A mindblowing journey in sound – a dip into the archives of French composer Pierre Henry – the postwar master of electronics and musique concrete, and an artist who was still very active in the final years of his life! The material here was all either recorded or reworked in Henry's own studio during the last few years of his time on the planet – with some tracks that revisit important early compositions, but with a different sonic perspective – mixed with a few new pieces that really continue that wellspring of recording that Henry was doing from the mid 90s onward! There's a wonderful array of sonic elements throughout – plenty of electronics, compelling tape and analog sounds, and lots more that we're hard pressed to figure out – in the best tradition of Pierre's music. Titles include "Variance (remix de Variations)", "Rock Electronique/La Reine Verte", "Prologue/Messe Pour Le Temps Present", "Danse/Mouvement Rythme Etude", "Final/Utopia Hip Hop", "Tokyo 2002", "Machine Danse", and "Tunne De La Mort/Le Fil De La Vie". LP features bonus tracks "Metamorphose/Fragments Rituels", "Enchevetrements De Spirales/Tam Tam Du Merveilleux", and "Etincell Qui Relie Deux Nuits". LP, Vinyl record album

Music by kids, but with a much darker sound than you might imagine – as the work is very avant garde, and blends tape tricks, experimental instrumentation, and all sorts of unusual recording techniques – all with a sound that must have terrified the kids when they heard the results on playback! The music is maybe in the tradition of some of Carl Orff's work with children – but there's sometimes and eerie, pagan, almost Wicker Man quality going on – acoustic instruments mixed with the children's voices, spoken and sung – with different moods, different sounds, and different feelings expressed over the many years of the tracks in the package! Most numbers are relatively short, and the whole thing features 23 completely striking titles – music that's unlike anything else we've ever heard. (French, Out Sound) CD

Music by kids, but with a much darker sound than you might imagine – as the work is very avant garde, and blends tape tricks, experimental instrumentation, and all sorts of unusual recording techniques – all with a sound that must have terrified the kids when they heard the results on playback! The music is maybe in the tradition of some of Carl Orff's work with children – but there's sometimes and eerie, pagan, almost Wicker Man quality going on – acoustic instruments mixed with the children's voices, spoken and sung – with different moods, different sounds, and different feelings expressed over the many years of the tracks in the package! Most numbers are relatively short, and the whole thing features 23 completely striking titles – music that's unlike anything else we've ever heard. (French, Out Sound) LP, Vinyl record album

Roscoe Mitchell's working here with an expanded version of the Note Factory group – one that's a nonet lineup that features two bassists, two drummers, and two pianos – plus trumpet, guitars, and a variety of reeds from Roscoe. Additional string and woodwind players join the group at a few moments, and the range of tunes is really surprising – from straighter numbers that led Roscoe stretch out as a more traditional soloist, to freer tunes that hearken back to his roots. Titles include "Song For My Sister", "When The Whistle Blows", "Wind Change", "Count Off", "The Megaplexian", and "Step One Two Three". (Jazz, Out Sound) CD

The Japanese scene of the 70s had plenty of experiments that blended contemporary and traditional instrumentation – but this album-length jam from percussionist Stomu Yamashta may well be one of the most striking from the time! You'll no doubt know Stomu from some of his later records that got more global circulation – but this set was originally only issued in Japan, and mixes some of his progressive leaning with a very free jazz sensibility – served up by a quartet that also features Masahiko Satoh on organ, Takehisa Kosugi on electric violin, and Hideakira Sakurai on electric koto, shamisen, and more percussion! Stomu himself is unbound, and plays with a frenzy we've not heard before – and the mix of the other instrumentation, especially koto and shamisen, creates all these really unusual sounds and tones throughout. The album features one long track, recorded live at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo! (Rock, Out Sound) CD

The world of moogy music first exploded back in the late 60s – when artists like Bruce Haack, Perry-Kingsley, and others were making all these wonderfully weird records that featured heavy analogue electronics and other playful elements! By the 80s, most of that music had gone away – some migrating to the world of new age, others turning more mainstream – yet up in Eugene, Oregon, there was a small scene that continued the electronic experiments of years past – work that sounded very different than most of the darker cold wave and industrial sounds that were popping up at other points on the globe. This collection offers up a long-overdue look at that scene – and features work from a collective of artists who really continue some of the hippest traditions of the genre – from the early records that Bruce Haack made with Miss Nelson, to some of the weird Mort Garson productions, even to some of the more wigged-out French psych/electronics of the 70s. Some of these tracks have vocals, some are instrumental – and they're all nicely "switched on" – providing a great bridge between the world of Walter Carlos and the Stereolab generation to come. Titles include "Energy" by Kim Carter, "Other Playgrounds" by Peter Kardas, "The Seven Rays" by David Stout, "Finale From A Walk Down Serenity Lane" by Joel Horowitz, "Self Regulation 2" by Carl Juarez, "The Ride" by Talve, "New Snow" by Peter Nothnagle, and "Patterns" by Suse Millemann. (Sound Library, Out Sound) CD