MUSIC

A first box set containing 16 CDs, presenting more than 40 works and 18 hours of listening, including never released before music by Denis Dufour and texts in a detailed booklet (Fr/Eng/Ger). With his morphological and expressive approach to sound, Denis Dufour works on pieces in a constant state of renewal and on ideas that are specific to each piece. This results to a work looking like a large fresco in which no theme sounds alike, containing varied and breathtaking soundscapes and a patchwork of sounds, thoughts and colors that enable us to appreciate the sheer imagination as well as the consistence of his style. By deliberately but effortlessly opening his music to all sounds, Denis Dufour works with liberty, independence, rigor, and craftsmanship so refined that makes one forget oneself. Every second of sound is wrapped by a conscious ear so that so that his work contains no trace of automatic tools. Composer, teacher, researcher, director of label and festival, Denis Dufour, has greatly contributed to the development of acousmatic art in the world during forty years. First volume of the integral of his acousmatic work, this boxset regroups 44 works of Denis Dufour, composed between 1977 and 2020. Each one of the 16 discs is conceived as a listening program, which provides to listeners an immense landscape. The second volume is expected in 2022, and his instrumental work is under publication as well.

Efficient Space presents Soft and Fragile by Ros Bandt and LIME (Live Improvised Music Events), originally released by Move Records in 1983. A pioneering figure in Australian music, Bandt is known for her work with sound sculpture, electronics, acoustic ecology, and invented instruments, as well as her writings and teaching. Soft and Fragile comprises a series of structured improvisations performed on custom-built bells and gongs. On the side-long ‘Ocean Bells’, Bandt performs on her ‘flagong’, a three-tiered vertical glass marimba that she made in 1978, inspired by the ‘cloud chamber bowls’ of maverick instrument builder and microtonal composer Harry Partch. Over a long tape loop made up of slowed down sounds from the same instrument, she delicately strikes the glass bells with mallets, allowing individual pitches to ring out and decay with the aquatic wavering quality that suggested the piece’s title, eventually building into flowing melodic sequences. Structured as a series of events determined by the length of the performer’s breath, this gently undulating music invites listeners to lose themselves in delicate microtonal fluctuations and subtle yet expressive phrasing. For ‘Shifts’, Bandt is joined by Julie Doyle, Gavan McCarthy, and Carolyn Robb on a collectively composed work for clay bells. Atop a steady pulse, melodic and rhythmic cells expand and contract, shifting between LIME’s four members. LIME also perform the closing ‘Annapurna’, where timbres sourced from glass, clay and metal are freely threaded through a pulsating tape backdrop generated from loops of the ensemble chanting. Presented in a redesigned sleeve showcasing the performers and their instruments, the reissue reproduces the extensive original liner notes. While Bandt’s ideas and techniques draw on aspects of the invented instrument tradition of Partch and Bertoia, Stockhausen’s intuitive music, and the cyclical structures of American minimalism and Javanese gamelan, the floating world of Soft and Fragile also resonates with the work of New Age outlier Stephan Micus and contemporary practitioners such as Tomoko Sauvage. In Bandt’s own words, this is ‘elegant and sensual music where the body and mind have the time to reflect and catch up with the moment as it passes…It is a music intended for respite’.

Kalita are excited to unveil the first ever reissue of one of – if not the – strongest South African kwaito/bubblegum albums in existence, Jivaro’s 1989 masterpiece ‘Saturday Fever’. Originally released on Maurice Horwitz’s Music Team label at the turn of the decade, the album features various heavy hitting tracks that perfectly encapsulate the post-boogie/proto-house movement that had taken over the country’s airwaves and clubs at the time. Sourced from the original analogue master tapes, this definitive release by Kalita is a truly essential piece of musical history and one sure to set any discerning dance floor on fire.

Music From Memory are excited to present a special release with The Zenmenn in the shape of a limited 7” containing 2 tracks taken from the same recording sessions that resulted in their debut album 'Enter The Zenmenn' from 2021. About MFM057 The Zenmenn say: “Bella Fantasia and Topaz 2 are two uncut gems that we couldn't quite fit on the record. In the last couple of days before the deadline, we were tripping a little bit that Topaz was no good, so we tried to do it in a different way and came out with this more melancholy vocal version, looking back at the small moments from a past relationship that somehow slipped away. We kept both versions in the collection.” “For Bella Fantasia we were finding it funny to have this vocal using Ben's extremely limited Italian vocabulary, but after a while of it being a joke, it slowly settled into just being what it is. An angelic female voice seemed like it would fit in well, so we called up our dear friend Kari K and she flew in on gossamer wings to take care of the job like a real professional sent directly from beyond the pearly gates. In the final seconds of the song, much like Indiana Jones reaching back in the nick of time to snatch his hat from beneath the closing temple door, Magnus heroically managed to squeeze in a quick reference to the late great George Michael – R.I.P. Hopefully his estate never finds out about this.”

The sequel to Yabby You's (Vivian Jackson) definitive compilation, Deeper Roots. This is the sequel to Yabby You's definitive compilation "Deeper Roots", which includes rare dub plates, rare 7"'s, and the first ever collection of material handed over by Yabby You himself before his death. This time, the focus is on more instrumental tracks and intense DUBs, and to my surprise, it also includes the first collection of material handed to me by Yabby Yu himself before he died! The album includes "Thirty pieces of Silver," where most of the parts are cut off to create an incredibly powerful instrumental, "Sipping I & I Chalice," which has only been released on 7" and is known as a fantastic track, and "Psalm 16," which is a deep dub mix with a spacey feel. I Chalice," a deep dub mix with a cosmic feel, and more. The result is a work that is very worth listening to!
Disc 1
1. Walls of Jerusalem - Vivian Jackson & The Prophets
2. Thirty Pieces of Silver - Yabby You & The Prophets
3. Sipping I & I Chalice - Vivian Jackson & the Prophets
4. Sipping I & I Chalice - Vivian Jackson & the Prophets
5. Man of the Living - Wayne Wade and the Prophets
6. Psalm 16 - Prophets Allstars
7. Chant Down Babylon Kingdom - Yabby You & The Prophets
8. Chant Down Babylon Version - Prophets Allstars

Disc 2
1. Stop Your Quarreling - Yabby You & the Prophets
2. Stop Your Quarreling version – The Prophets Allstars
3. Outside The City Walls (Obey Your Parents) – Prophets Allstars
4. Jah Vengence - Vivian Jackson & The Sons of Jah
5. I Can’t Hide - Tony Tuff & The Prophets
6. I Can’t Hide version - The Prophet Allstars
7. Time Changing - Samuel Patterson
8. Mash Down (Mash Down Rome Instrumental) - Prophets Allstars

Shout Out! To Freedom… encapsulates the endless potential that can come about from stasis. It's a record that as is celebratory of N.O.W.’s past as it is determined to break from it.

An album that locally records the traditional music of the Sundanese who live in western Java. A variety of items such as a flute called Surin made of bamboo, an instrumental ensemble Kakapi Surin with a plucked string instrument Kakapi like a koto, a bowed string instrument Rebab with a characteristic singing tone, and Tenban Sunda with a focus on singing. Includes music. There is a sound similar to the famous gamelan in Bali, but the instruments are completely different, so you can enjoy a unique and interesting sound.
Recording: 1972-73 Java Island

1. Beber layar (“Spread the Sails”)
& Kembang bungur (“Flower of the Bungur-tree”)
2. Palwa (a proper name) & Lalayaran (“Sailing Tour”)
3. Rancag: Pancaniti (a proper name), Bayubud (a place name), Mangari (a place name), Liwung (“Worry”)
/ Kawih: Sumarambah (“Heart Full of Memories”)
4. Rancag: Bayubud (a place name), Liwung (“Worry”)
/ Kawih: Bungur (“The Bungur-tree”)
5. Rancag: Panyawang (“Rest in the Open”),
Pamekaran (“Blossom”) / Kawih: Samar-samar (“Blurred Pictures”)
6. Sinyur (a musical structure), Samarangan (“As he pleases”) 7. Rancag: Lor-loran (“Towards the North”), Erang barong / Kawih: Tablo (a musical structure).

A 14-disc box set tracing the discography of Eliane Radigue, the Tibetan-meets-electronic music guru, is now available Box with a gorgeous booklet! Having studied at RTF Studios in France under music concretists such as Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry, Eliane Radigue has been creating profound electronic music for decades, and now her historical archive is here! This 14-disc box contains many of her masterpieces released in CD format, including some that are now hard to find, and even includes Metamkine's mini-CD "Biogenesis.

Edition of 500 copies. Wooden box set, numbered. From the original master tapes. Includes a booklet. * Piero Umiliani is unquestionably one of the most consistent figures in terms of soundtrack music and library music worldwide. This precious 13CD Box is dedicated to the period of greatest maturity and artistic freedom which coincides with the creation of his personal studio: the Sound Work Shop. The 82 square meter room is elaborated with a particular acoustic treatment suitable for multi-track recording. The instruments available were the best of world production; to these were numerous instruments from all over the globe thanks to his passion for travel. It is also equipped with the best of the most modern projection and slow motion systems. Of the 13 albums included, spanning a period from 1971 to 1983, 9 had never been reissued digitally; the transfer took place from the original tapes provided by the heirs who continue to take care of everything concerning the artist's life with the utmost attention. With the most bizarre pseudonyms we listen to the Maestro confront himself with the most disparate genres: percussive and electronic experiments to drive sampling lovers crazy (CD1); the rock-prog-psych of The Braen's Machine, a group formed with Alessandro Alessandroni (CD2/3); the delicate melodies, lounge; groovy exotic (CD4/7/11/12), modern classical music (CD5); experimental dramatic tensions with synth, bass and primitive percussion on a string orchestra carpet (CD6); disco-funk-jazz (CD8); sound exploration in psychic disorders dictated by the human condition (CD9); pure Italian jazz (CD10); experimental ambient with synths (13). The luxurious wooden box includes a sequentially numbered booklet up to 500. The paper CD covers are reproductions of the original LP releases. details: CD1 PERCUSSIONI ED EFFETTI SPECIALI | 1972 1. Problematica giovanile / 2. Problematica giovanile n.2 / 3. Subacquea / 4. Bongos in suspense / 5. Dinamica in beat / 6. Dinamica in beat n.2 / 7. Contrasto ritmico / 8. Percussioni speciali / 9. Protesta giovanile / 10. Timpani statici / 11. Timpani in movimento / 12. Marasma / 13. Timbales / 14. Ritmi in swing / 15. Ritmi in swing n.2 / 16. Fascia astrale / 17. Stato ipnotico / 18. Dinamica in tensione / 19. Dinamica in tensione n. 2 / 20. Esplosioni / 21. Esplosioni n.2 / 22. Distorsioni / 23. Detective / 24. Echi della natura / 25. Fascia metallica / 26. Organo in suspense / 27. Battimenti / 28. Battimenti n.2 / 29. Segnali morse / 30. Segnali morse n.2 / 31. Sottosuolo CD2 UNDERGROUND | 1971 1. Fying / 2. Imphormal / 3. Murder / 4. Gap / 5. Militar Police / 6. New Experiences / 7. Fall Out / 8. Obstinacy / 9. Description CD3 TEMI RITMICI E DINAMICI | 1973 1. Movimento / 2. Dinamica / 3. Competizione / 4. Attività All’Aperto / 5. Ritmica Sportiva / 6. Esercizi Ginnici / 7. Gara / 8. Dilettanti / 9. Rinuncia / 10. Passeggiata / 11. Allenamento / 12. Aspetti Grotteschi CD4 NUOVE ARIE ROMANTICHE |1974 (1st time in digital) 1. Dolce Flauto / 2. Neve Sul Campanile / 3. Divertimento / 4. Ispirazione / 5. Luminosita’ / 6. Meditazione / 7. Bachiana / 8. Mozartiana / 9. Dolce Ed Austero / 10. Modo Settecentesco / 11. Tranquillita’ / 12. Ritrovarsi / 13. Malinconia D’Autunno / 14. Perla Di Ghiaccio CD5 MUSICA CLASSICA PER L'UOMO D'OGGI | 1974 (1st time in digital) 1. Impegno / 2. Elevazione / 3. Con Nostalgia / 4. Aria Di Fiesta / 5. Idea Mistica / 6. Gioioso / 7. Vocazione / 8. Molto Solenne / 9. Nuovo Umanesimo / 10. Ricostruzione / 11. Allegretto Classico / 12. Origini / 13. A Misura D’Uomo / 14. Preludio Arioso / 15. Come Un Corale CD6 MONDO INQUIETO | 1974 (1st time in digital) 1. Mondo Inquieto / 2. Emarginati / 3. Stato D’Ansia / 4. Attualita’ / 5. Riforme / 6. Boicottaggio / 7. Strategia / 8. Recessione / 9. Fermenti / 11. Doppio Gioco / 12. Incidenti / 13. Situazione / 14. Sotto Il Talone / 15. Eversione / 16. Crisi / 17. Popoli Inquieti / 18. Sanzioni. / 19. Inquietudine CD7 MOTIVI ALLEGRI E DISTENSIVI | 1978 (1st time in digital) 1. Su Con La Vita! / 2. Su Con La Vita! / 3. Su Con La Vita! / 4. Su Con La Vita! / 5. La Bella Vita / 6. Storie Di Villagio / 7. La Voce Dell’Organetto / 8. Tromba In Vacanza / 9. Sax In Vacanza / 10. Archi Innamorati / 11. Idea Romantica / 12. Idea Romantica / 13. Happy Boogie / 14. Happy Boogie CD8 DISCOMUSIC | 1978 1. Carousel / 2. Discomania / 3. Optimist / 4. Hobby / 5. Odeon / 6. Skypass / 7. Impact / 8. Forcing / 9. Marlowe / 10. Happy End CD9 TENSIONE | 1979 (1st time in digital) 1. Staccato E Tremolo / 2. Pedale In Suspence / 3. L’Orco / 4. Segnali Da Marte / 5. Prefiche / 6. Clavinet Suspence / 7. Pianofender Suspence / 8. Tremolo Ossessivo / 9. Tema In Suspence / 10. Intermezzo Neutro / 11. Pedale Lancinante / 12. Espressivo E Drammatico / 13. Notte D’Orrore / 14. Basso In Suspence / 15. Suspence Sommessa / 16. L’Orchessa / 17. Marcia Suspence / 18. Archi Informali / 19. Fascia Ossessiva / 20. Suspence Interlocutoria CD10 FILM CONCERTO | 1979 (1st time in digital) 1. Blues For Gassman / 2. Tension / 3. Smog / 4. Thinkin’ Blues / 5. Twilight At Los Angeles / 6. A Cavallo Della Tigre / 7. Solitudine / 8. Solitudine 2 / 9. Mah-Na' Mah-Na’ / 10. La Ragazza Dalla Pelle Di Luna / 11. O Dolci Baci / 12. Quando La Coppia Scoppia / 13. Insieme CD11 PANORAMA ITALIANO | 1979 (1st time in digital) 1. Calen Di Maggio / 2. Torna Primavera / 3. Tempo Di Madrigale / 4. Paesanella / 5 Paesanella / 6. Tempo Di Madrigale / 7. Nostalgia Di Marinaro / 8. Farina E Festa / 9. Stornello Felice / 10. Stornello Dolce / 11. Stornello Triste / 12. Richiamo Alpino / 13. Trinacria / 14. Notturno Siciliano CD12 ALBUM DI VIAGGIO | 1981 (1st time in digital) 1. Appuntamento Al Plaza / 2. Le Foreste Di Kuala Lumpur / 3. Attico A Montecarlo / 4. Martedi Grasso A N. Orleans / 5. Alabama Song / 6. Ritorno A Chicago / 7. Album Di Viaggio / 8. In Vacanza / 9. Viaggio Sentimentale / 10. Manhattan Blues / 11. Gospel Song / 12. Le Cascate Di Iguaçú CD13 SUSPENCE ELETTRONICA | 1983 (1st time in digital) 1. Sospetto / 2. Segni Premonitori / 3. Relitti / 4. Nave Spia / 5. Mutazioni / 6. Ballata Tragica / 7. Attesa Ansiosa / 8. Incubo / 9. Batticuore / 10. Rintocchi / 11. Sinistro Carillon / 12. Schizofrenia / 13. Leggermente Misterioso / 14. Degrado

Giorgio Brugnolini (1931-2020) was a composer and saxophonist from Italy, known for his cult recordings under the name Narassa, who sadly passed away last year. This is the first analogue reissue of the obscure masterpiece "Utopia" released in 1972 on the library label Gemelli, on the prestigious soundtrack/library label Sonor Music Editions. The first official release since the maestro's passing, with excellent arrangements on Hammond and piano by Giorgio Carnini and direction by Franco Tamponi. A dreamy, underground mood, a rather dangerous one! A ton of great jazz-funk-lounge-jazz sessions, bursting with avant-garde jazz sophistication, orchestration, and gorgeous grooves.

A masterpiece buried in history for a long time finally sees the light of day! !! The original is a very rare Roman progressive jazz rock band, Spirale's only work released in 1974 is the first official reissue from Milan's ! Corrado Nofri (key), Gaetano Delfini (vo, sax), Giancarlo Maurino (sax / flute), Peppe Caporello (ba, g), Giampaolo Ascolese (dr). This work has a gorgeous, beautiful and tough sound with a unique Mediterranean atmosphere that is similar to jazz rock bands such as Napoli Centrale and Arti & Mestieri in Italy. This is a must-listen for those who like Germany's Out Of Focus and Xhol Caravan of the same age! !! Limited to 500 sheets.

After Dinner from Japan, embraced new wave, traditional Japanese music, free contemporary and avant-garde rock. Founded under hand of delicious female vocalist, musician and composer Haco in 1981, broaching a very interesting collective cohesion; their background, though however various, brought them together during times of recording and live performance. 1982-85 includes all their first production; the complete 1st album “Glass Tube", 2 tracks from the 1st 7” single and a bonus track track from a 1985’s compilation on Celluloid. Includes 24-pages booklet

Music From Memory are excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; MFM053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history. The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan. Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres. Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs. The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world. This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment. Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

Bongo Joe celebrate their 5 year anniversary with FUTUR ANTÉRIEUR, a digital compilation of 19 brand new tracks, created by Bongo Joe’s contemporary artist community, who provide their own stamp and interpretation of tracks that have previously been released as part of the label’s celebrated re-issue catalogue of archaeological discoveries. The anniversary and compilation release coincides with the re-opening of the Les Disques Bongo Joe’s record store, relocated to a new home on the banks of Lake Geneva, which opened for trade in March. Re-affirming the label’s disregard of genres and boundaries, the compilation sees artists like Bogota and Colombia’s pioneering and eccentric cumbia artist Meridian Brothers take on Extranos Juegos by the Spanish group Zombies (LA CONTRA OLA: Synth Wave & Post Punk from Spain 1980-86), the Geneva residents-en-psych-groove L’Eclair take on Mauritian singer Allen Meller on Moin Qui Bizin Travail (Soul Sega Sa! Indian Ocean Segas From The 70s) and Turkish outfit Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek reinterpret Ay Dili Dili from Azerbaijan guitarist Rüstem Quliyev, whose retrospective album Azerbaijani Gitara was released in 2020. Founder of the label, Cyril Yeterian, half of Cyril Cyril, recollects, “Looking back to our past 5 years' mixed catalog of music from the past and the present made us immediately think about bridging these musical worlds into one. Several bands we have on our roster told us our reissues inspired their music so it sounded like the obvious thing to propose, to all our current bands on the label.” In just five years Bongo Joe has established itself as a label on a mission, doing things on their own terms, without hierarchy making sense of the world and industry from their community base and record store/cafe/DJ and event space in Geneva Switzerland; and it’s a method that has garnered much respect, with audiences and artists alike. The present compilation is the result of this vibrating energy coming from the shores of Geneva Lake. Definitely time to support musicians : all benefits will go to our artists

The album also includes the new age anthem "O Sol Na Janela" from "Outro Tempo", one of Music From Memory's flagship compilations of Brazilian obscure electronic music. He was also a member of Carmo, a prestigious label that Egberto Gismonti ran under ECM. The original "Caminho Do Interior" was sold for over 30,000 and now it's been reissued in a deluxe edition. A long-awaited analog reissue! This is another important reissue in the current trend of reevaluating Brazilian obscure music. This is a divine realm of spirituality and folklore. A true miracle piece, full of acoustic nourishment, stewing jazz, bossa nova, and even classical music! Gismonti also makes a guest appearance. The bonus track is "Idade Média" from the extremely rare 7" "Quase Meio Dia / Idade Média" from 1974. 180G heavyweight vinyl & remastered. A must have for Carmo fans. Highly recommended for all Balearic and New Age fans!

A limited edition CD album by The Humble Bee, one of Britain's leading ambient musician has arrived from LA's important label "Motion Ward". The sentimental shadows that bring out this rare charm of this person are drifting like weaving between the hazy ambience and the disturbing hiss noise. A dull ambient / modern classical work beckoned by the footsteps and whispers of "the other side"! Mastering by Ian Hawgood. Best !!!

Since he started producing music, Berlin-based American sound artist Jake Muir has been obsessed with sampling. His 2018 album "Lady's Mantle" was based on manipulated chunks of vintage Californian surf rock, and its follow-up, 2020's midnight symphony "The Hum Of Your Veiled Voice" was sourced from a wide variety of old records, and inspired by the work of experimental turntablists like Marina Rosenfeld, Janek Schaefer and Philip Jeck. On "Mana", Muir looks back to a misunderstood musical movement. Around 1995, a group of New York producers and DJs - including DJ Olive, DJ Spooky and Spectre - pioneered a genre-dissolving sound by unifying hip-hop techniques with ideas pulled from dub, jungle, ambient music and industrial noise. Badged "illbient", it was a short-lived genre that felt like a high-minded psychedelic cousin of the UK's trip-hop. Muir uses illbient as the springboard for "Mana", utilizing a selection of samples to inform his frothy drones and foreboding atmospheres. He ushers the material into 2021 by diverting it through his own contemporary worldview, attempting to recreate the hyperreal fantasy histories of Japanese RPGs (think "Dark Souls" and "Final Fantasy") and nod to sensual, tactile soundscapes of European industrial labels Staalplaat and Soleilmoon. The result is a magickal, sensory journey that's as physical as it is representational. If the illbient producers were encouraging a burgeoning experimental music landscape to emphasize the tactile feeling of turntablism and sample manipulation, Muir is doing the same with "Mana". Each track heaves and breathes not just with his cultural reference points, but with layered, complicated emotions. We can hear joy, sadness, desire and anguish, obscured by disintegrating noise, hallucinogenic harmonies and sub-aquatic bass. It's electronic music that's rooted not in technology, but in touch. credits

The second Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is one of our favourites, Sound Inventions from Klaus Weiss Rhythm And Sounds, originally released in 1979. From the notoriously strong mind of Niagara drummer / library-funk overlord Klaus Weiss, Sound Inventions is loaded with tripped out studio funk-freakery, mad samples and swaggering abstract funk grooves. From dramatic deep disco with dark Italo/Moroder leanings to heavy German funk breaks, this is absolutely sensational. Absolute synth-and-string-drenched magic. This re-issue of Sound Inventions has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the glossy metallic (iconic) original Selected Sound sleeve. Essential.

Originally recorded and released in 1977, the Instant Composers Pool's Tetterettet is the first classic of the band's larger incarnations. Founded in Amsterdam in 1967 by saxophonist Willem Breuker, pianist Misha Mengelberg, and percussionist Han Bennink, Instant Composers Pool (or ICP) was an independent free jazz label and orchestra that would go on to release over fifty albums featuring such pillars of the scene as Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Jeanne Lee, John Tchicai, and Steve Lacy. Based around the concept that improvisation was, in fact, an act of instantaneous composition, ICP's legacy on improvised and free music is impossible to overstate. The ICP Tentet's Tetterettet is made up of recordings from 14-17 of September, 1977, cut and spliced together by pianist/composer Misha Mengelberg in a style similar to Teo Macero's work with Miles Davis. The first side is taken up entirely by Mengelberg's multi-part title track that breaks in and out of different tempos, with a loose arrangement style owing more than a bit to Charles Mingus' finest work on Black Saint or Ah Um. Traversing across decades and styles from free-jazz funereal marches, to carnivalesque excursions, broken piano rolls, and ear-splitting skronk, ICP Tentet show remarkable skill and chops in both their compositional craft and improvisational symbiosis. There's a playful undercurrent here that finds its home in some previously uncharted land between Mingus and Spike Jones. Featuring numerous ICP regulars along with the brilliant Alan Silva on bass, and a return to the fold of the amazing saxophonist John Tchicai, Tetterettet is one of the best of ICP's larger group recordings; humorous, unnerving, and ultimately, quite beautiful. This limited-edition reissue marks the first time this album has been in print on vinyl since its initial release

For five decades, Harold Budd stood on the forefront of the West Coast avant-garde. Born in Los Angeles, he studied with Schoenberg-pupil Gerald Strang and began teaching at CalArts in 1970. While searching for his own voice, he was influenced as much by abstract expressionist painters as by John Cage and Morton Feldman. In his work, Budd brought delicate, slowing-moving melodies to the foreground – creating a new musical language based on "eternally pretty music" and smooth surfaces. In the early '70s, Budd started an extended cycle of compositions that would comprise The Pavilion Of Dreams. For Budd, the album was a signpost for a new direction in thinking about music: "The Pavilion Of Dreams erased my past. I consider that to be the birth of myself as a serious artist. It was like my Magna Carta." Produced by Brian Eno in 1978, The Pavilion Of Dreams stands toe-to-toe with another minimalist masterpiece also released that year, Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians. Budd's gorgeous pieces reveal a lightness of touch that draws the listener in, while sublime voices float in and out as if in a recurring dream. Featuring saxophonist Marion Brown and multi-instrumentalists Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman, The Pavilion Of Dreams remains a master class in exquisite timbre and shimmering texture. The Pavilion Of Dreams was both the final release on Eno's Obscure imprint and a transition point towards his seminal ambient series. This first-time reissue is recommended for fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jon Hassell and Mark Hollis.

Francesco Messina is perhaps best known for his collaboration with fellow composer Raul Lovisoni on the album Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo, originally released on seminal Italian label Cramps in 1979. Along with contemporaries Franco Battiato, Juri Camisasca and Giusto Pio, Messina would help reshape the world of modern composition with an organic rawness and haunting beauty. In 1979, Messina was asked to perform at the Teatro Quartiere in Milan. As the composer writes in the liner notes, "Due to the limited availability of key technical features, it would have been too complicated to perform Prati Bagnati, and therefore I opted for these three pieces instead. We had never actually tried them all together, so I thought about renting a recording studio the previous afternoon. In that way, we could rehearse in a suitable place and use the opportunity to record the music on tape." Unreleased for over thirty years, the recordings on Reflex have an unadorned, almost improvisational feel. "Untitled" (featuring Lovisoni's plaintive flute) and "I Nuovi Pescheti" are full of meditative piano passages that lend an aura of new age, while the title track is more insistent with unfurling chords layered in real time via a reel-to-reel tape machine, resembling Steve Reich's mesmeric phase-shifting works of the '60s. A central figure within the Italian avant-garde, Francesco Messina gracefully expands his country's contribution to Minimalism. This first-time vinyl release is recommended for fans of Joanna Brouk, Luciano Cilio and Charlemagne Palestine.

Ike Yard remain a legendary band of early '80s New York City – at once immensely influential, yet obscured by a far-too-brief initial phase. Their debut EP, the dark and absorbing Night After Night, sounds almost like a different group, so rapidly would Ike Yard evolve towards the calmly menacing electro throb of their self-titled LP.

Originally released on Factory in 1982, the album put Ike Yard's indelible mark on the synth-driven experimental rock scene then emerging all over the planet. While historical analogues would be Cabaret Voltaire's Red Mecca or Front 242's Geography, opening track "M. Kurtz" makes starkly clear that Ike Yard is a far heavier proposition.

With a thick porridge of bass, ringing guitar and strangled/stunted layers of voice, these six pieces are densely packed and perversely danceable. "Loss" sounds like a minimal techno track that could have been made last week, while "Kino" combines Soviet-era imagery with sparse soundscapes à la African Head Charge's Environmental Studies.

Ike Yard somehow pull off the toughest trick in modern music: making repetition hypnotically compelling through subtle variation. The effect of Ike Yard's first LP can be heard in many genres – from industrial dance labels like Wax Trax to electro-punk bands and innumerable European groups (Lucrate Milk, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, etc.).

The fact that the cover artwork does not include any photos of the band, but rather features the original catalogue number (FACT A SECOND) only further illustrates the release's importance and Ike Yard's timeless mystique.

Life Is a Heavy Burden: Ghazals & Poetry From Afghanistan by Nashenas In Wishlist view supported by Frank Schmidtsdorff thumbnail Michał Wieczorek thumbnail James Endeacott thumbnail Dirk Damaschun thumbnail lkrory21 thumbnail midi53 thumbnail rufdog thumbnail Franz thumbnail Sinya thumbnail Mark van Dijk thumbnail Patrick Principe thumbnail phillip nerestan thumbnail Darius Butkus thumbnail Faisal Jewell thumbnail ernestlavventura thumbnail kabul_qasem thumbnail samuel stackhouse thumbnail twhigg thumbnail Eli Nosdivad thumbnail justinefr thumbnail talbg thumbnail Flower Had a Thorn 05:17 / 07:42 Record/Vinyl + Digital Album package image package image A1 The Way I Love My Beloved A2 Your Sorrow Is Killing Me A3 Flower Had A Thorn B1 I Am Happy Alone B2 Life Is A Heavy Burden B3 O Beloved, The Sorrow Of Your Love Destroyed Me B4 The Author Of Destiny Includes digital pre-order of Life Is a Heavy Burden: Ghazals & Poetry From Afghanistan. You get 1 track now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released. shipping out on or around February 24, 2022 €18 EUR Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album package image 1. The Way I Love My Beloved 2. Your Sorrow Is Killing Me 3. Flower Had A Thorn 4. I Am Happy Alone 5. Life Is A Heavy Burden 6. O Beloved, The Sorrow Of Your Love Destroyed Me 7. The Author Of Destiny Includes digital pre-order of Life Is a Heavy Burden: Ghazals & Poetry From Afghanistan. You get 1 track now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released. shipping out on or around February 24, 2022 €12 EUR or more Streaming + Download Pre-order of Life Is a Heavy Burden: Ghazals & Poetry From Afghanistan. You get 1 track now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released. releases February 24, 2022 €11 EUR or more 1. The Way I Love My Beloved 2. Your Sorrow Is Killing Me 3. Flower Had a Thorn 07:42 info buy track 4. I Am Happy Alone 5. Life Is a Heavy Burden 6. O Beloved, The Sorrow of Your Love Destroyed Me 7. The Author of Destiny about Strut present the first compilation of legendary Afghan Ghazal singer Dr. Mohammad Sadiq Fitrat a.k.a. Nashenas, recorded at the Radio Afghanistan Studios and later released on singles by the Royal label in Iran. Nashenas first made his move towards music aged 16 in 1951 when he approached Afghanistan’s national radio station, Radio Kabul, with an idea for a broadcast and, impressed with his language skills, they offered him a permanent job. “I was in close contact with some of the big names in Afghan music like Jalil Zaland,” Nashenas explains. “My father had a gramophone and we listened to other singers like Ustad Qasim Khan and Kundan Lal Saigal.” After unsuccessful initial forays into singing sessions for the station, he honed his skills as a writer, singer and musician, playing the harmonium. Inspired by a movie he had seen at the cinema, Nashenas wrote a new poem and sang on air again after the evening news, using the name ‘Nashenas’ (meaning ‘unknown’) for the first time. Following a wave of positive feedback from the public, he was given a new weekend slot and built his reputation through film song interpretations, famous poems set to music and his own compositions sung in Dari and Pashto. Nashenas would witness turbulent times as Afghanistan found itself caught up in the Cold War and the early ‘90s civil war until it became too dangerous to stay in the country. Through a friend in the U.N., he was able to seek asylum for himself and his family and take up residence in London, continuing to work as a musician and giving concerts globally.

Deadbeat and Om Unit combine forces to explore their shared love of dubbed-out electronics. Starting a thread from Montreal to Bristol, this mini LP is rooted in the tradition of dub and techno, but with tinges of roots and acid as well as the etheric ambience they are both known for. Root, Stalk, Leaf and Bloom is contemplative but heartfelt, with a sense of momentum and positive purpose. Hailing from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, Gacha Bakradze (@gacha) is one of the national scene’s leading electronic music exponents. He returns to Lapsus Records with his new album 'Obscure Languages', his second release for the Barcelona label. Following the superb LP 'Word Color' [Lapsus Records, 2018], which appeared in several ‘album of the year’ lists for publications such as Pitchfork and XLR8R, the prolific producer now presents 'Obscure Languages'. This new piece of work could well be described as a sound continuation from his previous album and maintains a powerful narrative at its core. ‘Obscure Languages' delves into the world of cinematic soundscapes, replete with microscopic details and fragments that showcase a luscious IDM style audio palette, laced with ambient, avant-techno, bass and sound design.