Experimental / Free Improvisation

Tip! *In process of stocking* Ashley Paul is an American multi-instrumentalist/ composer based in London. Her intuitive process integrates free form song structures with a focused approach to sound. Using a complexity of instruments including saxophone, clarinet, voice, prepared guitar and percussion she creates a delicate palette, uniquely her own. I Am Fog to us sounds like a new evolution of Ashley’s work, it is silent shoegaze with hints of free jazz. Joan La Barbara on methadone is somethin…

The first meeting on disc between two of the finest and most innovative electroacoustic instrumentalists in Germany: Argentine-born, Berlin-based Lucio Capece (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, preparations, mini megaphone) and Hamburg-based Birgit Ulher (trumpet, mutes, radio, speaker). Recorded live on May 14th, 2010 at the Blurred Edges Festival in Hamburg, Choices documents three pieces that explore the expanded sonic possibilities of prepared wind instruments through extended techniques and…

Bagman, an imaginary character dreamt up by this experimental jazz trio, roams around in the figurative soundscape, collecting sonic debris. From a piano played on the inside and outside, electronics, saxophones, drums and junk objects shape a frenetic musical environment. Captured live at Cafe Oto in London, Pat Thomas (Piano, Electronics), Raymond Strid (Drums) and Sture Ericson (Tenor, Soprano Saxophones) assemble fragmented sounds in haphazard, creative and thrilling directions. After years …

**Orange tape Limited Edition to 90 numbered copies ** The trio Susana Santos Silva / Torbjörn Zetterberg / Hampus Lindwall emerged in 2015 with their first album If Nothing Else (Clean Feed CF348) which was received with critical acclaim. The unique conceptual approach to composition & improvisation rooted in both free jazz and contemporary classical music was described as “guaranteed a unique listening experience” (JazzIn), “It is art!” (Gapplegate Music Review) and “unique sound and style” (N…

*In process of stocking. Limited edition of 100 copies on clear vinyl.* New self-released album of Bertrand De Lamalle (sax alto) & Pierre Gerard (cello) Recorded & improvised under a bridge 2020.

*In process of stocking. 200 copies limited release, CDr format* On Easter Monday of 2019, friends and colleagues reunited at London’s iconic improvisational space Café Oto. The four, Ken Ikeda (Synthesizer), Massimo Magee (Electronics, Saxophone), Joshua Weitzel (Shamisen), Eddie Prévost (Percussion) had met and played together many times in the years prior—usually in the context of Eddie Prévost’s London Improvisation Workshop—but had never performed a public concert together. The group's avan…

Tip! Written, performed, and produced by Mats Gustafsson (STIM/N©B) & Tony Lugo. Mats Gustafsson: Alto, Tenor, Baritone and Bass Saxophones, FluteTony Lugo: Drums, ElectronicsMats Gustafsson & Tony Lugo: Concatenative Synthesis & Machine Listening Algorithms Recorded May-July 2021 by Olof Madsen at Discaholic Studios, Nickelsdorf, Austria & Craig Bowen at Tempo House, Baltimore, MDMixed by Craig BowenMastered by Lasse MarhaugDesign by Tony LugoPhotography by Mats GustafssonArtwork by Peter Brötz…

'It was the unexpected event of the 2005 FIMAV festival: avant jazz legend Anthony Braxton joining noisy bad boys Wolf Eyes on-stage. But it did not come completely out of left field. A few months earlier at another festival, the 60-year-old saxophonist had attended a performance by the Michigan noise trio and was transformed, buying a copy of everything the band had to sell that night. The man had been hit in the face by noise music. At the 22nd FIMAV, Braxton was scheduled to play a duo concer…

'It was a match made in heaven, or rather on earth, at last year's 20th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. Five vocal artists on one stage—Dutch Jaap Blonk, Japanese Koichi Makigami, Canadian sound poet Paul Dutton, Englishman Phil Minton, and German new music singer David Moss—was indeed one of the highlights of the '03 Victoriaville Festival. Only mad vocalist Mike Patton was missing. These five men had never performed together on one stage, though they have worked wi…

** 14x7" Singles Boxset, limited to 128 numbered copies, celebrating Unrock's 25th anniversary as an entity ** The Well Known Strangers 7“ Singles Box Set documents the history of the Unrock singles (as we know it).  International dervishes galore….Fourteen singles, thirteen were originally released in the Unrock Series, or have been part  of our Saraswati Series and came first with the Early-Bird-Editions of the regular albums. Instead of the only missing single (Bill Orcutt/Sir Richard Bishop …

Roko Crnić (electric bass), Bertrand Denzler (tenor saxophone), Marina Džukljev (piano), Lionel Friedli (percussion), Tomaž Grom (double bass, electronics), Jonas Kocher (accordion and artistic direction), Nenad Kovačić (percussion), Samo Kutin (hurdy-gurdy), Srdjan Muc (electric guitar), Tena Novak Vincek (violin), Robert Roža (electronics), Irena Tomažin Zagoričnik (voice) Recorded in concert by Radio Slovenia on January 17, 2019, at the culture center Španski borci, Ljubljana.Mix and master b…

The quartet Der Verboten consists of the following musicians: Frantz Loriot (viola), Antoine Chessex (tenor saxophone), Christian Wolfarth (percussion) and Cédric Piromalli (piano). Der Verboten's music swings between improvised music, contemporary jazz and experimental acoustic music. In the course of their collaboration, the four musicians have developed a resolutely differentiated sound language. Although the ensemble works in a conceptual and highly structured way, the practice of improvisa…

** 2021 Stock ** "Lining Out" is taken from a form of hymnody practiced to this day as Gaelic Psalm singing by the Free Churches on the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, interpreted by Swiss improviser Jason Kahn in percussion and voice of uniquely uninhibited & unpredictable utterance and song juxtaposing superb expression and dexterity on drums, cymbals, bells and percussion.

** 2021 Stock ** A typical modern drum set consists of a bass drum, a snare drum, hi-hats, a few toms, and a couple of cymbals. When played as a drum set, the characteristics of each sound combine to create what many people recognize as a single instrument. Yet each of the pieces within that instrument has particular qualities that are often different from each other, especially between drums and cymbals. From a player's standpoint, shifting focus from the sonic options available with a drum set…

Tip! *110 copies limieted edition. In process of stocking* 'Bitter Desert ushers in an intensely reflective listening induced by the sounds of clarinets moving restlessly through progressions of granulated tone, soaring harmonic, gnarly growl, and wild fluttering. The ground here is only apparently firm; rather it is sand-like, constantly shifting beneath the feet of our ears as it surveys a vast sonic expanse turned profoundly inward.' – Adam Zuckerman

Black Editions present a reissue of Toho Sara's self-titled album, originally released in 1995. A mystifying work of Japanese avant-garde shamanism, Toho Sara's 1995 debut introduced a radical new sound from Asahito Nanjo (High Rise), Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple), and Hisashi Yasuda - playing an array of ancient instruments including tabla, piri, harmonium, biwa, shakujo, and hansho the group evokes an otherworldly ritual music, meditative and haunting. Originally released on CD by P.S.…

*In process of stocking* Soft Machine performing two continuous sets of compositions, improvisations and dynamisms. All instruments, except saxes, variously processed with electronic effect devices Henie Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden, Norway, 28th of February, 1971. Stereophonic ambient recording technique to Studer A62 Reel-to-Reel.

FRIM Records presents Plucked and Bowed. Released February 25, 2022 My Hellgren: celloPeter Söderberg: guitar, theorbo, oud All music by My Hellgren & Peter Söderberg (STIM/NCB)Produced by FRIMRecorded February 11, 2021, at Fylkingen, Stockholm, by Göran StegbornMixed and mastered by Göran Stegborn

*50 copies limited edition* Archaic Vaults presents First passage/Excommunicated. Ancient rituals and pilgrimages. a labour of love. Composed and arranged by Severin Black & Vanessa Bedoret. Mastered by Owen Pratt Artwork by Severin Black

Paal Nilssen-Love with Lasse Marhaug, recorded and edited by Fe-mail/Spunk Hild Sofie Tafjord to create 6 fascinating free-form compositions of sound and texture. "Marhaug and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen Love have worked together in Vandermark's groups, as well as being co-producers of the annual All Ears improvised music festival in Oslo. Their first recorded duet, Personal Hygiene (Utech, 2005), captured their live duet at the Nu-Music festival in Stavanger and featured their shared aff…

"This seemingly improbable duo finds both artists defending a common cause, with Lanz as stunning turntablist to serve as a perfect companion to Kocher's iconoclastic approach to his instrument. Detailed moves, fast gestures and throbbing pulses are recurrently cut by silences and sustained tones. Short rhythmic patterns and precise syllables emerge only to give way to more intimate sequences where players drift into some neutral space before re-colliding again into actualizations of micro-event…

The most promising vibraphone virtuoso Emilio Gordoa collects an excellent quartet with such fantastic young colleagues Dag Magnus Narvesen and Don Malfon and legendary iconic bass player John Edwards. They presented their music first time at the Artacts Festival in St. Johann in Tirol. Now this great performance is available on CD.

*2022 stock* Jim Sauter & Don Dietrich (saxophones), Donald Miller (electric guitar), Adam Nodelman (bass guitar). The 3rd annual Halloween extravaganza. Recorded October 29, 1986. Reissue of cassette only release Live in Allentown (Lowlife LL02). Includes the entire second set with Scott Legath on electronics, not previously released.

"The album offers a varied collection of adventurous improvisations in different constellations. Underlining that Keeffe is a multi-sided, very inventive and inspired musician." - Dolf Mulder Vital Weekly

That a variety of moods are conjured so effectively speaks volumes about how both artists are in synch with their objectives, so clearly vested in the realization of their ideas, so highly attuned to their birthing of new musics that to accompany them on their magical mystery tour is an experience not soon forgotten." - Darren Bergstein, DMG The electronics / woodwind duo celebrates its 15th year of existence with a new album, the first for 5 years. Material developed for concerts during the per…

*350 copies limited release* A new album from Anglo-Norwegian trio The Geordie Approach, in a unique collaboration with Japanese koto-player Michiyo Yagi. Live at SuperDeluxe is both a tribute to the long-lost venue which for many years constituted the hub of high-end Tokyo experimentalism, as well as a testament to the transnational ethos of improvised music. The three musicians of The Geordie Approach have long been drawn to the experimental, rustic, activist-run underground venues found in ba…

Tip! *200 copies limited edition* Stellan Veloce’s first record for Hyperdelia is not only their debut album but simultaneously the inception of a band: Stellan Veloce’s Complesso Spettro. At Veloce’s disposal, the players have turned into a Frankensteinian super group: with Andreas Dzialocha on electric bass, Bridget Ferrill doing electronics & processing, Julia Reidy on guitars, Marta Tiesenga on baritone sax, Earl Harvin and Jesse Quebbeman-Turley on drums, Elena Kakaliagou playing horn, Carl…

**Edition of 150** Recorded by Yoshiyuki Suzuki. Mastered by Francesco Covarino. Released March 21, 2022

"Nick is a guitarist with a long history, most of it not troubling the charts. From the youthful pop of Polydor’s “Typhoon Saturday” through the anarchy of Dig Vis Drill, as well as working with the Comsat Angels, Neil Ardley and many, many more. He has developed an individual musical voice based around the looping and processing of a guitar. The music evokes many different moods and is both beautiful and challenging in equal measures, like theme music for films that have never been made. Every …

Who else exactly is looking to build a power duo from improv drums and electrified shahi baaja sounds?

An adventurous sonic exploration of the voice, cello and electronics. A large component of Audrey Chen music is improvised, is completely un-processed and her approach to this is extremely personal and visceral. Her playing explores the combination and layering of an analog synthesizer, preparations and traditional and extended techniques in both the voice and cello. She works to join these elements into a singular ecstatic personal language.

Tip! *100 copies limited edition* Erosion is a sprawling yet focused love affair with the bass drum, allowing myriad objects to playfully interact with its grand form. Kevin and Jacob engage with the instrument in an entirely unrelenting way, traversing textural, pointillist sections, as well as rippling metallic drones. Notice’s admiration of Kevin and Jacob’s work goes back to circa 2008, with Kevin’s album with Tetuzi Akiyama and Christian Kiefer ‎on the much-loved Digitalis Industries, and J…

Dirk Serries (worldwide renowned for his ambient alter-ego Vidna Obmana from 1984 till 2007) returns to this expansive sound universe with a new collaborative album that redefines the genre. Together with alto saxophonist Trösta the duo delivers a breathtaking album just in time to comfort, soothe and challenge in these darker times. Island On The Moon is a symphony of harmony, depth and nuance. A solace drenched in melancholy and light, made without the aid of computers but by the hands of two …

Dovetailing and combining the rich harmonics of Michel Doneda's soprano and sopranino saxophone with Pascal Battus' rotating surfaces--mechanisms from small consumer electronics and their like put in motion and in contact with resonators and vibrators--this French improvising duo create fascinatingly shifting, unusual textures and sonic environments.

Tomasz Krakowiak's latest work on Bocian Records is a purely sonic affair. Performed on acoustic percussion instruments, it has little to do with percussion music. Each piece is named after a particular location and or a sonic event present there. Krakowiak's monotonous playing a specific instrument seems to achieve an effect of a field recording made at the given location. What makes this effort successful is a broad range of his techniques and sonic intuition. These excellent recordings…

*300 copies box set* Som Desorganizado is an annual meeting promoted by Sonoscopia, gathering ideas and sounds from innovative sonic explorers. It is based around open presentations and discussions of artistic works, collaborative efforts and new directions in music. From a broader perspective, Som Desorganizado is also a reflection on the meaning of sound, and how it can be organized into musical artifacts.Box Set:- 2 CD's- 138 Illustrations by Ilan Manouach / Microworkers (12x12 cm)- 6 Photos …

Finally we can present this longawaited treat of a concert film. The sold out concert took place in Oslo in August last year and was beautifully captured by Kim Hiorthøy and friends to 16 mm black and white film, and later edited by Hiorthøy. The sound was recorded by Athletic Sound and mixed by Helge Sten. Needless to say, it looks and sounds fantastic. The concert itself was rewarded a six out of six review at the time in Norway´s major national paper Aftenposten. You get the complete concert,…

This is the second full-length release by Norway's Bushman's Revenge (Even Helte Hermansen, Gard Nilssen, Rune Nergaard). You Lost Me At Hello shows a distinct development from their debut Cowboy Music (Jazzaway, 2007). Founded by Hermansen and Nilssen in 2003 in their hometown of Skien, a couple of hours from Oslo, the trio aim to combine the jazz/improv background of the rhythm section with the rock/metal background of leader, composer and guitarist Hermansen to create their own expressive…

This is the third album by Norway's Bushman's Revenge (Even Helte Hermansen, Gard Nilssen, Rune Nergaard). Like great records from Elephant9, Scorch Trio, Supersilent, In The Country, Spunk, Fire! and others, Jitterbug was recorded in the old fashioned way, meaning the musicians played together and interacted live in the studio with few or no overdubs. With classic recording studios closing down all over the world, this way of recording could indeed soon be a thing of the past, and the world …

*75 copies limited edition* "After several stand out collaborative releases, including a duo LP with Mark Shippy and another duo LP with Claire Rousay, violinist Alex Cunningham returns to solo form with As Slow as the Stream, an album made up of one 33-minute cat and mouse game titled "As Slow as the Stream Cuts the Dirt from Beneath." If you've ever watched a cat sneak up on a mouse, you've seen the cat making its way towards it's prey so slowly that you barely even notice the cat is moving at…