THE PIG ....MAILORDER next page home   7EVEN (FRANCE)   LIKHAN: Terre/Unwill 12" (7EVEN 001EP) 12.00 "There's really very little music released under the dubstep umbrella that gets us excited these days, but the last couple of weeks have been an absolute treasure trove of low-end goodness for the more progressive bass-heads among you. Enter Likhan, a French operator who we know close to nothing about but who's pushing all the right buttons as far as we're concerned, here punching in two stripped bass killers that will absolutely crush dub reductionists amongst you with its impeccable production and unfussy arrangements. Admittedly we think this material sounds much much better slowed down to 33, but nonetheless Likhan has bought himself entry to that exclusive club inhabited by the likes of A Made Up Sound, Peverelist, Appleblim, T++ and the like, pushing boundaries and keeping the development and enrichment of style and function at the forefront of masterly sonic objectives."     A.I. (UK)   THIRD MAN, THE: Before We Begin 12" (AI 020EP) 11.50 "This latest release brings you the debut 6 track EP/LP from The Third Man. Before We Begin is packed full of ideas but the key themes of keeping ears tuned to some of Detroit's past masters and eyes focused firmly on the dancefloor resonate throughout. 'Onwards and Upwards' wastes no time in setting the pace, opening immediately with a punchy kick drum and a wash of Maurizio-style synths before dropping the bass line and letting this carry you towards the smooth melodies and vintage UR jazz stylings that follow. Sounds like: Mad Mike, Laurent Garnier and Monolake having a 3-way face off."     ACKER RECORDS (GERMANY)   KOMBINAT 100: Wege Übers Land CD (ACKER 001CD) 22.00 "Kombinat 100, the suspiciously band-like live act from northern shores, are set to unleash their eagerly awaited debut album Wege Übers Land (ways across the land). Here, everything we know and love about these notorious dancefloor smashers re-emerges from the studio, squeaky clean and freshly rinsed, polished and arranged. An irresistible retrospective of Kombinat 100's countless live gigs, there is no other way this album could have come about: All of the four Mecklenburgers' tracks have their origins on stage. So don't be surprised if you find yourself moshing along from beginning to end! Kombinat 100's eclectic mix and match of influences touches on more genres than you could possibly think of, from techno, house, dub and pop to jazz and beyond, interspersed with plenty of lovingly crafted moments of homemade bliss. And it is precisely those moments, when the boys reach for their acoustic sidekicks, from accordion and melodica to congas and Hammond organ, that our hearts miss a beat. Unafraid to flaunt grand emotions, melancholic opener 'Flieg Kleine Taube' ('fly away, dove') and the sun-drenched sounds of 'Hanne Nüte' meet their match in the rocking grooves of 'Out Of My Space.' In between, the boys invariably return to their gig-inspired dancefloor roots -- 'Woterfitz,' 'Del Maritim' and 'Der Pomel' are set to move your heart, feet and mind. So, finally: a breath of fresh, open air for your living room!"     ATP RECORDINGS (UK)   FUCK BUTTONS: Street Horrrsing CD (ATPR 028CD) 21.50 This is the debut full-length release by Bristol, UK duo, Fuck Buttons. Conceived by Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power in the winter of 2004, the group was initially born as an outlet for their nihilistic-noise tendencies but quickly, the two Fuck Buttons realized they could harness the use of noise as a tool to immerse and evoke. No longer afraid of melody or rhythm, the group started fusing all these elements to the point when drone becomes melody becomes rhythm. With their electric live performances sealing the notion that the two Fuck Buttons are attempting some kind of transcendence between the listener and the Universe itself, one could easily envisage one's psyches being shaken by the very rumbles of the earth's motions. Tribal beats and subtle, beautiful melodies weave amongst contorting Technicolor drone-scapes while preaching distorted vocals scream for dear hope. Fuck Buttons straddle you between the wall of sound that lies between the beginning of destruction and the end of birth. This grand noise will fondle you into a state of totally immersed euphoria.     BANGOR RECORDS (CANADA)   DIEBOLD: Listen To My Heartbeast CD (BAN 004CD) 21.00 "Diebold formed in Montreal in 2002 as an exciting new experiment in controlled, technologically-enhanced two-party democracy. Sophie Trudeau (Godspeed you! Black Emperor, Silver Mt. Zion, etc.) and Ian Ilavsky (Sofa, Silver Mt. Zion, etc.) became roommates around this time, and decided to take politics off the kitchen table, agreeing instead to submit their dispute to arbitration in a designated soundproof area, using a mix of traditional and modern tools calibrated to maximize output and allowing the participants to explore policy, express vision, and reach consensus in a largely non-verbal, though highly aural, manner. The results, officially documented and made public here for the first time, provide a vital new roadmap for international peace and reconciliation, and can be instantly verified using any standard CD or phonograph record playback device. Diebold combines a simple, time-tested, user-friendly interface (drums, bass) with years of research into the potentialities of various signal-processing devices to create a stable, accessible system that anyone can understand, using the popular and well-known concepts of 'riff,' 'feedback' and 'distortion.' Diebold translates these through its patented bi-amplification routing architecture, allowing for a powerful and resilient stereophonic interpretation of basic gestures. Diebold also deploys portable, real-time 'loop' technology to outsource various routine procedures in an immediate and responsive manner, permitting certain 'multiplier effects' that virtualize participation and human agency when necessary. This album is available on CD and LP. Both formats come packaged in silk-screened jackets."       DIEBOLD: Listen To My Heartbeast LP (BAN 004LP)21.00 LP version.     BO WEAVIL RECORDINGS (UK)   JOYNES, C: God Feeds The Ravens CD (WEAVIL 028CD) 22.00 "An exciting new release on Bo' Weavil's Wooden Weavil series. English acoustic guitarist C Joynes, a resident of Cambridge, has released a few self produced excellent CDRs. Joynes uses a heavy thumb-led finger-picking technique that harks back to traditional country blues and early ragtime, however, he uses this technique to explore alternative melodic traditions: the English folk-tune; North and West African music; elements of classical Indian music; proto-minimalist and impressionist musics from the European classical tradition. His approach to the recording and compositional process contains a subtle and unassuming experimentation, at times including collaged fragments, field recordings, processing, en-plein-air recordings, and cut-and-paste. The version of 'Since I Lay My Burden Down' incorporates variations on lyrics and vocal lines drawn from a different song entirely. He has a penchant for reworking over-familiar pieces and stripping them of their kitsch and cliché, presenting them afresh, such as with 'Christmas Medley,' the arrangement of 'A Night In Tunisia,' and the gospel-based 'And When The Sun Begins To Shine.' Joynes' music is instinctive, well-researched, placid, and evokes a certain simplicity and naiveté."     BPITCH CONTROL (GERMANY)   CHAIM: Moon 12" (BPC 169EP) 10.00 Chaim from Tel Aviv presents a debut that possesses more than one surprise. "Moon" displays a free groove with the help of some dignified effects, making you want to throw your hands in the air. "Wednesday June" is a bit more minimal, with groove that structures itself into a bubbling bass line, dissolved by one of these typically Chaim-melodies, which anchor themselves deeply into the head -- only for catching dreams under the light of the moon, on a Wednesday in June.     CMYKMUSIK (SPAIN)   FISHER, NATE: Tinto Absoluto 12" (CMYK 017EP) 12.00 "A new artist for the NET28 roster, Nate Fisher is an incredible discovery, a young and talented artist coming from Alaska, who has already released some wonderful tracks for Max.Ernst, Thomas Brinkmann's label. We are now honored to feature two of his bombs in a new release for CMYKmusik, this unpredictable Tinto Absoluto. 'Mayhem' is the work of a sonic terrorist: 7 minutes of pure rhythm, a dancefloor burner with a huge load of personality, originality and attitude. On the other side, 'Tanzania': a hybrid between house, techno and rave that will blow your mind. A MUST for the dancefloor! Music that knows no limits, euphoric & chameleonic."     COCOON (GERMANY)   MINILOGUE: Jamaica 12" (COR 044EP) 11.00 The two Swedes Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson are already a well-known name in the psy-trance scene as Son Kite. As Minilogue, they now conquer the minimal and house world. With their rather unique sound, they manage the tightrope walk between minimal and trance and never allow us to put them into a drawer. Jamaica features two calm tunes where organic matter and groovy sounds are worked into a detailed minimal labyrinth. Say YES to techno made in Sweden.     CONSTELLATION (CANADA)   EVANGELISTA: Hello, Voyager CD (CST 050CD) 21.00 We can call this a debut record of sorts, as it is the first album to be released under Carla Bozulich's new band moniker, Evangelista. Bozulich's first record for Constellation, issued in 2006, was released under her own name, and bore the album title Evangelista. That album title has now migrated to become the band name. So... this is the new album, titled Hello, Voyager, by the newly-named band Evangelista, featuring Carla Bozulich. You follow? No worries, there will not be a quiz. The Evangelista band continues to comprise Bozulich and Tara Barnes as its nucleus, and continues to build on its relationship with Montréal (where the last album was also made). Hello, Voyager was recorded in Montréal at the Hotel2Tango by Efrim Menuck in late summer 2007, with an even larger cast of Montréal musicians joining Carla, Tara and Shahzad Ismaily this time around, to work up a more stylistically diverse batch of songs. Raw, beautifully ravaged, semi-improvised soundscapes still underpin Carla's incantatory sung and spoken lyrics on the album's opening and closing tracks, but much of the rest of the record is more overtly composed. Blistering nuggets like the snarling 'Smooth Jazz' and the desperate 'Truth Is Dark Like Outer Space' are the most rocking tunes Carla has put to tape since the demise of The Geraldine Fibbers, while 'The Blue Room' (one of Carla's finest songs, and one she has been carrying around for many years) is finally captured in a stunning studio arrangement that includes organ, violin, cello and contrebasse. 'Lucky Lucky Luck' is a playful, sassy, fractured take on the misfit narrative and 'Paper Kitten Claw' is its methodical, reflective, poetic foil. Carla's voice perfectly sets and channels the prevailing mood on each song, and is strong as ever. The new album includes contributions from over a dozen Montréal players, including most of Thee Silver Mt. Zion (chiefly on string arrangements), as well as Nadia Moss (organ) and a corps of local drummers who bang out the thunderous rhythm track on 'Smooth Jazz' and drive the epic sprawl of the album's closing title track."       EVANGELISTA: Hello, Voyager LP (CST 050LP) 22.00 LP version. 180 gram vinyl.     CUNEIFORM   MILLER, PHIL: Digging In CD (RUNE 034CD) 21.00 2008 repress. "Guitarist Phil Miller started his career as a member of Delivery. After Delivery's demise, he ended up with Robert Wyatt who had just left Soft Machine in Matching Mole. Matching Mole ended prematurely due to Robert's paralyzing accident, and Phil found himself playing with some other ex-Delivery people for a band that eventually metamorphosed into Hatfield and the North. After two critically acclaimed and large selling albums with Hatfield, Phil continued on after their break up with 3 of the 4 members in National Health. When National Health came to an end, Phil began assembling his own band, In Cahoots in the early 1980s. Since that time, Phil has released 9 albums under his or In Cahoot's name. Guitarist and composer Phil Miller was a founding member of Delivery, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North and National Health, and has been in the public eye for over 35 years! Originally released in 1991, this was Phil's third solo album and features musicians who have played with Gong, Mike Oldfield, John Surman and many, many others. For fans of: Hatfield and the North, National Health, Picchio dal Pozzo, Soft Machine, Frank Zappa."       THE STICK MEN: Insatiable CD (RUNE 151CD) 21.00 2008 repress. "In the early '80s, The Stick Men ruled the Philadelphia new/no wave scene. Reminiscent of James Chance and the Contortions with more hyperkinetic energy (!!), they created a frenzied psycho-funk-punk sound that featured gut-wrenching timing, extraordinary charm, personality with a plus, and tons of good humor. This CD contains the The Stick Men's entire recorded output as well as rare tracks from live radio broadcasts. Also included is bonus CD-Rom material: a 20 minute Quick Time video of the band. The band remains an incomparable phenomenon to this day."       MATS/MORGAN: Trends and Other Diseases CD (RUNE 267CD) 21.00 "This was the first album release by Mats/Morgan, recorded in 1993-1995 and which was released only in Sweden. It has been remastered and includes a 15 minute bonus track. With this release, Cuneiform begins a reissue series that will eventually see all six of Mats/Morgan's Swedish-only albums released outside of Sweden for the very first time. Mats and Morgan have worked with a number of Frank Zappa-related musicians such as Terry Bozzio, Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, Denny Walley and Dweezil Zappa on various projects, including the Grammy Award-winning Zappa's Universe album in 1994."     ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)   EGG: Egg CD (ECLEC 2035CD) 23.00 Originally released on Decca in 1969. "Egg featured the talents of Dave Stewart on keyboards, Mont Campbell on bass and Clive Brooks on drums and were associated with the so-called 'Canterbury' style of rock music pioneered by artists such as Caravan and Soft Machine. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from rock to jazz to psychedelia to classical. This fusion resulted in one of the most enduring releases to appear on Decca's short lived Nova imprint and is now critically regarded as one of the more unique albums of the early 1970s." Includes two bonus tracks.       FAY, BILL: Bill Fay CD (ECLEC 2037CD) 23.00 New reissues of the 2 main Bill Fay albums, previously reissued on Eclectic -- which has now resurfaced under the new label name Esoteric. This first one was originally released in 1970 on Deram Nova; this is presumably the same 2005 24-bit remaster from original tapes as Eclectic used, with 2 bonus tracks from his staggeringly great1967(!) single, new liner notes by Mark Powell , etc. Very well done. "Bill Fay is an enigmatic UK based singer, songwriter and pianist whose work is impossible to categorise. His late '60s and early '70s work has a strong cult following, is highly regarded by many music journalists and is dark and haunting with songs rarely going over three minutes. Bill was originally signed to Decca and between 1967 and 1971 the label released a beautifully odd single ('Some Good Advice'/'Screams In The Ears') and two excellent albums (the lushly orchestrated Bill Fay and the rawer, more rock-oriented Time Of The Last Persecution). Bill's fantastic songs have touched and inspired many -- his fans include country rockers Wilco, songwriter/producer Jim O'Rourke, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and David Michael of Current 93."       FAY, BILL: Time Of The Last Persecution CD (ECLEC 2038CD) 23.00 Reissue of the 2nd Bill Fay album, originally released in 1971 on Deram. 2005 24-bit remaster from the original tapes, with new liner notes from Mark Powell. Time Of The Last Persecution is an album noted for its stripped-down and stripped-away raw nerve. Differing slightly from his first self-titled release, this record is considered to be more raucous, more guitar-oriented, alongside some simple piano. Great guitar playing from Ray Russell, who is also co-credited with producing and arranging the album. "Time Of The Last Persecution' is a bonafide classic album, the kind you will keep going back to until the day you die. The fact that, beyond the occasional mention in Mojo (and that for his first album), Fay remains practically unknown is almost incomprehensible. This album makes a mockery of lesser figures who have persisted in the music crits' lexicon, and while the likes of Dylan are certainly a touchstone for him, Fay really is in a class of his own here." --headheritage.uk     FALLOUT (UK)   GROUP IMAGE, THE: A Mouth In The Clouds LP (FO 2041LP) 23.00 Previously reissued on CD by Fallout, now issued on deluxe LP format as well; 180 gram pressing. This eccentric New York hippie collective recorded only one album, which makes its CD debut here. A superb collection of psychedelia, touching on folk, jazz and electronica, it has been compared to Jefferson Airplane, the Mamas & the Papas and Tim Buckley, but ultimately has a sound of its own that makes it a treat for all fans of genuine acid rock.     FREUDE AM TANZEN (GERMANY)   KADEN, MATHIAS: Lucidas EP 12" (FREUDE 035EP) 10.00 Mathias Kaden presents his first culinary solo trip for Freude-Am-Tanzen. Three pots are stewing, presented with German tidiness and foreign spice. Minimal blends with maximal in just the right balance. "Swahili": industrial tones are caramelized with drums, piano and flute without being too sweet. "Lucidas": technoid, but perfect for the early morning hours. "Saloee": a nutritious techno dish with voodoo flavors -- a tribal ode to deconstructing a club. Enjoy your meal.     FUSED FORCES (UK)   FUSED FORCES: The Fused Force EP 12" (FFP 001EP) 11.50 "Four heavy cuts from some of Essex's finest."     GLUCKSKIND SCHALLPL. (GERMANY)   RESIAK, SANTOS: Derrape EP 12" (GLK 007EP) 12.00 "Santos Resiak, a 24 year-old Argentinian musician who happily ventures out to invade the strangely limited world of minimal techno, is an open-minded guy. Just what we need to fuel the floors! Santos' deep and downright dirty sounding, relentlessly jolty, pounding bass drums wake the party instinct in every rhythm-conscious being while also stirring up some deeper sense of emotion. 'Georgina,' far from monotonous, involves little clicks and shuffles while grooving deep down and dirty and hitting you in the right places at the right times. Well hidden in the breakdown lurks a tiny Kraftwerk reference that ties in nicely with the fine arrangement and well-placed sounds. 'Derrape,' in contrast, does not hold back at all. Heavy hitting bass drums stir up old techno affiliates and ignite dancers hungry for moments that let you rise above. For those in need of a swinging groove full of sophisticated funkiness in a reduced context, there is always the Ryan Crosson remix to turn to. Crosson, Detroit's ghetto answer to Ricardo Villalobos, is an excellent producer who keeps a caring eye for percussions and bass, while keeping it real, true Motorcity style: when the sparse keyboard sifts reminiscent notes, the waft of Detroit lets true blue hearts bleed."     HARTHOUSE (GERMANY)   DALESSANDRO, BILLY: Soulchaser 12" (HHMA 018EP) 12.00 "After having published more than 20 EPs and two full length albums, Billy Dalessandro arrived at the first league of worldwide respected producers. His third album, Into The Atom, can be seen as a milestone of the Chicago-based musician's history. He publishes a mixture of Chicago style funk and deep minimal electronic style. Here are 3 gems born out of his virtuosity you can't miss. A1: 'Soulchaser' Undercover Mix -- highly addictive and percussive, slightly forward-oriented track with great spheres. 'Great' has to be written with triple 'e' because it uses a dramatic element which pokes out of the deep and tricky basement. Playful effects and intelligent beat programming sum up to a really special atmosphere -- somewhere between -- but precise as hell!"     HONEST JON'S RECORDS (UK)   MOONDOG: Playing Moondog's Music 10" (HJP 017EP) 12.50 Repressed! "Recorded in 1955, released on his own short lived Moondog label. 4 tracks of manic saxophone and snare drum mayhem. You will not find an original of this anywhere. Blind from the age of 17, classically trained in music, Moondog aka Louis Hardin left the countryside in the late 1940s to busk on the streets of New York, playing percussion instruments of his own creation. He later became the darling of the NY arts & music set. He also recorded for Folkways, Woody Herman's Mars label, then Prestige and CBS." CD of this was previously issued in 2003 by Moondog's Corner.       MOONDOG: Moondog And His Friends 10" (HJP 024EP) 13.50 Repressed! 7 track 10" release, originally released by Epic! "Originally released in 1953 -- a fantastic collection of recordings from the eccentric genius that was Moondog. This mini-album features Moondog's pioneering techniques in tape overdubbing -- he harmonises with himself on voice, double bass and home-made drums. Touches of his classical music education are underpinned by his signature and irresistible Native American rhythms. Epic, prophetic, naive -- seriously lovable music. 10" vinyl only release." Tracks: "Dragon´s Teeth -- Voices of Spring," "Oasis," "Tree Frog -- Be a Hobo," "Instrumental Round - Double Bass Duo -- Why spend the dark night with you?," "Theme and Variations -- Rim Shots," "Suite No. 1," Suite No. 2"       MOONDOG: The Viking of Sixth Avenue 2LP (HJR 018LP) 30.00 2008 repress. Tremendous gatefold presentation and one of HJR's most impressive documents to date. "This new release from Honest Jon's is the first overview of Moondog's amazing artistic life -- including recordings spanning from 1949 till 1995, with numerous 78s and various other vanished records revived for the first time (not to mention a couple of Weegee photographs!)."     HYOTAN RECORDS (JAPAN)   KUDO, REIKO: Licking Up Dust CD (HYOTAN 003CD) 26.00 "Newest release on Tori and Reiko Kudo's (Maher Shalal Hash Baz/Noise/etc.) in-house label. Backing Reiko this time around are Tori Kudo (organ, guitar), Teruki Tamayanagi (bass) and Keiji Haino (guitar, drums and vocals). 'There are two songs about mountains, a song about butterflies and chestnut and loquat and so on.' --Reiko Kudo."     HYPERCOLOUR (UK)   DEMAC, TOM: The More Things Change EP 12" (HYPE 007EP) 12.00 "Welcome to the latest episode in Hypercolour's future house and techno voyage, this time featuring the combined talents of two of the most exciting young producers around. Tom Demac has been quietly releasing his highly acclaimed brand of reduced, sophisticated micro-techno and experimental house for the last few years on labels including Steevio's Mindtours and his own Electronique Audio. A key member of Wales' Freerotation collective, he's an integral part of a vibrant local scene that includes acclaimed producers such as Leif, Tom Ellis, Duckett and Steevio. On The More Things Change, Tom neatly showcases his impressive skill for deep, sensual tones and refined, subtle grooves. The track builds on a gently undulating drum patter, flanked by a mournful bass line, sighing strings, and flickers of Lawrence-esque plucked melody, forging a track that's both deeply emotive and coolly detached. Over time, the arrangement swells into more dramatic proportions, making it ideal for clued-up dancefloors and introspective home/headphone pleasure alike. Remix action comes courtesy of Switzerland's Agnés, this time working without his regular partner Chaton. His sterling work on much lauded imprints like Plak, Minibar and SthlmAudio have slipped into the boxes of many a discerning DJ, notably those of Chilean demi-gods Villalobos and Luciano. Here, he adds his trademark lightness of touch to Tom's original, giving those mournful strings a little more space to breathe as they overlap a plaintive, laid back groove. Agnés also contributes a digital only 'Wales Beatdown' mix, taking the track into starker, minimal territories that are aimed squarely at the foggy hours of late night/early morning."     ITALIC (GERMANY)   ANTONELLI: Soulkiller 2LP (ITALIC 071LP) 27.00 Double LP version. "Italic would like to announce Antonelli's new album Soulkiller. It is Stefan Schwander (aka Antonelli)'s 6th album and was produced using analog drum machines, synthesizers and sequencers only and recorded live without any overdubs onto an old-school tape recorder. The result is amazing: Antonelli's house music on Soulkiller is so incredibly rough and emotional that it reminds of the garage rock from the Stooges. And the tracks sound like ESG doing cover versions of 'Moodymann.' Moreover, you will find flamboyant pop references, from Bohannon to Terry Hall."     KARAT RECORDS (FRANCE)   SKAT: Concrete Jungle 12" (KARAT 033EP) 11.00 "Here we go again with Skat for his new release on Karat. You will note that this one is a bit more functional even if the whole mood is still deep. You can find 'Nightwalk,' originally released on the Katapult 3 compilation CD and finally on vinyl, and also a remix by Kenny Hawkes and David Parr, appreciated producers from England. The two other tracks are built for the floor, quite efficient and fine."     KIVA   FERGUSON HULITT: Mushroom Palace LP (KIVA 002LP) 19.00 LP version. "Mushroom Palace is Dreu Ferguson Sr. and Brian Hulitt's collaboration into the psychedelic folk blues dimension. Hulitt's words and Ferguson's guitar establish the album from the beginning with title cut 'Mushroom Palace,' a drug lyric upbeat rocker complete with laughter, subtle background effects and strangeness, followed by the '60s sound of 'The Essence' which is a psychedelic chant put to music complete with whispers, druggy references, '60s guitar etc.Then comes the killer electric guitar cut 'Maelstrom' with great lyric and guitar playing. As the album evolves into more of a folk blues direction, great cuts 'Without a Face' and 'History Following Me' stand out. The humorous rocker 'Bad Weather Mama' is also a fun spot. There is a Dylan-esque cut 'If I Disappeared Today' and spoken word cut 'Words of Whispers' complete with a tape loop and backwards guitar! Not too forget the '60s pop sound of 'Price of Love' (Hey is this an old Monkee?) and the drug chant 'Painting,' Mushroom Palace is an ambitious effort qualifying for inclusion in several genres. A two man effort, the album has a private underground feel to it throughout which contributes to its charm. Lyrically fantastic, Hulitt exorcizes demons of drugs, the bottle, women and death, culminating in the hopeful and beautiful 'Even If.' Ferguson's guitar playing is on target throughout with a nice touch of the throbbing wahwah on 'Easy Prey To Time' and dobro on 'History Following Me.' The cover art is great front and back with visions of psychedelia heaven 'neath a mushroom. Close your eyes. Open your mind. We bid you welcome to the Mushroom Palace."     KLANG ELEKTRONIK (GERMANY)   NERK & DIRK LEYERS: Perse X 12" (KLANG 129EP) 10.00 Nerk & Dirk Leyers present their debut release on Klang Elektronik. "Perse" gives all the minimal-zombies the final death blow with squeaks and groans, making your eyes pop out while bursting your brain. "X" is a more classic Detroit techno piece of music, but has at least as much pressure.     KLANG INDUSTRIES   CHARALAMBIDES: Rose/Thorn LP (KLANG CH) 24.00 "Long-, long-, long-, loooooong-awaited and singular entry in the Charalambides and Klang Industries discographies; one of those 'does it really exist?' items that's finally seeing daylight, or moonlight. A stark, unsettling and beautiful slice of duo Charlambides invocation/incantation, taken from the period between Jason Bill and Heather Leigh Murray's tenures with the band and featuring extraordinary chord organ and vocal work from Christina and some signature lap steel mastery from Tom. Fans of the band's most recent, more song-based work will find this relevatory, long-time listeners will say 'ahhhh' and settle in for the flight. Heavy vinyl, limited pressing, cover handiwork by Tom, the first release in years from Klang and a sign perhaps of a truly epic revival." "Long-awaited Klang debut of Charalambides. This record has been brewing since 2000, and is now finally available under the auspices of Eclipse/Klang. Two side-long improvisations in much the same vein as IN CR EA SE, a bit more topographical perhaps, but still horizontally serene and horizonless. Chord organ, lap steel, vocals." --Wholly Other     LUAKA BOP   OS MUTANTES: Everything Is Possible! CD (LBOP 036CD) 20.00 1999 release. "This compilation features the classic line-up of Rita Lee Jones and brothers Arnaldo Baptista and Sergio Dias, who were together for the first five albums, which were released in the 1968-1972 period. It focuses mainly on the first three albums Os Mutantes, Mutantes and A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado, with a couple of tracks from Jardim Eletrico and Mutantes E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets thrown in for good measure." --Martin Vengadesan       OTIS, SHUGGIE: Inspiration Information CD (LBOP 045CD) 20.00 "Otis' smooth, trippy soul-funk opus, Inspiration Information -- first released in 1974, now remastered and reissued by David Byrne's Luaka Bop label with four bonus tracks from 1971's Freedom Flight -- was his third album for Epic records; in the Stevie Wonder soul-auteur vein, he wrote, sang and played almost every instrument on the album. Songs like 'Happy House' and 'Strawberry Letter 23' (a number one R&B hit for the Brothers Johnson) embraced the incense-and-peppermint psychedelia of the times without falling out of the pocket. The electronic grooves of 'XL-30' and the Isaac Hayes-like power of 'Not Available' reveals an expansive creativity that appeared unlimited -- maybe even a Prince-size talent in the making." --Rolling Stone     MO'WAX (UK)   INNERZONE ORCHESTRA: Bug In The Bassbin 12" (MW 049EP) 14.00 "Reissue of the superb 1996 classic, a futuristic tech jazz track from Carl Craig at his best. Includes Peshay remix, plus on the B-side, the jazz mix that sounds like a jam-fest with guitars, bass and percussion that sounds superb!"     MODE   MCPHEE/JOHN HEWARD, JOE: Voices: 10 Improvisations CD (MODE 005CD) 22.00 "Two people on two hot June afternoons. A studio, an experienced and appreciative engineer. A deep need to find music. Total improvisation on larger music that existed, exists and will exist as long as there are voices." - John Heward on recording Voices: 10 Improvisations, in June 2006. "Joe McPhee (pocket trumpet, alto sax). Since emerging on the creative jazz and new music scene in the late '60s and early '70s, Joe McPhee has been a deeply emotional composer, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a conceptualist and theoretician. He has worked with musicians ranging from Peter Brötzmann to Pauline Oliveros. McPhee has recorded for numerous labels including Hat Hut, CjR, Cadence, CIMP Okkadisk, Music & Arts, and Victo. John Heward (drums, kalimba, percussion) is a Montreal-based drummer/painter/sculptor who has quietly become one of the world's leading percussionists working in the field of contemporary improvised music, new music, and avant jazz. He has played with music luminaries including David Prentice, Glenn Spearman, Malcolm Goldstein, Joe McPhee, Dominic Duval, Lisle Ellis. Paul Bley, Joe Giardullo, and many others, who have sought him out during their Canadian sojourns."     MODERN LOVE (UK)   CLARO INTELECTO: Metanarrative CD (LOVE 038CD) 21.50 This is Manchester-based Mark Stewart's second full-length release and first release for the Modern Love label as Claro Intelecto. Following the release of 2004's Neurofibro, Stewart decided to re-direct his attention away from the IDM and electro influences that shaped much of his early work. Mark made use of an astute line in reduction and a love of sonorous bass lines to develop the Warehouse Sessions, a series of EPs that carried the essence of Manchester's infamous club prototypes with a look towards the stripped aesthetic of Berlin and Cologne. With four years gone since the release of his debut, Mark has spent the last year piecing together Metanarrative, built around 8 tracks that provide the backbone and emotive arc for the grand narrative alluded to in the title. Gone are the uncompromising percussive arrangements of the Warehouse Sessions, instead the sound returns to a more melodic, quietly euphoric display of opposites: sweet melodies and heavily padded bass frequencies, introspective conceits and propulsive percussion, and populist arrangements built with a deviant sound palette. The opener "Operation" sums this process up perfectly, the arrangement building around a succession of chord progressions and shuffling percussion that develops sweet tension and momentum without ever breaking into the obvious. "Harsh Reality" tugs more openly at the heartstrings with an intro that gives you every reason to believe that what's to follow might be the most readily commercial material from this artist yet, but the eventual bass line inverts expectations and delivers something both moving and exhilarating. By the time the album ends with "Beautiful Death" a mere 40 minutes later, all that's left is a weathered bass pulse and long-forgotten memories that urge you to press "play" again. Short and perfectly formed, Metanarrative builds bridges between techno and pop, between minimalism and rich songwriting, between the memories of the past and the opening of new horizons.     MORR MUSIC (GERMANY)   BORKO: Celebrating Life LP (MORR 080LP) 19.50 LP version. Celebrating Life is the first full-length release from Icelandic artist Björn Kristiansson and reflects a life in music full of experiences. The oldest of these eight tracks are up to six years old, and Morr label-head Thomas Morr has been their eager and attentive listener. How does a punch in the belly sound? Kristiansson has written a song about it called "Spoonstabber," where you'll hear an elegiac Tetris, encapsulated by delaying beats, tumbling samples, guitars, trumpets and a melody that goes on for an eternity. Borko -- who also works as a musician for film and theater as well as a music teacher at a primary school in Reykjavik -- expresses melancholy and nostalgia through rhythm-machines. His songs can reach dramatic heights with climbing melodies, as well as play up the stoicism of repetition and modulation. His work at the laptop and mixing desk live on stage have helped fuel his inspiration as well as childhood prog rock LPs, Jim O'Rourke's ear and electronica's warmth. Kristiansson also enumerates more: "I'm very influenced by loads of great musicians in the music scene here in Iceland. I'm inspired by the kids in the school where I work. I'm inspired by good people. I'm inspired by bad people. I'm inspired by the music I listen to from time to time. I'm inspired by happiness. I'm inspired by sadness. I'm inspired by the sun and the snow. I'm inspired by crazy after parties. I'm inspired by good food. I'm inspired by alcohol. I'm inspired by mirror balls. I'm inspired by noises." Sounds as if Borko is grateful to a lot of people for Celebrating Life. But this album also pays it back again and again.     MR. BONGO RECORDINGS (UK)   CORTES E ZE RAMALHO, LULA: Paêbirú CD (MRB 050CD) 23.00 "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."       CORTES E ZE RAMALHO, LULA: Paêbirú 2LP (MRB 050LP) 38.00 Double LP version. Deluxe gatefold sleeve, limited to 1000 copies worldwide.     MULE ELECTRONIC (GERMANY)   LIONNI, TONY: Better Change 12" (MULE 042EP) 10.00 Lionni is already tipped as a hot artist by people like F.Kevorkian, Chateau Flight and Âme. "Better Change" is a classic deep house track, reminiscent of Larry Heard and the early works of Blaze. "The Presence" is more minimal than others -- dark and beautiful and like the stuff of Lawrence and Thomas Fehlmann and "Raices" is pure organic tech house. This is an all-round player for those who love house music.     NEW WORLD RECORDS   LEVERING, ARTHUR: Still Raining, Still Dreaming CD (NW 80662CD) 21.00 "Arthur Levering (b. 1953) has throughout his career written music that stresses clarity and lightness of touch, even when it is dense with information or intense in its sonic impact. There's a marvelous athleticism to Levering's music. His rhythmic sense is unerring, and probably does more than anything else to clarify and drive his ideas. Changes of texture, tempo, and harmony all occur just where they should, and keep up the momentum. One thing that makes him exceptional among composers who feel an allegiance to modernism is his transparent orchestration. It's more than just a glittering surface; his choice of color and texture is as important a structural tool in the music's development as any other parameter. Still Raining, Still Dreaming (1996, rev. 2001), scored for 'Pierrot' sextet, is a memorial tribute to the Japanese master Toru Takemitsu, as the presence of both 'rain' and 'dream' in the title suggests. 'Echoi' (1999), a three-movement work for violin and piano, is not the expected traditional sonata. The 'echoes' of the title seem to exist on multiple levels. One feels cross-references of ideas from one movement to another and the extensive use of repetitive motives is another sort of 'reverberance.' 'Sppooo' (2001) is a piece that makes you wonder why there isn't already a literature for celesta and vibraphone. 'Tesserae' for viola and piano (2002) is a set of variations on a 32-note theme. While a close cousin of Still Raining, Still Dreaming, with its measured tremolo, sharp low thuds, and tolling center section, those similarities in fact demonstrate how a composer can develop a set of devices that s/he then recycles creatively from one work to another. 'Catena' (2000) is a work for piano and a chamber orchestra of sixteen players."       GOLDSTEIN, MALCOLM: A Sounding of Sources CD (NW 80676CD) 21.00 Malcolm Goldstein (solo violin); Radu Malfatti (trombone); Philippe Micol (bass clarinet); Philippe Racine (flute); Beat Schneider (violoncello). "As a composer/violinist/improviser, Malcolm Goldstein (b. 1936) has been active in the presentation of new music and dance since the early 1960s in New York City as a co-founder with James Tenney and Philip Corner of the Tone Roads Ensemble and as a participant in the Judson Dance Theater, the New York Festival of the Avant-Garde, and the Experimental Intermedia Foundation. His 'Soundings' improvisations have received international acclaim for having 'reinvented violin playing,' extending the range of tonal/sound-texture possibilities of the instrument and revealing new dimensions of expressivity. Since the mid-1960s, he has integrated structured improvisation aspects into his compositions, exploring the rich sound-textures of new performance techniques within a variety of instrumental and vocal frameworks. Goldstein has been labeled an 'improviser' and a 'composer-violinist' (or merely a violinist). What this CD once and for all shows is that he is indeed those things, but encompassing them all is the fact that, profoundly, he is a composer. As he points out, 'at the core of baroque music was the integration of composition and improvisation,' and Goldstein brings the perspective and focus of a seasoned performer to this undertaking. In this way, his music represents a further evolution of that compositional-improvisational dialog begun in the early 1950s in the aleatoric, 'chance' pieces of composers like John Cage, Earle Brown, Christian Wolff and Morton Feldman." "Configurations in Darkness" (1995) (solo violin); "Configurations in Darkness" (1995) (chamber ensemble) [Swiss Radio DRS]; "Ishi/timechangingspaces" (1988) (acoustic art/radio work) [WDR Köln, broadcast in 1988]; "Ishi/'man waxati' Soundings" (1988) (solo violin, voice).     NONPLACE (GERMANY)   EMBASSADORS (FEAT. MICHEL ONGARU), THE: Healing The Music CD (NON 023CD) 22.00 This is the debut release by The Embassadors, an international music collective formed by reed player/producer/Burnt Friedman collaborator, Hayden Chisholm. The collective is the result of over 12 years of Chisholm's globetrotting and co-productions, collecting musical information and forging musical bonds. After years of worldwide music research, touring with groups like Root 70, Pluramon, Burnt Friedman/Jaki Liebezeit, and creating the music for Rebecca Horn installations, Chisholm felt ready to begin tying it all together. The collective is made up of the trombonist Nils Wogram, Europe's leading trombone soloist; bassist Matt Penman, NYC's first-call bassist and collaborator with John Scofield; drummer Jochen Rueckert, often imitated and sought-after by figures like Pat Matheny and Madeleine Peyroux; violist and vocalist Gareth Lubbe, known as one of the top overtone singers in the world and principal violist in the Leipziger Gewandhaus; cellist Claudio Bohórquez, one of the world's top classical soloists with a unique faculty for improvising, and Hayden Chisholm on reeds and keys. With this diverse ensemble, Chisholm has brought together leading figures from across genres, setting the foundations for what is a truly global music collective of the highest order. Also featured on this release is the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Kenya, Michel Ongaru. As Chisholm describes: "I wrote the words in English, Michel would put them into Swahili and churn them out at light speed on his Braille machine and Rob would fire up the tapes. The dots on the page were then brought to life by Michel's voice, echoing through the burnt-out empty rooms of the third floor."     NORDIC LIGHT HOTEL (SWEDEN)   FIELD, THE: Sound of Light CD (HEART 101CD) 25.00 This is a special limited boxed CD edition, produced by the Field for the Nordic Light Hotel in Sweden. Only a handful of copies are available.... This is also not the highly-anticipated follow-up to From Here We Go Sublime -- that's coming later in 2008. "Anonymous lounge music is a thing of the past. Sound of Light by The Field -- a new music concept. What is the sound of light? The Nordic Light Hotel has invited The Field, one of the electronic music world's most interesting artists, to answer the question. The result is a sublime music experience that reflects twenty-four hours, produced by the Nordic Light Hotel. Sound of Light is the name of the hotel's music concept. Light has always been a central part of the Nordic Light Hotel, and to have light as a holistic basis for the music was therefore natural. To create music inspired by light was however only the point of departure of the project -- the objective was to characterize the entire hotel through music. In order to succeed with this ambition, the hotel decided to invite a number of artists and let them interpret a hotel experience at the Nordic Light Hotel -- and to then to make a recording. One artist for each record, so that each artist may have scope for an entire interpretation. The concept is a framework within which the artist may move freely and independently. 'We want to create a holistic experience for our guests, and believe that light and music are incredibly important components of a hotel experience. We have found the right solution and produced music with origins in the same basic concept as our hotel. We have taken lounge music one stage further,' says Anders Johansson, CEO of the Nordic Light Hotel. The first artist to take part in the Sound of Light is Axel Willner, better known as The Field. The Field is one of today's most interesting artists within electronic music. In order to be with the Nordic Light Hotel, he has taken a break from his constant DJ assignments around the world. The impressions he took from his stay at the Nordic Light Hotel formed the basis of his interpretation. The record is divided into four different parts -- morning, day, evening and night -- so as to cover all aspects of the light and the hotel. One record is ready, but for the Sound of Light this is only the beginning."     O ROSA (UK)   WHIP: R. Mutt's Blues CD (ROS 001CD) 21.00 "Merritt slowly return from an entire year of phonographic inactivity. The title refers to Marcel Duchamp's oft-misunderstood Dadaist masterpiece, 'Fountain,' and is a knowing and cheerful allegory to something we may never understand. 'Beast of Each' is worthy of swoons, a great tristesse mumbled over a gentle folk waltz, while 'Wrecking Crew' is utterly overwhelming and enveloping in its graceful and intimate expression of melancholia. These songs will break hearts and mend hearts. Portland's Jason Merritt writes songs for both himself (as Whip), and for his band, Timesbold. While all are rich and melancholy Americana, the former are much softer and more delicate than the full-band arrangement. Jason spent his youth in upstate New York, but eventually found his way to that great and almost-mythical center-point of rejected culture: Portland, Oregon. He was eager to escape New York by any means necessary, and around the year 2000, he found that making records brought him out of the little town he was living in -- Hopewell Junction -- and so the musical adventures of Timesbold and Whip began to take him around the world, and further from New York with every endeavor."     PALINDRONE RECORDINGS (NEW ZEALAND)   MASAMI'S NEW ROCK SYNDICATE, KAWAGUCHI: Cat vs. Frog LP (PALP 002LP) 21.00 "Kawaguchi Masami is a Japanese guitar monster who has done time in Miminokoto, LSD March, and Broomdusters, and played with Keiji Haino for a time. This, his new band, also features bassist Akira Kikuchi and drummer Nao Shibata (Hijokaidan, Doodles). A track by New Rock Syndicate featured on the recent PSF compilation Tokyo Flashback Vol. 6. The new album is called Cat vs. Frog and clocks in at around 40 mins. It's exceptional wailing, burning garage psych-rock grounded in Kawaguchi's trademark heart-breakingly melancholic emotional intensity, instantly hummable, head-nodding toe-tapping riffs and melodies and unavoidably air guitaring white light, white heat guitar solos. Cat vs. Frog is pressed on white vinyl, in an edition of 500."     PLANET E COMMUNICATIONS   BUTTRICH, MARTIN: Stoned Autopilot/Cruise Control 12" (PE 65296EP) 8.00 "'Stoned Autopilot' written & produced by Martin Buttrich. Mastered by Enrico Mercaldi @ Timetools Mastering. 'Cruise Control' was written & produced by Martin Buttrich. Mastered by Enrico Mercaldi @ Timetools Mastering." Both tracks are Detroit-influenced and masterful.     PLOP (JAPAN)   MODELL, ROD: Incense & Black Light CD (PLOP 003CD) 24.00 This is the first record from Detroit-based Rod Modell (Echospace, DeepChord) on the Plop label. Modell is a classic minimal techno producer and also founder of Deepchord Records in Detroit as an outlet for his "dirty" minimal tracks. Incense & Black Light is an intoxicating journey into darkness, a sonic travelogue through one mysterious night. The tracks represent 10 different scenes from the same night, taking the listener from dusk to dawn. A rainy, neon-lit trip into the seedier side of night temples, red light districts, and opium dens. Psychedelic dub-delays, sub bass, and slabs of alien atmosphere rule here. Otherworldly rainy-night field recordings saturate the tracks. Modell began producing music in the mid-'80s using analog synthesizers and drum machines. To date, Modell has about 60 releases to his credit. Rod's work was focused on electro-acoustic experimentation in the early years, making musique concrète compositions with a 4-track cassette machine and field recordings, then branching into industrial soundscape work. More recent recordings utilize more structure and beats, but still retain the atmospherics that Modell is known for. Mood is of paramount importance in a Rod Modell recording (often created with field recordings). One of Modell's favorite pastimes is making middle-of-the-night music with his portable DAT machine and dummy-head microphone. Incense & Black Light is ideal for 3:00AM headphone listening.     PSYCHIC CIRCLE (UK)   VA: Phantom Guitars: A Cool Collection of Twangin' Guitar CD (PC 7019CD) 21.00 ...Instrumentals from the UK 1961-1964. For a short period in the UK, guitar-led instrumental groups took control. In the three year span between rock & roll and the full flush of beat, there was no bigger band than The Shadows. Their magical brand of twanging melody incorporated elements of Duane Eddy and The Ventures, but was something entirely British. And, as always, when someone comes up with a winning formula, everybody else suddenly leaps on board. So, in contrast to the clean-cut crooners, coffee bars, dancehalls and fairgrounds reverberated to the sound of Binson echo units and primitive Bigsby-esque tremelo arms. This CD ventures back in time a little further than previous Psychic Circle releases to round up a string-bending selection of some the finest examples of this genre. You'll hear an unreleased acetate from the guy who wrote the BBC's Match Of The Day theme, a live stormer from an Irish showband and a gem from Alvin Stardust's first backing band. There's a quick visit to Joe Meek's studios, and a track from The Gladiators without Nero, plus a whole lot more. Specially compiled by legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Other artists include: The Falcons, The Krew Kats, The Phantoms, Bobby Taylor, The Hunters, Dennis Newey, The Executives, The Nu-Notes, The Cougars, The Champions, The Fentones, The Gimmicks, Dunhill & Weiser, The Packabeats, The Planets, The Johnny Howard Group, Rhet Stoller, The Players, The Violents, Group X, The Barons, Bob Miller & The Millermen, The Vengers and The Royal Showband, Waterford.     RE:CONNECTED (GERMANY)   MARTINEZ: A Chemical Imbalance 2LP (RE 001LP) 30.00 Previously reissued on CD by Re:Connected, now issued on double LP format as well. This is the second full-length record by Copenhagen-based Martinez. This very special double pack vinyl edition includes 8 brand new tracks, all produced by Martinez during the spring and summer of 2007. You'll find the trademark sounds of Re:connected, in tracks such as "La Macchina," with its rolling hypnotic rhythm and bleepy metallic sounds. Martinez also adds some elements from his early influences of deep house with the track "Lowdown" -- its lush and laid-back pads lay out a deep but uplifting atmosphere to the otherwise dark soundscape of the album. There are also some trippy experimental dub grooves on tracks like "The Turtle-March," with that weird voice coming in and its tripped-out percussion flowing on top of a heavy sub-bass. A Chemical Imbalance is a sonic mood swing between ambient, minimal, techno, deep house and dub.     RRR   VA: The Best LP (RRR 750LP) 24.00 "Extreme noise and power electronics, mostly all new artists. I asked people to submit 'the best track they ever recorded' and voilà, The Best -- features Halflings, Cathode Terror Secretion, Ichorous, Is, Brutophilia and Cherry Point, including 10 inserts, all covers hand decorated, 200 copies only."     SIRE   HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS, RICHARD: Blank Generation LP (SR 6037HLP) 21.00 Exact repro vinyl version of the debut Richard Hell album, originally issued by Sire in 1977; 180 gram vinyl . "Hell formed the Voidoids, whose unwavering individualism kept the group out of the big time while producing a demanding and impressive corpus of work. 'I was saying let me out of here before I was even born.' That lyric sums up Hell's attitude, which he expanded and perfected on Blank Generation with a new version of the title track and such powerful statements as 'Love Comes in Spurts' and 'New Pleasure.' The album combines manic William Burroughs-influenced poetry and raw-edged music for the best rock presentation of nihilism and existential angst ever. Hell's voice, fluctuating from groan to shriek, is more impassioned and expressive than a legion of Top 40 singers." --Trouser Press       DEAD BOYS: Young Loud and Snotty LP (SR 6038HLP) 21.00 Exact repro of the classic 1st Dead Boys album, originally issued by Sire in 1977; 180 gram vinyl. "The Dead Boys moved to New York City in 1977 from Cleveland, Ohio shortly after the punk rock explosion started in New York. Shorty thereafter, the Dead Boys signed a record contract with Sire Records promising two studio albums and one live album. Largely influenced by groups such as Iggy Pop and the Stooges and Detroit's MC5, the Dead Boys released their debut Young Loud and Snotty in May of 1977. A very raw, powerful, and obnoxious debut."       DEAD BOYS: We Have Come For Your Children LP (SR 6054HLP) 21.00 Exact repro vinyl version of their second album, originally released by Sire in 1978; 180 gram vinyl. "The Dead Boys set their sights on their sophomore effort, which was originally to be produced by Lou Reed (with a working title of 'Down to Kill'). But at the insistence of their record company (who was trying to convince the band to soften up their sound a bit to produce a breakthrough hit), the group enlisted former Cream producer (and bassist for early-'70s Cream disciples Mountain) Felix Pappalardi. The match didn't prove to be a fitting one, as the former hippie didn't understand the sonic onslaught of these young punks, resulting in an album that failed to expand on the promise of their debut. With a new title of We Have Come for Your Children, the album spawned another punk classic in 'Ain't It Fun,' but the disc sold even fewer copies than its predecessor." --Greg Prato & Stephen Thomas Erlewine     SLICES (GERMANY)   SLICES: Best of Slices DVD (SLICES 001DVD) Slices is a DVD magazine out of Germany, focusing on the contemporary electronic music scene. It is distributed for free in Europe, but not available in North America. This is a promotional-only "best of" sampler DVD. It is free and in this case, is available in North America; it can be added to orders at no cost. European PAL-format, in English. Featured artists on this DVD sampler (from past issues of Slices): Legowelt/Bunker Records, Noze, Ed Banger Records, Underground Resistance, Emperor Machine, Evil Nine, Luke Slater, Ninja Tune/Big Dada, Jahcoozi, British Murder Boys, Pete Namlook, Abe Duque. "Slices is a DVD magazine for electronic music and presents insights into a multifaceted landscape of scenes, which has become a synonym for innovation and progress unlike any other. We devote ourselves to tireless doers, sources of inspiration and style-defining labels and artists. Thus, we offer a genuine alternative to music television. Slices reports from the electronic music world by means of portraits, background features and videos. From electronica and downbeat via house to techno."     SOCIAL REGISTRY   GROWING: Lateral CD (SOCIAL 064CD) 13.50 "Lateral finds the band reflecting on their past two (may we add highly underrated) albums while gazing to the future with newfound rhythmic motifs and otherworldly heights to their sound sculptures. The textures are warm and inviting, tempting the listener to focus on stunning minimalist changes within Growing's dense aural fog."     SOUL JAZZ RECORDS (UK)   WARRIOR QUEEN AND THE HEATWAVE: Things Change 12" (SJR 177EP) 11.00 "New killer dancehall bomb from Warrior Queen on Soul Jazz Records! Warrior Queen is one of the most in-demand vocalists on the dubstep, dancehall and grime scenes at present. She has released records with Skream, The Bug, Kode9, DJ Zinc and many more (on labels such as Rephlex, Soul Jazz, Hyperdub, Tempa, Casual and more). Warrior Queen began her career in Jamaica, MCing on her uncles soundsystem in Kingston and quickly elevating to releasing dancehall tracks on the Penthouse label. Since first releasing records in the UK she has worked with some of the finest underground producers in the country. Her previous release on Soul Jazz Records was as Ladybug (with Kevin Martin, aka The Bug) with 'Them A Bomb We,' about the 7th of July Tube bombings. This new track 'Things Change' is about the politics of life between Jamaica and the UK. Heatwave's original productions and re-mixes have previously been released on their own Scandal Bag, Punchline and Heatwave labels including their infamous DJ-friendly dancehall versions of Kelis's 'Trick Me' and Lily Allen's 'LDN.' Warrior Queen's 'Thing Change' is taken from An England Story, a history of UK MC culture featuring an incredible array of dancehall/hip-gop/grime MCs over the last 25 years."       TETINE: I Go To The Doctor! 12" (SJR 180EP) 11.00 "Killer punk-funk/new wave 12" featuring the São Paulo based group Tetine along with a wicked reworking on the CSS Remix. Tetine are Bruno Verner and Eliete Mejorado. This is their second release on Soul Jazz Records and is a taster for their forthcoming album Let Your X's Be Y's, a wild mix-up of punk-funk/new wave/post-punk/baile-bass. Integral to the same vibrant São Paulo music scene in Brazil that has now produced both CSS and Bonde de Role, Tetine's music is similarly a mixture of raw punky energy and attitude mixed with bass-heavy dance music. Tetine are in-fact the forerunners of this scene having now released 8 albums in Brazil since they formed in São Paulo in 1995."     SOUND @ ONE   NO NECK BLUES BAND: Aftypiclipse LP (S@1 084LP) 23.00 "This is the bomb NNCK dropped on ATP, December 2006. Entirely new sequence and improved mastering and fidelity from the CD-R version."     SPECTRAL SOUND   OSBORNE: Ruling EP 12" (SPC 053EP) 10.00 Osborne is a Lego-sculpting, electron microscope-owning, Japanese speaking über-producer. He is, in fact, house music's MacGyver. Todd has been championed across the board by Gilles Peterson to Aphex Twin, from UR's Mad Mike to Warp's Flying Lotus. This 12" was written on his own music software on a hand-built computer, and is a testament to a life of walking the walk. Pure dancefloor-ready house that provides a taste of much more to come from this up-and-comer.     STATLER & WALDORF (DENMARK)   PELLARIN: Gundsø CD (S&W 012CD) 22.00 This is the third full-length release by Lars Pellarin (Printer, Pellarin & Lenler), and his tribute to the vanished name of his Danish birthplace. Following the same format as his first album on Statler & Waldorf, 2004's Athen, it seems a series of albums with a city theme is developing. This time it's Gundsø -- the area north of Roskilde where Pellarin grew up, not far from the only nuclear power plant in Denmark as well as the strange hill Bolund, which sits in the muddy fjord like a giant grass turtle, still asleep since its birth during the last Ice Age. Pellarin had his first job in the cafe at Vintappergården -- a rebuilt farm where huge buses full of elderly Germans arrived to look at dried/plastic flower decorations exhibited in the large quiet barns. Mozart would blast out at hearing-aid volume during the few hours of the visiting stampede, while the rest of the time it was silent: just Pellarin and the mice. As a child, Pellarin and his friends used to build caves in the foggy moors of Gundsø, and many of the pieces that ended up on this album suit his memories from that time. Now that the municipality reform of 2007 merged Gundsø with Roskilde, the name has disappeared. The CD version of the album comes with a video created by Stefan Mylleager for one of the pieces. The long-term audio-visual collaboration of the two has developed into an expansion of the "band" Pellarin with a confident visual aspect. Contrary to previous Pellarin albums, Gundsø features two tracks with vocals -- one of them a traditional song performed by Jesper Henriksen, who previously worked with Rasmus Møbius. The other vocal element on the album is a Middle Eastern chant-like section in the track, "Iran."     STOCK5 (GERMANY)   JICHAEL MACKSON: Same Same But Different EP 12" (STOCK 007EP) 12.00 "As we all are already used to when Jichael is behind the machines, we get what we want but never what we expect. You can call this easily Same Same But Different and that's the way it is. The 'Flatscreen' on the A-side isn't flat. Something around 14 minutes long, it develops a lot of grooves that weren't audible 2 seconds ago. So normally this track should be called 'Endless Hollow' or something like this because the longer you hear, it the deeper you fall. For sure a killer track that wouldn't fit on any flatscreen of the world. Flatscreens namely have only two dimensions, this track doesn't get by with four of it. And the B-side that he produced with his friend Blimp answers to a name that nobody understands except himself. '1000BUGZ' is one of the more typical stories of Jichael for which we love him since years. An on and on going groove bravely climbs to his climax just to detonate there and fall back into the valley of sub-basses where he came from. After years of waiting, we are very proud to present this release and we cannot wait to hold it in our hands!"     STRYDER (UK)   TINCHY STRYDER: Cloud 9: The EP CD (STR 003CD) 15.00 "Nominated for the MOBO awards best newcomer 2007, Tinchy Stryder is back for 2008 with an explosive mix tape. Stryder has proved his weight in the game and has definitely cemented himself as one of the scene's best artists. Cloud 9 proves this yet again. Tinchy is currently touring the country as a supporting act for Jack Penate and has proved that he has a versatile spitting style like no other. Ruff Sqwad's front man delivers an outstanding compilation of tracks, be sure not to miss out!"     SUBLIMINAL SOUNDS (SWEDEN)   STONE & LUV, JADE: Mosaics: Pieces of Stone LP (SUBL 024LP) 38.00 LP version. Gatefold LP sleeve + printed inner sleeve. The sole album from male-female duo Jade Stone & Luv is a lost gem from the heart of the psychedelic 1970s. Composed and self-produced in Nashville in 1977, Mosaics: Pieces of Stone went unnoticed by the music industry upon release. Fortunately, it didn't disappear forever, but simply went into retreat, biding its time. While almost unknown outside specialist circles, Mosaics has been an underground cult favorite for many years. The combination of top-level songwriting, skillful guitar/keyboard arrangements and soaring vocals is just too impressive to ignore. And beyond these obvious qualities, the album has something subtle and unique, a magnetic power that keeps drawing the listener back. One of Jade Stone & Luv's earliest advocates was the legendary New York City musicologist, Paul Major. Here's a typical Major impression of the music on Mosaics: "Groovy love vibes thru a prism of jade statues in swinging singles apartment complex action ... Cadillac with fuzzy dice, feather boa, lotsa cigarette burns, stale perfumed ashen air. This album in the 8-track player at 5 AM with someone you don't even know passed out in the backseat, as you head to the diner to meet up with an early-bird Lava Lite salesman who deals pills on the side. Bubbly champagne molecules become the plastic vinyl booths in dim-lit dive bars; it's crackerbox post-war suburban low-rent psychedelic..." After 30 years, this rare experience is finally available for general consumption. Exact reissue, including a bonus track, in a limited edition of 500 copies.     SUBSONIK (UK)   BIOME: State of Emergency/Agitated 12" (SUBZ 002EP) 11.00 "Debut dubstep business from Manchester's Biome on Subsonik records. Flying the Manc steppers flag high, Biome work all their presets into a murky pit of bass drops and caustic lead riffs on 'State of Emergency,' drawing stylistic influence from fellow Manc heads Omen and Mark One, with hung halfsteppers beats and comically gloomy atmospheres. 'Agitated' on the flip, bear-hugs the standard dubstep template with another dank and skanky riddim primed for big dubstep floors." --Boomkat     TEMPA (UK)   BENGA: Diary of an Afro Warrior CD (TEMPA 010CD) 21.00 "Diary Of An Afro Warrior is one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. If Burial's Untrue dominated 2007's end of year critics charts, then it's odds on Diary Of An Afro Warrior will do the same in 2008. Dubstep's trickle into the mainstream has been steady; Skream and Burial alike have nudged the door open. Benga is undoubtedly the force to smash it through and take dubstep to another level. Much more than just a straight dubstep album, the tracks on Diary... have been favorably compared to such names as Carl Craig, Underground Resistance, Reprazent and Massive Attack." 14 tracks on the CD version.       BENGA: Diary of an Afro Warrior 3LP (TEMPA 010LP) 35.00 Triple LP version. Substantially different track listing on the vinyl version, with 5 tracks not found on the CD. 9 tracks in total.     TRAUM (GERMANY)   EULBERG, DOMINIK: Herbarium 12" (TRAUM 097EP) 10.00 An herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens. On the sleeve of this 12" is a selection of Dominik Eulberg's favorite plants. Their fragile and neat features are as romantic as the tracks on this record, which are based on his finest melodic moments from his Flora & Fauna LP. "Kriechender Günsel" is a rhythmic techno groover that incorporates an Aphex Twin-like melody. "Kuckucks-Lichtnelke" is sparse and delicate, like a flower.     TSUBA (UK)   GEDDES: Trial & Error 12" (TSUBA 016EP) 12.00 "Tsuba is proud to present the debut single from Geddes, one third of Rekleiner alongside Audiofly and the man behind London and Ibiza's infamous Mulletover parties. 'Trial' and 'Error' show two distinct sides to Geddes' musical personality -- 'Trial' is atmospheric deep house with a lighter vibe and 'Error' is darker, moodier tech house with shades of Konrad Black. Dynamic and Kindisch Records rising star H.O.S.H has delivered a super hot remix. It's deep, hypnotic and spacey house underpinned with that all-important jackin' bassline. As a DJ, Geddes now holds international prominence with appearances in 2007 at Berlin's Panorama Bar and Watergate, D!Club in Lausanne and the Loft in Barcelona. Past performances have brought him success with large crowds as well as in modest spaces."       EEPROM, DANTON: To The Bone 12" (TSUBA 019EP) 12.00 "Danton Eeprom made his Tsuba debut last year with One Thing Leads To Another and has since released records on Freak n' Chic and his own Fondation imprint. The follow up for Tsuba, To The Bone has already been included on the Steve Lawler Viva London album and has Danton's trademark dark funk throughout. The vocal is what really makes this and Danton stand out from the crowd. This man is going to be huge! For the remix, Jamie Jones delivers a stunner, adding his trademark trippy and hypnotic touches to the original. With Danton and Jamie on the same 12", it's another big Tsuba release."     TZADIK   ZORN, JOHN: The Dreamers CD (TZ 7366) 21.50 "Continuing in the tradition of his popular album The Gift, Zorn again combines a lifetime of musical passions -- world music, movie soundtracks, jazz, minimalism, exotica, funk, surf rock and more -- to create a vibrant and multifaceted album of instrumental fairy tales. Masterfully performed by the all-star players from Electric Masada, The Dreamers is a project of breathtaking variety and will attract listeners of all backgrounds and ages. Bathed in a lush package created by the acclaimed artist and exclusive Tzadik graphic designer, Chippy, and accompanied by a sheet of collectable character stickers, The Dreamers is one of Zorn's most beautiful and appealing projects. Seductive lyricism, hypnotic grooves, catchy hooks and romantic moods from this genre-bashing master of surprise."       BAR KOKHBA: Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10 CD (TZ 7367) 21.50 "Lucifer is the first studio recording in over ten years by the most popular and best-selling Masada ensemble ever. Here they play better and tighter than ever, blending Sephardic and Ashkenazi sonorities with Latin, surf, world music and more in an inimitable easy listening instrumental style. Lyrical and soulful, this is some of the most exciting and enjoyable chamber music you are ever likely to hear. Lucifer is yet another brilliant release from Zorn's Book of Angels -- one of the most consistent and compelling collections on Tzadik."       BAPTISTA, CYRO: Banquet of the Spirits CD (TZ 7624) 21.50 "Banquet of the Spirits features the tight new quartet led by maestro Cyro Baptista -- the fabulous percussionist who has performed with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma to Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Cyro's endless sonic curiosity and intense rhythmic drive has never been stronger in these fabulous and imaginative original songs. Featuring three of the best young musicians out of the downtown scene and some very special guests, the music jumps from a whisper to a scream and never misses a beat. Delightful music from one of the world's greatest and most adventurous Brazilian musicians."       ITO, TEIJI: The Shamanic Principles CD (TZ 8048) 21.50 "Now hailed as one of the downtown scene's founding fathers, Teiji Ito blended world music, avant-garde classical and improvisation as early as 1952. This fourth volume of music out of the Ito archives features the original recordings of two of his last and most important extended compositions. Drawing upon cosmic and shamanic principles learned first-hand from a variety of spiritual masters around the world, 'Axis Mundi' (using an orchestra of homemade instruments) and 'Quetzalcoatl' (performed with singers from the Sioux Nation) are the culmination of a lifetime of spiritual study by this elusive and enigmatic musical explorer. Another mind-bending view into the fascinating musical universe of Teiji Ito!"       AMBARCHI & Z'EV, OREN: Spirit Transform Me CD (TZ 8123) 21.50 "Oren Ambarchi is a composer and multi-instrumentalist experimenting in the dark trance-inducing worlds of ambient, industrial and electronic music. His newest collaborative project features the legendary percussionist/composer and mystic Z'ev in a hypnotic series of pieces exploring the inner meanings of the Hebrew Alef-beit. A remarkable vision from beginning to end, with sounds both fragile and powerfully intense, Oren and Z'ev take the sonic investigation of guitar and percussion to startling new heights. Qabalhistic euphoria from two masters of trance!"     WARP RECORDS (UK)   CLARK: Turning Dragon CD (WARP 162CD) 21.50 "Chris Clark has earned his reputation as one of the world's most adventurous dance producers with a catalog of twists and turns that owe just as much to the avant-garde as they do to the dancefloor. On Turning Dragon however, it's the dancefloor that receives most of the attention from this collection of turbo-charged tracks."       CLARK: Turning Dragon 2LP (WARP 162LP) 27.00 Double LP version.     WONDERLAND (UK)   WONDER: What (Caspa Remix) 12" (WND 002EP) 11.00 "Classic Wonder tracked remastered & reissued, including brand new killer Caspa remix on the back of his amazing rework of Matty G on Argon."     XI   SCHUMACHER, MICHAEL J.: Five Sound Installations DVD-ROM (XI 133DVD) 35.00 Five Sound Installations is a DVD-ROM (for MAC and PC) that contains 5 sound compositions generated in "real time" by a computer algorithm. The works are: "Room Piece Twenty-Four"; "Noema"; "Steiner Suite"; "Unintending"; "Scene." "Sound Art, algorithmic composition, chance operations, multi-channel sound systems, immersive installations, computer music; these terms all intersect at a point defined by the new XI release 5SI by MJS. Schumacher is a composer, curator (he runs Diapason, NY's only 'sound art' gallery), and performer, and has been creating computer-generated installations for close to 20 years. His output includes 5 solo CDs, but these were by necessity adaptations of works designed for more or less 'permanent' listening situations, in which auditors could explore various modes of listening within sound environments. These works were composed with installation settings in mind, they had no 'beginning-middle-end' (even out of order) in the traditional sense. For the CD releases, the pieces needed to be manipulated in various ways to accommodate the medium. A better way needed to be found. Schumacher has always been interested in creating algorithmic works that extend the boundaries of the genre, investing them with 100s of constituent parts that form sonic mobiles in space and time. Now he presents the ambitious (and technically savvy) listener with a means to experience Schumacher's installations in the home, through up to 8 separate speaker channels and for as long as the computer keeps running. No question, this is not an iPod experience! For some, just understanding the reason for such a project will be difficult. But the composer and XI believe that the time is apt for challenging a complacent public and industry. This release, more than anything else, is a challenge to break boundaries in both content and distribution, a call for a new way of thinking about sound in the home, which is more than ever the predominant place for listening." NOTE: These compositions must be installed on a computer to be heard. Instructions are enclosed. Minimum system requirements: PC: Windows XP, Vista, 1 gig processor speed, 5 gig free disc space. Mac: OS 10.3 or higher, 1 gig processor speed, 5 gig free disc space.     ZEBRA 3 RECORDING (FRANCE)   D'ANGELO & NICK HOLSON, PATRICE: Deckwatch EP 12" (ZB3 012EP) 12.00 "In 1996, Patrice D'Angelo began to produce music where he mixed his first influences (jazz, trip-hop, house & electronica). His first self-produced album saw the light in 2000, following by his first EP on Zebra 3 in 2001, Kill Huggy Bear. Since this EP, Patrice has integrated MC One (Monaco's first electroc & indies radio) as sound engineer & show producer. He also runs his own digital label called 7 Addicted Records. On this EP, he has been helped by Nick Holson, a talented South of France DJ & sound engineer. A minimal music pioneer on the French Riviera. No need to introduce Gui Boratto, the man of the moment, who has completely refreshed the minimal & electro scene, whose remix appears on the B-side."     THE PIG MAILORDER EMAIL UPDATES