★Discus Music
Sky Chord / Haptic Space
The music of Ron Caines arranged for solo piano, string quartet and piano quintet by Laura Cole.
Move Fast And Mend Things
For their second album Hi Res Heart expand from being a trio to a performing quintet with the addition of the two string players. In contrast to the first album - a very carefully conceived studio construct - Move Fast And Mend Things finds the group in live performance mode, recorded the day after their first gig as a five piece. As before, spaciousness and fire co-exist. Even when the music is at its most abstract, the spirit of the blues is never too far away. The music is direct and melodic …
Away With Troubles And Anxieties!
A senior figure on the scene whose output shows no sign of letting up as he enters his eighth decade. As well as groups alongside his established peers, he increasingly provides great experience and opportunity for his younger colleagues.
Paul Dunmall and Discus Music are clearly on a roll together as the veteran composer and improviser delivers his sixth album in two years to the label. And what is especially interesting is how each of them sits well outside Paul's free blowing music, concentra…
Now It Can Be Told
Fierce, complex and multi-layered progressive sounds from this significant drummer / composer.
Lifeline
Pat Thomas, Tony Orrell, and Dominic Lash, known as Bleyschool, here perform as Lifeline, swapping acoustic for electric instruments in a spontaneous blend of noise, dance, and rock—exploring new sounds while maintaining deep musical rapport.
Ecliptic
Shifa is a name taken from the Arabic word for healing, شفاء. The trio's members are three of the UK's most experienced and in-demand improvising musicians.
Cup & Ring
During a 50+ year career across the spectrum of music saxophonist Larry Stabbins has worked with most of the important figures at the cutting edge of European Jazz and Improvisation from Mike Westbrook to Keith Tippett and Tony Oxley and Germany’s Peter Brotzmann, as well as with Robert Wyatt and Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA. Alongside this he played in the seminal pop group Weekend and formed Working Week with guitarist Simon Booth, a project that took a melange of latin, soul and jazz into the wo…
The Bass Speaks
This release from composer / saxophonist / poet Keith Jafrate, together with a top flight band of Discus Music regulars, is a powerful and beautiful spiritual work. Never rushing, and always deeply involving, this music creates a peaceful yet mindful vibe in the midst of troubled times.
Keith’s liner notes explain how Uroboro’s 2nd double album on discus came into being: “John suggested, during our very first recording session as a quintet, in august 2022, that i should write a pamphlet entitled…
Buzzsaw - 500V
150 copies limited edition "This one is destined to become a collectors item! When Das Rad toured across the north of England in September 2024, our take on the old psych garage classic Buzzsaw by The Turtles proved to be a popular live number - so much so that we decided that while it might not fit on an album, it would make a great vinyl single. So here it is!" - Discus Music
The Penelope Album Live
This album captures the debut performance of Billy's 12-piece chamber-jazz ensemble Grande Família, recorded live at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club. The concert, which sold out two months in advance and received a full standing ovation, features expanded arrangements of music from his critically acclaimed debut album 'Penelope'. The original studio album was created as a surprise for Billy’s mother Penny during her struggle with pancreatic cancer in summer 2023. Released in her memory in Janua…
88 Enemies
1997 release ** ""88 Enemies is a potentially infinite series of compositions which sound almost like contemporary piano music. These first eight parts, conceived as a self-contained cycle, were composed and recorded between October 1996 and June 1997. Apart from the radio in part 5, the only sound used is the Proteus grand piano. I've used filters and effects to transform this basic sound in some of the pieces, and multiple sequencers to transform the playing. The title of the series describes …
Play Mary Lou Williams
It's very rare that Discus Music commissions the actual musical content of a new release from the artists. In this case Martin Archer enjoyed a live gig by the duo so much, which had included one Mary Lou piece, that he suggested to Adam and Johnny after the gig they put together an entire programme of her music for this CD/DL. MLW is, after all, one of Martin's favourite artists.
Adam and Johnny both understand and demonstrate in their playing that new music does not appear out of nowhere. Any …
Fire
In the space of a couple of years, Stephen Grew has recorded three absolutely sparkling solo piano releases for Discus Music. All three are spontaneous improvisations arising from years of practice and refinement. Grew is a massively undervalued artist - follow the story he tells across this release and its two predecessors and I'm sure you'll agree.
Stephen Grew writes: "Recorded in the Great Hall, Lancaster University, on the 22nd November 2024. This music was recorded on a Steinway D and what…
Cosmic Light Clusters
This fifth EMBand release from the studio of bassist / composer Guy Segers continues his concept of working with a huge pool of creative progressive musicians, with each track featuring a different combination. Somewhat more introspective and textural than its predecessor, Cosmic Light Clusters builds steadily from an opening trio of mood pieces through increasing activity and complexity as the album moves forward. Particularly engaging is the use of voices and poetry on this recording. A substa…
The Exu
Named after a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting and inspired by the artists multi-faceted stylistic approach - known for its raw, expressive, and dynamic qualities, blending street art with neo-expressionism to create bold, thought-provoking work. The Exu make layered, intense, creative & beautiful, thought provoking, genre fluid improvised music. The trio brazenly draw their musical influences from the worlds of free jazz, grunge, death metal, hip hop, bebop, & experimental music. Kane says ‘we are…
Red Hot Ice
Dunmall continues his run of very special releases on Discus Music. Working with a nine piece group centered around his Birmingham based colleagues, and which includes double keys and electronics, Dunmall delivers a swirling mix of spacey big band music which breaks down into atmospheric and exciting open ended improvisations from time to time. Paul considers this to be a milestone release, and one which is unlike anything else in his extensive discography. Edited and produced with respect, love…
Recording Rites
“For me this music felt like coming home. Or perhaps I should say this feels where I should really be; proud to be associated with it.” - Sam Richards
Star Quality - Speculations for Guitar and Voice
Star Quality – Speculations for Guitar and Voice is a highly original album of experimental music that transcends the categories of free improvisation, jazz, electro-acoustic art, and the opera aria
Private View
A meticulously crafted set of songs, instrumentals and abstracts recorded over a couple of years by Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere’s principal composer / arranger / multi instrumentalists Archer and Todd.
Veer
*2024 stock* "The emotional level through compositions is capable of sudden and passionate outbursts, moments of profound tension and restlessness, as well as unexpected sweetness in evoking confused, distant emotions. Fantastic album." - Goran Čabrajić"For those of you who are still searching for contemporary progressive instrumental music, this is a fine treasure chest of delights." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery NYC "Working as a quartet adds further strength to an already impr…