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A mid 70s killer from Can – sometimes overlooked next to the early classics, but a record that's filled with equally great charms! Things are still pretty noisy here, and plenty proggy too – thanks to driving drums from Jaki Liebezeit and hypnotic basslines from Holger Czukay and there's a surprising amount of noise in the guitars of Michael Karoli, produced here with a bit more clarity than smaller label records from the German scene – but still never any crisp or commercial qualities either. Irmin Schmidt's keyboards and electronic touches are as wonderful as always – and Czukay's production really helps keep the whole thing on edge throughout! Titles include the long "Unfinished" jam – plus "Full Moon On The Highway", "Half Past One", "Vernal Equinox", and "Hunters & Collectors". CD

Weird and wonderful work from Can – still standing out way ahead of the pack, even in the late 70s! The album's a great bridge between generations – and an inspiration for some, as well – not as heavy as the early years, but still filled with fuzz and spacey sounds, refined with more focus here – and almost set out as a precursor to the huge German new wave to come – especially the electronics of the AtaTak scene. Titles include the 15 minute "Animal Waves" – plus "Fly By Night", "Call Me", and "Don't Say No". CD

Early and amazing sounds from electronic genius Chris Carter – material recorded in his home studio during the mid 70s – with a style that clearly lays the blueprint for his collaborations to Throbbing Gristle! Yet without any vocals or other noise, you can really hear the Carter component of the music in a wonderful way – different even than his later collaborations with Cosi Fanni Tutti, even when spare – as the whole vibe here is maybe a more condensed version of Krautrock electronics, taken into the space of songs that are just a few minutes long – but which also have a lot more darkness than other electronic work of the time. That sense of darkness is key – as these tracks are subtle, but very different than spacier or more calming music of the type – proof that Carter was really an emotional pioneer when it came to this side of the spectrum. Titles include "Warm Hair", "Nodes", "Head Less", "Jet Age", "Hexfoil", "Black Powder", "Ghost Trains", and "See Sick". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal solo sounds from Chris Carter – best known for his work with Cosey Fanni Tutti, and as a core member of Throbbing Gristle – out here in slightly different territory on his own! Chris follows the spare electronics of his work with Cosey – and some of the tracks definitely have the "beat" promised in the title – but at a level that's nicely subtle, and never sacrifices the overall sonic complexity for the sake of a groove! The record's a very early variant of modes that would later be handled less-skillfully by the end of the decade by so many others – and sounds much better here in the hands of one of the originators – on titles that include "Mondo B", "Moonlight", "Real Life", "Noevil", "Nobadhairdo", and "Beyond Temptation". And be warned – the cover says "this record contains subliminals"! LP, Vinyl record album

CD & DVD audio with a few videos. CD

Early Depeche Mode! A Broken Frame is the group's second album, and its finds the group getting their footing exceptionally well after losing Vince Clarke. To our ears, Depeche Mode (or perhaps you can give pretty big share of the acclaim to Martin Gore, as he's credited with all the songwriting) were taking some creative chances on this one, as it was before they had a fairly defined, ultra-dramatic tone to follow. A bit underappreciated in their canon, and well worth reevaluating. Titles include "Leave In Silence", "My Secret Garden", "Monument", "See You", "The Meaning Of Love", "The Sun & The Rainfall" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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6CD singles, all packaged together – includes "Shake The Disease", "Flexible", "Fly On the Windscreen", "It's Called A Heart", "Black Day", "Question Of Lust", "Stripped", and lots more – with bonus live cuts and other mixes too! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

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... LP, Vinyl record album

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Tracks include "Opus Dei", "Trans-National", "How The West Was Won", "The Great Seal", "Leben Heirt Leben", "Geburt Einernation", "Leben-tod", and "FIAT" LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal punk-funk classic from the end of the 70s – one that's as brilliantly abrasive and brashly fresh today as it was when it was released! The group are working here in equal parts dub, funk, and lots of scratchy guitars and heady bass – with a style that would later be picked up more strongly by On-U in the 80s, but which is executed here with a much clearer vision that's free of any of the cliches that would later overcome the genre. Even the politics are surprisingly pointed – and Paul Stewart's vocalizations of most of the tunes is really dead on the money! Titles include "Thief Of Fire", "Snowgirl", "Blood Money", "We Are Time", "Don't Sell Your Dreams", "Words Disobey Me", and "Don't Call Me Pain". CD2 features lots of bonus tracks – some from an unreleased album – including "She Is Beyond Good & Evil", "Kiss The Book", "Thief Of Fire (bass addict)", "Words Disobey Me (Dennis the Menace mix)", "Don't Sell Your Dreams (a mix)", "3:38", "Boys From Brazil (ridge reels)", and "Blood Money (slow thief)". CD3 is Y Live – an unreleased live set with 9 more tracks! CD

A seminal punk-funk classic from the end of the 70s – one that's as brilliantly abrasive and brashly fresh today as it was when it was released! The group are working here in equal parts dub, funk, and lots of scratchy guitars and heady bass – with a style that would later be picked up more strongly by On-U in the 80s, but which is executed here with a much clearer vision that's free of any of the cliches that would later overcome the genre. Even the politics are surprisingly pointed – and Paul Stewart's vocalizations of most of the tunes is really dead on the money! Titles include "Thief Of Fire", "Snowgirl", "Blood Money", "We Are Time", "Don't Sell Your Dreams", "Words Disobey Me", and "Don't Call Me Pain". This great version features the original 12" single "She Is Beyond Good & Evil", included with the original album – plus a bonus large format poster too! LP, Vinyl record album

Moody genius from Can – and one of greatest albums of its time! Tons of spooky spare atmosphere, vocals that go from a lull to a cathartic echoey shriek, and that rollicking and propulsive backbeat that makes Can a band for the ages. Not just a landmark in what was to be dubbed Krautrock – truly an indispensable masterpiece regardless of genre, and a record so influential to so many movements in underground music that it is really impossible to imagine the world without it. Timeless! Tracks include "Paperchase", "Mushroom", "Oh Yeah", "Halleluwah", "Aumgn", "Peking O", and "Bring Me Coffee Or Tea". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic work – billed as "for experimental sound producers and loudspeakers" – and with sounds from a lateral ventilator, conveyor belt, whistle tree, loudspeaker mute, bellow, tumbler siren, baloon, and a wooden stick inside a glove impregnated with resin – among other weird sources. Performed by the Cologne Ensemble For New Music – with work from Vinko Globokar, Wilhelm Bruck, Edward Tarr, Karlheinz Bottner, and Christoph Caskel. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the tracks "Cup Mute Clayton", "If I Had You", "Topsy", "Hard Tack", "Dolores", and "Sweet Hearts On Parade". 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A set that's hardly background at all – as the tracks here have a lively, forward sort of energy that reminds us of our favorite post-punk experiments from the British and German scenes at the start of the 70s – done with a darkness that really resonates with the album's cover image too! There's hardly any vocals at all on the songs – other than muted, abstracted lyrics that are buried under brooding basslines, echoey drums, and fuzzy work on guitar and keyboards – all with a moody Factory Records sort of vibe – and by that, we mean Factory circa 1980, not the later sunnier years. Titles include "Neo Dancer", "And", "Repeat", "Membership Card", "Romantic Romance", and "Recovery Room". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". LP, Vinyl record album

Moody magic from Miles Davis and Gil Evans – one of the pair's most perfectly poised albums together, and a set with a slight bossa nova undercurrent! Evans' shimmering horn patterns are in fine form here – complicated, but never in cold and too-modern ways – just the right sort of backdrop for Miles' muted solo work – blow with a great sense of space and care throughout! There's almost a soundtrack sort of depth to the record, but the solos still keep the jazz element nicely in focus – and titles include "Summer Night", "Wait Till You See Her", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Song #1", "Song #2", "Corcovado", and "Once Upon A Summertime". CD also features the great bonus track "The Time Of The Barracudas" – a 12 minute tune that wasn't on the original album! CD

One of Charlie's best albums of the 70s – a beautifully stripped down set of duets with well-matched players that include Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Paul Motian, and Keith Jarrett! The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from one of Eddie Harris' greatest periods! This one was cut in the late 60s – when Eddie was creating his famous electrified Varitone sound – unique among other jazz players in that it actually added a lot to Eddie's work, instead of detracted from it (as with some other boppers who briefly picked up the instrument.) The Varitone gives Eddie a cool flat tone works extremely well with some of the album's mutedly funky tracks – like the long version of "Listen Here", the groovy "Sham Time", the Latiny "Spanish Bull", or the incredible "Theme In Search Of A Movie", written by the great Charles Stepney. Great bass work by Melvin Jackson, too! CD

A great little package that brings together the first two rare albums by Index – a group that started as a cover band in the suburbs of Detroit in the late 60s, but quickly found their way to some tremendous music of their own! The trio's got a style that's jamming and trippy at the same time – romping drums, surprisingly deft guitar work, and some muted lyrics that echo some of the darkness in the instrumentation – even though the group seem to often be comfortable without any vocals at all! The songs here are all their own, and come from their Red Album and Black Album – newly remastered from the original tales, with titles that include "Turquoise Feline", "Feedback", "Rainy Starless Nights", "Break Out", "Paradise Beach", "Shock Waves", "Israeli Blues", and "Fire Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "disco" as in the New York scene at Studio 54 – as these cuts are much deeper and dubbier – served up under the supervision of Bunny Lee by studio maestros Barnabas and Pat Kelly! Instrumentation is by the Aggrovators, but the magic comes equally from the production effects as it does from the massive rhythms by the group – as all the elements are filtered out in space, and criss-cross back and forth in this wonderful way – never too sloppy or experimental, but definitely tripping out with the groove! Vocals are muted when they do make an appearance – and titles include "The Aggrovators Special Dub", "Money In My Pocket Dub", "Portobello Special Dub", "Super Rockers Dub", "The Bomb Dub", "The Killer Dub", and "The Dub Specialist". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie, as the set's one of the most intimate albums we've ever heard from trumpeter Jeremy Pelt – a set that features his well-shaped lines in a trio with George Cables on piano and Peter Washington on bass! The drum-less format is really wonderful, and Pelt really takes advantage of the open space to open up his gentler, more introspective side – blowing notes both muted and full, with a sense of balance and grace that takes us back to old school trumpet ballad albums – although none of them ever had the more open, relaxed approach that makes this one so nice! Titles include "Then I'll Be Tired Of You", "Always On My Mind", "Ebony Moonbeams", and "Love Is Simple". CD

A striking little record – and the kind that both players could only have made with the new freedoms in jazz recording of the 70s! Although Peterson and Gillespie had played together before on earlier Verve albums, the setting was never like this – because the album's only a duet between trumpet and piano, with no other instrumentation at all – yet the sound is amazing swinging! Peterson works almost as a one man rhythm section here – bouncing the tunes with plenty of hard inflections on his left hand – and setting up a swing that Dizzy blows over with warmly muted tones. There's a quality here that's personal – but not in that "oh look at us, we're such big stars" sort of way – and titles include "Mozambique", "Caravan", "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Blues For Bird", and "Con Alma" – always a treat to hear in a setting like this! CD

Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman's been giving great records for decades – and somehow, she still sounds completely fantastic – maybe even more expressive given the passage of time on her voice, which hasn't lost any of its power or sense of soul! As proof of that, the package balances a full new album with a full album's worth of bonus material recorded live in 1970 – sounds that span decades, but which still have the vocal charms of Pittman sounding completely amazing all the way through! Instrumentation on the new studio tracks is mostly lean, with a fair bit of acoustic guitar – on titles that include "Ex Amor", "Gamei", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Tributo A Vaidade", and "Ate A Lua". The live set has relatively spare instrumentation too – but maybe a bit more muted, given the live recording – and titles include "O Pato", "Desafinado", "Big Spender", "Felicidade/Deixa Issao Pra La", and a nice take on "Ponteio". CD

An evocative live performance from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – etherel one minute, bombastic the next – and put together with as much sense of freedom and imagination as Smith's music from earlier years! The group is his Golden Quartet – a combo that features great drums from Shannon Jackson, keyboards by Vijay Iyer, and bass from John Lindberg – plus Smith's majestic trumpet lines, which are often muted on the record, but blown with a sense of presence that comes through beautifully. The recording's a live one, and all tracks are quite long – and the CD features 4 titles that include "Rosa Parks", "DeJohnette", "Caravan Of Winter", and "Tabligh". CD

Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional quality and excellent performances – but it is flat out fun! As the title states, strains of pop, beat & bossa – plus mod & psychedelic fuzz – and the vocals girl group vocals are bright, rocking, playful or sultry or innocent depending on the groove! 25 tracks in all: "Black Room by Jun Mayuzumi, Sharock No 1" by Mie Nakao, "Nagisa No Tenshi" by Mieko Hirota, "Hatsu Koi No Letter" by Miki Obata, "Bazazz Tengoku" by The Cupids, "Aeba Suki Suki" by Margaret With Bunnys, "Nukui Aitsu" by Mika Nohira, "Kiiro No Sekai" by J Girls and more. CD

One of our favorite-ever Miles Davis albums – and a groundbreaking soundtrack that forever changed the way that jazz music was used in film! According to legend, the sounds here were recorded by Miles on a hot Paris night – late in the studio, after a live performance – in a very intimate setting that had he and the combo creating these little poetic passages along with the action in the film! In addition to sublime and moody muted trumpet from Miles – the small group also features tremendous tenor work from the great Barney Wilen – a French modernist who's at the height of his powers – and beautiful bass from Pierre Michelot, whose rich tones really frame the whole proceedings. The rest of the group features bop pianist Rene Urtreger and American drummer Kenny Clarke – but the real charm comes from the interplay between Wilen, Davis, and Michelo. Titles include "Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "L'Assassinat De Carla", "Diner Au Motel", "Evasion De Julien", "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysees", "Le Petit Bal", "Au Bar Du Petit Bac" and "Sur L'Autoroute". This amazing 3LP version features one never-issued track – "L'Interrogatoire De Julien" – plus 16 more tracks from the sessions for the recordings, and a booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Kenny may be quiet, but he's never muted – and the record is far from the sleepy session you might guess from the title! The album's a real standout in the Dorham catalog – a set that let's Kenny's trumpet sparkle beautifully in a quartet that includes piano from Tommy Flanagan, bass from Paul Chambers, and drums from Art Taylor – all bringing their own spirit to the record, but really hanging back in the space to let Dorham's sound dominate the record. Kenny's notes are beautifully shaped throughout – in a mode that has echoes of Clifford Brown's sweetness, but which also speaks with a raspier, earthier tone overall! Titles include 2 key Dorham classics – "Lotus Blossom" and "Blue Spring Shuffle" – plus "Mack The Knife", "My Ideal", "Blue Friday", and "Old Folks". CD

One of Charlie's best albums of the 70s – a beautifully stripped down set of duets with well-matched players that include Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Paul Motian, and Keith Jarrett! The spare format is an extremely wonderful showcase for Haden's expressive bass work – and the intimacy of the tracks is different from some of the ECM recordings made during the same stretch – as the feel here is less a muted exploration of sound than it is a deeply personal interaction with some of the best talents of his generation. Tracks include "Ellen David", "For Turiya", "OC", and "For A Free Portugal". CD

Great stuff from one of Eddie Harris' greatest periods! This one was cut in the late 60s – when Eddie was creating his famous electrified Varitone sound – unique among other jazz players in that it actually added a lot to Eddie's work, instead of detracted from it (as with some other boppers who briefly picked up the instrument.) The Varitone gives Eddie a cool flat tone works extremely well with some of the album's mutedly funky tracks – like the long version of "Listen Here", the groovy "Sham Time", the Latiny "Spanish Bull", or the incredible "Theme In Search Of A Movie", written by the great Charles Stepney. Great bass work by Melvin Jackson, too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Paul Williams' greatest albums – produced by his friend and frequent collaborator Roger Nichols, with a style that's very much like the best work the pair recorded together! The songs are some of Williams' best – really warm and intimate numbers, done in a heartfelt style that lacks all the cloying touches of some of his later work – or that of bad interpretations of his work by other artists. Arrangements are by the cream of LA hipsters – Nichols, Perry Botkin, Chad Stuart, and Artie Butler – and the record has a mutedly groovy feel! Titles include "Time", "Roan Pony", "I Know You", "To Put Up With You", "Someday Man", and "So Many People". LP, Vinyl record album

Moody magic from Miles Davis and Gil Evans – one of the pair's most perfectly poised albums together, and a set with a slight bossa nova undercurrent! Evans' shimmering horn patterns are in fine form here – complicated, but never in cold and too-modern ways – just the right sort of backdrop for Miles' muted solo work – blow with a great sense of space and care throughout! There's almost a soundtrack sort of depth to the record, but the solos still keep the jazz element nicely in focus – and titles include "Summer Night", "Wait Till You See Her", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Song #1", "Song #2", "Corcovado", and "Once Upon A Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

The expansive musical mind of August Darnell stretches on in this fourth album from Kid Creole & The Coconuts – a blend of dancefloor rhythms and unusual tunes with a B-Movie approach to pop! Darnell's jazzy influences are still running strong on the set – eclipsed slightly by some more modern production, in a way that gives the album a bit more of a crossover feel than previous albums, but still not in a way that mutes the genius underneath. Titles include "Bongo Eddie's Lament", "The Lifeboat Party", "Underachiever", "If You Wanna Be Happy", "Distractions", "Survivors", "Call Me The Entertainer", and "The Seven Year Itch". LP, Vinyl record album

Tight charanga recordings by Pablito – although about half the cuts feature a muted trumpet out front in the arrangements, and not the usual flute that you'd expect! Side one's all-flute, though – and the group's probably grooving a bit harder on those cuts than on the trumpet tracks on side two. Titles include "Lusitos Quiero", "Rico Y Sabroso", "Poco Pelo", "Me Muero", "El Yayabo", "Syncopation", and "Mi Charangita". LP, Vinyl record album