Jon’s Staff Picks

Scroll down to read an archive of Jon’s staff pick write-ups.

Richard Johnson, Lost in Room: Mark Perry, Alternative TV and Related, 1977 – 1981

“Always been a big fan of Mark Perry and his associated bands, Alternative TV (especially their 2nd record), Good Missionaries, The Reflections, Door & the Window, etc, as well as his Sniffin’ Glue fanzine and Step-Forward label, so psyched to dig into this book pieced together from interviews done between 2021 and 2022!”

Talulah Gosh, Was It Just A Dream?

“UK Twee pop at its best!”

Scritti Politti, Early

“Been jamming a lot of the early Rough Trade singles lately, so gotta throw on these early Scritti Politti one’s included on this comp.”

Joe McPhee, Mette Rasmussen, Dennis Tyfus, Oblique Strategies

“Two saxophones and a dude vocalizing with a mouth full of water, YES PLEASE.”

Naná Vasconcelos, Africadeus

“Nana Vasconcelos’s debut solo record. The most intimate and exploratory Berimbau record you’ll ever hear. Nana digs deep into the Brazilian instrument, scraping and plucking, creating music that combines free improv and Brazilian folk. An interesting listen!”

Model Citizens, NYC 1978-1979

“Adjacent to New York’s No Wave movement, but straddling a line maybe a bit closer to new wave than a lot of the no wave bands, Model Citizens had a great single EP produced and released by John Cale in ’79. This collection expands on their single release with live tracks recorded between ’78 and ’79 at Max’s, CBGB, and Hurrah.”

Gong, Magick Brother

“Gong’s debut and furthest out LP, originally on BYG Actuel. Great record.”

Rod McKuen aka Heins Hoffman-Richter, Music to Freak Your Friends and Break Your Lease

“Rod McKuen, under the fake name of Heins Hoffman-Richter, getting freaky with some oscillators and a tape delay, just in time for a Halloween.”

Annexus Quam, Beziehungen

“Annexus Quam’s second LP, Beziehungen, sees them go further into free improv territory while keeping one foot still in the experimental Krautrock music of their cohorts. Great record!”

Arthur Russell, Picture of Bunny Rabbit

“Brand new archival release from Arthur Russell. Great recordings! Doesn’t sound like they are just scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one.”

Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, Michel Waisvisz, Freddy Gosseye, Sven-Ake Johansson, Scheisse ’71

“Great line-up on this one! Always gotta check out something with Michel Waisvisz on it, or Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, or Sven-ake Johansson, for that matter!”

Non Band, S/T

“Great experimental / no wave leaning, violin heavy post punk from Japan, 1982. Originally released as a 10″, now available via Tal as a 12″.”

Peter Jefferies, Closed Circuit

“New Zealand’s best! Keep the Peter Jefferies reissues coming, and for the love of god someone reissue the damn Plagal Grind EP already!”

Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt, Play at Duke

“Such a great duo, the perfect match!”

Dead C, Tusk

“Ba Da Bing! dropping the heat with three Dead C reissues from their mid 90’s period, The Operation of the Sonne, White House, and maybe my favorite of the three, Tusk. Get all three and see why Dead C are the absolute legends of lo-fi noise rock!”

V/A, Prends le temps d’ecouter: Tape music, sound experiments and Free Folk Songs by Children from Freinet Classes 1962-1982

“lways love a comp that unearths things you barely knew existed. There are a few other examples of children making electronic music pre-1982, usually relating to some type of school program. This particular release collects recordings from a number of recordings on the French I.C.E.M. label (a label formed to release records meant to assist teachers.). Part weird electronics, part inept clanging folk music. Lots of fun! Nothing more experimental than kids making noise!”

Steve Birchall, Reality Gates

“Wild one recorded in Indiana from a former Cincinnatian. Originally released in 1973, but in this case utilizing the art used on its 1976 reissue. Birchall came from a classical background, which the initial art maybe more aligns with, but this record (as hinted by the reissue art) more so aligns with the private press synth music coming out at the time, similar to someone like Nik Raicevic. Rules.”

Peter Jefferies, Electricity

“One of my favorite New Zealand artists. You can’t beat his solo stuff or his band This Kind Of Punishment.”

Technical Space Composer’s Crew, Canaxis 5

“Canaxis 5, initially released in 1969, the same years as Can’s Monster Movie, sees Holger Czukay, and his Technical Space Composer’s Crew (with producer Rolf Dammers), taking what he learned studying under Karlheinz Stockhausen and making experimental collages utilizing records, tape loops, electronics, and his trusty bass. A fun listen and a must have for any and all Can fans!”

Alan Licht, Charles Curtis, & Dean Roberts, May 99

“Live set from 1999, from Alan Licht (gtr), Charles Curtis (cello), and Dean Roberts (electronics). Great electro-acoustic drone!”

Tolerance, Divin

“Since the death of Yuzuru Agi, a lot of reissues of releases on his Vanity Records label have been popping up on labels like Vinyl On Demand, Minimal Wave, We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want, and most recently Mesh-Key. Mesh-Key did the much-needed Aunt Sally reissue last year, and now this year have followed that up with reissues of both Tolerance LP’s as well as Morio Agata’s Norimono Zukan. The best of the bunch is probably Tolerance’s Divin, which sees Junko Tange in a mode somewhere between minimal synth (think very minimal) and proto techno (deep on the dubbed out experimental end.) The release has been expanded to a 45rpm 2xLP. Check it out!”

Sonny Sharrock, Black Woman

“One of the greatest jazz records of all time, right up there with Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, featuring Sharrock and his wife Linda, with Milford Graves, Sirone, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. A must have!”

Can, Future Days

“Future Days has always been my favorite Can record. Last one with Damo! Can’t beat it!”

Love Cry Want, S/T

“Wild record on many levels, recorded at an anti-war rally in DC in ’72, featuring organist Larry Young and percussionist Joe Gallivan. Organ heavy, synthesized improv for fans of post Hendrix freak fusion. Check it out and see why Nixon quickly had their electric pulled! But also, for the jazz freaks, grab this with Superior Viaduct’s stellar reissues of Sonny Sharrock’s Black Woman, Byard Lancaster’s It’s Not Up To Us, and Albert Ayler’s In Greenwich Village.”

Les Rallizes Denudes, 77 Live

“Best Japanese psych band, period. Great to see official releases of some of their best work, with great packaging. 77 Live has always been one of my favorites.”

SHIZUKA, Heavenly Persona

“Black Editions has two great releases right now, the amazing archival release of ‘Children Of The Forest’ from Milford Graves with Arthur Doyle and Hugh Glover, and this record, their newest PSF reissue, Shizuka’s Heavenly Persona. Heavenly Persona features Shizuka with former Fushitsusha members Maki Miura and Jun Kosugi, and at times sounds like Galaxie 500’s tracks where Naomi sings, but with shriller guitar soloing. Think Galaxie 500 meets Les Rallizes Denudes. Great record with killer packaging.”

Monde Bruits, Tapes 1991-1994

“Big fan of noise CD boxsets and this one does not disappoint, including some great photos, and documentation of the original cassettes. Great cheap way to dive deep into and experience an artist’s catalog, this time focusing on Monde Bruits’ first half of their career with every cassette release between 1991 and 1994.”

Brötzmann / Bennink, Schwarzwaldfahrt

“Best duo, recording deep in the forest. Includes a 120 page book full of unseen photos from the session / trip. Classic!”

Albert Ayler, Europe 1966

“Lovely boxset of select dates from Ayler’s 1966 Euro tour. Live material from this tour has been dug up over the years, most notably Hat Hut’s 1982 release of ‘Lorrach / Paris 1966,’ and now a good chunk of this material is being combined here in this boxset, which includes some great photos of the tour. One of the best there ever was. Long live Albert Ayler!”

Wolf Eyes w/Spykes, S/T

“Always loved this one. Wolf Eyes on the brink of solidifying themselves as the classic trio of Nate Young, Aaron Dilloway, & John Olson. Killer one to reissue.”

The New Blockaders, Live at Sonic City

“The ultimate noise artists, The New Blockaders, with an amazing live set from Sonic City in Belgium, 2017. Includes a DVD of the performance. For fans of ski masks and destroying pianos.”

Takehisa Kosugi, Catch-Wave

“Absolute classic of Japanese experimental music. Droning violin alongside low end oscillations and tape delays, yes please.”

Steve Reich, Four Organs

“‘Four Organs’ was a key piece of music for me getting deeper into modern composition, and really into minimalism. I remember in college grabbing that split record of John Cage’s prepared piano pieces on one side and Reich’s ‘Four Organs’ on the other side, and both of those just blew my mind right open. ‘Four Organs’ play with duration really stops you dead in your tracks and forces you to slow down and take a breath and pay attention and I think that can really open a lot of doors as far as listening to more experimental music. Some people have the patience for it, and some don’t. ‘Four Organs,’ together with ‘Phase Patterns’ and the Michael Snow cover art make this possibly the pinnacle Steve Reich record, and maybe one of the most important releases of minimalist music.”

Beat Happening, Black Candy

“Some records should never go out of print, Beat Happening’s output is a staple of indie rock. Glad these are available again, for now.”

Francois Janneau, Une Bien Curieuse Planete

“Kind of a new one to me, though familiar with Janneau’s playing on Francois Tusques’s ‘Free Jazz’, Jacques Thollot’s ‘Watch Devil Go’, and a few other things. Reading a description of a free jazz record and seeing the words space-age, electronic, leftfield, experimental, and seeing there’s a synth in the mix certainly make my eyes light up, and this one does not disappoint. Love what SouffleContinu does! If you are curious about French free jazz and / or prog it’s the go to reissue label.”

Bladder Flask, One Day I Was So Sad

“From the crew of New Blockaders, Metgumbnerbone, and Alien Brains, and maybe slightly lesser known, Bladder Flask aligns a little more with the weirdness of Nurse With Wound and would have fit well in the United Dairies catalog. Originally released in 1981 on their own Orgel Fesper Music, and now remastered by Colin Potter and reissued by Sonoris, One Day I Was So Sad That The Corners Of My Mouth Met & Everyone Thought I Was Whistling is a must have for fans of early industrial and experimental music of the time. Great art too, even if is different than what was originally featured on the LP. Sonoris also just reissued some great P16.D4 records. Check em out!”

V/A, Sound

“Etats-Unis (Superior Viaduct’s more experimental reissue label) had a recent LAFMS drop (Smegma, ID Art #2, Blorp Esette Volume One, and the La Forte Four / Doo-Doettes split) and this one wasn’t specifically a LAFMS release but adjacent enough to fit in. ‘Sound’ features LAFMS alumni Tom Recchion and John Duncan as well as some staples of the sound / art world like Joan La Barbara, Yoshi Wada, Terry Fox, Christina Kubisch, Paul De Marinis, Bill Fontana, etc. ‘Sound’ is a collection taken from an exhibition at the Los Angeles Institute Of Contemporary Art that took place in the summer of 1979, featuring sound sculptures, instrument building, and acoustically tuned spaces. A great document of 70’s sound art.”

Charmaine Lee / Fred Longber-Holm / Joanna Mattery / Gabby Fluke-Mogul / Weston Olencki, Live In Accord

“A nice document of an event in Accord, NY in 2021 feautring performances & collaborations from Charmaine Lee, Fred Longberg-Holm, Joanna Mattery, Gabby Fluke-Mogul, and Weston Olencki.”

Blurt, Blurt & Singles

“Debut studio album from underrated post punk band, Blurt, heavy on the skronk thanks to singer / saxophonist Ted Milton. Includes the early singles, which is easily their best material. Can’t beat the early Blurt singles!”

Wolf Eyes, Difficult Messages

“Olson & Young piecing together mail collaborations with the likes of Alex Moskos, Aaron Dilloway, Gretchen Gonzales, & Raven Chacon. Because of collaboration and maybe because of the boredom of Covid setting in at the time these tracks were recorded, this one goes into territories you might not expect on a Wolf Eyes record, which makes for a highly interesting listen.”

The Work, Slow Crime

“From an era I don’t think gets repped enough, a time in the late 70’s / early 80’s and onward, where prog started to meld with post punk. Everyone knows This Heat and how Charles Hayward came out of his involvement with Gong and Quiet Sun, but here we have Tim Hodgkinson coming out of Henry Cow and starting The Work, with Mick Hobbs of Family Fodder and others that went on to be in The Lowest Note, Officer!, and other similarly minded bands. Kinda similar to bands on Recommended at the time, but with a more spastic artsyness to their approach.”

Walter Wegmüller, Tarot

“Underated Krautrock 2xLP featuring Swiss painter Walter Wegmüller with an expanded version of Cosmic Jokers, feautring Klaus Schulze (Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel), Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Tempel), Harold Grosskopf (Wallenstein, Ash Ra Tempel), Hartmut Enke (Ash Ra Tempel), Jerry Berkers (Wallenstein), Jurgen Dollase (Wallenstein), and Walter Westrupp (Witthuser & Westrupp.) What you might expect from this group, with tracks jumping from heavy Ash Ra Tempel jammers , to Witthuser & Westrupp style psych folk, to experimental synth excusrions. Not an easy one to find an OG of, so bout time it get the reissue treatment.”

Faust, The Faust Tapes

“Meant to be more of a promotional album on being signed to Virgin Records and only costing the amount of a single, this one really melted my brain at a young age and exposed me to the idea of composing a record in a collage, cut-up style, instead of the typical track by track form. Makes for a great listen! Possibly their most interesting LP!”

The 12th Annual International Sound Poetry Festival – Boxset & Book

“Almost 5 hours of recordings from the 12th Annual International Sound Poetry Festival on 4 cassettes and including a lovely 240 page book documenting artists / art associated with the event. The festival, started in Stockholm and held in New York on this occasion, had become an important event in the world of sound poetry and had been documenting a number of recordings of the events on the Text-Sound Compositions series for the Swedish labels Sveriges Radio and Fylkingen. The collection features sound poetry staples like Sten Hanson, Jackson Mac Low, Bernard Heidsieck, John Giorno, Charles Amirkhanian, The Four Horsemen, Charlie Morrow, and Bob Cobbing, among others. A lovely document.”

Pharoah Sanders, Izipho Zam (My Gifts)

“Pharoah Sanders with Sonny Sharrock, can’t beat that, especially with Cecil McBee, Leon Thomas, Lonnie Liston Smith, Sirone, etc.”

Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble, Drum Dance to the Motherland

“Dubbed out free jazz led by vibraphonist Khan Jamal. Odd production on this one makes for a weird listen. Highly recommended.”

Hallelujahs, Eat Meat, Swear an Oath

“Dreamy psychedelic indie pop from mid 1980’s Japan. Records like this would be nearly impossible to find in the US if it wasn’t for Black Editions’ greatly curated reissues. Highly recommended!”

Walter Marchetti, In Terram Utopicam

“Noise heads should rep this one harder for the straight up harsh track from 1973, ‘Osmanthus Fragrans’ (Home-made electric music).’ Side A is pretty standard modern classical solo piano, but side B is where it’s at. Marchetti is underrated.”

Captain Beefheart, Clear Spot

“‘My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains’ is one of the best Beefheart songs, Clear Spot is classic Beefheart and this 50th Anniversary edition comes with a bonus LP of early mixes, instrumental versions, and alternate versions so you can’t go wrong.”

Dudu Pukwana, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Yi Yole

” The world needs more ICP reissues, and no, not that ICP, I’m talking Instant Composers Pool. This one sees Bennink and Mengelberg joined by South African saxophonist Dudu Pukwana and is a must have for fans of improvised music.”

Dickie Landry & Lawrence Weiner, Having Been Built on Sand

“Three new Dickie Landry reissues out now on Unseen Worlds, with this one being the hardest one to find and maybe the one that most needed a reissue. Landry’s first two records on Philip Glass’s Chatham Square Productions (both part of the 3 recent reissues) align more closely with New York loft scene free jazz, while Having Been Built On Sand sees him still on woodwinds, but this time collaborating with artist Lawrence Weiner, who’s text-sound contribution (featuring recited text from Weiner, Tina Girouard, and Britta Le Va) takes things to a whole new territory.”

Robert Ashley & Paul DeMarinis, In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven There Were Men and Women

“Robert Ashley’s first, and possibly weirdest record, originally released by Cramps in 1974. It consists of Robert Ashley reading text by John Barton Wolgamot while Paul DeMarinis makes all sorts of squelching, bubbling noises out of a Moog synth. Wish Lovely Music didn’t change the artwork on a lot of their CD reissues, but still highly recommend picking this one up!”

Incapacitants, Feedback of N.M.S.

“One of most important duos in the history of noise, Incapacitants! This is their first release as a duo, T. Mikawa finally joined by Fumio Kosakai, so an important document in the history of Japanese noise.”

Red Crayola, The Parable of Arable Land

“Best psych record, blew my mind in high school, still blows everything away. ‘Hurricane Fighter Plane,’ ‘War Sucks,’ ‘Transparent Radiation,’ and the cherry on top, each and every ‘Free Form Freak-out!’”

Pavement, Slanted & Enchanted

“Might be hard to pick a favorite record from Matador’s roster, with so many indie classics, but Slanted And Enchanted is top on my list. Best record.”

Leo Kupper, Electronic Works & Voices 1977-87

“Underrated electronic composer, highly recommended!”

Twink, You Reached For the Stars: The Best of Twink

“Wild British psych from Twink, of Pretty Things and Pink Fairies. His Think Pink record is classic, and this combines a number of tracks from that record with other choice cuts from throughout his long career. For those who want their psych just a little further out!”

Nurse With Wound, The Ladies Home Tickler (And Other Exotic Devices)

“Originally released as a bonus LP in Nurse With Wound’s 1990 Psilotripitaka 4xLP boxset, which collected their first three LP’s, Ladies Home Tickler was recorded in 1980, and features the line-up of Stapleton & Fothergill joined by Whitehouse’s William Bennett and Jim Thirlwell (Foetus.) This has been expanded to a 2xLP, which is filled out with various comp tracks recorded throughout the 80’s.”

Peter Brotzmann / Keiji Haino Duo, The intellect given birth to here (eternity) is too young

“Two of my favorites, together in duo form, and spread across four LP’s. Comprised of two live performances, recorded summer 2018, one in San Francisco, and one in LA. Haino made his way to Cincinnati soon after this to blow everyone away at the No Response Festival.”

Amon Duul, Paradieswarts Duul

“Amon Duul in improvised psych folk mode, recorded after certain members split off to form Amon Duul II. Probably the best, and most easily digestible, of the Amon Duul records.”

The Pyramids, AOMAWA: The 1970s Recordings

“Hailing from Yellow Springs, OH during the 70’s, The Pyramids are Ohio’s answer to the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. After studying and performing with Cecil Taylor at Antioch College, they recorded three LPs on their own Pyramid Records. This boxset combines these three LPs with a bonus record pulled from a live TV performance recorded in California in 1975. Highly recommended!”

Plus Instruments, Februari-April ’81

“Much needed reissue of Plus Instrument’s sole full length record featuring Truus de Groot homemade electronics, with added New York no wave styles from Lee Renaldo (pre-Sonic Youth) and David Linton (Rhys Chatham, Elliot Sharp, Interference, etc.). Highly recommended for those looking for a mix of no wave and minimal synth. Classic!”

Don Cherry, Organic Music Theatre, Festival de jazz de Chateauvallon 1972

“Don Cherry at the start of his ‘communal mystical period’ joined by audience members and children. Love both of the archival releases from Blank Forms!”

Masahiko Togashi Quartet, Speed & Space: The Concept of Space in Music

“Originally released in 1969, at the start of the influence of free jazz crossing over to Japan, Masahiko Togashi Quartet’s Speed And Space is a classic of Japanese free jazz. Speed And Space features drummer Masahiko Togashi with Mototeru Takagi on sax and bass clarinet, Masahiko Sato on piano, and Yoshio Ikeda on bass.”

Globe Unity Orchestra & The Choir of the NDR-Broadcast, Hamburg ’74

“Large ensemble free jazz with a choir, yes please! Euro free jazz crew of Brotzmann, Parker, Benninck, Schoof, Bailey, Schlippenbach, Lovens, Rutherford, Kowald, Wheeler, Carl, Dudek, Pilz, Christmann, and the Choir Of the NDR-Broadcast!! This one’s a doozy!!”

Terry Jennings, Piece For Cello and Saxophone

“Great performance from Charles Curtis of Piece For Cello And Saxophone written by a long-lost associate of La Monte Young and New York’s early 60’s minimalist circle, Terry Jennings. The piece, recently realized by La Monte Young and performed and recorded by Charles Curtis in 2016, would have been a staple of minimalism if recorded and released at the time. Beautifully minimal cello drones that stretch over two LP’s with, despite the title of the piece, no saxophone.”

The Contortions, Buy

“Absolute classic of New York’s No Wave scene. Dissonant James Brown funk punk. Reissued by Superior Viaduct”

Otto Kentrol, No Mistakes

“Not often mentioned when people discuss New York’s no wave scene, Otto Kentrol aka Bill Yitalo, finally gets his dues with a 2xLP archival release. Check out the song ‘No Mistakes.'”

V/A, Silberland Vol 1: The Psychedelic Side of Komische Musik

“Brand new comp from Germany’s premiere Krautrock reissue label, Bureau B, featuring a who’s who of synth wielding Krautrock legends from the 70’s up to the mid 80’s. Throw it on and zone out!”

The Residents, WARNING: UNiNC.: Live And Experimental Recordings 1971-1972

“Record Store Day release from The Residents with some ultra rarities from their vaults, including their 1971 show (their first show ever!) at the Boarding House in San Francisco, an unknown live recording from 1972, and some recently unearthed demos from 1972. An exciting look at what their live performances (and demos) were like prior to their debut LP, Meet The Residents.”

Vashti Bunyan, Another Diamond Day

“Easy contender for best folk record. Never gets old.”

Ndikho Xaba and the Natives – S/T

“South African pianist / percussionist with a crew of San Francisco & Chicago players, including Plunky Nkabinde and Lon Moshe from Oneness Of Juju. For fans of spiritual jazz”

Wendell Harrison, Evening with the Devil

“Now-Again has taken it upon themselves in spreading the word about one of Detroit’s greatest jazz labels, Tribe Records, with their reissues of the work of Wendell Harrison, Phil Ranelin, Doug Hammond, David Durrah, and Harold McKinney. Wendell Harrison’s Evening With The Devil is my favorite of the bunch.”

Seikatsu Kojyo Iinkai, S/T

“Two wild ones from Aguirre out now, Masayuki Takayanaki’s monster 1971 live set “La Grima”, and this ferocious 1975 meeting of Kautoki Umezu, Yorikuki Harada, and the US crew of William Parker, Ahmed Abdullah, and Rashid Sinan. Both for fans of free jazz that doesn’t let up.”

Daniel Johnston, Hi, How Are You?

“A real game changer in lo-fi, home recorded cassette culture, though not fully recognized for many years later. About as iconic as a t-shirt as Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures. Nothing else like 80’s era DJ cassettes.”

Jonathan Richman & Modern Lovers, Modern Lovers 88

“Late night Cali dance party jams from Jonathan Richman with his final Modern Lovers incarnation.”

Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction Unit, Eclipse

“Black Editions coming through with the Takayanagi reissues. Grip this classic along with the 3xLP boxset of Station ’70; Call In Question / Live Independence.”

Fred Lane, From The One That Cut You

“The kind of record you cringe at from the start, but by the end you can’t help but play it several more times. Kinda like if you threw Dr. Demento’s musical taste in a blender and threw in some Peter Brotzmann style skronkin’ in for good measure. A classic record for the true weirdos out there!”

Gary Wilson, You Think You Really Know Me?

“Best weirdo home recorded LP out there, right up there with R. Stevie Moore. Equally influenced by Dion and The Belmonts and John Cage but filtered through lounge jazz funk grooves. A one-of-a-kind LP.”

Prima Materia, La Coda Della Tigre

“Italian vocal minimalism somewhere between La Monte Young’s Theatre Of Eternal Music and Tuvan throatsinging, originally release on Alvin Curran, Roberto Laneri, and Giacinto Scelsi’s label Ananda.”

The Raincoats, S/T

“40th Anniversary release of the ultimate Rough Trade LP. Shambly femme post-punk at its best!”

VA, Strain Crack & Break: Music From The Nurse With Wound List Volume Two (Germany)

“The 2nd volume of Finders Keepers’s NWW list compilations, this time focusing on Germany, with a plethora of lesser-known Krautrock, far out fusion, deep prog cuts, and everything in between, with a healthy dose of experimentation. Features Association P.C., Exmagma, Anima Sound, Brainticket, Gomrrha, Wolfgang Dauner, and many more”

VA, Towards a Total Poetry

“The kind of record that will put a smile on your face and make ya chuckle, cause sometimes that’s just what you need. Sound poetry isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, then this comes highly recommended. Distorted baby noises, dudes yelling poetry at you, machine gun mouth sounds, bizarre radioplays, it’s all here. taken from live performances recorded in LA in 1980 of French and Italian poets Paul Vangelisti, F. Tiziano, Julien Blaine, and Adriano Spatola.”

Pale Cocoon, Mayu

“Japanese minimal post punk(?) classic, originally released on cassette in 1984, now issued on 2xLP by Incidental Music. Shimmery guitar, minimal drum machine, and songs that wander into ambient soundscapes. Check out the tracks ‘Mizutamari’ and ‘FLALORM’, you want this.”

Arthur Russell, Instrumentals

“Arthur Russell’s mid 70’s composition period with a cast of New York staples. Good vibes.”

Mahogany Brain, With (Junk-Saucepan) When (Spoon-Trigger)

“Kinda like a drugged-out combination of Jandek and The Godz, but from France, with more free jazz influence. Very unhinged. Rules!”

Merzbow, Hybrid Noisebloom

“Absolute classic of Merzbow’s 90’s period.  Have worn out this disc and got the OG promo poster hanging in my office, so you know I’m grabbing this one.”

A Handful of Dust, Dragging Her Wings of Rusty Knives: Selected Recordings 1994-2016

“Killer collection of recordings from the duo of Bruce Russell (Dead C) and Alastair Galbraith, recorded between 1994 and 2016.  Heavy on a rotation of guitar, organ, & violin jamming from New Zealand’s best.”

Masonna, Frequency LSD

“Been a number of Masonna vinyl reissues in the past few years via Urashima, which have been great, but nothing is more exciting than an LP reissue of Frequency L.S.D.  Nothing beats Masonna in the midst of manic vocal loop madness!”

Violent Onsen Geisha, Shock! Shock! Shock!

“The project of Masaya Nakahara, Violent Onsen Geisha, started with this release right here, in 1989.  Since then, Nakahar has become a staple of the Japanese noise scene with Violent Onsen Geisha, as well as his later, extremely active project Hair Stylistics.  Highly recommended if you want your Japanese noise just a little weirder.”

Holy Mountain

“Absolutely essential viewing. Doesn’t get any better than Holy Mountain. Never seen it? Buy it now, you won’t regret it.”

Camizole & Lard Free, S/T

“Previously unreleased recordings from two legends of the 1970’s French underground prog scene. Camizole and Lard Free joined forces in 1978 to do some collaborative recording, and the outcome is as wild as you would hope for.  For fans of Faust, Henry Cow, or anything on the Nurse With Wound list.”

Pip Proud, A Bird in the Engine

“Kind of like a cross between Jandek and Syd Barrett, but an Australian poet, or like Van Morrison’s unreleased contractual obligation record (look up ‘Ring Worm’), but good.  Released in 1969, and now available from Superior Viaduct.”

Intersystems, S/T

“Fantastic boxset that collects all 3 LP’s from Canada’s Intersystems, includes a lovely 132-page book.  For anyone interested in Canada’s experimental music scene (or the world’s experimental music scene for that matter) in the 1960’s, this is top notch.”

VA, Heures Sans Soleil

“Inspired by classic post punk compilations like From Brussels With Love and The Fruit Of the Original Sin (both on Les Disques Du Crepuscule), Edinburgh label LTM put out similarly amazing compilation in 1985.  This compilation features such greats as Minny Pops, Section 25, Crispy Ambulance, Tuxedomoon, Eric Random & His Bedlamites, Dislocation Dance, and The Anti Group.”

Michael Snow, Musics for Piano, Whistling Microphone and Tape Recorder

“Michael Snow may be more recognized as an artist/filmaker, but has crossover into recorded media (music) as well, starting with his involvement with free improvisation, in groups like The Artists’ Jazz Band and CCMC (Canadian Creative Music Collective), and then with his own solo LP Musics For Piano, Whistling, Microphone and Tape Recorder, which came out in 1975 on Philip Glass’s Chatham Square Productions.   This record takes his experience in free improvisation and pushes it further into an experimental terrain, utilizing a tape recorder and a microphone to explore new ideas.”

VA, Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record)

“Originally released in 1982 and now available from Song Cycle Records, Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record) showcases 3 to 5 minute sound pieces from 24 different artists, all of which were represented at the time by the Ronald Feldman Fine Arts Co. in New York.  Artists featured include Joseph Beuys, Chris Burden, Jud Fine, R. Buckminster Fuller, Terry Fox, Les Levine, William Burroughs, Hannah Wilke, Eleanor Antin, and many more.“

Marion Brown, Le Temps Fou

“Fantastic soundtrack from Marion Brown and crew of Barre Phillips, Gunter Hampel, Steve McCall, Ambrose Jackson, and Alain Corneau.  One of the the hardest Marion Brown records to find, fetching a whopping $500+, this is a much-needed reissue to fill the gap in your collection.”

Velvet Underground, Boston Tea Party 7/11/1969

“In preparation for the new Todd Haynes VU documentary (out today, duh) why not jam a 2xLP boot of one of the greatest bands of all time.  Here we have a nice recording of VU’s July 11th, 1969 gig at The Boston Tea Party, fresh off the release of their quintessential ‘3rd’ LP.  Outside of classics ‘Waiting For the Man’, ‘Run Run Run’, ‘Sister Ray’ and ‘White Light White Heat’ the band fills their setlist with numerous songs from said record, bringing some of the classic ‘slow jams’ that make the record so great, ‘Candy Says’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘I’m Set Free’, as well as the rocker ‘I’m Beginning To See the Light.’  If that’s not enough, ‘Sister Ray’ segues right into the best/worst (depending on who you ask) VU song ‘Murder Mystery.’  No Cale, but you still can’t go wrong with live VU!  Pick it up!”

Nigel Ayers, Electronic Resistance

“A fantastically displayed retrospective of work by Nigel Ayers, including his ‘mail art, collages, assemblages, flyers, slides, video stills, ephemera, record and tape covers.’ A must have for any Nocturnal Emissions / Nigel Ayers fan, or any fan of industrial and / or noise music history, for that matter. Get it before it sells out!”

Equipment Pointed Ankh, Without Human Permission

“Record descriptions don’t always make me curious, but with this one, ‘think ZNR meeting Pram at the skatepark to roast one with Gastr Del Sol’ 100% does. Containing three members of Tropical Trash (had an amazing LP on Load, right before it went defunkt, in 2015), Chris Bush (of Caboldadies, Flanger Magazine, & Flower Man), and Shutaro Noguchi (who had a wonderful LP on Feeding Tube a few years back), Equipment Pointed Ankh’s Without Human Permission is a highly unique LP that will leave you saying, if ZNR isn’t a deep enough reference for you, ‘what does this sound like?’ Pick it up and find out!”

Don Cherry, Music, Wisdom, Love 1969

“Don Cherry’s Music, Wisdom, Love 1969 is the soundtrack to the Jean-Noël Delamarre film Don Cherry – Music, Wisdom, Love.  It contains two different edits of the soundtrack, and features Don Cherry with pianist, Karl Berger, as well as an unknown poet (wrongly credited as Anthony Braxton.)  More minimal than most of Don Cherry’s records, but just as engaging, Music, Wisdom, Love 1969 features trumpet, piano, flutes, some light percussion, and even a wonked out synth intro.  If you don’t buy this LP, in the least, go watch the film over at UbuWeb.”

Mark Perry, Snappy Turns

“First ever vinyl reissue of Mark Perry’s (of Alternative TV fame) 1980 album, ‘Snappy Turns.’ A classic of the UK DIY scene. If you like your punk shambly and a bit experimental, this one’s for you!”

Mark Fry, Dreaming with Alice

“Total classic of the acid folk underground, finally reissued direct from the original master tapes.  Recorded in 1972, when he was only 19, this has become one of the most sought after and rarest LP’s of the acid folk genre.  Get it before it sells out and disappears again!”

John Wiese, Magnetic Stencil 3

“Been loving these ‘Magnetic Stencil’ installments from John Wiese.  I’m all for interesting collaborative work in the world of noise, and Wiese never disappoints in that department, this time including sonic inputs from C. Spencer Yeh, Dennis Tyfus, Howard Stelzer, Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson, John Collins McCormick, James Fella, Mitchell Brown, Nathan Howdeshell, Tim Kinsella, and Katie Vonderheide.”

Badings / Raiijmakers, Electronic Music

“Classic of the Dutch crew of early electronic music, dating back to 1960.”

---

  October 8, 2021  |  Staff Picks