Psych /
Islands
Islands is the sixth in a series of audiophile King Crimson vinyl reissues. The album's return to the 12" vinyl format is newly cut from masters approved by Robert Fripp. Manufactured on 200g super-heavyweight vinyl, housed in a reprint of the original sleeve with lyrics insert. The album is a hodge podge of ideas and there is no flow or continuity. Each track could exist separately. This is one of the Crims least beloved lineups even tho they were capable of more free-jazz improv than any previ…
Lizard
Released in December 1970, King Crimson's third studio album, Lizard, is often viewed as an outlier in the pioneering British prog outfit's nearly half-century discography. It's not easily grouped with 1969's stunning In the Court of the Crimson King debut and 1970 follow-up In the Wake of Poseidon, and along with 1971's Islands it's considered a transitional release on the band's path toward the relative stability of the Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973), Starless and Bible Black (1974), and Red (…
In The Wake Of Poseidon
**classic prog-rock masterpiece gets the reissue on 200 gram vinyl** King Crimson opened 1970 scarcely in existence as a band, having lost two key members (Ian McDonald and Michael Giles), with a third (Greg Lake) about to leave. Their second album -- largely composed of Robert Fripp's songwriting and material salvaged from their stage repertory ("Pictures of a City" and "The Devil's Triangle") -- is actually better produced and better sounding than their first. Surprisingly, Fripp's guitar is n…
In the Court of the Crimson King
**Recent repress, classic prog-rock masterpiece gets the reissue on 200 gram vinyl** The group's definitive album, and one of the most daring debut albums ever recorded by anybody. At the time, it blew all of the progressive/psychedelic competition (the Moody Blues, the Nice, etc.) out of the running, although it was almost too good for the band's own good -- it took King Crimson nearly four years to come up with a record as strong or concise. Ian McDonald's Mellotron is the dominant instrument,…
Juke Box
The highly neglected record by Franco Battiato! Originally intended as the soundtrack for TV movie 'Brunelleschi', it was rejected — allegedly, for being "not appropriate enough". Their loss. It is also the first official collaboration with Giusto Pio, at the time engaged as violinist in the RAI orchestra of Milan, as well as first violin at Orchestra - Teatro alla Scala. Over the following decades, Pio and Battiato formed a close collaborative relationship – chasing each other across genre and…
Desperate Straights
Desperate Straights was the first result of the historical meeting between Slapp Happy, the German/English Avant-Pop band and the apparently incompatible Henry Cow. Recorded at Virgin Record's Manor Studios in 1974 and properly re-mastered by Bob Drake, Desperate Straights stands as a real piece of Art from another time. A full set of great songs, including gems like "Bad Alchemy" and "Apes in Capes", arranged and performed by an amazing collective featuring Dagmar Krause's unique voice, Peter B…
Io Sono Nato Libero - Legacy Edition
A new Legacy edition of "Io sono nato libero", historic third album by Banco del Mutuo soccorso, one of the most famous and important italian progressive rock bands, enriched by a bonuns disc with 5 inedit tracks recorded with the current line up and a long interview with Vittorio Nocenzi, founder of the band. LP+CD and vinyl shaped book. The booklet includes lyrics, interviews, photos and a wonderful genealogical tree of the band. The entire album is truly outstanding
Seven (remastered) LP
180 gram audiophile vinyl pressing, clear vinyl. Seven is the seventh studio album by Soft Machine, released in 1973. Roy Babbington, who had previously contributed to Fourth [MOVLP1601] and Fifth [MOVLP1599] on double bass as a session musician, replaced Hugh Hopper on bass guitar, who left to begin a solo career. Their unique take on jazz rock was groundbreaking. Seven is a highly diverse album combining minimal, spacey elements and some great instrumental jamming. It was also the last of thei…
Six (remastered)
180 gram audiophile vinyl pressing. While the instrumental Fourth had forayed deep into jazz-rock territory, Fifth found Soft Machine working almost completely in the jazz idiom. As Soft Machine moved further away from rock on Third [MOVLP183] and Fourth [MOVLP1602], drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt's dissatisfaction with the band's direction grew and, by the time sessions started for Fifth in late 1971, he had left permanently to form Matching Mole. Wyatt's replacement Phil Howard's propulsive rhy…
Fourth (remastered) LP
180 gram audiophile vinyl pressing. Fourth (from 1971) or 4 is the Soft Machine's first all-instrumental album and features a mix of Free Jazz, straight-ahead Jazz, and gong-like psychedelia. It was also the last of their albums to include drummer and founding member Robert Wyatt."Soft Machine's collective skill is hyper-complex and refined, as they are extremely literate in all fields of musical study. Fourth is the band's free purging of all of that knowledge, woven into noisy, smoky structure…
First Utterance
Official 180g reissue, from the original master tapes no less, of one of the most insane (and influential) experimental folk records of all time. This was Comus. Super dark themes and nightmarish visions abound in this total one-off of a record. First Utterance was, and still is, “difficult”. Fortunately today an appreciative audience exists for “difficult” stuff like this.Kent-based art students Roger Wootton and Glenn Goring had played acoustic covers of Velvet Underground numbers in London fo…
Heresie
Sub Rosa present a reissue of Univers Zero's second album Heresie, originally released in 1979. A classic of chamber rock music, featuring heavy use of dissonance and dark, brooding, and extremely complex melodies. "This music on this LP might have little to do with rock, and might also be a massive downer, but the quality of the writing and playing is extremely high. Michel Berckmans' solo work on oboe and bassoon work is magnificent, and Patrick Hanappier's string playing (violin and viola) al…
Le Jour Où Les Vaches...
Reissue of the first album by this French iconoclast poet, recorded in 1974 with William Sheller's string arrangements. This highly symphonic and dystopian rock album should overjoy fans of Gerard Manset or Genesis.
Un Giorno in una Piazza + Il Cerchio degli Antichi
Special bundle. In the late 70’s the Italian music scene recorded a renewed interest in a sound research involved to a stimulating fusion of popular elements, jazz improvisation and suggestions of the middle-oriental classical heritage. Starting from the experience of Aktuala the idea of a common "Mediterranean air", that could compare and harmonize rhythms and timbres of various regions, enlivened a large number of musicians. In this context, it also placed the short history of Zeit and of his …
Galactic Zoo Dossier
Swordfish proudly continues its reissue programme of vintage Arthur Brown recordings with Kingdom Come's classic 1971 debut. A stunning fusion featuring elements of psychedelia, prog and electronics. Whilst not a major commercial success at the time in terms of pioneering spirit it has become something of a landmark. Now some 45 years later the driving forces behind it are far clearer-a remarkable visionary work full of genuine progressive portent.Officially licenced, fully remastered and presen…
Strangelands
Swordfish is very proud to announce the start of its vinyl reissue of classic vintage recordings by the self-styled God of Hellfire-Arthur Brown. Opening the series is the legendary second album from the Crazy World of Arthur Brown "Strangelands" Recorded in 1969 but unreleased at the time, it was just too "out there" for Track Records. Now it reverberates with the spirit of the age as well as encompassing an almost contemporary feel. It is presented as a limited edition of 500 copies on psyched…
Winter Songs
A reissue of the brilliant second album by Art Bears, a band/project featuring Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and Dagmar Krause, formed in 1978 after disputes over the musical direction within Henry Cow. 'Winter Songs', originally released in 1979, placed Art Bears in the forefront of the Rock In Opposition Movement. Art Bears' intense and brutal avant-garde approach on the album comes across as primordial expression, which is nailed down by Krause's violently charismatic voice. As a piece of music re…
The World As It Is Today
The third classic Art Bears record, and the most austere. Remastered and repackaged.
If you thought Henry Cow was a pretty political band to start with, you may be even more taken aback by the Art Bears, which was put together following Henry Cow's demise by former Cows Chris Cutler (percussion), Fred Frith (guitar, violin), and Dagmar Krause (voice). On The World as it is Today and its predecessor, Winter Songs, the Art Bears move away from the long-form art rock of Henry Cow and get much, much…
DeLuxe
Beautiful legit 2015 reissue on Groenland, truly a brilliant little album from Harmonia – quite possibly their greatest record ever, and a set that's wonderfully balanced between progressive and electronic modes! There's a live drummer on the set – Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru – and although he still plays with a spare, circular mode that recalls the Harmonia rhythms of before, there's also a slight bit of propulsion here too – one that pushes the keyboards and guitars alongside nicely. There's al…
Stuck in Paradise
Sweet Marie was formed in late 1969 amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the wild music scene of Hollywood. Twentyeight year old Prince Teddy, a producer at Capitol Records and a songwnter.'musician. had a vision tor a rock-n-roll trio with rich harmonies and psychedelic undertones He approached Sonny Lathrop, a 25 year ok) guitarist and recording musician who was known around the hip Hollywood night dubs, about his idea and together they recruited Willy Bims on drums Bims. 32, had been the…