Honest Jons (UK), 1953. New Copy (pic cover, reissue)
Gentle genius from the legendary Moondog -- a rare album recorded right around the same time as his mindblowing work for Prestige! The style here is very similar to those Prestige albums -- very spare and rhythmic -- often just using simple acoustic percussion alongside an instrument or two, such
...
|
Honest Jons (UK), 1955. New Copy (pic cover, reissue)
An extremely rare slice of early work by Moondog -- recorded right around the time of his early albums for Prestige! This 4 track ep features short tunes recorded by Moondog in his hauntingly spare style of the time -- using earthy percussion to set the pace of the tracks, and also working with a
...
|
Cinevox/Bella Casa (UK), 1965. New Copy
One of the most obscure chapters in the career of Ennio Morricone -- important avant garde work recorded in the mid 60s, just at a point when he was beginning to rise in soundtrack fame! The ensemble is a key Italian modernist group featuring Morricone, Giovanni Piazza, Mario Bertoncini, Egisto
...
|
Folkways, 1959. New Copy 2CD
One of the strangest albums ever from John Cage -- but one of the most compelling too -- and a record that really gets at the larger person behind his incredible music! The album has a very spare format -- and features John Cage reading 90 stories -- all short, spoken bits that are woven with Cage'
...
|
Folkways, 1976. New Copy Gatefold
Warmly experimental music from the 70s Folkways scene -- music that's a mixture of jazz, folk, electronics, and improvised styles -- played with an open, honest sort of feel! The Entourage Music & Theater Ensemble features four composer/musicians -- Joe Clark, Wall Matthews, Rusti Clark, and
...
|
Prestige/OJC, 1956. New Copy
One of the best early albums from the legendary Moondog -- a set that got wider circulation than his first few releases, and really helped expand his reach beyond New York City! Moondog's still at his simple best here -- working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and
...
|
Columbia (Japan), 1968. New Copy
A landmark album of electronics and percussion -- as you might guess from the title -- a set with a sound so seminal, we can almost forgive Max Neuhaus for appearing on the cover without a shirt! Acoustic percussion is mixed beautifully with electric elements and other processing -- all produced
...
|
EM (Japan), 1987. New Copy Gatefold
As much a musical performance as an art installation, "Appointed Cloud" is based around a weird sonic structure by Yoshi Wada -- one that's kind of a contemporary re-figuration of a pipe organ -- with odd sorts of sensitive sounds coming from the flow of air through the pipes! The device
...
|
Childisc/Thrill Jockey, 2001. New Copy
The first American full-length release by this genius Japanese composer! The album's not as harsh as some of Takemura's recent releases in shorter formats, with a minimal blend of sound samples, electronics, and pretty little noises that show him moving farther and farther away from his early days
...
|
Universal (France), 1960s/1970s/1980s/Mid 90s. New Copy 4CD
A fantastic box set that features 3 separately issued CDs of work by Henry -- plus one bonus CD only available in the box! Disc 1 features 2 pivotal works in the career of the composer. Variations Pour Une Porte Et Un Soupir is beautiful batch of spare electronics -- translated as "Variations
...
|
India Navigation/EM (Japan), 1982. New Copy
Obscure material from Fluxus experimentalist Yoshi Wada -- recorded at a time when he was working in New York, and issued on the mostly-jazz India Navigation label! The album features two longer pieces by Wada -- and side one features "Singing" -- a 30 minute-long work that builds slowly
...
|
Locust, Mid 70s. New Copy
A glorious mess from Henry Flynt's mid 70s free jazz/rustic groove/post hippie art rock collective Nova'Billy -- a bit of a Beefheartian take on country rock! Vocals are few and far between, and the album is heavy with instrumental jams that always find a fairly intense groove, with Henry sawing
...
|
Universal (France), 1950s/1960s/1970s. New Copy
Some of the best work ever from experimental composer Pierre Henry -- music done in collaboration with choreographer Maurice Bejart -- Henry's partner in the famous Messe Pour Les Temps Present, and a host of other great projects! Bejart's need for rhythmically progressive numbers really helps
...
|
EM (Japan), 1975. New Copy
Bizarre home made electronics from the enigmatic Iasos -- an artist who later went onto a bit of fame in the new age, but who's working here in a trippier, spacier, almost psychedelic mode! The style is often quite personal, and almost naive -- as Iasos works on guitar, keyboards, amplified flute,
...
|
Philips (France), 1998. New Copy
The great , oft-remixed French composer turns the tables -- and offers up a remix of his own work, the 10th Symphony of Beethoven, originally composed in 1979! The end result is a beautiful mix of sounds and electronics, underpinned by slowly unraveling symphonic passages -- in a style that's much
...
|
Locust, 2004. New Copy
A beautiful piece of both sound and visual art from GazHeart -- voice and precussion from No Neck Blues Band's Dave Nuss thumping, snapping and clapping on a bucket, glass, tin and straw underneath the hypnotic, stream of conciousness voicing from artist Rita Ackerman! This LP features one some
...
|
BMG (Italy), Mid 70s. New Copy
A key turning point in the career of Italian modernist Franco Battiato -- as he leaves behind the straighter progressive format of his first two albums, and moves into a mode that's much more experimental! The album features four long compositions -- all of which show Battiato developing strongly
...
|
Philips (France), 1967/2000. New Copy (reissue)
The groundbreaking electronic work of Pierre Henry remixed for a future funk audience! Henry's electronic compositions have been sampled to death in hip hop and drum n bass albums over the past decade -- and as proof of his influence, the set features new remixes of older bits by the likes of
...
|
Cramps (Japan), 1976. New Copy Gatefold
A classic 70s outing from The Gruppo Di Improvisazione -- historically important Italian avant collective, similar to AMM or MEV -- with a really groundbreaking approach to their sound! We say "sound" here instead of "music" -- because the album's filled with dark textures and
...
|
Phillips (France), 1967. New Copy Gatefold
Fantastic! This classic bit of funky electronic French stuff has been showing up in bits and pieces on various compilations over the past few years (most notably the cut "Psyche Rock", which has some sample history to it), but this is the full release of this amazing collaboration
...
|
|
