some of her favorite musicians: Soccer96, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Juuwah, Brijean, Sergio Machado Plim, Danalogue, Jason Lindner, Dakim and Dan Nicholls. “I am a very introverted producer which has sometimes hindered me from pursuing collaborations in the past as I am shy to work with others in person,” explains Lindsay. “Having the opportunity to collaborate via the internet was a wonderful experience and led to some beautiful connections and new friendships.” 

The album artwork is by award winning designer and filmmaker Winston Hacking – best known for his collaborations with Flying Lotus, Run The Jewels, Animal Collective, Andy Shauf and BADBADNOTGOOD. His passion lies in conjuring hybrid works that are equal parts contemporary collage and early cinematic illusion. 

22 track album, feat. NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knx), Durand Bernarr, Rose Gold.

#BurningDesire super thank you to my big brother naavin, none of this would be possible without you. thank you for sticking with me through it even when it’s not as sunny. blood couldn’t make us more family than we already are! biggest love to aint wet, to mikey for always being the most helpful in the technical sides of things and abe for being the genius that he is. i’m so grateful for how your mind works and always incorporates everyones input. you are a once in a lifetime! thank you :)) biggest thanks to my real life twin cynthia, i appreciate the love and motivation you show towards my art and me as a friend! 🫀🫀 your light illuminates all of us!!! biggest thanks to klein, a creative pillar, always informing me and pushing me in ways to expand my creative world even more. big shout out to my big brother thebe, you lead without even knowing! grateful to be a writer alongside u & many greats! biggest love to the paris/manchester/amsterdam/lisboa/bk excursion gang. that trip saved my happiness and is a big factor to why this project was even able to be done. big shout out to laron for swinging the beat for snake charm. literally one of my favorite producers ever! glad 6/7 years down the line, niggas still in this shit! worldwide! biggest thanks to liv.e & venna for the amazing job they did on u think maybe? it brings tears to my eyes every time, liv.e angelic voice and venna whooping ass on saxophone. thank you to the full band, y’all came so clutch in such a quick time. (immanuel simelane & rashaan brown) biggest love to gabe for always mixing the shit out these songs and creating a very relaxed n calm space when doin so!!! ur very much appreciated!! biggest thanks to gawd for sending the beat for asff, ur a goat n the world gon see it if they not already!!1 thank you to shanice for heart turning poem on real love, u r the goat and i appreciate the love you show to me and my work. it means the most twin!!!!! thank you to my brother taka for always being an inspiration and honest voice. thank you for coming along the way w me this whole time. your work & presence is appreciated brodi!!!! thank you to my big brudda brayan for always being a creative inspiration as well and just a general moral compass in this confusing world! i love you broski! you teach me so much! biggest thanks to my brother cousteau, you’re golden and such a talented scribe!!! biggest thanks to my brother niontay, grateful to have met you and i am grateful your loyalty and friendship in this thang! y’all two are some of the craziest writers i have come across, thank you for seeing me worthy! biggest love to lila for blessing should be!, brooklyn legend, it’s an honor to have you on the album!!! biggest love to larry june for being so open to work and losing his mind on that mf verse!! greatest appreciation to mark williams lewis as well for creating such an atmospheric place on the outro. your music amazes me, thank you! biggest thanks to nick who drove for us on tour, he don’t know but that me being in my chief keef era statement boosted mines all the way. thank you to squills, marc, jasper, nicky w, cruzin, ian, m, sideshow, anysia for that amazing time on the road. i am so grateful to be surrounded by such profound artist and light spirits. you guys brought joy to my life! Thank you to my little & big sisters, yaw all inspire me so much and I couldn’t be a prouder brother !! thank you to my father and my beautiful queen for watching over me and praying for me always, I love y’all bigger than I can explain! there’s so many more ppl i could talk about, but i love y’all so much. my life has light, i appreciate y’all

A fascinating world of Japanese things! From the popular disc guide "Wa Realic Disc Guide" that introduces domestic sound sources that also captivate overseas digger, the rare edition "Today's" that adds the essence of jazz-fusion in the early 80's to Afro Cuban / Latin Standard.・ Latin Project ”is now on CD for the first time in the world!

From the "Wa Realic Disc Guide" that introduces the "Japanese Mono" sound sources that are attracting attention from domestic and foreign digger, from the series that reissues the selected masterpieces, "Today's Latin Project" following Akira Inoue's "Cal Savina" Recurrence decision!

This work is produced by Mr. Tadaaki Misago of Tokyo Cuban Boys, who introduced Latin music to the Japanese music scene shortly after the war, and Jun Takemura, who has continued to convey the charm of Latin music since the 1970s. Mr., it is a historically important work that tried to popularize Latin music from a new perspective in the 1980s when the transition from analog to digital!

The arranger has attracted attention for his activities in the experimental rock band "Mariah" and his solo works, and Yasuaki Shimizu, who has been re-evaluated worldwide in recent years, and Western rock-based styles have had a great influence on the music scene at that time. A gem of electronic Latin sound produced with the quality of not only Japan but also the world standard, such as the participation of Kazuo Otani of SHOGUN who gave it!

Produced by: Tadaaki Misago / Jun Takemura
Arrangement: Kazuo Otani / Michio Uehara / Yasuaki Shimizu

Musician:
Yoshinori Nomi (Timbales / Quinto / Percussion)
Eiji Narushima (Congas / Percussion)
Junichi Yasaka (Bongos / Bata / Percussion)
Kazuaki Misago (Drums)
Michio Nagaoka (Bass on “Jungle Drums” and “Siboney”)
Yuji Muto (Bass on “Green Eyes” and “El Cumbanchero”)
Morio Watanabe (Bass)
Kiyoshi Ogiya (Guitar on “Jungle Drums” and “Siboney”)
Kazuo Otani (All Keyboards on “Jungle Drums” and “Siboney”)
Nobuyuki Koizumi (Electric Piano on “Green Eyes” and Acoustic Piano on “El Cumbanchero”)
Toshio Araki (Trumpet)
Nobuo Kato (Trumpet)
Minoru Otaka (Trombone)
Masami Nakagawa (Flute)
Eve (Chorus and Voices on “Jungle Drums”)
Masami Kojo (Tres Solo and Guitar on “Green Eyes”)
Shigeharu Mukai (Trombone solo on “Green Eyes”)
Bob Saito (Tenor Sax Solo on “El Cumbanchero”)
Mieko Shimizu (Chorus on “Danza Lucumi”)
Yasuaki Shimizu (Tenor Sax / Flute / Bass Clarinet / Chorus and All Keyboards)

"recorded music"
1. Jungle Drums
2.Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)
3.Siboney
4.El Cumbanchero
5. Hindu
6.Danza Lucumi
7. Quiereme Mucho
8.Pygmy Land

Another one of the albums that Prestige would issue several years after it was recorded, Bahia is drawn from a couple of sessions that the iconic tenor saxophonist recorded for the label in the late 1950s, during a time in which he was exploring different genres with various players, including pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, plus drummers Jimmy Cobb and Art Taylor. The album has plenty of Trane hallmarks in the saxophone lead, and there is noteworthy contribution from trumpeter Wilbur Harden on ‘My Ideal’ and Freddie Hubbard on ‘Something I Dreamed Last Night.’ This is simply a great Coltrane listening experience.

Throughout the mid- to late-80s, Sade was the smoothest of operators in British soul music, her unmistakable sophisti-pop sound scoring hits on both sides of the Atlantic and throughout Europe. As this German TV show, she could recreate those slick records live on stage with ease. This live catches her riding that first wave of success, delivering intimate, jazz-imbued performances of her breakthrough hits.

Orgōne is a pillar of West Coast soul music, maintaining an unmissable touring presence for more than a decade. The group’s arresting intensity, impeccable playing style, and undeniable, irresistible chemistry have earned them the reputation as one of the tightest bands of the modern era. Fresh off of doubling as the studio band for discodelic sensation Say She She and circling the globe as the live band for their wildly successful world tour, Orgōne is back in California and coming in hot with Chimera, a fire-breathing spectacle of psychedelic Afro-soul. Produced by Sergio Rios (Neal Francis, Say She She), Chimera is an electrifying, dream-like odyssey, tripping through the hazy swamps of New Orleans, weaving textures of entrancing voodoo soul, thrumming Afro-funk, and stoney psych-rock. In Chimera, the heavy-hitting new LP from Orgōne, out February 9th, 2024 on 3 Palm Records, the Los Angeles-based outfit carves tough, gritty, infectious grooves into heady dance rhythms. Taking its name from a mythical beast with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent, Chimera conjures a state that is at once trance-like and heart-poundingly exciting. The album offers a spellbinding mix of cathartic instrumentals, dub voyages, and soulful vocal performances by Jamie Allensworth, Terin Ector, and Congolese musical alchemist Mermans “Mofaya” Mosengo. Known for their gripping instrumentals and incendiary live show, the band is firing on all cylinders and the earned confidence of this time-tested, cult-favorite crew is on display throughout Chimera. Describing the process of producing and engineering this psych-funk showcase, guitarist and Orgōne co-founder Sergio Rios says, “The album really took form organically. It’s raw and dark with a hopeful thread throughout that’s highlighted by the incredible soul singers we work with. There's a looseness to most of the cuts, giving the album the feeling of a shadowy dream.” With Chimera, the band has tapped into a deeper version of themselves. The sounds are fresh yet classic, the grooves are ferocious and infectious, and the vocal performances are captivating. The album opens like a heady puff of smoke in the face with “Hallowed Dreams,” drawing the listener into a state where reality blurs and the music takes control. The focus track, “Zum Zum,” is a hooky Afro-funk dance floor heater that synchronizes your heart rate to its propulsive percussion, the hypnotic rhythm building into a raucous, psychedelic climax. Mermans “Mofaya” Mosengo sings in his native Lingala, jabbing and weaving around the rhythm section’s chugging force with his gruff and soulful voice. On the raw and rousing “Tula Muisi (Dance Like Them),” a tapestry of Afrobeat and heavy psych-rock bolsters Mosengo’s call for unity and respect, which translates to “Hear the music, and dance like them.” On “Lies & Games,” Terin Ector brings yearning soul vocals to this righteous lament of the rocky road to redemption over grimy rhythm guitar, spaced-out synths, breakbeat-worthy drums, and haunting Wailers-inspired backing vocals. “Parasols” is a jaunty, head-bobbing slab of greasy New Orleans funk, and a heartfelt nod to Josie-era Meters and the unmistakable early 70s-era production of Allen Toussaint. The instrumental serves up a punchy, slightly tipsy rhythm that sways with sweetly melodic gospel-tinged organ. Drawing on multicultural influences of Afrobeat, Southern soul, psych-rock, and raw funk, Chimera bridges the darkest reaches of psychedelia to the highest peaks of joyful dance music. With easy SoCal swagger, deep New Orleans roots, and a profound reverence for the sounds of the African diaspora, Orgōne creates a unique, transporting experience that feels untethered to any single place or time. Relentlessly vibey and immersive from start to finish, Orgōne’s newest LP feels like a sustained hypnagogic hallucination — the place between waking and sleep where reality is fluid and anything feels possible. From its inception, Orgōne has always been a chimera — a multifaceted creation and the physical manifestation of impossible quixotic dreams. Chimera will delight fans of early Orgōne while showcasing the band’s effortless and endless ability to shape-shift. It’s an electrifying, mesmerizing record sure to exceed expectations and keep the listener rapt. For fans of Altun Gun, Khruangbin, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Witch, Goat & Monophonics.

Shades of Yesterday is the new covers album by DJ Harrison – 11 tracks that pay homage to his musical heroes, representing some of his most treasured childhood memories, out February 9th on Stones Throw. It was created over several years at his home studio Jellowstone, where he also created his previous two Stones Throw albums, 2021’s Tales from the Old Dominion and 2017’s HazyMoods. The announcement comes with a new song, too. “L’Anthropofemme” is a cover of French group Syntaxe.“L’Anthropofemme” was first introduced to DJ by Tyler, the Creator during an L.A. studio session where the two artists shared some of their most loved songs. Last year, Harrison shared “Lil Birdie”, a cover from Vince Guaraldi’s iconic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, and a cover of Donald Fagen’s “IGY”, which he decided to record after opening for the Steely Dan legend in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. While DJ Harrison has spent his career as a sought-after collaborator, playing in the funk-jazz fusion outfit Butcher Brown and collaborating with Pink Siifuu, Joyce Wrice, and winning two Grammy nominations for his work with Kurt Elling, Shades of Yesterday was created solo, with Harrison playing almost every instrument himself.

The tenth volume of Numero's elaborately packaged Cabinet of Curiosities series, L80s finds the group exploring the far-flung corners of the global downtempo underground. This 12-song mix tape weaves icy hot coldwave, Sausalito seafood jazz, Glaswegian goth, makeshift Madonna, Sade spoofs, and Brat Pack balearic into a high-waisted, party-ready pair of danceable denim.

This is an official release from the prestigious [Mississippi Records] of a compiled compilation of material from the 70's by Abner Jay (1921 - 1993), an American multi-instrumentalist from Georgia and a lone one-man band and outsider bluesman. This is another solo band style, with one man playing drums, banjo, vocals and harmonica. The name of the song is "Cocaine," and it's a slow, country-style performance with a heavy dose of poison. His voice is very convincing, perhaps because of his checkered, haphazard, and reckless life. This is a bluesman!

The expansive American experience Lonnie Holley quilts together across his astounding new album, MITH, is both multitudinous and finely detailed. Holley’s self-taught piano improvisations and stream-of-consciousness lyrical approach have only gained purpose and power since he introduced the musical side of his art in 2012 with Just Before Music, followed by 2013’s Keeping a Record of It. But whereas his previous material seemed to dwell in the Eternal-Internal, MITH lives very much in our world — the one of concrete and tears; of dirt and blood; of injustice and hope. Across these songs, in an impressionistic poetry all his own, Holley touches on Black Lives Matter (“I’m a Suspect”), Standing Rock (“Copying the Rock”) and contemporary American politics (“I Woke Up in a Fucked-Up America”). A storyteller of the highest order, he commands a personal and universal mythology in his songs of which few songwriters are capable — names like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joanna Newsom and Gil Scott-Heron come to mind. MITH was recorded over five years in locations such as Porto, Portugal; Cottage Grove, Oregon; New York City and Holley’s adopted hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. These 10 songs feature contributions from fellow cosmic musician Laraaji, jazz duo Nelson Patton, visionary producer Richard Swift, saxophonist Sam Gendel and producer/musician Shahzad Ismaily.

Holy Hive released two full length albums and one EP in the short span of 3 years and then they decided to disband. In 2019, while recording their debut album world renown harpist Mary Lattimore was in NY. They got together in the studio on a whim and wound up recording their Harping EP in a few days. They followed that up with their 2020 full length debut Float Back To You which became an instant cult classic and defined their unique “Folk Soul” sound. Frontman Paul Spring’s tender falsetto and maverick guitar playing over Homer Steinweiss’ incomparable drumming and production proved to be a match made in heaven and created a sound that piqued the ears and charmed the hearts of all those who heard it. By the time they started recording their sophomore album COVID, commitments, and life started taking their toll on the band. Spring and Steinweiss took their sound and pushed it way forward on their eponymous 2nd album keeping the anchor of their sound they established while exploring where else they could take it. Unbeknownst to the public by the time that record was released the band was done and had moved on to other things individually. While fans will undoubtedly not like this news, we will all have the timeless music they made while together, and, prolific they certainly were… Big Crown Vaults Vol. 3 : Holy Hive digs into the treasure trove of unreleased recordings and pulls some that never saw their way to vinyl and in all honesty, this is not even half of what is in there. These recordings were made during their two album sessions largely, some were recorded before they even signed to Big Crown. The compilation kicks off with the tune that started it all on the label, their smashing cover of The Invincibles “This Is My Story” that was previously only on a 7”. “Love It Is Not Love”, “Middle Of The Night”, “Celeste”, and their cover of “Kingdom Of The Sun” all feature guest vocals by Shanny of The Shacks who had started playing bass with them at their live shows and sitting in on a lot of the recording sessions. “The Shame” features Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes on bass and El Michels Affair on flute, the latter also plays on “A Perfect Space”. At one point in time the would turn the live show over to Paul Spring who would perform the Irish folk tune “Red Is The Rose” in a traditional style with just him singing and playing acoustic guitar and then launch into their rendition of the song that is on Float Back To You. That stripped down version is featured here on Vaults Vol. 3. The comp finishes poetically with “End Of Time” and it is unlikely that we will ever release the rest of what is sitting in the vault. On behalf of ourselves and all the fans we’d like to take this time to thank Holy Hive for the gorgeous music they made together. We will continue to enjoy it forever. Of course as individuals everyone involved from the core members to the people who lent their talents to certain songs continue to make music. Find them, follow them, enjoy their music.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often referred to as "the godmother of rock and roll" for her pioneering guitar technique, use of distortion/reverb, and a 1963 UK tour with Muddy Waters that has been cited as a huge influence by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Jeff Beck. Though she reached more widespread notoriety across the world in the '50s and '60s thanks to the folk/blues revival and her beloved status among UK blues and rock musicians, it's her early recordings from the late '30s and early-mid '40s that are the most brilliant, visceral, and emotional of her career. This excellent collection compiles 18 of those amazing gospel and R&B sides into one place. Essential.

Originally released on the tiny Sonet label, Live Ankara captures Don Cherry's concert at the American embassy in Turkey on November 23, 1969. Cherry performs with an entirely Turkish rhythm section that includes drummer Okay Temiz, bassist Selcuk Sun, and percussionist/tenor saxophonist Irfan Sumer. The repertoire balances original Cherry themes with Turkish folk melodies arranged by Turkish jazz trumpeter Maffy Falay; there are also a couple of Ornette Coleman themes and a take on Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan." Nothing is really explored for too long; the music is played as two continuous suites, and they usually shift to new material fairly quickly (only three of the 15 tracks are significantly longer than three minutes). The ensemble has a pretty sparse sound, with Cherry the sole lead voice (on trumpet, piano, flute, and trumpetzurna) for much of the concert. All of this serves to emphasize the melodicism of Cherry's playing here, and the Turkish material sits pretty comfortably alongside the jazz compositions. It's not quite essential, but it is very intriguing, and Cherry's more devoted fans will find it more than worth their time. [Live Ankara was reissued in full as part of the two-disc set The Sonet Recordings.] ~ Steve Huey

Wave is the fifth studio album by Brazilian jazz musician Antônio Carlos Jobim, released in 1967 on A&M Records. Recorded in the US with mostly American musicians, it peaked at number 114 on the Billboard 200 chart,[1] as well as number 5 on the Jazz Albums chart. Wave includes an ensemble of elite jazz musicians, including trombonists Urbie Green and Jimmy Cleveland, flautist Jerome Richardson, and bassist Ron Carter. Prolific jazz album cover photographer Pete Turner created the psychedelic solarized cover picture of a giraffe.

"The trio takes you on an intense, meditative and spiritual musical journey that embodies the spirit of freedom. Based around hypnotic grooves laid down by Brichard’s unswervingly solid bass lines, drummer Skinner plays around artfully with the beats, grooving hard in constantly shifting, unexpected turns of rhythmic play. Rahman’s contributions range from subtle conversational interplay to loudly expressed angry passion to the most delicate of whispers, conveying a depth of emotion and a deep sense of musical structure withIn an ever changing sea of musical conversation. Using simple, arresting melodies as a starting point, the trio create freely improvised waves of emotion ranging from powerful climaxes to hauntingly beautiful breath-like passages and everything in-between, creating unique forms and structures that react to the acoustics and the atmosphere of the situation. Taking inspiration from the spiritual jazz pioneers such as John and Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef and Sun Ra, compositional influences range from Gnawa music to modal jazz to Bengali folk music but the scope is wider still and the important unifying factor is the spontaneous communication and interplay between the three musicians. Rather than having a tight rigid structure, the tunes are allowed to breathe and develop into new unexplored forms, allowing fresh interpretations that make each performance a unique experience. The album is a collection of live and studio recordings that have been recorded and mixed by the band."

Anenon returns with a highly anticipated new album ‘Moons Melt Milk Light’, bearing his most personal, expressive, and arresting works to date. Anenon is the ongoing solo studio and live project of Brian Allen Simon, whom since 2010 has released multiple albums and EPs to critical acclaim, including the highly revered ‘Tongue’ (2018) and ‘Petrol’ (2016). "I feel a kinetic and messy honesty that doesn't exist in any of the other music I've ever made. There is also a sense of being settled, of calm. There is no faking it here.” ‘Moons Melt Milk Light’ is direct, efficient, and unwavering in its immediacy. Anenon departs from the electronics of previous works, and embarks on a reductive, almost entirely acoustic approach consisting of piano, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and field recordings. All of the music was improvised with everything recorded as either a first or second take with no edits. Any layering happened fast and in the moment, and yet the sonic architecture of the whole feels both planned and refined. The opener ‘Untitled Skies’ acts as prologue with flourishing solo tenor saxophone and sustained piano lines, before dampened footsteps and bird calls from field recordings echo — a scene is set. The album's undeniably emotive and nocturnal title track follows with sharp poignancy, inspired directly from an ongoing deep connection and dialogue to his LA surroundings. “I would take evening walks in my neighborhood, and I felt in awe of what I deemed an autumnal milky quality of light at dusk. This light felt like a seemingly unending flash, and was something that I wanted to evoke in the playing and meshing of instruments.” Simon shifts focus on ‘Maine Piano’, a beguiling solo piano piece ahead of ‘Night Painting I’, which features further breathy saxophone and bass clarinet counterpoints, embellished with immersive field recordings. Brian also confronts the subject of personal loss and anguish with a deep sincerity as a solemn through-line pervades the album's 11 tracks. Notes are eloquently delivered with grace and the message is one of hope with a palpable human quality. Non-diegetic field recordings were taken in Maine (USA), London (UK), and the Auvergne (FR), and reveal evocative and personal interactions as heard in the album's centre points. ‘As it is When it Appears’ glows with the ambience of French voices resounding an evening's interplay before a spaciously muted piano overtakes. The rained in ‘Champeix’ captivates with a seductive and wild romanticism, played out by its connective saxophone and piano layers, each gliding up and down their respective scales. Swirling bass clarinet lines vigorously pour out of ‘Night Painting II’, and ‘Endings (Solo)’ hits with a virtuosic, yet tender tenor saxophone take. The album closer ‘Sightless Eyes (N16)’ brings everything full circle — after an intro of 5 AM NE London birds singing, piano, tenor saxophone, and bass clarinet coalesce in expressive tactilities; a sonic image of an intuitively robust and in the room harmony. The production of ‘Moons Melt Milk Light’ began in the autumn of 2022, and was recorded at home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, informed in part by an acoustic collaboration with the artist Susan Cianciolo during the vernissage of her 2022 Paris exhibition, RUN 14: FIELD of existence, as well as solo performances mostly at casual non-venues such as wine bars and inns around Europe that same year. It was the combination of these experiences that led Brian to pursue this immediate approach of improvised acoustic instrumentation. Moons Melt Milk Light is a hyper-personal statement contained in a visceral beauty, a compact record of threadbare honesty and musical prowess seldom found in the musical art form. It is a search for light out of dark, for the tangible and tactile, and yet like most art of staying power, the results remain ephemeral and elusive, a beauty just out of reach. “Loss has been a constant (in my life), and I wanted to express a deep acceptance of this, but also a pervasive feeling that these kinds of sadnesses are what beauty is derived from, that it doesn't come from perfection. I find the idea of perfect beauty completely banal. Tension matters.”

The first Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Japan from Victor Cavini, originally released in 1983.

Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that never turn up. With Daibutsu the giant Buddha of Kamakura’s presence gracing the hefty front cover, this is a record bursting with dope samples for adventurous producers: it’s koto-funk madness!

Victor Cavini was the library music pseudonym of prolific German composer and musician Gerhard Trede. He was known for exploring instruments and styles from around the world (he played over 50 different instruments himself) and Japan is his collection of 14 musical sketches painted with traditional Japanese wind and string instruments. These are the sounds of traditional Japanese folk music re-interpreted through Western ears, with the occassional contemporary twist. Contemporary for 1983, of course.

These “Pictures of Japan” are hypnotic, sometimes frantic, but always beautiful. The first twelve tracks offer airy explorations of koto and flute, with other strings and percussion being added and then given their own space. Indeed “Pictures of Japan XII” is just drums.

And then “Pictures of Japan XIII” seems to come out of nowhere. But the subtle sleaze of its full band sound still doesn’t quite prepare you for the towering climax of “Pictures of Japan XIV”.

This is Japan’s undoubted standout piece, completely and wonderfully at odds with the rest of the album. It’s the reason this has become such a must-have record. It keeps the traditional Japanese instruments but combines them with shuffling funk breaks, electric bass high in the mix and a Godzilla-sized psychedelic fuzz guitar sound that might actually be a traditional reed flute pushed to its limits. Whatever it is, it sounds awesome.

Recalling both Rino de Filippi’s Oriente Oggi and Giancarlo Barigozzi’s Oriente, the track’s a real head-nod groove for b-boys and b-girls alike that sounds straight out of a late 70s Yakuza film. Indeed, if you were told The RZA or Onra had cooked this up in the lab this century, you’d be convinced. It’s crazy that this dates from 1983.

The audio for Japan has been sensitively remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis to keep all the character of the original recordings. Richard Robinson has handled the careful restoration of the original Selected Sound sleeve. Essential.

Originally issued by Crammed in 1987, this is one of the most sought-after releases in our legendary Made To Measure series. Known for his numerous albums, soundtracks, and collaborations with an impossibly broad array of artists (from Ryuichi Sakamoto and DJ Towa Tei to Van Dyke Parks, Björk, Manu Dibango and Elvin Jones), composer, saxophonist and producer Yasuaki Shimizu also released several electronic music productions during the '80s, which are currently generating a lot of interest (a.o. his recently reissued Mariah project).

"Music For Commercials" is a brilliant and inventive collection of short pieces, initially conceived as soundtracks for Japanese TV commercials (and bearing sweet titles such as “Seiko”, “Sharp”, “Honda” etc). These twenty-three tracks (each clocking in at two minutes or less, except one longer piece composed for a computer-animation short) abound with hit-and-run sound collages, twittering computers, and energetic ricocheting between myriad styles of music. This album has achieved near-mythical status in the last few years, which have seen artists such as Oneohtrix Point Never sing its praise.

Featuring amazing covers of tracks by artists such as Leon Ware, Mtume, Archie Bell, The Gap Band, Lowrell, Prince, Starvue, Bobby Caldwell & The Isley Brothers, there is not a filler in site, essentials all the way.

The project has taken almost 2 years with the help of many musicians, singers and producers from the scene. A special shout out goes to Peter 'Honeyvoice' Hunnigale for going the extra mile and doing many introductions.