Beautiful vinyl pressing from Drag City of Scott Walker's monumental, groundbreaking masterstroke from 1995

Four songs breeze past in nothing flat. O'Rourke gets jiffy wit it.

He's alive!!! And can he sing! Could this be the world's first experimental MOR album? Nah, but time will tell whether or not it is the most supreme. Wackos of the world, take over.

Raw, deep and spiritual Gnawa music from Morocco to carry you through the night... Recorded in a single late night session in a house in Casablanca, using a Tascam field recorder and 2 microphones, Dead of Night is the incredible new solo album from Maalem Houssam Guinia, the son of Maalem Mahmoud Guinia, and one of Morocco's most exciting young Gnawa masters. The album was recorded live on the night of 3rd January 2022 in a relaxed session that lasted into the early hours of the next morning, and it captures Houssam at his most natural, singing and playing the Gnawa songs that have been with him since his birth, completely solo and free without percussion or backing vocals. Houssam described the album as containing the songs he knows best as these were the pieces his father would play and sing late into the night in their home when he was an infant. What you'll hear on Dead of Night is raw, deep Gnawa music in its purest form played by a young Maalem who has been immersed in the culture his whole life and is a master of his craft. The whole performance has been beautifully and sympathetically captured by bassist and producer Karl-Erik Enkelman.

HOME RECORDINGS (2018-2021) “Who is Yara Asmar and how does she make music so strangely beautiful? The 25-year-old instrumentalist-puppeteer lives in Beirut with her cat, Mushroom, and presumably that’s the feline’s shadow next to the artist’s on the album’s back cover. The warm light of that photograph and the quiet beach scene of an abandoned lifeguard’s station and an empty net tells you all you need to know. Home Recordings 2018-2021 is an assured debut album that builds an eerie tension out of dreamlike layers of isolation” Spectrum Culture "Tiny worlds expand and contract in the palm of Yara Asmar’s hand. These recordings are remarkable in their ability to command attention in the gentlest terms. There are stories to find on this album and new worlds to discover." Foxy Digitalis SYNTH WALTZES & ACCORDION LAMENTS “Melancholic drifts sound through the overcast skies of synth waltzes and accordion laments, infusing ageless melodies with a sense of falling backward through time. History is stitched through gilded aural silhouettes and elegiac drones. Asmar’s music is visceral. While electronics beckon beyond the sunrise stretched through a metallic shimmer, synth waltzes and accordion laments sticks with us while we remain lost in the hazy doldrums, always crawling forward tethered to our past lives. Highest recommendation.” The Capsule Garden “ …these tracks are a cushion against reality. Asmar creates music that unfurls in evanescent bliss, an invitation to a safe space both isolated and welcoming.” The Quietus “…a set that transmutes the instrument’s droning tones into a sweep of introspective, breath-catching moments of beauty“ Pitchfork, 30 Best Jazz & Experimental Albums of 2024 

Originally from Kingsport, Tennessee, New York-based Zoh Amba is a notable rising star in the avant-garde music scene. Growing up in the Appalachian mountains, Amba practiced saxophone to the forest that surrounded her home before she later traveled to study with David Murray in New York, and also at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music & New England Conservatory in Boston. Today, her music is full of folk melodies, mesmerizing refrains, repeated incantations and powerfully executed Free Jazz reminiscent of Albert Ayler. Her sound is courageous and bold, commanding her instrument with a loving force that soars from muted hums to squeaky trebles, producing a confident sound imbued with spirituality.  On this project, Zoh Amba is joined by legendary artists William Parker (Bass) and Francisco Mela (Drums), who temper her daring saxophone with a lush percussive foundation and a reassuring bassline. On one of the album’s 4 tracks, Amba also opts for flute, cutting through the noise with a quieter, adventurous tone, and offering listeners a more exclusive look at her multi-instrumental prowess. The album, O Life, O Light, Vol. 1 will be released on CD (available 5/20/22) and on black and limited color vinyl editions planned to arrive late 2022 but available for pre-order now—the vinyl editions will also include an extra bonus track. If you enjoyed this album please look out for Vol. 2!

Net of Atoms is a new album from Otis Jordan, drawing closely from the previous two albums for Them There - Dodger Point (2020) and Restless Guests (2022) - Jordan delivers his most ambitious and well articulated full length work to date, perfectly rounding off a trio of releases for the label. The Glasgow based band leader has remained active since his last outing for Them There with contributions to the ongoing research project Folklore Tapes’ most recent V/A compilations and a split tape for the nascent ‘Ceremonial County’ series on the label. Most notably and surprising perhaps was his recent collaboration with Sam Mcloughlin’s Hood Faire imprint ‘Early Experiments in Recording Vol 1 (1976 - 2021)’ - a compilation which Jordan curated that unearthed early recordings from a slew of experimental heads and many now renowned in their field musicians. More so than ever before, the songs on Net of Atoms stomp sure-footedly through the meandering instrumental textures of Otis Jordan’s vivid musical landscape. Ever off-kilter and unpredictable - violin motifs, clarinet themes and hammered found sounds disappear into the mist as suddenly as they arrived leaving behind breadcrumbs to be picked back up later. Recurring variations on melodic themes act as waymarks through the webs of rhythms and resonance as each short scene side-steps into a new tempo and timbre rewarding repeat listens. “This is the most ‘song’ based album I’ve ever made, with vocals on nearly all of the tracks” says Jordan - and the voice does also help guide the listener, although the vocal lines remain linear and consistently curious, rarely repeating. Instrumentally, any given moments can swiftly abscond from smokey Jazz feels to Captain Beefheart-y low-key Psych and freeform Folk ditties recalling the early noughts ‘Twisted Nerve’ jams of Aidan Smith and frequent collaborator Samandtheplants. All the while compounded by a restless forward drive that seems determined to explore the furthest reaches of this exotic sound world. Once again Jordan assembles a multitude of esteemed musician friends for the assignment. Many of the players from the ‘Restless Guests’ live session return including the nimble Moondog-esque percussive touches of Finn Rosenbaum, locally renowned virtuoso DBH offers up some violin and Lost Map’s Molly Linen returns to lend her dulcet, whispered tones on the track ‘Pendle Hill Conversation’. New friends such as Manchester's legendary DIY enthusiast Paddy Steer and the trumpeter Hermon Mehari also feature across the album. For the most part however, Jordan records and composes these crafty, intricate records himself in true DIY style across various home studios from Todmorden to Glasgow and shows no signs of slowing down.  Finn Rosenbaum - drums (4) Hermon Mehari - trumpet (4,14) Ike Goldman - vocals, glockenspiel, guitar and musical saw (7) Molly Linen - vocals (8) Dan Bridgwood-Hill - violin (8,11) Paddy Steer - lap steel (11) Zola Mooney - words and vocals (11, also end of 2) Sam McLoughlin - electric guitar, bass and keyboard (11,12) Marley Moat - violin (12) Other instruments played by Otis Jordan

This 2xLP vinyl compilation with twenty tracks, combining original archival recordings from Mount Athos and new takes by contemporary artists as Jimi Tenor, Holy Tongue, Jay Glass Dubs, Gilb'r, Inre Kretsen Grupp, Prins Emanuel or Murat Ertel.

WV Sorcerer Productions (FR) and Dusty Ballz (UK) join forces to present two new releases by Beijing-based noise/drone/doom metal group, Ghostmass. “The ghost it is, who has come into possession of the Tao, reigns over gods and demons, and gives birth to heavens and earth. It kills the undying, and breathes life into the unborn. The sounds it creates, there is nothing it cannot still, nothing it cannot heave, nothing it cannot destroy, and nothing it cannot make.” In Chinese, “big ghost” is a phrase sometimes used to convey a sense of utter out-of-placeness. If you see a big ghost, you find someone who walks the corporeal world in their own preposterous ways. A big ghost is not a ghost, it does not terrorise, but neither does it belong. It occurred to Li Weisi that this speaks to the very essence of outside music making. One of these days, he started saying “I saw a big ghost playing last night” after going to a very good gig. Ghostmass, then, are a collective of such big ghosts doing music together. Started in 2021 as an improvisation unit based in Beijing, the project gathers kindred souls who share the vision for an open musical space where ghosts feel at home. To this day, the lineup has evolved into some kind of a supergroup of the capital’s music underground: Li Weisi and Li Qing are known more widely as the retro-manic electro-acoustic duo Soviet Pop, and as two thirds of the cult alt-rock act Carsick Cars; Yan Jun has been a veteran experimenter of sounds, words, and ideas for decades across various scenes; the most recent addition to the group was Yang KuKu (YKK), a professional aquascaper who plays music in a band for the first time. “Ghost Meditation” was recorded at GEBI, a legendary underground venue and studio in Yiwu, China. In this album, the band delves into a meditative sonic intensity that lies between drone/doom and harsh noise, drawing inspiration from artists like Sunn O))) and Merzbow, while adding their own eerie vocal and percussion elements. The album evokes a profound sense of stillness amidst chaos. Vast walls of sound blend seamlessly with fragmented noise, creating a heavy, mysterious atmosphere. Each side of the album features a long-form track—“Wu” on Side A and “Hu” on Side B. These titles, though merely onomatopoeic, carry the power to immerse listeners in the depths of dark mountains and rivers, the desolate landscapes.   

Brand new, LP full remaster of this iconic release by Slint Originally recorded by Steve Albini and released in 1989, tweez has been remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service from the original analog master tapes. "Slint formed in 1986 as an outlet and pastime for four friends from Louisville, Kentucky. Their music was strange, wholly their own, sparse and tight. What immediately set them apart was their economy and precision. Slint were that rare band willing to play just one or two notes at a time and sometimes nothing at all… 1989’s “Tweez” LP hints at their genius..." - Steve Albini (Melody Maker, 1991)

We’re delighted to announce the triumphant return of Steve Marreyt, aka Edgar Wappenhalter. Here he reverts to making gritty reverb-drenched folksongs. But the poetic and electronic elements from his previous album remain – they’re just incorporated in the songs this time. It makes ‘Ijsschots Veenlaag Mist’ probably Wappenhalter’s most balanced work thusfar. Songs like ‘Hallusineren’ or ‘Vogel rok diamant’ prove he’s one of the best intuitive songwriters around, whereas In het bos (1) and (2) demonstrate his mastery in creating soundcollages as well. Best of all: he switches between them effortless, and he makes sure the listener doesn’t get lost along the way. The album is a tribute to the work of the Dutch poet Sonja Prins (1912-2009) - which explains why the titles are in Dutch, and this is the first morc-release with Dutch lyrics only. However, this is not just ‘poems set to music’ Steve uses the poems more as an inspiration, not as the foundation of the songs. Also good to know: ‘Hallusineren’ features guest vocals by Annelies Monseré (Luster), a longtime collaborator of Steve. And the original artwork is drawn by Olivier Schrauwen, one of Steve’s favorite comic book artists, who shares a very similar aesthetic. Is IJsschots Veenlaag Mist a full package? It sure is.

As an American in Belgium, McCloud Zicmuse developed a deep love for some of the customs of his new-found homeland: a specific kind of archery (‘staande wip’), celebrating carnaval, aging geuze-beers, and not in the least: playing de ‘hommel”, the Flemish cousin of the apalachian Dulcimer. With the persona Linus Vandewolken, Zicmuse took a deep dive into these traditions. His love for the dulcimer is very real, yet he breaks out of the narrow framework in which the instrument is often handled. The additional use of homemade flutes, percussion instruments and some humming definitely add up to the experience.Zicmuse released a handful of tapes as Linus Vandewolken, and a double 10” on okraina records. But his musical curriculum is way longer than that. Under his own name, he did releases on ao Shelter press, with le ton mite on crammed discs, and contributed to a long, long list of releases by artists as diverse as Yume Bitsu, Maher Shalal Hash Basz or Singers.For this new opus, Linus Vandewolken provides some richly brewed compositions, with no added sugar or yeast. There is an elements of sourdough, the richness of earthy odors, the first song (Terugkeer van de Kudde) sounds like a smooth multi-tracked moment, but is actually a live multi-instrumental piece: a home-made double reed xaulos is played sparingly along the fingerpicked strings of the home-made hommel. Like the barley in the beer, the hommel remains the main ingredient of the disc. Multiple techniques are used to unleash its voice, from tapping to bowing, to all at the same time. A compilation of travels, residencies, desires… songs have been harvested from 2019-2024 in France, Poland, Sweden, England, moments of Vandewolken’s wanderings, evoking inspirations & collaborations in unlikely spots, like a pump organ cameo of Christo Wallers in a village chapel a short distance from Hadrian’s Wall. As borders change and move, the flute comes around to sweetly catch our attention, metal lines from a letterpress shop invade the hommel strings creating distortions & unlikely rhythms. Points of silence like small bubbles rising in the glass of a freshly poured geuze, an old gueuze from Niemandaal, »Oude Geuze uit Niemanddaal«.   Linus Vandewolken: hommel, blokfluiten, xaulos, rammelaars & geneurieChristo Wallers: traporgel (9)Anne Brugni: tekening  

soccer Committee has always been an consistent exercise in restraint, and offering space. And on ‘♥ /Lamb’, this approach has been taken to perfection. The arrangements are still minimal, with plenty of time for the tones and melodies to resonate with maximum impact. Mariska Baars still carefully selects each note, and lets the sound evolve with precise care. Her songs are definitely rooted in the folktradition, but at the same time very ‘ambient’, in the true sense of the word.And still: there’s a bit of a different approach here, compared with her earlier work. Tracks like ‘No turn to harm’ and ‘Reaching’ have a few very subtle extra layers added. Aride Afar starts out as Baar’s most distorted work thusfar – she even asked the help of Wouter Van Veldhoven to add a tape loop recording, and that works remarkably well: the track balances on the edge of disintigration, but it takes a master like Baars to keep it together. And then soccer Committee takes another leap in the dark: the B-side opens with ‘Imagining you in the room’. This mostly acapella song stands as Baars' longest composition thus far. Yet not a single tone is redundant, and Baars deliveres it so skillful and humble that it feels like a symphony on its own. After that: just one more track, and you’re ready to re-listen the album. On ‘♥ / Lamb’, you can feel the unwavering focus of Baars so present that it’s sheer impossible not to focus as a listener yourself. But what makes Baars so otherworldly is her gift to still make it sound comforting and reassuring rather than demanding for attention. ♥/ Lamb is an invitation you’re more than happy to accept.  Vocals, guitars, recordings mix and effects by Mariska BaarsBowed Guitar and additional tape loop recording on Aride Afar by Wouter van Veldhoven

Born in France and currently residing in Brussels, Roxane Métayer is truly a multidisciplinary artist. Learning the violin at a young age, she also developed herself as a visual artist, creating drawings, sculptures in uncommon materials as soap, and in recent years video. Her work as a musician is of an equally spontaneous nature.Though Éclipse des Ocelles is her debut album, she’s been quite active the past couple of years, in the duo’s Gebogen Ogen and Sage Alyte (with whom she released an lp on Vlek early in 2021)On her first solo lp, Roxane Métayer fully explores the sonic possibilities of the violin, field recordings and folk oriented orchestration and melodies. The violin is often taking the melodic lead, but at the same time serves a drone background, but just as much a percussion instrument. In any case: the focus is definitely on the sound itself.She’s not afraid to use effects, minimal percussion, whistles and the occasional hushed vocal to expand the sonic palette to a maximum effect, resulting in multilayered, semi-improvised and subtle meanderings, gently evolving around a tight core.

ten years in the making, finally the debut album of this belgian sextet with members of Mote, Joe Speedboat and Annelies Monseré arrives. Cello, flute, harmonium and violin blend in with the traditional guitar-bass-drums trio – making them land on a unique spot at the crossroad where ancestral doom folk, heady dronerock and spacious pop seamlessly meet. Often repetive, always mesmerizing and evocative. Kind of the missing link between Mazzy Star, Pentangle, Broadcast and Enhet for Fri Musik.Comes in a stylish screenprinted and letterpressed sleeve. Luster are Elisabeth Cornille, Lobke D’Hespeel, Julie Lafontaine, Annelies Monseré, Jelle Vanlerberghe and Yumi Verplancke

“Heavily influenced by 80's ambient & New Age music from Japan & Spain, (fans of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Finis Africae, Suso Saiz or Fumio Miyashita will feel at ease here) Iker Munduate presents 12 compositions of highly serene & contemplative minimal ambient music. Wind blowing through the trees, raindrops rolling down the windows, the sounds presented on this album are meant to complete the environment you are in. Filled with subtle textures and soothing harmonic content, the music blends into the patterns of day to day life, accompanying us within an already existing familiar landscape. Therefore, it is recommended to listen to this record on speakers allowing it to mix with the sounds already present in our surroundings.” Iker Munduate Thusberg is a Basque multi-instrumentalist born and raised in San Sebastian and with strong ties to Mikkeli in Finland, where half of his family are from. A fine arts student at Bilbao’s UPV (Basque university), his interest in sound, art and design has led him to combine all these different disciplines and convey them into his music and his work (LP cover is designed by Iker himself). After self-releasing various tapes and EP’s experimenting with minimal approaches to production and composition, “Argi Zantzuak” is Iker’s first solo album, and is a long departure from his previous outlets. Prior, He’s been actively involved running “Azkar Zintak” (punk/emo/hardcore tape label), playing in bands like Tenpera & Comic Sans (both aligned with the same style as the label) as well as taking part in the local Free Jazz/Improv & Noise scene performing as a drummer. Together with being present in the underground scene of San Sebastian (Distopia Mutante, Kontenedora…), He has performed at the international festival of experimental art MEM in Bilbao, and at the conference of video creation and sound experimentation Nokodek, in Hendaye, France. Limited edition of 250. 

“Iguzki Hauskara by Pascal Gaigne, combines Basque Folk oral tradition, Spanish guitar and Contemporary Classical minimal compositions in equal parts. Beautifully haunting, wondrous and expansive, this record speaks to the spirit. A timeless document that befits situations and sceneries that existed long before this record was made. A pivotal moment in Pascal’s career, highest possible recommendation for fans of 80’s counterpart instrumentalists like Luis Paniagua, Wim Mertens’s Soft Verdict, Albert Gimenez or Pep Llopis” Pascal Gaigne, born in France in 1958 and installed in San Sebastian since 1985, is a musician with a vast trajectory composing music for films. He has composed for more than 50 movies, won 16 awards (including a Goya award, Spanish Oscar equivalent) and had 15 nominations. He has worked with some of the most interesting new directors in Spanish cinema (Víctor Erice, Icíar Bolláin, Salvador García Ruíz, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Montxo Armendáriz), and foreign directors like France (Le cou de la girafe), Finland (Matka Edeniin) or Cuba (Omerta). Early in his career, before working in cinema, he collaborated with some of the most interesting artists and voices in the short history of Basque folk music, including well known Amaia Zubiria (check the two records he made with her “Egun Argi Hartan” & “Kolorez eta Ametsez”), as well as Basque traditional chant avant-gardist Beñat Achiary. It is together with Amaia & Beñat that he paired himself up to create “music pour le ballet du Iguzki Hauskara”, an entire album of compositions made for the 80’s French Basque Ballet group “Ekarle”. Originally released on cassette only in 1984, it is now reissued by Hegoa including three unreleased pieces taken from a second album that was never published. Limited edition of 250 black vinyl LP’s housed in a coloured reversed cover recreating the original hand painted artwork.