New Releases
Fraction “Moon Blood” (Phoenix)
Los Angeles-based Fraction’s heavy psych classic Moon Blood was originally released on the Angelus record label in 1971. Only 200 copies were pressed, so originals are currently worth a small fortune. Fraction, with vocalist Jim Beach, bearing an uncanny vocal resemblance to Jim Morrison (although he was singing on Sunset Strip long before Morrison took to the stage), were often compared favorably with The Doors, although their quasi-religious message would probably not have found favor with the recently-departed Morrison. Indeed, this rather fine record was once famously described as the album The Doors probably wished they’d made! Underpinned by guitarist Don Swanson’s superb Ritchie Blackmore-style guitar work, this is an album full of beautiful psychedelia, acid and hard rock, at once emblematic of the era, but not dated by its association. The five original compositions are consistently of the highest quality and the contribution of Beach’s now legendary vocals places a stamp of originality on the recording that endures from beginning to end. Monstrously heavy, howling, epic psych that is basically a must-own. A truly excellent album. Featuring the original die-cut cover with colored cellophane, and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
Nasty Savage ”Wage Of Mayhem + Rarities (1983-1985)” (FOAD)
Nasty Savage’s classic demotape ‘Wage Of Mayhem’ (1984) for the first time on vinyl spiced up with a lethal selection of rare and unreleased bonus tracks from the early days. Nasty Savage were the undisputed pioneers of Florida’s metal scene, arguments can be made that the early ’90s Tampa area death metal explosion was a direct result of Nasty Savage, who mixed a more nihilistic view, lyrically and through onstage horror imagery, than the Bay Area. Their debut demotape and the additional early tracks collected here show the band on a more power metal oriented approach (at times even leaning to NWOBHM areas) than the incendiary thrash artillery of some subsequent works, but the amount of memorable riffs, a dark evil mood with a few psychedelic elements and the charismatic vocals of their distinctive frontman Ronnie Savage, clearly show the fact that even at their inception they were surprisingly mature and way ahead for their times.
Derrick Morgan “Derrick Morgan And Friends” (Music On Vinyl)
In the early 1960’s, when the Jamaican recording industry was still very much in its infancy, the local music scene was dominated by a mere handful of performers. Among these musical pioneers was Derrick Morgan. A year after the launch of the Island record label (1967), they released the ‘Derrick Morgan And His Friends’ LP, which has since become a highly prized collector’s item. Recorded at Jamaica’s premiere recording studio, WIRL, and featuring the musicianship of leading session crews, the Carib Beats and Lyn Taitt & the Jets, the quality of the tracks remains consistently high. Morgan is one of reggae’s real unsung heroes and this compilation makes it all the more compelling.
Hair “Piece” (Mayfair)
Denmark’s finest hard-psychedelic band will now get their first official reissue on vinyl. Hair (no connections to the musical) released their one and only album in 1970 on EMI/Columbia and despite the fact that this was major-label release, the LP still remains as one of the rarest artifacts out of Denmark.
The listener will be rewarded with an effective combination of guitar dominated hard-psychedelic songwriting and strong melodic influences, culminating in their awesome masterpiece ‘Dream Song’. This 2LP-Set includes the original album and all six songs from their singles plus a previously unreleased (on vinyl) song as extensive bonus material. The album and single tracks have all been remastered from the master tapes.
The Savage Resurrection ”The Savage Resurrection” (Mercury)
US IMPORT. An exact repro vinyl reissue of the sole album by this Bay Area acid-/psychrock band, originally issued by Mercury in 1968. A classic delivery of guitar dominated psychedelia, recommended to fans of Hendrix, Cream, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Tripsichord Music Box, Frumious Bandersnatch, etc.
Rain “1971…The Lost Album” (Jargon)
Rain was a popular blues inspired rock band from Rochester, New York. Members were Brad Morse on vocals, Ted Paris on bass, Mick Guerin on drums and led by guitar maestro, Helmut Getto. Rain was a real powerhouse in their day! This legendary band broke up shortly after recording their studio album in 1971.
Lost and forgotten for nearly 50 years, the album was never released! ‘1971… The Lost Album’, a collection of original songs that the band recorded in the summer of 1971, was originally planned to be a follow up to their first record, ‘Live Christmas Night’, which came out on the band’s label, Whazoo Records in early 1971. Through fate’s twists and turns, the plan changed and the studio album fell by the wayside. Decades later and after lots of detective work, the studio tapes finally surfaced! These eight previously unreleased original songs have finally manifested themselves on limited edition 12″ vinyl, and Jargon Records are proud to present to you this epic treasure of rock history as a part of Jargon Records’ Time Capsule Series!
Radio Birdman ”Living Eyes” (Citadel)
‘Living Eyes’ was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales during a break in the band’s 1978 tour of Britain and Europe. Relations between members were falling apart and Sire had dropped the band prior to the start of recording. Their breakup soon followed. Initial releases were cut from a tape dub of trial mixes as the band never received an official master. Red Eye Records retrieved the master tapes from Rockfield in 1995 and the album was remixed. Limited to 1250 copies.
Pentagram ”Sub-Basement” (Svart)
Previously only available on picture disc, this classic Pentagram album gets a release on regular vinyl as well. Black vinyl limited to 300 copies.
The Sweet Marie ”Sweet Marie 1″ (Wah Wah)
Back on vinyl, this is the first of two great albums released by this obscure Hawaii-based band. The album offers the same style of exotic-blues, light psych and hard-edged acid rock as their second album ‘Stuck In Paradise’. This reissue (500 copies pressed) comes with remastered sound, reproduced artwork and an insert.
Sodom ”‘Til Death Do Us Unite” (Music On Vinyl)
Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen which released their eighth studio album ‘Til Death Do Us Unite’ in 1997. An album containing different styles all mixed. Comes on 180 gram vinyl.
Skip Bifferty ”Skip Bifferty” (Acme)
Warhorse “Red Sea” (Repertoire)
‘Red Sea’ was the second album from the excellent rock band, founded by ex-Deep Purple bassist Nick Simper. As with many original Vertigo releases, collectability and costs have been steadily increasing over the years, as its availability becomes rarer.
The album is a truly long lost classic. It features Pete Parks, formerly of Black August on lead guitar, having replaced Ged Peck. Originally released in 1972, it proved to be their final release for the label, as the band then underwent several personnel changes before finally breaking up.
Among the original seven LP tracks is a stunning version of the Shirley Bassey hit ‘I (Who Have Nothing)’, as well as the title song, and such surging rockers as ‘Back In Time’ and ‘Feeling Better’.
Toad “Dreams” (Akarma)
After the release of ‘Tomorrow Blue’, we have to wait ’til 1975 to find Toad’s third album, unfortunately their last one. Originally released on Frog, ‘Dreams’ is a very good album that never got the attention it deserved because the band was a little bit disregarded by international press, and what was supposed to be their best seller, turned out being their swan song.
T2 “It’ll All Work Out In Boomland” (Lion)
The rise of power trio T2 in 1970 was rapid: important open-air festivals; headlining residencies at the Marquee Club; appearances at virtually every major venue in London. Then their debut album was released; they seemed poised for a breakthrough. As the band recalled, they were playing the Marquee club, with John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix hanging out backstage, which was all to the good. But people were coming forward saying, “we cant find your album anywhere.” In short order, the band fell apart. Still, their sole Decca album has become well established as an all-time classic amongst progressive and psychedelic music collectors-even the techno and dj crowds. The fact that it has done so without hype is a testament to the innate quality of the music. The album is packed with melodic acoustic passages, frenzied fuzz guitar workouts, not to mention acid-trip induced lyrical and musical content. It is, in every way, an extraordinary album, one of rock musics best kept secrets, on a par with all the other major works that form the rock music canon of the time. Hefty booklet contains extensive musicological analysis by composer and musician Andrew Keeling, which includes illuminating interviews with band members Peter Dunton and Keith Cross, as well as detailed illustrations. Included as bonus are three tracks from BBC Sessions recorded in October 1970. Licensed from Decca/Universal, UK.
Frijid Pink ”Frijid Pink” (Akarma)
Various Artists “Instrumental Gems Vol. 1: Spanish Funk & Groove 1973/1977” (Adarce)
This compilation features the rarest and unknown instrumental tracks of that funky groove early sound. Light music along with wind section and keyboard ready to hit the dancefloor, that might be called Spanish-grooves. Composers, musicians, and arrangers like Gregorio García Segura, Rafael Martínez, Antonio Barco, Antonio Latorre, Jaime Botey, etc. During the ’70s, an important number of orchestras and dance bands popped up in Spain but not many of them released their own songs or covers on vinyl, so it can’t be said that the country’s music library has bulky volumes, rather it’s just the opposite. You have to dig deep in the catalog of obscure record labels to find some quality pieces, which Adarce Records will usually attribute to Tinglado 13, Conjunto Nueva Onda, The Matches, Conjunto Don Pelegrin, Rafael Martínez, Carlos de Ros, Salgado y su Grupo, Mesié Bató, Pedro González, Jorge Enrique. Most orchestras played bossa nova, soul, some lounge, and easy listening, and a usual mix of light music with wind section and keyboards, something like “Spanish-soul” or “rhythm’n’blues-pasodoble”. It was a time when the bands survived playing shows with a repertoire based, mostly, on Spanish popular songs and international hits. Many artists recorded with nicknames, many others used licensed songs paying rights to the original authors and some orchestras changed their names when they pressed their records, in an attempt to appear modern or simply for pure commercial purposes, that’s why it is difficult to trace accurately the musical path of many of these artists. This scene was especially intense in Aragon and Catalonia, where a bunch of labels emerged, often simply as platforms for bands to promote their own music. This compilation aims to discover to a wider audience some of the most sought-after instrumental gems by DJs and disco music collectors, eager for soul, groove, and hot sounds. Vol. 1 features Gregorio García Segura, Los Brandis Con María Nevada, Lin Barto, Blas And His Friends, Jorge Enrique, Roberto Serrano, Rafael Martínez, Orquesta A. Latorre, Orquesta Miramar, Conjunto Nueva Onda, Ramón Gil, Mesie Bató, Red-Key, and Unidades. Edition of 500 (numbered).
Various Artists “Instrumental Gems Vol. 2: Spanish Funk & Groove 1973/1977” (Adarce)
This compilation features the rarest and unknown instrumental tracks of that funky groove early sound. Light music along with wind section and keyboard ready to hit the dancefloor, that might be called Spanish-grooves. Composers, musicians, and arrangers like Gregorio García Segura, Rafael Martínez, Antonio Barco, Antonio Latorre, Jaime Botey, etc. During the ’70s, an important number of orchestras and dance bands popped up in Spain but not many of them released their own songs or covers on vinyl, so it can’t be said that the country’s music library has bulky volumes, rather it’s just the opposite. You have to dig deep in the catalog of obscure record labels to find some quality pieces, which Adarce Records will usually attribute to Tinglado 13, Conjunto Nueva Onda, The Matches, Conjunto Don Pelegrin, Rafael Martínez, Carlos de Ros, Salgado y su Grupo, Mesié Bató, Pedro González, Jorge Enrique. Most orchestras played bossa nova, soul, some lounge, and easy listening, and a usual mix of light music with wind section and keyboards, something like “Spanish-soul” or “rhythm’n’blues-pasodoble”. It was a time when the bands survived playing shows with a repertoire based, mostly, on Spanish popular songs and international hits. Many artists recorded with nicknames, many others used licensed songs paying rights to the original authors and some orchestras changed their names when they pressed their records, in an attempt to appear modern or simply for pure commercial purposes, that’s why it is difficult to trace accurately the musical path of many of these artists. This scene was especially intense in Aragon and Catalonia, where a bunch of labels emerged, often simply as platforms for bands to promote their own music. This compilation aims to discover to a wider audience some of the most sought-after instrumental gems by DJs and disco music collectors, eager for soul, groove, and hot sounds. Vol. 2 features Red-Key, Ray Martin, J. Tenafly, Nick Wilson, Blas And His Friends, Conjunto Olivino, El Conjunto De Rafael Martínez, Conjunto Nueva Onda, Greg. Segura Y Su Orquesta, Jorge Enrique, Orquesta Miramar, Dany Roy And His Band, Sarr Incony, and Mesie Bató.
Container “Scramblers” (Alter)
Ren Schofield’s work as Container has developed into a succession of complementary releases over the last decade. He’s released four aggressive noise-techno LPs, all simply titled LP with searing noise and grinding electronics providing grisly decorations for rigid, skeletal beats indebted to hardcore and minimal techno. While Schofield can wreck plenty of audio destruction, the rhythmic foundation beneath the chaos gives every track a throttling momentum.
Schofield’s latest album, Scramblers, offers some major and minor changes to his spartan formula, the most obvious being the release’s titular divorce from the LP series. On Scramblers, Schofield junks familiar elements while keeping the noise at a euphoric high. The eponymous first track opens as hardcore techno written for jackhammers and power drills before boiling over with an off-kilter synth arpeggio. “Mottle” sounds like it’s constantly on the verge of ripping itself apart, slowing, accelerating, and convulsing relentlessly. While “Queaser” deploys synths that feel ripped from an old video game sound-chip. When that song’s beat finally drops out, it opens space for a field-recorded collage of howling and hooting animals that seamlessly meshes with the following track’s industrial clangs. That transition is a perfect example of how skilled Schofield has become at sequencing his work, landing haymakers with something as subtle as a tracklisting. Container has always had a firm grasp on the nuances of both noise and dance music, but this album captures the thrill and fun of the hybrid in a way he’s never quite done before.
Jan Dukes De Grey “Sorcerer” (Alternative Fox)
Alternative Fox presents a reissue of Jan Dukes De Grey’s Sorcerers, originally issued in 1969. Sorcerers is the group’s debut, recorded when Jan Dukes de Grey were still the duo of multi-instrumentalists Derek Noy, the band’s songwriter and lead vocalist, and Michael Bairstow. The 18 songs of the album, recorded in October 1969, show within a pure folk style the subtle use of multiple instruments like guitars, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and percussion. Every song conjures up its own time and place, from the quiet pastoral delights of “28th June, Village Song” to the urban pulse of “City After 3:00 AM,” the homage to the vast expanses of an idealized “Texas,” and the Eastern promise of “Turkish Time.” Moods shift dramatically from the anger-drenched “M.S.S.” to the medieval musings of “Dragons” and the wonder of a “Butterfly.” One of the most brilliant acoustic experiments of folk-psych-prog rock ever.
Tase “Tase” (Film)
LP version. Eight early songs written and produced by Tase, recorded on 16-track tape machine. Neues Deutschland Studio 2010-2011. Tase is producer Sven Rieger. Co-founder of SUED, Rieger records under aliases SVN and Ixus and in groups such as AU, Département d’Éducation Psychique, Dreesvn, and S.P. Posse.
Stephen O’Malley “Auflosung” (Editions Mego)
“Produced within the context of The Guidebook of Church Burners publication release, this performance was recorded at visual arts institution LE BAL in Paris, May 4th 2018. Published by Païen in a limited edition, the book explores and transforms into an abstract narration the multiple facets of black metal iconography and history. Emerging from a dialogue between sound and image, the otherworldly piece created for that evening by Stephen O’Malley is a result of this collaboration.” – Emilie Lauriola
Electric Sewer Age “Contemplating Nothingness” (Hallow Ground)
Electric Sewer Age’s »Contemplating Nothingness« is a lysergic tapestry culled from the deep end of the collective pop cultural unconscious. The project was originally started anonymously by the late Peter »Sleazy« Christopherson (of Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV and, most notably, Coil) together with Coil affiliate and seasoned remixer Danny Hyde, who continued the project together with John Deek, who passed away in 2013. »Contemplating Nothingness« is the third release by Electric Sewer Age and the second one that Hyde finished alone. Having previously been only available on CD, it is now re-released by the Swiss Hallow Ground imprint on vinyl both as a standalone release and as a strictly limited bundle together with »Svay Pak,« Hyde’s 2011 EP under his Aural Rage moniker.
Hyde left his imprint on many of Coil’s seminal albums such as »Love’s Secret Domain«, co-produced Pop Will Eat Itself’s »Very Metal Noise Pollution« and remixed a diverse roster of artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Scorn, Chris & Cosey, Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia or Depeche Mode. With his work as Electric Sewer Age, he explores the vast open space between the dark psychedelic aesthetics that he has helped establishing together with John Balance and his long-time collaborate Christopherson with a postmodernist approach that is deeply rooted in studio practice and sampling.
On »Contemplating Nothingness,« disembodied voices mingle with subdued rhythms, muffled harmonies or menacing string themes. Over just a little bit more than half an hour, Hyde conjures up traditional and contemporary production techniques and genres like plunderphonics, Leyland Kirby’s V/VM project or early vaporwave, all while retaining his singular voice. Throbbing industrial gives way to jazz-inflected quasi-rap, autotune balladry and ethno ambient, before closing on eerily alienated synth pop sounds and a stunning exercise in psychedelic minimalism. »Contemplating Nothingness« is an album as surreal and beautiful as a half-remembered dream, constantly navigating through the liminal zone of the familiar and the great unknown.
Satisfaction “Satisfaction” (Alternative Fox)
Alternative Fox presents a reissue of Satisfaction’s self-titled album, originally released in 1970. Trumpeter Mike Cotton had played with The Beatles and others before forming Satisfaction with former Artwoods guitarist Derek Griffiths and former Unit 4+2 bassist/vocalist Lem Lubin, along with drummer Bernie Higginson, saxophonist/flutist Nick Newell, and trombonist John Beecham. Signing to Decca, their self-titled debut album was released in February 1971, produced by Decca staffer David Hitchcock. Somehow, the band folded by the autumn of 1971, with Cotton taking the horn section to The Kinks for The Muswell Hillbillies (1971). Includes three bonus tracks.
NYZ “Millz Medz” (Important)
Lose yourself in the circuitry of the original 1965 Buchla 100 with NYZ (Dave Burraston) as he utilizes Barbara Hero’s Lambdoma tuning theories to create two slow, deeply layered, subconscious, organic and meditative compositions. NYZ’s split 12″ with ELEH (IMPREC 477LP) will be released at the same time as Millz Medz. David Burraston is an award-winning artist/scientist working in the areas of technology and electronic music, operating Noyzelab as an independent art/science music studio since 1981. His experimental arts practice encompasses field recordings, landscape-scale sound art, chaos/complexity, practice-based research, sound synthesis, and electronic music. He performs, lectures, conducts workshops, and creates art installations in Regional NSW and around the world. David also designs and builds sound synthesizers based on his theories of chaos/complexity science. David has worked with many diverse collaborators such as Aphex Twin, Chris Watson, Doug Quin, Russell Haswell, Robin Fox, Oren Ambarchi, Sarah Last, Cat Hope, Garry Bradbury, William Barton, Alan Lamb, MIT Media Lab, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2014m he independently published the legendary “SYROBONKERS!”, the most technical and in-depth interview ever given by Aphex Twin. First pressing of 500.
Vatican Shadow “Opium Crop Airstrikes” (Hospital Productions)
Opium Crop Airstrikes is a Vatican Shadow EP with long-form industrial tracks in the style known from Jordanian Descent (2012). A portion of the proceeds go to AYOK civil society volunteer organization for earthquake relief in rural Mexico. Cassette comes in oversized package; includes fold-out poster.