The cover's got a really heavy sort of image – of the type that you might have seen on some of the classic Axiom label releases from bassist Bill Laswell many years back – but the approach here is a bit different, and nicely touched by the spirit of the other members of the group! Drummer Ulf Ivarsson co-led the set with Laswell, and plays both acoustic and electric variations of his instrument – in a quintet that also has organ from Per Wiberg, drums from Hux Nettermalm, and baritone, alto, and bass clarinet from Thomas Backman – all players who work in the kind of rumbling territory you'd expect from Laswell – but with some moments that are a bit more open and organic too. Tracks are all quite long – and titles include "Kishar", "Anzang", "Agrun", and "Im Nun". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's even more searing and sonically intense than the debut of this genre-hopping group – served up in this bracing blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that almost takes us back to the 90s experiments on Axiom Records from the Bill Laswell generation! there's plenty of guitar and bass here – the former from Javi Perez, the latter from Jamie Benzies – driven strongly by the fierce drum work of Tim Toyle, and topped with trumpet from Axel Kaner Lidstrom, tenor from James Mollison, keyboards and electronics from Tile Gichigi Lipere, and a mix of tenor, bass, clarinet, and flute from Rob Milne – all coming together with a very dark, textured, almost layered sort of sound – even though the performance here seems to be mostly live. Titles include "3301", "Fallacy", "The Cracks In The Bricks", "Ashen Faun", "Last Throes Of The Temporal Monolith", and "Crystalline Peaks". LP, Vinyl record album

The future is now! Or at least it seemed to be back in 1983 when Herbie teamed up with Bill Laswell to record this classic album of computer-driven keyboard grooves! Whatever you might think of the music, the record was a genius move for Herbie – who was kind of flopping around in a number of different styles on previous albums, most of which we like, but none of which seemed to earn him the same cred as his albums in the 70s. Well this one not only earned him plenty of cred, but also a lot of cash, and continued assurance to Columbia that their contract with Herbie was well-placed – and it certainly cast Bill Laswell into the spotlight as well, given that his efforts really provided the core of the album. Tracks include "Rockit", "Earth Beat", "Future Shock", "Autodrive", and "Rough". LP, Vinyl record album

Herbie's still in electro-grooving mode here – not groundbreaking as earlier records, but still handled by Bill Laswell, and with a tackhead groove pretty firmly in place. The tracks are a bit more complicated than before, with vocals by Sugarfoot, and bass by Bootsy Collins. Titles include "Vibe Alive", "Perfect Machine", "Chemical Residue", "Beat Wise", and "Maiden Voyage/P Bop". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Gisle Roen Johansen's been working on the Norwegian scene since the mid 90s, but this is his first set as a leader – a really well-crafted, large-format record that shows that he was clearly brewing up plenty of new ideas before stepping into the studio at the head of his own group! Johansen plays saxes, keyboards, and composed the long pieces on the set – with a core group that mixes guitar with both electric and acoustic basses, in a way that creates plenty of tonal activity alongside the reed lines – balanced out with voice work on two of the album's tracks, but in a wordless way that works nicely with the instrumentation! Two of the three cuts also have some pedal steel, furthering the sonic texture from the guitar – at a level that maybe nods a bit to some of the older Bill Laswell projects – and titles include "Morrasol", "Jon", and "Kveldsragg". LP, Vinyl record album

Noisy Sonny from the 80s – very much in a "jazz meets black rock" mode – and featuring a group that includes Melvin Gibbs on bass, plus double drums from Abe Speller and Pheeroan Aklaff! Bill Laswell produced, and plays a bit of guest 6 string bass on the set – and titles include "My Song", "Dick Dogs", "Fourteen", "Past Adventures Of Zydeco Honeycup", and "JD Schaa". LP, Vinyl record album

Ulmer on Blue Note – who'd a thunk it? And oddly, although the album's on one of the most jazz-based labels at the time, it's also one of Ulmer's most rock-oriented – with strong lead vocals on nearly every track, and an overall style that's as bluesy as it is experimentally jazzy. Ulmer's clearly emerged as a star in his own right (or own mind) by the time of the album – and there's less of the shared group dynamic of the harmelodic years, and more of a style that's set up to support his lead presence. Players include Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and Nicky Skopelitis – and titles include "I Belong In The USA", "Lady Blue", "After Dark", "Black Sheep", and "Show Me Your Love America". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most compelling Bill Laswell productions of the 90s – partly because the work of Maleem Mahmoud Ghania is so great – and also because tenor genius Pharoah Sanders turns in some great work on the set! The core sound comes from Ghania's roots in gnawa – vocals and guimbri from the leader, mixed with rising voices and percussion from a larger ensemble – the topped with the sorts of searing solos that only Pharoah can deliver – usually at a level that's a lot more outside than most of his other recordings of the period! Unlike some other Laswell records, Bill doesn't seem to be involved at all in the music – and instead really just steps back and lets Sanders and Ghania really work magic together with the rest of the ensemble – on titles that include "Bala Moussaka", "Peace In Essaouria", "Salat Anbi", "Mahraba", "Casa Casa Atougra", "Boulandi Samawi", and "Hamdouchi". (Global Grooves, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of 80s work from drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson – issued on Ornette Coleman's label! The group here is a lineup of the Decoding Society that features twin guitars from Cary Denigris and Masujaa Hugh Riley, plus soprano and tenor from a young Zane Massey, bass from John Moody, and soprano, alto, and flute from Eric Person – all produced by Bill Laswell too! LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded during that tremendous late 80s/early 90s point when guitarist Sonny Sharrock was really hitting on all creative burners – and one that also features the legendary Pharoah Sanders on tenor, who gives the record a slightly different vibe than some of Sharrock's other records from the time! Make no mistake, Sonny is very strongly in the lead – and he also produced the record with Bill Laswell, whose efforts are definitely felt here – but there's also more of a jazz core to the whole thing, with long tracks that have a very live, spontaneous vibe – as Sharrock fuzzes out his guitar, but is matched with soulful energy from Sanders on tenor – and given some great pulsating rhythms from Charnett Moffett on acoustic bass and Elvin Jones on drums. These three players really offset some of Sonny's more self-indulgent tendencies – and titles include "Little Rock", "Promises Kept", "Who Does She Hope To Be", "As We Used To Sing", and "Many Mansions". LP, Vinyl record album