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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) ...
previous record label:
 imminent frequencies 		there are 65 titles on important in stock.
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 improvised music from japan 
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 $13.44

new to stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

threads:
modern-composition
minimalism-drones
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
free-improvisation

 best of 2009 !!! 
important (usa) #imprec 272 cd

“the harmonic series • a compilation of musical works in just intonation” compact disc

  • ellen fullman & theresa wong - blue tunnel fields (9:35)
  • greg davis - star primes (for james tenney) (10:57)
  • michael harrison - tone cloud ii (from revelation) (8:49)
  • r. keenan lawler - bow shock (excerpt) (6:32)
  • pauline oliveros - the beauty of sorrow (excerpt) (9:46)
  • duane pitre - comprovisation for justly tuned ukelin no. 1 (7:40)
  • zachary james watkins - country western (excerpt) (10:08)
  • charles curtis - stanzas set before a blank surface (10:27)
november 2009 release ; excellent collection of new music composed in just intonation, compiled by duane pitre ...

standout pieces include charles curtis’ wolftone-infused “stanzas set before a blank surface” (echoes of his recent reading of eliane radigue’s “naldjorlak”), ellen fullman & theresa wong’s “blue tunnel fields” (rife with ellen’s bubbling long-string resonances), greg davis’ “star primes” (a massive groundswell of digitally synthesized sine-tone combinations ala “the dream house”), and duane’s own piece for just-tuned ukelin ...

... as both a crash-course in (the) alternate tuning(s) and a primer of the contemporary composers doing work in just, it can’t be beat ; highly recommended !!!
important press release...

va - the harmonic series - musical works in just intonation - cd

imprec272 - cd

the harmonic series is a compilation of musical works in just intonation created by three generations of contemporary composers who utilize this fascinating tuning system. a dense info booklet is included with notes from each artist. this compilation was curated over the span of two years by duane pitre. the goal of this compilation and its accompanying liner notes is to educate listeners about the origins and use of just intonation, as well as to portray the unique beauty of this tonal “color palette,” which is heard by relatively few in the western world and explored by even fewer.

although all the artists on the compilation work within the avant-garde/experimental genre, each artist lends something unique to the collection, and each employs a different approach toward how to utilize just intonation. within the harmonic series you’ll find an array of instrumentation such as piano, cello, accordion, electronics, guitar, ukelin, saxophone, violin, koto, and more.

the featured artists on the harmonic series are: pauline oliveros, ellen fullman, charles curtis, michael harrison, greg davis, r keenan lawler, duane pitre, theresa wong, and zachary james watkins.

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 $14.41

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-improvisation
guitar-themed
analogue-synth

important (usa) #imprec 226 cd

acid mothers temple / the melting paraiso ufo “glorify astrological martyrdom” compact disc

  • phantom utopia or suicidal star wars (21:49)
  • cosmic soul death disco (28:52)
  • stargate of the hell (5:00)
important press release...
acid mothers temple - glorify astrological martyrdom - cd
imprec226 - cd

acid mother's temple's glorify astrological martyrdom is sure to appeal to the myriad amt fans who have made crystal rainbow pyramid a new fan favorite. professionally recorded mega riffage for a super defined clean sound. kawabata and company deliver this focused rock explosion full of hyper repetitive heavy hooks and freaked out pitched up vocals. cover art by seldon hunt.

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 $14.56

new to stock as of
november 25th, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
folk
free-improvisation
modern-composition
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 222 cd

brethren of the free spirit “the wolf shall also dwell with the lamb” compact disc

  • the sun tears itself from the heavens and comes crashing down upon the multitude (8:01)
  • the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb (8:53)
  • into the dust of the earth (5:47)
  • i am a flower of sharon and a rose in the valley (7:18)
november 2008 release ; second album from the duo of james blackshaw & jozef van wissem ...
important press release...
james blackshaw & jozef van wissem
brethren of the free spirit - the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb - cd

brethren of the free spirit are guitarist/composer james blackshaw and lutenist/composer jozef van wissem. named after a cult of 13th-century northern european religious heretics this duo play with an appropriately zealous intensity. brethren of the free spirit debuted in new york and went on a crusade through the lowlands, belgium, spain, ireland and london even apearing on the dutch national vpro tv show 'vrije geluiden." intricate phrases circle and spiral in on themselves, and in the end it's the subtle shifts in rhythm and tonal coloration that provide a kind of transcendence in a sea of repetition.

the wolf shall also... was recorded at locksley hall, amsterdam in april 2008. it considest of 4 long circular compositions in which the duo employ all methods of contemporary performance styles to free the lute and merge the two instruments.

intentionally recorded in mono it's occasionally impossible to tell the two instruments apart. perhaps that's just what makes this duo so successful - the players and the instruments become unified in historical references to the musics of both the ancient lute contemporary acoustic guitar. for example, into the dust of the earth is based on a classical baroque lute prelude from the 1650 by an anonymous composer. the theme is mirrored midway turning the piece into a palindrome, updating the material in the process. blackshaw weaves his 12 string tapestry hypnotically intertwining the lute and the guitar into one modern piece of ancient tunage bringing the lute into the present day.

the drawings on the cover by belgian brethren wouter van haelemeesch reference greek myths as well as medieval alchemical emblems by the likes of michael maier.

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 $20.97

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
december 1st, 2008

threads:
doom
modern-psych
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 211 lp

tecumseh “avalanche and inundation” long playing record

  • skies of joy and sorrow
  • traveling alongside death

  • cascadia
important press release...

tecumseh - avalanche & inundation - lp
imprec211 - lp

lp version. 500 made. heavy drone/heavy meditation. be inside the sounds.

formed in 2004, tecumseh creates drone metal of the heaviest variety although with more forward movement than some of their peers and with the addition of cold electronic hiss. using 2 basses, electronics, percussion and guitar tecumseh wrap themselves and their listeners in a warm sonic meditative slow motion blanket woven from their skilled use of sound and space. avalanche and inundation was recorded in the winter of 2008 with jeremy romagna (yellow swans, trees, silentist).

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 $27.31

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
november 7th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed
lo-fi
doom

important (usa) #imprec 210 lp

hototogisu “pale fatal sister” double long playing record set

  • untitled (1)

  • untitled (2)

  • untitled (3)

  • untitled (4)
october 2008 release ; nice-looking double-lp with four side-length slabs of distant guitar wash & drum-machine antics from matt bower & marcia bassett ...
important press release...

hototogisu - pale fatal sister - 2xlp
imprec210 - double lp

double lp pressing housed in a gatefold jacket. being a nabokovian and visceral garden of delights, a musical evocation of memory and desire spread over four sides of vinyl. the sound is conjured forth from dark wells to be birthed, twisting and screaming in silver winds.

recorded at black dirt studios, over an intensive three day period of hermetic isolation, whilst snow blanketed the surrounding fields, this work is both more detailed and conjures a heavier, more brooding occult atmosphere and sound, than any previous hototogisu release.

limited edition of 700 copies.

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 $14.56

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
november 7th, 2008

threads:
harsh-noise
digital-musics

important (usa) #imprec 205 cd

merzbow “dolphin sonar” compact disc

  • part 1 (24:05)
  • part 2 (20:54)
  • part 3 (18:58)
important press release...

merzbow - dolphin sonar - cd
imprec205 - cd

author, activist, painter and sound artist masami akita had been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. inspired by psychedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well the physical arts, especial kurt schwitters' merzbau, masami akita has created a musical language all his own.

dolphin sonar is merzbow's full length protest album against the annual brutal slaughtering of some 2,500 dolphins in taiji, wakayama prefecture japan. this is an angry album full of beats, blasts and broken glass. clattering smashes are pursued by by pulsing analog whirls like the heart of a dolphin being chased through the bloodied waters of taiji. filtered blasts of pummel and sound slaughter.

another merzbow classic with the finest cover art money can buy by jenny akita. liner notes from captain paul watson.

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 $20.97

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
december 1st, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
harsh-noise
analogue-synth
concert-recordings

important (usa) #imprec 198 lp

astro “live at muryoku muzen temple” long playing record

  • live at muryoku muzen temple (1)

  • live at muryoku muzen temple (2)
july 2008 release ; vinyl-only companion volume to the “the echo at the purple dawn” disc, recorded at the titular temple (wanted to find more about it ; could only find references to the lp itself ... hmm ...)
important press release...
astro - live at muryoku muzen temple - lp
imprec198 - lp

live at muryoku muzen temple is limited to 500 copies. this is the companion release to the astro cd titled the echo at the purple dawn being released at the same time on important records. astro, of course, is the analog/space project of hiroshi hasegawa of the legendary japanese group c.c.c.c. this limited vinyl only release was created using ring modulator and vocals which are rare these days in astro recordings. cover art designed by important.

astro is hiroshi hasegawa’s solo project. he is a founding member of the japanese noise group c.c.c. born in 1963, hasegawa began his improvisation with his voice and drums. in 1990, he made the group c.c.c.c. around the concept of improvised mass-noise with a very loud sound. members included mayuko hino, ryuichi nagakubo, fumio kosakai.

hasegawa began his solo unit astro with analog synthesizers in 1993 and continued playing in c.c.c.c. though c.c.c.c. is no more, hasegawa has continued with astro and his numerous collaborations drifting between dreamy spaced out bliss and full on waterfalls of beautiful noise.

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 $13.13

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed

important (usa) #imprec 186 ep

beequeen “sandancing demos” ten inch single record

  • a while away (original version 3/2007) (1:05)
  • breathe (home demo 16/9/2006) (1:11)
  • breathe (rough mix 10/2006) (2:42)
  • the maypole sing (demo summer 2006) (3:20)

  • white bike (unused song 6 september 2006) (1:09)
  • melt (home-demo summer 2006) (3:47)
  • the honeythief (first version may 2007) (2:45)
  • sandancing (alternate version april 2007) (0:53)
important press release...
beequeen - sandancing demos - 10"
imprec186 - 10"

limited edition of 300 copies in heavy duty screen printed jackets by monoroid. the first 30 copies (what really happened is the printer ran out of white stock) are printed on a chipboard jacket.

the sandancing demos 10", as it's title suggests, contains the original ideas that birthed beequeen's wonderful new album sandancing. original versions, rough mixes & home demos plus an unreleased track.

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 $13.65

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
may 6th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed

important (usa) #imprec 185 cd

john fahey / ayal senior “three day band” compact disc

  • untitled jam #1
  • untitled jam #2

  • in these stories
  • how i tell stories
  • the great koonaklaster
  • entertainers pt. 1
  • the factory pt. 1
  • the factory pt. 2
  • the factory pt. 3
  • collectors
  • entertainers 2
  • entertainers 3
  • the spirit of seriousness kills
  • misfits
  • record collecting
  • religion
  • creativity
important press release...
three day band (john fahey/ayal senior) - self titled - cd
imprec185 - cd

john fahey and ayal senior layed down the tracks for three day band in fahey's woodburn hotel room at some point in 1999. these tracks show an undocumented improvisational side of fahey. it's certainly not early period fahey but not tote era either. at night after the recording sessions commenced ayal would record fahey reading selected excerpts from his writing. fifteen tracks of fahey reading are included here.

from ayal senior's liner notes:

i think i first met john fahey at a vince martin gig in manhattan at some point in 1998. he was sitting in the back of cbgb’s ‘other’ space, listening to the gig and painting with fat bright markers in a notebook he carried around with him. it was impossible not to notice this guy. big, bald, white beard, black sunglasses wearing shorts and wool socks with black basketball shoes in a triple sized red t-shirt. i didn’t even know who john fahey was, but john allen, who brought fahey out to the east coast and, who i have always greatly admired, learned me to the game. john fahey and vince martin in the same room. incredible. i wonder if they spoke… i asked john for one of the pieces he was working on and he casually ripped a sheet out of his notebook and gave it to me.

i spent a few more days with fahey at john allen’s place in jersey. at the time i was in university reading a lot of crap about european philosophy, phenomenology and epistemology. here i am, in my early twenties, schmoozing with the uncontested literary and intellectual champion/prankster genius of guitar music in the 20th century, not knowing anything, really, about his life and music. it was weird, honest and unpretentious. we hit it off, and i guess he found me interesting because we locked in on kafka, camus, spengler and loren connors like we were old war buddies. he called me a sephardic troll and wanted to steal my red new balance kicks.

i ended up tagging along with the no neck blues band for a few shows to philadelphia and boston where they played with lee ranaldo and fahey. i think sunburned played as well. no one would remember i was even there, but i’ll never forget going to the record store in philly with fahey, ranaldo and john allen looking for records before the show. it was during that trip that i found sound@one #1. the entire fahey/nnck axis is so mysterious to me, the recorded fruits of which are truly mind-bending. back at the hinthouse in harlem, i remember david nuss telling me fahey said the nnck were a group of warlocks, which they most certainly are and were. (ken’s electric lake) i kept in touch with fahey and he picked me up at the airport in salem with a blind friend whose name i think was terry. we popped in a tape of my latest jams from the psych shack into his deck and terry was really digging it. he definitely said it sounded like hendrix. fahey said he liked it too and then i think we went to a denny’s for some french fries and shakes.

readers of vampire vultures will no doubt recall my futile attempts to describe or comprehend the state of fahey’s motel room during this period. it was basically a crime scene. empty fruitcups, wet paint on the carpet… my journal from that week records that fahey’s motel room was not cleaner than his car. we cruised the value village scene looking for records. it was during a trip to one of these thrift stores one morning that we bumped into a younger acquaintance of john’s who said he’d want to jam with us back at fahey’s motel room. i think his name was barry. nice guy. we went to his place and grabbed some kazoos and other hobo instruments he had and threw them in fahey’s car.next thing you know, we’ve got some guitars and amps and headed back to the woodburn inn with two pretty, young ladies. we closed the curtains and i pressed record. i had brought a 4 track minidisk recorder with me with the intention of hopefully doing some spoken word recordings of john but had no idea that i would be laying down some molten hot psych with thee fahey. on tape, john’s smoking away on electric guitar, but this ain’t womblife. there’s three other people in the room besides us and i don’t remember any of their names. i don’t remember what they looked like or what the hell they were playing but we were definitely channeling some sort of highway poltergeists. i’m playing guitar as well, tweaking about a bit. for some reason, i kept myself from listening to it or playing it for anyone for a long time. why?

at night, fahey would lie in bed and i’d record him reading various excerpts from his writings. he reminded me a lot of kurt vonnegut in his cynicism and gallows humor. i think they would have gotten along great. i love the unfinished fahey short story about elie wiesel meeting doc boggs on a park bench. boxes were strewn all over his room filled with spiral notebooks. fool’s gold. his visual art was incredible, i’m sure there are people out there who have the various pieces of the puzzle to his sketches, drawings and paintings, that i hope, will be compiled in a way that does them justice.

ayal senior toronto 2007

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 $13.13

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 178 cd

rameses iii “basillica / origins” double compact disc set

  • robert horton - after the red rose (7:49)
  • keith berry - basilica (6:07)
  • gregg kowalsky - rose blood (15:54)
  • astral social club - tigers in the snake pit (8:52)

  • origins i (4:14)
  • origins ii (11:29)
  • origins iii (7:12)
  • origins iv (12:50)
  • origins v (5:02)
important press release...
rameses iii - basillica/origins - double cd
imprec178 - cd

basilica is rameses iii´s eagerly anticipated follow-up to their acclaimed release honey rose (important), basilica is a double album of live recordings of new rameses material accompanied by re-interpretations of those same recordings by contemporaries robert horton, keith berry, gregg kowalsky and astral social club.

each artist approached to contribute to the basilica disc was given free range to experiment with the live files, to re-invent and re-interpret the recordings as they saw fit.minimalist sound-sculptor keith berry rolled out the slow-motion waterfalls of basilica and gave the album an early focus and provided inspiration for the glacial artwork. gregg kowalsky played the rose blood remix as part of his own performance at the overlap 02 event in san francisco using its tuned sinewave oscillators, cassette tapes and loops to induce, to quote the man himself, "a psychoacoustic listening experience". our subtle textures were pushed way into the red when noise veteran neil campbell sandblasted the original tracks into the howling mirror of astral social club. his tigers in the snake pit was remixed live in the very same venue in which it was originally performed and finessed with some post-performance layering.and robert horton was open-minded and kind enough to allow rameses iii to remix his remix, leading to the gentle trumpet curlicues and electronic birdsong entwining the original drone of after the red rose.

although basilica was originally envisioned as a single disc album, once the remixes were complete it slowly became evident that they should be paired with a disc of live recordings in order to put the basilica disc into context. in contrast to the heavily-produced and painstakingly-constructed rameses studio albums, all five of the previously-unreleased tracks on the origins disc were recorded directly to stereo at various venues around london. as such, they fully represent those moments in performance where the trio strive to make the most beautiful music they can.

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 $13.13

new to stock as of
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed

important (usa) #imprec 177 cd

beequeen “sandancing” compact disc

  • a while away
  • breathe
  • melt
  • the edie three step
  • the honeythief
  • tomorrow
  • the maypole song
  • sandancing
  • there, it has been said
  • the illogical song
important press release...
beequeen - sandancing - cd
imprec177 - cd

after the by now usual gap of some two years, beequeen is ready to present their latest album, further maturing their sound from 'the bodyshop' (also on important records). more song based, this album features now vocals by olga wallis solely (with some backing by freek kinkelaar). well rounded popsongs in some places, but beequeen never forget to put in some strange element, without leaping in the dark alley of pointless experiment. orchestral in 'the illogical song', collage like in 'the edie three step' or a simple rhythmmachine in 'the honeythief'. beequeen does all, and with great care and seemingly ease.

this album features also the help of barry gray, former (and first) guitarist of the legendary pink dots, and would not have been the album that is without the invalueable productional skills of erik drost.

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 $13.13

new to stock as of
april 5th, 2008

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
harsh-noise
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 176 cd

daniel menche “glass forest” compact disc

  • one (24:06)
  • two (24:25)
  • three (19:22)
important press release...
daniel menche - glass forest - cd
imprec176 - cd

glass forest is a highly listenable starting point for any newcomers curious about daniel menche's vast discography. it is also, according to menche, the last cd he will release. from now on he'll be releasing his music on lp only or on dvd to accompany films he's been working on. glass forest is also the companion release to body melt which is being released simultaneously on important on lp only.

recorded in the winter of 2005, daniel menche’s glass forest displays a glistening sound world that finely textured with the most delicate of raw organic sound and chaotic electronic noise. not at all extreme as with menche’s previous work but rather a more subtle presence can be heard here on glass forest. subsonic bass drums crawling underneath a massive sheets of glass-like sound layering infinitely into a thick and dense forest of delicate noise. for fans of daniel menche's ambient work and also his loud violent work, glass forest fits exactly right in the middle of these two polarities.

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 $15.76

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 17th, 2008

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 175 lp

daniel menche “body melt” long playing record

  • body melt (1) (17:21)

  • body melt (2) (16:46)
... quite nice lp from daniel menche - for the most part pushing the “tribal percussion” to the background (the focal point of the past few albums) instead getting into some deep drone-cloud omming using a hammond organ as source material ...
important press release...
daniel menche - body melt - lp
imprec175 - lp

daniel menche: hammond organs, native american drums

body melt is limited to 500 copies only. this is the companion release to the glass forest cd being released on important simultaneously. both releases are housed in staggeringly unique artwork by emily hyde.

recorded in the summer of 2007, body melt is a molting and simmering display of furious hammond organs & native american drums. daniel menche manages to merge together the powerfully fuzzed out organ drones along with hypnotically crushing and frenzied drums in a manor that is distinctly the graceful music style of daniel menche.

call it trance music for carnivores or ambient music for cannibals.
body melt sits perfectly throned on this limited vinyl lp release.

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 $15.76

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 17th, 2008

threads:
jewelled-antler
modern-psych
free-improvisation
concert-recordings
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 173 lp

thuja “thuja” long playing record

  • oaklandish (16:27)
  • hemlock (2:29)

  • pehr space (5:21)
  • kains greenhouse (3:00)
  • pehr space (3:29)
  • kains basement (8:08)
killer set of flowing acoustic psychedelia from an augmented lineup of this once-yearly-meeting jewelled antler group thuja, here counting glenn donaldson, keith evans, loren chasse, steven r. smith, christine beopple, and rob reger amongst the ranks ...
important press release...
thuja - thuja - lp
imprec173 - lp

this is a limited edition of 500 copies on lp.

improvisational bay area quartet thuja create aural landscapes that capture the reverberations of wood and wire, the sounds of breaking sticks and scraping stones, and the ambience of their surroundings into a shifting, dynamic musical framework. the members of thuja play off each other and the space they inhabit with a natural instinct, succeeding in conjuring spectral compositions which are at once abstract yet inviting.

for this self-titled release, their sixth full-length and first for important records, thuja have assembled recordings from various live performance spaces (the hemlock, the oaklandish gallery, pehr space, kains greenhouse) and have welcomed a variety of guests into the fold to help assist and expand their microscopic psychedelia toward a new plateau. after eight years, the semi-annual gathering of the members of thuja is almost traditional, but new clearings are still to be discovered in its thickets of sound.

this self-titled release is yet another essential artifact from thuja's ongoing explorations.

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 $13.13

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
folk

important (usa) #imprec 172 cd

tau emerald “travelers two” compact disc

  • travellers two
  • evening wings
  • stoikite
  • barrowlands
  • full moon
  • pilgrims’ return
  • henbane
  • water divinging
  • bani caapi
  • mermaids’ call
  • laureola
important press release...
tau emerald - travellers two - cd
imprec172 - cd

travellers two is a full length recording from the duo of tara burke (fursaxa) and sharron kraus. together kraus & burke create an ethereal record of dark-folk magic.

tara burke and sharron kraus were due to travel to finland together for a week but missed the flight, so instead they decided to spend the week recording together and travellers two is the result. the time was spent out in the fields, visiting burial mounds, and then coming back to sharron's home studio to work. they had played previously together and done some recording but this is the first time an album was conceived.

fursaxa is tara burke. formerly a member of the siltbreeze band un, tara started her fursaxa project in 1999 after un disbanded. after being a long time resident of philadelphia, tara decided to leave the "city of brotherly love" for the touring life. so from april 2005-april 2006 she toured extensively throughout the uk, the usa, and europe with friends and fellow musicians jack rose, sharron kraus, alexander tucker, christina carter, marcia bassett, and the spires that in the sunset rise, to name a few. for her live performances she uses mostly looped vocals, flutes, and percussion, a casio keyboard, guitar, and mandolin, in an attempt to transport her audience into the ethereal realms. on her forthcoming album alone in the dark wood she employs a myriad of instruments such as mandolin, guitar, violin, banjo, balalaika, organ, bells,, flute, percussion, and voice. this album was recorded and mixed in finland and pennsylvania. tara has recently been collaborating with several other musicians. espers member helena espvall and tara have a duo called anahita, and in 2006 released arcana en cantos on the deserted village label from ireland. they are currently working on their second release. currently, fursaxa is playing and recording her music in the rural hills of pennsylvania.

sharron kraus is a singer/musician/songwriter who creates music rooted in the folk traditions of england and appalachia. her work is characterized by soil-rich vocals, haunting banjo, fine acoustic guitar and visionary wordcraft. her songs are populated by a carnival array of fatally charismatic characters, telling tales of enslavement, perversion, incest, obsession, love and death. sharron’s live performances are stark, compelling, and delicate. as with her music, her performance continues the tradition of the balladeer. she is like the roving storyteller, bringing tales of terror, sadness and joy to a stranger’s hearth on a dark and stormy night.

sharron’s debut album beautiful twisted was released by australian psych label camera obscura in 2002 and received rave reviews around the world. it was listed in rolling stone magazine’s critics’ top albums of 2002. after touring with us psychedelic folk band the iditarod, she collaborated with them on an album of wintry songs and soundscapes entitled yuletide and released by avant/experimental label elsie and jack in 2003

sharron’s second solo album, songs of love and loss, was recorded at home in oxford and at dungeon studios in the cotswolds. the album features jane griffiths on fiddle and viola, jon fletcher on harmonica and occasional guitar, banjo and vocals, colin fletcher on bass, as well as bbc folk award-winning fiddler jon boden and grammy-nominated early music violinist giles lewin. the album was finished in providence and mixed with jeffrey alexander (the iditarod, black forest/black sea). songs of love and loss is a natural follow-up to beautiful twisted, in places darker and more discordant, in others gentler and sweeter.

other recent and ongoing collaborations include the black dove, an album written and recorded with californian folk songsmith christian kiefer; tau emerald, a duo with tara burke (fursaxa) and leaves from off the tree, an album of traditional songs recorded with meg baird and helena espvall released on bo’ weavil recordings.

sharron has been featured in the wire, dirty linen, new folk sounds, arthur magazine, ptolemaic terrascope and broken face. she has been interviewed on bbc radio 3 for ‘a place called england’ discussing the future of english folk music and recorded sessions for bbc radio scotland, freakzone on radio 6, and independent radio stations across the us. her fanbase includes veteran folkies shirley collins and archie fisher as well as indie figureheads michael gira, david tibet and sonic youth’s thurston moore.

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 $14.97

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
december 4th, 2007

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
analogue-synth
musique-concrčte
field-recordings
sound-art
minimalism-drones

 best of 2007 !!! 
important (usa) #imprec 168 cd

christina kubisch “night flights” compact disc

  • the cat’s dream (18:50)
  • night flights (8:54)
  • circles iii (15:10)
... until this was announced, i actually wasn’t aware of the music being reissued here; composed & recorded by christina kubisch in the early-mid 1980s & initially pressed on the italian auf dem nil label in 1987 ... but i’ll be damned if isn’t one of the more spectacular titles in her modest early discography ...

consisting of three pieces, all performed by kubisch herself utilizing “voice • sea shell trumpet • eagle bone • crystal glass bowls • flute • natural sounds • synthi ems • chorus flanger • sampler • computer yamaha cx5m • synare s3x • tubular glass horns • sampled sounds • alto flute • delay,” this comes close to full-blown musique concrčte in spots, while retaining the found-sound-event charm that fuels so much of her later work...

an excellent collection; reminds me of some of ann(e)a lockwood’s early tape music... highly recommended.
important press release...
christina kubisch - night flights
imprec168 - cd

“absolutely crucial reissue of christina kubisch's masterwork night flights. this is the first time it's been available in 20 years and the first time it's ever been issued on cd. night flights is made up of three massive works of sound collage. her sensitivities and abilities are akin to a bonsai master sculpting the perfect juniper or joseph cornell hard at work putting the finishing touches on a box. it's hard to imagine a world where half the records on important could have been possible without kubisch and the the first generation of sound artists who forged the path. it's a tremendous honor to be able to release this album.” - john brien, important records nov. 2007

“the most consistently rewarding of the first-generation sound-artists.” - keith fullerton whitman

night flights is a groundbreaking work from one of the most influential of the first generation sound artists. for some reason this staggering work has been left out of print for over 20 years. night flights has been remastered and includes updated liner notes from christina kubisch. night flights is being released in conjunction with kubisch's release of new work for important records titled audible/inaudible: five electrical walks.

“the compositions for night flights were realized in milano in the period between 1983 and 1986. milan at that time was a vivid and experimental place, with many international (mostly american) guests performing like robert wilson, john cage, trisha brown, the living, laurie anderson, etc.

at that time we were a group of several musicians working loosely together, exchanging knowledge about custom made instruments, the latest electronic devices, rare records, and information about where to go and what to listen to.

the lack of digital information and internet was one of the reasons for frequent meetings and musical experiments. we were determined to be the avant garde in a classical world of virtuosity. davide mosconi, raffaele serra, riccardo sinigaglia and others included myself had small but, seen from todays point of view, very artistic and exotic looking studios with many strange, often non european instruments and all kinds of keyboards, electronic drums and tape recorders. the official studios from the conservatory were not available for us but not interesting as well. we tried to make multichannel recordings and mixes by ourselves, we invented long tape loops going through the whole room, echo effects and reverb. we became specialists in cutting and manipulating tapes.

the so called non-european musical tradition was a permanent source of inspiration. the meeting and performances with roberto laneri, overtone singer and indian music specialist opened up new horizons. for several years i worked as well for the record company raretone and was responsible for the release of the recordings of giaconto scelsi. i spent wonderful long days at his home, full with conversations about art and music. alvin curran, who took care of scelsis tapes and archive, often came by.

there was a special fertile atmosphere in the early eighties in milano. somehow all these activities and the search for new sound worlds and techniques were a vital step on the way to what today is called sound art, though the term was not common then. some characteristics of what is defined as soundscapes or sound environment are included in night flights: a special interest in sound colours, musical structure based on may layers of natural recordings and the intent to open up the listener's space even with the limited means of a vinyl recording.”

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new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
free-improvisation

important (usa) #imprec 166 lp

xbxrx “sounds” long playing record

  • infancy of millions pt.i
  • asymbol
  • chaired.

  • infancy of millions pt.ii
  • sentido roto
  • na lata
  • oceaned
important press release...
xbxrx - sounds
imprec166 - lp

sounds documents the improvisational side of xbxrx. the band has built a reputation over the past decade for its singularly high-energy live performances and committment to pushing the limits of rock music forms and sounds is the next step in this progression. through the years improvisation has been a major part of the xbxrx live show, but remained unrecorded until now. the album features 7 improvisations of distinctive character and mood ranging from frenzied storms of white noise to pointillistic chamber music.

xbxrx has constantly toured the us since 1999 and is scheduled through 2007 currently. the band has garnered a strong profile in recent years through its association with polyvinyl records, releasing the acclaimed albums sixth in sixes (2005) and wars (2007.) sound will definitely appeal to those attracted to the experimental aspects of xbxrx and reconfirms the band's long-running solidarity with the noise scene.

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new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
free-improvisation

important (usa) #imprec 163 cd

xbxrx “sounds” compact disc

  • infancy of millions pt.i
  • asymbol
  • chaired.
  • infancy of millions pt.ii
  • sentido roto
  • na lata
  • oceaned
important press release...
xbxrx - sounds
imprec163 - cd

sounds documents the improvisational side of xbxrx. the band has built a reputation over the past decade for its singularly high-energy live performances and committment to pushing the limits of rock music forms and sounds is the next step in this progression. through the years improvisation has been a major part of the xbxrx live show, but remained unrecorded until now. the album features 7 improvisations of distinctive character and mood ranging from frenzied storms of white noise to pointillistic chamber music.

xbxrx has constantly toured the us since 1999 and is scheduled through 2007 currently. the band has garnered a strong profile in recent years through its association with polyvinyl records, releasing the acclaimed albums sixth in sixes (2005) and wars (2007.) sound will definitely appeal to those attracted to the experimental aspects of xbxrx and reconfirms the band's long-running solidarity with the noise scene.

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back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 17th, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
folk

important (usa) #imprec 162 cd

“the garden of forking paths” compact disc

  • chieko mori - spiral wave
  • james blackshaw - the broken hourglass
  • helena espvall - home of shadows and whirlwinds
  • josef van wissem - the mirror of eternal light
  • chieko mori - tokyo light
important press release...
va - the garden of forking paths - cd
imprec162 - cd

"i leave to several futures (not to all) my garden of forking paths" - ts'ui pen
the garden of forking paths was compiled for important records by guitarist james blackshaw. compositions were recorded specially for this collection by helena espeval (espers), james blackshaw, jozef van wissem and chieko mori. beautifully assembled, the garden of forking paths serves as a singular and particularly unique musical statement.

the story of how this compilation came into being is, unlike many other stories i could mention, a relatively simple one. my wish was to put together a compilation of experimental music for solo stringed instruments, with little to no overdubs, that would hold up well as a thoughtful and engaging experience as an entirety, from beginning to end, much as i would if i were recording and sequencing an album myself. given my own history of composing music for solo 12-string guitar, it may come as no suprise to hear that i have for a long time connected with such music in a very immediate and personal way and when the notion of curation a compilation first entered my mind, only a couple of months or so ago now - an idea also, i believe, born out of a desire for a new creative challenge involving others and a wish to hear my own music in a different context - it was immediately apparent who i would like to contribute:

chieko mori, a japanese composer, koto virtuoso and one-time fabrica resident, who first came to my attention with her beautiful and mesmerising debut recording "jumping rabbit" for john zorn's tzadik label in 2005, which ranks itself as one of my all-time favourite albums; jozef van wissem, a similarly accomplished rennaissance lute player and composer from the netherlands, who has collaborated with gary lucas and tetuzi akiyama amongst others and whose solo albums often make use of palindromic or mirrored structures interwoven with field recordings to haunting and immensely compelling effect; swedish cellist and improviser helena espvall, perhaps currently best known for her work with us psych-folk group espers, but who has also played with such luminaries as pauline oliveros and eugene chadbourne and whose own recent solo work has demonstrated her amazing power and sensitivity as an artist.

each of them has a very unique and unorthodox approach of writing and performing, which challenges as much as it embraces their respective instrument's musical roots, be they in eastern or western traditional or classical forms. despite the variation in instrumentation, not to mention the differences in nationality and backgrounds of the performers themselves, it is also interesting to note certain similarities to be found between the five tracks contained on this compilation. sometimes it can be heard melodically; sometimes within the movement, space or colour of the pieces; sometimes it is simply felt - a purity or emotional resonance that defies analysis and can rarely be articulated into words, at least not by me anyway. it is better some things remain a mystery. that you would stop for a moment to consider it so is enough.

i would like to express my deepest gratitude to chieko, helena and jozef for their time and enthusiasm and, of course, for agreeing to take part; to hanna tuulikki, for the incredible artwork and also to john brien of important records for his support and belief in this project. i must also mention that the title of this compilation is intended as a homage to argentinian author jorge luis borges' short fictional story el jardín de senderos que se bifurcan, although the album itself is not, maybe other than to the spirit and the themes which pervade borges' fascinating and inspiring body of work.

- james blackshaw, may 2007

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new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
experimental-instruments
electro-acoustic-improvisation

important (usa) #imprec 159 cd

sky city “sky city” compact disc

  • are you on the solar ark or not
  • the sky is crying
  • its after the end of the world
  • a visit to sky city
important press release...
sky city - sky city
imprec159 - cd

sky city features tom carter (charalambides), robert horton, lisa cameron & lee ann cameron. lisa cameron is a drummer and percussionist from austin, texas, whom tom carter has played with in the past. lisa creates exquisite noise by vibrating snares and cymbals with feedback. when she heard tom carter and robert horton’s lunar eclipse, she wanted to record with them. lisa and vocalist lee ann cameron drove from austin to the bay area and a session was planned. in the meantime, tom was journeying in new mexico and drove by a road sign to sky city, so he had found the name for the new group.

the day of the session, lisa and lee ann drove from san francisco, picked up tom in oakland and arrived at the studio on the hill. lisa had somehow left her equipment in sf. as they drove up, i heard tom say, “that’s so texas.” then the magic started.

lisa asked, “do you have a cymbal?”
“yes”
“an extra contact microphone?”
“yes.”
“a snare?”
“yes.”
“some strips of metal?”
“yes.”
then we walked over the abyss together into sky city.

sky city is psychedelic space music with all the atoms of surfaces freed to inter and counter react. noise in the outer dimension. horton’s homemade inventions, carter’s lyrical ebow guitar lines. the walking on the moon vocals of lee ann cameron. the vibration of material planes by lisa cameron. the broken blues of the boot (horton’s oldest instrument 4 strings on a piece of wood the shape of italy). sun ra ark and neil young’s arc put through a digital blender and reconstituted for space travel. the magical musical thing (mmt) a toy synthesizer from the 70’s. a great drawing on the inside cover by natacha robinson. a chance for music induced time travel to parallel worlds and an opportunity to recieve a collect call for the future from sky city.

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important (usa) #imprec 157 cd

( r ) “in pink” compact disc

  • the straw that broke the camel's back (5:08)
  • fagolose (7:42)
  • eva drink (4:56)
  • the unfortunate rake (2:58)
  • atmosphere (6:12)
  • in spring with my diamond ring (4:47)
  • martini cocktail (4:25)
  • the blue lagoon (5:44)
  • landscape #2 (5:43)
important press release...
( r ) - in pink
imprec157 - cd

brand new full length, 2nd for important, from larsen member fabrizio modonese palumbo's brilliant ( r ) project.

from fabrizio modonese palumbo:

“in pink is the 3rd ( r ) album. i’ve worked on it for almost 2 years, both ‘cause i’ve been very busy with larsen and xxl as well as touring and working in the studio with other bands, and ‘cause it came through troubled and sometimes painful, but anyway intense times.

whereas the previous under the cables, into the wind was a very warm and relaxed album, and also my favourite so far, in pink is a pretty extreme one, swinging between joy and fear, introspective moody songs and explosions of - desperately optimistic - energy.

still it is more a diary than an exorcism, filled with songs about death and transfiguration, including my version of an irish traditional theme (which also johnny cash interpreted on one of his american albums) and joy division’s classic atmosphere (which i list among the best songs ever written). it is also my most arranged and colourful album where my recent experiences as producer for other bands have converged, and the most “band” oriented among my solos.

while i was composing and recording it i was also playing lots of shows and often other musicians joined me on stage. i really wanted to have them on the album in order to get that sound in the studio too and also for personal and sentimental reasons, them being among my closest friends.

paul beauchamp (who is also my partner in the blind cave salamander project as well as one of the members of the steve mckay - of stooges- band), ango (of mariae nascenti), il bue (of larsen) and the amazing baby dee have contributed to the final result of this album along with marco milanesio that even this time has not only recorded and mixed the album, but also co-produced it with me.

the cd also sports some amazing pictures by photographer giulia caira that portray to perfection the moods of the music.

pink was also the colour of vivienne westwood’s sex pistols t-shirts, so in pink is a punk album and, despite everything - luckily!- it ends up with very positive notes, out of darkness and into the landscapes and the waters of the blue lagoon.”

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 $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.

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 $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.

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 $14.97

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-composition
minimalism-drones

 best of 2007 !!! 
important (usa) #imprec 154 cd

duane pitre / pilotram ensemble “organized pitches occuring in time” compact disc

  • the ensemble chord in eb with a minor 7th and a pump organ base
  • the ensemble chord in c with a major 7th and a guitar base
very nice disc of long-form ensemble-works composed by duane pitre & performed by his pilotram group. of the 30-odd albums that name-dropped la monte young in their press-materials this year; this is by far the most attuned to young’s whole ethos/spirit ...
important press release...
duane pitre / pilotram ensemble - organized pitches occurring in time
imprec154 - cd

organized pitches occurring in time consists of two 25 minute pieces of music, both spawned from the same conceptual composition/score by duane pitre, titled ensemble drones. with their form reminiscent of works by la monte young’s theater of eternal music and their tonality touching on the floating works of terry riley, the ensemble chord in eb with a minor 7th and a pump organ base & the ensemble chord in c with a major 7th and a guitar base are aural tapestries based on a minimal tonal palette with their instrumentation consisting of guitars, alto saxophones, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, tone generator, and pump organ.

the ensemble drones composition varies from the traditional sort as it is rule-based with the score consisting of a set tonic, set pitch classes, playing methods, technique restrictions, and spontaneous conduction. the score is a structure for the performing ensemble to improvise on—order spawning chaos producing order that is different on each occasion of a performance or recording. ensemble drones is discipline and freedom, both within each other, the first major focus of the work. variance is the second major focus of the composition; with instrumentation, ensemble performers, tonic, pitch classes, and the physical space varying from performance to performance, the results can never be the same.

one way to view ensemble drones is like a compositional “body,” as in the composition taking human form. the score is the skeletal structure that gives the "body" its general shape and feel. the pump organ, for instance, could serve as the circulatory system, the bass clarinet as the muscles, cello and saxophones as the internal organs, the electrically generated tones as the nervous system, guitars as the flesh, viola as the skin, violin as strands of hair, and the listener—the listener acts as the eyes. not in the sense of vision, though—each listener will "view" the same compositional body differently, and, in return, the body will view itself differently with each new set of eyes. this helps to analogize the last major focus of the ensemble drones score/composition, which is perception.

artist bio:

duane pitre is a composer/performer who is recognized for his creation of multiple abstract sounds such as dense/atmospheric drones and minimalist compositions/improvisations.

after duane pitre's departure from san diego's the camera obscura in summer 2000, he started the project known as pilotram. in september 2004 pitre moved to brooklyn, new york, and pilotram started performing at nyc venues such as the ontological-hysteric theater (noise! 2005), the knitting factory, galapagos, lit, and abcnorio. there, pitre began in-depth studies of music and sound including: the physics of sound, the involvement of mathematics in tuning and temperament, the ancient tuning system of just intonation and other microtonal tuning systems, as well as the minimalist composers la monte young, terry riley, and steve reich.

although improvisation played its part in pitre’s works pre-2004, the improvisational nyc scene had an immense impact on him. after sessioning around town for the better part of 2005; pitre had a new love, spontaneity.

2006 found pitre heading back to san diego to focus on his solo works, the exploration of new instruments like his justly tuned ukelin, and the continuation of his just intonation and microtonal studies (these studies also included the traditional world music of india, persia, and japan; which all utilize microtonal systems). 2006 also marked the transformation of his performance/recording title from pilotram to duane pitre/pilotram; 2007 will see further title transformation to duane pitre; shedding the pilotram moniker altogether.

while in san diego, pitre began to implement his just intonation and microtonal studies into his own music, spawning the pieces music for microtonal guitar and mallets and comprovisation for justly tuned ukelin [no.1], both to be included on a new record of solo works which will be completed in spring 2007.

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 $5.76

new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

important (usa) #imprec 153 ep

barbez “mexico city impressions b/w somebody get rid of the king” seven inch single record

  • mexico city impressions

  • somebody get rid of the king
important press release...
barbez - mexico city impressions b/w someone get rid of the king
imprec153 - 7"

this is #8 in important records' ongoing arts and crafts series pairing music with packaging made by the musicians.

this 7" is limited to 400 copies and was designed, signed and numbered by barbez's dan kaufman. these two intense numbers were inspired by both a pleasant trip through a small historic neighborhood in mexico city and the detestable iraq war. cover art was inspired by the abuse of prisoners in guantanamo bay. look for the next barbez record sometime soon on john zorn's tzadik label.

these two songs were recorded and mixed by the great martin bisi (sonic youth, john zorn, swans) at b.c. studios near the gowanus canal in brooklyn, ny in 2006. they were mastered by fred kevorkian (white stripes) at avatar studios. the first song, mexico city impressions, was conceived on a trip to mexico city while strolling through a lovely neighborhood called coyoacan where frieda kahlo, leon trotsky and diego rivera once lived some 60 years ago. there's a kind of parisian feeling to the neighborhood and to a little park there with a carousel and people selling little bags of mexican sweets. it's an extremely vibrant place, full of meso-american sounds and colors floating about. this short pulsating song is my impression of that vibrancy, color and heartbeat of mexico city, and an homage to the enchanting sound of the marimbas you hear everywhere in that city.

the second song, somebody get rid of the king, is an angry lament that comes out of a great fury at the iraq war and especially at the cruelty of the united states towards the detainees it holds in guantanamo and in the tortures it perpetrated at the abu ghraib prison. the subject was close to my heart as i spent several years working as a researcher with famed journalist seymour hersh on his book, chain of command, which detailed these outrageous war crimes. the song begins in a slow and mournful vein only to transform into a punk-rock blowout full of rage.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
august 25th, 2009

first in stock on
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-improvisation
playback-music
plunder-phonic

important (usa) #imprec 148 cd

black magic disco “black magic disco” compact disc

  • untitled (1) (20:02)
  • untitled (2) (18:14)
  • untitled (3) (17:24)
  • untitled (4) (18:13)
important press release...
black magic disco - black magic disco
imprec148 - cd

black magic disco is the new all-star band featuring tom greenwood (jackie-o motherfucker), maurizio & roberto opalio (my cat is an alien) and ramona ponzini (painting petals on planet ghost, praxinoscope).

the project was born out of an idea from tom greenwood, leader of the avant-folk-blues ensemble jomf, who invited maurizio and roberto opalio, aka the italian improv duo my cat is an alien (mciaa), and their close collaborator ramona ponzini (also involved with the two brothers in the projects named painting petals on planet ghost and praxinoscope, as well as in the new collaboration with z'ev) to perform with him for two months of touring throughout all europe in may/ june 2005.

as one can imagine, the result was killer. the music which came out of he live performances was totally explosive, combining ramona's japanese vocals & hypnotic chimes with greenwood's psych-blues guitar attitude & wild turntablism, over mciaa's alien cosmic flux of electric guitars, space toys & percussions, creating a still unheard mixture of sounds unifying archaic & post-modern, western & eastern, sky & earth.

this debut cd represents a unique chance to experience almost 80 minutes of that pure and magic live action, divided in four long tracks taken from the original live recordings.

black magic disco's logo comes from the pencil of roberto opalio; the gatefold jacket cd artwork, curated by mciaa contains some band photos taken during the live performances included in the record.

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 $13.13

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
may 7th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
harsh-noise
lafms
free-improvisation
lo-fi

important (usa) #imprec 145 lp

smegma “33 1/3 lp version” long playing record

  • up there
  • glossolalia
  • antics

  • the door
  • not right
  • over & out
important press release...
smegma - 33 1/3 - lp
imprec145 - lp

this vinyl edition of 33 1/3 is limited to 1000 copies. includes a bonus track only available on the vinyl version..

33 1/3 is smegma's tribute to their 20th century avant-garde and out-jazz influences. the title is one part reference to the happy revival of passionate vinyl listening in the 21st century and one part celebration of their long hard slog of 33 1/3 years of being one of the most free thinking and original american underground groups. their focus, ideas and determination has brought them through more than three decades and to this day they remain unparalleled, original and highly influential.

smegma. seriously. they've been at it for so long now that you can't really even say they sound like anyone else. you can only say that others sound like them. they're all here on 33 1/3: oblivia, ju suk reet meate, burned mind, conroy, dr. id. the core group drumming up their influences and pulling off another burning album of magnificent proportions.

while smegma has never really fit in anywhere their influence on the modern avant garde and improvised noise scene is absolutely undeniable. however, it's essential to remember that smegma has never been noise for noise's sake. while they've had two feet firmly planted in avant-garde & free jazz one must not forget their rock roots as well. for this reason alone they're bound to not fit in anywhere. influences aside, not matter how much everyone else sounds like smegma, you can bet that smegma is always going to sound like nobody else. nobody else channels so much energy, effort, influence or sound into their work. they may just be the greatest american band. ever.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
modern-composition
guitar-themed
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 138 cd

allesandro stefana “poste e telegraffi” compact disc

  • western soda (2:50)
  • semi tostati di cielo (9:16)
  • motel (3:02)
  • poste e telegrafi blues (4:56)
  • fiori campionati (6:16)
  • whales cemetary (5:06)
  • titoli di coda (2:58)
important press release...
alessandro stefana - poste e telegrafi - cd
imprec138 - cd

poste e telegrafi is the debut solo album from italian guitarist allesandro stefana. featuring an allstar cast including mark ribot & leo abrahams, stefana creates a dreamy world of instrumental perfection and beauty.

inspired by the work of ennio morricone, ry cooder, simon jeffes, steve reich and brian eno, he has created a thoroughly modern western world within his compositions and arrangements. with constant references to traditional music and rural blues he utilizes electric and acoustic instrumentation with tremendously compelling results. acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars along with banjo, kalimba, baliphones and found objects were all carefully combined with some primitive electronic instruments such as an arpeggiator, omnichord and home made vinyl loops. his sound is entirely original yet clearly rooted in traditions such as film music, blues, experimental, ambient and avante garde musics.

stefana manages his cast of collaborators very well. most tracks on poste e telegrafi are duets with these musicians keeping the sound and arrangement simple and pure. instruments breathe and pulse with life and excitement in this highly original album. to call this a “promising debut” would be to dismiss the tremendous success delivered by poste e telegrafi.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
may 7th, 2007

threads:
lafms
modern-psych
lo-fi
harsh-noise
free-improvisation

important (usa) #imprec 137 cd

smegma “33 1/3” compact disc

  • percrash (3:36)
  • glossolalia (4:56)
  • antics (9:14)
  • world of plugs (5:29)
  • the door (10:04)
  • not right (4:36)
  • up there (3:15)

  • video: smegma live! (7:10)
cd version ; includes a bonus embedded video of the group w/c. spencer yeh (burning star core) & twig harper (nautical almanac) ...
important press release...
smegma - 33 1/3 - cd
imprec137 - cd

33 1/3 is smegma's tribute to their 20th century avant-garde and out-jazz influences. the title is one part reference to the happy revival of passionate vinyl listening in the 21st century and one part celebration of their long hard slog of 33 1/3 years of being one of the most free thinking and original american underground groups. their focus, ideas and determination has brought them through more than three decades and to this day they remain unparalleled, original and highly influential.

33 1/3 is enhanced with live videos of happy holidays live at end times festival (with spencer yeh and twig harper) as well as grubsteak live at the three million tongues festival in chicago.

smegma. seriously. they've been at it for so long now that you can't really even say they sound like anyone else. you can only say that others sound like them. they're all here on 33 1/3: oblivia, ju suk reet meate, burned mind, conroy, dr. id. the core group drumming up their influences and pulling off another burning album of magnificent proportions.

while smegma has never really fit in anywhere their influence on the modern avant garde and improvised noise scene is absolutely undeniable. however, it's essential to remember that smegma has never been noise for noise's sake. while they've had two feet firmly planted in avant-garde & free jazz one must not forget their rock roots as well. for this reason alone they're bound to not fit in anywhere. influences aside, not matter how much everyone else sounds like smegma, you can bet that smegma is always going to sound like nobody else. nobody else channels so much energy, effort, influence or sound into their work. they may just be the greatest american band. ever.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise
analogue-synth

important (usa) #imprec 136 cd

merzbow “merzbear” compact disc

  • part.1 (8:20)
  • part.2 (9:54)
  • part.3 (15:17)
  • part.4 (16:04)
important press release...
merzbow - merzbear - cd
imprec136 - cd

author, activist, painter and sound artist masami akita had been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. inspired by psycedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well the physical arts, especial kurt schwitters' merzbau, masami akita has created a musical language all his own.

merzbear is the sixth merzbow release in his utterly essential merz series for important records.

merzbear pulses and pounds with distorted droning heavy guitar feedback, pulsing noise-blasts and swirling analog sounds of akita's distinct ems sythi. like most of merzbow's recordings, merzbear is a significant document of his ever evolving improvisational style. slowly, he's been moving away from his pure laptop era and re-incorporating elements of his pre-laptop analog days w/ his homemade junk guitar, ems synthi & electronics. this hybrid sound brings the past into the present and pounds with total junk-collage dada urgency as only masami akita can do it. cover art by jenny akita.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
modern-composition

important (usa) #imprec 135 cd

larsen “musm ii” compact disc

  • montage (4:31)
  • heidi 037 (2:16)
  • rebirth (2:08)
  • impro #2 (alt mix) (5:12)
  • mentre (alt mix) (5:17)
  • intermezzo (instrumental mix) (7:23)
  • impro #1 (alt mix) (4:16)
  • rehearsal #1 (2:16)
  • little nemo (3:07)
  • how a mosquito operates (5:35)
  • the sinking of the lusitania (6:58)
  • gertie on tour (1:27)
  • the centaurus (4:22)
  • vegetable man (3:29)
  • ogham the melody (4:16)
  • il sogno di momi (4:07)
important press release...
larsen - musm ii - cd
imprec135 - cd

originally released as a limited edition cd for larsen's us tour in 2003 and then re-issued 1 year later on vinyl by seattle based label enterruption musm has since been out of print. finally, important records is making it officialy available in a new revised and expanded version with 6 extra tracks and brand new artwork.

musm ii includes all the non-album tracks that larsen have released since their first full length. no arms,no legs, identification problems was recorded and produced by martin bisi in 1996, and now almost impossible to find. it is represented here by 2 ambient tracks and a brand new editing of some sounds from that album.

also included are 4 previously unreleased mixes from the album rever (produced by michael gira) the award winning soundtrack of some short silent animated movies by winsor mccay, compillation tracks, collaborations with julia kent (antony and the johnsons) and an odd version of syd barrett's vegetable man.

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 $12.96

new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
free-jazz

important (usa) #imprec 133 cd

william hooker / bill horist / eyvind kang “this season’s fire” compact disc

  • realize
  • outcry
  • pitch,under the hammer
  • baron
  • seasons ii
  • fate
important press release...
hooker / kang / horist - the season's fire
imprec133 - cd

this all-star trio features william hooker on drums, eyvind kang on violin and guitar and bill horist on guitar. sync'd up like they've been playing together for eternity these recordings represent a dramatic paradigm shift in the art of improvisation. these three thoroughly modern artists scan jazz, new music and noise – stretching it all out and putting it back together within the expansive boundaries of these tremendously compelling high energy recordings.

william hooker has performed as a leader of many ensembles of improvised and new music. accompanying musicians have included: billy bang, thurston moore, david murray, david s. ware, william parker, melvin gibbs, donald miller, dj olive, elliot sharpe, malachi thompson, zeena parkins, lee ranaldo, dj spooky, rob brown, roy campbell, mark hennen, steven bernstein, roy nathanson, jason hwang, glenn spearman, joseph celli, ellen christi and many more

eyvind kang's introduction seems to have come when he was still a student at cornish college. at this time he traveled to nyc to perform and tour with john zorn's cobra game piece. kang has since recorded and toured with john zorn, mr. bungle, secret chiefs, bill frissel, sun city girls, arto lindsay, wayne horvitz & many more.

bill horist has played or recorded with members of larsen, earth and the boredoms as well as bill frisell, wayne horvitz, kk null, matt chamberlain, trey gunn, chris cutler, kawabata makoto, trey spruance, eugene chadbourne, tatsuyayoshida, shazaad ismaily, climax golden twins, haco, illusion of safety, saadet tuerkoez, planktonman, jack wright, steve fisk, anla courtis (reynols) and many more.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 132 cd

vanishing voice “nordic visions” compact disc

  • nordic visions
  • eideltorut
  • dewey ishmael wolf
  • black gold
important press release...
vanishing voice - nordic visions - cd
imprec132 - cd

nordic visions was originaly released in a tiny vinyl edition of 525 copies which sold out immediately. here it is by demand, resurrected as a digital tiki for the original vinyl release.

while wooden wand and satya sai jammed with the sky high band in beautiful california, the vanishing voice dug in deep in the frozen northeast. snowed in with utopian texts and mounting paranoia, steven the harvester, heidi white diamond diehl, and pete wolfy nolan joined nonhorse in an abandoned textile factory, boiling out these ballads of suspended disbelief and hope for the better world.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
may 7th, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise
analogue-synth

important (usa) #imprec 131 cd

merzbow / carlos giffoni “synth destruction” compact disc

  • synth destruction (61:17)
important press release...
merzbow & carlos giffoni - synth destruction - cd
imprec131 - cd

over 60 minutes of total analog destruction by noise king merzbow and brooklyn noise boss carlos giffoni, this live collaboration was recorded during giffoni's synth destruction japan tour in september of 2006. this is sound totalism and is as heavy as it comes: totally brutal, totally ugly, totally beautiful, totally intense, totally classic, totally analog, total synth and total destruction.

intense artwork by jenny akita.

author, activist, painter and sound artist masami akita has been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. inspired by psychedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well the physical arts, especialy kurt schwitters' merzbau, masami akita has created a musical language all his own.

carlos giffoni, despite his young age, has been an in-demand brooklyn collaborator for many years. he has worked with jim o'rourke, thurston moore, nels cline, chris corsano, fe-mail and many others. in 2005 he releases his first solo record titled welcome home on important records.

this is merzbow and giffoni's first collaborative release.

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 $20.16

new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
film-video
concert-recordings
modern-psych
modern-composition
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 129 cd

larsen “abeceda” compact disc and digital versatile disc set

  • part 1
  • part 2
  • part 3
  • part 4
  • part 5
  • part 6
  • part 7
  • part 8
  • part 9

  • part 1
  • part 2
  • part 3
  • part 4
  • part 5
  • part 6
  • part 7
  • part 8
  • part 9
important press release...
larsen & friends - abeceda
imprec129 - cd/dvd

david michael tibet: vocals
fabrizio modonese palumbo: guitar, electric viola
jňhann jňhannsson: electric organ, laptop
baby dee: harp, piano
julia kent: cello
marco "il bue" schiavo: drums, glokenspiel
paolo dellapiana: electronics, accordion, shruti-box, theremin
roberto maria clemente: guitar

cd/dvd set in deluxe packaging w/ custom die cut slip case & 20 page full color booklet. dvd contains karel teige's original abeceda and larsen & friend's entire performance w/ the film material cleverly edited in. cd contains the audio recordings of the performance. larsen w/ david tibet, johann johannson, julia kent & baby dee.



larsen & friends abeceda captures an extremely special evening for larsen, one that places them in a perfect visual and musical perspective revealing more an a little about this enigmatic quartet from torino italy.

for one night only larsen assembled their closest musical friends to play to a sold out crowd at the teatro colosseo in torino italy. the purpose of the performance was to pay tribute to the work of czech avant garde designer, typographer, founder of devestil and cultural radicalist karel teige and his abeceda – a 1926 collaboration with poet vitoslav nezva which minimalised text down to its basic components establishing a poetic dialogue between text and images.

to abeceda larsen brings their minimalist beauty and melody with this live performance incorporating music, dance and projections. with larsen are their close musical friends david tibet (current 93), baby dee ( current 93 member and acclaimed solo performer), julia kent (larsen/antony & the johnsons) johann johannsson (touch/4ad) the music swells in gentle pulses of soflty stated melody. emotion clings to each note while glistening shimmers of electonics dance quietly in the mix.

the dvd reminds us of what a rich visual experience abeceda was and is. as the wire so perfectly put it in a extensive write up of the evening, david tibet's performance “provides a vital link between the music and the visuals... at one point he connects beautifully connects perfectly with the dancer, breathing deeply into the microphone in time with her movements.” visual projections, created by bellissimo, portray a woman in a 20's style bathing suit, much like teige's original work, portraying letters of the alphabet which slowly become obscure by teige's brilliant typography.

thanks to larsen's discipline and their kindred visual and musical collaborators. abeceda is an event of great subtlety and complexity. it is truly a gift that this performance was so perfectly documented in both an audio and visual format. where the work of karel teige was a tremendous gift for the eyes, larsen & friend's abeceda is a gift for both the eyes and the ears.

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 $5.93

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 124 ep

the major stars “portable freak factory” seven inch single record

  • portable freak factory
  • can you see me?
awesome - two heavy-psych(e) burners from inarguably boston’s best rock band.
important press release...
major stars - portable freak factory - 7"
imprec124 - 7"

limited edition of 500

two brand new burners (including a hendrix cover on the b-side) recorded during the same sessions for the major stars next full length album for important. the tracks are confrontationally loud and recorded flawlessly. this is the major stars at the height of their powers.

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 $12.96

back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 122 cd

vanishing voice “stone tablet” compact disc

  • stone tablet
  • peace symbols
  • last evil
important press release...
vanishing voice - stone tablet - cd
imprec122 - cd

total can-style audacity from brooklyn drone stew edward goreyian broken house sufic wanderers the vanishing voice.

the vanishing voice head down from the mountain for another dip in a lake of elephant seals.

a misty warbling leads down a twisted path where molten earth and crust collide. the beginning of the end of the beginning. lots has been said bout these brooklyn teen idles:

"they're chasing rainbows!"
"they're graveyard spongeheads!"
"a pregnant poo-bah frolicking in the forest!"

no dice... whatever kraut or swede compatriots that may be a part time relation the vanishing voice are mining the soundof the naughties in a subterranean part of brooklyn, as reprehensible as that place might be the beast still roams gotham and these fuckers got him by the tail.

stone tab is a trip to be sure.

mother mark ospovat cracks the whip of dogsled imandi while snarling bad dog pete nolan kept a forward propulsion on skins and molten guitar spew. mad man steve j taveniere of local faves meneguar lent a cool head and a popular sensibility to the proceedings with skills on the acoustic axe to be sure. non horse crane, magnetic wizard and dj let loose his usual bag of hidden charms and h. "reality" diehl,with a voice said to make many a grown man cry, a magik trash harp and the mind of the other, kept us all in the ethereal realm. don't worry though, this strange brew rocks out for real and thanks to the folks at important records, you can be sure it was recorded in the highest fidelity known to man.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
april 9th, 2007

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

important (usa) #imprec 121 cd

mouthus “follow this house” compact disc

  • vacation eyes
  • cameras
  • lake
  • half-thaw
important press release...
mouthus - follow this house - cd
imprec121 - cd

perhaps appropriately, follow this house was recorded following a european tour in a state of profound limbic haze and completed and finalized during the unforgetable heat wave of july 2006. these facts make a whole lot of sense since follow this house sounds like your entire record collection melting in the trunks of a hundred junk yard cars on a hazy, steamy, sweltering hot summer afternoon.

follow this house by mouthus is a companion piece to their 2005 full length for important titled the long salt. picking up right where the long salt left off, follow this house is a record chock full of manic bad mood energy, crunching resin-soaked jams and hundred year old instrumentation ermerging from the soggy mire only to be slowly pushed back in by poison clouds of delayed-out vocal groan.

mouthus are on a stated mission to incorporate new sounds and new instrumentation into their recordings. never repeating themselves follow this house is less fractured and more minimal, embracing the mouthus sludgefest like a settling foundation.

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 $13.47

back in stock as of
december 1st, 2008

first in stock on
november 27th, 2006

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

important (usa) #imprec 117 cd

birchville cat motel / yellow swans “birchville cat motel & yellow swans” compact disc

  • terminal saints (27:27)
  • marble carcass (21:17)
important press release...
yellow swans & birchville cat motel is the the first collaboration between these two underground phenomenons. both groups have emassed sturdy back catalogs and a great deal of critical acclaim. this collaboration was recorded entirely in new zealand both live and in the studio.

late 2005, yellow swans were blessed with the opportunity to tour austrailia. as an added bonus, they were able to scam a free week and a half long layover in new zealand, so they could check out the mythic noisescape of their teenagedom. they booked a few shows (three or four before they got there, but ended up playing seven) and most of those were set up by mr. birchville cat motel, president of lower hutt who they ended up collaborating with live.

before the yellow swans headed to dunedin (where pete swanson had a birthday party at the arc cafe) they were set to play a late show at a club. in walks campbell kneale (birchville cat motel) wearing an iron maiden shirt and carrying a guitar that had a destroyed cookie tin wedged under the strings. after some opening groups it's time for the yellow swans/birchville cat motel jam and then pete suggests they “ease into it.” campbell looks bummed at this suggestion when suddenly gabe suggests that just go for it. campbell looks happy at that suggestion so they did and clearly it worked out pretty well because that's track two. track one is a studio collaboration recorded at celebrate psi phenomenon.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 116 cd

my cat is an alien “leave me in the black no-thing” compact disc

  • part one (30:24)
  • part two (25:51)
important press release...
leave me in the black no-thing is the new full-lenght album recorded april 10th, 2006, at mciaa's alien zone, located in a remote region of the western alps, piemonte, italy. the work consists of two tracks entitled part one and part two for a total length of 56:15 minutes

after having been irradiated by the cosmic light of a new millenium, you find yourself facing a black and white cover, where the only view of the universe is foreshortened, and represents a lighted shape showing branches of pinetrees under a white sky, within the darkest black - an element which represents the esthetic detaching and, at the same time, a further step in the duo's artistic process, which determines their willingness to go beyond any goal already achieved. for mciaa to make art means to risk daring the unknown, daring the listener himself to excel his own limits of perception of the work of art in music, without losing anything of their unique and unmistakable style.

if, as many of the international critics have been remarking, mciaa's works live on the boundary between light and darkness, it's also true that cosmic light of the third millennium celebrated the light of the outer spaces as well as leave me in the black no-thing represents a jump into the no-thing of the empty inner spaces.

recorded in their secret recording-space up on the western alps of piedmont, italy, during the trespassing from dusk to the beginning of the night, the work lives of the same dark magic of the wagnerian post-romantic ouvertures, suspended between the deepest silence and the most deflagrating sonic attack.

light/darkness, noise/silence, permeated by roberto opalio's suffering vocal tunes, which defines and underlines the edge of the work.

after the cacophonic and free implosion of the nucleus of the initials 30 minutes, 25 minutes of painful silence follow, sounding like the last whisper before the final end: angels' chorus and ectoplasmatic presences float on maurizio opalio's crystal-clear guitar strings. it's the cosmic blues of the iii millennium which penetrates into the soul, leaving indelible signs.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 115 cd

roberto opalio “chants from isolated ghosts” compact disc

  • untitled (5:38)
  • untitled (14:38)
  • untitled (10:48)
  • untitled (6:56)
important press release...
chants from isolated ghosts is roberto opalio's full-length debut album recorded november 2004 at home in torino, italy, and originally released on his own opax records label in a very limited handmade cd-r edition of 100 copies. the work consists of four tracks, for a total lenght of 38:02 minutes. roberto opalio is half of the italian space duo my cat is an alien.

roberto opalio is a visual and sound artist from torino, italy. his work includes painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, poetry, glass art, film/video, sound installation, and performance. since 1998 roberto opalio acts as musician (together with his brother maurizio) in the avant-garde improv duo my cat is an alien. his special works of art represent the trademarked style of all the limited art-edition releases issued on their own opax records imprint.this aesthetic is described by opalio as "space art". the extra-terrestrial nature of his work claims its ontological status in the act of creating a non-finished, otherwordly dimension - a proper alien dimension.

in the last few years roberto opalio has performed his videos and specific audio visual installations in various arts & music spaces and festival in italy and europe, including the sage gateshead newcastle and cca center of contemporary arts glasgow in uk, victoria hall geneve and fri-son freiburg in switzerland, galeria ze' dos bois lisbon in portugal, torino big biannual of young artists 2000, interzona verona, init and spazio s.ambrogio roma, zo' catania in italy; group exhibition at promotrice delle belle arti torino, as well as many other audio visual performances including teatro juvarra, procope, liber, machč, fuoriluogo and villa capriglio among others in his hometown torino.

roberto opalio's poetry works and drawings have been published in journals worldwide, including thurston moore's ecstatic peace poetry journal, thee flat bike and dream magazine in usa, cocktail molotov journal in brazil, the sound projector in uk, sloow tapes' my favourite magazine in belgium among others.

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back in stock as of
april 5th, 2008

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
concert-recordings
live-electronic
harsh-noise

important (usa) #imprec 111 cd

k.k. null “kosmista noisea” compact disc

  • kosmista noisea-i (24:25)
  • kosmista noisea-ii (45:15)
important press release...
kosmista noisea is a brand new full length from japanese legend kk null (anp / zeni geva). packaged in a jewel box with a metallic print on a vellum tray card, this was lavishly designed by stephen o'malley (sunn 0))) / khanate).

kosmista noisea (finnish for cosmic noise) consists of live recordings from 3 different locations during the european tour in 2003-2004. kosmista noisea 1 is taken from 2 separate live recordings and uniquely combined in the studio into one piece with talcent, italy on the left channel and st.etienne, france on the right channel. this technique is designed to give more depth and multiple dimensions. kosmista noisea 2 is a 45 minutes long non-edit of an entire live performance in antwerpen/belgium, showing the diversity of kk null's music from intense clashing wave of noise to structured electro-acoustic ambience, droning isolationist material.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
folk

important (usa) #imprec 109 cd

rivulets “you are my home” compact disc

  • glass houses
  • can't i wonder
  • you are my home
  • heartless
  • motioning
  • greenhouse
  • win or lose
  • to be home
  • you sail on
  • happy ending
  • morning liquid
important press release...
long-delayed 3rd album by internationally acclaimed solo artist rivulets. featuring guests jessica bailiff (kranky), chris brokaw (codeine, come,the new year), christian frederickson (rachel's), fred lonberg-holm (boxhead ensemble), & bob weston (mission of burma, shellac).

the contributions of these remarkable musicians adds snowy layers of wintery texture to nathan amundson's beautiful recordings. like nick drake smothered not with layers of orchestration, but subtle textures to truly compliment the mood of the album.

rivulets is the project of minimalist singer-songwriter nathan amundson. born in colorado, amundson grew up in alaska before leaving home at age 16 and moving frequently throughout the united states. he started performing as rivulets in 1999, and currently resides in bloomington, in.

rivulets is a prolific songwriter, with releases out on several labels, including acuarela, bluesanct, silber, and chair kickers' union. this is rivulets' 3rd full length album, and 1st for important records.

rivulets' first 2 full-length albums, r i v u l e t s (2002) and debridement (2003), were both recorded by alan sparhawk of low, and released on low's own label chair kickers' union. these albums feature guest appearances from the likes of jessica bailiff , ld beghtol (magnetic fields), jon derosa (aarktica), marc gartman (no wait wait), brian john mitchell (remora), aaron molina (if thousands), and mimi parker (low).

extensive touring overseas has garnered rivulets intensely loyal fanbases across europe. we're hoping this, rivulets 1st album on important records, will help the us to take notice as well. a few of the artists rivulets has shared bills with in the past include: haley bonar, chris brokaw, cerberus shoal, cocorosie, mark eitzel, daniel johnston, low, mirah, my morning jacket, the new year, scout niblett, piano magic, radar bros., stars of the lid, songs: ohia, swearing at motorists, willard grant conspiracy, shannon wright, and xiu xiu. rivulets' discography also includes numerous compilation appearances and several eps: the aforementioned thank you reykjavik ep on bluesanct; the alcohol eps on silber; the rivulets / marc gartman split cd (featuring jarboe of swans) on tract; and the you've got your own ep on acuarela (the bestselling ep acuarela have released, out-selling eps by the album leaf, the clientele, and tara jane o'neil!).

this is not a folk album. this is an album about hearts breaking, tearing it down, and moving on.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
guitar-themed
harsh-noise
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 106 cd

hototogisu “some blood will stick” compact disc

  • some blood will stick 1 (8:47)
  • some blood will stick 2 (7:55)
  • some blood will stick 3 (18:39)
  • some blood will stick 4 (7:32)
  • some blood will stick 5 (7:11)
  • some blood will stick 6 (22:16)
important press release...
hototogisu is matthew bower (skullflower/sunroof!) and marcia bassett (double leopards). they've been laying down billowing sheets of tetonic guitar drone-noise since 2003 with the thickest possible helpings of vocals and electronics.

some blood will stick is a collection of tracks from their ultra-limited self produced label heavy blossom. songs were taken from swoon scream (2004) and awful symmetry (2005) with one additional track.

what makes this disc more than a simple re-release is the extraordinary scalpel re-editing by matthew bower and the crushing and invigorating mastering by scott hull at visceral sound making this one of the heaviest and most beautiful hototogisu releases.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
free-improvisation
jewelled-antler

important (usa) #imprec 104 cd

mudsuckers “mudsuckers” compact disc

  • endocrine disrupters (17:35)
  • here come the mud dragons (9:09)
  • longjaw mudsuckers (11:07)
  • electric sunflower (6:06)
  • sweet (16:41)
important press release...
swamp noise drone. feedback is layered like mud on the carcass of song structure. robert uses primitive cassette manipulation as well as digital processing to thicken the sound into a swamp. think credence clearwater revival without the one chord they knew. on three of the songs, pete uses his analog reel-to-reel wall-of-sound processing apparatus. longjaw mudsuckers was inspired by a mid-eighties cassette where merzbow mixed john hudak’s nature sounds into a screaming mass of sonic debris. robert recorded a stream after the huge new year’s day storm and pete plugged it into his system, making it sound at times like a stream, an ocean, and robots whispering mechanical secrets.

this cd contains some of the first recordings of tom carter’s circuit bending. individual attributes of gabe mindel’s guitar roar, tom carter’s ebow laptop whirl, and horton’s clanky homemades merge into the mud stew. driving the swirl are samples of boogie woogie piano, riffs from the session, and pounding drums of guests michael donnelly and doug “moonshine” jin. the last number, sweet, conjures the bar room sound of kansas city, 1920, but recorded inside a thermonuclear reactor. the sounds created are so raw and tormented it’s hard to believe they were having a good time. must have something to do with the times, the war and the general vacuity of that season’s holidays.

how did these recordings happen? during the torrential rains of december 2005, caused by global warming, robert horton invited tom carter, gabe and pete of the yellow swans, and glenn donaldson up the hill to his home in el cerrito for food, drink, and music-making. as it turned out, pete and glenn couldn’t make it, so gabe, tom, and robert vibrated the peaceful el cerrito neighborhood to mud. we had beer, wine and much feedback. the turbulence of the sounds matched the late december weather. the following week when pete came over to overdub his sounds, robert had found an article on mudsuckers in the berkeley daily planet. the headline was “mudsuckers may be ugly, but they have value.” a band was born.

a mudsucker is a fish that’s mostly a mouth, which spends its whole life on one patch of mudflat. scientists use these fish to monitor carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, and other toxic chemicals in coastal waters. the group’s name as well as some of the song titles were taken from this article. the second song, here come the mud dragons was a phrase spoken by three kids splashing in the mud in a local park. another song electric sunflower, was named by glenn donaldson in an email explaining why he couldn’t be at the session.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise

important (usa) #imprec 097 cd

merzbow “minazo volume 1” compact disc

  • untitled (13:49)
  • untitled (14:44)
  • untitled (18:49)
  • untitled (11:18)
important press release...
minazo is merzbow's tribute to the beloved male elephant seal who lived life in captivity at a tokyo aquarium. masami akita often visited the seal at the aquarium and was allowed to access minazo behind the scenes. minazo includes many phototographsand an essay by masami akita as well as illustrations by jenny akita.

“minazo, an elephant seal, died at 5:15 pm on october 4, 2005. he was 11 years old, still young for an elephant seal whose life expectancy is 20 years on average. whatever the cause of death, i feel sad and angry each time i hear about animals dying in captivity far away from their natural habitat.

minazo was raised at the enoshima aquarium in kanagawa prefecture. with a strong build, 5 meters in height and 2 tons in weight, he was the only male elephant seal in japan. director yukiko hori said in her book "the story of an aquarium" (published by iwanami shoten) that minazo was brought to japan from uruguay in 1995.

his name, which consists of three kanji characters meaning "beautiful", "male", and "elephant", was chosen from 1,500 public suggestions. the aquarium had raised male and female elephant seals called daikichi and omiya, who had been brought from the antarctic island of south georgia in 1964. after they died in 1977 and 1979, specimens were made using their skins, which are currently displayed at the aqarium. hori said that the previous experience with the two seals was of help in raising minazo.

minazo became popular through tv appearances. he was once introduced on a variety show as a look-alike for wrestler bob sapp, an insult to minazo. elephant seals have far greater strength than humans, and can even crush a car when they get really mad. bob would have been beaten in a second. minazo was forced to perform various stunts before audience at each mealtime, such as holding a bucket with one flipper, bending back like a prawn, and standing still while a keeper jumped and clung on him. the hard work made him exhausted and might have caused his early death.

many of the aquariums in japan have become mere amusement establishments. if their mission includes breeding and protecting endangered animals, they must continue feeding the animals in captivity responsibly. i, however, believe that they should eventually end the exhibition of animals in the name of academic research, and instead start functioning as animal shelters only.” - masami akita, tokyo 2006

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back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
free-jazz
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 096 lp

paul flaherty / chris corsano / c. spencer yeh “snow blind avalanche” long playing record

  • human suffering (19:18)
  • ice ducklings (6:50)
  • abstact poverty (9:36)
blasted trio date betwixt paul flaherty (external lung), chris corsano (limbic disrhythmia), and c. spencer yeh (sandpaper as rosin) - 80mph free jazz clomp w/plenty of scrape/holler interaction. this comes pretty damn close to what it sounds like inside my head... vinyl version here is a completely different record/session than the “a rock in the snow” disc...
important press release...
snow blind avalanche is a completely different album than a rock in the snow also being released on important though the two records were made during the same sessions. this vinyl only release is limited to 1000 copies with the first 200 on snow-white vinyl. artwork by c. spencer yeh. liner notes from wolf eyes bro john olson aka johnny coors.

the flaherty/corsano/yeh power trio have emerged on album with a dual format/dual release for important. snow blind avalanche finds the flaherty/corsano/yeh in more abstract free dimensions with yeh's presence in the sound even more firmly established. recorded as the snow fell.

“no overdubs. live in studio. free-noise-punk-jazz with bent-sick-burning vocals. amen.” paul flaherty

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back in stock as of
april 5th, 2008

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
concert-recordings
electro-acoustic-improvisation
harsh-noise

important (usa) #imprec 092 lp

maja solveig kjelstrup ratkje “stalker” picture disc long playing record

  • untitled

  • untitled
important press release...
this vinyl only picture disc release is limited to only 500 copies worldwide.

renowned international composer maja ratkje is a founding member in two of norway's most respected improvisational units - spunk & fe-mail. while her solo work on the rune grammofon release voice is without the electronic and instrumental elements of spunk and fe-mail, stalker finds maja merging elements of her other projects into her solo endeavors.

ranging from furious to tender, stalker was recorded in paris and at various live dates around europe. this live material was then brought back to a studio in norway and laboriously editited for release.

like much of ratkje's work stalker flawlessly contrasts these two disctinct emotional and audio extremes. while stalker is influenced the the hardest japanese noise it is also a quiet emotional drift based around bertold brecht's story of a girl who has drowned and is floating down a river while her body slowly dissolves leaving only her hair to remain. with this dichotomy hanging in limbo ratkje fills in the blanks with her signature compositional attention to detail and balance.

“i play with the material and it talks back to me. it's a game between the boundaries of total control and total anarchy. i try to include some of both.” maja ratkje

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new to stock as of
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed

important (usa) #imprec 089 cd

major stars “syntoptikon” compact disc

  • cinnamon and lightning (2:49)
  • the ravager (6:20)
  • collapsing (9:17)
  • pocket (5:33)
  • fake date (5:32)
  • black road (2:45)
  • syntoptikon (10:37)
important press release...
the major stars - syntoptikon
imprec089 - cd

syntoptikon features the new lineup of the major stars now with a third guitarist added for extra heavyness. how you ask did such massive riffage come about? here's the back story.

the major stars played their most recent tour of the usa in may of 2003 and returned in june to make their definitive studio record, and then headed to nyc a week later to record the live in europa split lp with comets on fire. unexpectedly, they layed low for for the next eighteen months, losing longtime drummer dave lynch along the way and ending up with an empty bassman spot when tom leonard joined kate village and wayne rogers in the guitar frontline. in this unraveling of sorts, major stars mach two starting to come together.

casey keenan (drummer-turned-guitarist of local pop heros carlisle sound) was roped into resuming his place behind the drumkit. dave dougan, already a veteran of the band as bass understudy (he was the unfamiliar figure on stage at their terrastock '02 performance), returned to claim the position permanently. the new sextet is completed by the arrival of lead singer sandra barrett, formerly of local art-punk legends la drugs. by the time major stars 4 finally appears to universal acclaim in april 2005, the new band is awake and pummeling the locals with renewed fervor.

synoptikon is the newer, heavier major stars who have been dumping amp loads of heft upon boston stages and now they're bringing it to your home audio system. a record like this just wouldn't sound right on your dumpy little mp3 player.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed
electro-acoustic-improvisation

important (usa) #imprec 086 cd

pestrepeller “isle of dark magic” compact disc

  • isle of dark magic
important press release...
prepare yourself for this gem of free-improvised-found-sound-collage enriched with dark pagan folky vibes and supernatural horror noise dedicated to hp lovecraft, clark ashton smith and austin osman spare!

pestrepeller consists of long-celebrated illustrator and wire journalist savage pencil, evan parker student and ex-medicine head member peter hope-evans, comic artist ed pinsent, cartoonist harley richardson and rob brown.

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new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
folk

important (usa) #imprec 081 cd

daniel johnston / jack medicine “the electric ghosts” compact disc

  • sweetheart (frito lay)
  • goodbye to that girl
  • pain in my heart
  • summer jazz
  • another f*cking song about the rain
  • row boat (fruit loops)
  • blue skies will haunt you from now on
  • scary monsters
  • untitled track 1
important press release...
the electric ghosts - daniel johnston & jack medicine
imprec081 - cd

2006 is sure to be a big year for daniel johnston. a sony pictures documentary of his life is being released internationally on march 31st and it is currently in the final stages of being chosen for an academy award nomination. his fanbase has, once again, swolen substantially and gallery showings of his artwork in the us and in europe are establishing him as a highly collectable physical artist. the electric ghosts is a side project that daniel and his tour manager/hyperjinx tricycle bandmate created while on the road touring america, playing shows and searching for salvation.

from producer don goede (jack medicine) :

“this album is basically the result of three years of daniel and i living on the road together. i became his tour manager/caretaker in 1999 and spent many long hours with him traveling from city to city. i m not sure of the exact number of performances dan did but i think we did at least 100 shows all over the u.s. and europe. we often found ourselves hanging out before and after concerts in hotel rooms so we decided to bring some recording equipment with us and start a recording band. a few times we played together on stage and he sometimes would ask me to warm up for him. we decided to call ourselves the electric ghosts. the name came from the many nights we stayed up talking about the spirit world. i would often tell dan that i thought ghosts were electrical. he would say they were spiritual. either way we felt like we were ghosts haunting a different city every night. floating through, trying our best to get the jist of each town (or at the very least visit its best record or comic book store) but in order to stay on schedule we always had to push on.

i hope you enjoy these recordings we have put together for you. daniel likes them very much and i do too, as they were a fun way for us to kill time on the road, not only playing them for each other but getting them onto tape together. daniel also oversaw most of the post production by me playing him tracks over the phone. he always had helpful suggestions on where to put things like leads and such. he heard the final recordings when i saw him last at sundance for the premiere of the documentary about his life called the devil and daniel johnston. those years with dan on the road were some of the best times i have ever had. not only is he one of my favorite songwriters of all time but also now a very good friend. before i forget i want to thank bill & mabel johnston, ron english for painting the cover, john at important records, mad francis for helping me bring everything together and danny, most of all, for being my biggest fan and letting me ride his coat tails.”

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 077 cd

my cat is an alien “cosmic light of the third millennium” compact disc

  • section i (17:46)
  • section ii (25:20)
  • section iii (06:13)
important press release...
like some kind of droned out sun ra, my cat is an alien landed and stayed only long enough to drop off the masters and the artwork at important records before vanishing into the cosmos, or torino, once again.

this new full-length album was recorded april 2005 at mciaa's alien zone, located in a remote region of the western alps, piemonte, italy. the work consists of three tracks entitled "section i-ii-iii" for a total lenght of 49:20 minutes

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-composition

important (usa) #imprec 076 cd

anoice “remmings” compact disc

  • untitled
  • asprin music
  • untitled
  • kyoto
  • untitled
  • liange
  • untitled
  • the three-days blow
  • untitled
important press release...
let's get this straight immediately. anoice is not another instumental group with strong rock tendencies and an armchair association with classical music. unlike numerous contemporaries which they will undoubtedly be compared to, their goal is not to follow the trends and make the soft/loud/soft/loud juxtapositions in every song, but to carefully craft each song with a strong attention to melody, solid accompaniment, and courteous counterpoint.

six panel digipack design by non-format

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 $9.53

back in stock as of
april 5th, 2008

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
modern-composition
minimalism-drones

important (usa) #imprec 072 cd

larsen “h/m/k/e” compact disc

  • h - deathprod remix (2:59)
  • m - original version (4:49)
  • k - origami galaktika remix (3:58)
  • e - origami galaktika remix (9:11)
important press release...
larsen's hmke contains a deathprod remix and an origami galaktika remix of two new larsen tracks. the remaining two tracks are unremixed larsen originals unavailable elsewhere and featuring their beloved cellist julia kent (also of antony & the johnsons.) the second track m, a larsen original, will be available on the forthcoming larsen album seies but as a lustmord/larsen collaboration and not in this original form.

hmke offers larsen fans a unique opportunity to see into the next larsen album through the interpretations of two in-demand remixers. deathprod, aka helge sten, is a perfect match for larsen. well known for his production work for the norweigan improvisational unit supersilent as well as his own dark ambient solo work, he's able to make larsen his own. a collection of his recordings on the norweigan rune grammofon label titled black box was released last year to much critical acclaim. less is know about the mysterious origami galaktika. they're part of the emerging oragami collective and the globe spanning origami republika. these remixes are exclusive to this limited edition release.

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new to stock as of
december 4th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
folk

important (usa) #imprec 071 cd

citay “citay” compact disc

  • seasons don't fear the year
  • nice cuffs
  • people person
  • vinter
  • sticks
  • shalom of safed
  • mere woods
  • what never was and what should have been
important press release...
citay - self titled
imprec 071 - cd

out of san francisco, citay is a new project by ezra feinberg, formerly of piano magic (4ad), in collaboration with tim green from the fucking champs (drag city).

citay, named for the way the word "city" is often sung, is a powerful, elegiac blend of seemingly disparate musical elements. taking its cue from the dramatic song structures of 1970s am rock, citay combines led zeppelin acoustic guitars and organs with soaring guitar harmonies and lush, choral voices. the influences of the early records of mike oldfield, roy harper, john fahey, and more recently the japanese band ghost can be heard as well. certain moments sound like the long, baroque intros of metallica songs (before the metal takes over) while other moments unleash themselves in triumphant builds and emotional landings. the sound is rounded out by breezy, distinctly psych-ed vocal harmonies of the byrds and the beach boys, adding a blissed-out flavor to the blend. the result is something entirely new. with smoking thin lizzy dual leads and california vocal harmonies, citay will soon be enchanting the kids from the city to the country and back again.

after spending 6 years in the indie rat race of williamsburg, brooklyn, ezra feinberg moved to san francisco to record with tim green of the fucking champs, a veteran of the sf scene who moved to the bay area after time in washington, d.c. as a member of that city's seminal punk band the nation of ulysseys. feinberg and green had been friends for a while and enjoyed a mutual love of old psychedelic and proto-metal records. tired of asymmetrical haircuts and hipsters talking about gang of four all the time, feinberg arrived to the west coast searching for those moments of rock history that had fallen off the radar. work on citay began in the fall of 2004.

accoring to feinberg:

"when citay started i had been thinking of acoustic led zep and the first 2 heart albums (dreamboat annie and little queen). also the drama throughout queen ii, and the trippy/spooky black sabbath bongo songs where ozzy's voice has tons of chorus to make it kind of watery and lava-lamp-y. led zep, heart, and sabbath are not really known for their acoustic moments, and i hadn't heard anyone taking a cue from that stuff and i felt like it was time someone tried to do something new with those ideas... "citay is produced by tim green who has produced albums by sleater-kinney, comets on fire, the melvins, the donnas, bikini kill, trans am, and many others.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise
analogue-synth

important (usa) #imprec 070 cd

merzbow “merzbuta” compact disc

  • untitled (4:48)
  • untitled (7:42)
  • untitled (20:09)
  • untitled (14:29)
  • untitled (2:59)
important press release...
merzbow's back (you knew he would be) with another release in the popular merz series on important records. this time masami akita has returned with merzbuta (buta means pig in japanese) and he's looking back to the last 3 discs in the merzbox as his primary influence for these recordings. this means that for the first time in a long time he has recorded his ems synthi model “a”. don't expect to hear anything from this record in a volkswagen advertisment but merzbuta is merzbow's most approachable release yet.

merzbuta is third in the series of merz-titled releases following in the audio footsteps of the flagship release merzbeat. with the same reverence for crushing analog beats, weaving noise textures and a compositional complexity masami akita has returned to the feast with merzbuta.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych
modern-composition

important (usa) #imprec 043 cd

larsen “play” compact disc

  • c
  • e
  • s
  • j
  • g
  • p
important press release...
fabrizio modonese palumbo: guitar, bass, keys, vocals, harmonium
marco schiavo: drums, xylophone, vocals
paolo dellapiana: accordion, keys, bass, vocals
roberto maria clemente: guitar, vocals

with:
julia kent: cello (antony & the johnstons/ devendra banhart )
marco milanesio: electric piano, keys
matt howden: violin
paul beauchamp: synth

to say that larsen is mysterious or elusive is an understatement. they are are so elusive, in fact, that micheal gira of the swans/angels of light fame once said of larsen “"i worked intimately with the band for three weeks, but i never saw their faces." perhaps the finest description of their sound came from a perceptive, if not overly wordy, italian music journalist who described them as an “italian-cult-collective-urban-folk-ritual-experimental soundscape-wall of love band.” it’s all true.

larsen’s sound is equally as ambiguous as any attempt to describe them, imagine elements of einsturzende neubauten, the swans, barbez, six organs of admittance, vibracathedral orchestra and godspeed you black emperor. play, the brilliant new album, sounds like all of these influences processed through the larsen main brain on heavy doses of autechre. yes, autechre. really.

as an excercise preceding the writing of play, larsen spent a lot of time as a group improvising around some of their favorite melodies from autechre albums. this experimental excercise slowly evolved into song writing and suddenly songs were coming out of the air with autecherian melodies filtered through climactic larsen arrangements. play is a collection of larsen “suites” where hints of autechre drift as inspiring ghosts rather than constituent matter. according to larsen, they attempted to create curvilinear, not angular, interpretations of these melodies in an electric way, not an electronic way, with the eclectic instrumentation regular in larsen’s arrangement. as they planned, they failed perfectly at covering autechre creating a hauntingly erruptive and droned out larsen masterpiece in the process.

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back in stock as of
august 25th, 2009

first in stock on
january 20th, 2005

threads:
analogue-synth

important (usa) #imprec 042 cd

jack dangers “loudness clarifies / electronic music from tapelab” double compact disc set

  • annihilating rhythm (06:36:18)
  • musical experiences (04:07:21)
  • individual 1 (04:05:53)
  • individual 2 (04:32:21)
  • listen for the echo (03:53:12)
  • boss society? (04:34:52)
  • encoder (02:54:30)
  • super hit 9 (04:33:27)
  • solid gold (04:29:17)
  • servile days (01:56:71)
  • granulation-2 (03:04:16)
  • the aeolian harp (07:03:45)

  • (04:38:05)
  • (07:43:39)
  • (02:26:26)
  • (07:19:43)
  • (04:14:19)
  • (02:26:61)
  • (03:36:61)
  • (06:21:41)
  • (04:20:49)
  • (07:00:50)
i have to admit my interest in this is solely based around the fact that mr. dangers owns one of 3 (*three*) working ems synthi 100 modular systems (there’s one @ the bbc still, apparently, and i saw the other one @ the percy grainger museum in melbourne). i’ve not only never owned a meat beat manifesto record, i’ve actually never heard them on anything outside of that skam split with autechre or whomever (yes, the same one i wrote that ill-advised “ebm vs. idm” blarb for f.e. all those years back that started some sort of flame-war).

not that that should affect my appreciation of mr. dangers’ work in any way... listening to this it seems like his heart is in the right place, and he’s certainly using the right equipment to invoke the sort of sci-fi swirled electro-acoustic landscape of the late 50s through early 70s... the second disc is especially good... were i not clued into the existence of mbm i’d swear it was something from the noetinger / marchetti axis (although maybe not as refined).
important press release...
jack dangers, founder of the legendary meat beat manifesto, has returned with his second double album on important records. following the success of forbidden planet explored, jack's soundtrack for the legendary sci-fi film forbidden planet, jack has brought us a brand new meat beat style manifestation and a collection of 10 years worth of his electro-acoustic musique concrete. loudness clarifies/music from tapelab brings forth both sides of jack dangers multi-dimensional audio personality into one single commercial package neatly designed by almighty. from the distant, careful, experimentalism found in music from tapelab to the dance floor oriented loudness clarifies we experience jack as a whole musical entity. while we don't want to oversimplify jack's many musical branches, this double cd is the ultimate example of the depth and bredth of this groundbreaking and highly influencial electronic artist.

disc one, titled loudness clarifies is a meat beat manifesto style beats-and-breaks-workout/overhall of the musique concrete material from disc two. like a dance party in a classroom, loudness clarifies combines the more academic aspects of jack dangers musique concrete work with the absolute beat of his work in meat beat manifesto. the result is an exotic, textured deep bass breakout from the king of dance floor.

disc two, titled electronic music from tapelab is a collection of electro-acoustic musique concrete for film, radio and television. recorded at tapelab over the last 10 years. jack has slowly and meticulously created these ultra-complex audio collages.

both records were created in jack's tapelab studio where jack houses, among other rare and unique electonic instruments, his ems synthi 100. jack’s synthi 100 is one of the only 29 ever built and one of the only synthi’s known to be operational. from the synthi 100 this maestro of sound is able to produce elaborate unheard tones, drones, bleeps and blobs.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
healthy-dissent

important (usa) #imprec 041 cd

noam chomsky “war crimes and imperial fantasies” double compact disc set

  • war crimes and imperial fantasies (part one) (57:54)
  • war crimes and imperial fantasies (part two) (57:28)
important press release...
overview
for more than a half century, the united states and its leaders have been pursuing a grand imperial strategy with the aim of dominating and controlling international politics. our elected leaders have been willing to follow the dream of dominance regardless of the cost. in war crimes and imperial fantasy noam chomsky talks to alternative radio’s david barsamian in chomsky’s mit office about the history of the united state’s pursual of imperialism and the crimes against humanity committed along the way.

is george w. bush an international criminal and is his war in iraq an egregious criminal act? in this thorough and in depth 2 cd interview noam chomsky, who is commonly referred to as “the conscience of the american people,” carefully places bush into a historical perspective explaining bush’s actions in relation to past us presidents and how bush’s war in iraq is in blatant disregard of the findings of the nuremberg tribunal. in this exposing interview chomsky recounts america’s history of aggressive war, war crimes and murder while placing george bush’s iraq invasion and occupancy into context. just in time for election day, war crimes and imperial fantasy is an exercise in american honesty and objective, factual criticism.

when official enemies of the united states commit crimes, they must be punished. that is an unquestioned staple of public discourse. but what happens when the united states commits war crimes? are they crimes? are they reported? is there justice? in an underreported revelation, recently released documents from the nixon white house, unambiguously make clear that an order for genocide came directly from the oval office. unhappy with the air force, nixon tells kissinger, "i want them to hit everything" in cambodia. the faithful servant immediately conveyed the message to the pentagon: "a massive bombing campaign in cambodia. anything that flies on anything that moves." rarely in history has a direct order for mass murder been discovered and published. the reaction from the political elites, the punditocracy and the media? undetectable. in war crimes and imperial fantasies noam chomsky shines light on such criminal american hypocrisy and exposes an overt america which very few americans even know exist.

these interviews by david barsamian of alternative radio were recorded at mit. part 1, 12 feb 2004 part 2, 11 june 2004

history:
noam chomsky, internationally renowned mit professor, has been a leading voice for peace and social justice for more than four decades. he is in such demand as a public speaker that he is often booked years in advance. and wherever he appears, he draws huge audiences. "the guardian" calls him, "one of the radical heroes of our age."

noam chomsky was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania on december 7, 1928. in 1955, he received his ph.d from the university of pennsylvania; he conducted much of the related research at harvard university between 1951 and 1955. since completion of his graduate work, chomsky has taught at massachusetts institute of technology (mit), where he has held the ferrari p. ward chair of modern language and linguistics since 1965. among his many accomplishments, he is most famous for his work on generative grammar, which developed from his interest in modern logic and mathematical foundations.

sales points:
noam chomsky is a renowned scholar, the founder of the modern science of linguistics, a philosopher, a political and social analyst, a media critic, an author of more than 70 books, a winner of numerous prizes and awards and ranks with marx, shakespeare and the bible as one of the 10 most quoted sources in the humanities.

chomsky has had a long involvement in political activism, generally leaning towards a socialist and anarchist perspective. he became known for his opposition to the united states' involvement in the vietnam war during the late 1960's.

in 1969, he published a book of essays, american power and the new mandarins, which is considered to be one of the most substantial arguments ever against u.s. involvement in vietnam.

his subsequent written works and lectures continue to expose the hypocrisy of u.s. foreign policy and the detrimental role of large corporations and the mainstream media.

chomsky continues to be an outspoken critic of the current world order, and of the u.s. government in particular, as witnessed by his incisive statements following the september 11th attacks.

noam chomsky has written dozens of books and released about a dozen cds as well. his lectures draw over 2,000 people and are usually booked 1 year in advance. he has collaborated with chumbawumba, and has released cds on epitaph records.

chomsky's book on 9/11 has been on bestseller lists of major newspapers such as ny times, la times, washington post, village voice and the boston globe.

even major media outlets such as cnn who have been critiqued by chomsky sought his opinions regarding the events of 9/11.

previous lecture cds by chomsky have been staples at record stores and book stores including chain outlets such as borders.

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back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
january 20th, 2005

threads:
analogue-synth
electro-acoustic-composition

important (usa) #imprec 038 cd

jack dangers “forbidden planet explored” double compact disc set

  • two discs of ems synthi-100 bleepage !!
disc one (forbidden planet)
  • main titles - overture (1:26)
  • deceleration (0:45)
  • once around altair (1:25)
  • the landing (1:32)
  • flurry of dust - a robot approaches (1:05)
  • a shangri-la in the desert garden with cuddly tiger (1:02)
  • graveyard - a night with two moons (1:09)
  • "robby
  • make me a gown" (1:09)
  • an invisible monster approaches (1:23)
  • robby arranges flowers
  • zaps monkey (0:47)
  • love at the swimming hole (4:14)
  • morbius' study (3:02)
  • ancient krell music (1:03)
  • the mind booster - creation of matter (0:37)
  • krell shuttle ride and power station (3:16)
  • robby
  • the cook
  • and 60 gallons of booze (1:22)
  • giant footprints in the sand (0:52)
  • "nothing like this claw found in nature!" (1:13)
  • battle with invisible monster (2:12)
  • "come back to earth with me" (2:43)
  • the monster pursues - morbuis is overcome (5:58)
  • the homecoming (1:31)
  • overture reprise - 2 (0:47)
disc two (sci fi sound effects)
  • sounds from venus (0:31)
  • martian landscape #1 (1:05)
  • saucer interior (0:32)
  • gasseus beings (0:56)
  • dream controller (1:20)
  • plates of sand (0:49)
  • greetings from phobos (0:33)
  • planetary traffic (1:15)
  • universal time signal (0:38)
  • sooth siren (1:27)
  • saturn surfer (1:35)
  • ufo #1 (0:54)
  • meteor ride (0:37)
  • animation suspended (0:35)
  • last transmission (0:36)
  • ship alarm (0:45)
  • moon surface transporter (1:27)
  • transporter alarm (0:24)
  • gravity backpack (0:31)
  • space bike (0:57)
  • eye android...approaching (0:21)
  • obedience gun (0:29)
  • contact (0:31)
  • shimmering particles (0:57)
  • docking procedure (0:55)
  • sexularis (1:02)
  • bleak landscape #1 (0:54)
  • space wars (0:58)
  • are we in space? (1:11)
  • cold sun (1:21)
  • planet of rain (0:38)
  • planet of life (0:51)
  • particle storm (1:09)
  • venutian ghosts (2:12)
  • ice wave (1:17)
  • ufo #2 (0:43)
  • hubble deep field #1 (1:35)
  • test charge (0:34)
  • alien dashboard (1:11)
  • bleak landscape #2 (1:27)
  • sounds from planet x (1:26)
  • deep glissando #1 (1:31)
  • ufo #3 (0:39)
  • deep glissando #2 (1:34)
  • saucer laboratory (1:27)
  • alien signals (1:04)
  • bleak landscape #3 (0:59)
  • slow drift (1:33)
  • hubble deep field #2 (1:27)
  • signals from earth... (1:19)
neat set with jack dangers re-creating the louis & bebe barron score to “forbidden planet” (disc one), then essentially a “demo reel” of ems synthi 100 beeps & noises (disc 2) - given the scarcity of the synthi 100, any recorded evidence is welcome...
important press release...
important records couldn't be more happy to welcome the legendary producer jack dangers to the important fold. you may know jack as the founding member of the most experimental and influencial group ever to hit the dance floor, meat beat manifesto. his intensely elaborate work with meat beat manifesto combined deep bass grooves, massive bursting samples and dense barrages of hip-hop, industrial and avante-funk and his giant influence is now practically immeasurable.

this double cd release contains jack's now famous soundtrack for the legendary sci-fi film forbidden planet. this recording was performed live accompanying a screening of the film at the i.d.e.a.l. music festival in nantes, france. since the performance the legend has built as jack's legions of fans have searched far and wide for this recording. as a special bonus, forbidden planet explored contains a second cd full of sci-fi sound effects inspired by the bbc radiophonic workshop (highly innovative collaborative workshop responsible for early groundbreaking electronic music which were used as the soundtrack for numerous bbc programs starting in the sixties) and vintage sci-fi films such as forbidden planet.

sci fi sound effects was created on his room sized ems synthi 100. jack's synthi 100 is one of the only 29 ever built and one of the only synthi's known to be operational. from the synthi 100 this maestro of sound is able to produce elaborate unheard tones, drones, bleeps and blobs. this cd is only available as an accompaniment to forbidden planet explored.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
january 20th, 2005

threads:
guitar-themed
minimalism-drones
live-electronic

important (usa) #imprec 037 cd

makoto kawabata “o si amos a sighire a essere duas umbras?” double compact disc set

  • ses aintro ‘e mene finzas si ses in s’atter’ala e su mundo (32:30)
  • o si amos a sighire a essere duas umbras? (43:09)
a very nice, very different solo disc from mr. makoto kawabata, sounding more like tom carter of charalambides’ solo work than anything that’s come out of the amt-camp (in a while at least)...
important press release...
ses aintro ‘e mene finzas si ses in s’atter’ala e su mundo
mk: acoustic guitar + 3 reverb units + 1 delay machine

o si amos a sighire a essere duas umbras?
mk: electric guitar + 3 reverb units + 1 delay machine

kawabata makoto (leader of japanese collective the acid mothers temple) has created o si amos a essere duas umbras? in tribute to sardegna where kawabata's creative life recently achieved a highly influencial spiritual climax. according to kawabata, these recordings represent one of the most important moments in his life.

while in sardegna he found his "cosmos." at some point on his trip, a new cosmos opened for him and he received "many wonderful vibrations" from these cosmos. these are the very first of his works created after this transcendental experience. hearing and feeling these tracks it is apparent that kawabata has been deeply spiritually affected since his last solo outing.

o si amos a essere duas umbras? is comprised of two epic, deeply meditative, spiritual and transcendental compositions. track one, titled "ses aintro ‘e mene finzas si ses in s'atter'ala e su mundu" is the very first solo track kawabata has ever recorded on an acoustic guitar. filtered through 3 reverb units and a single delay this epic acoustic track starts off droning but quickly builds with reverb drenched and finger picked momentum light years away from any of kawabata's solo guitar work.

the second major composition is the album's namesake. this deeply spiritual electric guitar drone was also played through 3 reverb units and a single delay machine. drawing the listner in, these drones resonate deeply and numbly seduce the active listener into a meditative state capable of understanding what kawabata makoto means when he says he found his "cosmos."

if you're having trouble actualizing your cosmos, or even understanding kawabata's spiritual experience, take this home and put on your headphones. the skies will open and you'll be full of vibrations.

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new to stock as of
april 5th, 2008

threads:
modern-psych

important (usa) #imprec 017 cd

acid mothers temple “magical power from mars” compact disc

  • ziggy sitar dust raga (19:46)
  • diamond doggy peggy (15:05)
  • aladdin kane (14:51)
  • cosmic funky dolly (20:06)
2003 release, repressed (sans the lenticular cover ...)
important press release...
acid mothers temple - magical power from mars
imprec017 - cd

after literally endless emails and phone calls from stores, distributors, and fans the acid mothers temple and important records have decided to release the complete magical power from mars in its entirety with the fourth track "aladdin kane." magical power from mars comes housed w/ completely new front and back art and no expense was spared on more 3d lenticular covers for the front. this is not a limited pressing and it will continue to be in print w/ these deluxe covers.

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back in stock as of
november 23rd, 2009

first in stock on
may 22nd, 2003

threads:
harsh-noise
digital-musics
beat-research
electro-acoustic-composition

important (usa) #imprec 016 cd

“ikebana: merzbow’s amlux rebuilt, reused and recycled” double compact disc set

  • dj spooky - takemitsu (4:37)
  • dj /rupture - in and out of institutions (4:05)
  • plug - untitled (3:39)
  • alec empire - digital hardcore (5:44)
  • kim hiorthoy* - cow cow (sheep sheep) (5:13)
  • nau-zee-aun - testosterphone (4:35)
  • bola - klunk (7:01)
  • kurt weisman - spicy water (4:06)
  • atom™ - merzwaltz (5:32)
  • custom drummer - luxus (2:26)
  • raub roy - untitled (3:36)
  • abstinence - freq (5:38)
  • instavoid - cho nama yo! (2:45)
  • masami akita - looping jane (8:31)

  • negativland - an actual attack (4:49)
  • hrvatski - toru pup (4:16)
  • mouse on mars - superstar (4:01)
  • cornelius - untitled (5:41)
  • jack dangers - available memory (8:21)
  • freiband - merzmix (3:10)
  • e.a.r. / sonic boom (2) - takemitsu (7:00)
  • kk null* - decomposition (3:09)
  • staalplaat sound system - a golden cow on the bridge (2:38)
  • kawabata makoto - revolved jane (9:10)
  • nobukazu takemura - assembler mix (8:48)
  • lasse marhaug - takemitsu unholy (4:39)
  • kim cascone - black gun red (2:59)
  • john wiese - untitled (2:39)
  • zipperspy - with cb (1:55)
may 2003 double dream date with a good chunk of the more ‘relevant’ akts in contempo-tronica taking on one of mr. akita’s better ‘digital age’ efforts. frighteningly high signal-to-noise-to-signal ratio when pitted against other recent all-star remix efforts. very odd lineup given the source material (bola?) but a substantial work transcending mere remix-compilation status...
important press release...
artists were asked to use merzbow's album amlux (imprec-02) as an instrument in an original composition, rather than to perform the conventional remix. we hoped that this would allow the artist to flourish with greater creative freedom and a less restrictive context. we didn't want to fit this project into any sub-genre of music. we wanted it to simply exist. perhaps the beat oriented tracks, record scratching and vocals will annoy some noise purists, and perhaps the noisy sound collages will irritate others, but hopefully this collection of tracks from some of the best electronic artists working today will enlighten the listener. music is sound and sound is everywhere, regardless of classification.

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back in stock as of
august 25th, 2009

first in stock on
february 2nd, 2007

threads:
harsh-noise

important (usa) #imprec 004 cd

merzbow “merzbeat” compact disc

  • promotion man (8:58)
  • forgotten land (13:20)
  • shadow barbarian (long mix) (11:49)
  • tadpole (5:51)
  • looping jane (beat mix) (8:26)
  • (60 4-second tracks) (4:06)
  • amlux (remixed by jack dangers) (2nd version) (8:17)
hot seal-themed (actually ; the seal in question is actually the famed “lolrus” of the internet fame) noise from mr. akita ...
important press release...
finally repressed by demand after almost 3 years of being out of print, merzbeat is the flagship release in merzbow's merz titled releases for important records. this time around merzbeat is packaged in a deluxe oversized important heavy cardstock gatefold jacket.

masami akita dedicated merzbeat to "minazow" who is the only male elephant seal in japan. hidden remix from jack dangers. evident in the title is the fact that merzbeat incorporates slamming, distorted beats into the merzbow noise blitz. to call this a noise album would be unfair.

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back in stock as of
december 4th, 2007

first in stock on
january 20th, 2005

threads:
harsh-noise
digital-musics

important (usa) #imprec 002 cd

merzbow “amlux” compact disc

  • takemitsu (5:26)
  • looping jane (15:41)
  • cow cow (4:22)
  • luxurious automobile (krokodile texas mix) (22:23)
2002 merzbow album, the source material for the “ikebana” set (also on important). significant as one of the first full-on digital merzbow records after he found his way on said technological apparatus. contains an ode to toru takemitsu, possibly based around samples of mr. takemitsu’s work...
important press release...
this disc contains some groundbreaking compositions full of new ideas and directions. it is one of masami akita's most stunning releases to date and is also the source material for a major merzbow remix project released later this year.

previous record label:
 imminent frequencies 		...and that's everything on important in stock.
(why not take a look at the previous and next labels?)		next record label:
 improvised music from japan 
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... this page was last updated on thursday, june 13th, 2013 @ 2:41 pm