SQUIDCO NEWS February 27, 2007

Another fine month of releases, with over 100 in this mailing:

Improv: 3 New Tzadiks, including Tony Oxley with Derek Bailey, and the sick guitar work of Mike Barr; 1 ICP and 1 Mengelberg releases; 4 Ambiances Magnetiques including a great new Joane Hetu release; several CIMP releases; Skull Sessions on Skycap; Gary Smith's excellent SuperTexture; Thurston Moore/Paul Flaherty/Chris Corsano Dream/Aktion Unit; Lori Freedman/Ig Henneman/Marilyn Lerner's great Queen Mab Trio; and new No Labels.

Rock & Related: ReR releases two Fred Frith CDs; an excellent new André Duchesne (Conventum) release on Ambiances Magnetiques; 6 Boredoms "Super Roots" reissues; new Faust; 2 Cuneiform titles - Hugh Hopper's reissued Hoppertunity, and NY's excellent Larval (Bill Brovald); Of Montreal's new Hissing Fauna; LTM's Factory/Crepescule retrospective "From Brussels with Love"; and Elton Dean/Hugh Hopper's great Soft Mountain release on Hux.

Electro-Acoustic: Australia's Room40 issues Text of Light; Jason Kahn and Günter Müller each with a new release on Cut; new Franciso López, and a joint López/Z'Ev release; Portugal's Soopa EA-Improv collective joins our label raster;

Compositional: At long last John Cage's "Atlas Eclipticalis with Winter Music" has been properly reissued by Mode; Moondog and friends is reissued, and the 7" version of Pastoral Suite; an important Clara Rockmore theremin retrospective; and LTM's historical review releases on Musica Futurista, Surrealism, and Dada.

DVDs: Captain Beefheart, Bowie and Nico documentaries, plus a retrospective of Factory records.

Vinyl: Several excellent QBICO releases and restocks including Faruq Z. Bey, Steve Mackay, Arthur Doyle, Alan Sondheim & Pengo; plus new BYG titles by Anthony Braxton & Archie Shepp.

Last, please check out our New Release Browser, which uses a browser frame to make it simpler to look through new releases. We're very curious to hear if people like this approach, as we may add this to all the new categories on the site. As always, we're interested in and value your feedback - please write and let us know what you think of the New Release Browser or any feature on our store!

• Bélanger, Marie-Soleil / Guilbeault, Normand: Les Salines (Ambiances Magnetiques)
• Baars / Henneman: Stof (WIG)
• Barr, Mick OCTIS: Iohargh Wended (Tzadik)
• Beresford / Palmer / Stagner / Turner: Short in the U.K. (Incus)
• Bergin, Sean Song Mob: Fat Fish (DATA)
• Bey, Faruq Z. / Northwoods Improvisers: INFA'A [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Braxton, Anthony: Actuel Volume 15: B-Xo/NOI47A [VINYL] (BYG RECORDS)
• Breuker, William / Keuken, Johan Van Der: Music For His Films 1967 / 1994 (BVHaast)
• Butcher, John / Prévost, Eddie : Interworks (Matchless)
• Buttercup Metal Polish: 50 Ballets (Creative Sources)
• Ceccarelli, Isaiah: Lieux-dits (Ambiances Magnetiques)
• Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, Arthur: Patriotic Act [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Dream/Aktion Unit: Blood Shadow Rampage (Volcanic Tongue)
• Drury / Matthews / Cirotteau: Bszent (Creative Sources)
• Frith, Fred, Joelle Leandre, Jonathan Segel: Tempted to Smile (Spool)
• Futterman, Joel: Passage (Ear-Rational)
• Gauci, Stephen Quartet: Wisps of an Unknown Face (CIMP)
• Greene, Burton: Retrospective 1961-2005 (CIMP)
• Gregorio, Guillermo / Karayorgis, Pandelis / McBride, Nate: Chicago Approach (Nuscope)
• Hétu, Joane: Nouvelle Musique d'Hiver (Ambiances Magnetiques)
• Haney, David Trio: Blues Royale (CIMP)
• Herstad Trio, Svein Olav featuring Sonny Simmons: Suite For Simmons: Live at Haugesund International Jazzfestival 2005 (Jazzaway)
• Janssen, Guus / Kweksilber, David: (Geestgronden)
• Kimmig / Schiller: Regen (Creative Sources)
• Knowles, Alison / Shimada, Taketo : Fluxsweet (Rossbin)
• Mackay, Steve & The Radon Ensemble: Tunnel Diner [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Malkovsky, Boris: Time Petah-Tiqva (Tzadik)
• Maneri, Mat / Maroney, Denman : Distich (Nuscope)
• Mengelberg / Honsinger / Baars / Bennink / Patrucco: Circus (ICP)
• Norton's Metaphor Quartet, Kevin: Not Only In That Golden Tree... (Clean Feed)
• Nusch Werchowska: Surgo (Creative Sources)
• Oxley, Tony: Project 1: Triangular Screen (Sofa)
• Oxley, Tony: The Advocate (Tzadik)
• Padmanabha / Shurdut / Olivia / Gianni / Welcome - Deep Fashion Band: ...Run - Way... (No Labels)
• Pope, Odean Quartet: To the Roach (CIMP)
• Queen Mab Trio: Thin Air (WIG)
• Rabbinical School Dropouts: Cosmic Tree (Tzadik)
• Sandell Trio, Sten : Oval (Intakt)
• Schweizer / Anderson / Drake : Willisau & Taktlos (Intakt)
• Shepp, Archie: Blasé [VINYL] (BYG RECORDS)
• Shepp, Archie: Poem For Malcolm [VINYL] (BYG Records)
• Shurdut / Gianni / Golub : Marching Band for Marion Brown (No Labels)
• Simmons, Sonny : I'll See You When You Get There (Jazzaway)
• Skull Session: Rise Above (Skycap Records)
• Smith, Gary / Various Artists: SuperTexture (sijis records )
• Sondheim, Alan: Fifty-Six [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Spiral Joy Band with John W. Fail: Pores In The Porch and Puddles Beneath (Soopa)
• Swell, Steve - David Taylor Quartet: Double Diploid (CIMP)
• Taylor, Cecil / Italian Instabile Orchestra: The Owner of the River Bank (enja / Justin Time)
• Tin Hat: The Sad Machinery of Spring (Hannibal)
• Various Artists: Improvised Music from Japan Extra 2006 Special Berlin Issue BOOK/2CD (Improvised Music From Japan)
• Wright / Rainey / Djll / Feeney : Road Signs (Soulonrice)

• Bosetti, Alessandro : Il Fiore della Bocca (Rossbin)
• Kahn, Jason: Fields (Cut)
• Krutogolov, Igor: White (Auris Media / Topheth Prophet)
• López, Francisco: Lopez Island (Elevator Bath)
• Müller, Günter: Reframed (Cut)
• Most People Have Been Trained To Be Bored.: Success in Cheap Prices (Bor Land / Soopa)
• Oram, Daphne: Oramics (Paradigm)
• SB, The: Who Will Feed Them [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Text of Light: Rotterdam 1 (Room40)
• United Scum Soundclash: Soopa vs. Radon (Soopa / Radon / Base Recordings)
• Z'EV / López, Francisco: Buzzin' Fly / Dormant Spores (Lapilli / Black Rose Recordings)

• Art Zoyd: Le Champ des Larmes (The Field of Tears) (Art Zoyd / in-possible Records)
• Boats, The: Tomorrow Time (Moteer::)
• Boredoms: Super Roots (Vice Recordings)
• Boredoms: Super Roots 3 (Vice Recordings)
• Boredoms: Super Roots 5 (Vice Recordings)
• Boredoms: Super Roots 6 (Vice Recordings)
• Boredoms: Super Roots 7 (Vice Recordings)
• Boredoms: Super Roots 8 (Vice Recordings)
• Brovold, Bill and Larval: Surviving Death / Alive Why? (Cuneiform)
• Duchesne, André: Cordes á Danser...Suite Saquenayenne (Ambiances Magnetiques)
• Faust: In Autumn (Dirter Productions)
• Ghost: In Stormy Nights (Drag City)
• Hopper, Hugh: Hopper Tunity Box (Cuneiform)
• Marcoeur, Albert: (m,a,r, et coeur comme coeur) (AMC)
• Martel, Frank / L'Ouest Celeste: Yé - Yi - You -Ya (Monsieur Fauteux)
• Non Credo: Impropera (Gazul)
• Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
• Pengo: Toadstools Among the Tombstones [VINYL] (QBICO)
• Soft Mountain: (Hux)
• Various Artists: From Brussels With love (LTM)

• Brant, Henry : Music for Massed Flutes (New World Records)
• Cage, John: Atlas Eclipticalis with Winter Music (Mode Records)
• Cardew, Cornelius: We Sing For The Future! (New Albion)
• Frith, Fred: The Happy End Problem (Music for Dance Volume 5) (Fred Records / ReR Megacorp)
• Johnston, Ben - Kepler Quartet: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 9 (New World Records)
• Moondog: Moondog and His Friends (Moondog's Corner)
• Moondog: Pastoral Suite / Surf Session [7" Vinyl] (Moondog's Corner)
• Rockmore, Clara: Clara Rockmore's Lost Theremin Album (Bridge Records)
• Scelsi, Giacinto: The Orchestral Works 2 (Mode Records)
• Various Artists: Musica Futurista: The Art of Noises (Salon LTM)
• Various Artists: Surrealism Reviewed (LTM)
• Various Artists: Voices of Dada (LTM)

• Bowie, David: Under Review 1976 - 1979: The Berlin Trilogy (Sexy Intellectual)
• Captain Beefheart: Under Review (Sexy Intellectual)
• Heuermann, Claudia: Sabbath in Paradise (Tzadik)
• Nico : All Tomorrow's Parties DVD (Cherry Red)
• Various Artists: Shadowplayers: Factory Records & Manchester Post-Punk 1978-81 (LTM)
• The Wire: #276 February 2007

Beautiful and intricate compositions using extended and unusual techinques from these two excellent string players. Guilbeault is perhaps best known for his recent Charles Mingus album, but here shows a more fluid and melodic side to his playing. Lovely and interesting.

"Fall 2005: While on a tour of France, Marie-Soleil Bélanger (who compulsively loves water) and Normand Guilbeault (a salt fan) had the chance to visit Guérande (Britanny) and its salt marsh. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"[...] Throughout these varied improvisations, the two voices are distinct, separate, but inseparable; their parts dovetail, rotate, evade contact, mesh. Confusing the perception of background and foreground, both spin out lines, either in layers or counterpoint, which may thin out or thicken, then splinter off into extended melody-which, in the subtle contemplation of light and shadow, tonal weight and restrained intensity, call to mind the pinpoint, nearly imperceptible clarity of lines on [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"One of the most extreme and virtuosic guitar players today creates compositions of repetitive and non-repetitive modular structures with speed, intensity and a profound inner logic. Included here are five breathtaking solo pieces and ten lightening fast pieces for guitar and drum machine that will make your head spin. Brilliantly combining the power of rock with a classical asceticism, this is unique and mysterious music from a masterful young musical experimentalist."-Tzadik

Steve Beresford with The Shaking Ray Levis, influenced by their shared interests in TV cartoons, preachers, mushy peas, the world of the painter and the preacher Reverend Howard Finster.

Faruq Z. Bey aka Malik Z. Bey aka Jesse Davis is a Detroit based tenor & alto player influenced by John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. He picked up his first tenor during the Detroit rebellion of '67, and declared himself liberated. He's been playing ever since, and this is a 2006 recording of himself with his group Northwood Improvisers. The music is in a late '60s Afro-jazz mode, very cool stuff.

The great reed player William Breuker worked with and created music for the films of Dutch documentary filmaker Johan van der Keuken, who passed away in 2001. Van der Keuken was a world traveler who published several books on photography and who created a large number of documentary films starting in 1957. He leaves behind an enormous oeuvre, which includes a documentary on Ben Webster in Europe. Breuker wrote and is credited for these pieces for Van der Keuken's films during three decades [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Saxophonist Butcher and percussionist Prévost are not the kind of musicians to turn in substandard performances, but even by their high standards this is a remarkably compelling disc. The recording by engineer Steve Lowe renders the protesting metallic wail of Prévost's tam-tam and Butcher's disparate whispers, squelches, and immaculately joined multiphonic excursions as vivid as sunlight in the tropics, and the player's interaction is fully up to the scrutiny enabled by such transparency. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"These compositions were inspired by numerous voyages in the French Alps and the Pyrenees. Several titles are the result of personal research into Savoyard and Occitan after having met the dialectologist Hubert Bessat who co-authored, with Claudette Germi, Les mots de la montagne autour du Mont-Blanc and Les noms du paysage alpin (Grenoble, Éditions littéraires et linguistiques de l'Université de Grenoble, 1991 and 1993). EstaoubioŠ is taken from an inscription found [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Doyle's Electro-Acoustic big band features the saxophonist in front of a band that includes Roland 505, turntables, guitar, drums and electronics. Highly charged and wildly unusual, this one-sided LP features a Keith Haring cover which is cut in 3 of it's corners.

"The Dream/Aktion Unit were originally birthed as a side-project to allow Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke to fully explore the kind of ecstatic power blues that their work in Sonic Youth repeatedly implied. The addition of legendary New England saxophonist Paul Flaherty and powerhouse drummer Chris Corsano provided them with an umbilical connection straight to the source of modern musical freedom, while working to liberate them from previously articulated modes of known rock-speak. As a quartet, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Stephen Gauci, who basically went unrecorded for the first 35 years of his life, has come on strong in the first part of the 21st century. From 2004 through 2006 he will have recorded and led five different recording dates and been a prominent sideman on others. At this time in his career Stephen seems to have three active groups: the first (2004) a trio with Mike Bisio and Jay Rosen; the second (the genesis of which was also in 2004) a trio with Jeremy Carlstedt and Todd Nicholson; and now [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Here we were again for the third day in a row at Gilbert Recital Hall, with a freshly tuned Steinway concert grand, ready to document the artistry of Burton Greene (1937, Chicago, IL), this time in solo performance. This is the third in a series of Burton recordings (quintet, trio, solo). [...]

Solo dates offer no space to hide-not a problem for Burton as he is one of the least secret people I know. Burton is always transparently Burton; exactly what I want musically. In Burton there [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"According to reedist/composer Guillermo Gregorio, this trio with pianist/composer Pandelis Karayorgis and double-bassist Nate McBride "...evidences a very consistent group." And, from the opening strains of "Assembly" through the closing notes in "Photogram," this is not only a consistent group, but a newborn trio - a true collective.

According to journalist Michael Rosenstein, "It's striking how the three play off of each other, drawing on each of their strengths while bringing out new [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Beautiful, mysterious improvised compositions with spoken interludes, recorded live in March 2003 at the first Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques (MNM) festival. This is music that pays attention to both atmosphere and unusual impulse, from an amazing cast of techinical and sonically gifted players, a who's who of the Actuelle scene. Highly recommended.

" "Nouvelle musique d'hiver" consists of four movements in which musicians improvise from a canvas and compositional design. - 1. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"After having successfully recorded David Haney (b. 1955, Fresno, CA) last summer, David and I immediately began to discuss further documentation. I felt, from having worked with him on a number of projects, David's original approach to pure improvising was to an extent established and that, in an effort to show his other dimensions, it might be rewarding to hear his approach to dealing with early 20th Century (popular) music. To further illustrate, I gave him a list of 20 or so pre-1930's tunes [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Live at Haugesund International Jazzfestival 2005 presents the lavish Svein Olav Herstad Trio featuring Sonny Simmons on alto saxophone and English horn, in a superb "suite" especially written for the occasion.

It is easily the most accesible Sonny Simmons record to date - but by no way a record dealing with easiness. Suite For Simmons demonstrates abilities he hadn't had ANY chance to show and develop before producer Jon Klette had the intelligence had the intelligence to free him from [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Trimming back their work from the trio seting with Winnyfred Beldman (Data 052), here the reed and key combo is presented mostly live, with one studio piece opening the CD. The results range from lovely tone pieces to intricate interactions that give both players room to explore. Predictably excellent improvisation.

"Saxophone player Steve Mackay has known no boundries when it comes to confronting varying musical forms. His effortless transition between playing methods engages the instrument he accompanies, equally capable of joining a background drone or leaping to the forefront. An active professional musician since the mid sixties, Mackay first found fame as the Funhouse-era sax player for The Stooges, (once inspiring Miles Davis to forcefully plug his ears during an NYC gig) then continuing on a long, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"A powerful project of bayan (button accordion) and string quintet by this exciting young composer/performer based in Israel. Originally commissioned by the Tel-Aviv Chamber Music Ensemble for members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Boris has adapted and expanded this music for his first Tzadik release. Mixing Jewish traditions with classical, gypsy and downtown improvisation, this is a rich world of lyricism and driving rhythms. New Jewish Music at its best."-Tzadik

"Featuring violist Mat Maneri and pianist Denman Maroney, the music on this disc is completely improvised, which brings in new aspects of each musician's approach, while retaining their significant strengths. According to Roger C. Miller (Mission or Burma/Birdsongs of the Mesozoic), who wrote the liner notes for the release, "There are no rhythms in the traditional sense in this music. But rhythm runs through it like the pulsing of a pond in summer. Living, non-linear (life is constantly full [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Alessandra Patrucco sings with members of the ICP orchestra.

"Formed in the Winter of 2000, Metaphor has already established a reputation as a group with integrity and originality in the New York music scene. Kevin Norton formed the group based on a sound he imagined: Combining the energy of a 1960's free jazz branch (i.e. Cecil Taylor) and the lyricism of another 1960's free jazz branch (i.e. Paul Bley) with the compositional and/or organizing techniques of 20th century classical music and ancient "folk" music.

Thinking of previous experiences [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

First release for the Norway based Sofa label, UK drummer Tony Oxley is a seminal figure in the European free improv scene, here playing with younger Norwegian players Ivar Grydeland and Tonny Kluften. The opening track "First Scan" was recorded live at the Kongsberg Jazz festival in March 2000, with the remainder being studio recordings from the same year.

"One of the most important musical partnerships in English Free Improvisation was the duo of Tony Oxley and Derek Bailey. Their long standing friendship began as early as 1963 with the group Joseph Holbrooke (including composer/bassist Gavin Bryars) and lasted over forty years. These recordings were created in the studio in 1975 and catch them at their peak. Also included is Oxley's touching tribute to Bailey, a dynamic new piece for electronics and percussion recorded live at the recent Bailey [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

For Odean Pope, 2006 seems to have brought about a renewal of sorts. A new recording of his Saxophone Choir (Half Note/ Soul Note), a collaboration with Prince Lasha (CIMP), and the notice of his steady uncompromised artistry over the past 40 years have all helped, at least temporarily, to increase the media and public attention to his presence. In addition, recognition of his mentoring is beginning to be noticed (recently both CIMP and Cadence Jazz Records have released impressive works by former [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Three women make up Queen Mab: frequent Ab Baars compatriot Ig Henneman on viola, with Montreal actuelle reed phenomenon Lori Freedman and fellow Canadian Marilyn Lerner on piano. With several records already in their discography this band's compositional style is strong, as is the communication between the players, making for an excellent and recommended release.

"The Rabbinical School Dropouts is as crazy a group of kooks as you could want. Sun Ra, the Hampton Grease Band, Frank Zappa and the Klezmatics all rolled into one, the music of the Friedmann brothers is fresh and imaginative. Their ten-member big band (featuring oboe, mandolin, bassoon, theremin, toy piano, tablas, etc.) storms through a dozen creative originals touching upon klezmer, jazz, funk, Latin, rock, and varied mishegoss along the way. Jewish garage jazz with a sick sense of humor from [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Sten Sandell's playing may be connected to New Music and Improvised Music, and neither of these musical directions would be associated with what is typically considered as Jazz. However, both Paal Nilssen-Love and Johan Berthling have done considerable work with bands more connected to the history of that aesthetic (in Paal's case, most notably with the quintet, ATOMIC; in Johan's, perhaps the trio LSB). The combination of these sets of experience bring considerable force to the range of possibilities [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"When Schweizer and Drake play together, they have impeccable communication. It is such an elegant interaction, so close and intimate and loving, that the thought of adding another player is at first off-putting. But then Fred Anderson is not just another player. He's Hamid Drake's oldest playmate, a mentor and supporter and bosom-buddy. Their relationship literally extends back to when Hamid was a kid, and over the last decade they've played together more frequently than in the previous one. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

An important '69 session from a great set of open-minded players in their prime, beautifully restored to it's original vinyl state.

"If I'll See You When You Get There will sound familiar to the dedicated followers of Sonny Simmons, it might come as a bit of a surprise to the others. Our man is known to excel in the duet form on stage, but his recorded body of works hasn't provided much to prove it, whereas his discography is paved with absolutely brilliant testimonies of his solo prowess. Besides a fairly good album with Brandon Evans, the (sadly not-yet released) original soundtrack for Jours Tranquilles A Sarajevo [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"The Skull Session project began in the fall of 2000 in Boston Massachusetts. The music presented on this recording was selected from two studio sessions recorded in the early spring of 2003 by Craig Welsh in his Boston studio. "My original intention was to present the players with a variety of musical motifs, some involved, some not so involved, and to let their individual interpretations collectively define the overall outcome of each selection. Timo Shanko, Luther Gray, Scott Getchell, and [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

With a background in both pop playing and classical composition, Gary Smith has released close to twenty albums and worked with such luminaries as Shoji Hano, Bill Fay, Rhys Chatham, John Stevens, Hugh Hopper and aufgehoben no process. His guitar playing is consistently building up a formidable vocabulary of technique. Without the use of effects pedals, overdubs or 'studio trickery' Smith's current performances are a revelation of gestural manipulation. The guitar is palmed, stroked, and smothered [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Playing guitar, alpine zither, electronic and field recordings, Sondheim is known from his two ESP release in the '60s, one on Ritual All 770, and another from Riverboat. This is his first release after almost 35 years, a strange and fascinating collection of soundwork and playing.

Three extended "armchair ethnomusicology" studies from Pelt members Mike Gangloff And Mikel Dimmick, along with John W. Fail from Cenotaph. The works are based around acoustic string compositions, similar to Pelt's output, using long, complex interactions and drones to create ecstatic or static music. Instruments used include tibetan prayer bowls, gongs, sruti box, esraj, tanpura, shenai, and tongue drum, as well as more conventional instrumentation.

"This is a follow-up to Steve Swell and Dave Taylor's first pairing. (For a further look into this coupling, I refer you to my notes of CIMP 321.) The concept on that date-trombonists with strings (Bang, Ulrich, and Filiano)-was so well realized that Dave immediately contacted me about another such pairing, this time with percussion. [...] The group opened with "Geological Time Line," a piece that reflects Dave's fascination with static or fixed sounds; a settling piece, one that uses the electronic [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Ruvo in September 2000 saw the arrival of the Italian Instabile Orchestra fresh from a triumphally successful appearance at the Chicago Jazz Fest (where it had performed an all-Instabile programme of compositions by the group's members), ready to embark on a totally differently structured venture with unabated energy. Taylor's seemingly extreme approach made certain that none of the musicians could succumb to tiredness, turn on their automatic pilot and trot out ready-made clichés. But [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Founded by composers and multi-instrumentalists Mark Orton, Carla Kihlstedt and Rob Burger in 1997, Tin Hat moves effortlessly between genres, creating a new kind of acoustic chamber music that melds elements of jazz, folk, classical, and various American and World roots music. The group's concert performances and recordings have earned widespread critical praise and an ever-growing legion of fans around the world.

When Rob Burger left the trio in 2004, Orton and Kihlstedt were faced [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

The latest Improvised Music from Japan book issue is in Japanese this time, so for many the book itself may be of interest only for the photos. The two CDs, however, makes up for the language barrier, with a great list of artists, as listed below. For the curious, the interviews in the book are:

Gregor Hotz
Nicholas Bussmann
Merle Bennett
Thomas Ankersmit
Ignaz Schick
Hannes Strobl
Pure
Annette Krebs
Andrea Neumann
Caramel Empties
Alessandro Bosetti
[ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Documenting two tours of trumpeter Tom Djill and saxophonist Jack Wright between 2002 and 2005, two trios with Bhob Rainey, and one longer trio with percussionist Tim Feeney, recorded in Boston and Rochster.

"Jack Wright's recent assertion that reductionism has had its day is certainly borne out in the quasi-sequel to 2000's Signs Of Life (Spring Garden Music), one of American reductionism's landmark recordings. Clarinettist Matt Ingalls is, sadly, not playing on Road Signs, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Produced in 2003 for the sound art department of a german radio station, "Il Fiore della Bocca" is one of the most controversial text sound compositions by Alessandro Bosetti. Composed exclusively with the voices of physically and mentally handicapped people, the piece displays an impressive richness, depth and variety of sound, covering the full range of musical possibilities of the spoken voice; from heavily processed to completely unprocessed, naked and direct. The piece has an ambiguous [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Seven compositions for analogue synthesizer, percussion, shortwave radio, and location recordings made in Croatia, Egypt, Japan, Lebanon and Switzerland. Similar to his Sirr.ecords release Sihl, based on the river of the same name running through Zürich, this release takes us out to the Fields in similar territory, but with and edgier and more elusive sound. The sound is slow moving, tonal worlds of interesting color that are both mysterious and beautiful, the perfect complement [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Igor Krutogolov is best known for his excellent prog-Klezmer band Kruzenshtern and Parahod. He also has released several electro-acoustic works, from harsh noise to graceful electro-acoustic composition. This release falls in the latter category, and is a gorgeous work of ambient composition. Conceived as a single concept consisting of seven parts, Krutogolov is accompanied by the sounds of bells and rain. Lovely in white...

"Lopez Island was crafted from original environmental sound matter recorded in Lopez Island during the Winter of 1999-2000. The resulting composition is 51 minutes of both delicate minutiae as well as startling power - crackling, howling, and haunting. The small island in Washington state provided the beautiful, isolated terrain for López's gathering of raw sounds and, as a personal audio document (though clearly beyond mere documentary), the landscape has been expertly translated. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Originally a drummer, Güner Müller continues his exploration of the instrument's inherent resonant properties in five compositions based on processed recordings of bowed cymbals. "Reframed" achieves a sense of timelessness, placing the listener deep within hovering layers of shimmering sound."-Cut

Hailing from Portugal, Soopa and Bor Land co-release this electro-acoustic work from Gustavo Costa under the name "Most people have been trained to be bored." Costa uses a variety of approaches to create a large work that moves in fits and spurts, making a music that's anything but boring. From the Bor Land press release:

"most people have been trained to be bored": in the absence of data that confirms it, we could say that the statement used as a moniker to gustavo costa's [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Daphne Oram is best known for her design of her Oramics system, and also for co-founding the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1958, but until now the only easily available piece of music by her on CD has been the 8 minute long 'Four Aspects'. There was also a 7" EP from 1962 on HMV, released as part of the 'Listen, Move and Dance' series that was specifically designed to help children dance. Although the short pieces on this record are very basic it could be argued that this was the first ever electronic [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"The SB is a music collective that experiments with audio intermodulation and sympathetic resonance, alternately producing strange attractors, unstable drones, standing waves, and complex fields of interference."-Free103

"Recorded at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in January 2005, this explosive piece from Text Of Light typifies their abilities as a vivid freeform improvisational unit. Ranaldo and Licht's measured guitar work sets a basis on which Kreiger's blaring saxtronics, Barnes' percussive explorations and DJ Olive's swirling turntable incursions can intertwine and augment one another. This piece ebbs and flows, each of the players listening intently and guiding the proceedings with disarmingly [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

A twisted and weird mix of free jazz, electronics, ea-improv, and noise - fitting for the name of the project - which was sent to us for review, and quickly found it's way into our weekly Squidco Radio show. The release is based on hours of improvised sessions performed by members of the US based Radon Collective with Portugal's Soopa collective, painstakingly sculpted into individual compostions. One track features The Stooge's Steve Mackay on sax, while Lydia Lunch/The Residents collaborator [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"A sensational collaborative album between Z'EV, one of the forefathers of industrial music, and renowned Spanish artist Francisco Lopez, known for his releases, performances and installations worldwide. Z'EV's 'buzzin' fly (in loving memory of Tim Buckley)' is a full spectrum 32 minute piece full of dynamic shifts, sonic worlds and can be described as oceanic in feel. Lopez's 'dormant spores' takes 40 minutes to run it's course, and is perhaps a more meditative piece than Z'EV's, but no less [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Art Zoyd's soundtrack for the performance project by Gerard Hourbette, Kasper T. Toeplitz & Dominik Barbier, described as:

"The Field of Tears lies in the Underworld, which according to Greek mythology was crossed by the five rivers, which become movements of an imaginary concert of images and sounds. The concept of the river in the mythology of the Underworld forms the link with the creation of a single, uninterrupted flow. Based on this theme, this multimedia performance [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

3rd release from The Boats, who are Remote Viewer's Andrew Hargreaves and Craig Tattersall, creating delicate songs with names like "You're an Idiot" and "A Sincere Fuck You." A good evolution for the band, and a nice record of unusual pop songs.

The first of a series of releases bearing the Super Roots name, this 1994 EP was originally issued as an EP on Reprise with four songs, expanded here to 14 (arguably 12, since tracks 11 & 13 seem to be missing from the listing!) To say that this is odd material is an understatement, but even for Boredoms this is quite weird: short songs, some manic, some peaceful, screams, rapid vocals, drums rolls and odd percussion... each song a bizarre and generally short little world, as only Eye and compatriots [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Super Roots, Vol. 3 is about as different from Vol. 1 as you can get, made up of a single 33-and-a-half-minute cut, "Hard Trance Away (Karaoke of the Cosmos)." This one solid blast-ass cut consists of a single hardcore riff for nearly the first ten minutes and then the same riff changes key -- goes up a step -- at the ten-minute mark, and finally changes cadence at the 11-minute mark. It moves in various ways (slowly, usually designated by a different kind of drum fill) before fading to silence [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

The fifth volume in the Boredoms' Super Roots series is the longest and easily the most extreme. Composed of a single, 64-minute track, it's the stuff pure noise fans will bleat over. Guitars, basses, drums, sonic rumblings from another world and distortion up the wazoo are what designate and distinguish "02 GO!!!!!" from anything else in the Japanese outfit's catalog. It's as extreme as Merzbow, and somehow seems to be both more and less musical simultaneously. In fact, the entire cut feels [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"The 17 numbered tracks of the album Super Roots 6 were issued in 1996 and was the only title in the Super Roots series to see a release in the US, although it has been out of print for years. Aside from a harsh noise buffer in opener "01," some slicing cymbal in "13," and some squeaking ape stomp in "14," Super Roots 6 is the gentlest of any Boredoms release, a collection of static and minimally manipulated beats, sometimes juxtaposed with world music loop overlays. It seems to have been been [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"This EP might sound familiar to Mekons fans; ostensibly, it's an extended cover of the group's second single, "Where Were You?" The gods and goddesses of the rave had their way with the Boredoms by its 1998 release date, particularly in its exuberant, 20-minute "Boriginal" mix (numerologically helping to celebrate the Mekons' 20-year anniversary as an active band by proxy). Both this version and the two Eye-sanctioned remixes that bookend it lock into the mekano-heartbeat of Krautrock and embrace [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"This EP finds the group tackling the theme to the Japanese TV show "Jungle Taitei." It would seem that they took the title literally, as the otherwise majestic track is sliced into thousands of pieces by 250 BPM beyond-gabber drum programming. Yann Tomita's blissed out "Laughter Robot's Hemp Mix" helps to bring the track back to earth, with spacy, phased percussion and heavy electronic dub passages. It's the only selection in the entire collection touched by outside influence, a trend that would [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Larval is a avant/post-rock instrumental band consisting of an ever changing lineup of some of the best musicians in Detroit. Led by composer Bill Brovold, Larval's experimental rock often combines wall-of-sound guitars, bass and drums with saxes and violin, and is very direct and powerful. Founded in 1996, after Bill had spent five years performing with experimental / no wave legend Rhys Chatham, this is Larval's fifth album and the two disc set showcases two side of the band's work. Disc one [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"André Duchesne's (Conventum) Cordes à danser is an impressionistic rock suite of 12 instrumental pictures inspired by the landscapes among which he spent his childhood, in the industrial atmosphere of the Saguenay. One could see the relationship between quartet and trio as the reunion of a triangle and a square. One moves forward like an arrow or a ship, while the other develops and builds. Composition and improvisation. Dragged by three horses, the buggy rolls on through landscapes [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

4 discs of live recordings from Faust's 2005 UK tour, 3 audio CDs and 1 DVD, with liner notes from Jean-Herve Peron in a 32 page booklet. This material draws from the vast Faust catalog, and includes many classic tracks, some performed live for the first time. The first two discs are a complete and unedited show from The Carling Academy at Newcastle; the 3rd disc collects highlights from other shows of the same year, and the DVD contains footage from various points of the tour. Showing the [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Ghost is a Japanese collective of psychedelic rockers headed by guitarist Masaki Batoh, with a discography going back to 1991.

"Over the hour's-worth of music and sound that makes In Stormy Nights, Ghost apply their folk sounds, improvisations and avant-garde constructions to a savage evocation. In the world we live in today, we can only imagine what this means. And we agree. Throughout In Stormy Nights there are a variety of sounds and songs, ranging from pop-folk numbers [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Hugh Hopper left Soft Machine in 1973 to pursue a solo career, an apparently wise move considering the wealth of his catalog. His 1977 "Hopper Tunity" was Hopper's second release, after the excellent "1984." It's an extremely strong album for the period, as the increasingly confident artist took control of the music and the studio. With sophisticated melodies and great grooves, Hopper created a work that combined prog with both the fusion movement of the time, but also with more serious work, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Third release for Montreal poet and musician Frank Martel et l'Ouest céleste, here presenting 13 short songs about fruits, vegetables and animals. With a strong set of players including the amazing guitarist Bernard Falaise and Michel F Côté on percussion, this is a fun set of songs with an unlikely western flavor, punctuated with odd electronics and strange breakdowns.

"Non Credo is the duo of Kira Vollman And Joseph Berardi. She's a singer, he's a drummer, but their musical palette extends well beyond the scope of their primary instruments. Clarinets, marimbas, accordions, cellos, broken-down keyboards, cheap electronics, altered children's toys and anything else that falls into their path are utilized. Their sound, with its quick-witted arrangements and Teutonic expressionism balanced by a whimsical attitude, falls solidly into the Rock In Opposition camp. [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Squidco doesn't sell a lot of pop records, but of Montreal is such a sophisticated and complicated band that still remembers how to enjoy the music that we simply can't resist. Not from Montreal at all, this band grew out of the Elephant 6 collective in Athens, Georgia, and has released at least a dozen albums so far. Since 2004's The Sunlandic Twins album the band has been on a massive roll, both creatively and in the way their music is being received. Kevin Barnes is the brain-child [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Pengo comes from Rochester, NY and are simply a dark-bright beacon of madness in the subterranean swamp of psychedelic junk collectors... they're kind of elusive, having issued only one LP prior to this release + few CD-R and tapes... they are affiliated with the bands Coffee & the Doyle EAE"-QBICO

Debut recording of the collaboration of Soft Machine's Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper with God Mountain's Hoppy Kamiyama and Ruins/Acid Mothers/etc/etc drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. This limited edition digipack includes liner notes from Hugh Hopper.

Originally released as a deluxe cassette/book package in November 1980, From Brussels With Love featured 22 exclusive tracks from the international avant garde and new wave, as well as the celebrated Factory Records roster. Then, as now, the contributing artists include Gavin Bryars, Harold Budd, Dome, The Durutti Column, John Foxx, Martin Hannett, Richard Jobson, Bill Nelson, New Order and Michael Nyman. The programme also includes extended interviews with Brian Eno and iconic French actress [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"The long and illustrious career of American composer Henry Brant (born 1913) can be framed with the music he has written for the flute. The Pulitzer Prize–winning composer's three epic works for multiple flutes do not fit into any standard category of instrumentation or form; rather, they span the creative life of a man who for all of his life has been referred to as a "maverick," a "pioneer," an "experimentalist," and, since the 1950s, the "world's leading composer of 'spatial' music," [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

CD reissue of Mode's second John Cage LP set, originally released as a 4-LP set on Mode in 1986, here remastered at 96khz/24-bit mastering with bonus tracks.

This is the first recording of all 86 instrumental parts of Atlas Eclipticalis, recorded under Cage's supervision at the "John Cage at Wesleyan Festival" in 1988, with all-star players including the Arditti Quartet, Alvin Lucier, Christian Wolff, Neely Bruce and others. These recordings stem from Cage's relationship with the Cornish [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Twenty years on, Cardew's music still provokes controversy. Even amongst his many admirers, his later 'political' music in particular creates unease and perhaps misgivings. The relation of the music to its 'programme' and to the lofty aims it purports to serve is problematic enough, so let us remind ourselves what Cardew himself wrote about this music in the seventies:

"I have discontinued composing music in an avant-garde idiom for a number of reasons: the exclusiveness of the avant-garde, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Frith's Music for Dance Volume 5 - two works for small ensembles, which were performed for each of Amanda Miller's dances created for The Pretty Ugly Dance Company. The first is based on Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, and the other a deliberately Western look at Japanes culture. According to Chris Cutler:

'Happy End' presents two, related, small-ensemble works for 6 and 7 musicians respectively - mostly strings of one sort or another, with percussion, flute, clarinet [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Ben Johnston's music shows the confluence of several traditions of music-making that have flourished within the United States. In the 1950s his output was characterized by the neoclassicism of his teacher Darius Milhaud. In the 1960s he explored serial techniques and, at the end of the decade, indeterminacy. From 1960 onward the overriding technical preoccupation of his music has been its use of just intonation, the tuning system of the music of ancient cultures as well as that of many living traditions [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

The music played by Moondog and his friends on this CD was

Originally released on vinyl in the early 1950s as EPIC LG 1002, this LP has been carefully restored and remastered by Andreas Torkler at the Sonopress Studio in Gütersloh (Germany), presented for the first time on CD in a complete edition. And as a bonus Moondog's Corner has added in some relatively new but hard to get selections of music by Moondog: In 1987, the American musician Paul Jordan recorded LOGRUNDR XVIII in [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

7" vinyl version of the CD/EP on Moondog's Corner. Originally released in 1953 on Gabriel Oller's SMC Label. Moondog and his wife Suzuko sing and play Moondog's unusual instruments "in front" of a frightening storm. Restored and remastered by Andreas Torkler at Sonopress Studio Gutersloh, Germany.

"Long regarded as "The Queen of the Theremin," Clara Rockmore's virtuosity as the world's leading exponent of the theremin, was commonly acknowledged during her long and successful career. Intimately involved with Leon Theremin in the development of the instrument, Clara Rockmore's career as a thereminist had her performing with major orchestras and with her sister, the legendary pianist, Nadia Reisenberg. The Rockmore/Reisenberg duo is heard on this CD in 13 never-before released tracks, recorded [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"The first recording of his 32-minute grand cantata La nascita del Verbo. Steeped in chromaticism, with hints of Scriabin and a sea of percussion, Nascita boasts a vast double fugue (one of the most imposing in the history of music) and a forty-seven voice canon in twelve keys. This work, "truly written in blood," left Scelsi "in a deplorable state," afterwards he stopped composing for several years.

One of Scelsi's infamous pieces is the Quattro Pezzi (su una nota sola). Each piece is [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Subtitled: Music & Words from the Italian Futurist Movement 1909-1935

"Musica Futurista is a 73 minute collection of music and spoken word from the Italian Futurist movement 1909-1935 including original recordings by Marinetti and Russolo. As well as vintage free-verse readings by Futurist founder Marinetti the collection includes recordings of the celebrated intonarumori (noise intoners) created by Luigi Russolo including his landmark composition The Awakening of a City. As well as period [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Surrealism Reviewed is a companion CD to the acclaimed collection Futurism & Dada Reviewed. For the very first time, original recordings by the key Surrealist artists, writers, artists and theorists have been gathered together on a single volume. Made between 1929 and 1963, these historic recordings include poetry, interviews, lectures and manifestos. Most are in the English language, some in French (FR), while those by Robert Desnos (1938) and Herbert Read (1937) have not been heard since [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

Rare interviews and poetry readings by six key Dada anti-artists recorded between 1932 and 1967. All material has been digitally remastered, and the booklet features images and detailed historical notes by James Hayward. Intended as a companion volume to the other LTM releases: "Futurism & Dada Reviewed 1912-1959" and "Surrealism Reviewed", with little content overlap between the three releases - together they give an excellent perspective on the extreme and unusual ideas of that period, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Seismic performances: did the earth move for you? Our crack writing squad dredge the collective cultural memory to

Seismic performances: Wire writers recall some of the most dynamic, ground-breaking or just plain awesome concerts, gigs and live music performances.

Features: Infinite Livez (London's hiphop's Cockney rebel describes his headlong collisions with Swiss electronica duo Stade)

Richard Skelton (The musician behind Harlassen, A Broken Consort and Carousell on [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"By the mid 1970s David Bowie was the biggest pop star in the UK, but his personal life was in turmoil. In a bid to escape the chaos of his drug problems and to flea from the media spotlight, the singer eventually found his way to Berlin, where he started to work on what would become some of the most memorable and critically lauded recordings of his entire career.

With Low, "Heroes" and Lodger Bowie stopped moving from persona to persona as he had previously done, [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Captain Beefheart - Under Review is a two hour documentary film tracing the roots and history of this iconic musical legend. Featuring rare live and studio performances of Beefheart, interspersed with contributions from virtually all members of The Magic Band - along with a panel of esteemed experts.

John French, Mark Boston, Jeff Moris Tepper, Elliot Ingber, Ira Ingber, Jerry Handley, Doug Moon, Gary Marker, Eric Drew Feldman and Gary Lucas are all here discussing their times spent playing [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Claudia Heuermann's fascinating documentary on the Radical Jewish Culture movement out of downtown New York's East Village in the early 1990's. Featuring exciting concert footage, in depth interviews with Anthony Coleman, Marc Ribot, Andy Statman, David Krakauer, Frank London, John Zorn and many others, this is a fascinating view into a small cultural revolution in the making. Included as a bonus is a new thirty minute film showing perspective through newly filmed interviews and concert footage [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"One of the most fascinating figures of rock's fringes, Nico hobnobbed, worked, and was romantically linked with an incredible assortment of the most legendary entertainers of the '60s. Nico first rose to fame as a European supermodel, also landing a bit part in Fellini's La Dolce Vita film. In the mid-1960's she moved to New York, where Andy Warhol installed her as a vestigial presence and occasional lead singer for the Velvet Underground. The band never really accepted her as a bona fide member [ ... continued @ Squidco ]

"Shadowplayers is a feature-length oral history documentary film (135 minutes) tracing the early history of iconic Manchester record label Factory Records between 1978 and 1981. Includes interviews with 22 key participants: Anthony H. Wilson (founder) and Peter Saville (designer), as well as musicians including Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), Vini Reilly (Durutti Column), Simon Topping and Martin Moscrop (A Certain Ratio), Chris Watson (Cabaret Voltaire) and Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks/Magazine), [ ... continued @ Squidco ]