April 25 2025:
This week started with a flurry of activity as we processed orders from our tardy Record Store Day Weekend sale, along with 577 & Evil Clown sales. We also activated more than 20 new albums that had arrived during the sale, with titles from Tzadik, Pi Recording, Tsss Tapes, Musee d'ethnographie de Geneve (Jean-Jacques Birge), Demagnetized (Jonathan Segel), and Evil Clown.
That kept us busy to mid-week, when we turned to our latest concert in our Hooked on Sonics series, a rendering and re-imagining of David Tudor's Rainforest. That show took quite a bit of effort to set up, using Wilmington lighting specialist and DJ Peter Nielsen and a cast of performers including Authorless, Carl Kruger, Ryan L Lewis IV, Judson Hurd, CTb, and Paul Miller. The show was very well received in three 30-minute segments — "Dawn", "Daylight" and "Darkness" and we're already excited to reprise the performance next year around Earth Day.
The push for that show made for a compressed Squidco work week, but fortunately the music that we cataloged this week made that a joy. First up were several Tzadik albums also released for street date at the same time. Three of these came from John Zorn's various projects - one from the Bagatelles book of compositions, this 3rd volume brings together the Trigger trio ofAaron Edgcomb on drums, Will Greene on guitar, and Simon Hanes on bass; the 4th Bagatelle collection from Ikue Mori, perhaps the most unique thus far, will be in next week's mailing list.
Two other Tzadiks are from personal favorite groupings - Painkiller of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris, where Zorn himself plays, and with a wonderfully controlled ferocity; and the incredible Chaos Magick quartet of Matt Hollenberg (guitar), Brian Marsella (piano), John Medeski (organ), and Kenny Grohowski (drums) with their 6th release of intricate and rapid-action melodic twists and turns.
The last comes from another artist I've admired for decades - Ikue Mori, in a work drawing in Japanese folklore. Presented as a series of nine short works of synthetics and electronics, each piece succinctly telling its story instrumentally with great percussive string work over unique atmospheric environments.
Zorn, John (Edgcomb / Greene / Hanes): The Bagatelles Vol. 3 Trigger (Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's Bagatelles series features the explosive trio Trigger — Aaron Edgcomb on drums, Will Greene on guitar, and Simon Hanes on bass — tearing through Zorn's intricate compositions with fierce precision and raw energy, delivering a searing and radical interpretation of these works drawn from Zorn's expansive 2015 collection of 300 pieces.
Painkiller (Harris / Laswell / Zorn): The Great God Plan (Tzadik)
The legendary Painkiller trio of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris reunites to deliver two expansive tracks that blend heavy metal intensity with ambient textures and brooding lyricism, a significant evolution in the trio's sonic journey as they create two haunting tapestries inspired by Arthur Machen's gothic novella The Great God Pan.
Zorn, John (Medeski / Marsella / Hollenberg / Grohowski): Through The Looking Glass (Tzadik)
The sixth chapter in the Downtown NY quartet of Matt Hollenberg (guitar), Brian Marsella (piano), John Medeski (organ), and Kenny Grohowski (drums), performing John Zorn's compositions inspired by Chaos Magick — an individualistic practice that values personal experience over tradition — expressed through intricate, soulful, and powerfully imagined works.
Mori, Ikue: Of Ghosts And Goblins (Tzadik)
Electronic innovator Ikue Mori presents a captivating 9-part work drawing inspiration from Lafcadio Hearn's chronicles of Japanese folklore, through intricate laptop electronics and synthesizer work, conjuring a series of instrumental miniatures that evoke the ethereal presence of fox spirits, phantoms, and other spectral entities, a mysteriously enchanting and seductive work.
Smith, Ches: The Self (Tzadik)
A solo debut on Tzadik from Downtown NY percussionist Ches Smith, presenting eighteen concise works performed on drums, vibraphone, timpani, glockenspiel, and small percussion — an intimate and exploratory set of improvisations revealing Smith's deep command of rhythm, texture, and form across a dynamic and extended palette of percussive sound.
The Exotic Yangqin:
This week we finished cataloging an LP on the Full Spectrum label from Yiyuan Liang and Li Daiguo, Sonic Talismans. I couldn't recall much about the instrument that Liang performs on — the yangqin — so I did a bit of research. I also searched our own database and found that we've listed eight albums over the years featuring the instrument, mostly on Acid Mothers Temple releases, but also on Evil Clown in several of their collective configurations. The other instrument, the guzheng, I was more familiar with; we currently have 12 albums in stock featuring it, prominently through the work of improviser Xu Fengxia.
From my research, the yangqin is a traditional Chinese hammered dulcimer, originally derived from the Persian santur and introduced to China via the Silk Road. It features a trapezoidal wooden body strung with metal strings, which are struck with bamboo mallets to produce a shimmering, bell-like tone. Traditionally used in Chinese opera, regional folk ensembles, and court music, the yangqin has a versatile tonal range and is prized for its ability to provide both melodic and harmonic support. In modern improvisation, the instrument has found new life among experimental and avant-garde musicians who explore its percussive textures, extended techniques, and prepared string methods. These contemporary approaches emphasize its dynamic potential, integrating the yangqin into electroacoustic, free improvisation, and intercultural collaborations that stretch far beyond its historical roots.
Here are some of the albums currently in stock that feature one or the other of these instruments-exotic to Western ears.
Yiyuan, Liang / Li Daiguo: Sonic Talismans [VINYL] (Full Spectrum)
Bridging Chinese folklore and avant-garde exploration, yangqin innovator Liang YiYuan and multi-instrumentalist Li Daiguo conjure an entrancing tapestry of shadowy textures and melodic splinters on this long-form collaboration — recorded in Yunnan and blending traditional Eastern timbres with free improvisation and experimental form in a deeply narrative, otherworldly sonic journey.
PEK Solo: Schism (Evil Clown)
Approaching his solo work with new compositional strategies, multi-reedist and percussionist David Peck uses time and texture as the principal organizational elements in 9 pre-mixed recordings over which PEK was allowed more flexibility and freedom in instrumental choice during performance, using a vast collection of instruments in dramatic improvisations.
Expanse: Attenuations (Evil Clown)
David Peck leads an expansive sextet with Bob Moores, John Fugarino, Jiaxin Wan, Ziyi Gao, and Michael Knoblach, blending Western and Chinese instrumentation as clarinet, saxophones, & space trumpet intertwine with guzheng, pipa, electronics, & percussion, creating a richly textured, dynamic improvisation that reflects the ensemble's ongoing exploration of spontaneous composition.
Leap of Faith: Solving the Constrained Dynamics (Evil Clown)
Leap of Faith's core duo, David Peck on woodwinds and Glynis Lomon on cello, voice & aquasonic, leads this modular Boston sextet of strings and winds in a live improvisation guided by their Broad Palette Aesthetic to influence improv with varied sonorities, an array of classical, jazz, and global influences, featuring standout guzheng player Jiaxin Wan.
PEK Solo: Schism (Evil Clown)
Approaching his solo work with new compositional strategies, multi-reedist and percussionist David Peck uses time and texture as the principal organizational elements in 9 pre-mixed recordings over which PEK was allowed more flexibility and freedom in instrumental choice during performance, using a vast collection of instruments in dramatic improvisations.
Meirano, Gabriele / Xu Fengxia: New Vintage Sessions [CDr + DOWNLOAD] (577 Records)
A collaboration between the China based Italian pianist Gabriele Meirano and the Berlin based Chinese musician Xu Fengxia, a pioneer in combining Chinese music with improvisation; the two first played together when Peter Brotzmann invited them to join him in a trio concert at the Shanghai Art Center in 2011, here in a duo that fuses Far East sounds and the blues.
Metal Chaos Ensemble: Intermetallic Compounds (Evil Clown)
A massive and metallic improvisation from the Boston area trio of David Peck, Andria Nicodemou, and Yuri Zbitnoff, using metal, drums, bells, aquasonic, daxophone, guzheng, vibes, bells, sax, clarinet and reeds in an intense journey that absorbs the listener and then draws them into a turbulent world of active sound, receding again at journey's end; amazing.
Abrahams, Chris / Clare Cooper: Germ Studies For Guzheng & DX7 (Splitrec)
The Australian duo of pianist Chris Abrahams (Necks) & Berlin harpist Clare Cooper in a series of 198 short improvisations performed on Yamaha DX7 and the 14th century Guzheng harp, presented with 198 illustrations in an unusual and obsessively rewarding project.
Gottschalk, Gunda / Xu Fengxia: You Lan (Les Disques Victo)
A duo of contrasts and compatabilities from German violinst Gunda Gottschalk and guzheng virtuoso Xu Fengxia, exotic and beautifully textured improvisation live from Victoriaville, 2008.
Squidco Publishing Roundup:
These are the updates to Squidco and The Squid's Ear over the last week. You can view our latest fully cataloged albums in the Recently Section.
You can also browse new titles as they enter our Just In Stock Section — meaning we physically have the album and can ship it, though we may still be updating additional information about the release.
To see restocks of previously listed titles, visit our Recently Restocked page.
And if you're interested in a future release, you can ask us to notify you by email via our Upcoming Releases page — no obligation necessary.
April 24, 2025: New @ Squidco:
John Zorn (Medeski/Marsella/Hollenberg/Grohowski) -Through The Looking Glass [CD] (Tzadik)
John Zorn (Edgcomb/Greene/Hanes) -The Bagatelles Vol. 3 Trigger [CD] (Tzadik)
Ches Smith -The Self [CD] (Tzadik)
Sylvie Courvoiser/Mary Halvorson -Bone Bells [CD] (Pyroclastic Records)
Ingrid Laubrock -Purposing The Air [2 CDs] (Pyroclastic Records)
MouthWind (Van Schouwburg/Casserley) -Corps Et Biens - Hommage à Robert Desnos [CD] (Creative Sources)
La Noed (w/ Carlos Mascolo) -De la liberte [CD] (FMR)
Liang Yiyuan/Li Daiguo -Sonic Talismans [VINYL] (Full Spectrum)
Various -Evil Clown Shorties Volume 5 (2024-2025) [CDR] (Evil Clown)
Illusion Of Safety -Float [CD] (Full Spectrum)
April 23, 2025: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Abdou / Gouband / Warelis - Hammer, Roll and Leaf (Relative Pitch) by Ken Waxman.
April 22, 2025: New @ Squidco:
Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner -The Music of Anthony Braxton [CD] (Pi Recordings)
Painkiller (Harris/Laswell/Zorn) -The Great God Plan [CD] (Tzadik)
Ikue Mori -Of Ghosts And Goblins [CD] (Tzadik)
Jackie Myers -What About The Butterfly [CDR] (577 Records)
Vilhelm Bromander Unfolding Orchestra -Jorden Vi Arvde [CD] (thanatosis produktion)
Christer Bothen 3 -L'INVISIBLE [CD] (thanatosis produktion)
Ernesto Rodrigues/Jung-Jae Kim/Alvaro Rosso -Meari: Instant Waves [CD] (Creative Sources)
Tret Trio (Ron Hall/Tobias Weindorf/Phillipp Van Endert) -Crow Jam [CD] (FMR)
Turbulence Orchestra -Strum And Drang [CDR] (Evil Clown)
Unsub -Ambitious Victim [CDR] (Love Earth Music)
April 22, 2025: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Paul Bley Trio - Floater & Syndrome - The Upright Piano Sessions Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd) by John Eyles.
April 21, 2025: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Zeena Parkins / Chris Brown / William Winant / Ben Davis - Scree (Relative Pitch) by Brian Olewnick.
April 11, 2025:
Much of this week was spent studying the news and speaking with our international partners about the future. The economic events of the past week have been deeply concerning to us, as our mission is to exchange music with labels and musicians around the globe. The rise in independent labels and self-released albums — fueled by technological innovations that make self-publishing and promotion more accessible-has led to some of the most fascinating releases in the history of recorded music. This exchange of ideas has sparked collaborations, birthed new concepts, and merged styles in remarkable ways-something we at Squidco consider essential to our work.
We also work hard to keep our prices reasonable, which has been a challenge over the past 21 years as the costs of selling and shipping albums have increasingly surpassed the cost of the albums themselves. But we're not going to stop doing what we do. We remain committed to helping you build libraries of music from around the world-libraries that expand your ears and deepen your appreciation for sonic creativity.
Before we get to this week's music, I want to mention that for next week's Record Store Day, we'll be hosting a number of sales throughout the weekend. While we don't have any new RSD titles this year, we will be offering discounts on many labels and albums across our catalog, and all vinyl will be on sale. We'll also be digging into the archives for special offers, and including some free items with your orders. Let's celebrate together the importance of recorded music in our lives!
As for this week's new releases, it was a strong showing. We continued listening to and cataloging the latest batch from the UK's FMR label, especially Hemispheres II, which brings together British and Australian musicians using a range of exotic instruments-including didgeridoo. This one particularly struck a chord with me, as it brought to mind Not Drowning, Waving, a longtime personal favorite.
Hemispheres: II (FMR)
A cross-cultural instrumental suite uniting British and Australian musicians, featuring the resonant didgeridoo and rhythmic sticks of Paul Rider-Boon, the rich woodwinds of Susie Hodder-Williams and Chris Caldwell, atmospheric electronics and guitar from Sam Hodder, and the expressive voice of Clifton Bieundurry, spiritually merging indigenous sound with contemporary improv and electronica.
Cimnari, Matteo: Mental Core Drilling (FMR)
Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Matteo Ciminari leads an adventurous sextet through a labyrinth of polyrhythms, dissonant harmonies, and unexpected textures, with virtuosic contributions from Maurizio Moscatelli, Simone Maggio, Mattia Borraccetti, Michele Sperandio, and Luca Orselli, creating an unpredictable yet lyrical fusion of progressive structure, free jazz, and playful experimentation.
We also added several albums from Alex Zethson's Swedish label Thanatosis, three of which appear in this week's mailing list, notably Zethson's duo with Fire! Orchestra cellist Nikos Veliotis, and the latest from the microtonal tuba trio Microtub. We also brought in a reissue from France's Souffle Continu Records: a remastered 1984 United Dairies (Nurse With Wound) compilation that features artists from the GRRR label, along with two great new GRRR albums.
Zethson, Alex / Nikos Veliotis : Cryo (thanatosis produktion)
Pianist Alexander Zethson (Vathres, Fire! Orchestra, Angles) and cellist Nikos Veliotis (MMMD, In Trance 95) present two expansive, darkly immersive improvisations that drift through glacial landscapes of resonant, slowly shifting textures and austere tonal drones, sculpting elemental sound environments of profound stillness and contemplation through deep-listening and hypnotic intensity.
continued...
