Rare sounds from the UK underground of the mid 80s – work from a post-post-punk period that's come to be known as the cold wave – when electronic musicians who weren't sucked into the pop mainstream went deeper down and created some really wonderful sounds on their own! Most of the tracks here were only ever issued on cassette – which makes them even more lost to the sands of time than vinyl from the period – and the music has a rich blend of different analogue electronic modes that takes us from the moodier sounds of early Sheffield and Manchester to some of the warmer work of the Rough Trade or Cherry Red scenes. A few cuts here are appearing for the first time ever – and titles include "Don't Surrender" by WeR7, "Age Of Lights (inst)" by Modern Art, "Pigst Cafe" by Mystery Plane, "Space Is The Bass" by The Lord, "Beyond Reason Beyond Time" by Disintegrators, "Lives Of Angels" by Lives Of Angel, and "Tease" by Berserk In A Hayfield. CD

The depths of the early 80s underground never fail to amaze us – because while the late 70s punk rock years are constantly being reissued and compiled, the electronic scene of just of a few years later is still so largely undiscovered! Part of the situation is that much of the work came out as cheap 45s, or cassette-only releases – which didn't lend themselves to the same level of collecting – and other groups who started dark hit the bigtime and went onto great fame – like Human League or Cabaret Voltaire – but for every one of those, there were a hundred left behind in the shifting sands of time – only to be discovered by the tireless efforts of the current generation! Titles include "Universe" by The Lord, "X Cell" by Silicon Valley, "Oscillations" by The Disintegrators, "Red Suit" by Lives Of Angels, "Destination" by Echophase, and "Club Paris" by Berserk In A Hayfield. CD

The cold waves of color keep on coming – reminding us again and again that there's still so much more to discover from the early 80s underground! As with previous volumes, the focus here is on electronic work that's way different than mainstream pop of the period – often forged out of the same instrumentation as the hits, but in a much more stripped-down way – with lots of dark and moody corners that really keep things interesting! Much of this music got no circulation at the time, which is why this series is so crucial – and even if you know some of the more obscure Sheffield or Manchester material from the post-punk generation, you'll probably still find plenty to discover here. Titles include "Transit 6" by Silicon Valley, "Pavilion" by Lives Of Angels, "Production Line" by The Lord, "Silent Sky" by Echo Phase, "August Haze" by Berserk In A Hayfield, and "Isotope" by Void. CD

A heady brew of rare electronic tracks – and a package that's every bit as wonderful as the first Cold Waves volume! Like that set, this one really digs deep in the post-punk electronic underground – and features a lot of tracks that are appearing here on vinyl – either because they only saw original issue as cassette material, or because they were never issued at all – lost in the shifting sands of the time, in a generation that was dominated by bigger names like Cabaret Voltaire or New Order! These guys travel in similar, but much darker territory – and songs are often the best stark illustration of the cold wave style – on titles that include "Find Some Body" by Mystery Plane, "Pulse" by Berserk In A Hayfield, "Radio" by Void, "Elixir Vapor" by Disintegrators, "Transvision" by Void, "Undercurrents" by Body Electric, and "Out Of Space & Out Of Time" by The Lord. CD version includes the bonus "Fatal Crash Immersed The Start (Bass Mix)" by Modern Art. CD

The continuing genius of this really wonderful series – just about the only way you'll get to hear this wealth of work from the UK electro scene of the early 80s – most of which was only released on cassette at the time! These tracks follow strongly on the electronic sounds of scenes like Sheffield or Manchester – work that's much more underground than material by groups like New Order or Cabaret Voltaire – with maybe more of the darkness of the latter in their earliest days, and a continuing legacy to the starker, minimal modes – even when the songs have a bit of vocals. Perhaps a strong comparison might be the turn that Section 25 too with their classic From The Hip album on Factory – and titles include "Danse Electrique" by Beatmixer, "Going Out" by Silicon Valley, "Start Of Something" by Berserk In A Hayfield, "World Perfect (edit)" by WeR7, "I'll Get You For This" by Mystery Plane, and "Train" by Echophase". CD

A beautiful bit of electro pop from Modern Art – a group who was a much more obscure part of the UK post-punk scene than some of the artists recording for labels like Cherry Red or Factory Records! Yet there's also a sound here that really evokes some of the hipper strands of the latter – maybe the sound of early New Order, but without as much darkness, or the excellent From The Hip album by Section 25! Like that record, the approach here is spare and focused on electric percussion and instrumentation – used very tunefully, and on tunes that are surprisingly catchy, even though quite far from any commercial territory. The simplicity gives the record a surprisingly optimistic feel – and since the original run was only issued on cassette, the whole thing missed getting the attention it deserved the first time around. Titles include "Dreaming Again", "Discover", "Sad Delusion", "Oriental Towers", "Sand In Your Eyes", and "Stars" – with three bonus tracks too! CD

A rare British set, originally issued only on cassette – which means that most copies of the album were lost to the hinterland of oxide decay! The set's got a sound that's way more immortal than its original format deserved – very much in the best mode of early Factory Records – spare, stark, and moody sounds from sometime-Coil and Current 93 collaborator Gary Ramon! The tunes are surprisingly catchy, even when dark – and the music is a masterpiece of understatement – those great sounds before the industrial underground of the 80s got a bit too full of itself. Titles include "TV Screen", "Hello/Goodbye", "46 Botanical Species", "Protect & Serve", and "Tropic Of Cancer". CD

A great relic from the cold wave scene of the early 80s – material that was originally issued on a small-run cassette, mostly as a demo for the group – but more than strong enough to finally be released as a full-length album! Mystery Plane work here in a spare, electric style that has that special warmth we love in a rare few UK acts from the same time – maybe some of the charm of Young Marble Giants, mixed with a few more tuneful tracks that almost seem to be going for the dark club territory of the early Sheffield scene. A few more tweaks, and these guys might have been huge – but we like them best this way, and love the honest approach of their music! Titles include "Telephone", "This Is Your Life", "Something To Prove", "Silence After Midnight", "Still Life", "Crying Again", and "Death Sentence". CD features bonus tracks "Heart Of Darkness" and "Graveyard In The Sky". CD

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. CD

Not much of a cover photo, but one of the most amazing collections so far from the Numero Group – a richly archival project that finally brings to light the lost efforts of the short lived Tap Records label! Tap was the brainchild of Jeremiah Yisrael – an ambitious producer, and legendary perfectionist – so much so that he often put more effort into these indie productions than you'd find at bigger label projects of the time! Most material here dates from the years 1981 and 1982, and the music is a mix of club, modern soul, boogie, and a bit of hip hop – nearly all of which hardly got any exposure at the time. The booklet not only tells the tale of the label and Yisrael's career, but also Numero's efforts in resurrecting these lost tapes from a very moldy near-death experience – a narrative that's almost as exciting as the music in the package. And the package is pretty great too – not only because of the 24 page, full color booklet – but also because of the supplemental book that reproduces lost sheet music and studio notes from the Tap sessions. Amazing stuff throughout – well worthy of another deep bow for the Numero team – with a total of 14 tracks that include "Breakout" and "We've Had Enough" by Arnie Love & The Lovettes, "Invisible Wind" and "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "Missy Missy Dee" by Missy Dee & The Melody Crew, "So Nice" by Annette Denvil, "Rub A Dub Dub" by The Fabulous 3 MCs, "Don't Stop Dancin" and "Run Away Hide From Love" by Jackie Stoudemire, and "Breakout" by Magnetism. Also features two tracks from 1971 – "Does He Really Mean It" and "Love Which Way" by Bonnie Freeman. CD

Key moments in the career of Charles Mingus – all recorded during the crucial years of 1964 and 1965, and featuring the first-time release of a fair bit of live material too! The set represents the first full presentation of recordings that have appeared piecemeal on a handful of obscure releases – self-released records from Mingus himself – Town Hall, My Favorite Quintet, and Music Written For Monterey – all really expanded here with the full recordings of the tracks, and unreleased titles provided from the original tapes! Mingus was really on fire during these years – severed from most of his bigger label associations, and freely working on some of his most inventive ideas with various smaller groups of players – all fresh young talents who were key interpreters of Charles' ideas – including Johnny Coles and Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charles McPherson on alto sax, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Jaki Byard on piano, Eric Dolphy on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The stalwart Dannie Richmond is on drums, and the sides represent some of Dolphy's last, and most important recordings on the planet – recordings done at Town Hall and in Amsterdam in April of 1964 – in addition to live material at Monterey in 1964 and 1965, in Minneapolis in May of 1965. Tracks are all quite long – some pushing the half-hour timing – and as with the best live Mingus, there's variations here that go way past any studio readings – really incredible solo flights that are still beautifully integrated with the ideas of the main group. Titles include "So Long Eric", "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk", "Mingus Piano Solo", "Bird Preamble", "Themeless Blues", "Copa City Titty", "A Lonely Day In Selma", "Cocktails For Two", "Praying With Eric", "Parkeriana", "ATFW", "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters", and "Meditations On Integration". 7CDs, limited edition, and with a great book of notes too! CD

A classical-oriented soundtrack from Arthur B Rubinstein – penned for an early 80s film that stars Richard Dreyfus and John Cassavetes! The music draws heavily on the baroque tradition – with lots of strings and woodwinds that come across with very colorful flourishes – but there's also some modern elements as well, a bit more space and tension that best underscore the bittersweet story of the film. Many tracks are relatively short – remixed here by Film Score from the original tapes, and put together with a beautiful booklet of notes and images from the movie. Titles include "Art Thief", "Find A Judge", "Intensive Care", "The Diagnosis", "The Parting", "Montage", "Candid Camera", and "Nice Breasts". CD

Swirling strings galore – but served up with just the right mix of sex and drama to fit the spirit of this second Airport film! The music is a lot more complex than the first time around – and sometimes has these spare dramatic moments that echo European thrillers of the period, mixed with some even hipper numbers that show some cool colors coming together in this brilliant tapestry that works very well apart from the screen. A few numbers echo earlier bossa modes – including a take on "How Insensitive" and "A Man & A Woman" – and other tunes include the great "Airport 1975 Theme", plus "Montage", "Alexander's Death", "In Flight Collision", and "Interludium". CD

A classic jazz interpretation of the score to West Side Story – served up in ultra-hip fashion by the Stan Kenton Orchestra! Although the tunes are familiar, the readings are extremely creative – and use Leonard Bernstein's original music as the starting point for a rich tapestry of tones, colors, and sounds that really open things up! Arrangements are by Johnny Richards, and very swinging throughout – and soloists include Gabe Balthazar on alto, Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Sam Donahue on tenor – plus some great standout piano from Stan himself. Titles include "Something's Coming", "Officer Krupke", "Tonight", "Cool", "I Feel Pretty", and "Taunting Scene". CD

A classic jazz interpretation of the score to West Side Story – served up in ultra-hip fashion by the Stan Kenton Orchestra! Although the tunes are familiar, the readings are extremely creative – and use Leonard Bernstein's original music as the starting point for a rich tapestry of tones, colors, and sounds that really open things up! Arrangements are by Johnny Richards, and very swinging throughout – and soloists include Gabe Balthazar on alto, Conte Candoli on trumpet, and Sam Donahue on tenor – plus some great standout piano from Stan himself. Titles include "Something's Coming", "Officer Krupke", "Tonight", "Cool", "I Feel Pretty", and "Taunting Scene". CD

Wynton Marsalis is working in lean quartet formation here – no sax from brother Branford, whose own star was rising – and instead lots more room to really stretch out on his own languid lines on trumpet! The rest of the quartet features Marcus Roberts on piano, Robert Hurst on bass, and Jeff Watts on drums – all of whom work in subtle ways to match Marsalis' shadings in sound – a rich tapestry of colors and tones that lies somewhere in a space between early Miles and modern Freddie Hubbard. Titles include "J Mood", "Insane Asylum", "After", "Much Later", "Skain's Domain", and "Melodique". CD

The music of Carlos Nino has just gotten more and more spiritual as the years go on – and that's really saying a lot, given how spiritual he was right at the start! But with recent records, Nino has transformed from a jazz-inspired musician to maybe more of a sonic astronaut – able to take organic moments of expression and weave them into a rich tapestry of tone, color, and life – almost as if he's reworking the plane of existence, and trying to find the door to greater enlightenment in the process! That approach definitely comes through here, as Nino opens up in the company of contributors who include Jamael Dean on piano and keyboards, Devin Daniels on alto, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, Jesse Peterson on guitar, Sam Gendel on alto, and Jamire Wiliams on drums – as well all players whose work appears in different ways on a variety of tracks – all helmed by the sonic exploration of Carlos, with a bit of help from veteran travelers Iasos and Laraaji. Titles include "Explorations 7", "Actually", "For The Shapalaceer", "Luis' Special Shells", "Jamirelandflight", "Waterwavesarrival", "In The Moment", "Youwillgetthroughthis I Promise", "Dreamsishappening", and "Recurrent Reiki Dreams". CD

The great altoist Sonny Criss is one of our favorite-ever reed players, and this beautiful session from his late 60's "comeback" period is a loving portrait of the wide range of his deep deep talents! On the surface, the record is deceptively simple, and only features Criss' work on alto sax, alongside with a piano trio led by Walter Davis. On hearing, though, the album is a rich tapestry of many soulful colors, all wrought by Sonny in a tone that had travelled the world – and which had been beaten down by years of struggle. All tracks are great, and titles include "On A Clear Day", "Blues In The Closet", "Wee", and "A Million Or More Times". CD

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s – and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time – almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside – and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity". CD