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Features Tetsu Inoue and The Orb. CD

One of the rarest free jazz albums of the European 60s scene – a set that was originally intended for release by Sonet Records, pressed up in test records for the musicians, then denied release because they felt that they'd already moved past the performance! Yet in the space of over 50 years, the music still sounds remarkably fresh – an early, striking, and stunning example of the way that the European avant jazz scene was not only overtaking the American one, but also providing the kind of energy that would be a key inspiration for artists like Albert Ayler or Cecil Taylor! Pianist Tom Prehn offers up a lot of the latter here – boundless piano lines that leap forward into space with a frenzied, yet tuneful approach – followed by tremendous tenor from Frits Krogh, a player we don't know at all – but who blows powerfully and soulfully, at a level that maybe even prefaces some of John Coltrane's more outside material to come. The rest of the group features Poul Ehlers on bass and Finn Slumstrup on drums – and the album features the full "Axiom (parts 1 & 2)" performance from the Sonet album – plus a more contemplative number titled "Percussive Anticipations", recorded by the same group in 1966, and appearing here for the first time ever! CD

A classic performance from the Axiom years of bassist Bill Laswell – done at a time when he was not only boldly stating his own musical vision, but also opening the door in these really collaborative ways! Here, the core group features Laswell on bass and electronics, and Tony Williams on drums – working at a level that still has some of the moodier Laswell production elements of the decade, but maybe more live energy too – a quality that's echoed by the great guest work from Pharoah Sanders on tenor, Graham Haynes on cornet, Byard Lancaster on alto and bass clarinet, and both Nicky Skopelitis and Buckethead on guitars. Titles include "Black Money", "Illuminator", "Wheeless On A Dark River", "The Earth Below", "Into The Circle", and "Returning". CD

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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". CD

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Features Bachir Attar. Produced by Bill Laswell. CD

Mostly instrumental tracks from hip hop djs and producers including Rob Swift, Prince Paul, DXT, Invisible Scratch Pickles, Q-Bert, DJ Krush, New Kingdom, all overseen by Bill Laswell. Much better than your average Axiom stuff. Cover art by Rammellzee. 14 tracks in all, including "Reanimation" by Rob Swift, "ShinKi Row" by DJ Krush, "If 9 Was 6" by Prince Paul, "Invasion Of The Octopus People" by the Invisible Scratch Pickles and "Embryo" by DXT (formerly know as D. St). CD

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With 11 tracks and notes by Paul Bowles. CD

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". CD