2013-12-10
UPCOMING MUSIC RELEASES AND REISSUES
!!! (Chk Chk Chk) - And Anyway It's Christmas (7")
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2xLP)
7 Days of Funk (Dam-Funk and Snoop Dogg) - 7 Days of Funk
Arthur's Landing - Miracle 2 (remixes) (vinyl)
Asian Women On the Telephone - Ivan (vinyl)
Audion - Audion X
Badfinger - Icon
Bassnectar - Freestyle / Wildstyle
Bassnectar - Timestretch / Take You Down
Beastmilk - Climax
Ben Sims - Fabric 73
Billie Holiday - Lady Sings the Blues (reissue) (vinyl)
Billie Joe and Norah - foreverly
BJ Nilsen - Eye of the Microphone
Bjorn Torske - Kok EP (12")
Bloodgroup - Disquiet EP (12")
Blue Sky Black Death - Glaciers (vinyl)
Bonde Do Role - Tropicalbacanal (Deluxxxe Version)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Art of War III
Booka Shade - Love Inc (12")
Bosnian Rainbows - Live at Clouds Hill (10")
Brendan Benson - You Were Right (vinyl)
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Tepid Peppermint Wonderland Volume 1 (2xLP)
Brigitte Fontaine - Brigitte Fontaine Est...Folle (vinyl)
Brigitte Fontaine - Comme à la Radio (vinyl)
Bryan and the Haggards feat. Dr. Eugene Chadbourne - Merles Just Want to Have Fun (vinyl)
Cabaret Voltaire - #8385 (Collected Works 1983 –1985) (6xCD)
Cabaret Voltaire - Micro-phonies (vinyl)
Cabaret Voltaire - The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (vinyl)
Cabaret Voltaire - The Crackdown (vinyl)
Carmen Villain - Sleeper Remixes (12")
Caspian - Hymn for the Greatest Generation (vinyl)
Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker with Strings (vinyl)
Cheap Time - Exit Smiles (vinyl)
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet
Chuck Berry - After School Session: The Deluxe Edition (vinyl)
Cliff Martinez - Solaris OST (picture disc)
Cocoanut Grove - How to Build A Maze (vinyl)
Connan Mockasin - Caramel (vinyl)
Count Basie - April In Paris (reissue) (vinyl)
Crown The Empire - The Fallout (deluxe edition)
Cybotron - Enter (2xLP)
Dance Chapter - Chapters (vinyl)
Danny and the Darleans - Danny and the Darleans (vinyl)
Dave Van Ronk - Inside Dave Van Ronk (vinyl)
David Ackles - David Ackles (vinyl)
Dead Meadow - Warble Womb (vinyl)
Detroit Emeralds - Let's Get Together
Disfiguring The Goddess - Deprive
DJ KAOS - Swoop EP (12")
DJ Nu-Mark - Oya (7")
DJ Red - Eyes Are Blind (12")
DOA - Welcome to Chinatown: DOA Live (2xLP)
Drexciya - Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller Volume IV
DTCV - Hilarious Heaven
E-40 - Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil Vol. 4
E-40 - Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil Vol. 5
E-40 - Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil Vol. 6
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald: The Voice of Jazz (10xCD)
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Ella and Louis (vinyl)
Eric Clapton - Give Me Strength: The '74/'75 Recordings (3LP)
Evergreen Terrace - Dead Horses
Everything In Slow Motion - Phoenix
Farhot - Kabul Fire Vol.1 (vinyl)
Faust and Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Live at Clouds Hill (10")
Flume - Flume (deluxe reissue)
Frank Zappa - Uncle Meat (reissue) (2xLP)
Gallon Drunk - Live at Clouds Hill (10")
Gary War | Purple Pilgrims - Split LP (vinyl)
George Benson - Giblet Gravy (vinyl)
Glaxo Babies - Nine Months to the Disco (vinyl)
Glaxo Babies - Put Me on the Guest List (vinyl)
Good Old War - Live from the City of Brotherly Love
Grateful Dead - Dick’s Picks Vol. 5 (5xLP)
Guerilla Toss - Gay Disco
Gunter Schickert - Kinder in der Wildnis
Harold Budd - Budd Box (7xCD)
HIEROGLYPHICS - The Kitchen
Holger Czukay - On the Way to the Peak of Normal (picture disc)
Honour Crest - Spilled Ink
Howard Shore - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug OST (2xCD)
In Camera - IV + II (vinyl)
J. Rocc - J. Rocc Enjoyed the Experience (12")
Jay Ferguson - All Alone in the End / Thunder Island / Real Life
Jellyfish - Radio Jellyfish (vinyl)
Jeremiah Jae - Dirty Collections Vol. 3 (7")
Jerry Garcia Band | Bob Weir and Rob Wassermann - Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound (6xCD)
Jimmy Smith - The Cat (vinyl)
John Mellencamp - 1978-2013 (box set)(19xCD)
Josh Rouse - 1972 (reissue) (vinyl)
JTC - Valley Road (We Are 1) (12")
Katy Perry - PRISM (vinyl)
Keith Jarrett - Concerts: Bregenz Munich
Kele - Heartbreaker
Kleer - I Love to Dance (expanded edition)
Kowloon Walled City / Batillus - split 7"
Krystal Keith - Whiskey & Lace
Lawrence - Films and Windows Remixed (12")
Lee Bannon - Alternate/Endings
Les Vampyrettes - Les Vampyrettes (boxset) (3x10")
Logos - Cold Mission
Lou Reed with Nico and John Cale - Le Bataclan, Paris. Jan 29, '72 (vinyl)
Mass - Labour of Love (vinyl)
Mass Production - Turn Up the Music - Straight Album
Mastodon - Live at Brixton
Maybeshewill - Not For Want of Trying
Maybeshewill - Sing The World In 4-part Harmony
Mexican Summer - Mexican Summer: Five Years (10")
Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins - Dig (vinyl)
Milosh - Jetlag (vinyl)
Moan - Think About Forgotten Days
Moderat - Bad Kingdom EP (12")
Morphine - Good (vinyl)
My Epic - Behold
Mykestro - Set Precedent (12")
Negative Trend - Negative Trend (7")
Neil Young - Live at the Cellar Door (vinyl)
Nick Drake - Tuck Box
Nils Frahm - Spaces (2xLP)
Norman Connors - Dance of Magic / Dark of Light
Oiseaux-Tempete - Oiseaux-Tempete (2xLP)
Onyx - Bacdafucup (2xLP)
Orchestra of Spheres - Vibration Animal Sex Brain Music (vinyl)
Oscar Peterson - Night Train (reissue) (vinyl)
Parmalee - Feels Like Carolina
Paul McCartney - New (vinyl)
Peshay - Generation
Pleasure - Special Things
Polkadot Cadaver - From Bethlehem To Oblivion
Polly Scattergood - Arrows (vinyl)
Post Louis - This Could Be A Bridge EP (12")
Pyrolator - Pyrolator's Wunderland (vinyl)
Quincy Jones - Big Band Bossa Nova (vinyl)
R Kelly - Black Panties
Rangda - Live in Krefeld
Replacements - Don't Tell A Soul (vinyl)
Ricardo Donoso - As Iron Sharpens Iron (12")
Robert Pollard - Blazing Gentlemen (vinyl)
Rocky Sharpe and the Replays - If You Want To Be Happy: The Polydor & RAK Masters & More
Rogue Wave - Nightingale Floors (vinyl)
Shelby Lynn - Thanks
Shuko - Cookies and Cream 3 (vinyl)
Slayer - Christ Illusion (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Decade Of Aggression: Live (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Diablous In Musica (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Divine Intervention (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - God Hates Us All (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Reign In Blood (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - South Of Heaven (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - Undisputed Attitude (reissue) (vinyl)
Slayer - World Painted Blood (reissue) (vinyl)
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (2xLP)
Sniff "N" the Tears - No Damage Done
Snoop Dogg and Dam Funk - 7 Days of Funk (2xLP - 8x7")
SOKO - I Thought I Was An Alien (vinyl)
Stained Glass - A Scene In-Between 1965-1967
Stan Getz - Big Band Bossa Nova (vinyl)
Teengenerate - Get More Action (vinyl)
Tennis - Small Sound (vinyl)
The Heliocentrics - Quatermass Sessions 1 (12")
The Len Bright Combo - The Len Bright Combo
The Lucksmiths - Cartography for Beginners
The Replacements - Don't Tell A Soul (vinyl)
Thee Oh Sees - Singles Collection 3 (vinyl)
Their / They're / There - Analog Weekend (12")
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners (reissue) (vinyl)
Tiga Vs Audion - Let's Go Dancing EP (12")
Todd Terje - Spiral (12")
Too Much Joy - Cereal Killers (vinyl)
Toy - Join The Dots
Tuxedomoon - No Tears (12")
Tuxedomoon - Scream With a View (12")
Two Two - Bikini Atoll
Various Artists - 20 Jahre Kompakt/Kollektion 2 (2xLP)
Various Artists - Africa Express Presents: Maison Des Jeunes
Various Artists - Angola Soundtrack 2: Hypnosis, Distortions & Other Sonic Innovations 1969-1978 (2xLP)
Various Artists - Boysnoize Presents: A Tribute to Dance Mania (2xLP+CD)
Various Artists - Complete Motown Singles - Vol 12b: 1972
Various Artists - Crystallized - Celebrating 15 Years of Rocket Recordings (2xLP)
Various Artists - I Heard the Angels Singing: Electrifying Black Gospel from the Nashboro Label, 1951-1983 (4xCD)
Various Artists - L.I.E.S. Presents Music for Shut-Ins (2xCD)
Various Artists - Rainy City Punks (Manchester Punk and Post-Punk Indie Singles) (vinyl)
Various Artists - Rebita 74 (vinyl)
Various Artists - The Best of Jefree's Vol. 1 (2xCD)
Various Artists - The Decca Sound - The Analogue Years (6xLP)
Various Artists - The Music Of Nashville, Season 2, Vol. 1
Various Artists - The Recordings of the Harisis Group from Northern Greece 1933 (7")
Various Artists - Verve: The Sound Of America - The Singles Collection
Various Artists - Young Turks 2013
Vatican Shadow - When You Are Crawling (vinyl)
Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (2LP - 45th Anniversary Edition)
Who - Tommy (2xLP)
Workout - Rockit Science
Xasthur - Telepathic With the Desceased (2xLP)
source: http://collectingvinylrecords.blogspot.com
2013-12-08
THE LIST OF THE LISTS (UPDATE #1)
We are collecting some interesting end of year best albums lists compiled by music magazines and record stores...
Amoeba Blog's best of the year
FactMag best 50 reissues of 2013
Juno Plus top 25 albums of the yar
Rough Trade Shops Albums of the year 2013
NME's Best 50 albums of 2013
NME's top 15 EP's of 2013
NME's top 50 tracks of 2013
NME's top 40 covers of 2013
Spin best 50 albums of 2013
Rolling Stones 50 best albums of 2013
Paste - The 50 Best Albums of 2013
Stereogum's 50 Best Albums Of 2013
Amoeba Blog's best of the year
FactMag best 50 reissues of 2013
NME's top 15 EP's of 2013
NME's top 50 tracks of 2013
NME's top 40 covers of 2013
2013-12-06
RARITY OF THE DAY: MOTORPSYCHO - DEMON BOX - 1st EDITION (VOICES OF WONDER 1993)
The first pressing of 500 copies has side A backed with side D and side B backed with side C. All subsequent pressings have side A backed with side B and side C backed with side D. A second pressing (very rare too) was made with correct sides A/B and C/D. Never been reissued after 1993.
Comes in a gatefold sleeve.
There's no trace of it on Discogs and Ebay from months.
And it's damn good!
THE LIST OF THE LISTS #1
We are collecting some interesting end of year best albums lists compiled by music magazines... more will follow!
Rough Trade Shops Albums of the year 2013
NME's Best 50 albums of 2013
Spin best 50 albums of 2013
Rolling Stones 50 best albums of 2013
Paste - The 50 Best Albums of 2013
Stereogum's 50 Best Albums Of 2013
2013-12-05
WAXWORK REVEALS ROSEMARY'S BABY LP REISSUE DETAILS
It sounds really interesting...
Two very limited variants will be available: 500 randomly inserted units will be pressed onto 180 gram black and crystal clear center haze vinyl.
The first 200 customers will receive a very special super variant presented in a never-before created vinyl effect: An independently double colored / sided record. SIDE A features a baby blue marble and SIDE B features a deep blood red marble. This special variant is a solid 12″ LP and weighs in at 200 grams. This record is a first of it’s kind.
further info HERE
2013-12-04
RARITY OF THE DAY: JACK'S WHITE - SIXTEEN SALTINES / LOVE IS BLINDNESS (LIQUID FILLED EDITION RSD 2012)
This is what you get when you put liquid in a Lp record. And B-Side is a playable etched...
An absolute must have!
Video
on Discogs
An absolute must have!
Video
on Discogs
OUR FAVORITE 2013 NEW RELEASES ON VINYL
Every release has Discogs and Spotify links.
Absolutely random order.
2013 BEST NEW RELEASES:
10. OMAR SOULEYMAN- WENU WENU (Ribbon Music)
Syrian Dabke ambassador is back and take no prisoners!
09. HOLDEN - THE INHERITORS (Border Community)
James Holden's new album brings experimental techno to a new, primitive dimension
08 - BOARDS OF CANADA - TOMORROW'S HARVEST (Warp)
Keep on dreaming
07 - DAFT PUNK - RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES (Columbia)
The album that doubled global vinyl sells in one year
06 - HAXAN CLOAK - EXCAVATION (Tri Angle)
This is really dark, claustrophobic. The blackest album of the year
05 - TROPIC OF CANCER - RESTLESS IDYLLS (Blackest Ever Black)
Debut album from one of the best bands of the new-new wave scene
04 - THE KNIFE - SHAKING THE ABITUAL (Rabid)
After various listenings, it reveals his incredible beauty. Headphones only
Two songs, the state of the art of melodic hardcore in 2013
02 - SOVIET SOVIET - FATE (Felte)
Italy's got talent
01 - CRASH OF RHINOS - KNOTS (Big Scary Monsters)
The guys have really big hearts
OUR FAVORITE 2013 REISSUES ON VINYL
You also have Discogs and Spotify (when available) links.
In absolutely random order.
BEST 2013 REISSUES:
BEST 2013 REISSUES:
10 - VARIOUS - ITALIAN RECORDS - THE SINGLES 7" COLLECTION (Spittle)
Ok this is not a vinyl release, but it's really worth buying this compendium of this legendary italian new wave and italo disco label. All singles and b-sides were previously available only on 7", most of all very hard to find
09 - GINA X PERFORMANCE - NICE MOVER (Medical Records)
Let's dance!
08 - PATRICK COWLEY - SCHOOL DAZE (Dark Entries)
Dark Entries finally brings this experimental-synth-gay-porn-soundtrack tracks to vinyl for the first time.
07 - DEVO - HARDCORE VOL 1-2 (Superior Viaduct)
These early Devo 4-track recordings are pure genius!
06 - JOHN CARPENTER - THE FOG (Death Waltz)
We love Death Waltz Recordings but they really gone beyond with this one
05 - BOARDS OF CANADA - THE CAMPFIRE HEADPHASE (Warp)
We were ALL waiting for this reissue, right?
04 - JOHN HARRISON - GEORGE A. ROMERO'S DAY OF THE DEAD (Waxwork)
The zombie flesh and blood vinyl color variant killed me
03 C.S.I. - VICINI PER CHILOMETRI (Tannen)
The complete discography of one of the most important alternative italian bands, with members of cult 80's punk band CCCP
02 - THE BREEDERS - LSXX (4AD)
This limited edition (and felt refined) boxset is really gorgeous, probably the most esthetically satisfactory of the year
01 VOD Records presents Minimal Synth Wave vol.1 (Vinyl on Demand)
A monster box featuring 12 of the best acts in Minimal Synth, most of all previously unreleased on vinyl
COM TRUISE NEW EP PREORDER STARTS
Today Ghostly International started taking pre-orders for the new Com Truise Ep, called "Wave 1".
Grab one HERE
2013-12-03
DAFT PUNK'S RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES GETS SUPER DELUXE
Best selling album R.A.M. gets super deluxe (and super expensive). Daft Punk's website started taking pre-orders (HERE) for 199€
A. The Deluxe Box Set Edition is presented in a cloth-bound box (333mm x 333mm / 13” x 13”) stamped with the Random Access Memories logo in gold foil on the cover. All individual contents are separated by vellum dividers printed with a circuit pattern texture inspired by the gloves of the Daft Punk Robots.
B. A special edition 180 gram double vinyl with gold and silver foil labels. Includes an 8 page saddle stitched booklet containing album artwork, credits and lyric sheets.
C. A 56 page cloth-bound, hardcover photo book of images from the RAM recording sessions and film shoots, featuring a foreword by Paul Williams.
D. A special edition 10” collector’s vinyl containing an extended interview with Giorgio Moroder taken from the original session recordings for the song, “Giorgio by Moroder”.
E. Two sets of Robot helmet design schematics with individual components separated onto 8 layers of unbounded transparencies. Each set is contained in a clear presentation pouch.
F. A pair of full body Robot design schematic posters (304mm x 608mm / 12” x 24”) printed on heavy weight matte finish poster paper.
G. A 70mm motion picture film strip containing 5 sequential frames from the “Lose Yourself to Dance” original production dailies, mounted in a heavy weight matte stock with an open back.
H. A pair of gold and silver plated, metal encased, reusable USB drives containing the following*:
AUDIO:
High-resolution digital audio files (88.2KHz / 24Bit) of the 13 original tracks on RAM plus the high-resolution audio files of the bonus track, Horizon and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky Remix.
VIDEO:
High-definition, Apple Pro Res 422 (1920x1080) video files of: the full length video for “Lose Yourself to Dance”; the original RAM TV campaign spots; the extended Coachella version of the “Get Lucky” promo featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.
JESUS AND MARY CHAIN 9XLP BOXSET
Amazon is taking pre-orders for the upcoming 9XLP boxset of this great band. While I'm writing Amazon.es has the lower price, 212,42€. Anyway, it's worth buying it for 159€ HERE
BEST REISSUES OF 2013 - LIST BY JUNO PLUS
Here's the list of the top 10 reissues of 2013 according to Juno Plus LINK
10. Psyche / BFC – Elements 1989-90 (Planet E)
Originally released back in 1996 on Planet E and compiled by respected Motor City Soul professor Brendan M Gillen, Elements 1989-1990 drew together a collection of early productions from Carl Craig released under the Psyche and BFC aliases for ART and Transmat. Some seventeen years on, Planet E deemed the collection worthy of re-appraisal, and it’s as close to perfection as you could imagine, demonstrating that as far back as the late ’80s Craig was edging ever closer to the original Detroit grouping in creative terms. “Chicken Noodle Soup” rightly features; its wonderful collage of vintage breakbeats and life-affirming synth work is Craig’s best known track from this early stage, yet it’s by no means the only highlight of a nine track collection that still sounds futuristic all these years on.
9. Various – ANAΣΤΕΝΑΡΙΑ: Music Of The Fire Walkers (ΚΕΜΑΛ)
Unlike its older brother Berceuse Heroique, the ΚΕΜΑΛ sub label exists to reissue older music together with remixes from contemporary figures, specifically chosen for their ability to illuminate the source material in unusual ways. As reissue label concepts go, it’s a risky one, but ΚΕΜΑΛ managed to prove themselves with their first release. Originally co-released on CDr between the Echomusic and Editions Zero labels in 2008, ANAΣΤΕΝΑΡΙΑ: Music Of The Fire Walkers is comprised of Greek folk music from 1979. Recorded in the village of Agia Eleni, in Serres, Greece, the ten tracks are the ritual music played during the preparatory phases of a fire walking ceremony, and provided one of the boldest (and financially risky) reissue concepts to be committed to wax in 2013. Even without the excellent remixes from Vatican Shadow and Pete Swanson, the record serves as a document of something that sounds so completely out of time it deserves to be explored.
8. Gherkin Jerks – The Gherkin Jerks Compilation (Alleviated)
Whilst newer generations of Detroit techno enthusiasts were spoilt with Planet E’s reissue of Carl Craig’s early productions as BFC and Psyche, this year saw the inquisitive new deep house historians equally well served with some of Larry Heard’s most prized work from a similar period remastered and reissued. Working anonymously under the Gherkin Jerks alias, Heard issued two 12”s through the iconic Chicago label Gherkin Jerks in the late ’80s, treating them as a creative experiment. Revealing himself to be responsible for the material some years later, both the Stomp The Beat and 1990 EPs have rightfully entered house music folklore as prime examples of hypnotic, mind-altering drum trax with Jamal Moss vocally crediting them as an influence. Working in collaboration with Clone Distribution, Heard’s Alleviated Records relented to years of repress requests and issued fully digitally enhanced editions of both 12”s. It was however the label’s subsequent decision to offer an overview of the Gherkin Jerks project with an expanded CD edition featuring bonus unreleased Gherkin Jerks material that really helped to convey why this short-lived experiment remains one of Heard’s finest moments.
7. Arthur Russell – Another Thought (Arc Light Editions)
It would fair to say that there have been a lot of Arthur Russell reissues and collected works since his untimely death in 1992, but Another Thought is surely among the best. Originally released on CD in 1994, it provided a posthumous collection of theNew York artist’s material recorded between 1982 and 1990, taken from over 800 tape reels by Mikel Rouse, and produced by Don Christensen. A lot of the work is unfinished – but somehow the album has a complete quality to it many other Russell retrospectives don’t – with the title track, “This Is How We Walk On The Moon”, “A Little Lost” and “In The Light Of The Miracle” all ranking amongst his most affecting songs. This reissue also marked the inaugural release of Arc Light Editions, a label curated by The Wire’s Jennifer Lucy Allan, and run in collaboration with Bristol’s Multiverse Music. Aside from the bespoke artwork which puts this above most other reissues, this is simply an essential album whether you know Russell’s work or not.
6. U - Great Dose of Monotonous Techno (Digitalias)
As far as reissues go, you have to hand it to the Digitalis Recordings for digging deep. This year they resurrected a hidden gem buried far into Börft Records’ esteemed back catalogue, which began in 1987. Entitled Great Dose of Monotonous Techno – don’t let the name fool you – both tracks of lo-fi, dubby, acid techno that appear on the LP were originally released on cassette in 1992. The late Joel Brindefalk, who sadly passed away earlier this year, provided the release under his Ü alias; he was also known for releasing music for the UFO Mongo sub-label as Egglady, Sort Joey, and our favourite: Pissfuckhead. Digitalis employed the capable hands of Andreas Tilliander (aka TM404 and Mokira) to re-master the 2013 vinyl edition, while paying homage to the 21-year-old original by adjusting the cassette release’s artwork to fit a 12” package, which includes Brindefalk’s original liner notes.
5. John Carpenter – The Fog (Death Waltz Recording Co.)
Since their inception last year, Spencer Hickman’s Death Waltz Recordings have established a following that goes beyond cult – perhaps fevered would be a more apt description. Although the label expanded their remit this year to include contemporary soundtracks, it was a reissue of the soundtrack to The Fog, one of John Carpenter’s more overlooked films that seemed to strike a nerve with record collectors and horror aficionados everywhere, with the label’s own website crashing under the weight of those eager to get their hands on a copy. It was easy to see why; as well as a deluxe gatefold sleeve designed by noted contemporary artist Dinos Chapman, Carpenter’s music for The Fog was some of his most chilling. Built on the more simplistic piano melody and synthesiser combination of his iconic Halloween score, his effort for The Fog was nevertheless much more abstract and foreboding, reflecting the story of a small North California fishing town terrorised by a glowing supernatural fog containing the vengeful ghosts of six murdered lepers. Assault On Precinct 13 may have been the Carpenter reissue with the most mainstream appeal this year, but The Fog was undoubtedly the one to get your hands on.
4. Suns Of Arqa - Muslimgauze Re Mixs (Emotional Rescue)
Since the formation of Suns of Arqa in 1979, a rotating collective known for their ambient, dub and electronic take on indigenous, tribal and classical folk music, or World Beat, more than 200 people have been a part of this super group. Over the years, musicians to have played for Suns of Arqa have included Simply Red drummer Chris Joyce, British comedian “Professor” Stanley Unwin, and even 808 State’s Graham Massey. Another artist integral to the sound of Suns of Arqa is the late Bryn Jones, aka Muslimgauze. Much of Jones’ own music was influenced by conflicts in the Muslim world, with an emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Three years before his untimely death, Jones gave 13 of the group’s songs a polyrhythmic, dubby makeover under his Muslimgauze guise, resulting in the Muslimgauze Re-Mixs album issued on CD in 1996. This year saw Stuart Leath’s Emotional Rescue label honour the group and Jones with a typically sumptuous looking vinyl edition of Muslimgauze Re-Mixs which was made all the more memorable by the distinctive hand screen-printed cover art courtesy of Firecracker Recordings founder, and equally respected designer, Lindsay Todd.
3. Rodion G.A. – The Lost Tapes (Strut Records)
Fronted by the half-Hungarian, half-Romanian Rodion Ladislau Rosca, the Cluj-based band Rodion G.A. were active between the years 1978 and 1984 with officially released output sparse, recording only a few tracks on the one state-owned label, Electrecord. Despite the restrictions placed on the band during a time of significant political repression in Romania, Rodion G.A. managed to amass a respectable catalogue of private recordings. Highlights from these archives are what makes up Strut’s retrospective The Lost Tapes; a 10-track collection compiled with the help of Romanian DJ and production collective Future Nuggets that helps to add further detail to the ever-growing map of European primitive electronic movements bubbling under during the late 1970s and ’80s. The Lost Tapes also fit snugly into the general sonic direction that Strut took in 2013, complementing the brilliant retrospective of the Celluloid label as well as a focus on early ’80s Italian synth music curated by Alessio Natalizia and further adventures in Metal Dance from Trevor Jackson.
2. Charles Cohen - The Middle Distance (Morphine Records)
Although Rabih Beaini’s Morphine label has treated us to some particularly interesting music in 2013, with Metasplice, Madteo, and Container all delivering material that seemed to exist outside most established musical narratives, it was some vintage electronic music from a veteranPhiladelphiasound artist that perhaps provided the label’s most otherworldly sounds this year. Performing his music almost entirely with the rare Buchla Music Easel synthesiser (of which only 25 were made), Charles Cohen’s recorded work is sporadic at best, with a focus on improvised live performance that makes recordings of his work incredibly rare. Across three releases Morphine explored Cohen’s output from between 1978 and 1989, touching on his compositions for theatre, music from art installations and other solo compositions. Like Beaini’s work as Morphosis, Cohen’s pulsates and shimmers with a deeply psychedelic intensity not seen in other electronic music from the same period. Sharing a similar minimalist approach to Steve Reich and Terry Riley, Cohen’s works somehow fit that imagined space between the live symphony and the machine that few have achieved with such soul.
1. Patrick Cowley – School Daze (Dark Entries)
Those who approached School Daze without a full grasp of the story behind it would be in for a shock that not even the warning sticker that states “DO NOT OPEN IF YOU FIND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL OFFENSIVE” can prepare you for. Some might feel that the gay pornographic images that literally spill out as you open the gatefold sleeve go a little too far, but the curators from Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem have done so to provide the necessary context for the manner in which this startling collection of Patrick Cowley productions initially emerged. Invited to contribute material to soundtrack films of famed Los Angeles gay porn company Fox Studio thanks to his noted work with disco artist Sylvester, Cowley dug into his archives of personal recordings made between 1979 and 1981 which here reveal him to be a producer capable of so much more than the Hi-NRG sound he pioneered. Honey Soundsystem have been long term advocates of Cowley’s work and the work and dedication that has gone into School Daze is apparent from the off. It only takes one listen to realise how revelatory this collection is, touching on various strands of electronic music that sound wholly relevant today. The triplet of productions that stretch past ten minutes serve to highlight Cowley’s talent for arrangement in the best way possible.
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