Reissues
Cosmos
"Cosmos" is a hard-to-find, alternately chaotic and tightly organized mid-'70s session that was issued on the Cobra, and then Inner City labels. Sun Ra provided some stunning moments on the Rocksichord, while leading The Arkestra through stomping full-band cuts of atmospheric or alternately hard bop compositions, peeling off various saxophonists for skittering, screaming, at times spacey dialogues. (AMG)
The Nubians of Plutonia
In the late '50s, Sun Ra emerged from big band to modern/progressive big band status, began to employ electronics, and used a more Afro-Centric percussive focus. This recording perfecly demonstrates those qualities, and more. There are several definitive themes from The Arkestra included, such as "Plutonian Nights," "Nubia," "Africa," "Watusa" and "Aethiopia." Dig for this one on vinyl if you can (the cover art is stunning,) but it is nigh impossible to find on Saturn Research. (AMG)
Angels And Demons At Play
Sun Ra's Angels & Demons at Play is a diptych created by merging two recording sessions. The first is a laid-back introspective affair ("angels?") recorded in 1960. Even frolicsome, these bouncy melodies follow the percolating rhythms with a gently leading reed, as Marshall Allen exemplifies on flute in "Tiny Pyramids." Also dating from before the truly experimental Sun Ra period, the last three tracks were recorded at RCA Studios in Chicago in 1956. Still very accessible, here several horns, am…
The Other Side Of The Sun
The Sun Ra Arkestra looks both forwards and backwards in time on this obscure small label LP. Ten years earlier, one could not have imagined Ra and his men romping through "On the Sunny Side of the Street" or reinventing "Flamingo." However, those versions certainly sound quite original, and there is no mistaking the band for any other orchestra on "Space Fling," "Manhattan Cocktail" and the trademark "Space Is the Place." The music on this album features a version of the Arkestra consisting of …
Live at Montreux
The excellent Live at Montreux set from 1976 was released on vinyl by both Saturn and Inner City before disappearing from print for many years. In 2003, the set was reissued by both Universe/Akarma and P-Vine. A full 20-member Arkestra (plus dancers) turns in a typically freewheeling set. From "Take the 'A' Train" (featuring a killer solo from Marshall Allen), to the gospel-influenced "El Is a Sound of Joy," to the almost exotica "Lights on a Satellite," to the free and raucous "Gods of the Thun…
Interplanetary Melodies
More stuff from Sun Ra's archives, this time focusing on his work with doo wop groups. Sun Ra had a home tape recorder early on, and most of these are previously unissued home rehearsals. The sound is generally excellent given that these are '50s home recordings (except for the studio tracks released on Saturn as singles and their studio rehearsal counterparts). Sun Ra clearly knew and loved this type of vocal music and probably could have had a career cranking out doo wop numbers (he wrote most…
Fate In A Pleasant Mood
Fate in a Pleasant Mood, recorded in 1960, finds the Arkestra at the very end of their Chicago days. The tunes still have that '50s Arkestra sound (great horn arrangements, prominent tympani), although there is an increasing use of dissonance and the arrangements are more spare, thanks to a dwindling Arkestra. Ra sticks to piano on these tracks, with excellent flute contributions from Marshall Allen and some fine trumpet as well, mostly courtesy of Phil Cohran. Gilmore shines on "Ankhnaton" and …
Let The Sun Shine In
Long out of print, few copies available. Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a grea…
Whatthefuckdoyouwant
There is only one prior release existing of Brötzmann and Sharrock as a duo (vinyl-only on Okka Disc 2003). This live recording from the archives of Peter Brötzmann was mixed by Lou Malozzi in Chicago, mastered by Martin Siewert in Vienna. Sonny Sharrock was one of the first American free-jazz guitarists. He played in the '60s with Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, Roy Ayers and many other greats. His career started again in the beginning of the '80s when he met Bill Laswell, who hired him to form t…
Live In Nickelsdorf 1984
The interplanetary jazz travelers of Sun Ra's Arkestra reached transcendent heights over the many decades their free music spanned. Live in Nickelsdorf 1984 finds a particularly spirited lineup of the Arkestra simmering through an almost three-hour set at an Austrian jazz festival. The band, featuring key Arkestra players John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Rollo Radford, Don Mumford, and of course Ra himself, runs through brilliant versions of almost 30 tunes. The set is heavy on improvisation and al…
Northwoods box
26 copies only, numbered, on special orange paper with very small red/green dots (same style as the one used for the Qbico Omicron/Omega box set) with:- front artworks by Mike Johnston (two vvariations) hand-made frame by ep along Mike's arttwork, on interstellar metallic bronze paper (all different = each box is unique) signed print by Don Barber of originall inner sleeve cover photograph- color insert printed on quality paper (front & back) with rare & beautiful images of the band- an extra on…
Delta
Mai Mai Mai is a solo project by Toni C., member of the noise-rock outfit Hiroshima Rocks Around and the spasticpop duo Trouble vs. Glue. He also runs the NO=FI Recordings label and co-runs the Dal Verme Club in Rome. Mai Mai Mai is the materialization of a travel in time and space, a mix of drone and ambient, steamy and phat techno beats, field recordings and soundscapes on the border between East and West. After the debut Theta LP (Boring Machines, 2013), Delta is his second release and second…
Transients
Andrea Bellucci’s “Red Sector A” is probably one of Italy’s best kept secrets, and for sure the project of an author who has always preferred quality over quantity. In 1995, after hitting the European dance charts with a few successful 12" releases, he signed to Minus Habens, the hystorical Italian label. Between 1995 and 2012 he released with them four albums of evolute electronic music, merging deep atmospheres and Techno rhythms, microsounds and Ambient-Dub, big beats and Drum’n’Bass, install…
For basset horn
Performed by Michele Marelli (basset horn): Traum-Formel (1981); Evas spiegel (1984); Susani (1984); Die 7 lieder der tage (1986); Freia (1991); In freundschaft (1977).
Zeus joueur de flutes
Alvise Vidolin (live electronics), Roberto Fabbriciani (flute)
Electronic music for piano
Agostino Di Scipio (computer e live electronics), Ciro Lombardi (piano).
s/t
Die Schachtel, for voices, chamber orchestra & tape by Franco Evangelisti / Performer: Valentina Barbarini, Elena Sorbi, / Conductor: Marco Angius / Orchestra: Ensemble Prometeo. Written in 1962-1963 and performed at the Lenz Teatro di Parma. 27’ 4’’.
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 by Arnold Schoenberg / Conductor: Marco Angius/ Orchestra: Ensemble Prometeo/ Written in 1912 in Wien. Performed at Auditorium Paganini di Parma. 3’ 21’’.
Black Mill Tapes Volumes 3 & 4
*Re-Press on Silver and Purple Vinyl - Edition of 300 copies*Our Head Technician returns with the keenly awaited follow-up to his amazing 'Black Mill Tapes Volumes 1 & 2' as Pye Corner Audio, including the previously digital-only Volume 3 and the as-yet-unheard Volume 4. Lurking in the shadows between deep house, slow techno, Carpenter soundtracks and classic electronica, these sibling LPs transcend genres with hallucinatory, shape-shifting effect, trudging forth from the pastoral whimsy of the …
Dedicato A ...
Psychedelia, avant-garde, improvisation, underground. 'Dedicato A...' (Dedicated to) is without a single doubt a unique record, and it's really surprising to know that its authors were Italian, from Rome, and that it was released in 1967, the same year of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Sgt. Pepper's! Mario Schifano was not a musician but a visionary exponent of Pop Art, a sort of Italian Andy Warhol, who wanted to integrate his work with a group, providing the psychedelics visuals in support…
Lost & Found Volume IV: The Background Records
Outstanding fourth box, including dead stock find of some incredible original editions of the best background music library Piero Umilani LPS. Each one is worth already some money, but here's your chance to get them as a beautiful handscreened box made especially for this occasion in order to give 'new life' to this wonderful ageless music.After the first appreciated edition of the three boxes (containing his ethnic compositions, then his weird electronic music and the ambient ones), we are …