Search:ka

Styles
Styles
Apply
pDqb & Edward Ka-Spel - Cold Calling on the Spirit Line
SC033
Synaptic Cliffs
12inch16.10.202616.OCT.26

PopAlternativeElectronica

A cosmic collision between Perzeptiverdampfkesselqualmtbesinnlich, the psycho-cognitive alter ego of acclaimed electro alien entity pdqb, and Edward Ka-Spel, experimental music icon, apparent half-Earthling and vocalist of The Legendary Pink Dots and The Tear Garden - and, according to pdqb, the owner of the most beautiful voice in the universe.

A storytelling dream team brought together by a fortunate twist of fate, with visual transmissions by the enigmatic Nicola Samorì.

Two Songs. Four Transmissions. One Missing Captain.

pre-order now16 Oct

expected to be published on 16 Oct

14,71 €
VARIOUS - EMILE OMAR PRÉSENTE DÉCLIC, KAZ A ZOUK : ZOUK - CRÉOLE RAP & RAGGA - KOMPA - GWO KA MODERN (1987 - 1
HS284VL
Heavenly Sweetness
2x12inch31.07.202631.JUL.26

PopJazz

Back to the golden nights of zouk clubs, where hip-hop, kompa, zouk and Caribbean grooves ruled the dance- floor. This selection documents a pivotal moment : a time when zouk was still not a fixed genre, but more a place, an atmosphere, somewhere people went to dance. It captures the spirit of an era: its creative effervescence, musical freedom, and the diversity of artists who shaped it. The very concept of “Kaz A Zouk” perfectly encapsulates this idea: a space where all styles could meet.

In StockReady to ship

Ready to ship

23,74 €
GOVINDO - OU KA VINI COM MOIN EP
DSM028
Disco Segreta
12inch26.06.202626.JUN.26

HouseDiscoItaloBalearic

Disco Segreta proudly presents the reissue of one of the most elusive and sought-after gems of underground italo disco, Govindo’s “Ou Ka Vini Com Moin”.

Originally released in 1983 on the obscure “Gala” label and quickly withdrawn from the market, this hypnotic, space-tinged cosmic italo disco bomb remained virtually unknown outside a small circle of hard core italo disco collectors — until now.

Wriitten by Mario Baldoni aka Miro and recorded during a journey across the French Antilles, the track was laid down in Fort-de-France, Martinique, capturing a unique cultural and musical intersection. Its title comes from a typical Martinican Creole expression—”U Ka Vini Co Muè”—meaning “C’mon, come with me.”

The track’s lush arrangement, crafted by Gregorio “Greg” Puccio, is a quintessential snapshot of analog italo disco at its finest: Roland Juno 60, JX-3P, Korg PolySix / Poly800, and LinnDrum LM-1 create a dreamlike, deeply atmospheric soundscape.

For the first time, this edition presents the original 12” full-length versions (vocal/instrumental), alongside the shorter 7” vocal version, remastered directly from the actual analog master tapes, plus two new remixes: the Marcello Giordani Hypnomix – a future electro synth classic from one of Italy’s finest producers and the Miro’s Fort de France Sunset – a balearic downbeat contemporary reinterpretation by the original artist 42 years after.

In StockReady to ship

Ready to ship

18,91 €
Ka§par - Catch 22
STX22
Snuff Trax
12inch19.12.202519.DEC.25

HouseMinimalTechAcid

Portuguese powerhouse Ka§par joins the Snuff Trax family!

With the »Catch 22« EP, he delivers three precisely crafted club tracks bursting with energy and soul. Stripped-back, razor-sharp grooves intertwine with raw, preacher-style vocals, lush pads, and fierce basslines — a hypnotic blend designed to move both body and mind.

As a special treat, 2Jack4U turn up the heat with their psychedelic acid remix that pushes the EP into full-blown dancefloor ecstasy.

»Catch 22«: Pure dancefloor alchemy, straight from Lisbon on Snuff Trax.

In StockReady to ship

Ready to ship

15,76 €
SIGH - GOH-KA (LP 2x12")
  • Kuso-shi 1, 2 & 3 (09:11)
  • Jigoku-Zoshi 1 : Unkamusho (03:55)
  • Anzenshokon (06:24)
  • Kuso-shi 4, 5 & 6 (07:21)
  • Shoso (00:56)
  • Unputenpu (05:41)
  • Jinmenjushin (06:14)
  • Jigoku- Zoshi 2 : Tokatsujigoku (03:06)
  • Kushukankyo (01:47)
  • Kuso- shi 7 (01:56)
  • Kuso- shi 8 & 9
  • Mettaijakujo (11:23)
  • Unputenpu (Nozomu Guitar Solo Version) (Bonus Track) (05:43)
also available

Black Vinyl[39,29 €]

Trans Red Vinyl[39,29 €]


VILELP1417
Peaceville
2x12inch09.10.202609.OCT.26

PopHeavy-Metal

THE EPIC NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM THE LONG-STANDING JAPANESE METAL PIONEERS, INCLUDING GUEST APPEARANCE FROM OPETH'S MIKAEL AKERFELDT - PRESENTED ON DIGIPACK CD & VINYL LPJapanese metal pioneers Sigh formed in 1989/1990 Their genre- classic Black Metal debut 'Scorn Defeat' arrived in 1993, & with a subsequent journey through the strange & the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & ideas throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots, as witnessed on the 2022 album (& first for Peaceville Records), 'Shiki'. This was followed by the remaking of their 'Hangman's Hymn' album as part of the band's 35th anniversary celebrations, in the shape of 'I Saw The World's End: Hangman's Hymn MMXXV' (2025).

pre-order now09 Oct

expected to be published on 09 Oct

45,34 €
Ka Baird & Chris Ryan Williams - Enthalpy
OT013LP
Outside Time
12inch25.09.202625.SEP.26

BeatsExperimental

Pressure is the medium of wind players. Wind instruments all sound thanks to pressure differentials, whether that’s the rush of wind over a lip plate or a steady, buzzing exhalation through pursed lips. Ka Baird and Chris Ryan Williams (HxH) are wind players well- schooled in the power of using pressure and movement to amplify the mystery of an invisible force animating a metal tube. They augment their instruments, flute and trumpet respectively, with electronics, sometimes obscuring the acoustic sound source, sometimes making it hyperreal. Flutters of lip and tongue slither over the listener’s ear, and sustained tones become a dense fog, pushing on other kinds of visceral, emotional pressure points.

On Enthalpy, Baird and Williams’ first album as a duo, the energy they conjure feels barely contained, the pressure built up to a breaking point before spilling out in multiple directions at various speeds. They borrow the title from thermodynamics, referring to the total energy of a system based on its pressure and volume. The music flies out in bursts; it seeps and oozes, flows with intention. It is an incredibly rhythmic work without any hint of meter, full of sounds that punctuate with the thud of a dart hitting a bullseye. Williams’ capability to conjure swirling atmospherics, as well as his remarkable ability to pull fragments of melody from the haze, fit puzzle-like into Baird’s exclamations and the eruption of electronics that often dovetail them. The duo draws on tones from nearly the entire range of human hearing, from nimble but bulbous throbs of sub-bass to pinprick flickers of ultra-high end.

The sessions that produced Enthalpy were completely improvised, showcasing a degree of mind-meld that belies each participant’s thrill at approaching the unknown. This isn’t a casual conversation, but an omnidirectional tangle that ties and reties itself into new knots as the album progresses. Williams and Baird have both become ubiquitous presences throughout the New York City experimental music communities, collaborating with innumerable others and learning how their unique approaches work in tandem with similarly expansive thinkers and players. Even in the album’s most spacious moments, there’s a tension between the feeling of being unmoored and yet completely locked in, like the abyss is just one more river to cross. They ford it together before moving on to the next idea in lock step.

For the listener, Enthalpy is often felt in the body as much as it reverberates within the ears. We’re tossed from side to side, made to shoulder the impact of detonating electronics, absorbing these sounds with the feet, gut, and crown. Baird reaches into the back of their throat for guttural growls, and we can almost feel the scratch. As we tread the border of the synthesthetic, it's a reminder of the physical nature of sound, that the space between our ears and the speakers is its own enthalpic system of energy conduction. Move with it, let it move you, and see how it feels.

pre-order now25 Sep

expected to be published on 25 Sep

26,01 €
Sigh - Goh-Ka (2x12")
  • Kuso-shi 1, 2 & 3 (09:11)
  • Jigoku-Zoshi 1 : Unkamusho (03:55)
  • Anzenshokon (06:24)
  • Kuso-shi 4, 5 & 6 (07:21)
  • Shoso (00:56)
  • Unputenpu (05:41)
  • Jinmenjushin (06:14)
  • Jigoku- Zoshi 2 : Tokatsujigoku (03:06)
  • Kushukankyo (01:47)
  • Kuso- shi 7 (01:56)
  • Kuso- shi 8 & 9
  • Mettaijakujo (11:23)
  • Unputenpu (Nozomu Guitar Solo Version) (Bonus Track) (05:43)
also available

Trans Red Vinyl[39,29 €]

COKE BOTTLE GREEN VINYL[45,34 €]


VILELP1415
Peaceville
2x12inch04.09.202604.SEP.26

PopRockHeavy-Metal

THE EPIC NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM THE LONG-STANDING JAPANESE METAL PIONEERS, INCLUDING GUEST APPEARANCE FROM OPETH'S MIKAEL AKERFELDT - PRESENTED ON DIGIPACK CD & VINYL LPJapanese metal pioneers Sigh formed in 1989/1990 Their genre- classic Black Metal debut 'Scorn Defeat' arrived in 1993, & with a subsequent journey through the strange & the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & ideas throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots, as witnessed on the 2022 album (& first for Peaceville Records), 'Shiki'. This was followed by the remaking of their 'Hangman's Hymn' album as part of the band's 35th anniversary celebrations, in the shape of 'I Saw The World's End: Hangman's Hymn MMXXV' (2025).

pre-order now04 Sep

expected to be published on 04 Sep

39,29 €
Sigh - Goh-Ka (2x12")
VILELP1418
Peaceville
2x12inch04.09.202604.SEP.26

PopRockHeavy-Metal

THE EPIC NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM THE LONG-STANDING JAPANESE METAL PIONEERS, INCLUDING GUEST APPEARANCE FROM OPETH'S MIKAEL AKERFELDT - PRESENTED ON DIGIPACK CD & VINYL LPJapanese metal pioneers Sigh formed in 1989/1990 Their genre- classic Black Metal debut 'Scorn Defeat' arrived in 1993, & with a subsequent journey through the strange & the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & ideas throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots, as witnessed on the 2022 album (& first for Peaceville Records), 'Shiki'. This was followed by the remaking of their 'Hangman's Hymn' album as part of the band's 35th anniversary celebrations, in the shape of 'I Saw The World's End: Hangman's Hymn MMXXV' (2025).

pre-order now04 Sep

expected to be published on 04 Sep

39,29 €
Edward Ka-Spel - The Sympathy Portal LP
  • A1: Rust Compassionate
  • A2: Ceremonial Coffee
  • A3: Neon Percolators
  • B1: Demon Traces / Armchair Revolution / Angel Trail (Slight Return)
LUMB038LP
LUMBERTON TRADING CO.
12inch27.02.202627.FEB.26

HouseElectro

Recorded during lockdown and previously only available as a CDr self-released in an edition of 99 in 2022, 'The Sympathy Portal' collects four tracks (one of which is divided into three parts) that make full use of Edward Ka-Spel’s command of melodies, cosmic churn, subtle field recordings, percolated vocals, hypno-rhythms, tempered noise, broken clocks, atmospheric keyboards, uncoiling springs and carefully hewn dynamics. Coupled to often despairing or melancholic lyrics, the album ultimately forms a fantastic addition to a body of work from this hardworking artist usually found at home fronting The Legendary Pink Dots and apparently barely able to rest when not engaged in commitments to them. Here is what he says himself about 'The Sympathy Portal': “'The Sympathy Portal' was created as 2020 drifted into 2021 with the world in the grip of a pandemic. He studied charts on TV, horrified by statistics, temporarily free from a lockdown but well aware that we'd be back in our cubicles soon enough. It was hard to be positive in such an environment and this album reflects much of the fear and tension of the time. But the last song, 'Angel Trail ( Slight Return)', was intended to offer some genuine hope, having been revived for the release after first appearing in a different form on The Legendary Pink Dots' '9 Lives to Wonder' back in 1994.” The album pays testament to a troubled and troubling time that now, a mere few years on, strangely appears like the grand entrance to a series of heavily dark periods we are still desperate to crawl from. It could be argued that the angel trail Edward so eloquently refers to is something that needs to be found more than ever and that, thankfully, his music helps to illuminate this despites its mostly distressed overtones.
Away from the confines of a now hard-to-find and long sold out CDr, Lumberton Trading Company brings this album back as a vinyl release that’s limited to 300 and is scheduled to appear in February 2026.

pre-order now27 Feb

expected to be published on 27 Feb

23,32 €
YUKA NODA - Ka Ri Bu No Yu Me: Light Fusion Fantasy
  • A1: カリブの夢
  • A2: サマー・ブリーズ
  • A3: マンハッタン・ブルー
  • A4: クリップ・マイ・ハート
  • A5: モノクローム・アフタヌーン
  • B1: ブラディ・マリー
  • B2: ジャンピング・ビーン
  • B3: シティ・ガール
  • B4: ミッドナイト・ウィスパー
  • B5: デイ・ドリーム
SADI23
SAD DISCO
12inch17.06.202517.JUN.25

PopJazzHip-HopFunkSoul

pre-order now17 Jun 2025

expected to be published on 17 Jun 2025

39,20 €
LILY - O Genki Desu Ka
  • A1: So Yo
  • A2: I'm A Lost Time
  • A3: In-visible Time
  • A4: Okiteyo
  • A5: Star World
  • B1: San Fa
  • B2: Auroila
  • B3: Farewell Point
  • C1: Kawarano Hikojo
  • C2: Ogenki Desu Ka
  • C3: Down Town Lights
  • C4: Michishirube
  • D1: Love Letter
  • D2: Cause We've Been Together
  • D3: Ai
  • D4: Tooku Naruhodo
  • D5: ESP
  • D6: Mizukagamino Naka
JBRIRI1
Japan Blues
2x12inch16.06.202516.JUN.25

Hip-HopFunkSoul

pre-order now16 Jun 2025

expected to be published on 16 Jun 2025

37,61 €
Ka Baird - Bearings: Soundtracks for the Bardos LP
RVNGNL109
RVNG International
12inch17.05.202417.MAY.24

BeatsExperimental

For more than twenty years, Ka Baird has explored the outer dimensions of sound through performance. Extending far beyond their roots in the psychedelic folk movement of the early aughts, Ka is known for their raw, boundary pushing solo performances that bridge experimental sound, performance art, and ritual. Their tool set in the live arena includes extended voice and microphone techniques, electronics, flute and piano. Bearings follows their 2017 debut Sapropelic Pycnic and Respires, their acclaimed 2019 album.

Initially conceived as a twenty minute composition and presentation commissioned by Lampo in Chicago in the spring of 2022, Ka first explored the concept of “bearings” through a series of intimate performances where they shifted guises between magician, shaman, clown, and athlete, all enduring ongoing states of groundlessness through a physically demanding performance that entailed both play and struggle. This piece, in tandem with the heaviness of caring for a dying parent during the subsequent year, laid the groundwork for Bearings, with the album’s final narrative structure revealing itself in the months after their mother’s death the following September.

Enlisting a cast of contributors including Andrew Bernstein (alto saxophone), Max Eilbacher (flute processing, electronics), Greg Fox (percussion), gabby fluke-mogul (violin), Henry Fraser (contrabass), Joanna Mattrey (viola), John McCowen (contra clarinet), Camilla Padgitt-Coles (bowls, waterphone) Troy Schafer (strings), Chris Williams (trumpet), Nate Wooley (trumpet), and their beloved cat, Nisa (purrs) to create a collective hum and thrum, Ka and company create sprawling minimalist densities, punctuated by abrupt starts and stops, complex harmonics and textures, percussive flourishes, and a single, cyclical lyrical phrase: “Here. Disappear. Poof!”

Ka considers the album to be a deviant nod to a song cycle, throughout which certain motifs are repeated in different configurations. In the album’s sonic lexicon, a trumpet blast signifies a birth or death, or a distant string motif denotes a memory. Bearings is a durational work of profound abstraction and focus, within which sonorous elements, structure, and meaning reach a single, unified form. This amounts to nothing short of a creative high-water mark for one of the most dynamic and uncompromising artists working in the landscape of music today.

pre-order now17 May 2024

expected to be published on 17 May 2024

24,79 €
IPHUPHO L'KA BIKO - AZANIA LP
LPWABB180
WE ARE BUSY BODIES
12inch15.12.202315.DEC.23

PopJazz

iPhupho L’ka Biko, the highly acclaimed Africanist experimental jazz band, is thrilled to announce the release of their debut EP, ‘Azania’ vinyl through Canadian record label, We Are Busy Bodies. Following the success of their two acclaimed singles, ‘Abaphezulu’, released through Brownswood Recordings, and ‘uThixo uKhona’, distributed by Platoon.

The band dedicated the year 2022 to recording and producing this eagerly awaited EP. Azania delves into a rich tapestry of themes that are close to the hearts of the band members, including spirituality, Pan Africanism, freedom, love, ritual, tradition, culture, and displacement. The EP showcases iPhupho L’ka Biko's unique musical fusion, blending jazz with indigenous African music of imvumane in tracks like Qamata, and infusing jazz with gospel influences in songs like Singabakho. This eclectic approach reflects the fluidity and diversity of the band’s sound, promising an immersive and captivating musical journey.

The band’s dynamic sound has been honed and perfected through their numerous live performances across the country, which have garnered them a devoted and loyal fan base. iPhupho L’ka Biko’s ability to connect with audiences through their energetic and soul-stirring performances has elevated them to become one of Johannesburg’s most revered musical collectives. “Azania the EP is an introduction of iPhupho L’ka Biko to the world, marking the beginning of a new era,” shares Nhlanhla Ngqaqu, the band's founder and composer.

pre-order now15 Dec 2023

expected to be published on 15 Dec 2023

41,98 €
Marc Mac - Ah-Free-Ka
COOP1207
CO-OPeration
12inch02.12.202302.DEC.23

BeatsBreak-BeatBassHip-HopAfrobeat

Bruk OG Big Mac returns to the CoOp with a new 3 track E.P for some heavyweight fling foot biznizz. Expect Dub wise heavy Basslines, syncopated drums, crunchy crisp snares n soul claps with hypnotic stabs and electro hooks. immediate bruk floor fillers for the footwork massive. Available at all your usual music emporiums and outlets. Seek and destroy.

pre-order now02 Dec 2023

expected to be published on 02 Dec 2023

10,88 €
Edward Ka-Spel - Tales from the Trenches LP
LUMB033LP
Fourth Dimension
12inch27.11.202327.NOV.23

PopAlternativeElectronica

Mostly known for his work as founder, vocalist and main songwriter for The Legendary Pink Dots, Edward Ka- Spel has long forged an equally prolific career as a solo artist given to sometimes exploring similar sonic realms as his group but clearly working at such a pace the need to channel ideas and songs in this capacity must be enforced. And just as well too, because Edward Ka-Spel is one of those rare and exceptional artists whose high workrate doesn’t betray a keen sense of quality control. Long known as somebody unafraid to venture wherever he pleases, his work has for a few decades now long traversed the more outward-bound or so-called ‘fringe’ areas of electronic music, psychedelia, hypnotic rock, kosmische sounds and the avant-garde. Heartily sewn into all of this is Edward’s fantastic grasp of spinning a twilight tale or spiralling deep into the mind’s recesses to craft a song from comparatively nimble melodies and words of Kafka-esque proportions. It’s a strikingly rich blend that’s always deserved far more attention than the cult audience it thankfully at least has.'Tales from the Trenches' is the second release by Edward for Lumberton Trading Company. Following on from the abstract-flavoured ‘Permission to Leave the Temple’ 10” released at the start of 2023, this LP collects eight tracks of a personal nature mostly pinned into place by some refined electro rhythms, molten cosmic textures, plaintive strings, introspective keys and a late night hue that sways effortlessly between the beautiful, haunted and even, a couple of times, a steam-pumped and sweat-ravaged dancefloor. Limited to 500 only, 'Tales from the Trenches' delivers exactly as the title indicates. Everything may at first feel ominous or sombre in tone, but there’s also a glimmer of hope laid bare in all its sun-drenched glory poking between the cracks.

pre-order now27 Nov 2023

expected to be published on 27 Nov 2023

24,79 €
Marcelo Cura, Ja Kub, Louis Ka, Gabri L - CELOSOPHY 003
CELOSOPHY003
CELO Rec
12inch14.06.202314.JUN.23

HouseMinimalVocalTechBreaks

Celo Rec returns with its third chapter of Celosophy,
bringing a mindfully curated release with a dreamy soundscape of minimal aesthetic and energetic beats, spiced up by a latin touch.
Marcelo Cura, head of the label, invites his friends Gabri L, Ja Kub & Louis Ka to forge a collaborative eclectic quest.

Early support by artists such as : Cesar Merveille, Traumer, Nu Zau, Sepp, Janeret …

out of Stock

Last delivered 2 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

12,82 €
Various - LÈSPRIT KA: NEW DIRECTIONS IN GWOKA MUSIC FROM GUADELOUPE 1981-2010 LP (2x12")
TC012
Time Capsule Records
2x12inch11.03.202211.MAR.22

PopWorld MusicLatin

2LP with a 4-page colour insert

As Guadeloupean vocalist and composer Marie-Line Dahomay writes in her liner notes to the compilation, gwoka is more than a style of music, it is “a way of living and thinking.” Rooted in the social, musical and ritual practices of enslaved African people and their descendants on Guadeloupe, gwoka has always sought to express the spirit of independence and resistance authentic to the island.Building on its traditional call-and-response form and the ideas of pivotal figures like Gérard Lockel and Christian Laviso, modern gwoka evolved throughout the second half of the twentieth century to include funk, jazz and electronic influences.

Defined by its propensity for innovation and experimentation, this compilation charts the most radical changes to modern gwoka, capturing a sensory riot of traditional répertoires, rhythms and makè techniques fused with genre-defying experimentation.Whether heard in the deeply cosmic, spiritual music of Dao, Freydy Doressamy and Gaoulé Mizik, or the jazz funk inflections of Gui Konket and Horizon, the music here is united by the feeling of santiman ka, crucial not only to gwoka music but the identity of Guadeloupe at large.

As co-curator Cédric Lassonde (Bueaty & The Beats) writes: “What unifies these selections is the depth of the compositions, the experimentation around the santiman ka, and the spirit of resistance and liberation against slavery, be it modern or ancestral. With a thirst for innovation typical of the island’s creole culture, the ka spirit is deeply rooted in collective history and in a quest for identity.”

Co-curator Brandon Hocura (Séance Centre) continues: “The creative energy of these musicians is powerful and demonstrates a universal pursuit of resistance, freedom and identity. Their voices are distinct, but the chorus rises high and carries their message far across the sea.”

Lèsprit Ka: New Directions in Gwoka Music from Guadeloupe 1981-2010 is the first compilation of its kind to bring the sound of modern gwoka to a wider audience, with many of the featured musicians still active today. Presented as a double LP, the release features a specially commissioned essay by Guadeloupean musician Marie-Line Dahomey, and extensive liner notes from Cédric Lassonde and Séance Centre’s Brandon Hocura.

True to the hybrid nature of the music, the compilation seeks not to provide a definitive sound, but express the variety of contemporary forms that have evolved from gwoka. Just as Guadeloupean trailblazers Kassav fused gwoka with funk and cadence to create zouk, so did the musicians on this collection push gwoka in new directions rarely heard beyond its shores.

In the words of Gérard Lockel, “gwoka is the soul of Guadeloupe”

out of Stock

Last delivered 4 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

28,36 €
Ka Baird & Pekka Airaksinen - FRKWYS Vol. 17: Hungry Shells
FRKWYS17LP
RVNG International
12inch26.11.202126.NOV.21

BeatsExperimentalAbstract

Hungry Shells, the seventeenth entry in RVNG Intl.’s intergenerational collaborations series FRKWYS, brings together vocalist, multi- instrumentalist, and sound artist Ka Baird with avant-garde composer and radical performance art pioneer Pekka Airaksinen. Recorded six months before Pekka’s passing, Hungry Shells alchemizes separate but similar spiritualistic practices, canvassing Baird’s voice and synthesizer rituals and Airaksinen’s lysergic sound explorations into startling, surreal landscapes.

Pekka Airaksinen, who left this realm for another in May 2019, is recognized as a pioneering composer both in and outside his native Finland’s fringe art community. A founding member of the late 60s art and music collective The Sperm, Airaksinen discovered Buddhism in the early 1970s, eventually establishing a number of meditation centers around Finland. Throughout his career Airaksinen embraced a degree of obscurity and anonymity that was inspired by his Buddhist learnings, and afforded him complete creative freedom. As he explained, “The less success you have, the more time there is to develop things.”

Ka Baird, who found her musical footing in Chicago playing in Spires That In The Sunset Rise before moving to New York to pursue her solo career, has developed a practice based in forms of active and engaged embodiment. Inspired by Charlemagne Palestine’s Body Music, Baird’s performances explore physical extremes as a catalyst for charged immediacy and presence. “I’m interested in the

places between precision and something unrestrained,” she told The Wire in 2019. Drawing on minimalism’s ecstatic deployment of duration and endurance, her recordings explore the outer limit sounds of her voice and its synthesis with developing music technology.

Airaksinen and Baird convened in Utrecht in the fall of 2018 to write, rehearse, and record Hungry Shells ahead of a performance at the Dutch festival institution Le Guess Who? Sessions took place between contemplative walks along the city’s medieval canals, and, for Airaksinen, lengthy meditations in his hotel room. Early on in the trip, Pekka shared ODO with Ka, a collection of Buddhist parables that he divinely received while meditating. After translating several of these texts from Finnish to English the duo used them as text for the album, and a sort of psychic foundation.

pre-order now26 Nov 2021

expected to be published on 26 Nov 2021

29,12 €

Language