Weird and wonderful work from the great Martin Denny – and a record that adds in some great extra elements to his core exotica groove! The depth of the album is apparent on the very first tune – "Tsetse Fly", which features a buzzing variation on the sound of the insect in the title – then shows up even more strongly through the heavier rhythms and added vocals that appear on many of the album's other tracks. There's a style here that's almost Afro-Cuban at times – but which still glides across nicely with that heavenly Denny approach to melody and rhythm! Titles include "Tsetse Fly", "Ma'Chumba", "Simba", "Raftero", "Swamp Fire", and "Cubano Chant". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest albums ever from exotica maestro Martin Denny – and one of the coolest as well! The strength of the album is already broadcast by the title – as Denny plays plenty of moog in the record, mixed with his own usual flair for exotic rhythms – expanded slightly by arrangements from Clark Gassman, who really knows how to keep up the pace in a great way. The keyboards have lots of wild sounds, with chirps and flutters that would make Perry & Kingsley proud – and the backing's a bit funkier than usual, with some nice electric basslines to keep the groove coming. Includes a great version of Baden Powell's "Canto De Ossanha", a remake of "Quiet Village", a moody take on "Midnight Cowboy", and a jazzy moogy version of "Cast Your Fate To The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later moment from Martin Denny – a set that gave him a big 60s hit in a sweet version of "Taste of Honey"! Denny approaches the tune with all the great mellow moods that Bobby Scott intended – none of the too-fast styles of Hirt, and instead the slow-moving rhythms that work perfectly for the blue undercurrents on the piano. Other tunes follow in a similarly nice blend – still a bit exotic, but almost showing more of a vibes/piano/percussion mix that seems to be borrowed from George Shearing or Cal Tjader – one that we approve of highly! Titles include "Route 66", "Exodus", "I'm In A Dancing Mood", "Black Orchid", "Take Five", and "Taste Of Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet follow up to Martin Denny's Taste Of Honey album – one that's got a great blend of piano, vibes, and percussion – all used in a way that's almost more jazz-like than some of Denny's earlier work! The formula works great to transform a host of 50s and 60s tunes – and titles include "Volare", "Cool", "Bijou", "Harlem Nocturne", "Satin Doll", "Anniversary Song", "Like Young", "Blue Carousel", and "Theme From The Manchurian Candidate". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of Martin Denny's greatest albums – thanks to some extra special added elements! For the record, Denny's classic quartet is augmented by a wealth of odd added percussion – including gongs, cymbals, tuned logs, steel drums, chimes, and "chromatic bamboo"! All of these elements take Denny's exotica sound way further than ever before – and if that's not enough, the legendary Tak Shindo plays a bit of Koto on the record too! Titles include "M'Bira", "Burma Train", "Kalua", "M'Gambo Mambo", and "Mau Mau". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed classic in the exotica genre – and the record that yielded Martin Denny his biggest hit! The title track "Quiet Village" was originally written by Les Baxter, but it was Martin Denny's approach that really managed to send the tune over the top – using spare percussion, rhythmic piano, and just the right amount of vibes and bird calls to give the track a really haunting feel. That approach is echoed throughout the set – with shifting instrumentation that includes celeste, bongos, marimbas, and marimbula as well! Titles include "Quiet Village", "Paradise Found", "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

This is a live recording from Duke Kahanamoku's in Honolulu. Songs include "Rain", "Hilo March", "Hawaiian Wedding Song", "Volga Boatmen", "Black Orchid", "Pretty Maui Girl", "Cock-Eyed Mayor Of Kaunakakai", "Lei Aloha Lei Makamae", "On The Beach At Waikiki", and "Ol' Man River". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. CD

An overstuffed collection of work from the great Arthur Lyman – initially known as one of the hip percussionists in the Martin Denny group, then a huge exotica star on his own – thanks to wonderful work on vibes and a whole host of other instruments! As with Denny, Lyman's music was always tied strongly to themes of the Pacific – part of the wave of interest in the new statehood of Hawaii as many Americans made the trip for vacations – but also a key moment in a musical legacy that's really stood the test of time over the years – as tropical elements are brought into play with styles borrowed from jazz, Latin, and easy – all to forge a new sort of groove. The 2CD set features 48 gems from Lyman's best years – all hand-picked by Lux & Ivy – and titles include "Trigger Fantasy", "Leis Of Jazz", "Sim Sim", "Sea Breeze", "Kalua", "Bahia", "Jungle Jalopy", "Busy People", "Happy Voodoo", "Otome San", "Blue Sands", "Bwana A", "Quiet Village", "Lullaby Of Birdland", and "Dahil Sayo". CD

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 other rootsy instrumentation – all with echoes of Eastern styles, but served in a way that definitely has more of a touch of American exotica! All numbers are played by small groups – or even solo by Moondog – and any vocalizations take on almost an instrumental feel – sliding in alongside sound effects, animal noises, and other obscure utterings. The album's almost the art world equivalent of Martin Denny – but has a lot more depth than easy kitsch – and is still tremendously powerful stuff all these years later! Titles include "Caribea", "Big Cat", "Frog Bog", "To A Sea Horse", "Surf Session" and "Trees Against The Sky". CD

A really wonderful album from the height of the exotica years – but a set that's got a fair bit more jazz in the mix than most from that generation too! Gene Rains plays vibes – and moves between moodier moments, ala Martin Denny/Arthur Lyman, and more straightforward jazz styles – which often have some great modal elements in the mix! The Rains group played hotels in Hawaii during the late 50s and early 60s – but are maybe more like a Pacific take on territory of the Quartette Tres Bien, thanks to strong work from Allen Watanabe on drums, Archie Grant on bass, and Byron Peterson on piano. Titles include "Mapuana", "Bancock Cock Fight", "Tiki", "Off Shore", "Shadow Of Love", "Jasmine & Jade", and "Lonely Winter". CD

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff – way more than just an easy instrumental album, and a great batch of exotic tunes with lots of jazzy touches! There's enough of the Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman influence here – but Rex and group take the sound a lot further, by playing like a true small combo, and swinging the tunes with a heck of a lot more jazz than you'd expect. Grooves are nice, and get quite Latiny at times – and the feel of the record almost reminds us of some of Bobby Montez work for Pacific Jazz in the late 50s. Titles include "Ginza Girl", "Sushi", "Patricia", "Wild Orchids", "Bird Train", "Bushi Bushi", and "Will He Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool CD reissue of what was originally a 10" LP of cool tricky turntable performances by the great Christian Marclay. One of his best releases, and one in which he realizes his manipulation of old albums in sort of its purest form. The 12 tracks on here feature him cutting up and playing with records by the likes of Serge Gainsbourg, Ferrante & Teicher, Fred Frith, Martin Denny, and Louis Armstrong. The sound is excellent, and he gets these amazing passages out of the old LPs by cutting them up, spinning them wrong, and slamming them together. Must be heard to be believed, but it's as good as it sounds! CD

A beautiful book that looks at the rise of the cheesecake album cover in the 50s – partly in the world of easy listening and mood music, but also in some other surprising genres too! The book is put together by the Japanese Rittor company, who've given us other great "disc guides" over the years – and like those, it features a fair bit of text in Japanese, but page after page of classic album covers in full color – each with artist, title, release date, and other information in English! The book looks at records by singers, instrumentalists, jazz musicians, and other artists – and also features sections on exotica, picture discs, Martin Denny, and Julie London too. Softcover, 206 pages, and full color throughout – with loads of fantastic images! Book

A stunning package of work from the early days of Sun Ra & The Arkestra – three really wonderful tracks that are well-deserving of issue on a 45! "Angels & Demons At Play" is perhaps one of the greatest illustrations of the way that Ra took all of the exotic currents in postwar music and pushed them into his own cosmic directions – using a wonderful modal rhythm, mixed with some of the percussion effects you might have heard from Martin Denny or Les Baxter – then topping things with a wonderful flute solo that really sends things home! "Between Two Worlds" builds things up in a similar modal rhythm, but more choppy – with stark energy on the percussion that's echoed by the beautiful reed work of the tune! "Spontaneous Simplicity" is a bit looser and more spiritual – a real precursor to some of the directions that other jazz artists would pick up in years to come! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Although their name might make you think of these guys as a guitar instrumental combo, they're actually a great little exotic group – one who plays in a mode that's a heck of a lot like Martin Denny at his best! There's a highly percussive approach to the tracks that's very much in the best spirit of the smaller exotica groups of the time – one that uses vibes and lots of percussion instruments to really get the sound right. But at another level, the Surfmen actually even go things one better – by sparely using organ and electric guitar to add some even more interesting touches to the tunes – not much at all, but just enough to give the group their own sound, and to make this record one that really stands out from the pack. And once you find out that the Surfmen actually includes work by Paul Horn, Emil Richards, Alvino Rey, and Milt Holland – it's easy to see why the sound of the record is so great! Titles include "Bali Hai", "Jungle Romance", "Forbidden Island", "Tahiti Sunrise", "Moonlight In Paradise", and "Moon Of Manakoora". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to imagine Throbbing Gristle having a "hits" album – given that the group were hardly the stuff of mainstream charts or radio play – but in contrast to some of their more obtuse albums of the late 70s, the record does have something of more focused feel as well! The set brings together material from some of TGs 7" singles, with a few more straightforward album tracks too – quite a change from the darker, more rambling live recordings from some of the "annual report" sets – and a way to hone in on some of the more focused genius moments of the group! The cover's a great homage to Martin Denny – to whom the album is dedicated (proof again that TG were years ahead of their time – even in recognizing the past before others) – and titles include "Blood On The Floor", "What A Day", "Tiab Guls", "Hamburger Lady", "Hot On The Heels Of Love", "Subhuman", "AB/7A", and "Adrenalin". CD

Includes music by Ernie Freeman, Sir Julian, Walter Wanderley, John Buzon, Martin Denny, Shay Torrent, Billy May, and Jackie Davis. CD

A beautiful little vocal set – and not nearly as gimmicky as you'd expect! The album's "presented" by Martin Denny, but overall it's a pretty straight jazz set – featuring vocals by Japanese/Hawaiian Ethel, sung in a cool and moody style that's got lots of 50s west coast touches. The arrangements in the set are by Paul Conrad, of who we know little – in a mellow jazz-based style that has a lot more of a torchy feel than you'd expect from the exotic title and cover, which mostly seem to be playing up on Ethel's ethnic origins! Titles include "Green Fire", "Lazy Afternoon", "Shady Lady Bird", "Ringo Oiwake", and "Nightingale". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". CD

A fantastic take on the music of Sun Ra – a set that looks at the way his sounds dovetailed with the exotica movement in American music of the postwar years! Given that he claimed to be from outer space, Ra was already pretty darn exotic himself – but his music also arose at a time when artists like Martin Denny and Les Baxter were taking global sounds and fusing them into more mainstream American music, including jazz – with results that have become legendary over the years! And while Denny, Baxter, and other contemporaries were more involved with mood music, Ra was part of a generation of jazz musicians – such as Yusef Lateef or Wilbur Harden – who were working a richer vein of the territory for jazz – as you'll hear in these wonderful tracks. The set brings together key sides from the earliest Ra recordings, plus some unissued material too – done in the really great style of the other Modern Harmonic reissues in recent years. Unissued titles include "April In Paris", "Paradise", "Star Bright", "Spontaneous Simplicity", "Somewhere In Space", and "Cha Cha In Outer Space" – and other titles include "Overtones Of China", "Tiny Pyramids", "The Nile (part 1)", "Kingdom Of Thunder", "Ancient Aiethopia", "India", "Friendly Galaxy", and "Africa" – plus the complete version of "Island In The Sun". CD

Hard to imagine Throbbing Gristle having a "hits" album – given that the group were hardly the stuff of mainstream charts or radio play – but in contrast to some of their more obtuse albums of the late 70s, the record does have something of more focused feel as well! The set brings together material from some of TGs 7" singles, with a few more straightforward album tracks too – quite a change from the darker, more rambling live recordings from some of the "annual report" sets – and a way to hone in on some of the more focused genius moments of the group! The cover's a great homage to Martin Denny – to whom the album is dedicated (proof again that TG were years ahead of their time – even in recognizing the past before others) – and titles include "Blood On The Floor", "What A Day", "Tiab Guls", "Hamburger Lady", "Hot On The Heels Of Love", "Subhuman", "AB/7A", and "Adrenalin". Features a bonus CD, too – with "Zyklon B Zombie", "Dead On Arrival", "Discipline (Berlin)", "We Hate You Little Girls", "Distant Dreams (part 2)", and "Five Knuckle Shuffle". CD

A strange mix of Latin rhythms and exotica modes – served up here on a set of recordings from early 60s France that we might not have heard otherwise! Grooves are often in the cha cha mode promised in the title, but other instrumentation is definitely "au harem" – exotic woodwind passages, Mid East percussion, vocal bits, and more – almost as if the modes of Les Baxter and Martin Denny had been moved to the ancient world of Asia Minor! The approach is great – often very much in the late 50s styles used by Capitol and Liberty Records in the US – and titles include "Ismaila" by Benny Benett, "Inch Allah" by Fred Adison, "Danse Du Sud" by Zina Nahid, "Mahomet De Tunis" by Ali Baba Et Son Ensemble, "Oriental Express" by Roger Morris, "El Mechoi" by Los Cangaceiros, "Danse L'Amour" by Staiffi Et Ses Mustafas, and "On M'Appelle L'Oriental" by Trio Joroca. LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the sound of Hollywood – one that comes from a host of classic instrumental albums of the 50s and 60s – most of which feature new versions of famous soundtrack themes! Many of the cuts here are decidedly leaner, and almost hipper, than the originals – and the compositions run from the best crime/thriller years of the 50s – up to the coolest late 60s styles, including some of the more European-influenced ones. 18 tracks in all – including "Your Zowie Face" by Nelson Riddle, "Moon River" by Henry Jerome, "Barbarella" by Ferrante & Teicher, "Beat Girl" by John Barry, "Theme From The Apartment" by Tito Rodriguez, "Cool" by Martin Denny, "You Gotta Taste All The Fruit" by Leroy Holmes, "A Man & A Woman/Live For Life" by Billy May, "Experiment In Terrory" by Al Caiola, and "Watch What Happens" by Denny McLain. CD

A very cool little set – maybe not the deepest dive into the decade of the 70s, in that the package isn't full of unissued tracks or super-rare singles – but it does represent a great look at the decade that goes way past the hits, and much farther than the charts – including the sort of material that was slightly ignored at the time, but has gone on to be really appreciated in more recent years! The book-style set is filled with great choices and unusual tunes – work from both the US and UK scenes, some of it by bigger names represented here by more unusual cuts – some by others who barely cracked the mainstream, but did some great work at the time. There's one full CD of female artists, and a pretty unusual mix of titles – 71 titles in all, by artists who include Murray Head, The Records, Ronnie Lane, Terry Reid, Sandy Denny, Wendy Waldman, Freddie King, Montrose, Tim Buckley, Don Nix, Jerry Williams, Big Star, Tony Joe White, Delaney & Bonnie, John Prine, Michael Franks, Bobby Charles, Andy Pratt, Hirth Martinez, Robert Palmer, Jess Roden, Roy Harper, Patto, Sharks, The Roches, Linda Lewis Valerie Carter, and many others! CD