THE PIG  MAILORDER      next page  home info.pig@mbox.theo.it 4 MEN WITH BEARDS   CLARK, GENE: Gene Glark (White Light) LP (4M 116LP) 19.00 "Further proof that 1971 could very well have been the best year ever for pop music is Gene Clark's self-titled LP (often referred to as White Light). Following his 1966 departure from The Byrds, as well as a release with the Gosdin Brothers and two with Doug Dillard as Dillard & Clark, Gene cut White Light with guitarist/producer Jesse Ed Davis, Burrito Brother Chris Ethridge and pianist Ben Sidran (then of the Steve Miller Band). This album is a country-rock classic featuring eight Clark originals and a stellar cover of the Dylan/Band cut 'Tears Of Rage.'"       WALKER, SCOTT: Scott LP (4M 149LP) 19.00 "One of the most enigmatic figures in pop music history Scott Walker (nee Scott Engel) first saw massive success in England with his band The Walker Brothers in 1965. Not really brothers, nor were they British, the trio left Hollywood seeking fame in England, and they found it there for a time with their particular brand of orchestrated pop. Following the group's demise in 1967, Walker set out to pursue solo stardom in perhaps the most peculiar way possible, with over-the-top baroque pop songs owing more to his idol Jacques Brel, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra than they did to The Beatles or The Stones. This is his first solo LP from 1967 and features 3 of his own compositions along with covers of songs by Brel, Tim Hardin, and the Brill Building team of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. A true original."       WALKER, SCOTT: Scott 2 LP (4M 150LP) 19.00 "Originally released in 1968, Scott 2 made it all the way to number one on the UK pop charts, perhaps the strangest number one hit in pop history. Continuing with his orchestral obsession, Scott 2 features over-the-top string and horn arrangements, occasionally veering into dangerously schmaltzy territory. This production style is in drastic contrast to the lyrical content, songs of despair, prostitution, homosexuality, and brutal honesty, indicting the same glamorous and glitzy lifestyle that his baroque pop style emblemizes. Along with many originals, Scott 2 features songs by Jacques Brel, Tim Hardin, and Bacharach/David."     APNEA (SPAIN)   FROM KARAOKE TO STARDOM: ¡Datura! 12" (APNEA 019EP) 12.00 "Jeremy Herpe comes back to Apnea after the magnificent Loopism Opposum, with ¡Datura!, where the wonder boy experiments with the darkest possible grooves. With the precision of a surgeon, From Karaoke To Stardom builds rhythms that breathe with complexity and passion, adding all kinds of effects, blips and samples. 'El Beso Magnético de la Muerte' is a visceral piece of low frequencies, a magnet for the dancefloor. Side B is for 'Diss-A-peer,' an aquatic journey of unknown pleasures."     ATAVISTIC   BROTZMANN/PEETER UUSKYLA DUO, PETER: Born Broke 2CD (ALP 185CD) 28.00 "Peter & Peeter have once again joined spirits and forces, picking up where their trio with Peter Friis-Nielsen left off -- this time as a reeds-n'-drums duo delivering a blowout double-CD -- whose only remote competition in the field understandably comes from Messrs. Vandermark & Nilssen-Love's two-man implosion unit, Dual Pleasure. A fresh double-dose of soul-purge from free men, presented in a Brötz art-brute package. From Uuskyla's liner notes: 'The liferoad of the one life you have. Been fighting all the time for playing untouchable sounds of simple music. My definition of beauty. Untouchable, therefore powerful, simple, therefore universal, for everyone. But you are notable to keep it only yourself, that's the strength. No amplification, not even monitor speakers or headphones needed for this duo. The punch and the scream -- the foundation of natural music-making!'"     BANG GANG 12 INCHES (AUSTRALIA)   BAG RAIDERS: Bag Raiders Remixed 12" (BANG 007EP) 12.00 "Last time I wrote about the Bag Raiders 'Fun Punch,' I went on some rant about me being in Ibiza, on the floor in the main room at Pacha, listening to Erick 'More' Morillo play filtered French house. I had my hands the air, the lasers were in full effect, the Italian girls were looking fine and my ecstasy was working overtime. I declared that it would have been the best song of the nite, a song so great that you would have bathed in Erick's sweat and wouldn't feel at all weird about it at all. Now after caning this every set all over the world in the last 6 months I take it back. Erick Morillo dropping that would have made the 12,684 ecstasies that were digested in the last hour be vomited up all over the island. People would be vomiting in waves of joy and these would have been rolling around like lost little pingers with no eyes and just insides made from MDMA. And then. The remixes arrive! And here come the pingers! Like little lost kittens with butter on their paws they find their way home. And all the empty stomach raved out beautiful people at Pacha decide to 'double dump' their old lost pingers that they previously vomited up and the party continues! Like a fairy tale for clubber's 'lord of the pings' 'the dark crystal meth' or 'the never ending breakdown' etc. The 12,684 lost no-eyed pingers now eaten (lets call them LLNEP) (long lost now eaten pingers) now get distributed amongst the remixes. The first 1,999 get swallowed by people getting lost on the way to the bathroom listening to ZZZ's super Chopin/Mozart/Bach/Grey/Beethoven/Liszt etc on meth style 3-minute breakdown remix. Word. The next 2,589 were had (shelved) on the dancefloor, lights off 2:33 am grooving to nightlife's dark late nite 2:33 am style Melbourne disco groove shuffle. Then 4,406 were eaten by young Justice fans headbanging to white noizes French style daka daka daka DAAA woop woop!!! Sweating like Carl Cox in their Ed Banger t-shirts and trying to hold their jeans up cause they just sold there limited edition oversized Justice logo belt to buy a water at 20 euros a pop. And the last 3,690 were delicately split in halves to make them easier to swallow by a mixture of French/Canadian/Dutch/German/Russian/Swiss/Italian/New Zealand/English/Scottish/Australian/Californian/Hungarian/Polish/Spanish and some gay dudes dancing on the balcony's to the Bag Raiders even more synthed-out skipped-out drawn out mix of their own super Ibiza Pacha Erick 'More' Morillo hit... ready for it you know how it goes (play the hero part now) FUN punch! and that is THE END."     BRONTOSAURUS (GERMANY)   MWAMBE, ARTO: Hum Along 12" (BS 006EP) 12.00 "'Hum Along' is one of the earliest productions of Mr. Mwambé. He started the track in the beginning of 2004 and for the last 4 years it has always been a very important and personal part of his life. Only Brontosaurus intelligence & ca$h were able to get this masterwork for this licky-boom-boom-down house 12". To complete the commotion, full time nice guy, father and electronic innovator Move D from the beautiful city of Heidelberg sat down to deliver a spontaneous disco version of the track -- reanimating the fresh and impro vibe of late '90s German disco/house productions. The B-side 'Greatest Love' continues where Arto's Mudhutma 12" ends, celebrating the unholy passion of deep house music."     CAPITOL   NEIL, FRED: Everybody's Talkin' LP (SM 294LP) 16.00 Exact repro LP reissue. Same tracks as Fred Neil, reissued here as Everybody's Talkin' in 1969 on Capitol. This was reissued in a variant title/cover to take advantage of the use of the song "Everybody's Talkin" in the movie Midnight Cowboy, as performed by Harry Nilsson.       NEIL, FRED: Sessions LP (ST 2862LP) 16.00 Exact repro LP reissue of the fourth Fred Neil album, originally released 1967 on Capitol. "...Pushed by spearing notes, Neil leans toward the microphone, mouth open to a line from chin to upper lip; the yawning exit of the well of his voice, which rises with the ease of dust motes from a deep, dark shaft, floating into sunlight and dipping back to the underworld blackness. Lyrics melt across compositional boundaries. He sings about black girls, pine trees, merry-go-rounds, death, life, lies and truth, fleshing the images into reality as his voice curves and cracks words into the microphone." --Pete Johnson       NEIL, FRED: Other Side Of This Life LP (ST 657LP) 11.00 Exact repro LP reissue of the fifth Fred Neil album, originally released 1971 on Capitol. Tracks 1-6: live at The Purple Elephant (Woodstock, NY). Tracks 7-11: In the studio, unknown exact dates and recording locations, between 1969 and 1970. Gram Parsons, Les McCann, Vince Martin & Stephen Stills make appearances, among others.       NEIL, FRED: Fred Neil LP (T 2665LP) 11.00 LP reissue of the third Fred Neil album, originally released 1966 on Capitol; later reissued as Everybody's Talkin'. "Surely the most balanced album of Fred Neil, this eponymous masterwork is from beginning to end a delightful listen and usually the preferred LP among fans and reviewers. It's the only Fred Neil album in which electric guitars were used. Without knowing very well why, the reverberated electric guitar that opens 'The Dolphins' and the entire LP reminds of the sensation of an infinitely peaceful landscape."     CONFUSED RECORDINGS (GERMANY)   KIKO: Requiem For A Dream/888 12" (CON 072EP) 12.00 "Our special agent from France is back on Confused! He delivers two tracks with this particular 'Kikonian atmosphere,' dark and rusty with melody thrills driven by a groove a la Huntemann. With 'Requiem For A Dream' Kiko gives us a look inside his special science of sleep. A very special lullaby. On '888' Kiko's mystic journey continues. A dark groove interrupted by griddy breaks and driven by a deep saw. Kiko's Requiem For A Dream EP is supported by Oliver Huntemann, Stephan Bodzin, Spektre, Vedrenn."     CONNAISSEUR RECORDINGS (GERMANY)   ESTROE VS. ZOEXENIA: Sweet Dreams EP 12" (CNS 018EP) 10.00 Estroe and ZoëXenia already teamed up for Connaisseur's compilation Grand Cru 2007 with their wonderful track "Don't Forget." This time the ladies share a split EP with one original track and one remix of both. Estroe is a remarkable and stylistically confident DJ. Famous in the Netherlands, she is slowly being recognized outside her home country. ZoëXenia is a singer and songwriter later infected by house music.     CONNAISSEUR SUPERIEUR (GERMANY)   RIPPERTON: Zugunruhe 12" (CNSS 008EP) 11.00 Ripperton presents "Zugunruhe," a lively Detroitish tech-house tune, with a bass line reminiscent of Goofy riding a prairie horse, hypnotic cowbell action and a childhood-memory theme. Not a peak-time tune, more like the kind of track you play at the beginning of the night to bring a smile to every dancer's face. Daniel Stefanik delivers an outstanding interpretation -- an after-party tune with a smacking groove, which slowly builds up to a heart-rending melody.     CONTINUITY...RECORDS (UK)   CLEAR FRAME: Clear Frame CD (TINU 001CD) 21.00 "Clear Frame features four of the most innovative and engaging British musicians of the last 40 years. Lol Coxhill, Charles Hayward, Hugh Hopper and Orphy Robinson. Each player has developed their work across a wide range of attitudes, honing their craft into a unique and individual voice. Clear Frame finds these four musicians in distinctive and dynamic form with a joyful free spirit at its core. For this, their first CD release, they are joined by the widely-acclaimed Robert Wyatt on cornet. Strong, subtle and surprising in its diversity, accessing groove and forward-motion rhythm as well as sound-as-sound and instant composition, Clear Frame is a multi-layered and dynamically shifting music that is forever in the moment."     DAGORED (ITALY)   WERBA, MARCO: The Horror Film World of Marco Werba CD (RED 181CD) 21.50 "This collection of works by the talented Spanish composer Marco Werba features 3 original soundtracks on one CD, 2007's Fearmakers, The Ocean and, above all, Darkness Surrounds Roberta, a sexy Italian whodunit about a politician's philandering wife and a masked killer, set in Florence, Italy. Werba works in a style that is both lyrical and haunting, giving the listener moments of driving suspense, lust and terror."       TAMPONI, FRANCO: 90 Notti In Giro Per Il Mondo OST CD (RED 182CD) 21.50 "Music by Italian composer Franco Tamponi for Mino Loy's 1963 90 Notti In Giro Per Il Mondo, an erotic shoc-umentary filmed in a variety of night clubs and strip joints all over the world, showing dances & strip teases by beautiful women from the five continents. It is part of the Italian 'Mondo' genre, of the '60s & '70s, a string of scandalous semi-documentaries with sexual or violent themes."     DATAPUNK (GERMANY)   ROTHER, ANTHONY: Don't Panic 12" (DTP 031EP) 11.00 This is a thrilling foretaste of the third Rother album on Datapunk. "Don't Panic" features vocoder voices and is a unique vision of a futuristic abstraction between techno, disco and electro. The "Dataclash Mix" on the B-side leaves the listener speechless. Going against the grain with extremely surprising noise effects, this mix is tailor-made even for reductionist DJ sets in its psychoactive darkness.     DEEP MEDI MUSIK (UK)   MALA: Changes/Forgive 12" (MEDI 004EP) 11.00 Repressed. "The 4th Deep Medi release is 2 from the archives of Digital Mystikz' Mala."       GOTH-TRAD: Cut End/Flags 12" (MEDI 005EP) 11.00 Repressed. "The 5th Deep Medi release goes international with two solid meditations from Japan's mighty Goth-Trad. Limited supply -- don't sleep on this future classic."     DMZ (UK)   DIGITAL MYSTIKZ: Ancient Memories 12" (DMZ 008EP) 11.50 Repressed. With Skream remix. "As yet another testament to the populist spirit of the Mystikz', we have release number eight on their own label. Again forgoing new tunes and giving the people some of what they want, 'Ancient Memories' on the A-side and the Skream remix of the same on the AA are both long-desired dubplates. 'Ancient Memories' is prime trademark Mystikz -- all dark and heavy bass and a rootsy vocal sample, making a tune equally suited for smoked-out with the lights out head-nod action as it is for rocking inna dancefloor. Skream's dub on the flip excellently remolds the tune into sounding completely like one of his own. Now brighter and upbeat, and balanced nicely between dub-throb and grime riddim bounce." --Rob Buschgans       MALA: Lean Forward/Learn 12" (DMZ 012EP) 11.50 Repressed. "Brand new DMZ!! Both sides built by Mala -- 'Lean Forward' rolls casually into brisk tumbling snare patterns and an insistent surging bassline technique. After a moment devoted to Selassie, the vibed up synth-chording and driven repeater drums take over, with a militant steppers bassline propelling a true and full dancefloor joint most effectively. 'Learn' surprisingly incorporates a sample last encountered on Three Sinister Syllables, which asks 'why haven't you learned anything?' over an immense descending low end, which seems to gather barometric pressure, consistent with a trip many leagues below the sea. Murderous bass and as you'd expect -- top notch stuff."       COKI: Spongebob/The End 12" (DMZ 013EP) 11.50 Repressed. "Coki's 'Spongebob' is the biggest track in dubstep. Smashed by Chief, Mala, Skream, and N Type to name a few."     DRAG CITY   THOMPSON, MAYO: Corky's Debt To His Father LP + 7" (DC 049LP) 25.00 LP version with bonus 7"; one of the great Drag City releases (and one of the great American music solo albums) finally on vinyl again. "In 1970, Mayo Thompson (once-and-future leader of The Red Krayola) recorded an album entitled Corky's Debt To His Father. Walt Andrus' Texas Revolution label released the record -- but just barely, selling a few hundred LPs with no promotion to speak of. The copies that made it into shops became the treasured objects of taste-makers around the globe -- which made Corky's Debt To His Father an influential record down the years. As punk rock, new wave, post-punk and all the rest came along, it was inevitable that this lost classic of independent music would be discovered by a wider audience. In 1988, the album was reissued on the UK Glass Records imprint but went out-of-print again in short order. Then in 1994, Drag City brought Corky's Debt To His Father back to the USA, as well as to the CD format for the first time. Additionally, a third pressing of the vinyl was made. The CD has been a perennial favorite ever since -- but after just a few months of robust sales, the LP artwork and jackets were destroyed in a fire, thus putting the end to the life of Corky's Debt To His Father on vinyl once again. A fast fourteen years later, it's our pleasure to bring this classic of two-sided entertainment back to the table (the turntable, that is) with a special limited-edition pressing of Corky's Debt To His Father. Wrapped in a jacket that recalls the halcyon days of solid LP dominance, this new pressing comes with a 7" single featuring the instrumental 'Woof,' which was recorded at the same sessions but not released until The Red Krayola's 2004 compilation CD Singles. The B-side of this single is a never-before heard take on John Cage's '4'33"' played by fellow traveller Sergei McUgly."       HIGGINS, GARY: Red Hash LP + 7" (DC 295LP) 23.00 LP version with bonus 7". "1973: Connecticut native Gary Higgins and his friends record Red Hash and release it on Gary's own Nufusmoon Records. Following the release, legal issues halt all promotion and sales, rendering the small pressing of Red Hash a hotly-rumored and much sought-after 'lost' album of rock and roll lore. 2005: Drag City is honored to present the first-ever authorized reissue of Gary Higgins' acid-folk gem Red Hash -- mastered from the original master tapes with two previously unheard bonus tracks. The reviews are glowing: the haunting sound of Gary's meticulously arranged folk-pop is a sound that everyone can relate to, and Red Hash makes many year-end lists around the world as Top Reissue. 2007: What do you mean, we forgot to make a vinyl version of Red Hash in 2005? Really? Well, let's not wait another minute, we might forget again... And so, after thirty-five years, Red Hash vinyl is back in stock, with a limited-edition LP that includes a 7" single featuring the first-ever vinyl pressing of the CD bonus songs 'Don't Ya Know' and 'Last Great Sperm Whale.' This is your chance to grab at a letter-perfect reproduction of a folk-rock classic from the early 1970s. Don't space it -- score yourself a copy of Red Hash."     ECSTATIC PEACE   EMERALDS/TUSCO TERROR: Vaporizer/Feral Cousins LP (E#105H) 19.00 "Emeralds is Mark McGuire, John Elliott & Steve Hauschildt. They are currently based in and around Cleveland, Ohio. Direct descendants of the history of adventurous punk, post-punk, whatever music spilling out of Ohio the last 35 years or so from Pere Ubu, Devo, Rocket From The Tombs, The Raspberries, The Cramps, Dead Boys, Great Plains, Fuzzhead, et al. Emeralds is the sound of exploration of space/time conundrums utilizing vintage synthesizer beauty and guitar experimentation. Unfolding sweet-leaf shifts and gorgeous curves of kosmiche abandon are played with devotion and desire. With a palpitating discography of cassettes, CD-Rs, etc., both self-released and on righteous labels (Hanson, Gods Of Tundra, American Tapes, Chondritic Sound) Emeralds have already distinguished themselves as new yet timeless, young yet ageless. Tusco Terror was introduced to us by fellow Ohioan (at that time) Leslie Keffer, (whose Feels Like Frenching LP was released on the label) as her favorite band in Ohio. She sent us some cassette releases and we were immediately blitzed. The sound of reckless confrontation, living room shambles, chaotic slipstreams and glorious friendship noise crackled from one brain stem to another. Tusco Terror resides in Akron, OH when they're not wheeling around the country setting up in any bewildered basement scene or delirious donut shop across the USA to wig out anyone fortunate enuff to be 'there.'"       POOR SCHOOL: The Holy Master LP (E#105J) 19.00 "Poor School started in April 2005 with Bryan Ramirez (gtr), John Niekrasz (drms) and Nathan Hoyme (sax). We first caught wind of this sick noise/jazz/postpunk rock trio when John Olson, he of American Tapes, Wolf Eyes, Dead Machines, etc. brought Ramirez' other combo Ex-Cocaine (who have a sick LP on Siltbreeze) to the No Fun basement a few years back and Ramirez laid some Poor School CD-R action on us. Needless to say, we were buh-lown away by the manic improv hepness and immediately emailed the dude to see if we could slam some Poor School magic onto black plastik. And unto Ecstatic Peace was delivered The Holy Master. Ramirez and Olson go waay back when the two of them jammed together in the nascent Michigan underground psychedelic troupe Universal Indians. Ramirez took off to Missoula, Montana to investigate micro-brews and mountain air and help put together the awesome Ex-Cocaine. He's still there. Niekrasz went to get high on life in India but is expected back sooner than later. Upon his return, we can hopefully expect Poor School to shed new love and light and chaos for the future. Keep yr eyes peeled."       ISLAJA: Blaze Mountain Recordings CD (E#106CD) 21.00 "Islaja is Merja Kokkonen, a visual artist and musician from Helsinki, Finland. She's been releasing records on Finnish label Fonal since 2004. The first one, Meritie, introduced her lovely sense of musical wonder to the world and garnered excited praise from the more astute ears at The Wire (UK) and Dusted Magazine (USA). The 2nd release Palaa Aurinkoon was equally boss and brought Islaja to North America with compatriot Finnish folk experimentalists Lau Nau and Kuupuu where she mesmerized audiences with a captivating minimalism of sweet singing and small toy and hand-made instruments played by herself and companion Jukka Raisanen. In 2007, she released her third album Ulual Yyy which expanded her sound into further psychedelic paths. Since then Islaja has played numerous large festivals including Eurosonic, Sonar and the 2006 All Tomorrows Parties/Nightmare Before Christmas curated by Thurston Moore. Animal Collective invited Islaja to play a two week support tour with them in Europe. Blaze Mountain Recordings is a live document, all music and words by Merja and played by Merja and Jukka. It's the perfect portal to enter the living world of Islaja's music/art spirit with a unity of traditional Finnish forest mystery and a radical song universe."     ERSTWHILE   MAGIC I.D., THE: Till My Breath Gives Out CD (ERSTPOP 001CD) 21.00 "The Magic I.D. is a Berlin-based quartet consisting of Margareth Kammerer, Christof Kurzmann, Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke, which formed in the summer of 2005 after previously being connected via smaller groupings and projects, some more abstract and some more song-based. The six pieces contained here are precise collective compositions, three by the full quartet, and one from each of the three potential 'duos' (the two clarinets form one twinned instrument). Till My Breath Gives Out expands song forms through the prism of experimental sensibilities and meshes the two remarkably fluidly. Till My Breath Gives Out is being released simultaneously in two formats: foldout digipak CD and gatefold 180 gram vinyl. The content and the running order are identical; the LP version was mastered slightly differently to better fit the format. The LP is an edition of 500 copies; the CD is unlimited and inexpensive."       MAGIC I.D., THE: Till My Breath Gives Out LP (ERSTPOP 001LP) 26.00 LP version. Gatefold 180 gram vinyl, in an edition of 500 copies.     FEAR OF FLYING (UK)   DADABLEEP: Remixes 12" (FOF 007EP) 12.00 "Linking the original tracks from German duo DadaBleep on our sister label Fear of Flying Ltd as much as we did, we thought it'd be just supa' to get some deeper re-rubs on our main label. SO BEHOLD! Connassieur superstars Plasmik take Ghipwe on an epic journey complete with warm pads and an old skool sounding high string line. We like MUCHLY! Next up, we enlisted the help of one the hardest working producers around at the moment, Andomatt 3000. He injects a great big dose of fun into his take on 'Ghipwe' -- bouncy, groovy and almost techno like -- what parts of the original does he use? We didn't ask but who really cares when the beats are this good, eh? We called upon the emerging talents of our very own Tim Gregor next for a rmx of 'Enter the Echo,' taking a more traditional tech-house route with a subtle vibe that just grooves along on its deep deep bass. We're confident you lot are gonna be hearing Tim crop up quite a lot next year, following in the footsteps of his better known brother, Mark Henning."     FREAK N' CHIC (FRANCE)   DYED SOUNDOROM: Question/Infection 12" (FNC 026EP) 11.00 This is the premier release from long-time Freak 'n' Chic DJ collaborator, Dyed Soundorom. "Question" lays down a dubby slow-moving groove -- let the pace take you up and bring you down to the deep-grooved finish. "Infection" instantly creates a deep and dubby late-night vibe that holds back the pace and keeps the funk grooving.     GET BACK (ITALY)   TYRANNOSAURUS REX: A Star of Beards CD (GET 660CD) 17.50 "The music and unique sound of Tyrannosaurus Rex have forever been overshadowed by Bolan's achievements with T.Rex. In fact, as a Bolan fan, the only real criticism you could really have about T.Rex, was that the band's massive musical and cultural appeal tended to demean the uniqueness and originality of what Bolan had achieved as 'Tyrannosaurus Rex'... There was something very cosy and warm about Tyrannosaurus Rex. A gentle yet powerful vibration that emanates deep from every song. I guess that's why Tony Visconti, when pressed in recent years, as to what his favorite albums to work on had been... he did not hesitate to say, 'the early Tyrannosaurus Rex ones.' Compiled by Pat Thomas."     GET PHYSICAL MUSIC (GERMANY)   ELEKTROCHEMIE: Get Yourself EP 12" (GPM 082EP) 11.00 Elektrochemie is producer Thomas Schumacher and the bewitching vocal presence of Caitlin Devlin. Get Yourself is Elektrochemie's third offering for Get Physical. "Faking" begins in an opiated fashion, flirting with spaced-out tom sounds before a fierce kick-drum gets the show on the road. "No 19" has a clicky 4x4 pattern and is sexy and non-committal. "Get Yourself" features snapclaps, a liquid bass line and synth builds. "My Home" has tectonic bass frequencies and keyboards dubbed to breaking point. Hypnotizing.     GREAT STUFF RECORDS (GERMANY)   VA: Great Carnival Stuff EP Vol. 1 12" (GSR 058EP) 12.00 "It's Carnival time all over the world and Great Stuff comes up with its first compilation full of exclusive Carnival goodies from their artists and friends. Infected by the groove and spirit of Rio, Venice, Trinidad Tobago, Cologne/Mainz, Mardi Gras. Eleven artists from all over the world (Wehbba from Brazil, Fergie from Ireland, Florian Meindl from London, Koletzki and Namito from Berlin) produced exclusive tracks for that compilation. And obviously they had to capture the carnival vibe and transform it into an outstanding track. These are the first 4 tracks on vinyl where Oliver Koletzki is in full samba feeling, while Butch was inspired by his hometown carnival in Mainz/Germany. Namito and Stephan Hinz used the percussive aspect of carnival for their track which definitely resulted in a great groove."     HAND/EYE   STONE BREATH: A Silver Thread To Weave The Seasons (Expanded) 2CD (H/E 033CD) 27.00 "Originally released in 1998, now expanded to two CDs with essential bonus material. The first disc presents the original album, long out-of-print, in all its acid-forest-drone-mantra-folk glory. These songs are of earth & spirit love, sunlight splitting open, threatening clouds, trees & birds that talk, the smell of wet earth & the sting of rain on an upturned face, firebrands scattering columns of sparks into the red twilight. The second disc returns some lost songs to Stone Breath, adds some rare songs from compilation appearances and presents a previously-unreleased track featuring Fit & Limo."     HAPNA (SWEDEN)   JARVINEN, ANNA: Jag Fick Feeling CD (HAPNA 038CD) 19.00 This is the debut solo full-length release from Stockholm-based Anna Järvinen, former member of Sweden's Granada from 1998-2004. Granada released three albums and one EP on record labels such as Universal, V2 and Look Left Recordings, and were produced by Björn Olsson and Mattias Glavå, who also heavily contributed to this record. Jag Fick Feeling was recorded in the Kungssten industry area in Gothenburg during a rainy summer and cold winter with members of Dungen and The Works, amongst many others. For this record, Järvinen tried to make music she has always loved, with melodies that she grew up hearing: "...the soundtrack to Brideshead Revisited, The Carpenters, Elton John's darling '70s tunes, Vesa Matti Loiri's interpretations of Eino Leino's poetry, Woody Allen movies, Pentti Saarikoski, nature poetry, drug and alcohol abuse, nostalgia, the Finland of my dreams, falling in love, sorrow, homesickness." As a result, Jag Fick Feeling is full of longing, made with delicate orchestration, flute, vibraphone, piano and autoharp. On top of it all, Anna Järvinen's clear-as-a-bell voice rings with a tone not unlike The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler. Each song is sung in Swedish, but the heart doesn't need any translation.     ILIAN TAPE (GERMANY)   FRESCA, MARIA: Womasushi EP 12" (ILIAN 003EP) 12.00 "Maria Fresca is a project by Franco Cinelli and Dario Zenker, which is based on a true live musical experience. Since they met the first time and smoked a couple of blunts, they've thought about working something out together. And here is the result. Spaced, dubbed out kickless journeys through their musical universes, like Timothy Leary's housekeeping woman from the French Alps on rollerblades. A1. 'Womafledtuna' -- where is the kick? The bass drum? Well, if it doesn't show up, don't wait for it, because there won't come any. Dance music without bass drum seems useless to you? If you think so, just listen to that cut really carefully and you won't even recognize that there isn't one. The rhythm is the main theme here. Dubbed hidden sounds under the structure, small Jamaican B-boys telling some of their Kingston pub lyrics about the Agent Orange weed-destroying era by the U.S. in the late '70s, and finally tons of hi-hats and percussion elements send you through waterfalls."       CASTILLO, LEONEL: El Viaje Del Barrilette RMX EP 12" (ILIAN 004EP) 12.00 "Leonel Castillo is one of the most outstanding Argentinian artists these days. Last winter he released an amazing debut EP on our sister label, Hometown Music and now we're proud to present the remixes of that EP on Ilian Tape. Lee Van Dowski and Agnes were so excited about these cuts that they did two amazing remixes. Blast off!"     IMPORTANT RECORDS   DAWSON, KIMYA: My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess LP (IMPREC 031LP) 22.00 Repress of this 2004 album, now in full printed cover. "Obviously, both of Kimya Dawson's solo albums are highly recommended to fans of The Moldy Peaches, but don't expect sex and drug jokes, these albums are more serious, transcending the novelty and humor of the Peaches. Embracing nostalgia, melancholy and sincerity, Kimya proves to be as unique as she is brilliant, creating two albums both compelling and charismatic. My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess is an instant anti-folk classic."       DAWSON, KIMYA: Knock Knock Who? LP (IMPREC 032LP) 21.00 Repress of this 2004 album, now in full printed cover; contains "So Nice So Smart" as featured in the movie Juno! "On break from Rough Trade and her band The Moldy Peaches, our friend Kimya finds herself at home on Important Records releasing two full length albums at once. Both albums are full of moving original folk songs about Atari 2600's, love, growing up, growing old, overcoming hardships and Matlock . Kimya is one of the most genuine voices in modern music and the superstar of NYC's anti-folk scene."       BEEQUEEN: Sandancing Demos 10" (IMPREC 186EP) 21.00 "Limited edition of 300 copies in heavy duty screen-printed jackets by Monoroid. The Sandancing Demos 10", as its title suggests, contains the original ideas that birthed Beequeen's wonderful new album, Sandancing. Original versions, rough mixes & home demos plus an unreleased track."     KANZLERAMT (GERMANY)   KAJIOKA, RAY: Simplify 12" (KA 140EP) 12.00 "Ray Kajioka returns with his 4th work on Kanzleramt, Simplify.' Modify to simplify is Ray's credo and so it is self-explanatory that this release bears the tile Simplify. The daily grind with undulating ups and downs gives Ray the pulse for making things straight without being ornate."     KNALL TRAXX (GERMANY)   JOZ: Danger! 12" (KNALL 004EP) 12.00 "Top secret after hour madness is the concept behind it, Knall is the name and Berlin is the place. Well done top secret people. #4 comes from Joz, is called 'Danger!' and definitely lives up to its name. Super hypnotic minimal grooves with excellent percussion work and dope synthesizer dressing on top. You can't do no wrong if you like labels like M_nus or Pokerflat. Deep!"     KONTRA-MUSIK RECORDS (SWEDEN)   HESS, LUKE: Believe & Receive EP 12" (KM 007EP) 12.00 "Kontra-Musik 007 gives you beautiful and deep techno from Omar-S protégé Luke Hess with an even deeper remake from Kontra-Musik long time favorite, Shed. He represents the new generation of Detroit producers. Subject to the city's mid-'90s warehouse parties, Luke Hess has harnessed a deep appreciation for electronic music and the expression of the underground movement. This in combination with his background in mathematics and engineering has given him a scientific approach to the dancefloor, using frequencies, tones, and soundscapes to transform surroundings and mood. Luke's faith-based music production has landed him a seat with Beretta Music in Detroit, Modelisme in France and last but not least, with Omar-S' FXME label. The remix is the work of Shed, the man behind the labels Soloaction and Subsolo. His productions sound like synchronized movements of old farming machines, creating beautiful music. EPs like Stronghold, Shot Selection and The Fall contains timeless dancefloor music with that extra home listening quality. It is a great honor to finally have his work on the Kontra-Musik label."     LIGHT IN THE ATTIC   DAVIS, BETTY: Betty Davis LP + 7" (LITA 026LP) 19.00 LP version. Includes bonus 7". Unreleased tracks from 1974. A1. "Come Take Me" B1. "You Won't See Me In The Morning."       DAVIS, BETTY: They Say I'm Different LP + 7" (LITA 027LP) 19.00 LP version. Includes bonus 7". Record plant rough mixes from 1973. A1. "He Was A Big Freak" B1. "Don't Call Her No Tramp."       VA: Summer Records Anthology 1974-1988 2LP (LITA 029LP) 35.00 Double LP version. "First time this material has been collected. Unreleased roots reggae tracks from such legends as Willi Williams and Johnny Osbourne. Remastered from the original tapes."     LONG HAIR (GERMANY)   RUFUS ZUPHALL: Outside The Gates of Eden 2CD (LHC 062/3CD) 39.00 "German rock legends Rufus Zuphall feat. original band members Günter Krause (gt, voc, bandleader), Klaus Gülden (flute), Helmut Lieblang (bass, lyrics) are still on the live-circuit. In summer 2006, they performed at the famous Belgian rock underground club Spirit of 66. This show was broadcast by German radio station Deutschlandfunk. Over more than 120 minutes Rufus Zuphall played a hand-picked show including all their classic titles like 'Weiß der Teufel,' 'Avalon,' 'Spanferkel,' 'Portland Town,' 'Knight of 3rd degree' et.al. But also new songs like the title track of this double album 'Outside the Gates of Eden,' a superb work, which is reminiscent of the best moments of their classic 2nd album Phallobst are included. Further new titles like 'Blue Zone,' 'Lover Mine' or 'Sixpack' are examples of the excellent songwriting band leader Günter Krause is still capable of. This great concert shows the tremendous passion of Rufus Zuphall's performing abilities. Digitally remastered from the original broadcast tape. Highly recommended."       KOLLEKTIV: Kollektiv CD (LHC 064CD) 24.00 "This legendary eponymous album, originally released on famous label Brain in 1973, is a fine example of the various styles German rock of the early '70s (Krautrock) represented. On their first album, Kollektiv produced an incomparable, unmistakable sound with echoes of Organisation and early Kraftwerk. Spacey but melodic, elevated yet rocking. Innovativ, progressive in the best sense. This is a true German rock classic. Comes with 4 bonus tracks (28 minutes) with a different line-up which was influenced by King Crimson's Red album phase of the mid-'70s. Superb guitar work over hypnotizing rhythms. A must."     LOVE LETTERS FROM OSLO (GERMANY)   MOLINARI, VERA & FEDERICO: It Ain't Music/Tusch For Mike 12" (LLFO 001EP) 12.00 "The new sub-label from Oslo Records is ran by the two heads: Federico Molinari and Nekes. Together they are trying to express their feelings towards a certain kind of music by sending musical love letters in 12" vinyl form. The first proof of love is sent from Vera & Federico Molinari and includes two house tracks that hold a classic touch and are reinterpreted in a modern way. 'It Ain't Music' is a house tool with clear sound structures. It's deep, intensive and filled with soul. By being fairly linear and loopy, it creates unique ambiance and energy. 'Tusch For Mike' is a melancholic deep house track, with a touch of Detroit. The warm chord sounds, heavy beats and small fragments of Vera's voice spread a very personal vibe. Both tracks are never pretentious, but almost reserved, which keeps them interesting in nature. Staying special all the way, it's only available on vinyl. A true love proof!"     MENLO PARK   FLYING: Faces of the Night CD (MPK 7045CD) 19.00 "There are moments when you simply see it, the future being so bright & the chemistry being just right. Originally from Massachusetts, the four youths are now in NYC, working on their music -- an incredible combination of psych, experimental & pop, something we call 'savant rock.' Flying have toured with such siblings as Deerhoof."     MOAR   MOU. LIPS!: Untree CD (MOAR 001CD) 19.00 "...and so the new mOAR subdivision of and/OAR starts off its CD release schedule on a happy-go-lucky note with Untree by Italian project Mou, Lips! (Andrea Gabriele, from Pirandelo and formerly of Tu m') with various tracks featuring Emanuela De Angelis, Stephen Vitiello, Jara Queeto, Marita Cosma and Ivan Solano. Untree displays Gabriele's well-honed ability to weave a complex mix of seemingly incompatible elements, instruments and musical influences into cohesive and unified song-like structures while always keeping one root firmly planted in the soil of the electronic avant garde. This is certainly an album that will keep revealing new aspects of itself with each successive listen while inspiring a good mood to shine through the clouds of a psychologically cold and rainy day." --DL, and/OAR; "For point of reference, the mOAR catalog will appeal to those who appreciate music on recording labels like 12k, Spekk, Anticipate, Dekorder, Lucky Kitchen, Baskaru, Bip Hop, Headz, Plop, etc, etc."     NEUTONMUSIC (GERMANY)   MEHLHART, DANIEL: Mange Tak 12" (NEUM 034EP) 11.50 "These cheerful 22 minutes combine emotive techno/house with synthesizer washes and constant, rolling rhythmic underlay ('Mange Tak'), straight and right down to the last detail (with sparkling piano-chords) but nevertheless oblique produced, 'Kontrastprogramm' reminds us of early works by Charles Webster, Brendon Moeller and, aem, Hot Chip; and Trauerspiel on B2 features a 'once upon a time'-like theme (violin played by Daniel's daddy!) accentuated by a pulsating, hypnotic, rhythmic and gradually building melody and compelling breakdown."     OSLO (GERMANY)   TRAX, MARA: ...It Got Me Funk 12" (OSLO 005EP) 12.00 "Oslo continues to innovate and deliver the next generation of dance music. This time they are presenting Mara Trax, alter ego of Vera Heindel & Maayan Nidam aka Miss Fitz. You may recognize Vera as Robert Johnson's princess, or outside of Frankfurt as the DJ that converted a lot of dancing shoes into dust. Maayan on the other hand, is known for her outstanding releases on Raum..musik, Circus Company etc. as well as 'the small DJ that plays big sets.' The two share a passion for raw, old school house grooves which makes their futuristic production style so unique & deep. The EP starts off with 'Funk Me,' an irresistible groove bomb that takes you high using colorful yet tasteful layers of house chords & acid bass. Moving on to 'Me Funk,' you'll find the beautiful dubby version of the same composition, perfect for a morning-haze DJ set as it keeps a slow moving and hypnotic groove. On the flip side, the beautiful tenderness of what you heard is losing its innocence and spices up to an intelligent house track: 'Let Goose.' It's a new breed of dance music that keeps the groove on while exploring new territories in music & challenging them. Finally, 'The Rhythm.' A track with a promising name that follows through, staying true to the Oslo sound of sophisticated club bombs with a wink."     PHOENIX RECORDS (UK)   FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND: Satori CD (ASH 3002CD) 19.50 Repressed, non-numbered edition. The Flower Travellin' Band's first musical outing, Challenge, was released in 1970 and was essentially a series of covers of Cream, Hendrix, Big Brother and Jefferson Airplane material. However, Satori appeared a year later and forever changed the way the group would be perceived, both in Japan and in the musical world at large. Possessing the vision to select Akira "Joe" Yamanaka as their vocalist, the Flower Travellin' boys elevated themselves above other Japanese bands of the time, whose efforts were largely confined to imitating British and American bands of the era. Satori, which was released in 1971, is a conceptual hard rock/psych album driven by Hideki Ishima's furious guitar licks which erupt and explode over the harmonic heart beat of the drums and bass and Yamanaka's banshee-like vocal style which was turning him into an occidental Iggy Pop or Robert Plant while the band itself was rapidly becoming Japan's answer to Led Zeppelin. Satori is a huge album in every way. From power chords to Eastern-tinged North African six-string freak-outs and crashing tom-toms, the band flexes its collective muscle from start to finish. In short, this is a real rock classic of the type they simply don't make any more. Housed in a limited-edition card wallet.     PIGNA (ITALY)   PISATURO, CAROLA: Passione Extra 12" (PIGNA 012EP) 11.50 "Carola Pisaturo is a long time friend from Naples, she has been DJing since 1997. Her sound is warm and funky but still very technoish. 'Passione Extra' is a perfect example of her skills. To celebrate this first collaboration with the Neapolitan artist, Marco Passarani steps in with a rework of the track under the moniker Bass-a-rani, adding his characteristic syncopated techno beats to the original version."     PUZZLE TRAXX (GERMANY)   ZIGON, PATRICK: Mental Draining - The Remixes 12" (PUZZLE 004EP) 12.00 "Patrick Zigon's 'Mental Draining' was hot with an avalanche of diverse top level DJs including M.A.N.D.Y., Adam Beyer, Shlomi Aber, Sebo K, Damian Lazarus, Jamie Jones, Laurent Garnier & Karotte to name just a few. That hypnotic, ear-catching synth line and the moody chords simply screamed to get remixed! It goes without saying that such a huge supported record also deserves a huge remix package, and so four (4!) further Mental Draining lovers immediately agreed to deliver their very own and outstanding interpretations: Poker Flat Recordings finest Martin Landsky, who is just about to release his new single 'Man High' going on an old school trip, man-of-the-moment Agnès delivering a superb, dreamy deep house monster, rising star Alessandro Crimi embedding dub techno elements into a driving tech house weapon, and last but not least, Puzzle Traxx artist Random Play tweaking things more freaky."     QBICO (ITALY)   PSYCHATRONE RHONEDAKK: Early Free-Form Waveforms LP (QBICO 070LP) 24.00 Performed by: Psychatrone (synth), Brian Turner (guitar). Recorded 1996 live to tape. "One side is a synth/gt duo with WFMU's boss Brian Turner, while side B is a solo synth. Both tracks recorded in the mid-'90s. Psychedelic waveforms with a freeform sound that grows on you... subtle and mesmerizing."       RAHDUNES: Rahdunes PIC. DISC (QBICO 071LP) 25.00 "Originally from Sacramento, CA this is a rude boy duo. The record begins with some of the most crude and rough guitar/drums duo mu ever! Then you'll drift toward a far away place... to be finally hypnotized for 25 minutes by a side-long track... derailing!"       BEAUSOLEIL, BOBBY: Mantra PIC. DISC (QBICO 072LP) 25.00 Limited picture disc LP release. "A prison is a noisy place. The clanging of bells announcing the prison routine, the whir and ratcheting, banging and slamming of electric gates and mechanical metal doors, the ebb and flow of human vocalizations as hundreds of people caged against their will respond to their conditions in myriad ways -- to express their loneliness, or discontent, or rage, or insanity, or merely to cheer or boo a play in a football game on television -- punctuated by the shouts of guards who must enforce their authority to maintain what passes for order in such places. All of this and more is amplified within the confines of reverberant concrete walls, conspiring to make it difficult to find, much less preserve, one's peace of mind. I composed Mantra: soundscapes for meditation in response to several requests from some of my fellow prisoners. I was asked to create some gentle music that they could listen to on their personal cassette players as an aid in practicing meditation and relaxation techniques widely accepted as valuable tools in the process of healing mind, body and spirit. The challenge was to produce a musical composition that would help to mask the noise of the environment without being intrusive or demanding too much of the listener's attention, while incorporating combinations of tones and textures that may aid an individual in achieving a relaxed, meditative state of consciousness. By all reports, including my own experience, Mantra succeeds in its intended mission. As environmental music, it also seems to work well as a focusing agent when doing some types of creative work, or when reading, and to enhance the restfulness of sleep when set to play continuously through the night at low volume. You may find other uses for it as well. For all I know, it may help plants to grow more healthy, or soothe a teething baby. We are all doing time in one way or another, and the stresses of day to day life make it imperative that we find ways to generate harmony within ourselves from time to time. I hope that Mantra will serve you in this regard as well as it has served some of my friends in prison. Peace, Bobby BeauSoleil."       GRAVEYARDS: Graveyards LP (QBICO 073LP) 25.00 "Cover by John Olson. Rec. 2007, two side-long tracks. Bunny (cello); Mike Khoury (violin); Zach Wallace (bass); Nate Wooley (trumpet); Hell (percussion, tapes); Coccyx (saxophone, electronics); Johnny Coorz (flute, electronics). 'After few vinyl releases in duo or trio, this is the 1st Graveyards big band effort. A fresh and new look on free music; the more I hear it, the more I like it...'"     QUALIFIDE (UK)   VA: Anger Management Volume Two 12" (QUAL 022EP) 11.50 "First up on this quality 2nd volume of Anger Management EPs is Qualifide's 'Look Shook,' which is featured on DJ EZ's new Pure Garage CD, then there's the Sister Nancy sampling dubstep anthem 'One Ting' from Compound One. Flip it over & Qualifide brings us the long awaited 'Badman 4' and El-B returns with a very old skool sounding 'Beautiful Sounds' dubstep, 4/4 & 2 step all on wicked vinyl."     REGULAR (SPAIN)   MARIN, INAQUI: 19/Part Two 12" (REGUL 036EP) 12.00 "The second part of the 3 vinyl series of the new album by Iñaqui Marin: 19."       MARIN, INAQUI: 19/Part Three 12" (REGUL 037EP) 12.00 "Third and last part of the vinyl series conforming 19, the new album by Iñaqui Marín. 19 is the eighth prime number, is a centered octagonal number and for more information it's octahedral. It is the atomic number of potassium, it's a 10011 binary system and most important, it is the lucky number of Iñaqui Marín. Its previous LP Klinischtod removed the foundations of electronic dance music, and 19 promises to return them to break to remake them again. For its easy digestion and better enjoyment, the album appears in three parts in its vinyl format. We presented here the first part of the series."     RINGO RECORDS (UK)   LOEFAH: It's Yours 12" (RNG 001EP) 11.00 Repressed, only previously available as a limited promo release. "This infamous Loefah dubplate finally gets released as a limited one-sided 12". You know the score: classic early scratch/hip-hop masterpiece meets minimal dubstep. It's the definition of sub 2007. Don't sleep on this piece of dubstep vinyl history. Massive on dubplate with Chef, Mala, Joe Nice, Kode 9, Skream, Hatcha, Oris Jay."       COKI: Mad Head/Bass 12" (RNG 004EP) 11.00 "The latest release from Ringo Records. 004 sees the man Coki (Digital Mystikz) deliver two dark, skankin' low end, dubbed-out, late night weed smoking grooves with a nod to Jamaica's dancehall scene. Essential."       L.D.: Swing Dat Skirt/Clock Watchin Dub 12" (RNG 006EP) 11.50 "LD's sound is his own. Drawing on his roots, you can hear the drum pan sounds of Jamaica resonating throughout, flashes of Soca drums, subtle tribal nuances, and the ghost of jungle reverberating in the warm, pulsating sub bass. So what next for LD? It seems now is the time for LD to make the transition from behind the scenes and into the limelight. DJ support from Mala, N-Type & DJ Chef."     ROCKADROME   ASHBURY: Endless Skies CD (ROCK 007CD) 21.00 "Reissue of classic early '80s hard rock private press record from Arizona! A real gem for fans of classic rock and even '70s metal heads into such obscurities as Legend (From the Fjords) or southern rockers into groups like The Outlaws. Hypnotic vocal hooks and a mystical atmosphere mixing acoustic and electric guitars lures you right into this group's unique hard rock sound. It's amazing how such talent can slip right under the radar."       ULTRA: Ultra CD (ROCK 009CD) 21.00 Recorded in San Antonio, 1975-77. "Classic Texas-style, foot stomping, bad-ass hard rock and roll from one of the founders of the legendary Texas psych/rock group, Homer. Sixteen explosive twin lead-guitar filled cuts all digitally remastered from the mid-'70s master recordings! Guitarist Galen Niles tears up the fretboard! Return to the days of classic hard rock done the way it was meant to be! Don't miss it! This was previously released on the Monster Records label, now it's repackaged and finally back in print on the Vintage (Rockadrome) label."     SERES   VIZUSA: Vizusa LP (SERES 219LP) 21.00 "Caitlin Cook and Calder Martin, formerly vocalist/players in Excepter, resurface as a rock duo with Martin weaving holographic guitar riffs around Cook's wails and gloomy poems. The pair spent two years living in the skylight studio of the historic Matthew Brady Daguerreotype Building at 359 Broadway NYC, recording in the same vaulted rooms where Abe Lincoln, Felicita Vestvali, Edgar Allan Poe, Frederick Douglas, and Sitting Bull voluntarily screwed their heads into iron stabilizers in order to be photographed. The resulting album conveys a falsely two-sided pattern of epic American triumph, contemplative grooviness, and crumbling disaster in the guise of hyperactive fun. Cameo drum appearances blast through at key moments, courtesy of Spencer Herbst, Nathan Corbin, and the inimitable Fiz. Released on Seres, a longstanding label cohort of the No-Neck Blues Band. At the right volume, the crackle of the amps will make your ass ripple."     SUB ROSA (BELGIUM)   CHION, MICHEL: Requiem LP (SR 251LP) 19.50 LP-only release, in deluxe gatefold sleeve. INA GRM reissues on vinyl, in 2008 -- yes! (please say this w/ official Marv Albert inflection). Sub Rosa presents a reissue of Michel Chion's musique concrète classic, Requiem, originally released on INA-GRM in 1978. Based in France, Chion is a composer of experimental music, and was an assistant to Pierre Schaeffer in 1970 as well as a member of the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) between 1971-1976. Composed "...while thinking about the troubled minority of the living, rather than the silent majority of the dead," Requiem is an electroacoustic masterpiece built on a system of echoes and correspondences within the context of a "choir" of voices, loops, tape crackles and drama-schemes. As Chion himself describes, "Themes, musical motives, ranging from the most elemental (a loop, raw matter) to the most elaborated (a musical development), and which are reprised, quoted or announced at various moments of the work -- some are easily identifiable as 'leitmotivs' while others are accompanying motives, matter that does not need to be memorized at a conscious level. Within this large form in two parts, we find the small forms of each movement: forms with choruses and episodes, litanies, recitativo, levelled crescendos, etc. There is also another formal course delineated by the succession of several vocal characters, their timbre, intonation, and relation to the libretto." Like the great requiems of the classical era, Requiem's text is taken from the traditional funeral mass, to which are added an Epistle, a Gospel and a Pater Noster. The texts are mostly in their original language (Latin or Greek) and in French. Requiem is sweepingly cinematic, with its flexible treatment of time and space, reflecting perhaps an early indication of Chion's theoretical expertise in film and the interaction between sound and image. "With Requiem my intention was not to deliver a message or a manifesto, whether pro- or anti-religious. Instead, this work is a personal testimony, into which listeners are invited to project their own self, if they care to inhabit it with their own experience and sensibility." --Michel Chion     SUNDAZED   UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE: The United States of America LP (SC 5211LP)21.00 "The United States of America, led by respected modern classical avant garde musician Joseph Byrd, cut a wide swath through the 1968 world of rock, just then comfortably settling into its backwoods dreams of country-rock to find the debut U.S.A. album howling like an infant terrible on its front doorstep. At the center of the U.S.A.'s fiercely experimental universe were the icy-cool vocals of the beautiful Dorothy Moskowitz, keeping this tumultuous sound from spinning out of control in every direction. Almost predictably, the U.S.A. disbanded before it could record a second album, but its brilliant, self-titled effort was certainly one for the ages." Housed in a manilla envelope-style outer jacket.       DEL-VETTS, THE: The Del-Vetts 10" (SEP 170-10) 11.00 "While the Windy City produced plenty of pop chart acts in the '60s, the real story of Chicago's garage band era golden age was rock-hard suburban teen club heroes like The Del-Vetts. Under the guidance of legendary producer Bill Traut, these North Shore guitar gods issued four singles across numerous labels (including Dunwich, Seeburg) and two names (aka the Pride & Joy). They're all here, including arguably the greatest Chi-town garage record of 'em all, 'The Last Time Around.'"       DRUIDS OF STONEHENGE, THE: The Druids of Stonehenge 10" (SEP 172-10) 11.00 "The unearthly, savage, Rolling Stones/Pretty Things-inspired treatment of R&B classics as interpreted by The Druids of Stonehenge on Sundazed 10" vinyl is a phenomenon that quite simply has to be heard to be believed. When frontman David Budge cuts loose on such familiar '60s staples as 'Who Do You Love,' 'I Put A Spell On You,' 'Pretty Thing' and 'Bald Headed Woman,' it's almost as though he's being strangled by Bo Diddley's 'cobra snake necktie' with eyes popping, cartoon-like, out of his skull. The New York-based Druids cut one album after they'd moved to Los Angeles, but these six early sides, tracked at famed Nola's Penthouse studios in Manhattan, are truly the stuff of garage R&B legend!"     SUSHITECH (FRANCE)   O'SULLIVAN, STEVE: Mosaic Classics Disc 2 12" (SUSH 008B-EP) 11.50 2nd disc, from the founder of the legendary UK Basic Channel-influenced Bluetrain label. "The second part of the project presents us with the more dubby sound of the label. Two longer tracks are at work here, 'Cheque Not Accepted' and 'Touch Up.' Both monotone sounding, hypnotic and with that pure dub feel. Tracks that are still sounding organic and fresh years later! It's hard to believe these were created with just a sequencer and some basic hardware! Timeless music!"     SUSHITECH PURPLE (FRANCE)   GREGORYTHME: Peter Pan Syndrom 12" (SUSHP 008EP) 11.50 "With some great releases on labels such as Cadenza, Minibar and Bruchstuecke, along with the successful remixes on Sushitech for Mikael Stavöstrand and E. Bridge, Gregorythme of Digitaline is releasing his first solo EP on the label and puts down a big mark along with it."     THE WIRE (UK)   WIRE, THE: #289 March 2008 MAG (WIRE 289) 8.50 "On the cover: John Butcher (This key player in the second wave of British Improv reinvents the saxophone via digital transformation, acoustic science and a heightened sense of space). Features: Baby Dee (Clive Bell meets the transgender street performer whose eccentric songs find favour with David Tibet and Antony); Brendan Murray (The Boston composer describes a musical commonwealth via delicately sculpted electronic toneworks); Valet (Former Jackie-O Motherfucker member Honey Owens talks shamanic psychic exploration with David Stubbs); Cross-Platform: Jed Speare (Working field and documentary recordings into socially resonant performance works, this unsung composer is a pioneer of multimedia presentation); Invisible Jukebox: Andrew WK; Autechre (Sean Booth and Rob Brown reveal the intuitive processes and magical maths behind their latest Warp album, Quaristice); Michael Hurley (Byron Coley plots the wanderings of America's neu-volk bohemian, from Greenwich Village and Folkways to The Holy Modal Rounders, cartoon wolves and Armchair Boogie)."     TSUBA (UK)   LAWLER, STEVE: Sleepwalking Remixes Part 1 12" (TSUBA 018A-EP) 12.00 "Steve Lawler is a definitive DJ and producer, renowned as one of the world's premier and most respected talents. From his legendary residencies We Love and VIVA at Space in Ibiza to Viva Harlem Nights at The End in London, and his Lights Out and VIVA tours of North America, Lawler is one of the most powerful touring names in electronic music. He hasn't had over 500,000 plays for his music on Myspace for nothing! Steve Lawler was once hailed the pioneer of twisted house, but his sound has evolved through the years although the main elements still remain, meandering through deep, dark, sexy house tracks. 'Sleepwalking' marks his debut single for Tsuba, following the hugely successful 'Courses For Horses' on Renaissance. Part 1 -- The first 12" serves up the killer remixes for the Tsuba faithful. Will Saul & Tam Cooper's mix is deep, sexy & driving house music and one of their best mixes to date. Following his own Jaguar Shoes single label boss Kevin Griffiths steps up with a deeper, tripped-out mix with a killer groove for the afterhours."     WOODSIST   POCAHAUNTED: Peyote Road LP (WOODSIST 012LP) 19.00 "Evolving comes easier to some than others. A lot of the 21st century's chief underground ringbearers are happy mining the same psych-ditch for the same warped ore, tape after tape and day after day. But Eagle Rock, CA's Pocahaunted are too restless (and easily annoyed?) to sit still like that, and so spent all of '07 throwing ever weirder new figures and moods into their amplifier family, and Peyote Road shows the motion of their transformation agenda. The A-side ritual, 'Divine Flesh,' stirs hand drums and chimes into a bellydancing blur of voice smoke and rhythm before breaking down into its base elements and slowly reforming. The flip side, 'Heroic Doses,' documents Pocahaunted's set opening for Thurston Moore on Halloween night in the wasted and highly un-mystical California desert town of Visalia. Bobb Bruno and Britt Brown backed up the ladies' blown-out but melancholy wailing wall with electronic drums and drones, and the recording treads a dim, no-fi path into a bleak and holy void. With tribal-psychedelia collage jacket artwork by Owl Eyes." --Britt Brown.     WORLD IN SOUND (GERMANY)   MAGNIFICENT BROTHERHOOD, THE: The Magnificent Brotherhood CD (WIS 2601CD) 21.00 "Biff! Bang! Pow! Is it garage? Is it punk? Is it psych...? NO! It's The Magnificent Brotherhood from Berlin, hottest live act in town! Here is their long expected debut album, truly a trip to the '60s beat/garage/psych era; with flashes of Bonniwell Music Machine, Monks, Group 1850, Hunger or Animals. The song 'Old Tattoo' can be heard on Trip In Time Vol. 2 (Psychedelic Rock Reflections). The group's sound shows a lot of affection for '60s acid garage rock and with a swirling instrumentation that combines fuzz guitar and bass, Farfisa compact organ and harmonized singing, their music is refreshingly different from the ruling monotony in the current rock scene! The 12 Magnificent Brotherhood songs are like a fresh breeze because they couple rawness, freshness and energy with refined psychedelic details and flawless hits. The fresh breeze builds up to a mighty tornado, thanks to fast and danceable tunes enhanced by an explosive stage performance that leaves no one dry and motionless! You can call the four guys the saviors of the non-electronic dance party, to bring a decent '60s style freakout party to your home or dancefloor! The authentic painting/artwork reflects the true '60s San Francisco hippie spirit at its best (CD is presented in a triple fold digi-package, an artist production: exclusively and internationally distributed by World In Sound) -- not many bands today present a revolutionary '60s sound more authentic than this band does!"