MUSIC
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We enjoyed comping Volume one so much and had such a positive response, we went right onto producing For the Love Of You Volume 2.
Having bumped this in the car for months I can assure you Sam’s selection here probably betters the first. Again it is strictly soul covers featuring interpretations of Grover Washington Jr., Midnight Star, Meli'sa Morgan and Simply Red and loads more.
Its been great working with Sam brining attention to such a wonderful UK music scene and we both would like to thank all the artists and producers who went the extra mile to make this happen…
…The end of 2021 just got a bit sweeter.
Greta Lindholm is an absolutely unique personality in the contemporary dance scene. She toured in India, Mexico, Japan, Scandinavia, Italy and France, during the '70 and '80 making known her synthetic and experimental approach in the choreographic field. Her art explores new boundaries and is essentially pure celebration of the body language and voice in its intimate relationship with the fluidity of movement. Using mainly foot drumming and vocal rhythms, she makes her body the only instrument of continuous exploration, halfway between traditional songs and rhythmic-gestural improvisation. Greta seems to treasure different vocal cultures and give them an avant-garde reinterpretation: from Scandinavian folklore to jazz scat singing, from baroque arias to the African Pygmy. Particular influence is given by the metric-vocal spelling of Karnatic and Hindustan music. All these differents suggestions serve to reinforce and accompany her plastic movements. Greta's performances are studded with imaginary phonemes, onematopeic patterns, rhythmic phrasing, phonetic articulations, breathing, spiral structures, frenetic drifts, clap handings or feet like timpani or snare drums. In this way her dance becomes "silent music" and can have analogies with other noteworthy vocal explorations, such as those of Meredith Monk. For the first time an audio document is a available on LP and CD, a co-production with our beloved friend: Sing a Song Fighter.
Else Marie Pade's Electronic Works 1958-1995 is a heavy duty three LP set which was restored, mastered and cut at Dubplates in Berlin under the watchful ears of curator Jacob Kirkegaard. These monumental works are presented, for the first time, pressed on audiophile grade heavy duty vinyl where they belong. Audiophile grade 3LP is pressed in an edition of 500 copies.
"The sounds outside became concrete music, and in the evening I could imagine that the stars and the moon and the sky uttered sounds and those turned into electronic music." Else Marie Pade
Else Marie Pade (born 1924 in Aarhus, Denmark; currently living in Copenhagen) is a precious golden gem in the world of contemporary electro-acoustic music. She is a true pioneer of Musique Concrete and electronic music recorded on tape. She is Denmarks first lady of electronic music and her piece Syc Cirkler (Seven Circles) became Denmark's first electronic piece to be performed on the radio.
EMP's search for sound began in early childhood when she was isolated in her bed for long periods of time due to illness. There she would lie and listen to the sounds around her just as she did years later when she was imprisoned for spying on Nazi compounds in Arhus. Once released from prison she became a piano student at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen but chose to instead pursue the nuances of her inner sound world after hearing Pierre Schaeffer in 1952. She began studying with him not too soon thereafter. Her first electronic composition premiered in 1955.
Hypnotic proto-Raï from Algeria circa 1979-1989 by Drissi El-Abbassi, a pioneer of the style who bridged its early roots with the era of multi-track digital recording during the sound’s rapid evolution, making for an insane set of microtonal synths, psych guitars and drum machines for fans of Cheb Khaled, Omar Khorshid or Omar Souleyman.
‘Rai Sidi Bel Abbes’ plays deeply into one of the core influences of borderless Algerian/Egyptian label Nashazphone, highlighting a figure relatively unsung beyond the North African Arabic diaspora, introducing his unusually balmy, soft-voiced take on a genre that came to be known for its harder edges. Set to a mix of microtonal Roland synthesiser leads and swaying drum machines, El-Abbassi’s vocals emote with particular clarity and sensuality, carrying the jazz and psych rock-inspired early sound into a prototype of its current form across eight songs that chart his transition from working with principal group Les Freres Zergui, to selections from recordings by his own band’s influential releases during the mid-late ‘80s.
Drissi El-Abbassi was 17 in 1978, when he joined one of the main groups in Oran region, Les Aigles Noir, working as “stage animator” - a sort of hypeman, also responsible for relaying lyrics to the lead singer, at weddings and parties - and by 1979 he was a member of Les Freres Zergui, who pioneered the use of wah wah pedals and drums in the style of Rai; a new sound established by Messaoud Bellemou and his troupe, that incorporated trumpets and sax into a distinctive new Algerian genre. He cut his teeth playing two shows a night at the weekends with Les Freres Zergui, and his first solo tape came out that year with Zergui on guitar. Following Zergui’s passing in 1983, and the dissolution of the band, El-Abbassi set up his own group, embracing new technology and helping progress the style alongside legendary producer Meghni Mohamed for labels such as Editions Anwar, Editions Maghreb, and Editions Saint Crepain.
The eight songs on ‘Rai Sidi Bel Abbes’ cover a spectrum of El-Abassi’s work during 1979-1989, from the mouth watering microtonal psych licks and nagging machine grooves of ‘Zedti laadab aliya’ to the lissom guitars and accordions of ‘Khalouni neck’, showcasing his smoothly contoured vocal cadence in finest style on cuts that resemble melodic Lovers Rock vibes in ’Trig maaskar’ and intoxicatingly sensual highlights ‘Jat jat’, plus the passionate, psychedelic ache of ‘Manetzouedj manebni dar’, or ‘Djibek liyam’, which should appeal to fans of Omar Khorshid as much as Omar Souleyman.
Here is a portal to a vast and relatively unknown world, the Japanese cyber-occult underground media scene of the early 1990s; our guide is the late Henry Kawahara, a media artist and electronic music producer whose expansive and visionary conception of digital technology merged with a desire to break free of the constraints of mere rationality. This collection, the first-ever archival release of his work, is drawn from recordings released during the period 1991-1996, an exceptionally fertile time for Kawahara. Originally released on CD by a few Japanese independent labels including Hachiman Publishing, a cyber-occult/new-age book specialist, the releases were available mainly in book stores, so this sumptuous and prescient music has remained relatively unknown. The original titles and tag lines of the CDs give clues about Kawahara’s interests and the music itself: Digital Mushroom, Subtropical Illusion, Never-ending Asia, and so on. This 15-track gateway compilation is available on double 12” vinyl and DL; the CD version has two extra discs featuring sound from two art installations entitled "Dysteleology - α" and "Dysteleolog - β" from the 1990s. All formats feature extensive English liner notes.
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Henry Kawahara has been called “the Jon Hassell of Japan”, but upon closer inspection one finds that his work operates on very different terms. Like Hosono's forays into computerized Ryukyu folk “sightseeing music” or Tsutomu Ōhashi's Ecophony trilogy, Kawahara's world projected ancient musical traditions and notions of cultural identity onto the modern digital plane through a fusion of cybernetic thinking and pan-asian cultural introspection that makes Western attempts to do the same seem quaint in comparison. Kawahara's omnidirectional sound “illusions” were constructed not as albums but psychological experiences, billowing with a then-nascent notion of early 90s cybernetic spirituality that was proliferating on both sides of the Pacific as the hyperlinked state of global connectivity we know today was just beginning to crystalize. Through digital representations of folk instruments, shifting MIDI sequencing and custom binaural recording technology he aimed for psychoacoustic effect as much as artistic, all via a countercultural form of distribution untethered from the commercial expectations of post-bubble modes of artistic production. This EM collection draws out the best of his fruitful early-mid 90s period into a revelatory sequence, generously opening Kawahara's world to all. —Spencer Doran (Visible Cloaks)
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Henry Kawahara's deal is Intimate, Intuitive, Adventurous, and Acidy! Spice is added to all, whether its ethereal guitar, nature effects, gamelan club trance, or LSD experimentations. In the vibe of Coil's “Love Secret Domain” and out there clubgamelan. The creative force of the jungle is mutated and interchanged with further sound palettes, and his effex palette has the schwing of a 90s grunge guitarist. His musical tendencies are natural and his scope and variety are dangerous. —Spencer Clark (The Star Searchers / Pacific City Discs)
Devo 's Hardcore documents the group's beginning as pre-punk outcasts in the fertile Akron, Ohio underground rock scene. Spawned at the nearby college of Kent State, site of the infamous May 4 Massacre, Devo formed as a conceptual art project armed with a radical philosophy of de-evolution. Mothersbaugh brothers (Mark, Bob, and Jim) and Casale Brothers (Jerry and Bob) along with drummer Alan Myers soon whipped up an otherworldly brand of "devolved blues" that could hold its own alongside the beatnik groove of 15-60-75 (aka The Numbers Band) or the primal rock poetry of the Bizarros.
Recorded on various 4-track machines and in tiny studios, basements, garages and between 1974-1977, Hardcore Reveals Their strikingly clear vision: rock n 'roll stripped bare of its collective cool and jerked back into propaganda fit for the post-modern man. It's no surprise That These transmissions would soon catch the eye and ear of Brian Eno who later produced Their landmark 1978 debut album. Noisy synth, strangled guitar chops, and a primitive rhythmic thud power the early Devo sound. Threaded beneath it all are lyrical themes of post-McCarthy paranoia, middle-class ephemera, and Devo 's long-running topic of choice: sex, or lack thereof.
Few moments in pop music history can match the grinding, pent-up energy of "Mongoloid" and the spastic bounce and sputter of "Jocko Homo" (two anthems presented in Their earlier and superior versions here). Cult favorites like "Mechanical Man" and "Auto-Modown" make Volume 1 essential listening.
Superior Viaduct and Booji Boy Records are proud to present Devo 's Hardcore to a new generation of spuds, lovingly packaged with Moshe Brakha's stunning cover photography. As David Bowie said in 1977 Devo is indeed "the band of the future."
Another killer release on Numero, and another killer package. Ten incredible albums culled from the deepest, weirdest co-op of record enthusiasts ever gathered under one banner. We’ve spared no expense packaging these, pairing the idea of the Art of Compilation with living and breathing art, creating little fortune cookies baked in a factory of forgotten dreams. Video games, pyramids, trading cards, matchbooks, mazes, lottery tickets, film canisters, yearbooks, and various other exercises in design absurdity. + Jackets are patterned with alchemy and astrology symbols + Fold-out maze of gold foil and metallic ink + Origami sleeve transforms into magnetic pyramid sculpture P-Funk and Prince & the Revolution led the world through the last stellar evolutionary stages of soul music as it was transmogrified through the pulverizing lens of the 1980s, when African-American culture gave way to an advanced African-Interplanetary civilizations. Self-actualized artists and visionaries followed, reflecting and refracting their own interpretations as if translated by Samuel Delaney or Octavia Butler. This unwieldily titled collection documents ten successful experiments in privately-issued scifi soul music, lonely transmissions from a planet in a state of cultural fugue. Packaged in a one-way portal to the further limits of expression. Some assembly required.
A1 E. Willey Von Huff-N-Puff - Just Wish You Were Here
A2 Walter Hawkins - Metropolis
A3 Same Womb - Alibi Eyes
A4 Cause And Effect - You Make Me Feel Brand New
A5 Candle Tribe - Candles
B1 T. Dyson & Company - First Time
B2 LaRhonda LeGette - Now You Sit Alone
B3 Iron Force - Stay
B4 Errol Stubbs - Spaced Out On Your Love
B5 Severed - Real Life
Is this "No New York" in Japan in 2020? Is it "Pillows & Prayers"? No, it's not like that. Visit the first label compilation of "Birdfriend", a sublime (reckless) DIY label run by YPY / goat's Koshiro Hino. When you hear this, you want to create asexually!
"It's too experimental and challenging to release, but there are still many great ones" (by Koshiro Hino)
Birdfriend, a label of Koshiro Hino (YPY / goat) who continues to release DIY music of electronics and self-made remodeled musical instrument creators based on a thorough writer's standard of choosing by sound instead of name. From the start in 2013, DIY handmade with enthusiasm, patience and sincerity, special personalities such as Bonno Nomukuro, UNBE, Futoshi Moriyama, Wet Dog, NEW MANUKE, OPQ, Inoue Shirabe, JMT Synth, H. Takahashi, Sofheso・ Dropped into a cassette and released 38 original works to date. Overcoming various problems, we made 5,000 pieces!
Birdcage's first label compilation, "Bird Cage," was an attempt to put these Birdfriend friends in one place by abusing Hino's authority. When I forcibly compiled those people who couldn't be edited quietly in the first place, what appeared there was an unexpectedly fresh story! Now is the time to ask the world about the feats (variants) of mysterious bird friends. When you hear this, you will be surrounded by feelings (impression?) That you do not understand, and you will probably want to create asexually!
・ 2 CDs / Jewel case
・ Booklet included
・ Japanese / English notation
・ Artist profile and photo posted
Compiled and the cover art design by Kōshirō Hino
Cover drawings by Yūko Kureyama and Kōshirō Hino
All tracks originally mastered by Bunsho Nishikawa
2nd mastering by Takuto Kuratani
(c) 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Birdfriend
TRACKS:
= Disc 1 =
1. Sofheso --M.N.L
2. Wet Dog-Bird Peck at Dead Dog
3. NEW MANUKE --Fastest Motor
4. YPY --BFMIX B-3
5. JMT Synth Pinosaku --Tansun
6. Wet dogs-Dog is Surrounded by Birds
7. UNBE --Vector Milk
8. YPY --The Damo UFO
9. Micro-Futoshi --Reforest 1
10. Inoue Shirabe --Sleep Talk
= Disc 2 =
1. Futoshi Moriyama-Time Limit
2. OPQ --ENT
3. Futoshi Moriyama-Niko Electro
4. H. Takahashi ―― 4
5. Micro-Futoshi --Reforest 2
6. UNBE -5 Ritsumai
7. Bonnounomukuro --Enter the Exit
8. Futoshi Moriyama --Piano and Sampler
Enter a world unknown! Birdfriend is a cassette label run by Japanese musician/composer Koshiro Hino, aka YPY, who is also a founding member of the Osaka band goat. This compilation, available on CD and double vinyl, features 18 tracks by Japanese artists, from 2013-2017, previously available only on hard-to-find cassettes on the Birdfriend label, now available to you, the curious and courageous listener, worldwide on EM Records. Rejoice and enjoy the fractured rhythms and future-now timbres, questing intelligences and D.I.Y. energy, conveyed to you through hand-made synths, custom electronics, synths and samplers. Compiled by Hino, who also provides liner notes and cover art, these Japanese artists share a love of texture, semi-skewed rhythm, simple-yet-evolving structure, and a sense of humour; yet despite these similarities, there is a great variety across this release, making for an exciting and cohesive musical experience.
+ Double 12" set
+ Gatefold sleeve
+ English liner notes
+ Artist bio/photo/discography
Tracks:
Side A:
1. Sofheso - M.N.L
2. Shimetta-inu - Bird Peck at Dead Dog
3. NEW MANUKE - Fastest Motor
4. YPY - BFMIX B-3
5. JMT Synth Pinosaku - Tansun
Side B:
1. Shimettainu - Dog is Surrounded by Birds
2. UNBE - Vector Milk
3. YPY - The Damo UFO
4. Micro Futoshi - Reforest 1
5. Inoue Shirabe - Sleep Talk
Side C:
1. Futoshi Moriyama - Time Limit
2. OPQ - ENT
3. Futoshi Moriyama - Nico Electro
4. H. Takahashi - 4
5. Micro Futoshi - Reforest 2
6. UNBE - 5 Cubic Meters
Side D:
1. Bonnounomukuro - Enter the Exit
2. Futoshi Moriyama - Piano and Sampler