Reissues
Synthesist / Re-Synthesist
Synthesist is the debut album by Harald Grosskopf, the enigmatic percussionist behind Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, and Cosmic Jokers. Originally released by Sky Records in 1980, RVNG Intl. celebrates the 30th year anniversary with this newly mastered and packaged reissue. Berlin, Germany, summer of 1979, Harald Grosskopf, then 30 years old, was at a personal and creative crossroads. His girlfriend just left him, and Ashra (Manuel Göttsching's "solo" project) was on temporary hiatus. Harald …
Opika Pende: Africa At 78 RPM
Opika Pende: Africa At 78 RPM is a 4CD collection featuring 100 tracks taken from rare 78rpm recordings of African music (1909 to mid-1960s), none of which have ever been issued on CD until now. Pan-African in scope and wildly diverse, Opika Pende is a testament to the deep riches found in early recorded music across the continent. 112-page softcover book with 4 CDs in a separate portfolio -- all housed in a deluxe cloth slipcase. Jonathan Ward is a Los Angeles-based collector, researche…
Kusabira. Obscure Tape Music of Japan vol. 13
One of the pioneers of Japanese electronic music, Makoto Moroi, composed "Kusabira" for Kyogen (traditional comedy theater) with electronic sound in 1964. "Kusabira" means "mushroom." A strolling Buddhist monk, Yamabushi, tried to exterminate many mushrooms that grew in the garden of a man's home. However, his magic did not take effect on them but also the Mushrooms began to increase. The man and Yamabushi were driven out of the home by a large Mushroom, finally. In this work, Moroi used abstrac…
Background Sound In Textile Pavillion Of Expo '70. Obscure Tape
At the EXPO '70 in Osaka, many avant-garde artists contributed architectural, space, environmental design and sound works. In the Textile Pavillion ("Sen-i Kan" in Japanese), Japanese composer Joji Yuasa and filmmaker Toshio Matsumoto presented a remarkable experimental event, "Space Projection 'Ako'" for multi-channel tape music and image projection. Also included in the presentation at the Pavillion was background sound for several spaces and objects, composed by Joji Yuasa, mainly. This…
Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals)
Em Records presents a slice of lost history unearthed for your enjoyment and delight. A first-ever reissue, on limited edition 7" vinyl of Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals), an ultra-rare 33rpm 7" flexi-disc by esteemed sound designer Matsuo Ohno, the legend behind the soundtracks for anime classics Astro Boy (1963-1966), Submarine Cassiopeia (1964) and Space Battleship Yamato (1974-1975). The original flexi-disc was released as a souvenir during the famed World Expo '70 in Osaka (think Stockhaus…
Diskaholics Anonymous Trio
Smalltown Superjazzz is proud to to rerelase the debut album by Diskaholics Anonymous Trio. The album was released 10 years ago on the now defunct Crazy Wisdom/Universal label, and the album has been unavailable since then. The trio creates a pulsing, massive and monumental sound. Free-jazz, noise, electronic ambience, drone music and punk all mixed. The result of these three titans clashing together is an intense blow-out. Raw, grandiose and brutally beautiful. The album features three l…
Anahata (1984-86)
Subtitled: Primordial Vibration / Sound ceremonial with a contemplative character. Composed in 1983-1986. Sound ceremonial with a contemplative character for two voices of Japanese Buddhist monks (traditional Shômyô techniques - traditional temple chanting - in a larger, modern and creative form), three Japanese Gagaku instrumentalists (traditional court music in a modern and creative form), one percussionist (with a percussion instrument orchestra) and electro-acoustic (fixed interactive sounds…
Yo-In (1980)
First world publication for the seminal Yo-In (1980) an electro-acoustic work produced in Japan and revisited by the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris in 1981. “Sound Theater for an imaginary rite”. Yo-Inleads to a sort of “celebration-ritualization of the day of man on Earth”.Jean-Claude Eloy discovered the meaning of Yo-In by going deeper into the culture of Japan where he had been invited by Toru Takemitsu in 1970: “Yo-In, echo, rhyme, resonance, psychic reverberation”. Karheinz Stock…
Goldsmiths
A previously unissued 1972 concert by the original version of Iskra 1903 - Paul Rutherford (trombone), Derek Bailey (guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass) - extraordinary performances, plus 2 short extracts from another concert. "Iskra 1903 was one of my favourite groups. I cannot remember hearing a performance that I did not enjoy, although inevitably some were better than others. The previously unissued concert on this CD was arguably one of their best.I first heard this recording about ten year…
The Ultimate Edition 1980-1984
Tremendous 5xLP box by one of the highest acclaimed minimal synth bands active during our favorite decade. The Snowy Red project started as a one-man band by Micky Mike. With a few synthesizers, a 12/2 mixing desk and a 2-track reel to reel recorder he created repetitive synth masterpieces in the vein of Suicide and Polyphonic Size. These black synthetic pearls were spread over two albums: the self-titled "Snowy Red" and "The Right To Die", both are included in this box, officially rem…
Early Tapes
The Neon Judgement was formed in 1980/1981. Instantly they self-released two cassettes. With a limited amount of electronic instruments, they recorded their debut: "Suffering". The first version of their classic track "Factory Walk" is on this tape, a much more raw version than the one which would later become an underground clubhit. "Sweet Revenge" and "Schyzophrenic Freddy" remind of Suicide and the almost claustrophobic sounding tracks "Harem" and "Army Green (WOIII) are in the veign o…
Music For Fireworks
In 1978, Philippe Genion bought a guitar for 1000 belgian francs (25€). He connected it to his hifi amp, quickly learned how to play "smoke on the water" and a few punk songs with two fingers and within two weeks, pushing the amp more and more to the limit, blew his 200W speakers out. Later, around 1980, he bought an old ARP synthesizer from walloon band "Jo Lemaire plus Flouze" and started playing with these instruments and a few old flanger and distorsion pedals, and started recording so…
Second Hand Emotions And Half Forgotten Feelings
Human Flesh is a long lived project of Alain Neffe. The tracks presented here are all unreleased songs recorded in the mid 80s. With a wide range of unconventional instruments Neffe & his compadres create their own dark & twisted world. WIth a lot of improvisation & cracked up minimal synth going on this makes up a great album. Besides synths & rythm boxes we hear zither, bells, strings, tarang, ocarina, Yugoslavian voice, reel to reel tape scratch & more. Limited edition of 400 copies. …
Eddy Merckz
Beside the usual noise- and experimental-projects there were also great new-wave-bands like The Misz. Eddy Merckz is a good example for the extreme high quality of the 80′s cassette-culture-scene. Their very catchy sound is comparable to early Virgin Prunes with some more pop-appeal; fine harmonies and male/female singer made this band to remarkable milestone in european new-wave, although they unfortunately never reached a bigger audience. And “Eddy Merckz” is in my eyes their best wo…
HaLF-UNReLeaSeD MaDNeSS
Very cool compilation of unreleased BeNe GeSSeRiT tracks. The husband & wife duo of Alain Neffe & Nadine Bal counted as one of the most frivolous & quite impressive live acts around during the eighties. On top of a catchy but minimal synth basis created by B GHoLa (Alain Neffe) runs the strange, & playfull voice by BeNeDiCT G (Nadine Ball). This is minimal synth pop for the crazy ones among us, but aren't we all a bit mad? Limited edition of 400 copies. Cover sleeve & insert by B GHoLa
TV Scape
Kuruki was a Belgian minimal synth-pop band project spearheaded by Ghent-based musician Gerry D’Haeyer and Alain Bureau. The band was founded early 1980’s and shortly after it’s conception a first release was recorded. The single “Crocodile tears” immediately hit the charts and became a hit.
Afterwards the band released 12 inches including maxi single “Such a liar”. After intensive touring a new single “Just a cat” was spawned in 1983. As a live band at that time Alan Gevaert, from dEUS, and Chr…
Terrestreality
RESTOCKED Hans Dens second vinyl offering on Aguirre with more synthcrapings and zonked adventures in lo-fi music. Following up his 7 inch on NNA tapes and an LP on Release The Bats Hans continues to search and destroy. Loads of damaged audio and otherworldy synth bubblles spread over 11 tracks. No need to look at your watch, time has become infinitive.
Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis the wire
This deluxe 3 CD set presents Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis in its completed three part entirety. Intuitive Synthesis/Floating Frequencies takes full advantage of the low noise floor and clarity provided by the digital medium. Mastered by Eleh specifically for the digital environment. This box is not intended to be a replacement of the analog records but an entirely different experience. Each disc contains two to three tracks, and the packaging is a silver print on matt black jac…
One Point Music
Amazing unlikely limited edition reissue of this legendary obscure private press LP that remains one of the most elusive and highly sought-after recordings ever to escape the Nurse With Wound list. Pekka Airaksinen was a member of the equally elusive Sperm, whose amazing 1970 Shh! LP on O Records recently got the reissue treatment. One Point Music goes even further than that outré side with a series of heavily rhythmic/percussive electro/primitive jams that almost comes over like a Cromag…
Great Bear Pamphlet Series
Complete set, originally published between 1965 and 1967, the Great Bear contributors were a who's who of the sixties avant-garde: George Brecht, John Cage, Al Hansen, Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenburg, Nam Jun Paik, Diter Rot and Emmett Williams, were just but a few of the artists/authors in the series. All of the pamphlets were staple-bound and 16 pages in length (except for the Manifesto issue, which was 32 pages). While they shared the same format,each title in the series was printed on v…