Uzu Audio

Various 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground

(2008, Sublime Frequencies)

This is Raï music from Algeria as you've not heard it before. In the early 1970s, a new group of singers and musicians were operating on the northwest coast, and what they pioneered was a sound that eventually reached worldwide status by the end of the decade; however, their names are relatively unknown to this day outside Algeria. This crucial and defining period of the development of Raï is criminally ignored and overlooked by Algerian music historians and Raï fans. Due to censorship and government-controlled music diffusion, this scene and lyrical style was forced underground and banned from broadcasts, yet slowly built a small following around the seaside cabarets of Wahran (Oran). This period witnessed the rise of artists such as Groupe El Azhar ("The Flowers" group) and Messaoud Bellemou, who can comfortably be considered the godfather of the modern Raï sound. His group, L'Orchestre Bellemou, rewrote a heritage of centuries by using modern instruments and especially the trumpet, which became, during the 1970s, the backbone of the Wahrani genre. Reinterpreting the gasba melodies on trumpet, Bellemou backed singers such as Boutaiba Sghir and Sheikh Benfissa who carried on the lyrical tradition of their forefathers singing about daily preoccupations and problems as well as love affairs, alcohol, or simply owning an automobile! Toward the late 1970s, Cheb Zergui brought a newer ingredient: an electric guitar with a wah-wah pedal. Thankfully, the late 1960s saw the development of vinyl pressing in Algeria. This new industry allowed many small artists including the Wahrani "scene" to record and release singles documenting their repertoire. This compilation is a selection of this proto-Raï scene's vinyl 45s. This LP is limited to a one-time pressing of 1500 copies on 180 gram vinyl and comes in a full-color deluxe gatefold jacket with photos of the musicians and informative liner notes by the man who compiled it, Hicham Chadly.

LP: $40CAD
CD: $21CAD

Å s/t

(2006, die Schachtel)

Å is a young Italian trio on violin, exotic percussions, Theremin, synth and piano, who created a remarkably original world of sound. Although one can hear occasional influences from kraut rock style and the early minimalism, this music is unique in its sense of sound, space and time. An imaginative, nostalgic, meditative, bizarre and courageous music. This is the first title in a new Die Schachtel series (ZEIT) dedicated to the most innovative and intelligent music coming out of Italy.

CD: $30CAD

AFCGT s/t

(2008, Dirty Knobby)

AFCGT = 3 parts A-FRAMES + 2 parts CLIMAX GOLDEN TWINS. Not quite as robotic and structured as the A-Frames, not quite as loose nor remotely as mellow as the Twins ever are. Raw, noisy, dirty, psyched out punk rock. This is a supergroup set to lay waste to all other supergroups.

10": SOLD OUT!

Various African Scream Contest

(2008, Analog Africa)

One of the coolest African collections we've seen in years -- a beautiful assortment of untapped grooves from the 70s, put together with a massive booklet that sets a whole new standard in packaging! The grooves here are different from other Afro Funk collections of the time -- definitely more in the raw and psychedelic territory promised by the title, and filled with hard-edged vocals that surely know how to scream ! There's still plenty of funk in the rhythms, but the execution is often quite unusual -- less directly influenced by American soul, and very much off in its own direction. Lots of choppy guitar, too -- and the set comes with a massive 42 page booklet filled with full color images and loads of notes. Titles include "Gbeti Madjro" by Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo De Cotonou, "Mi Ma Kpe Dji" by Picoby Band D'Aborney, "Mi Kple Dogbekpo" by Lokonon Andre & Les Volcans, "Oya Ka Jojo" by Les Volcans De La Capital, "Ou C'Est Lui Ou C'Est Moi" by Vincent Ahehehinnou, "Wait For Me" by Roger Damawuzan, "Leki Santchi" by Napo De Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devils, "Ye Nan Lon An" by Orchestre Super Jheevs Des Paillotes, and "Houiou Djin Nan Zon Aklumon" by Discafric Band.

Ilias Ahmed Between Two Skies/Toward The Night

(2008, Digitals)

"I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Ilyas Ahmed is incredible. Born in Pakistan and raised in New Jersey, he now plies his trade in Portland, Oregon. Between Two Skies and Towards The Night is where it all began. Released in criminally limited editions of 50 copies each, both albums are now fully remastered by Pete Swanson and repackaged in beautiful gatefold jackets from Stumptown Printers. Also included are extended liner notes from David Keenan. I think he sums up both these albums best: 'Call it abandon, a facility for letting go, for moving on; either way Ahmed's music is *gone*. And all we have are the recordings, scattered notes to prove that he once existed and felt it all as deeply and miraculously as any of us. And right now, from where I'm calling from, I wouldn't ask for anything more.' Ahmed's original voice is a welcome addition to an oversaturated aural world. He has gone on to put out numerous self-released CD-Rs as well as a new CD/LP on Time-Lag. But in the beginning there were these. What Between Two Skies and Towards The Night make crystal clear is that his vision and his voice were there from the very beginning."

2CD: $22CAD

Ilias Ahmed Vertigo of Dawn

(2008, Time Lag)

"Much anticipated first proper release after a string of ear tugging and increasingly impressive private press CDRs. A real shining spirit in these somewhat goofy times of 'folk-psych' abuse, this guy nails it like it's in his DNA. Way beyond a simple formula, this is a complete tonal voyage. Opening the album with a dark ritual of dueling reeds and buzzing drones, things then erupt into some seriously burning psych raga excursion built from totally heavy, jamming, acoustic guitar licks, eastern grooving hand percussions, stoned backwards or fuzzed-out electric guitar splatters, and subtle creaky drones. The vocals are nearly unintelligible but swirl beautifully through most songs like floating smoky ripples. Woozy, head-bobbing, and completely there. Yow... Packaged in a matching fabric textured, golden hued, mini LP style gatefold cover with black and blood red printing, plus insert and woven Japanese inner sleeve."

LP: $30CAD
CD: $16CAD

Alasehir The Philosophy of Living Fire

(2007, Siltbreeze)

LP: $17CAD

Alvarius B s/t

(1994, Abduction)

CD Reissue of the first Alvarius B record. 32 instrumental acoustic guitar excursions into a realm of weird Lo-Fi rustic beauty that sketch retro-portraits of several folk guitar styles, some which may never have existed before. From abrasive to delicate, these lucid antique paintings with acoustic guitar employ Appalachian polyrhythms, dark melodies, flamenco thrash, alien tunings, pseudo eastern drones, cinematic backroad twang, and other hybrid ideas not easily described. This record is a folk drifter classic and is now available again for the first time in a decade. Originally released as 1000 copies (vinyl only) in 1994 on Abduction. Recorded from 1981-1989 by Alvarius B (AKA Alan Bishop/Sun City Girls) onto various portable cassette decks and includes the original 28 tracks from the LP plus 4 unreleased bonus tracks.

CD: $18CAD

Angelblood Mambo Mange

(2007, Locust)

Mambo Mange' is the posthumous 4th & final album by a fine NY ensemble who unfortunately imploded at the peak of their game. Originally fronted by twin femme vocalists Lizzi Bougatsos (Gang Gang Dance) & celebrated visual artist Rita Ackermann, for what would be the band's final foray the duo enlisted Anders Nilsson (Aorta), Matt Heyner (NNCK), Dave Nuss (NNCK) & Brian DeGraw (Gang Gang Dance, Cranium). Ackermann's Yoko Ono inspired freak-outs, feline growls & orgasmic yodels and Bougatsos's breathy wordless space panting over Matt "the Count" Heyner's seriously beefy power chords, Nilsson's sinewy solos, DeGraw's Bass thump & Nuss's propulsive drumming made for the most thoroughly realized vision of Angelblood's art + metal sound. Angelblood played decidedly out of bounds & ahead of the curve. It was a risky proposition to begin with (who can get by playing heavy metal in Chelsea art galleries?) but goddamn if this isn't great music.

LP: $18CAD

Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase Glistening Inn

(2008, Ultra Eczema)

ANGST HASE PFEFFER NASE is the moniker of multi-instrumentalist CHRIS COOPER (DEERHOOF, BUDDIES, TURBWASN, FAT WORM OF ERROR, BARN OWL, CAROLINER); his precise collage of plastic guitar, bass, clarinet, banjo, Optigan, egg slicer, ratchets, broken toys, fan motors, whirlygigs, glasses, and tape loops could be the soundtrack for a seriously fucked-up road circus. Dead rabbits crawl out of a lazy elephant's hat while a sad, rotting harmonium tape loop plays your uncle vomit's fave cough syrup tap dance blur, oozing for romantic noise crackles. Full color cover art/collage and full-color insert by Dennis Tyfus. Limited to 500 copies.

LP: $35CAD

Ashtray Navigations Running On Autokinetic
(2009, Qbico)
Green-colored vinyl. Recorded in Leeds, June 2007. Originally released as CD-R limited to 100 copies. "Classic Ashtray Navigations, two hallucino-kinetic tracks each side."

LP: $30CAD

Astral Blessings s/t

(2006, Mad Monk)

Amazing live doc of this legendary group who tore the roof offa the original Brattleboro Free Folk fest with moves that had more in common with The New Tweedy Brothers and Cheater Slicks than Doc Snock and The Memphis Jug Band. Line-up features Paul Labrecque (Sunburned Hand of The Man, Trees Chants & Hollers, Aeth'r Myth'd, The Other Method, Soil Sing Through Me et al), Valerie Webb and Daniel Presnell (Hildegard, Feed and Seed Records) along with drummer Marcus DeMaio. This beautiful LP, in classic mysterious private-press style packaging was apparently the whole reason Wooden Wand started his vinyl-only Mad Monk imprint and it's an absolute beauty, moving from the kinda gasoline garage you'd expect from committed backwoods psychedelic revivalists through roaring drone rock, swampy ballroom blues and the kinda amphetamine gnosis pedalled by pill-snuffing bikers at small communes across USA 1969. Evidence of Astral Blessings brief ‘reign' are almost non-existent and this is the monster to fill the gap. Fantastic and “obscenely limited”.

LP: $27CAD

Astral Social Club Psychic Smog 1-7

(2009, Qbico)

Red-colored vinyl. Neil Campbell & Mel Delaney; recorded winter 2008/09, West Yorkshire. "New ASC effort on Qbico, a duo this time. THIS is the social club for astral spirits..."

LP: $30CAD

Astral Social Club Plug Music Ramoon

(2009, Dancing Wayang)

"Dancing Wayang Records are proud to present the new studio-recorded, full-length album by Neil Campbell's Astral Social Club. Featuring two tracks of fearless sonic bliss and two long journeys to a state of sustained ecstasy Plug Music Ramoon was recorded in one day on analogue 2" tape. This limited edition LP comes housed in a gorgeous hand-printed silkscreen sleeve, with insert. Neil Campbell is a stalwart of the UK experimental music scene who began making music in the early 1980s. Originally a member of loose improvisational collective A-Band, he established himself more firmly in the 90s as a founding member of Vibracathedral Orchestra. Campbell utilizes guitars, electronics, vocals and laptop generated and manipulated sounds in his freeform improvisations. In 2005, he embarked on his solo project Astral Social Club often drawing on the talents of kindred spirits. Stewart Keith is a long-time friend and collaborator of Neil Campbell and one of the main members of Nottingham's the A-Band playing free drone and high-energy rock music and championing an un-tutored, elemental and almost primitive approach to music making. John Clyde-Evans, aka Tirath Singh Nirmala, has played with artists such as Richard Youngs and Vibracathedral Orchestra contributing computer generated sounds, electronics and violin." Limited 500 copies, numbered.

LP: $30CAD

CD: $16CAD

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LP: $25CAD

Many if not most of Derek Bailey's fans will be surprised at the existence of these extremely early solo recordings, originally issued by Incus back in 1973. Even for a label as unorthodox as Incus, the TAPS represented a unique but very short-lived experiment in "marketing"; basically, Derek decided that it would be interesting, cheaper, and "less formal" to issue some of his favorite recent solo improvisations in a reel-to-reel format, one at a time; custom made, so to speak: "just copy them if somebody wanted to buy one". Each copy was made on 1/4" tape on a 3" reel, and came in its own 3-1/2" square box. (Needless to say, these limited edition originals are virtually unobtainable today.)

LP: $35CAD

Basalt Fingers s/t

(2007, Three Lobed)

Performed by Elisa Ambrogio, Ben Chasny and Brian Sullivan at the Tar Pit in Brooklyn in January 2007. Three guitars were plugged in - no walls or neighbors were left standing once the trio's performance was complete. Recorded by Brian Sullivan. Mastered by Patrick Klem. Pressed on 180g RTI vinyl. Housed within hand-numbered multi-color wraparound sleeves silkscreened by Alan Sherry (SIWA). Included with all orders is a pressed CD featuring the entirety of the material from the LP. From an edition of 845 copies.

LP: $25CAD

Sir Richard Bishop Fingering The Devil

(2006, Southern)

We've all been going nuts for Southern's Latitudes series, super limited releases from Ginnungagap, Shit And Shine, Ariel Pink, Grails, Paradise Island, and elsewhere on this list, new ones from Magik Markers and Circle! Well the fine folks at Southern have decided to press a few of those Latitudes discs on vinyl! The first of which is Fingering The Devil from the Sun City Girls' Sir Richard Bishop, in his solo guitar Improvika mode. Very much in the spirit of the current American Primitive / neo Appalachia sound, exploring similar territory as Jack Rose, Stephen Basho-Jungans, Charlie Schmidt and of course John Fahey, but on these improvised tracks, Bishop injects a healthy dose of flamenco which is sort of surprising. Not that Bishop isn't well versed in various musics of the world, he most definitely is as any number of SCG records will attest to, but it still sounds a little surprising in this context, but the result is truly gorgeous. Moody and emotional, dark and dense, dreamy and lyrical. Just Bishop and a steel string guitar unfurling dense tangles of intricate fingerpicking, as well as slow contemplative melodies, all rich with Spanish flavor. Occasionally Bishop goes for an Eastern raga like vibe instead, and ends up sounding closer to UK guitarist James Blackshaw or Rose at his most drone-y. So so lovely indeed! Comes packaged in a cool diecut sleeve, a variation on the immediately recognizable Latitudes cd packaging, although this time, white on black instead of white on brown. Includes the same insert as the cd. Pressed on cool grey splatter vinyl. And of course, limited to 700 copies. LAST COPIES!

LP: $60CAD

Sir Ricard Bishop Improvika

(2004, Locust)

On Improvika , Bishop rides a very tall horse through a surrealist's cowboy set that's 1 part bruit Peckinpah muscularity & 2 parts illuminated Jodorowskian symbolism. A very strange place, indeed. Armed only with a single steel string wooden guitar, bare-knuckled Bishop fends off the horrors & dangers of the night with ease as he spits out glorious white robed arabesques, Django inspired gypsy arcs, & latin terracotta flourishes like so many spinning tumbleweeds in a one horse town that is his alone. Improvika is Sir Richard's follow up to his part on Locust's celebrated Wooden Guitar collection and second full length release after his debut on John Fahey's Revenant label.

Sir Richard Bishop Polytheistic Fragments

(2007, Drag City)

"It goes without saying that Polytheistic Fragments is an instrumental release -- who among us would want it otherwise? In the tradition of his classic debut, Salvador Kali , this new record features equal amounts of improvisation and composition. Sir Richard's powers lie in his ability to captivate with just the sound of his guitar, but he doesn't completely abandon studio processes, which allow Polytheistic Fragments to communicate a greater wholeness: all Sir Rick, all the time, if you will. We have come to expect a few solo acoustic guitar pieces with the gypsy stylings of his hero, Django Reinhardt -- and as if to tenderize our consciousness and prepare it for the ride, 'Cross My Palm with Silver' meets and exceeds our expectations. 'Rub 'Al Khali' is an ode to the oud , a northern African lute of sorts. On 'Free Masonic Guitar,' Sir Richard manifests free form acoustic playing wholly in his own style. Peppering the mix are the sounds of electric guitar and lap steel guitar, bringing contrast and color. 'Hecate's Dream' is a dreamy praise to a dark Greek Goddess, but 'Tennessee Porch Swing' and 'Canned Goods and Firearms' switch gears to good old down home Americana and country twang. Sir Richard is renowned for his prowess and mastery with the guitar, but the piano playing on Polytheistic Fragments shows a fluid, meditative style. 'Saraswati' is a lengthy river piece bathed in Hindustani serenity, while 'Cemetery Games' is a short celebratory skeletal dance, with more light-heartedness than spook. In a record with so many spirits, Bishop fills in the space where necessary and rounds out the feeling with catchy tunes such as 'Elysium Number Five' and 'Ecstasies in the Open Air.' Polytheistic Fragments shows that the divinely inspired Sir Richard Bishop cannot be contained in one form."

Sir Richard Bishop God Damn Religion

(2008, Locust)

"Official DVD release of Sir Richard Bishop's cracked movie God Damn Religion . First edition comes with a bonus audio CD of the quasi soundtrack Elektronika Demonika , originally issued by Locust as a vinyl-only escapade in 2006. 'For centuries, man has used organized religion to control the hearts and minds (not to mention the pocketbooks) of the ignorant masses. Well, Richard Bishop has decided he would like a piece of the action. This film is a diabolical experiment in hypnotic mind control -- a phantasmagoric presentation of demonic and divine imagery, meticulously assembled and designed to put the viewer into an altered state of darkened awareness. Includes original music from Elektronika Demonika , as well as unreleased material. If you ever wanted to go to hell and back, this film will get you halfway there. Some viewers may find the imagery used in this film to be disturbing, but that's the idea. Contains some strong sexual content (as all true religion should). Not for the weak-minded, faint of heart, or those suffering from occasional seizures.'" DVD is NTSC format, probably region free. 9

DVD+CD: $20CAD

Sir Richard Bishop While My Guitar Violently Bleeds

(2007, Locust)

This is an essential document by one of America's most original and inventive unaccompanied guitaristsworking today. While My Guitar Violently Bleeds is a splendid three piece gem in which the good Sir branches out & nods to points west, east & otherworldly. Classic spaghetti western tinged spidery fretwork(“Zurvan”), Fushitsusha style feedback drenched psych decay (“Smashana”) and a brilliant lengthy raga epic (“Mahavidya”) round out the proceedings by the Sun City Girls master musician.

LP: $24CAD
CD:$15CAD

Bixobal Number 2 January 2008

(2008, Ri Be Xibalba)

Seems that our pal Eric Lanzillotta (former proprietor of Anomalous Records) is serious about this 'zine publishing venture. Issue one of Bixobal appeared just three or four short months ago, now here's the equally interestin' issue number two, again a bargain at three bucks. It's a digest-sized black and white 55 page xeroxed affair, crammed with cool things to read if you're into stuff along the lines of experimental drone, free improv, and international exotica. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Bixobal's got various folks from Sun City Girls/Climax Golden Twins axis on board as contributors. Contents this ish include among other things Part II of Sir Richard Bishop's Indian travelogue, interviews with avant vocalist Phil Minton and electronic musician Robert Haigh, an article about the whys and wherefores of collecting "bad records" with advice about doing so, a Rob Millis essay about the wondrous "talking machine", and a hilarious rant from cranky old Uncle Jim taking music journalism to task for the overuse of certain words, like "jangly" and "soundscape" (good thing we're careful never ever to use such terms, ha!). Plus then there's 24 densely packed pages of music reviews, from Angelblood to Zashiki Warashi.

ZINE: $3CAD

Bixoba Number 3 May 2008

(2008, Ri Be Xibalba)

56 pages, 5.5" by 8.5", 20 lb. paper, b&w. "Allan MacInnis talks to Peter Stampfel (The Holy Modal Rounders) about Harry Smith, the Fugs, Santeria, amphetamines, god, coincidence, music and much more in a major feature appended with a short interview with Antonia Stampfel. Rob Millis' Talking Machine reports back from India. Patrick Marley (former publisher of Muckraker magazine) with his column 'Nickels and Dimes.' Reviews of vinyl, cassettes, compacts disc, DVDs and books, both new and old."

ZINE: $3CAD

Black Monk Flowstone

(Not Not Fun/Arbor)

LP: $14CAD

Boris Smile

(2008, Southern Lord)

Upon reflection of the aftermath of releasing their most successful album to date—Pink—BORIS has found the desire to create sounds that are a wider extension of just simply music. They are searching for sounds that are also an extension of life and the many experiences they’ve had since Pink’s release two years ago. Drawing on hair metal, Japanese cartoon songs, and 1980s Japanese pop singers to help shape their new direction, the band delivers another evolutionary step in their broad based sound. Blistering psychedelia, mammoth hooks, innovative songwriting and a reinvention of dark heaviness all get their due. Features guest appearances from STEPHEN O’MALLEY and MICHIO KURIHARA.

LP: $23CAD
CD: $16CAD

Boris w/ Michio Kurihara Rainbow

(2007, Southern Lord/Inoxia)

Japanese noise rockers BORIS team up with Japanese psychedelic guitar giant MICHIO KURIHARA (GHOST, WHITE HEAVEN) for some classically heavy and wonderfully melodic rock action. Nine tracks that array Kurihara’s encyclopedic knowledge of guitar tones with Mesozoan stomping and some near-static meditations and concise, precision melodies.

LP: $30CAD
CD: $16CAD

Boris with Merzbow Walrus

(2007, Hydrahead)

Okay, a brand new Boris record, we know you're excited. We are too. Boris have again teamed up with Merzbow. The two outfits had previously worked together on the absolutely killer drone record Megatone, the epic and sludgy Sun Baked Snow Cave, and the ear shredding live lp 04092001, and now here. The strange thing, is that these two tracks were recorded waaaaaaay back in 2001. So they may even in fact be from the same sessions that spawned one or all of those other releases. Back to business, two tracks, relatively brief, and as with all Boris releases, so completely gorgeously packaged. Deluxe thick gatefold, the front a sort of green to yellow fade, with the Boris / Merzbow logo done all Roger Dean 'Yes' style, the inside, a surreal landscape, also in the style of Roger Dean with some strange turtle/seal creature in the foreground. So completely beautiful. When the bottom drops out on the doom-sludge-drone market, these guys will be some seriously in demand graphic designers. But what does it sound like? Well that's funny too, cuz it's not at all what we expected. The A side is actually in fact a cover of the Beatles "I Am The Walrus", and a pretty straight cover to boot, minus the noisy ministrations of Merzbow. The B side is what does it for us, a massive, overblown super distorted dirgedrone. A thick wall of crumbling guitars, and buzzing crackling electronic hiss, over a wild drum jam, the drums recorded super blown out. It's like Skullfower, Gate, SUNNO))), Yellow Swans and Birchville Cat Motel all jamming at once while a drummer tries desperately to kick up a competing din. Very free, VERY noisy, but pretty kick ass as well.

LP: $23CAD

Burning Star Core Challenger

(2008, Plastic/Hospital)

"Burning Star Core began in 1993 in Cincinnati, OH where it currently resides with primary member C. Spencer Yeh. It is considered a project and not a pseudonym. While the Burning Star Core project has included much wider ensembles, Challenger is a direct solo composition of C. Spencer Yeh. This recording is perhaps Yeh's most revealing, unguarded work. Challenger is a composed work, not an improvisation, with each piece revolving around a central melodic theme, featuring field recordings, which serve as an audio diary. The sounds range from pure tonal mood to huge electronic crescendos. But what's most remarkable is the use of space, where parts come in then drop out to build up the emotion. When the piano sound crashes in 'Mysteries of the Organ,' it reflects a frustration with paradise, a rejection of perfection, a jolt of inexplicable throes of life. In contrast is the quiet, haunting 'Hopelessly Devoted,' which sounds like a love letter written to outer space. These make for an album that is both dynamic yet consistent as a full statement."

LP: $20CAD

Christina Carter Electrice

(2007, Wholly Other)

Long anticipated licensed vinyl reissue of Christina Carter's most recent kranky CD release, with beautifully hand-painted, signed, and numbered covers. An experiment in palette limitation, using only the barest match-sticks of form and lyrics, Christina constructs a shimmering puzzle of austere beauty. Christina Carter is one half of the core duo of Charalambides, and has been co-writing, recording, and performing their cosmically iconoclastic songs & explorations since 1991. In addition to her work with Charalambides she has released many solo recordings on kranky and other labels, including Many Breaths, her own imprint specializing in unique and handmade artist's editions. She has also recently contributed vocals to albums by artists as diverse as Thurston Moore, Bardo Pond, and D.J. Shadow.

LP: $20CAD

Ceylon Menge Maiming Path

(2006, HP Cycle)

CEYLON MANGE is the trio of DYLAN NYOUKIS (Chocolate Monk proprietor and sound molder in BLOOD STEREO, DECAER PINGA), KAREN CONSTANCE (Blood Stereo, SMACK MUSIC 7), and BILL NACE (X.O.4, VAMPIRE BELT). The Maiming Path extends from the group's previous mind melts with two side long (de)constructions that are assembled from a variety of mangled loops and electronics, guitar feedback/slaughter and Cro-Magnon vocals. The results are a murky stew, as each emerging sound creeps upon the listener like a blackened sloth nightmare. It's the type of organic brain tangle that is rarely unleashed by the spirits these days. Packaged in full-color printed sleeves featuring Karen's outsider artwork.

LP: $18CAD

Rhys Chatham An Angel Moves Too Fast To See

(r:2006, Radium)

A reissue of the 1989 epic An Angel Moves Too Fast To See from New York composer RHYS CHATHAM. Scored for an orchestra of 100 electric guitars, electric bass and drums, the piece (in five parts) is one of the most extraordinary works in the minimalist canon.

CD: $18CAD

Rhys Chatham Die Donnergotter

(r:2006, Radium)

A collection of work from influential New York guitar composer RHYS CHATHAM. Includes the notorious “Guitar Trio” (1977); the tumultuous, brass-based “Massacre on MacDougal Street” (1982); the soaring, euphoric masterpiece “Die Donnergotter” (1985/1986); and “Waterloo, No. 2” (1986). CD comes with a 32-page booklet with rare photos and essays by Chatham, TONY CONRAD, and LEE RANALDO, and artwork by ROBERT LONGO.

LP: SOLD OUT
CD: $18

Christian Family Underground For The Depth Of Your Union

(2007, Woodsist)

"Summer of '06 Family Underground (DK) recorded with Dave Nuss of NNCK at Black Dirt Studios in the woods of upstate NY. The yield was as characteristically unhinged as one might expect: sweeping electronic sounds backed with wood and bone percussion spirit-conjure. However also harvested was some new and especially tasty crop: sung and spoken song, electric guitar/conga 'rock,' and an odd, ghostly sheen coating the entire proceeding. Nuss comments on the session: 'I remember when we were recording, momentarily leaving the studio and going out into the night and feeling it thicken like a partition separating us from this intense state of clear consciousness we had in the recording, which was like... humankind's natural state. And then thinking about Jesper from FU, an adopted Vietnamese living in DK, and how much he resembles Michael Jackson, and realizing that across continents, no man can be divided from himself. We had to make this music to provide for us some fantasy of fulfillment that would carry us through the weekend like rejuvenated suns born again climbing to heaven, after being washed in the deepest, bluest sea...' Jacket by designer Susan Cianciolo and screened inserts by Stellar, NL."

LP: $17CAD

Churinga Canaries Untitled

(2009, Qbico)

Phil Legard, Alexander Neilson, Tirath Singh Nirmala, and Phil Todd. Recorded in Leeds, December 2005. Originally released as a CD-R limited to 100 copies. "Collaborations can be a hell of a gamble. Fortunately, it seems that in the world of the underground music lover, collaborative ventures always seem to turn out to be synergetic exercises that yield amazing results. Churinga Canaries is such an endeavor: a one-off group effort improvised by four of the brightest lights in the UK underground music dog-and-pony show. A rundown of the participants should be more than enough to cause many of you to drool with excitement. Phil Legard (Xenis Emputae Travelling Band), Alex Neilson (Scatter, Richard Youngs collaborator, etc.), Tirath Singh Nirmala (formerly John Clyde-Evans of Hood) and Phil Todd (Ashtray Navigations) assembled in Leeds in chilly December 2005 to bang out some noise and melt the ice right out from under themselves with a warm bowl of sonic porridge. The results are two stunning long-form tracks of joyful jazz-inflected psych-noise in the vein of some of the wilder Ash Nav moments. Neilson's propulsive yet amazingly free drumming serves as the perfect background for the virtual maelstrom conjured up by the other three improvisers. About five minutes into the leading track, 'Under Heavy Rent,' the sound is so dense and chaotic that it's almost dizzying. The foursome manage to keep themselves and their sound from breaking apart into a million tiny pieces, but just barely. 'A Sovtek Swirl' starts off subdued, with a recurring thematic element gluing the shards of our dumbstruck minds back together again. By the time the disc is finished however, you'll be left panting in a useless heap on the floor. This is powerful stuff, not to be taken lightly. Don't say I didn't warn you!" -- Review of the CD-R by Byron Hayes from July 2006 (Foxy Digitalis)

LP: $30CAD

Circle Triumph

(2009, Fourth Dimension)

"Yet another vinyl-only release by Finland's finest export for Fourth Dimension. As with the original Arkades LP, this release gathers recordings for a session at WFMU, this time recorded during their second US tour and captured live on the 25th September 2007. Spread over the four sides are the six cuts which made up Circle's second session for WFMU, once more capturing the self-proclaimed new wave of Finnish heavy metal outfit proving themselves to be almost everything but 'heavy metal' despite possessing the only too apparent ability to compete with the best amongst that world. Taking in operatic vocals, unearthly mulch, psychedelic splurge, nods towards folk and Krautrock, and mammoth riffs capable of knocking down nearby buildings, avant-rock has rarely arrived both so potent and in dire need of a straitjacket before. The new wave of Finnish heavy metal is positively bursting with ideas like nothing else."

LP: $35CAD

Circle Arkades

(2006, Fourth Dimension)

“Arkades catches a session Finnish group, Circle, recorded exclusively for WFMU during their US tour, on 19/9/05. Comprising two lengthy pieces taking up a side each, 'The Greatest Kingdom' and 'The Ghost of the Highway', it focuses on their often spacey improv. underpinning and applies new meaning to a vision which strides powerfully over the line dividing apocalyptic dread from a semblance of hope. Agonized wailing, screams and torrents of molten sound dance ghostly shapes over psychedelic keyboard patterns, distant clattering, moonlit guitars and a rhythm section so carefully tempered that it's impossible not to feel the chemistry at work. Coupled to a fantastic sleeve which illustrates a homage to spaghetti western films and includes fitting notes by WFMU's Program Director, Brian Turner, Arkades proves what these New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metallers are capable of when they leave most of the rock at the door. File somewhere near Acid Mothers Temple after having been given the kinda makeover only the Scandinavians have the formula for. Indeed, this is sweet shit...”

LP: SOLD OUT
2CD: $20CAD

Circle Katapult

(2007, No Quarter)

"The members of Circle have been listening to a lot of '80s black metal lately (ie. Venom, Celtic Frost). As a result, the premier Kraut-influenced, psychedelic band have created their most dark and twisted record to date -- which, for those familiar with Circle, know is no small feat. Don't let the term 'black metal' scare you off -- Katapult is here to blow your mind, and as with all things Circle, nothing is cut and dry. The constants of their sound remain -- hard repetition, heavy riffs, trance inducing rhythms -- aided, on this recording, by an ominous, spooky and, dare we say, straight up evil vibe. Beginning with a primitive, almost clumsy sound, Katapult is an album flush with dynamics and cold, chilly ambience. Bassist and founding member Jussi Lehtisalo handles the majority of vocal duties with a growl that could strike fear in the heart of the most jaded music fan. Subtle changes start to occur and before you realize it, the primitiveness is replaced by grander orchestration, '70s synthesizers and haunted choruses. You could very well be listening to the greatest, long lost dark psychedelia record, or maybe the soundtrack to some never-released drug-drenched horror film. Either way, Katapult begins in a dungeon and ends in the cosmos. Try not to lose your mind along the way."

LP: SOLD OUT
CD: $16CAD

Coil Black Antlers

(2006, Threshold House)

New "deluxe" version of Coil's Black Antlers , pressed in Thailand. With exclusive bonus 3" added for the first pressing, featuring the tracks "Departed" and "Things We Never Had." These are new 2006 Peter Christopherson productions. "Available only on dates of Coil's Even an Evil Fatigue tour in 2004, Black Antlers is a stopgap release that consists of early studio and live versions of songs that were being worked on for the next official studio album. Due to Jhonn Balance's accidental death, most of the tracks on Black Antlers would become final yet unpolished versions." --All Music Guide

CD: $27CAD

Tony Conrad Four Violins

(r:2006, Table Of The Elements)

"In 1962 Tony Conrad, along with John Cale, Angus Maclise, La Monte Young, and Marian Zazeela, co-founded the ensemble known as both The Theatre of Eternal Music and The Dream Syndicate. Perfecting a technique of heavily amplified droning on his violin, Conrad introduced an attentiveness to small intervals and extended duration that the group would explore exhaustively for the next four years. Brandishing a dream music both aggressively confrontational and subtly mesmerizing, they created some of the most revolutionary music of the decade, and influenced scores of subsequent composers and musicians. In 1966, the ensemble dissolved. Member La Monte Young subsequently claimed sole creative credit and authorship over four years worth of group recordings, and sequestered all tapes, which remain unheard to this day. In 1996 Tony Conrad returns to reconstitute and reconfigure the lost dream music with his massive compositional cycle 'Early Minimalism'. Prefacing this will be the release of the original recording 'Four Violins (1964)'; together they provide the final and definitive account of the big bang that gave birth to minimalism, and address the true nature of the lost dream music of the early 1960s." Recorded on December 19th, 1964, this was Conrad's only solo recording of dream music outside the confines of the Dream Syndicate group. Unavailable in any form until now, it features 4 multitracked violins droning on to completely devastating effect, some of the loudest, most majestic music ever. Limited stock.

LP: SOLD OUT

Tony Conrad Fantastic Glissando

(r:2006, Table Of The Elements)

It's 1969, and TONY CONRAD wants to take you Higher. Celebrated for the thrilling roar of his amplified violin, Conrad is a founding father of 'minimalism' and a giant in the American soundscape. Now Conrad's own Audio ArtKive imprint presents the first in a series of releases that reveal the wild breadth of his 40-year career, including field recordings, piano compositions, film soundtracks and more. Fantastic Glissando (1969) is a series of (d)evolving electronic compositions created with sine-wave oscillators. The instrumentation is different, but the effect is typical Conrad: soaring, aggressively textured and jet-engine massive.

LP: $23CAD

Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho Pabiru

(r:2008, Mr. Bongo)

" Paêbirú is an obscure Brazilian psych concept album about the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) that was lost to time in a warehouse fire in 1974, causing it to become a massively sought-after lost classic, fetching up to $1500 for vinyl copies. This recording of the collaboration between Brazilian artists Lula Côrtes and Zé Ramalho is a wonderfully off-kilter record, full of fantastic hooky and strange tunes that range all over the place, from full-on freakouts to quiet pastoral. The entire range of 1970s hippie Brazilian musician culture is displayed in this record. It's experimental, but it's relentlessly driven towards fun. If you like good music, you will like this legendary album untouched by time. Côrtes, who composes and plays on many of the tracks, seemingly appears only when talking about obscure Brazilian psych reissues, Ramalho, on the other hand, has built a solid career as a Brazilian pop singer and takes on most vocal duties. It's a very atmospheric blend, sung and chanted vocals are no more or less important than any of the other elements, which include classical acoustic and fuzzy electric guitar, piano, organ, flute, sax and a range of percussion. It's free and psychedelic, but just reigned in enough to keep it tense and exciting. The closest comparison might be to combine Amon Düül with Sunburned Hand of the Man and perhaps Double Leopards, if they lived on a commune together in Brazil and recorded while indulging in mass quantities of narcotics. In Brazil from the late 1960s onward, Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Tom Zé, and many others blended elements of psychedelic rock, jazz, indigenous folk, with more 'classic' urban styles (bossa nova, samba, etc.) and instrumentation. As much a political identity movement as a cultural, Tropicalia artists as a whole were interested in using artistic expression as removing barriers and as a means of enabling other societal freedoms. Simultaneously, but across the Atlantic, European mystical trance rock of the time, beginning with outfits like Parson Sound and Amon Düül, and continued by Träd Gräs och Stenar and Algarnas Tradgard."

LP: SOLD OUT
CD: $22CAD

Courtis/Moore Brokebox Juke

(2009, No-Fi)

Recorded in correspondence between Anla Courtis (of Buenos Aires-based noise outfit Reynols) and Aaron Moore (of Brooklyn's Volcano The Bear) this record is a remarkably warm, airy piece of work. The illusion of 'Progreso = Ropes Gro' all taking place in a single room is a tangibly convincing one, combining meandering guitar with clunking semi-tuned percussion and what's sounds like an aviary's worth of tweeting birds. More mysterious, electronic excursions arise too however, such as the sustaining piano clamour of 'Bluifedls = I Feed Bulls', which is filtered and eroded away in beautiful but altogether haunting ways, eventually warping into a tide of swelling distortion and feedback. There's a tremendously versatile feel to all this, and for every moment of confrontational unpleasantness there's another that reintroduces you to the more subtle, eloquent work these two highly experienced artists are capable of. The final track, 'Gigngante = Anti Egg' is a departure all on its own, occupying seven-and-a-half minutes of feverish noise hysteria with sqealing guitars and drums lifted straight out of a particularly explosive psych-rock LP. Excellent.

LP: $27CAD

Current 93 Dogs Blood Rising

(r:2008, Durtro Jnana)

Dogs Blood Rising is Current 93 's seminal second album. It's been returned to its original formats of five tracks, and has been beautifully re-mastered by Denis Blackham. This reissue comes with a booklet with early photographs of the group members-- who included David Tibet, Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), and Steve Ignorant (Crass) -- and original insert materials

LP: $27CAD
CD: $19CAD

Current 93 Nature Unveiled

(r:2008, Durtro Jnana)

Nature Unveiled is Current 93 's seminal first album. It's been returned to its original format of two tracks, and has been beautifully re-mastered by Denis Blackham. This reissue comes with a booklet with early photographs of the group members-- who included David Tibet, Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), John Balance (Coil), and Little Annie -- and original insert materials.

LP: $30CAD
CD: $19CAD