Around that, we've been very engaged in our plans for the fall, with some truly great albums coming up. For those who follow Squidco, next week ends with the U.S. Labor Day holiday, and we'll take a bit of a breather as we begin purchasing for the fall season. You can see some of those plans on our Upcoming Releases page, where you can ask us to email you when a release becomes available, or have an order placed automatically once it arrives in stock.

Philz Weekly Recommendations:

I spent most of the week working on a review of the magnificent John Tilbury box set on Another Timbre, researching Tilbury's early associations and reflecting on his legacy. That didn't stop me from listening to the new releases that arrived over the last week, and I'll start with the most unusual: Ute Wassermann's Chimeric, a wild set of compositions built around Wassermann's voice and extraordinary range of utterance, accompanied by an eccentric assortment of instruments.

The trio of Mikolaj Trzaska with John Edwards and Mark Sanders brings us masterful collective improvisation, as one might expect from the enduring rhythm section of Edwards and Sanders. From Chicago we received the duo of saxophonist Frank Trompeter — whose name amusingly suggests another instrument — with drummer, percussionist and flutist Richard Gilman-Opalsky, their long-running collaboration heard in a tremendously informed and responsive dialogue.

Another collective from London filled my ears this week: Adam Bohman on amplified objects and strings, Sue Lynch on tenor saxophone, clarinet and flute, and Crystabel Efemena Riley on drums and metallic percussion. Their electroacoustic conversation is detailed, unpredictable and rewarding of close listening. Two great albums from the London scene made for an especially strong week.

As Trem Azul closes the chapter on its Clean Feed label, one of the final releases is a double-CD set documenting the last performances of Sei Miguel's O Carro de Fogo. Drawn from two live concerts, Miguel's singular approach to improvisation offers a fitting reflection on his own legacy, as well as that of the impressive Clean Feed catalog he helps bring to a close.

We also started work on a new group of albums from Love Earth Music, and I'll highlight the 7" vinyl collaboration between Swiss turntablist Joke Lanz and Fargo-based electronics artist Matthew Taggart, aka PCRV, as a great example of the label's breadth. Steve Davis continues to find intriguing projects to release, while his own work as +DOG+ and Money is also represented among this week's new arrivals.

Elliott Sharp picks up his custom Koll 8-string guitarbass for the fifth volume of his Octal series, presenting a set of solo improvisations shaped around scientific and mathematical concepts. And Kevin Drumm shows us his quieter side in a five-CD box set of electroacoustic compositions, appropriately titled Mild Temper.

Wassermann, Ute: Chimeric [VINYL] (Thin Wrist)

Expanding the voice into a mutable electroacoustic ecosystem, Ute Wassermann combines breath, multiphonics, growls, whispers and animal-like calls with bird whistles, jaw harps, hydrophones, drums and brass megaphones, creating six vividly spatial pieces where body, object and environment continually merge, fracture and reform.

Trzaska, Mikolaj / John Edwards / Mark Sanders: Because It Happens [VINYL] (gusstaff records)

Reuniting Polish reedist Mikolaj Trzaska on alto saxophone and bass clarinet with the long-integrated British rhythm team of bassist John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders, this live Cafe OTO performance unfolds as spontaneous collective composition, shifting fluidly between eruptive free-jazz intensity, textured restraint, lyrical exchanges and rapidly redirected momentum.

Bohman, Adam / Sue Lynch / Crystabel Efemena Riley: Lynboril Lisinopril (Otoroku)

Drawn together through London's Horse Improvised Music Club, Adam Bohman on amplified objects and strings, Sue Lynch on tenor saxophone, clarinet and flute, and Crystabel Efemena Riley on drums and metallics shape a buoyant, finely balanced trio language of crystalline winds, tactile percussion and eccentric object sound, playful and airy even as the interaction intensifies.

Trompeter, Frank / Richard Gilman-Opalsky : Antifascist Freedom Music (Mahakala Music)

Drawing on a 20-year musical partnership, Chicago-born saxophonist Frank Trompeter joins drummer, percussionist and wood flutist Richard Gilman-Opalsky for an impassioned studio duo of free jazz and creative improvisation, moving from melodic and swinging exchanges to raw, turbulent intensity shaped by deep familiarity, spontaneous interplay and an explicitly antifascist spirit.

Miguel, Sei: Viva! O Carro de Fogo de Sei Miguel [2 CDs] (Clean Feed)

Featuring Sei Miguel on trumpet and direction with Fala Mariam, Nuno Torres, Pedro Lourenco, Bruno Silva, Andre Goncalves, Raphael Soares and Luis Desirat, documenting the final performances of O Carro de Fogo in two 2023 Portuguese concerts, where spacious ensemble architecture, microtonal phrasing and tightly controlled collective interplay affirm Miguel's singular late-period vision.

Lanz, Joke / Matthew Taggart: Collaborations [7-inch VINYL'] (Love Earth Music)

Swiss turntablist and Sudden Infant founder Joke Lanz joins Fargo-based PCRV electronics artist Matthew Taggart for a compact 7-inch collaboration, bringing Lanz's volatile cut-up language and musique concrète instincts into contact with Taggart's improvised harsh electronics, abrupt textures and noise structures for an intensely concentrated meeting of two underground experimental practices.

Sharp, Elliott: OCTAL: Book Five for 8-string guitarbass (zOaR Records)

Returning to his custom Koll 8-string guitarbass for the fifth volume of the Octal series, Elliott Sharp builds improvisations from concepts in physics, language and philosophy, using a prime-number-derived tuning system alongside preparations, slides, EBow and spring bows to exploit the instrument's broad bass-to-guitar range, resonant body and richly layered electroacoustic color.

Drumm, Kevin: The Mild Temper [6 CD BOX SET] (Sonoris)

Across six CDs and more than six hours, Kevin Drumm develops a vast electroacoustic environment of drones, micro-acoustic detail and shifting frequency structures, balancing stasis and motion through gradual transformations in density, resonance and spatial depth, for an immersive study in the physical and perceptual qualities of sound; mastered by Jim O'Rourke.

Squidco Publishing Roundup:

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.

August 25, 2028: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: John Tilbury - At Home [4 CD BOX] (Another Timbre) by Phil Zampino.

August 27, 2026; New @ Squidco:
Sei Miguel - Viva! O Carro de Fogo de Sei Miguel [2 CDs] (Clean Feed)
Frank Trompeter/Richard Gilman-Opalsky - Antifascist Freedom Music [CD] (Mahakala Music)
Joke Lanz/Matthew Taggart - Collaborations [7-inch VINYL'] (Love Earth Music)
Gladys Norbiga - Kiss Me When I Die [CDR] (Love Earth Music)
Theo Nugraha/+DOG+ - Split [CDR] (Love Earth Music)
Money - 5 [2 CDs] (Love Earth Music)

August 25, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: LDL (Leimgruber/Demierre/Lehn) - The Eerie Glow Of Jellyfish (Relative Pitch) by Massimo Ricci.

August 25, 2026: New @ Squidco:
Adam Bohman/Sue Lynch/Crystabel Efemena Riley - Lynboril Lisinopril [CD] (Otoroku)
Mikolaj Trzaska/John Edwards/Mark Sanders - Because It Happens [VINYL] (gusstaff records)
Kevin Drumm - The Mild Temper [6 CD BOX SET] (Sonoris)
Ute Wassermann - Chimeric [VINYL] (Thin Wrist)
Elliott Sharp - OCTAL: Book Five for 8-string guitarbass [CD] (zOaR Records)

August 24, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Magda Mayas' Filamental - Murmur (Relative Pitch) by Jeph Jerman.

Shipp / Perelman IN PERPETUUM:

Our association with saxophonist Ivo Perelman on Squid Note Records continues with the second album in the Duologues series, an upcoming duo recording with longtime collaborator Matthew Shipp, now available for pre-order ahead of its October 2nd release.

Aside from releasing these fantastic albums, Ivo Perelman has gone farther to announce that we will be releasing a duo with Matthew Shipp every year on our label going forward. It's great news for us, and reaffirms our commitment to getting new music out into the world.

GREAT NEWS!
Squidco will release a new Perelman/Matt Shipp duo every year IN PERPETUUM. The first one comes out October 2nd, Duologues 7 "Distillation"
Here you can pre-order it and listen to track 4( Vol 1) and track 9( Vol 2) — Ivo Perelman

"Across three decades of collaboration, tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp have developed one of the most sustained and distinctive musical relationships in contemporary improvised music"-Squid Note Records

Last Friday we released our second Squid Note Records release with Ivo Perelman, the duo of Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp: Duologues 7: Distillation. This is a "double" digital album, two studio sessions between the two that does indeed "distill" the excellent rapport between these two frequent collaborators.

More on EU Duty and De Minimis:

As of July 1, 2026, the European Union eliminated its previous customs-duty exemption for imported goods valued at EUR 150 or less. At the same time, VAT continues to be required on goods imported into the EU. These changes have made selling relatively inexpensive recordings from the United States to individual European customers considerably more complicated. We value our European customers and do not want these new requirements to prevent listeners from buying the music we carry, so we have been working to establish a practical way to continue serving the EU.

For customers in the European Union, we are currently using Discogs as the conduit for Squidco orders. Discogs operates as a marketplace facilitator and, for qualifying orders, collects the appropriate VAT from the buyer at checkout and remits it through its Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) registration.This allows the VAT portion of an EU order to be handled correctly at the time of purchase rather than being collected from the customer when the package arrives.

In addition to VAT, the EU's new rules impose customs duty on low-value imports that previously entered duty-free. To accommodate this, we have created special EU shipping rules in our Discogs store that incorporate the additional customs-duty cost into the shipping charge. These shipping rules are named "EU Duty Paid via Economy". We then ship these orders using FedEx International Connect under Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) terms. The customs information for each recording is transmitted with the shipment, and the applicable duty is paid through FedEx rather than being left for the customer to pay upon delivery.

Our goal is simple: whenever possible, the amount you pay when placing the order should cover the VAT, shipping and required customs duty, without an unexpected VAT or duty bill when the package reaches you.

You can browse and order from our Discogs storefront here:

Visit the Squidco Discogs Store

Philz Weekly Recommendations:

The summer in the Northern Hemisphere brings a slower release schedule, but this week delivered a concentration of excellent new albums well worth paying attention to. The album I found most exciting comes from Fundacja Sluchaj! (Listen Foundation!), featuring the trio of Benjamin Dwyer, Rafal Mazur and Ramon Lopez in collective improvisation of remarkable depth and communication. Across two extraordinary performances, they move through a wealth of transitions while drawing on the "Way of Spontaneity," rooted in ideas of unity, the indivisibility of reality and constant motion.

My listening then moved to the fourth entry in the High Laver Levitations series from AMM drummer Eddie Prévost's Matchless Recordings label. Binker Golding, Olie Brice and Eddie Prévost follow their Secret Handshake with Danger album by distilling the trio into a superb balancing act between fully free improvisation and free jazz-informed collaboration.

This next album almost needs no introduction, so masterful are the personnel and so deeply rooted are their long-standing collaborations: B:A:N:S BAND, with Sophie Agnel, John Butcher, Pascal Niggenkemper and Stale Liavik Solberg. The level of sophistication and their ability to create an extraordinarily broad palette of sound is remarkable, through saxophone excursions and inside-and-out piano playing with preparations. Close listening is especially rewarding with this album.

I am also very excited about the latest Glass Triangle album from the trio of Zeena Parkins, Mette Rasmussen and Ryan Sawyer. Their first collaboration was titled Glass Triangle, with the subsequent releases adopting the name for the project itself, and this third album demonstrates the depth of their now long-standing association through a succinct set of improvisations that fit naturally within their Downtown New York roots.

Two other bands return this week as well. First, Martin Küchen's Angles project appears as a quartet this time on Relative Pitch Records, offering new takes on four compositions from previous releases. That includes "Every Woman Is A Tree," the title piece from the 2008 Clean Feed album of the same name, with Küchen, Kjell Nordeson, Johan Berthling and Mattias Ståhl providing continuity between the two albums. After so many years, I continue to find Angles a remarkably consistent band, particularly considering how far-ranging Küchen's own work can be.

Relative Pitch also released the second album from Believe, the Australia-centric quartet of Peter Farrar on alto sax, Novak Manojlovic on piano, Clayton Thomas on double bass and Laurence Pike on drums. Building on their communication through extensive work and performance, the group takes listeners on an intense journey through jazz influences and fully free playing.

Also on Relative Pitch, the quartet of Joe Morris, alto saxophonist Rob Brown, tenor saxophonist/flutist Anna Webber and drummer Matthew Rousseau balances composed and free playing, with all of the compositions coming from Morris. A master of collective interaction, Morris puts forward structures that yield excellent group interplay while still creating space for each musician to shine.

Last, if you haven't yet dipped your toe into the vast Boston-based Evil Clown universe of bands revolving around David Peck, I find the Evil Clown Shorties series to be a great starting point. Each piece is succinct, recorded as a complement to the larger sessions the musicians perform, giving listeners a chance to sample the groups they are drawn from, including Leap of Faith, Turbulence, Perturbations, Metal Chaos Ensemble, String Theory, &c.

Enso (Benjamin Dwyer / Rafal Mazur / Ramon Lopez): Rhizoming (Fundacja Sluchaj!)

Irish guitarist Benjamin Dwyer, Polish bass guitarist Rafal Mazur and Spanish percussionist Ramon Lopez form Enso, a trio devoted to spontaneous collective improvisation, drawing on the idea of the single unbroken gesture to create fluid, continuously transforming music in which guitar, bass, drums and tabla interweave through close listening, shifting relationships and a kinetic sense of motion.

Golding / Brice / Prevost: High Laver Levitations Vol 4: Sound-Out - jazz is dead, long live jazz (Matchless)

Binker Golding, Olie Brice and Eddie Prévost reduce their earlier Secret Handshake with Danger collaboration to an elemental saxophone, bass and drums trio, bringing contemporary London jazz into Prévost's High Laver Levitations series through vigorous free improvisation where pulse, melody, resonance and abstraction continually test and renew the boundaries of jazz.

B:A:N:S BAND (Sophie Agnel / John Butcher / Pascal Niggenkemper / Stale Liavik Solberg): Foam & Mesh (Fundacja Sluchaj!)

The debut recording from B:A:N:S Band brings Sophie Agnel's radically extended piano together with John Butcher's exploratory saxophones, Pascal Niggenkemper's highly physical double bass and Ståle Liavik Solberg's responsive percussion in two long-form collective improvisations of texture, resonance, density and silence, captured live at Austria's 2024 Artacts Festival.

Glass Triangle (Parkins / Rasmussen / Sawyer): 3 X 1 [CD + DOWNLOAD] (Relative Pitch)

Zeena Parkins, Mette Rasmussen and Ryan Sawyer return for Glass Triangle's third album, expanding the electric harp, alto saxophone and percussion language of their earlier releases with voice, preparations and bells, while distilling their volatile free improvisation into shorter, sharply focused pieces balancing texture, space, momentum and spontaneous collective change.