The most important and influential of German RIO band Faust's first albums in a sturdy 5-CD box with a booklet including interviews with band members, a memoir by Peter Blegvad, and interviews with Uwe Nettlebeck and Kurt Graupner; CDs include 'So Far', 'The Faust Tapes' & '71 Minutes' plus a BBC Sessions + classic radio sessions and "substantial extra material".

Great record from Threadgill's Zooid ensemble, an all-acoustic group with guitar, cello, oud, tuba and drums, along with the leaders saxophone and flute. Beautiful compositions, nicely played.

The Fence: about borders and fences all over the world, using long amplified strings and voices; Bagni di Dolabella: a violinists guide to the treatments and political intrigues of an ancient roman bath.

A live recording from the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in 2009 of extended improvisations between guitarist Fred Frith, French clarinetist Louis Sclavis, and percussionist Jean-Pierre Drouet.

"The mix between spoken words and drums was disturbing at first, especially since we sometimes miss a few lines because of all the noise, but we quickly got used to it. The whole show was a kind of conversation between the two performer...

"Berlin trombonist Konrad Bauer has become a regular of the Victo label. News From Berlin, a studio session with compatriot pianist Aki Takase, is his fourth album for the Victoriaville (Québec) imprint. The chemistry between the ...

"The quality of an album roughly depends on material for 75 percent; the other 25 percent is pacing. Rub Harder scores a hundred. The Hard Rubber Orchestra's first CD (Cruel Yet Fair, 1998) suffered from improper inclusions, a lack of fo...

Great duo set from bassist Dresser and "hyperpiano" (read: heavily prepared) player Maroney.

Live recordings in France, 1999 from the trio of saxophonist Michel Doneda, turntablist Erik M, and guitarist/electronic/object player Jean-Marc Montera, a frenetic concert of sonic mayhem.

"The long-standing improvisation outfit CCMC recorded sparsely. A short tour of Quebec in May 1997 opened the door for a live album on the label Disques Victo. The CD aCCoMpliCes culls excerpts from shows at the Festival International de...