mimaroglu music sales ☞ best of 2007

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... happy spring everyone !!! to commemorate our favorite season (and to help* get this place back to some sort of workable condition)* we're having a "spring cleaning" sale !!! please visit the *spring (2013)* cleaning page to view a list** of (recent, mostly 2012) releases that we're now offering at reduced prices (while supplies last, no rainchecks, etc) ...

mimaroglu music sales best of 2007

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p :: (1) 2 3 4

y :: 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 (2007)

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here at last; the mimaroglu music sales best of 2007 list... a year in the making, but ultimately a simple conflation of the titles landing here for the first time during the calendar year 2007 that ::

a) were listened to the most ...
b) sounded good ...
c) looked great ...
d) sold well ...
e) didn't sell well (despite a combination of the above elements)

i know, it's heavy with titles that are still fresh-on-the-mind from their recent arrival... year-end list purists / haters are just going to have to live with this. all in all; an amazing year for both music and records ; rife with just as many brilliant reissues of lost / unheard work as strong statements from contemporary musicians and artists alike...

scroll through these pages to find a listing of everything currently in stock that rated, in alphabetical order by artist (with the compilations tailing) ...

$25.01

back in stock as of
march 8th, 2013

first in stock on
june 12th, 2007

threads:
guitar-themed
free-improvisation
minimalism-drones

best of 2007 !!!

bo’weavil (uk) #weavil 15 lp

tetuzi akiyama “pre-existence” long playing record

atheist (3:45)
reinforcement (4:01)
mystification (3:28)
fireside (4:42)
hollowness (3:28)
mutuality (5:16)
condemnation (3:51)
yearnings (3:32)

gorgeous set of minimal acoustic-guitar improvisations from tetuzi akiyama, nestled smack between the takoma-lineage and more gestural/“onkyo” notions of instrumental space. one his tetuzi’s finest recordings, as effective a rainy-day record as loren mazzacane connors’ seminal “in pittsburgh.” this absolutely comes to life on vinyl; highly recommended.

bo’weavil press release...

pre-existence
tetuzi akiyama

tetuzi akiyama is often associated with the improvising community in tokyo generated around tokyo's off site venue. but to tetuzi's sound owes just as much to the country blues guitarists of the '30s. his sound has taken the blues form into a new world of minimalist improvisations. his loose playing side steps the usual clichés of the guitar in both the free improv and traditional folk scenes. he can be heard to amazing effect on ,"time between", on the locust music compilation wooden guitar. also highly recommended is his spare blues ramblings on, relator, on taku sugimoto's slub label.

tetuzi has a varied number of very different projects from free improvisations, working with musicians across the globe, to hard minimalist electric blues boogies, a startling example can be found on idea records "don't forget to boogie" lp and headz live cd version.

$12.48

back in stock as of
june 12th, 2009

first in stock on
october 24th, 2007

threads:
guitar-themed
modern-composition
minimalism-drones
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

best of 2007 !!!

southern lord (usa) #sunn 078 cd

oren ambarchi “in the pendulum's embrace” compact disc

fever, a warm poison (17:55)
inamorata (10:20)
trailing moss in mystic glow (12:36)

october 2007 release; the follow-up to 2006’s grapes from the estate from composer/improvisor oren ambarchi.

...don’t let the southern lord catalogue number fool you (actually; the disc was simultaneously released in the uk on touch) - despite oren’s recent doom/black metal transgressions, this music follows on from his earlier experiments with sine-tone guitar throb & extended forms.

utilizing “electric and acoustic guitars, piano, bells, glass harmonica, voice, drums,” oren has meticulously honed these three pieces into “late-night come-down monsters.” veren grigorov’s strings (the only non-oren-performed instrumentation hereon - listen to the sound-clip) add a warmer feel to the proceedings than the earlier, guitar-electronic records.

i make my love of this music known throughout this site, no need to repeat it ad infinitum here... this is a fine, fine record, easily one of the quantifiably best of the year. highly recommended.

southern lord press release...

oren ambarchi - "in the pendulum's embrace" cd

by now mr. ambarchi should be no stranger to the initiated drone fiends as his unmistakable tonal presence has permeated many southern lord releases in the last few years. most notable were his contributions to the "black one" album by sunn 0))) but he is also involved with the 0))) related trios: grave temple, and burial chamber trio.

oren ambarchi continues his otherworldly investigations with “in the pendulum’s embrace”, a kind of dark twin to his landmark 2004 album “grapes from the estate”. returning again to the hallowed halls of bjb studios in sydney, ambarchi expands the scope and range of his unique musical language, incorporating an even broader pallette of instruments and sensibilities. despite the use of glass harmonica, strings, bells, piano, percussion and guitars, it’s startling that the world created is still unmistakably his own, and that there is such a cohesion of vision throughout the albums’ three lengthy pieces. with this record there’s an even more tenuous coexistence of fragility and density; sounds as light as air mingling with wall shaking low-end.

packaged in a 5" mini-gatefold w/ printed inner-sleeve. design by john wozencroft. released exclusively in north america by the lord.

$17.01

back in stock as of
may 1st, 2012

first in stock on
april 12th, 2007

threads:
psych-prog
1970s-electronic

best of 2007 !!!

die schachtel (italy) #ds14 cd

art fleury “i luoghi del potere” compact disc

uno spettrio si aggira per (4:36)
brigate hans eisler (4:41)
fabbrica rosa (11:32)
e=mc² (5:01)
la morte al lavoro (11:56)
l’overdose (7:58)

april 2007 release from die schachtel; a high-quality production (no surprises there) as an oversize cd-box (same as the insiememusicadiversa & aldo clementi sets) containing a 16-page book & a fold-out poster for your wall, and at the bottom, a compact disc containing the 1980 debut album by art fleury, a trio loosely affiliated with the rio (rock in opposition) movement.

no, i’d never hear of them either, and i consider myself something of a rio-head... while i can certainly hear nods towards henry cow (with whom they toured at the tail-end of the 70s), and especially franco battiato, this is much, much weirder, completely disjointed in spots and quite addled with tape-speed-effects, random electronic squiggles, mellotron drones, and the occasion rock-trio move.

fans of faust and/or the more deconstructed end of late 70s experimental rock music; this set is an absolute goldmine - once again we’re provided with a window into an avenue of italian underground music that had long been glossed-over...

of the spring 2007 die schachtel litter; this is the pick...

die schachtel press release...

ds14
art fleury
i luoghi del potere
cardboard cdbox, 16-page booklet in english and italian + poster.

art fleury was born in brescia, northern italy, in the mid-seventies. they were still in their teens when they had the opportunity to open the concert of the group area at the famous parco lambro festival in milan (1976), in front of fifty thousands people. in the following years they extensively toured and played with henry cow, and in 1980 they were finally able to produce and release their first record, “i luoghi del potere” (the places of power), which they started recording in 1977.

superficially (or intentionally) included in the “prog” genre, “i luoghi del potere” (originally conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie), is a very personal and radical experience, at times recalling faust’s free-form kraut riffing, or the industrial sound collages of nurse with wound. the music is articulated through an outstanding dynamic juxtaposition of instrumental parts, with frequent structural and harmonic fragmentations, and a diverse array of unusual sound elements: from a sort of brass-band progression to radio frequencies, from cacophonic intermezzos to expressionist tape-collage techniques.

through this free flow of sounds, only apparently casual, the group wanted to expose the alienation, the folly, the hopes and fears of their times, through a creative act that pushed to the limits their expressive means.

...

liner notes :

the group art fleury - initially known as amg, from the initials of the three members' names (augusto ferrari, maurizio tomasoni, giangi frugoni) - was born in brescia, northern italy, in the midseventies.

they were still in their teens when they had the opportunity to open the concert of the group area at the famous parco lambro festival in milan (1976), in front of fifty thousands people.

very soon they joined the cooperativa l’orchestra, a milan-based collective enterprise of underground artists and musicians, very active and well known in italy during the seventies.

in the following years they toured and played with henry cow, and in 1977 they changed their name to art fleury. in 1980, in bologna, they were finally able to produce and release their first record, "i luoghi del potere" (the places of power).

their affiliation with revolutionary groups of the radical left wing (they were part of lotta continua, a group of radical activists), gave their music a dimension that went beyond the artistic act, or the sheer provocation. their music, and the history of the group, is charged with the hopes and fears of the intense and somewhat dramatic season of the revolutionary ideal.

in "i luoghi del potere", art fleury offer their hallucinated interpretation of that idea. the music is articulated through an outstanding dynamic juxtaposition of instrumental parts, with frequent structural and harmonic fragmentations, and a surprising range of unusual sound elements: from a sort of brass-band progression to radio frequencies, from cacophonic intermezzos to expressionist tapecollage techniques. through this free flows of sounds, only apparently casual, the group put on stage and exposed the alienation, the folly, the hopes and fears of the modern times, through a creative act that pushed to the limits their expressive means.

their uncompromising attitude towards the "music system" (the market, the establishment), was an additional way to remark the constant presence of power, which controls and pre-determines our individual choices: in this sense the "places of power" are not only the traditional places of social oppression (the factory, the city, the school, the politics), but also all the actions and mechanisms of the capitalistic system which controls music and art.

superficially (or intentionally) ascribed to the "progressive" genre, "i luoghi del potere" (originally conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie), is in fact a very personal and radical experience, through which music becomes once again the vehicle for the re-appropriation of our personal sphere, and at the same time a chance to rethink the way we listen to music, out of any pre-ordered cultural, social or political context. in other words, out of the "places of power" which are still alive and active.

augusto ferrari (keyboards)
maurizio tomasoni (soprano sax, flute, clarinet)
giangi frugoni (guitars, bass)

$13.42

back in stock as of
january 26th, 2010

first in stock on
april 26th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
minimalism-drones
electro-acoustic-improvisation

best of 2007 !!!

vhf (usa) #vhf 100 cd

astral social club “astral social club” compact disc

untitled (1) (7:39)
untitled (2) (2:18)
untitled (3) (4:55)
untitled (4) (4:30)
untitled (5) (7:10)
untitled (6) (7:17)
untitled (7) (5:55)
untitled (8) (2:50)
untitled (9) (6:54)
untitled (10) (14:32)
untitled (11) (2:46)

vhf press release...

vhf#100 astral social club s/t cd

first generally available release by neil campbell (vibracathedral orchestra) and co’s genre-destroying astral social club unit, following a series of instantly sold-out limited editions. compiled by vhf and neil from asc’s now unavailable catalog, vhf100 is a dense mega-mix of continually peaking sound-flow. working a tricky hybrid ground between contempo uk teams like sunroof! and vco, and the influence of kompakt-style pulsating electronic “techno,” asc’s music shimmers and throbs in a truly psychedelic manner. neil and tirath singh nirmala have radically re-worked these tracks to be unrecognizable from their original cdr issues, but they are instantly recognizable as part of the unrelenting asc rainbow stream. in lovely silver and orange card folio printed by stumptown.

neil campbell, in his own words :

i don't avoid the obvious - i stare straight into its eyes and ride it wherever it's taking me. but i never consciously try to imitate any form of music - that just wouldnt work. ive enjoyed some zen approaches, but im more basic northern european pantheist pagan in my worldview. make a pile of new records and keep on playing. they seem to be popular with some people. new primitive twenty-first century elevation sunburst music for heavy nervous systems.

i like to feel wild and out of control and like im ripping a small hole in reality when i play, so theyre the zones i aim for. thats climax for me. i guess i naturally gravitate towards harmony rather than melody too. my kids, and i think most kids, just seem to respond to music from birth onwards. but it's the primal thing that music has that, for me, gives it the edge over other art forms - instant celestial transport, probably works as much on our physiologies as it does our aesthetics.

but im as profane as i am sacred, so i can get the same feeling from certain dance music or noise or elevated rock music or whatever. there are many routes to the top of the mountain, as the saying goes. i use any instruments i can get my hands on that sound right. i just open up and listen, and let the music take me wherever it wants to. i listen to a wide variety of music, so maybe that rubs off? but i dont stop, wait for applause then do another number. i just let it all roll together.

because of this i was never too sure about the thing as a cdr when he asked me if he could keep it available in that format - seemed like it was then elevated into something "finished" or whatever, which it was never intended as. but he still loves his nursery rhyme tapes too. that kind of neurotic approach was blighting my solo recordings for a while, so very little came out for a while because i was always wanting to do one last overdub, one last edit, one more mix, etc etc. i'd like to approach it more like a dj set than a greatest hits type of thing, layering and smashing different pieces together to create something a bit new.

but, anyway, i like to keep some of my releases a bit underground and difficult to get hold of i’ve no problem with the elitism of that. having kids has been a kick up the arse really, and i've become more productive and happier with what i produce as a result. im old school - vinyl is still king in our house. last time it was a total ridiculous joyous gush of idiot excitement that just seemed to go higher and higher - it was like the ramones, only even better. i havent found musical differences a problem why should they be? i think theyre a strength. i just let it all hang out and see what happens.

it seemed to take the 60s pop music i grew up listening to and gave it an extra twist. speaking abstractly, then sure id like to improve, but ive no idea what this would entail, as my own musical progress suggests the best way to improve is to stop trying to do or be anything that doesnt feel right. i get my love of sustained tones and pentatonic melodies from bagpipes. its more about feeling than intellect. i just do what i feel like doing, and like to keep the astral social jams really mixed up and incongruous.

there's no intellectual "point" to my music - it's just stuff to take me, and hopefully anyone who experiences it, higher. i guess, to me, all good music gives you what indian music describes as rapid transit elevated, joyous, intoxicating. its that simple - thats what i listen for in music. that said, its generally ideas i have that may not have worked in the band, so it sometimes tends towards being more electronic and process-based. but i've been doing it long enough that i can just surrender myself to the music and let it do the talking.

i'm often incapable of conversation after i've played. its the raw joyous rocket lift-off starting from a simple tune. the limited editions were there because id been a little too precious about my solo recordings, so was using the early cdrs as psychic enemas and testing grounds for ideas - i wanted to release them then forget about them, to encourage me to work more quickly and experiment with more ideas. probably too many to remember. totally claustrophobic and intense. he shook every man's hand before they left, and kissed all the ladies.

and anyway, i think the best music is usually that which is cut quickly and without too much premeditation, so my circumstances just keep me sharp and on my toes. ah, so much happiness. i love playing music, it really gives me a lift, and i like to convey some sort of feeling of joy through it, so i couldn't really pinpoint any one piece. but i often fall into natural structures when i play, and i dont shy away from them theyre like breathing, or birth, or the seasons. that pleases me - it's a huge cliche?? but i do feel like some sort of conduit/lightning rod for sounds and feelings that are already out there and just waiting to be unleashed.

basic pagan worldview, with little need for late-christian/materialist "genius" crap, y'know? no idea - whatever makes life easy for you. keep it simple. i think its great when someone can devote themselves utterly to one instrument and really perfect their style, but its not a route to the summit that im particularly interested in. as ive got looser and less organised over the years, ive got better at taking musical hints as to how pieces should develop.

i don't take psychedelic drugs, if that's what you mean. beautiful monotony. i spent a lot of time sitting around talking about producing things. to me, it sounds like they’re picking up from certain places we’ve hit on and really moving the sound forward into higher realm alien territory. as much as anything you do can be a celebration - cooking a meal, having sex, walking the dog. there are times when the mood is so festive when i play, then others when it's more of a glorious purging of all misery and frustration.

i dont understand your distinction between a musical instrument and a sound generator theres no real hierarchy there, is there? it's always been like that with me i spent much of my late teens/early 20s on the dole, hanging out, partying, being "bohemian", and producing very little of note. whatever, i didn't argue, so he fired ahead. strange thing is that it does prefigure my approach in astral social club, where i've stopped trying to present things as "finished" and stopped worrying if the whole thing doesn't run together as a completely smooth whole.

seems like that stuff often really only comes alive on vinyl, flipping it over every 15-20 minutes, gazing at beautiful big 12" sleeves while listening. largely, take it as it comes. drones just resonate really well with the human body, they're really obvious pleasure-givers, spirit-lifters, ass-shakers, head-spinners. nothing particularly esoteric. ah, it's no big deal - there are plenty of us out there juggling all manner of other commitments with the absolute necessity of making music or whatever. its just how my music sounds best to me.

right now our six week old son stops very still when music comes on - some of it holds his attention, some of it doesn't, but it's too early to discern any preferences. he had a great time with basement jaxx the other evening though. nah, totally quotidian - whatever time to myself i can snatch. i was more interested in pure sound, but i never heard any kindred spirits for a while - i was just listening to punk bands. i use whatever amuses me and works within the sound.

but the converse applies, and sometimes i may feel like i'm just coasting, or trying to find the right sound to hit the spot, but then i'll listen back to the tape and it'll sound wonderful and just right. once i stopped worrying, and invented astral social club as a "band" to be the receptacle for my solo recordings, i became much happier with them and the whole recording process. i'm so fired up for astral social action right now! or maybe let someone else do the talking: "the year is 1632, and you are astonished to find that your lute'n'flute band has been commissioned by the king to play at his grand hog roast in two days' time.

unfortunately your mate with the sitar has been staying at your cottage for the past few weeks and you've neglected to practice much. also unfortunately, you are all completely mashed on opium. no real reason for that, other than it felt right, and i may go in completely the opposite direction at any point. but i like to get myself and the listeners out of our minds/bodies, to suspend the inevitable flow of time, overload the senses a bit, so i guess that's pretty psychedelic. i just open up and let it happen.

my three-year old son genuinely likes abstract noise and has been known to throw a tantrum if i try to play anything too "normal". the mighty benevolence and indifference of the city of leeds. as for me, i have a very limited social life, don't play computer games, don't watch films, try not to waste too much time. i prioritise. i love the multiphonic sky-soaring textures. i like to foreground things like random overdubs, ridiculous processing, loops, electronic noise.

astral social club just lets me have full reign to indulge whatever folly i feel like indulging. id say all of those things occur in my music. i never held with that boring "artistic" notion of the pram in the hall being the enemy of creativity anyway. once i heard things that were a little further out, i knew there were other people out there who were making up their own rules, and that gave what i had been doing some kind of validity, made me feel as though there may be people out there who would be interested in what i was doing.

i might drink a beer or a glass of wine or a whisky first, then retire to the attic room and press the record button. i love records, but i'm no obsessive collector - i'm too tight to pay big prices, and i like to keep a healthy turnover of sound in my life, so am constantly getting rid of things. theres no real concerted effort to sound that way, or reference any ritual music, but sometimes ill hear some religious or trance music from some far flung corner of the world and be knocked out at how its hitting similar highs to the ones i aim for.

yeah, it's got harder to find the time over the past few years, with starting a family and all that, but that just encourages me to use my time better. if you can't do something worthwhile jamming live to minidisk or a tape recorder, then maybe you shouldn't be doing music (and i'm speaking as someone who often likes to layer and process things heavily using a computer). really? that's amusing to me, in that the thing was originally conceived as a cassette, cut out of all the left-over bits from some of my more dense workouts - backing tracks and early drafts if you like.

i cant play any instrument properly. everything is possible, nothing is permitted, yknow? no-one ever mentions that, which i guess says as much about my listeners and peers as it does about me. i dont always hit that spot, or hit it only fleetingly, but its worth it for the times when i do. i like simple melodies, rhythms and harmonics, but like to hear a slew of simple things stacked up and bouncing off each other. i knock the most things over when i play, break the most things. the others were great musicians i was either holding them back, or keeping them in check. the only thing i can't find a current use for is the songwriting seems dead to me now.

it's only comparatively recently that anyone outside my immediate circle of friends has paid any attention to the music i make it's nice to get some sort of recognition, but i'd still be plugging away at it if no-one else was interested. i've no idea. but now you put it like that, any good music can be as good a vision of the eternal as we're gonna get. i just let the grooves happen, and if they dont sound much like other western forms i just accept it, no problem. that said, i work within certain tunings, have certain modes of playing and have been playing long enough to make some of my jams seem as if they may have been in some way composed.

i like it best when there's the astral social tonal centre supporting me when i go right out on a limb, and i don't know what sound i'm playing, what my equipment is doing, what anyone else is doing, what my name is, nothing. that seems more like prog rock or something, really concerned with structure and progression, whereas im just dropping my pants, howling at the moon, and letting the music take me where it needs to go. but im constantly influenced by all sorts of things, and they maybe spring up in my sound (or maybe not!). ive gradually become less organised, less centred, and im really happy with this.

i like file-share for my music, especially with things that go out of print, so its ok by me when people upload and download things. not particularly. in fact, im so indebted to the moe tucker stress-every-beat approach you wouldnt believe it. so the bits of the sound that are predetermined (the tunings and sustained tones) make it easier to get right out and free and, uh, "sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world". if i start with the basic premise that i'm never going to have enough time, then anything i get done is a bonus.

i guess, to me, all those musics give you what indian music describes as rapid transit theyre elevated, joyous, intoxicating. its that simple - thats what i listen for in music. it's been a friend, a comfort, a drug, a challenger, an inexhaustible source of inspiration to me over the years, so i assume it may perform similar functions for others. like odb though, ooh baby i like it raw. i get a real adrenaline rush off of the thing. they're my friends and soul-brothers/sisters. i've no interest in "concepts", only "results" if it doesn't hit me on a visceral level, then i've no use for it.

it began in horrible noise and drones in the late 70s/early 80s, became tempered with some loose songwriting toward the end of the 80s, then out into wide open rocking improvisation, looping electronics and more horrible noise at the start of the 90s, and then to where i am now. i liked how they sounded, so thought a cassette would be a cheap and unpretentious way of rounding them all up for anyone who was interested. in many ways, some of my modes of playing start at the energy level some bands end on, so im at some sort of climax point from the start. i just play everything is improvised.

in essence, i've found a sound and an approach, and im often attempting to play the same piece over and over again, and it's the failures and inconsistencies that are keeping me interested and hopefully interesting. i liked to take a few more chances and dive headlong into areas that the band couldn't or wouldn't go, often ones where i felt an antipathy towards the results of most other practitioners in that that field. but then so much generic "psychedelic" music doesn't do any of that it's just polite pop music with a few period stylings whereas, for example, japanese noise or renaissance choral music or indian classical music or techno all hit that spot much more reliably.

sometimes i can remember every moment, and at others hardly anything. music that swallows misery whole, as iggy once described the early stooges gigs. purely practical we played live music, so recorded live, straight to 2-track (so no remixing or anything at a later date). the mood was just right. no idea. i just felt it was something i had to do. we never had musical instruments around the house when i was a kid, but i started recording with tape decks and kitchen implements when i was 13, in 1979.

they're great spirit-lifters like that. ive always used a range of different sorts of instruments, from acoustic to electronic, but ive slowly moved towards a balance that is more amplified and electronic than it once was. i just plug in, tune up and play. but as soon as i bit the bullet and got a regular job that messed my life up and shagged me out, i became much more focussed and productive.

although i say i improvise, i often use certain notes and forms, so its not free improvisation. sometimes i think ive played terribly and people in the audience tell me its the best time they ever saw me, and vice versa. its all subjective. i dont mind elitism, but i also have a fair few widely available releases out there. beautiful. fried human loop loop wah sound.

bollocks to that - i have a mundane day job four days a week, look after the kids for the rest of the time, and do music whenever else i can, and i feel like i'm at the top of my game. y'know, look around it's not much of an overstatement to say that most music is based around sustained tones in some form, whether overt or otherwise. it may sound pretentious, but my most important instrument is the air that carries the sound. having kids has been a kick up the arse really, and i've become more productive and happier with what i produce as a result.

but, yeah, the feeling i get from playing music doesn't always transfer to the recording. i was the untrained idiot in the band, just trying to push it higher and higher. bad music that uses drones is as dull as dull can be, but good music that uses similar building blocks really takes off for me. nothing tangible, but it's good mental health to be attuned to your dreams, and like to be healthy. sometimes i feel a musical affinity with absolutely no-one, but at other loads of stuff all over the place. friends, family, friendly faces and good vibes when i play live, good food and drink, my music, other people's music, anything done with soul.

i was inspired by the "anyone can do it" punk ethos, although i never played "punk rock". not an exercise, that's too sterile. i love being in the same room as them, whether they're playing or not.

$14.97

back in stock as of
december 1st, 2008

first in stock on
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
minimalism-drones

best of 2007 !!!

important (usa) #imprec 155 cd

astral social club “neon pibroch” compact disc

tripel format (18:30)
neon pibroch (20:03)
the big spree (18:15)

superb collection of “side-length” string-based drone/loop-constructs from neil campbell ... in my mind (along with burning star core and axolotl) one of the leading-lights of the contemporary drone spectrum ...

important press release...

astral social club - neon pibroch
imprec155 - cd

neon pibroch is a brand new full length cd from the astral social club. also available at the same time is a limited edition astral social club lp on important titled super grease.

neon pibroch is dedicated to the memory of textile records founder benoit sonnette. astral social club is the current project of neil campbell, formerly of vibracathedral orchestra, sunroof!, a band and many more. campbell has been active since the early 80s, and the wire magazine has said that, along with his friends richard youngs and matthew bower, he "provided the map co-ordinates for much of what passed for a post-punk uk underground during most of the 80s and 90s".

campbell's approach as astral social club could be seen as both a continuation and a refutal of his work with vibracathedral orchestra - a continuation in that it continues the quest into the unknown stellar regions of improvised drone-based music, and a refutal in its espousal of most of the elemental organic rock modes that made that band so special. the focus here is more on alien electronics and overloaded loop disorientation, sometimes even working with sounds more readily associated with the far end of dance music to produce a truly vast 21st century psychedelic sound.

late last year, vhf records released a compilation/mix cd drawn from the earlier string of self-released cdrs which showcased the diverse methods employed in astral social club recordings. these encompass straight-ahead drumbox / synthesizer jamming, computer-processing, swirling loops, primitive vocal holler, noise catharsis, tranquil guitar shimmer and a busload of other angles. the live experience throws these methods up the air, cranks up the volume and adds a visceral, seething human presence before letting it fall all over the audience. despite the excessive use of electronics and processing, the over-riding feeling is one of a raw, ecstatic communion with the music, a million miles from sterile "electronica".

although largely a solo project, astral social club collaborators have included tirath singh nirmala, richard youngs and arttu partinen.

$17.13

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
minimalism-drones

best of 2007 !!!

important (usa) #imprec 156 lp

astral social club “super grease” long playing record

super grease
manifold flange
nitrous fomet

vinyl companion to “neon pibroch” - completely different material; just as rewarding ...

important press release...

astral social club - super grease
imprec156 - lp

super grease is a limited edition of 500 vinyl only release from vibracathedral orchestra / sunroof! / a band member neil campbell. this is a companion release to astral social club's neon pibroch cd also on important.

campbell's approach as astral social club could be seen as both a continuation and a refutal of his work with vibracathedral orchestra - a continuation in that it continues the quest into the unknown stellar regions of improvised drone-based music, and a refutal in its espousal of most of the elemental organic rock modes that made that band so special. the focus here is more on alien electronics and overloaded loop disorientation, sometimes even working with sounds more readily associated with the far end of dance music to produce a truly vast 21st century psychedelic sound.

late last year, vhf records released a compilation/mix cd drawn from the earlier string of self-released cdrs which showcased the diverse methods employed in astral social club recordings. these encompass straight-ahead drumbox / synthesizer jamming, computer-processing, swirling loops, primitive vocal holler, noise catharsis, tranquil guitar shimmer and a busload of other angles. the live experience throws these methods up the air, cranks up the volume and adds a visceral, seething human presence before letting it fall all over the audience. despite the excessive use of electronics and processing, the over-riding feeling is one of a raw, ecstatic communion with the music, a million miles from sterile "electronica".

although largely a solo project, astral social club collaborators have included tirath singh nirmala, richard youngs and arttu partinen.

$13.44

back in stock as of
april 24th, 2009

first in stock on
june 14th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
concert-recordings
lo-fi

best of 2007 !!!

secret eye (usa) #ab-oc-25 cd
lal lal lal (finland) #lal 28 cd

avarus “vesikansi” compact disc

lapsivesi (6:49)
löylyvesi (10:24)
vissyvesi pt. 1 (18:25)
vissyvesi pt. 2 (10:56)

secret eye press release...

[ab-oc-25] avarus - vesikansi

49 minutes of gooey new goodness from avarus - spread over just three tracks. in the last year, finland's experimental underground has successfully overtaken the freak music world, and for damn good reasons. from the same tattered coven of piss drinkers who alternately refer to themselves (depending on who shows up to record) as kemialliset ystävät, lau nau, pylon, islaja, es, kiila or the anaksimandros comes this, another secret eye release from the mighty avarus - a follow-up to last year's jättiläisrotta. these fumbling finns conjure a smoky, shit-drunk forest of noise, folk and unsurpassable tribal improv. features guest vocals and casio from tara burke (aka fursaxa) recorded live in ireland.

$23.32

back in stock as of
june 4th, 2010

first in stock on
february 6th, 2007

best of 2007 !!!

ultra eczema (belgium) #ue 39 lp

birth refusal / cassis cornuta “one sided colab” one-sided long playing record

(untitled)

ultra eczema press release...

ultra eczema 39
birth refusal / cassis cornuta one sided colab lp

during the last euro tour of wolf eyes, john olson (american tapes) and mike connelly (gods of tundra) decided it was enough! they screamed “i’m not going to bed!!! i never wanna sleep again!!!”,

they missed their flights and stayed in antwerp with the ultra audiobored horror crew for 7 more weeks without food and drinks, just dry weed and cancerbags to suck on! after that intense test to see if they could adapt to the antwerp life style, they finally met up with legendary belgian eccentric cacti and hat collector cassis cornuta, this psychadelic caracter brought his whole space synth and tape lab over to radio centraal to record and intense last gasp jam with the hardly breathing olson and connelly, the end result is an amazing trip to space and back to the mental hospital!

comes in a gross 6 panel cover design and with an etch on the b side!

$13.41

back in stock as of
january 30th, 2012

first in stock on
november 20th, 2007

threads:
guitar-themed
free-improvisation
folk

best of 2007 !!!

drag city (usa) #dc 349 lp

sir richard bishop “polytheistic fragments” long playing record

cross my palm with silver (4:02)
hecate's dream (3:21)
elysium number five (2:02)
rub' al khali (4:05)
free masonic guitar (4:58)
cemetery games (1:53)
quiescent return (2:48)
saraswati (10:48)
tennessee porch swing (1:57)
canned goods & firearms (5:15)
ecstasies in the open air (4:13)

september 2007 release; the second album this year alone from sun city girls’ sir richard bishop ...

drag city press release...

sir richard bishop
polytheistic fragments
dc349 lp/cd

is sir richard bishop just another virtuoso or something more powerful, like a magus or sorcerer? it’s hard to tell through the mystic fields that his playing always conjures — but we can hear enough in our somnolence to tell that he is a lord of guitar among the many greats, and that his first drag city release, polytheistic fragments, gathers the glittering slivers of his sound into a divine procession.

it goes without saying that polytheistic fragments is an instrumental release — who among us would want it otherwise? in the tradition of his classic debut, salvador kali, this new record features equal amounts of improvisation and composition. sir richard’s powers lie in his ability to captivate with just the sound of his guitar, but he doesn’t completely abandon studio processes, which allow polytheistic fragments to communicate a greater wholeness: all sir rick, all the time, if you will.

as a member of sun city girls and co-founder of the sublime frequencies label, sir richard bishop is a comfortable traveler in the vast landscape of ethno-musical tradition. we have come to expect a few solo acoustic guitar pieces with the gypsy stylings of his hero, django reinhardt — and as if to tenderize our consciousness and prepare it for the ride, “cross my palm with silver” meets and exceeds our expectations. “rub ‘al khali” is an ode to the oud, a northern african lute of sorts. on “free masonic guitar,” sir richard manifests free form acoustic playing wholly in his own style. peppering the mix are the sounds of electric guitar and lap steel guitar, bringing contrast and color. “hecate’s dream” is a dreamy praise to a dark greek goddess, but “tennessee porch swing” and “canned goods and firearms” switch gears to good old down home americana and country twang.

sir richard is renowned for his prowess and mastery with the guitar, but the piano playing on polytheistic fragments shows a fluid, meditative style. “saraswati” is a lengthy river piece bathed in hindustani serenity, while “cemetery games” is a short celebratory skeletal dance, with more light-heartedness than spook.

in a record with so many spirits, bishop fills in the space where necessary and rounds out the feeling with catchy tunes such as “elysium number five” and “ecstasies in the open air.” polytheistic fragments shows that the divinely inspired sir richard bishop cannot be contained in one form.

$13.95

back in stock as of
december 4th, 2009

first in stock on
may 5th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-composition
harsh-noise
minimalism-drones
doom

best of 2007 !!!

no-fi (uk) #neu 004 ep

burning star core “wsbc/sss” ten inch single record

white swords in a black castle (11:06)
sun starved skyscrapers (7:45)
to spread your dying flower one last time (3:21)

may 2007 release; the second in this series of 6 10” records reissuing c. spencer yeh’s prior cd-r & lim-run output. i know the price sucks; u.k. vinyl is never cheap... but then again spencer does more with 10-minute sides than most do with their 120-minute triple-lp ‘epics’ ...

this installment includes “white swords in a black castle” (colossal wave of distorted chordal activity done in collaboration with iovae and hair police & issued as part of a double cd-r set on dronedisco; reminiscient of pita’s “get out”), “sun staved skyscrapers” (looping free-jazz/psych overload with robert beatty, trevor tremaine, dana hamblen, and jeremy lesniak from a since 1972 tape), and “to spread your dying flower one last time” (three minutes of doom-drone; initally spencer’s half of a split w/mike shiflet on gameboy)

no-fi press release...

burning star core ‘wsbc/sss’ 10" (neu004)

second in the series of six 10"s by c. spencer yeh entitled 'mes soldats stupides 96-05'. hard to find reissues on vinyl for the first time. includes insert with design by guest artist john olson (wolf eyes).

$13.31

new to stock as of
march 26th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed
bedroom
analogue-synth

best of 2007 !!!

red pyramid records (usa) #rpr 01 cd

cellutron & the invisible “from a fortress of solitude” compact disc

think i’ll explore (6:06)
uranium (2:39)
ice blue (3:31)
electro speak (3:51)
july in indiana (2:32)
call of the wild (8:07)
here she comes again (3:11)
angela & emma at the petting zoo (4:13)
scoffers beware (3:02)
from a fortress of solitude (1:50)
barbwire (1:50)
through the worm hole (5:37)
how to build a pyramid off a flotation device (3:06)
a breeze for drying blankets (1:41)
the curious door (2:36)
avant bloo (2:09)
awesome sex colors (3:42)

amazing !! the second album by cellutron & the invisible; 30 years in the making !!!

those of you who have been following the creel pone series since the beginning will no doubt be familiar with the work of one robert s. greely... and until now his lone contribution to the world of home-recorded electronic-psych/beat-poetry & general-purpose outsider-genius...

lo and behold this contemporary-era outing by the original “lineup” (i have a sinking feeling that “spaceboy”, “indiana straight”, and of course “cellutron” are all aliases of greely himsef) of cellutron & the invisible, much in line the comeback efforts of other electronic-psych lynchpins (i’m thinking of fifty foot hose’s “live and unreleased”, specifically) - dry drum machines, gritty direct-recorded electric guitar, synth tomfoolery and those bizarre stream-of-consciousness ramblings we all fell in love with, now processed through an array of contemporary looping tools & assorted stomp-box effects.

while at no point am i even remotely uncertain that the same hands/mind behind the “reflecting on the first watch” lp are helming the vessel-controls herein, it is at times woefully apparent that the sound of contemporary recording technology has regressed a considerable amount since 1978... but certainly not enough to hinder your enjoyment of cellutron’s wonderfully zonked bulb-emanations (god bless this man & his spirit, still quite in tact...) - some lovely snatches of loren mazzacane-ish bedroom guitar weep, backwards fx, and of course those arp 2600 squeals and moans.

copies of this disc (a proper, replicated one at at that) shipped directly to mms from robert greely’s rural indiana stronghold; not something you’ll find at your local wal-mart (or... anywhere else in this universe or the next) - quite special.

red pyramid records press release...

cellutron and the invisible
from a fortress of solitude

cellutron - arp2600
roger m. emerson - engineering, bass, & processing
robert s. greely - fender telecaster, g&l s500 guitars, front & back cover artwork
space boy - alesis sr16
indiana straight - loops, & processing

recorded @ red pyramid records
organic art farm studio, fountain county, indiana, usa
dedicated to william q. o’neal 1950-2005

thanks to:
gary cope for his expertise
paula e. emerson for her editing
boston school of electronic music

$14.82

back in stock as of
april 21st, 2010

first in stock on
january 22nd, 2007

threads:
guitar-themed
modern-composition
minimalism-drones
concert-recordings

best of 2007 !!!

table of the elements (usa) #toe 106 cd

rhys chatham “a crimson grail for 400 electric guitars” compact disc

a crimson grail: part one (20:42)
a crimson grail: part two (16:00)
a crimson grail: part three (19:49)

september 2008 ; this was unavailable for the last year or so, but is finally back in stock !!!

january 2007 release of this titanic piece by rhys chatham for rhythm section (the incomparable ernie brooks & jonathan kane) and 400 guitarists (including jean-françois pauvros !! try to pick him out !!!)

not since “lesson nº 1” have i heard such a triumphant wall of pick-string energy; the massive guitar-amp din that filled the space must have been overwhelming. this room-recording is as close as we’ll get to the event; the distance from the mics to the amps adds a nice ambience, merging all of that energy into one cohesive sound.

chatham’s been on a roll for the last few years; more power to him. this is an essential bit of massed guitar sound that i can and will recommend uncategorically. just plain awesome.

table of the elements press release...

rhys chatham a crimson grail for 400 electric guitars

rhys chatham, the man who rocks the minimalist canon like a hurricane, gathers up the city of light in the evanescent beauty of his latest piece - written for 400 guitars and performed live in the basilica of landmark sacre coeur - with 10,000 people watching and 100,000 more on national tv. as the music shimmers, it offers a snapshot of eternity, an echo of a moment a thousand years gone - and a thousand years yet to come

$12.61

back in stock as of
june 22nd, 2011

first in stock on
november 19th, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise
minimalism-drones
sound-poetry

best of 2007 !!!

hospital productions (usa) #hos 201 cd

kevin drumm / prurient “all are guests in the house of the lord” compact disc

first memory of pain (5:23)
on this slab (6:38)
there died venus (4:41)
though the apple is rotten (3:38)
in long rows (10:08)
comes another brood (7:43)

november 2007 release; the debut full-length from the duo of dom “prurient” fernow & kevin drumm - previously available for about a nanosecond on cassette, now in a slightly larger pressing on disc...

alternating between an almost hafler-trio-ian selection of instrumental/episodic mood-pieces and (dare i say it) sections recalling robert ashley’s “operas”(dom, voice pitched down, recites the “libretto” below over kevin’s static wave-field...), this is arguably the first text-sound piece in dom’s oeuvre (at the very least; the first in which his text is readily intelligible). kevin’s contributions range from floating sine-wave combinations and considerably more abrasive/rectified sections of plundered salon music, analogue synth patterns, and slowly mutating chord-shapes...

evocative stuff; certainly not for the weak-of-constitution...

hospital productions press release...

prurient / kevin drumm
all are guests in the house of the lord - cd

digital version of the cassette collaboration.
statues crumble, bronze corrodes, columns topple
as the roman youth carry on towards death.
new artwork.

...

behind the emperor
in long rows
we welcome him
it is an historical picture
of the first order
which shows us the motive
that first conquered the world
united together
master and slave
though the apple is rotten
the seed can still be used

heights of the children
and there first memory of pain
we study
the mark of their bodies
the twisting of tonuges
we must confess
that there are few works of art
which would have rendered with equal sucess
the livley movements
of proud youths unaware
along the path
to the chamber of death

i will no more curse the earth
for the sake of man, for the imagination
and thought of mans heart are prone to evil
from his youth therefore i will no more destroy
every living soul
as i have done

questions of interpretation
indeed
it would be impossible
to approach
such questions

the story is told
on the twenty three windings of the column
increases toward the top
in order to correct
the perspectival diminution
as the spiral approachs the summit
the column is supported on a base
decorated
with the trophies of war
which formed the sepulchral chamber
destined to contain
the emperors urn

century of the empire
forgotten
eclipsed by the illusionist
monuments now lost
the lingering
touched by life again
the imperial young men
no longer satisfied
by the the triumph
expression
along a long line of successive splendors
i will have mercy on whom i have mercy
and i will show pity to whom i will show pity

$61.15

back in stock as of
august 23rd, 2012

first in stock on
september 5th, 2007

threads:
sound-poetry
musique-concrète
live-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

best of 2007 !!!

alga marghen (italy) #alga 24 book

françois dufrêne “françois dufrêne • affichiste • sound poet” book and compact disc set

köchel que j’aime (9:34) 1969
le cheval lié à l’art rose (12:36) 1969
eryximaque, suite choréographique au tombeau de pierre larousse (7:19) 1965
lecture-collage: la ressource du petit peuple & tenilom de jean molinet (18:53) 1965
belles nuisances, hantez nos nuits (10:50) 1970
comptinuum (10:58) 1958-1970
book - françois dufrêne “affichiste - sound poet” (256 pages, french / english / portugese)

another superb alga marghen pairing with curator guy schraenen; this time the catalogue (256 pages in french, english, and portugese, 110 of which are full-color reproductions of dufrêne’s visual work) to the schraenen-curated françois dufrêne show @ the musea serralves in porto, coupled (much like the “modern shit / artcoustics” set, only the disc fits into the book itself... and has something to do with the book itself for that matter...) with a disc of 60s/70s sound-poetry/tape-sound ruminations that boggle the mind ...

alga marghen press release...

f r a n ç o i s d u f r e n e
same
(cat no. plana-d alga24)
catalogue+cd

françois dufrêne (1930-1982) is one of the leading artists from the post-war european and french art scene. he played a key role in many of the initiatives of lettrism, nouveau réalisme and sound poetry. in françois dufrêne's oeuvre, art and poetry intersect in a reciprocal experimentation of the possibilities of transgression of their specific grammars. his oeuvre constitutes a singular example of this special relationship between art and language, which throughout the 20th century proved to be one of the most fertile grounds for expanding the limits seemingly imposed on western art via the history of artistic genres.

many of his artistic creations use objects retrieved from the urban context, such as posters or stencils, or use the voice in non-linguistic contexts. examples of the latter include his creation of the crirhythm , wherein he reinvented sound poetry and the relationship between performance and text.

the present catalogue attempts to present françois dufrêne's work as a totality, wherein it would be artificial to separate his status as a poet from that as a visual artist. poems, books, records, recordings, reverse sides of posters, stencils, films and photographs documenting the artist's actions are combined together in a mosaic that makes it possible to reinterpret françois dufrêne's work as one of the most singular adventures of his epoch, and also re-evaluate the relevance of the challenges he posed to contemporary culture.

the cd offered in the catalogue includes the fantastic crirhythm from 1970 titled "belle nuisances hantez nos nuits", the complete "osmose-art" from 1969 where crirhythms are superimposed to classical music, "eryximaque" and two "lecture-collage" from 1965 as well as the 1958-70 "comptinuum". all the sound works presented on the cd are also included in the 4lp boxset anthology issued by alga marghen and titled "oeuvre desintegrale".

full colour catalogue in a4 size, 250 pages, all texts translated in english, french and portuguese. the book includes a large selection of experimental visual works dating from 1957 to 1981 as well as the biography, essays and original texts (among them "pragmatics of crirhythm" and "the crirhythm and the rest" both from the mid-1960s). full discography and filmography are also included.

first edition of this large catalogue, the first ever to fully document the work of françois dufrêne.

$35.84

back in stock as of
may 27th, 2008

first in stock on
march 9th, 2007

threads:
sound-poetry
1970s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition

best of 2007 !!!

youdonthavetocallitmusic (germany) #youdo 02d lp

nikolaus einhorn “arbeiten” long playing record and seven inch single record set

arbeiten - ein stück für alle (15:56) 1973
cudrefin (minuit) - found music no.1 (18:27) 1973
don’t you may be, the essential interview (5:02) 1975

youdonthavetocallitmusic press release...

nikolaus einhorn
- arbeiten
lp, youdo 02, ltd.num.500

featuring two sound poetry recordings from 1973, "arbeiten - ein stück für alle" (already released as tape on the s press label back in 1973) and "cudrefin (minuit) - found music no.1" (previously unreleased).

the first 250 copies include an onesided bonus 7inch with his track "don't you may be, the essential interview" from the famous "futura - poesia sonora" boxset (cramps records).

...

"nikolaus einhorn - geboren 1940 in dresden, studierte germanistik und anglistik in münchen; er ist lehrer an einem gymnasium in düsseldorf, gibt zusammen mit angela köhler und michael köhler die s press tonbandreihe heraus und baut ein archiv für internationale akustische poesie auf; veröffentlichte in zeitungen und zeitschriften aufsätze über experimentelle poesie und die avantgarde des 20. jahrhunderts; gab in der reihe "text und kritik" ein heft über die literarischen arbeiten von kurt schwitters heraus; machte und macht rundfunksendungen über autoren akustischer literatur."

(s press 1973)

...

"nikolaus einhorn (geb. 1940), mitherausgeber des s press tonbandverlags, erprobt zeitstrukturierungen mit materialien verschiedenen charakters. "arbeiten" ist ein akustisches modell, in dem einhorn den implikationen der reprise nachgeht. drei tonbandschleifen, die das wort "arbeiten" enthalten, gesprochen von drei stimmen, bilden das ausgangsmaterial.

es entsteht eine sprech- bzw. hörsituation, in der sich der sprechvorgang als arbeitsvorgang verstehen läßt und die drei tonspuren - obgleich das material, aus dem sie bestehen, identisch bleibt – in wechselnde kommentarbeziehungen zueinander treten." (s press tonbandzeitung 1981)...

"nikolaus einhorn is a young german writer who has already produced a good number of sound poems. he is trying to realize a non-abstract oral poetry free from all written notation, a construction which comes directly from the mind and memory. "don’t you may be, the essential interview", composed in 1975 represents a hypothetical interview with the u.s. musician john cage, the representative of non-music, that is, of that school which, by rejecting the forms and structures of composition, has brought about a crisis in traditional and contemporary musical composition, and which, using different techniques principally of the aleatory type, affirms the validity of musical silence, also on ontological grounds. in our opinion this "essential interview" establishes a series of tautological circularities, underlined by the repetition of cage's "smile / little laugh".

nikolaus einhorn was born at dresden in 1940. he studied german and english in munich and earns his living as a teacher at the dusseldorf high-school. in 1970 he co-founded the “s press tape series", a label that was dedicated to acoustical literature (sound poetry), which today is one of the most important means of diffusion of experimental poetry. he has published numerous essays on the avant-garde of the twentieth century and a volume of essays on the literary work of kurt schwitters, published by the magazine "text + kritik". he has also produced radio programs on such authors as otto nebel, raoul hausmann, henri chopin, and on the poetry of the north american indians."

(ubuweb)

$23.87

back in stock as of
may 27th, 2008

first in stock on
march 9th, 2007

threads:
sound-poetry
1970s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition

best of 2007 !!!

youdonthavetocallitmusic (germany) #youdo 02 lp

nikolaus einhorn “arbeiten” long playing record

arbeiten - ein stück für alle (15:56) 1973
cudrefin (minuit) - found music no.1 (18:27) 1973

this is the version w/o the 7” - note that it’s about $12 less than the one with ...

youdonthavetocallitmusic press release...

nikolaus einhorn
- arbeiten
lp, youdo 02, ltd.num.500

featuring two sound poetry recordings from 1973, "arbeiten - ein stück für alle" (already released as tape on the s press label back in 1973) and "cudrefin (minuit) - found music no.1" (previously unreleased).

...

"nikolaus einhorn - geboren 1940 in dresden, studierte germanistik und anglistik in münchen; er ist lehrer an einem gymnasium in düsseldorf, gibt zusammen mit angela köhler und michael köhler die s press tonbandreihe heraus und baut ein archiv für internationale akustische poesie auf; veröffentlichte in zeitungen und zeitschriften aufsätze über experimentelle poesie und die avantgarde des 20. jahrhunderts; gab in der reihe "text und kritik" ein heft über die literarischen arbeiten von kurt schwitters heraus; machte und macht rundfunksendungen über autoren akustischer literatur."

(s press 1973)

...

"nikolaus einhorn (geb. 1940), mitherausgeber des s press tonbandverlags, erprobt zeitstrukturierungen mit materialien verschiedenen charakters. "arbeiten" ist ein akustisches modell, in dem einhorn den implikationen der reprise nachgeht. drei tonbandschleifen, die das wort "arbeiten" enthalten, gesprochen von drei stimmen, bilden das ausgangsmaterial.

es entsteht eine sprech- bzw. hörsituation, in der sich der sprechvorgang als arbeitsvorgang verstehen läßt und die drei tonspuren - obgleich das material, aus dem sie bestehen, identisch bleibt – in wechselnde kommentarbeziehungen zueinander treten." (s press tonbandzeitung 1981)...

"nikolaus einhorn is a young german writer who has already produced a good number of sound poems. he is trying to realize a non-abstract oral poetry free from all written notation, a construction which comes directly from the mind and memory. "don’t you may be, the essential interview", composed in 1975 represents a hypothetical interview with the u.s. musician john cage, the representative of non-music, that is, of that school which, by rejecting the forms and structures of composition, has brought about a crisis in traditional and contemporary musical composition, and which, using different techniques principally of the aleatory type, affirms the validity of musical silence, also on ontological grounds. in our opinion this "essential interview" establishes a series of tautological circularities, underlined by the repetition of cage's "smile / little laugh".

nikolaus einhorn was born at dresden in 1940. he studied german and english in munich and earns his living as a teacher at the dusseldorf high-school. in 1970 he co-founded the “s press tape series", a label that was dedicated to acoustical literature (sound poetry), which today is one of the most important means of diffusion of experimental poetry. he has published numerous essays on the avant-garde of the twentieth century and a volume of essays on the literary work of kurt schwitters, published by the magazine "text + kritik". he has also produced radio programs on such authors as otto nebel, raoul hausmann, henri chopin, and on the poetry of the north american indians."

(ubuweb)

$13.44

back in stock as of
february 18th, 2010

first in stock on
march 20th, 2007

threads:
free-improvisation
modern-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

best of 2007 !!!

siwa (usa) #siwa 0002 cd

exias-j / sabu toyozumi “son’s scapegoat” compact disc

broadening distribution: concerto
shifting
seven
on bishopsgate
improvisations 050403

2005 release ; fine meeting between japanese free-drum legend (he played in masayuki takayanagi’s new direction unit) sabu toyozumi and the electro-acoustic improv large ensemble exias-j (aka experimental improvisers association of japan) ...

a fine mix of rusty, creaking electronics and toyozumi’s endless limb-flare ;

siwa press release...

scd002
sabu toyozumi / exias-j
"son's scapegoat" cd

son's scapegoat

april 2005 meeting of exias-j (experimental improvisers association of japan) and drummer sabu toyozumi.

since the late 90's exias-j have been conjoining the worlds of free music and modern composition by employing free improvisation in variously structured approaches ranging from jazz and rock rooted forms to avant-classical and performance art settings.

sabu toyozumi is a true giant of japanese free music with a history running from his involvement with masayuki takayanagi's new direction unit in the late 60's through his work with kaoru abe, peter brötzmann, takashi mizutani (rallizes denudes), keiji haino and a veritable who's who of internationally known improvisers.

there is a sonic clarity to this new studio recording that might help elucidate the underlying musical structure on the two previous live electric conception recordings (available on psf). that said, with one stated goal of the electric conception being the disruption of the hierarchies of instrumentation through the application of electro-acoustics this frequently creates a dense, shifting sonic mass that should make even ardent noise fans feel quite at home.

"sabu" toyozumi : drums
kondo hideaki : electric guitar
tanikawa takuo : electric guitar / pc
kanda shin-ichiro : piano
miyazaki tetsuya : electronics / pc
kawasaki jun : contrabass

with guests:
irumagawa masami : cello
karamata michio : flute / soprano saxophone
asai yuichi : trombone

$14.28

back in stock as of
november 18th, 2010

first in stock on
april 25th, 2007

threads:
sound-art
free-improvisation
modern-composition
experimental-instruments

best of 2007 !!!

robot (usa) #rr 37 cd

limpe fuchs “vogelmusik” compact disc

das große hugn - the big hen (9:07)
das zarte huhn - the gentle hen (3:43)
der hahn - the rooster (6:16)
der marsch - march (2:23)
fliegen - flying (12:24)
zwiegespräch - dialogue (9:38)
landschagt mit vogel - landscape with bird (8:19)

april 2007 release ; the first new recording from limpe fuchs since 1999’s “nur mar mus” (released, as was its “sister” album “muusiccia (metal/stones)” by christoph heeman on his streamline label)

limpe, along with then-husband paul fuchs, was the core of the 70s “travelling caravan” krautrock/sound-art exposé anima/anima-sound (check your ohr / united dairies / dom / alga marghen discogs...) since then, she’s worked solo, concerning herself with a battery of bertoia/rutman-lineage metal sound-sculptures from which she coaxes a bizarre array of squawks & resonant thumps...

this disc offers a set of lovely (and beautifully recorded) improvisations on said instruments, abetted by reedsman christoph reiserer (mainly offering quiet, upper-range multiphonics) and, on one piece, julia schoelzel’s inside-piano scrapings. it’s much closer to the music of sukratan court rituals than anything in the jazz canon; long stretches of silence permeate throughout, punctuated with distanc-mic’ed percussive thumps and stockhausen/tam-tam-lineage clangorous overtones...

needless to say, the distant wind-tunnel metal-events of robot labelmate organum could be an apt comparison point, as can mavericks harry partch & lou harrison. an excellent disc.

robot press release...

limpe fuchs- "vogelmusik" cd (rr-37)

performing in the late 1960's and through the early 80's as half of the german duo anima (with paul fuchs), limpe fuchs continues to explore music making as a part of everyday life. her vibrant live performances are numerous and consist of solo as well as ongoing collaborative works.

with her new release, "vogelmusik" (or "bird-music"), limpe is heard performing a series of duos with multi-instrumentalist christoph reiserer (saxes/clarinet). the duo then extends to a trio with julia schoelzel (on piano), featuring a piece recorded at musikfest, munich, in 2004. the themes that developed from these recent recordings revealed a beautiful and bizarre series of compositions that have now been collected on cd for the first time.

with an array of movements and audio dialogue amongst the performers, the "bird-related" themes have an equally visual quality that correlate perfectly with such titles as "zwiegespräch" (dialogue) and "fliegen" (flying).

using her voice, violin, along with a vast assortment of custom and homemade percussion instruments, limpe's work emits a remarkable sense of space and otherworldly atmosphere that one may liken to acts in musical theatre. "vogelmusik" takes flight with a fresh set of utterly unique pieces from a true musical visionary.

packaged in a full-color digipak with illustrations by christoph heemann.

limpe fuchs: lithophon (serpentinit), ballastring, tubedrums, kettledrum, violin, voice
christophe reiserer: clarinet, soprano sax, baritone sax
julia schoelzel: piano on flying

$10.08

back in stock as of
may 25th, 2007

first in stock on
march 24th, 2007

threads:
sound-art
experimental-instruments
lo-fi
live-electronic
sound-installation

best of 2007 !!!

heavy tapes (usa) #ht grimley cs

tom grimley “never mind the abstention, here's the semi-automatic” c30 cassette

somewhere in the blight
looks like we raid it
i fight the songs!
can’t smile without poo! (for hanna h)
cashcade
transitional surplus
i’ll solo for ya
foreverless
unimaginativeless

march 2007 release ; glad to finally have something in stock from producer (credits include beck, tone loc, that dog, slug, the rentals, babyland, violent femmes, etc ...) / instrument-builder extraordinaire tom grimley ...

here tom shares 30 minutes of raw, boombox-recorded examples of his “automated electronic ensemble” ; a series of lucite-enclosed sound-producing electronic boxes that communicate with each other wirelessly, producing all manner of david tudor-lineage squawk & chatter ... incredible !!!

heavy tapes press release...

tom grimley "never mind the abstention, here's the semi-automatic" c30

this tape is a series of recordings of an automated electronic ensemble - independent agents designed and built by tom grimley to perform his music for him.

side "a" includes studies for the full piece and the full recording of "never mind..." while side b contains "studies for a new trio." both of these recordings are remarkably new and fascinating -- new and unheard voices interact and produce something that warrants close attention -- there are layers of discussion and projection, hums, creaks, whistles, throbs, and more.

first in a planned series of projects with heavy tapes and tom.

$23.32

back in stock as of
june 4th, 2010

first in stock on
may 8th, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise
modern-psych
concert-recordings
live-electronic
minimalism-drones

best of 2007 !!!

ultra eczema (belgium) #ue 42 lp

hair police “blind kingdom” one-sided long playing record

blind kingdom

may 2007 release; a one-sided lp (well... the record physically has two sides - i don’t think even tyfus can break the time-space barrier to produce a truly 2-d record - but as we used to say in new jersey in the 80s: “one to play, one to cuddle with...” - one side with music and one with an embossed/etched design [see below]) by the prolific connelly / beatty / tremaine warship hair police, as recorded mid-tour at antwerp’s radio centraal when the band were properly primed & ready for aktion.

note that this one comes in a regular lp-sleeve (none of that fold-out poster-action the last few u.e. came as...)

ultra eczema press release...

ultra eczema 42
hair police blind kingdom one sided lp

odd coloured carpet of bizar 3d fields dominate the bright and lurid psychedelic forests u'll have to run thrue to grib a mug a brew at the end of the trip! hop on the back of a giant pink elephant and let go, eventually follow his tiny dick-like tail if u are to small to climb up this pink turt in space!

but do give it a try and check out whats left, thats right; nothing! just a puddle of restless throbbing poop in different colours. the elephant turns out to be a puddle as well and the sounds you're hearing are all on the most psychedelic hiar police lp so far! this is definatly way different then any of their other recordings, way more high bliss, blown out delayed voice and hardly any harchness.

originally recorded as a hair police radiospecial for radio centraal in antwerp!

thick black and neon blue eye distructive cover design and a psychic lazer etch on the b side of this 180 grams wax!

600 copies made

$16.45

back in stock as of
june 4th, 2008

first in stock on
may 7th, 2007

threads:
free-jazz
lo-fi
bedroom

best of 2007 !!!

volcanic tongue (uk) #vt 007 cd

mochizuki harutaka “muse ni” compact disc recordable

song
alto sax
alto sax
alto sax
song

nice disc of bedroom sax solos bookended by two piano/vocal numbers from japanese multi-instrumentalist mochizuki harutaka.

definitely one for the “private universe” heads (my favorite moment on the disc: when harutaka finishes an especially pointlillist improv, then walks across his bedroom & puts some ecm on the stereo... nice) as can be gleaned by the inclusion of printed gush by dan “dredd foole” ireton inside the sleeve.

volcanic tongue press release...

mochizuki harutaka
muse ni
volcanic tongue
vt-007
cd-r

brand new release on volcanic tongue, the long-awaited new album by free japanese saxophonist, pianist and vocalist mochizuki harutaka, his first ever non-japanese release. pressed in a run of 121 hand-numbered copies, the disc is packaged in card fold-out sleeves with obi strip, stamped inners, printed discs and inspired liners from mr dan ireton aka dredd foole.

two piano/vocal tracks bookend three excruciatingly nuanced alto sax performances where he draws on the whole abe/urabe/gustafsson school of overwhelmingly physical reed traumatism in order to mint a new, personally lucid energy-language that incorporates phantom register shrieks, sudden, lung-rending bellows and long passages of silent prayer.

the two piano and vocal performances seem drawn from a parallel spirit-pot, referencing both the death-decadent atmosphere of lou reed's berlin recordings and the torch songs of scott walker, jacques brel, jandek and baby dee across a series of emotional, high-wire performances that match spare piano melodicism with frail-to-the-point-of-collapse vocals and beautiful unarmoured song.

a truly singular disc, a portrait of a soul and - according to harutaka himself - his best to date. we're proud as all hell to release this. highly recommended.

$38.01

back in stock as of
june 29th, 2007

first in stock on
march 3rd, 2007

threads:
psych-prog
guitar-themed
analogue-synth
minimalism-drones

best of 2007 !!!

captain trip (japan) #ct 550-552 cd

heldon “live 1975-1979” triple compact disc set

all three discs of live heldon !!!

disc 1 (paris concerts 1975-76)

1984 apres cosmic c'etait (9:49)
distribution derrioration live (10:38)
heldon is back (6:48)
lady from the north (8:37)
klossowski's circlus vitiosus (4:22)
death of omar diop blondin (6:36)
track of cocain (4:59)

disc 2 (live in nancy 1979 - part 1)

virgin marie overdrive (4:13)
heldon ufo war machine (12:14)
schizosphere/mekanosphere/rhiszosphere (16:13)
red line target (13:53)

disc 3 (live in nancy 1979 - part 2)

the large interface session (18:12)
mellotronic dune dance (18:53)

triple disc “fat-box” set containing the two live heldon releases on captain trip: “live electronik guerilla” (ct-550) and “well and alive in france” (ct-551-552) - a much better (i.e. cheaper) way to get all of the music in one place...

captain trip press release...

heldon / live 1975-1979 ("live electronik guerilla" + "well and alive in france")
ctcd-550r-552r

live recordings in paris 1975 to 1979.

disc 1: live 1976 (featuring: r. pinhas, f. auger, p. gauthier) and live 1975 (r. pinhas, a. renaud).
disc 2, 3: live 1979 (featuring: r. pinhas, p. roussel, f. auger)

this 3 cd-set is a special reissue of "live electronik guerilla" (ctcd-550) and "well and alive in france" (ctcd-551/552). jewel case edition.

< 25 dec. on sale>

$13.68

back in stock as of
may 23rd, 2008

first in stock on
september 7th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
folk

best of 2007 !!!

thrill jockey (usa) #thrill 184 cd

daniel a.i.u. higgs “atomic yggdrasil tarot” book and compact disc set

luminous carcass ornament
cocoon on the cross
spectral hues
subatomic yggdrasil tarot
creation moan
hems and seams

thrill jockey press release...

atomic yggdrasil tarot
by daniel a.i.u. higgs
thrill jockey
thrill 184 • 2007

cd version is limited to 4,000 copies - a full color 48 page 6x8" hard cover book featuring the paintings and poetry of daniel a.i.u. higgs. the cd enclosed with the book is a full length album recorded in his home and is intended to be experienced with the book.

daniel arcus incus ululat higgs is a musician and artist from baltimore, maryland on whose behalf superlatives are destined to fail. it’s not that his artistic output – spanning three decades, numerous albums, books of poetry and collections of drawings – simply eludes classification, it defies it. often we hear that a true work of art is meant to speak for itself, and with the work of daniel higgs the maxim rings truer than ever. his art is of the cosmos, we on earth merely lucky that it happens to be confined to our atmosphere, in our lifetime.

higgs is known primarily for his work as the sole lyricist and frontman of the band lungfish, a four-piece dedicated to charting, in this listener’s estimation, nothing short of the evolution of all species, known and unknown. that the band has undertaken this pursuit in the guise of a humble rock outfit, in the absence of any public relations fanfare, meta-narrative, or manifesto has been enough to endear them to tens of thousands. they are enshrined as one of america’s last true folk bands, and higgs anointed as a patron saint to artistic purity.

in recent years, higgs has released a number of solo outings that can only be described as the ultimate in isolation, worlds away from the hypnotic, communal rock of his band. on atomic yggdrasil tarot, higgs weaves meditative, casually ruptured drones using acoustic and electric guitar, upright pianos, banjo and jew’s harp, recorded entirely at home on cassette recorder. he pairs the music with a series of paintings that call to mind religious iconography passed through the disfiguring surrealism of miro.

higgs has wedded his music and his visual art into a singular being, meant to be encountered as a conjuring force similar to that of the tarot experience. the yggdrasil is the great tree of norse myth that connects all worlds of cosmology. passing into christian folklore, the tree is said to connect heaven and earth. in his relentless pursuit of the indivisible, higgs travels up and down this spine and hatches a new transubstantiation of sound and image into life-form.

$23.01

back in stock as of
march 8th, 2013

first in stock on
june 12th, 2007

threads:
free-jazz

best of 2007 !!!

bo’weavil (uk) #weavil 24 lp

noah howard “the black ark” long playing record

domiabra
ole negro
mount fuji
queen anne

excellent reissue of noah howard’s “the black ark” - one of the most legendary/unavailable/whispered-about free jazz sessions, featuring a wet-behind-the -ears arthur doyle (his recorded debut !!!), norris “sirone” jones, mohammed ali, leslie waldron, earl cross, and juma ...

remastered from the original tapes, new liner notes by oren ambarchi. your summer soundtrack has arrived... highly recommended.

bo’weavil press release...

the black ark
noah howard

noah howard - alto
arthur doyle - tenor
earl cross - trumpet
leslie waldron - piano
norris jones - bass
mohammed ali- drums
juma - congas

one of free jazz's more enigmatic figures, alto saxophonist noah howard has been documented so infrequently on record. now based in brussels, noah has been blowing for over 30 years. born in new orleans in 1943, noah started playing on trumpet (the instrument he played in the military during the early '60s), but moved on to the alto in the mid 60s. noah made his debut recording as a leader on the infamous esp label. dissatisfied with the american scene noah moved to europe in the 1970s. he has played and recorded with the greats of the free jazz world both from europe and the us, frank wright, misha mengelberg, han bennink and arthur doyle to name but a few.

black ark recorded in 1969 and released in 1973 by freedom records, is one of the monumental second generation free jazz recordings, and sadly a very difficult lp to get hold of until now.

it's "a perfect combination of noah's soulful compositions and playing, infused with plenty of sweet/sour/in/out forms and shapes from the incredible line-up assembled for this release. plus we get to experience arthur doyle's outrageous debut on a recording session, increasing the playing and feeling to an intense level throughout."
(oren ambarchi 2007)

$50.01

back in stock as of
april 12th, 2013

first in stock on
february 8th, 2007

threads:
1960s-electornic
1960s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète

best of 2007 !!!

edition omega point archive series (japan) #opa 005 lp
omega point (japan) #opa 005 lp

toshi ichiyanagi “obscure tape music of japan vol.5 • music for tinguely” long playing record

toshi ichiyanagi - music for tinguely / 1963_10’01”
toshi ichiyanagi - appearance / 1967_20’36”
toshi ichiyanagi - music for living space / 1969_8’52”

yes, you’re reading this correctly. this is the vinyl version of “obscure tape music of japan vol.5” - apparently there was also a vinyl version of the first volume, which is now, sadly, o/p ...

the layout is minimal (in fact it is a plain white sleeve with the print-work from the cd edition pasted-on), but the pressing of the lp is superb (as with most/all japanese pressings) - definitely a nice thing...

edition omega point archive series press release...

obscure tape music of japan vol.5
toshi ichiyanagi "music for tinguely"

ichiyanagi is best known composer for domestic and foreign avant-garde music fans. especially in his brilliant 60's, he made many great tape music. but most of them has not published on discs or issued for very small edition. this cd consists of his obscure three tape works. "music for tinguely" was made from junk objects of kinetic sculptor jean tinguely. "appearance" is live electronic music. it's not only premire performance but also john cage and david tudor participated in performance. very noisy and hard core!! "music for living space" was composed for inner space of 'sun tower' of world expo in osaka. computer generated voice reads architect kisyo kurokawa's manifest. strange!!
...

about the works toshi ichiyanagi

music for tinguely

i believe it was 1963 when well known kinetic sculptor jean tinguely first visited japan to give one man show by his original works at minami gallery where was the center of new art in tokyo at that time. i was looking forward to this exhibition because i knew his work of self-destroyed piano performance¹ took place at moma's garden in new york in 1960.

after arriving in tokyo, tinguely was searching to collect scraps everyday. in those days we could still find broken fragments of machines here and there in tokyo. his exhibition consisted all by new works. with all of his works motors were installed and though they were made of scraps some gave poetic images whereas others were noise making machineries with violent actions. scrap machineries were reborn as thythmic sculptures and enchanted gallery visitors.

after seeing the show, i noticed that he was carefully treating the sculpture movement from the sound point of view also. i was fascinated and not able to stop my interest to make music out of those sculpture sounds. i asked for permission to both tinguely and minami gallery to use sounds. tinguely was miable person. he accepted my proposal and became interested in my composition. and one of the composition made of tinguely's kinetic sculpture sound is this "music for tinguely". the piece was composed at the studio of sogetsu art center where at this time was most cooperative place to new music.

appearance

in 1967, i was staying in new york for about 10 months with my wife and 2 years old son as a composer in residence under the invitation of jdr 3rd fund. my position was quite free so i was enjoying stimulating new york life by meeting friends of various fields, participating concerts of john cage and david tudor and the members of sonic arts union and so on.

one day i had a visitor in my apartment who was the composer and the professor of university of california in davis mr. larry austin. he told me that he recently established a music publisher "composers' edition" and he wishes to commision me a new work. i felt strong enthusiasm to new music on his talk, i willingly accepted his offer.
"appearance" was composed under such background while i was in new york and published on first issue of composers' edition.

the piece is live electronic music and written by graphic notation for electronic equipments and some instruments ². in this cd, john cage performs in the roll of manipulating electronics and david tudor bandneon and some young violinist and trumpet players participated.

music for living space

the tower named "sun tower" was constructed at the festival plaza when world expo was held in osaka in 1970. the tower had 3 layers inside. representing past was located undeground floor, present on ground level and the future up in the air.

i was asked by producer noboru kawazoe and composer toshiro mayuzumi to compose the music of the future section. it came to my mind ro use the theory talk of architect kisyo kurokawa as a part of music with whom i was working together at the other pavillion and had intimate relation. i thought unique theory of kurokawa could become music inside the future section of sun tower environment. so in stead of his natural voice, i decided to compose artificially made computer voice. at the time of 1970, to make computer speak japanese required advanced technic thus it took me many hours before the piece completed.

¹: "hommage to new york"
²: instruction of 3 instruments, 2 oscillators and ring modulators

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p :: (1) 2 3 4

y :: 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 (2007)

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mimaroglu music sales best of 2007

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