Not a soundtrack album from Holger Czukay – despite what you might guess from the title – and instead a batch of nicely tuneful, often-catchy tracks that somewhat follow the style of late 70s work from Can! Not surprisingly, Holger's joined by group makes Jaki Liebezeit on drums, and has guest work from Irmin Schmidt and Michael Karoli too – on tracks that are long, but never without a sense of groove – although one that's often a bit complicated, thanks to creative interplay between Czukay's bass and Liebezeit's drums. Titles include "Hollywood Symphony", "Persian Love", "Oh Lord Give Us More Money", and "Cool In The Pool" – which also features "chicken organ" from Reebop Kwaku Baah. CD

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Kid Koala, and Dan The Automator pool their skills for this dawn of the 2000s sci-fi hip hop classic – the masterful Deltron 3030! The guest list is almost too long to get into, but Money Mark, Prince Paul, PB Wolf and Mr. Lif are all here, along with many others. One of the benchmark albums in the leftfield underground hip hop canon – and a hugely influential set that burst the doors wide open for the more creative spirits in the hip hop and even experimental pop. Tracks include "State Of The Nation", "3030", "The Fantabulous Rap Extravaganza", "Things You Can Do", "Positive Contact", "St Catherine St.", "Virus", "Mastermind", "National Movie Review", "Time Keeps On Slipping", "Turbulence (remix)", "Battlesong", "Memory Loss" and more. This reissue edition adds 3 bonus tracks: "Positive Contact" (Charlie Clouser remix), "Terbulence" (Mark Bell rmx) and "Positive Contact" (Mario C rmx). CD

A set that's almost a back to basics effort for DJ Shadow, yet one that's also a strong step forward too – basic in that it's a record that's almost all instrumental, with no guests at all – but forward because it's got a leaner groove, and a style that shows just how far Shadow has moved past the more hip hop/turntablist style of his roots! There's almost a cinematic vibe to the music at times – a mode that fits the action adventure of the title, with plenty of cuts that would be right at home on classic soundtracks, especially of the 80s crime/cop/action style – served up with just the right sorts of beats, basslines, and keyboards to echo that era! Titles include "A Narrow Escape", "You Played Me", "Time & Space", "Forever Changed", "She's Evolving", "Reflecting Pool", "Free For All", "Ozone Scraper", and "Witches Vs Warlocks". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this overlooked Detroit soul group – back to back on a single CD! On Got To Have Your Love, Fantastic Four are a hell of a harmony group – and one who still hold strong through this second chapter of their career – by avoiding any of the cheaper cliches of some of the groups of the disco generation! Instead, the album focuses on their vocals first, and any sort of grooves second – which makes for some wonderful mellower cuts that really follow the spirit of some of the hippest 70s group soul from Chicago or the east coast – followed by a few upbeat tracks that get handling by Tom Moulton at Sigma Sound in Philly! The balance is great – almost more like some of the best group sides from a few years before, especially Blue Magic – and the ballads really take center stage, and blow us away with the group's deeper currents of soul. Titles include "Mixed Up Moods & Attitudes", "There's Fire Down Below", "I Got To Have Your Love", "She'll Be Right For Me", "Cash Money", and "Disco Pool Blues". On BYOF, the Fantastic Four definitely bring their own funk – thanks to tight help from arranger Dennis Coffey, who also produced the set with a heavy groove that's like his own work of the time! The basslines are stronger than before for the FF – but their harmonies are very firmly intact – and, if anything, the blend of funk and great vocals really makes the album a charmer right from the get-go – especially as they aim more for midtempo steppers than too-upbeat disco tunes that might have them losing some of their charm. The overall vibe is maybe more 1974 than 1978 – and titles include "I Just Want To Love Ya Baby", "BYOF", "Cold & Windy Night", "Sexy Lady", "Shout", "Super Lover", and "Realize". CD

Mayer Hawthorne's looking a bit cheesy on the cover, but sounding pretty darn great within – really sparkling with those mellow soul elements that have just gotten better and better with each new release, at a level that's a plenty strong musical answers to any of the haters out there! There's a warm glow to the set – a sense of heart-ful feelings that clearly inspire Mayer in his lyrics, and which really comes through on the slower-paced tracks on the set! Titles include "Standby", "Cream Interior", "Hawthorne Rides Again", "Without You", "Physical Touch", "The Pool", "Deeper Vibration", "Tell Me", "Deuce & A Quarter", "On The Floor", and "Sweet Temptation Woman". Features the bonus track "Eyes Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Milt Jackson's best albums from the 60s – and one we love because it's got a lot more of a soul jazz feel than others! Of course, you've got to thank the rest of the group for that – because with players like Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens, Cedar Walton, Mickey Roker, and Walter Booker, Milt couldn't help being a little bit soulful. Tracks are short, tight, and Milt's vibes ring out in a soulful, almost Roy Ayers-ish jazzy way. Titles include "Some Kinda Waltz", "Bring It Home", "Whale Pool", "Tears Of Joy", and "One Step Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded Live 16 November 1974 at Empire Pool - Wembley, London, UK. CD

This one's a pretty serious score – despite what looks like a groovy sexy cover – written and conducted by Ronald Stein, with mostly sombre emotional themes. Sammy Davis Jr sings "Katherine's Love Theme", which has some nice sad lyrics – and there is one groover called "The Acapulco Hilton Mariachi Samba Twist" – but most of the tunes are pretty mellow and dramatic. Titles include "First Trio", "Rape Scene", "Second Run", "The Garden", "The Terrace", and "The Pool". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a set that firmly helped redirect blues music in the 80s – maybe getting things a bit back on track, after so many influences from rock during the previous decade – even though it could also be said that the set was put together perfectly for the rock audience as well! It's almost as if Stevie Ray takes back all those things that were borrowed from the blues by UK acts at the end of the 60s and transformed into more strutting classic rock styles – recaptured here by Vaughan as he focuses on the core guitar work that makes him so famous, and delivers vocals that are soulful, but never in a way that's too full of rockish bravado. The approach works perfectly, and continues to make the album a classic over the years – on titles that include "Rude Mood", "Lenny", "Tell Me", "Testify", "Love Struck Baby", "Pride & Joy", "Texas Flood", and "Dirty Pool". CD

John Williams come back! All is forgiven! We'll hardly complain anymore about all those overblown top-selling scores after hearing this gem from the early 70s! The record is a treasure – completely unlike any work that Williams did in later years – quite possibly because the film itself is a quirky little love story, starring James Caan and Marsha Mason in the sort of offbeat "when losers meet" sort of film that could have only been made in the early 70s. Some of the tunes on the set are nicely funky – almost in a Lalo Schifrin way – and others are mellow, but nicely moody, in a really understated scene-setting style that's great. Toots Thielemans plays some great harmonica on a few of the mellower cuts, and Paul Williams sings vocals to 3 of the tracks on the set, all contributed by him. Titles include "Wednesday Special", "New Shooter", "Boxing Montage", "The Ferry Ride", "Neptune's Bar", "Nice To Be Around", and "Maggie Shoots Pool". LP, Vinyl record album

American avant rock treasures Yo La Tengo's 15th album, and no, it's not a covers set of the legendary, almost same-titled album by Sly & The Family Stone, but a murkily melodic, fuzzy, moody, beautiful set of songs as richly inspired by their myriad, oft-stated, readily-acknowledged influences as ever, as only this band can do! All of that is to say it's Yo La Tengo all the way – instantly recognizable, inspired and inspiring stuff. Includes "You Are Here", "Out Of The Blue", "She May, She Might", "Ashes", "Esportes Casual", "Out Of The Pool", "Here You Are" and more. CD

One of the most beautiful albums to come from the Hoboken scene in the 80s – a Feelies side project that's every bit as great as that group's albums from the time! In fact, the style here is almost an answer to the mode of their classic Good Earth album – a similar blend of hypnotic rhythms, basslines, and acoustic guitar – but with a changed-up version of the group, so that their roles are shifted, and the sound is as well! But like Good Earth, the music here is deeply personal – much more so than the Feelies at their start – a real breath of fresh air in the 80s scene, with Dave Weckerman on vocals, and fantastic criss-crossed guitars from Glenn Mercer and Bill Million. Titles include "Shore Leave", "The Empty Pool", "Big Day", "Eternal Ice", "Return To Zion", "Child Of The Moon", "Modern Farmer", "Asperation", and "Powderfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of wonderful gramophone recordings from as early as 1916 up to the first half of the 60s – all from the 78s collection of Frank Fairfield – a folk guitarist profoundly influenced by such amazing old crackling records! It's music from all over the world, with a much farther reach than Americana – with recordings from around the US, Japan, Scotland and other points global. Excellent! 16 in all: "Poor Convict Blues" buy Slim Barton & James Moore, "Cambells Are Coming" by Tommy Dandurand & Ed Goodreau, "Makwatu" by Kakapti, "The Pool Of Siloam" by Rev. Frank Cotton, "Ama Ama" by Tautu Archer, "Kongshoung Niaoyu" by Professor Liu Tianhua. CD

A fantastically soulful delight! The CD features a continuous mix of tracks handled by New York's supreme maestro Ron Trent – a perfectly blended and expertly selected batch of spiritual house, strident soul, and jazzy grooves. Not a bit of BS in the mix, and lots of rare sides lifted from singles on the Giant Step DJ pool – solid all the way through, and cutting a swath through the garbage to lift out the future of soul and club music! Titles include "Lamentations (you son)" by Carl Hancock Rux, "Future Love (original)" by Atlantis feat Naomi, "Stars (Tauriva mix)" by Jiva, "Elevation (Shelter late night voc)" by Blaze, "Naima" by Hipnotic, "Saturday Night Experience (Ron Trent mix)" by Jody Watley, "Rise (Sentinel Dome mix)" by Richard Worth, "Jingo (Aquamarine mix)" by Kalawang, "Do You Know" and "Holiday (DJ Deep & original)" by Donnie, and "When It Rains (Restless Soul rmx)" by Jeymes Samuel. CD

One of the deepest-digging entries in the Super Funk series so far – a blistering batch of underground singles that serve up some of the roughest funk of their generation! We'll be honest in saying that we'd only heard a few of the tracks here before – and our hats are off to BGP for taking this already-great series and making it go even deeper – far past familiar funk classics that usually get showcased on the label, and much more into the realm of the crate-digging underground, or the ebay-rarity stratosphere! A handful of cuts here are previously unreleased – never even issued on wax back in the day – and the rest are all pretty darn hard to find too, and all plenty darn great from a musical perspective. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – including a rare 1970 funky remake of "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash, plus "Home Brew" by Miles Grayson, "Just Sitting" by Smithstonian, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "Hi Off Life" by Eternal Flames, "Give Me Another Chance" by The Uniques, "Hold On" by Lorenzo Holden, "Free The Soul Man" by La May & Company, "Little Boy Blue" by The Phillips Brothers, "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Who Done It? Who Drained The Pool?" by Big Daddy Green, "Low Rider (Deuce & A Quarter)" by Smokey Wilson, "Can't Buy Soul" by Hebrew Rogers, "Shake A Leg" by Jackie Wilson, "Face To Face" by The Explosions, and "Turn Around & Go" by Lee Bernard. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost little gem from Jerry – recorded towards the end of his years with Mercury. The record's got Jerry working in a much hipper style than before, drawing off the pool of younger Chicago soul talents that he'd begun to collect on some of his earlier albums for Mercury – and the album features tracks by Leroy Hutson, Terry Callier, Marvin Yancey, and the team of Hanks and Grey. Richard Evans handled the arrangements, and they're a good extension of his work at Cadet – with strong bass-heavy soul grooves, augmented by strings and some great funky clavinet work. Titles include the funky classics "I'm Your Mechanical Man" and "You've Been Around Too Long" – plus "High Stepper", "Start Living It Up", "Sing To Me", "Take The Time To Tell Her", and "Playing On You". LP, Vinyl record album

The Liverpool Scene mix smart and smartass wordplay, taking the piss out of pop & rock stars and the overall cultural atmosphere of the era thanks in no small part to leader Adrian Henri, with some excellent musical backing – ranging from jazzy brass & bass, to acoustic folk rock. Wholly unique and pretty amazing stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

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Four of the more obscure RCA albums from the great Bobby Bare – all brought together here in a single set! First up is the very unusual English Countryside album – a special set that has the vocals of Bobby Bare paired with a group from the UK – Liverpool's Hillsiders, who sing with a style that's a bit folk, and a bit rock – but which takes on a very distinct country vibe amidst the RCA production of Chet Atkins! Both Bare and The Hillsiders sing solo on the record – but most of the set has them paired together, and the presence of all those voices on the tracks create a nice sense of spontaneity – maybe a hint at the more relaxed recording approach that Bobby would use on his big albums of the mid 70s! Titles include "Sweet Dreams", "Six Days On The Road", "Find Out What's Happening", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "Goin Home", "Blue Is My Lonely Room", and "I Washed My Face In The Mountain Dew". Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn is a seminal album in the career of Bobby Bare – and the record that really has him turning from a young smiling country singer to the kind of more adult, mature talent that would really send him over the top! The album's promise of "controversial country songs" is certainly apt – as in addition to the great Tom T Hall title cut, the album also features Bare taking on great material from Kris Kristoffersen, Mel Tillis, and even the team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn – all set to arrangements that are nicely more sophisticated than those used on the more pop productions of some of Bobby's earlier albums. Titles include "Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn,", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "Watching The Trains Go By", "Skip A Rope", "Rainy Day In Richmond", "Cincinnati Jail", "Wild As The Wind", and "Drink Up & Go Home". I Hate Goodbyes is the record that marked the return of Bobby Bare to RCA Records in the early 70s – and one that also marks the start of a very different phase in Bare's career! This time around, Bobby's handling the production himself – working with the kind of thoughtful, mature material that would really let him open up – songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, the team of Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, and even an early tune from Shel Silverstein – who would soon become one of the biggest contributors to Bobby's records. The vibe is very different than his RCA material of the mid 60s, and in a great way – on titles that include "I Hate Goodbyes", "Restless Wind", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Send Tomorrow To The Moon", "You Know Who", "An Offer She Couldn't Refuse", "What's Your Mama's Name Child", and "Poison Red Berries". Last up is Cowboys & Daddys – an overlooked gem in the mid 70s RCA years of the great Bobby Bare – and a set that really shows the dedication that Bare had during these years to finding the most sophisticated material of the new country generation! The list of songwriters alone is great – as the set features tracks from Terry Allen, Shel Silverstein, David Hickey, and Tom T Hall – plus an early contribution from Bob McDill, with whom Bare would soon record a lot more material on albums to come. There's a mature, laidback vibe to the whole set – different than some of the more playful Bobby Bare albums of the time – and titles include "Chester", "The Cowboy & The Poet", "Amarillo Highway", "Speckled Pony", "Calgary Snow", "Last Dance At The Old Texas Moon", "Pretty Painted Ladies", and "The Stranger". CD

Francois Carrier on alto saxophone, Dewey Redman on tenor saxophone, Michel Donato or Ron Seguin on bass, and Michel Lambert on drums. CD

One of the deepest digs into the legacy of UK wonderproducer Joe Meek – a set that opens up a whole host of unissued tapes from the vaults, to present a hugely expanded set of work from a group who hardly issued any records back in the 60s! The Cryin Shames are not to be confused with the American Cryan Shames – as the Liverpool group had a great sound, but only released two singles – before spinning off into other groups with a short run too – including Friendly Persuasion, and Paul & Ritchie & The Crying Shames – all of whom recorded with Meek, and are presented here, in a massive 51 track package that features loads of unreleased takes, live material, and other rare tunes too! Core elements include the singles "September In The Rain", "Come On Back", "Nobody Waved Goodbye", "Please Stay", "What's News Pussycat", "The End Of The World", and "Come On" – and there's also 18 very early tracks from the group's audition, when they were initially billed as The Bumblies. Along with the notes, the whole thing is a great example of the way the wheels were really turning and the studio doors were opening during these key years of British rock – another new window into the production genius of the great Joe Meek! CD

A really beautiful soundtrack from the great Georges Delerue – one that maybe has a bit more staying power than the unusual film for which it was scored! Delerue brings a richness to the music that's wonderful right from the start – sliding sentimental strings at some point, right as if they're lifted from one of his French cinematic classics – blended with more dramatic action points, both stark and more driving – mixed with occasional watery moments that are maybe the best on the soundtrack. Titles include the great main theme – plus "Whirlpool", "Dolphin Hunt", "Nocturne", "The Chase", "Dummy Mine", and "Finding The Flag". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Tobias Delius in reeds, Wilbert de Joode on bass, and Dylan van der Schyf on drums. CD

Includes the pieces "The Degas Suite", "The River", "The Spring", "The Run", "The Meander", "The Giggling Rapids", "The Lake", "The Falls", "The Whirlpool", "The River", "The Neo-Hip-Hot Kiddies Community", "The Village Of The Virgins", "Her Majesty The Sea", and "The Spring". CD

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A huge amount of work from The Merseybeats – a group who were Liverpool contemporaries of The Beatles, and named after the body of water alongside the city – but who were way more than a copycat combo overall! Like many other 60s British groups, The Merseybeats start out with a sound that draws heavily from American soul and blues influences – yet they quickly shift to a super-catchy, jingle-jangle sort of sound – harmonizing nicely on the leads, and finding ways to come up with really groovy songs that that use their hollow-body guitar lines to best effect – setting things apart with that special British sound that made the UK scene quickly so different than the US by this time. And although the group have had a few greatest hits packages over the years, this 2CD set is the first time they've fully gotten their due – as the package is overflowing with material – 34 tracks by the core group, and another 29 by the later Merseys and other related musical aggregations – including The Crackers, Kinsleys, Johnny Gustafson, and The Quotations. That's a whopping 63 tracks in all, served up with a big set of notes – almost acting like a microcosm of the Liverpool scene itself! CD

Moor Mother continues to blend genres and come up with one that's all her own – a unique space between soul and poetry, music and message, all with a vibe that's unlike anything else we can think of! This set may be Moor Mother's heaviest to date – an unflinching examination of colonization, slavery, and their legacy on the human condition – served up in darkly textured soundscapes, layered voices, and instrumentation that goes beyond recognition – with key guest work from Lonnie Holley, Kyle Kidd, and Alya Al-Sultani. Titles include "All The Money", "Guilty", "Liverpool Wins", "Spem In Alium", "South Sea", "Compensated Emancipation", and "Death By Longitude". CD

Moor Mother continues to blend genres and come up with one that's all her own – a unique space between soul and poetry, music and message, all with a vibe that's unlike anything else we can think of! This set may be Moor Mother's heaviest to date – an unflinching examination of colonization, slavery, and their legacy on the human condition – served up in darkly textured soundscapes, layered voices, and instrumentation that goes beyond recognition – with key guest work from Lonnie Holley, Kyle Kidd, and Alya Al-Sultani. Titles include "All The Money", "Guilty", "Liverpool Wins", "Spem In Alium", "South Sea", "Compensated Emancipation", and "Death By Longitude". LP, Vinyl record album

Live in Liverpool 1976 and live in Chicago 1992. CD

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! CD

20 songs from Mike Gordon & El Tempos, Sylvia Vanderpool, Jimmy Lewis, the Chords, Prince Patridge, Floyd Dixon, Millie Bosman, and the Playboys. CD

A very cool package – one that's shaped like a 7" single, includes a big booklet of notes, and serves up 70 killer tracks from the 70s! The collection was put together in the UK, and has a nicely different take on the decade than American compilations – as it already does a good of featuring titles that are more obscure than big chart hits at the time, even though they are by bigger names in rock – and also comes at things from a perspective that's a very fresh change from the way US label might put together the tracks – showing that even in the mainstream, there's still plenty of great music to discover in the 70s! The collection is way more than guilty pleasures – and there's no guilt at all about the sense of wonder and discover you'll experience – as you make your way through tracks from Pilot, Alessi Brothers, Jim Gilstrap, Starbuck, Cory Wells, Denne & Gold, Browning Bryant, Clout, Doctor Father, Pickettywitch, Dollar, Frankie Valli, Gerry Rafferty, Roger Voudouris, Rupert Holmes, Liverpool Express, Lynsey De Paul, Brian Protheroe, Andrew Fairweather Low, David Essex, and others – many of whom are presented here by tracks that are less familiar than their bigger hits. CD

Some sweet Allen Toussaint production!Browning Bryant's best remembered for a catchy but cloying pop hit – yet this record shows a completely different side of the singer, one that's captured beautifully through the production and arrangements of Allen Toussaint! Some of Browning's country-inspired modes are in place, but the heavy Nola touches from Toussaint really push things in a different directions – sometimes with direct funky touches, other times with a gently snapping groove that's very different than we might have expected from some of Browning's other material! Titles include "Say You Will", "Liverpool Fool", "Losing", "Cover Girl", "Blinded By Love", "Home", "Performance", "Leave The Rest To Molly", and "You Might Say". CD

Includes the pieces "The Degas Suite", "The River", "The Spring", "The Run", "The Meander", "The Giggling Rapids", "The Lake", "The Falls", "The Whirlpool", "The River", "The Neo-Hip-Hot Kiddies Community", "The Village Of The Virgins", "Her Majesty The Sea", and "The Spring". CD

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

Searing work from Mal Waldron – recorded in the early 70s with an excellent trio that features Billy Higgins on drums and Reggie Workman on bass! The group's got a lot more fire and energy than some of Waldron's other assemblages of the 70s – and the tracks are long and exploratory, yet also groove at the best moments – a great blend of some of the freedom that Waldron had been exploring overseas, while still tying things to some of the more soulful, spiritual currents of his early years. Carla Poole joins the group on flute for the track "Space Walk" – and other titles include "Up Popped The Devil", "Snake Out", and "Changachangachang". CD

Tracks from Zero 7, Cymande, Faithless, Jaffa, Boards Of Canada, Herbert, Roger Sanchez, Ian Pooley, Spacek, and more. CD

A wealth of wonderful work from the key years of the British Invasion – including a fair bit of groups who never really crossed the Atlantic to invade our shores at the time! Liverpool is best known as the home of The Beatles, but during the early 60s, the city was host to a huge wave of creative activity – as were nearby cities in the north of England – and as you'll hear in this set, there was no end to the range of groups making killer records over the space of number of years! Some of the work here will ring your ears with familiar tones from UK 60s rock, yet in ways that are different than the mod styles down in London, there's plenty of overlooked gems here to discover – and given that the box set goes well into the second half of the 60s, there's plenty of tracks here that are way different than just the work that grew up in the shadows of the fab four! The package has that fantastic presentation we love from the Grapefruit/Strawberry label – really well-chosen cuts, supported by very detailed notes – a massive 93 tracks in all, with work from The Perishers, Quotations, Satin Bells, Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Wimple Witch, Selftons, 23rd Turnoff, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations, The Mojos, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Wailing Howie Casey & The Seniors, Lee Curtis & The All-Stars, The Big Three, The Kinsleys, Wellington Wade, and dozens of others! CD

A collection of tracks recorded during their early run on the Harvest label. Includes "Early Morning", "Mr. Sunshine", "Pools Of Blue", "I Can't Go On Without You", "Eden Unobtainable" and more – 31 tracks over 2 discs! CD

Live recordings from Liverpool and London, includes "In The Flat Field", "Rose Garden Funeral Of Sores", "Bela Lugosi Is Dead", "Dancing", "Kick In The Eye", "Spy In The Cab", and "Dark Entries". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure live date from Anita O'Day, but done at that great 70s point when she was getting a nice groovy edge in her style! There's still some of the O'Day brightness of her 50s recordings – but there's also a nice 70s element too – one that changes things up with some of the more mature, more adult modes that other jazz singers were picking up – maybe drinking up, too – but in ways that overall make the record sound a lot cooler than Anita back in the early days! The trio features Merril Hoover on piano, George Morrow on bass, and John Poole on drums – and titles include "Anita's Blues", "Wave", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "A Song For You", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great look at a scene that was incredibly strong in the 70s, but almost a secret to the rest of the world – given that most of the records here got wide distribution in Australia, but on labels who had no connection to the rest of the global market! Australian jazz had already gotten going well into the 50s – but during the time in this stretch, local musicians were really coming into their own – embracing modal jazz and more open-ended soloing – but also in a way that wasn't slavish to American or European trends either – which makes so much of the work here such an amazingly fresh discovery! There's a majesty to this music that you wouldn't expect if you didn't know the scene that well – a sense of pride and power that's amazing, and which makes this collection stand together wonderfully as a testament to this great moment in music. Titles include "Circles" by Allan Zavod, "Valley Of The Tweed" by Bob Bertles Moontrane, "Kuri Monga Nuie" by Bruce Cale, "Whirlpool" by Charlie Munro, "What The Thunder Said" by Out To Lunch, and "Number One" by Ted Vining. LP, Vinyl record album