quête:mac

Reissue

'Find Me Finding You', the new album from the new organization called the Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble, manages to strike new chords while touching familiar keys in the song of life.
From its percolating opening beat, 'Find Me Finding You' locates new systems within the sound-universe of Laetitia Sadier. This in itself isn't a surprise - Laetitia has relentlessly followed her music through different dynamics and into a variety of dimensions over the course of four solo albums since 2010 (not to forget her three albums with Monade and the long era of Stereolab) - but the nature of the construction here stands distinctly apart from her recent albums. Laetitia was inspired by a mind's-eye envisaging of geometric forms and their possible permutations. As she sought to replicate the shapes in music, this guided the process of assembly for the album.
Part of the freshness of 'Find Me Finding You' comes from working and playing within the Source Ensemble and exploring new sound combinations via a set of youthful and evolving musical relationships. Laetitia recognized the energy of the tracks in their initial form and sought to preserve their vitality by not retaking too many performances - instead, the rawness in the tracks was retained and refined at the mixing stage, maintaining an edge throughout. When we hear synth lines diving, lifting and drifting, unusual guitar textures, the plucked sound of flat wound bass strings or the bottomless pulsing of bass pedals stepping out of the mix with an exquisite vibrancy, this is the sound of the Source Ensemble.
A key to Laetitia's music is her use of vocal arrangements. Throughout 'Finding Me Finding You' the shifting accompaniment creates space to bring this element gloriously forward. Arranged by Laetitia with Joe Watson and Jeff Parker making string charts that were subsequently transposed to vocal parts for several songs, richly arranged choirs of voices provide depth along with the thrilling presence of extra breath in the sound. Laetitia's community-politic is well-served by the groups of voices lending support to the machining of the song craft, providing additional uplift to her quintessentially forward-facing viewpoint - as well as massed voices from three different countries sharing space in harmony.
Working in collaboration is Laetita's tradition and a key to this album's view on being free together. The designation of Source Collective implies a new togetherness phase, alongside long time collaborators Emmanuel Mario and Xavi Munoz, keyboard and flutes parts played by David Thayer (Little Tornados) were essential contributions, as well as further keys, synths and electronics from Phil M FU and several intense guitar sequences from Mason le Long. Chris A Cummings (aka Marker Starling, Laetitia's favourite composer) graciously wrote 'Deep Background' for her. The duet with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor on 'Love Captive' (not to mention Rob Mazurek's distinctive coronet playing) gives voice to an ideological cornerstone of 'Find Me Finding You'

Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing, industrial and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the `90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems. From the opening synth swell and drum machine throb of "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya," to the goth / post-punk austerity of "Son", to the swirling electronic textures mixed with reverb-drenched guitar flourishes, expansive space, and yearning vocals of title track "Belaya Polosa" - that suggests Depeche Mode at their most reflective or The Cure at their most downtrodden - to the sultry and seductive "Chernye Cvety"_ a track reminiscent of Duran Duran's early `90s output in its fusion of dreamy guitars and authoritative mechanized beats _ and the interwoven layers of instrumentation, soaring chorus, and melodic sophistication of "Ya Tak Ustal", it's clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level. Molchat Doma gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the Factory Records catalog were smuggled in from the West. Belaya Polosa propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they're known for. The basement grime and dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster and shimmering production values. And while Molchat Doma's broadened aural spectrum adds a synesthetic power to Belaya Polosa, the mood remains rooted in stark and unflinching self-reflection. Molchat Doma retain the duality of being both cold and feverish in their delivery while pushing their music into expanded territories through an armory of new textures. The trio continue to harness the sound of harrowing beauty thriving under harsh realities.

Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing, industrial and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the `90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems. From the opening synth swell and drum machine throb of "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya," to the goth / post-punk austerity of "Son", to the swirling electronic textures mixed with reverb-drenched guitar flourishes, expansive space, and yearning vocals of title track "Belaya Polosa" - that suggests Depeche Mode at their most reflective or The Cure at their most downtrodden - to the sultry and seductive "Chernye Cvety"_ a track reminiscent of Duran Duran's early `90s output in its fusion of dreamy guitars and authoritative mechanized beats _ and the interwoven layers of instrumentation, soaring chorus, and melodic sophistication of "Ya Tak Ustal", it's clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level. Molchat Doma gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the Factory Records catalog were smuggled in from the West. Belaya Polosa propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they're known for. The basement grime and dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster and shimmering production values. And while Molchat Doma's broadened aural spectrum adds a synesthetic power to Belaya Polosa, the mood remains rooted in stark and unflinching self-reflection. Molchat Doma retain the duality of being both cold and feverish in their delivery while pushing their music into expanded territories through an armory of new textures. The trio continue to harness the sound of harrowing beauty thriving under harsh realities.

Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing, industrial and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the `90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems. From the opening synth swell and drum machine throb of "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya," to the goth / post-punk austerity of "Son", to the swirling electronic textures mixed with reverb-drenched guitar flourishes, expansive space, and yearning vocals of title track "Belaya Polosa" - that suggests Depeche Mode at their most reflective or The Cure at their most downtrodden - to the sultry and seductive "Chernye Cvety"_ a track reminiscent of Duran Duran's early `90s output in its fusion of dreamy guitars and authoritative mechanized beats _ and the interwoven layers of instrumentation, soaring chorus, and melodic sophistication of "Ya Tak Ustal", it's clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level. Molchat Doma gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the Factory Records catalog were smuggled in from the West. Belaya Polosa propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they're known for. The basement grime and dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster and shimmering production values. And while Molchat Doma's broadened aural spectrum adds a synesthetic power to Belaya Polosa, the mood remains rooted in stark and unflinching self-reflection. Molchat Doma retain the duality of being both cold and feverish in their delivery while pushing their music into expanded territories through an armory of new textures. The trio continue to harness the sound of harrowing beauty thriving under harsh realities.

A new album by Medway's premier alt-folk outfit The Singing Loins! Yes indeed. We caught up with Rob Shepherd to find out more about their brilliant new LP Twelve_ Q: "The new album is called Twelve. Could you settle an office debate - is it your 12th album or have you called it that because it has twelve songs on it? (We thought Here On Earth was your 12th but not according to Discogs. Also, our ability to count accurately has diminished over the years!)" A: "A bit of both. Course, there's the 12 songs, but then, depending on how you count, it's also our 12th album (from 91-98, there's the 1st 4 LPs that Damaged Goods collected together on The Complete & Utter - that's a comp though, so we can't count that eh - then there's At The Bridge with Billy, so that's 5_..we can skip Alive In Dunkerque as well cos it's a live album....then there was 2004-13 where we made four more with you, then in 2019 we got back together and made 13 Moon Songs From Merry Hell, released on the Vacilando 68 label...so that's 10_and then we did another record with Billy, The Fighting Temeraire_ so yeah, that makes this one number 12)." Q: "The album has features newly recorded versions of several Loins classics. Was it a difficult decision deciding which back catalogue songs to record?" A: "No, pretty easy - it's basically the 12 songs we enjoy playing the most with the current lineup. Saying that, it's been a bit of a meandering road getting to this point. Since Brod passed away, Arf & me have done few nights of Loins songs - and it's felt good - celebrating the songs we all wrote together - so that started the selection process. Oli, Arf's lad, joined us on percussion and then Rich, who Billy had introduced to us, joined on violin - then Chris came along to play the drums, so Oli switched to guitar - and through all that we were refining the set of songs, and we got a point where we felt that, yeah, we've sort of worked out how to do this (you know, respecting and celebrating our past, without coming on like a tribute band to ourselves), so it made sense to make the album - just to reflect where we'd arrived at....so we went into Jim's Ranscombe Studios and bashed them all out live in a couple of hours....no overdubs, no fussing over mistakes....just sing and play the songs as if it was a gig." Q: "It's been 33 years since the debut Loins' LP - How does it feel to be the elder statemen of Kent's alt-folk scene?" A: "Ha ha, are we? We don't know any other folk bands, alt or not, so it doesn't feel as though we're qualified to be the statesmen of anything! Elder, certainly, but statesmen? Nope." Q: "There's been plenty of gigs recently with more to come around the album's release, including some European dates. For people who've not seen you before what can they expect from a Loins gig?" A: "Yeah, as I said, now that we've worked out how to do this, and as we're having so much fun with it, we thought we'd get out & about. We're off to Serbia immediately after the album's release, so that'll be an adventure - Serbia was always special for us (Aleks, the promotor, took us out there to play seven or eight times in all) and we've stayed in touch over the years, so it'll be lovely to see everyone out there again. As for what can anyone expect when they see us? "Riotous fun filled joy" I've just been told, but best let everyone else be the judge of that!" Q: "The Singing Loins wouldn't have existed of course if it wasn't for Chris Broderick. Chris sadly passed in 2022. What would he have thought about the fact you're carrying on with the band and recording new music?" A: "Yeah_ he'd be happy. In the week before he passed away, he asked Arf & me over, basically to say goodbye and tie up any loose ends. And he told Arf that we should carry the Loins on. So yeah, I think he'd be pleased and proud that we're keeping the songs, and his words, alive."

Gefangen auf Sumatra! Jayden ist verschwunden und soll gegen seinen Willen auf die indonesische Insel verschleppt worden sein. Der Mitbewohner des verschwundenen Studenten macht sich große Sorgen um seinen Freund und bittet Justus, Peter und Bob um Hilfe. Er hat einen seltsamen Anruf von Jayden erhalten - direkt aus Sumatra. Aber wie ist der junge Mann dort hingekommen und vor allem warum? Die drei Detektive übernehmen den Fall. Doch bald schon nehmen die Ermittlungen eine unerwartete Wendung ...

BASIC is a mind-meld between Chris Forsyth, his frequent running partner (and formidable 6-string thinker) Nick Millevoi, and Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society). "This Is BASIC", their debut album, is a complex and entrancing instrumental LP recasting forgotten scraps of guitar history into a moving mosaic of strings, skins and electronics. Taking inspiration (and their name) from the 1984 Robert Quine/Fred Maher album ("Basic"), Forsyth and Millevoi got together for a run of low-key jam sessions using an Alesis drum machine for rhythm tracks and forging a collaborative language from angular polyrhythms, pulsing baritone-guitar lines, and shimmering chorus-pedal washes (another stylistic nod, this time to the glistening post-punk of the Durutti Column and numerous 4AD bands). Avery was soon enlisted on drum kit_a setup that quickly morphed into a single drum, bell, and a bespoke electronics rig of his own creation. The trio quickly flowered into an improvisational swirl of disorienting electronics, hypnotic throb, and dense flanged-guitar harmonics: three unique voices spinning a complex conversation of textures and rhythms.

ELEPHANT TREE legen eine bemerkenswerte Neuausgabe ihres hochgelobten Debütalbums "Theia" vor. Die Anniversary Edition dieses Meilensteins kommt mit einer Fülle von seltenen Fotos, Liner-Notes und Texten, die das Artwork frisch aufpolieren. ELEPHANT TREE wurden im Jahr 2013 irgendwo in Londons modrigen Seitengassen im Proberaum gezeugt. Dort entsprangen dem Bass von Jack Townley und Sam Harts Schlagzeug die ersten Töne des späteren "Attack of the Altaica" Demos. Damit war das Debüt zum Eröffnungsstück der neuen Raritätensammlung "Handful of Ten" geradezu prädestiniert. Die ansteckende Mischung aus warmem, schmelzendem Gitarren-Fuzz und hochfliegenden Gesangsharmonien auf "Attack of the Altaica" führte schnell zu einem Plattenvertrag und bereits im September 2014 erschien mit "Theia" das erfolgreiche erste Album. Die hart arbeitenden Engländer ruhten sich aber nicht auf ihren Lorbeeren aus und legten schon im Jahr 2015 das selbstbetitelte zweite Album "Elephant Tree" vor, das ebenfalls mit reichlich Applaus empfangen wurde. Mit dem dritten Langspieler "Habits" sollte der nächste große Schritt folgen, doch Pandemie und Schwierigkeiten ihres damaligen Labels machten den Engländern einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Dennoch blicken ELEPHANT TREE freudig auf zehn aufregende Jahre zurück und feiern diesen schönen Anlass mit den Wiederveröffentlichungen von "Habits" und "Theia" sowie mit großartigen Stücken aus ihrem Archiv und packenden neuen Tracks unter dem Titel "Handful of Ten".

ELEPHANT TREE machen ihr "verschollenes" drittes Album "Habits" (2020) endlich wieder verfügbar. Nach der Veröffentlichung von "Habits" geriet ihr damaliges Label in Schwierigkeiten, weshalb das von der Kritik hochgelobte Werk nicht die verdiente anhaltende Unterstützung erhielt. ELEPHANT TREE wurden im Jahr 2013 irgendwo in Londons modrigen Seitengassen im Proberaum gezeugt. Dort entsprangen dem Bass von Jack Townley und Sam Harts Schlagzeug die ersten Töne des späteren "Attack of the Altaica" Demos. Damit war das Debüt zum Eröffnungsstück der neuen Raritätensammlung "Handful of Ten" geradezu prädestiniert. Die ansteckende Mischung aus warmem, schmelzendem Gitarren-Fuzz und hochfliegenden Gesangsharmonien auf "Attack of the Altaica" führte schnell zu einem Plattenvertrag und bereits im September 2014 erschien das erste Album "Theia". Das Debütalbum wurde von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen hervorragend aufgenommen und dieser Meilenstein wird nun als Anniversary Edition neu aufgelegt. Eine Fülle von seltenen Fotos, Liner-Notes und Texten polieren das Artwork frisch auf. Die hart arbeitenden Engländer ruhten sich nicht auf ihren Lorbeeren aus und legten bereits im Jahr 2015 mit dem selbstbetitelten zweiten Album "Elephant Tree" einen Nachfolger vor. Mit "Habits" sollte der nächste große Schritt folgen, doch die Pandemie sowie Probleme ihres neuen Labels machten den Engländern einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Dennoch blicken ELEPHANT TREE freudig auf zehn aufregende Jahre zurück und feiern diesen schönen Anlass mit den Wiederveröffentlichungen von "Habits" und "Theia" sowie mit großartigen Stücken aus ihrem Archiv und packenden neuen Tracks unter dem Titel "Handful of Ten".

Gemeinsame Auftritte mit weltbekannten Gitarristen wie Jon Gomm, Joscho Stephan oder Peter Finger, sowie Engagements als Live-Bassistin bei Alli Neumann oder der Band AnnenMayKantereit. Mit letzterer spielt Chassée bis heute in ausverkauften Hallen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz und veröffentlicht ihr 4. Studioalbum auf Roof Music!

'Attachment Theory' (VÖ: 06.09.24 via ROOF Records) ist das neue Album von Sophie Chassée. Insgesamt zehn Songs, die Herzensbrüche und kaputte Beziehungen verhandeln, als gäbe es da tatsächlich eine Theorie, eine Formel, um diesen verdammten Schmerz erträglicher zu machen. Und wenn es sie gibt, dann, das macht 'Attachment Theory' klar, muss diese Formel lauten: Gezupfte Gitarren a la Ben Howard, Tracy Chapman oder Andy McKee addiert mit einem wunderbar zarten, warmen Colbie-Caillat-Gesang und multipliziert mit großen Folk-Popmomenten, wie man sie noch aus frühen Taylor Swift-Songs kennt. Dazu Lyrics, die so klar alles 'Toxische' zurück in die Dunkelheit der Nacht singen, dass da nur noch Licht bleibt, etwa in 'What Fathers Do: Your words don’t met your actions/ You never heard of self reflection'. Mit 'Attachment Theory' erscheint nun bereits das vierte Studioalbum der Singer-Songwriterin. Da sind viele Genres, mit denen man Chassées Musik zu beschreiben versuchen könnte: Modern Fingerstyle, Folk oder Acoustic Pop. Vielleicht reicht es aber auch, diese Songs als das zu benennen, was sie sind: Große, ehrliche, tiefe Lieder. Solche, die die Landschaft vorbeiziehen lassen, Pflaster über die Wunden auf der Seele kleben – und die Hoffnung ein bisschen heller leuchten lassen.

If there's one musician in the last decade that you may hear in wildly diverse musical contexts it is Belgian electric bassist and sound sculptor Farida Amadou. Not only can you enjoy the unerringly skillful command she has over her instrument but also the transformative power to reinterpret and expand her material in spontaneous and unconventional ways.

Amadou is self-taught and radically aware of her idiosyncratic relationship with the bass guitar. She neither emulates the virtuosos of the electric bass, nor does she use the instrument as a pure sound generator that merely emits humming and feedback. She takes a completely independent and unique approach. This freedom enables her to create an overwhelming wall of sound, as well as simple, clear structures that are rhythmically concise yielding a wide associative space that lands somewhere between free jazz and noise.

Her work is often concentrated and circular where motifs are established and developed outward. It is an organic sound in the literal sense of the word, constantly in motion, yet resting in itself. The three solo pieces she has recorded for Week-End Records emphasize her impressive ability to ignite ecstasy from tranquility, to fan out a whole range of moods from a few potent ideas.

These attributes make her a musician who enriches every group she plays in, because she is present with her assured and crystallized sound but refrains from being domineering. However, her strengths are even more apparent when she plays solo: the contrasts between the dark, heavy clouds of sound and the rhythmic passages, and the transitions between movements which always sound "logical" yet surprising.

Her new solo album, "When It Rains It Pours" presents Amadou as an inspired improviser who follows her musical intuition and acumen to create a truly unique soundworld. Rarely has improvised music sounded so succinct and compelling.

Wenn es in den letzten zehn Jahren eine Musikerin gegeben hat, die man in den unterschiedlichsten musikalischen Kontexten immer wieder hören will: nicht weil sie eine passable Mitspielerin wäre, sondern weil sie diese Kontexte jedes Mal bereichert und auf spontane, unkonventionelle Weise erweitert, umdeutet, in neue transformiert, dann ist es die belgische E-Bassistin und Klangskulpteurin Farida Amadou.

Sie ist Autodidaktin - und sie versteht diese Selbstaneignung des Instruments radikal. Weder eifert sie den Virtuosen des E-Basses nach, noch verwendet sie das Instrument als reinen Klangerzeuger, der bloß Brummen und Feedbacks von sich gibt. Sie geht von einem völlig eigenständigen Ansatz aus. Der ermöglicht es ihr, eine überwältigende Wall of Sound zu kreieren genauso wie einfache, klare Strukturen, die rhythmisch prägnant sind und einen weiten Assoziationsraum zwischen Free Jazz und Noise eröffnen. 

Ihre Musik ist konzentriert, hat einen langen Atem, kreist um Motive, entwickelt daraus neue Linien, die Amadou im Spiel weiterverfolgt. Es ist ein im Wortsinne organischer Sound, ständig in Bewegung, dabei in sich ruhend. Die Stücke, die sie für Week-End Records aufgenommen hat, unterstreichen ihre beeindruckende Fähigkeit, aus der Ruhe die Ekstase zu entfachen, aus wenigen Ideen eine ganze Palette an Stimmungen aufzufächern.

Das macht sie zu einer Musikerin, die jede Gruppe, in der sie spielt, bereichert, weil sie präsent ist, ohne zu dominieren, weil ihr Sound so prägnant ist, ohne die anderen zu übertönen. Im Solo treten die Stärken ihres Spiels aber noch stärker hervor: die Kontraste zwischen zwischen dunklen, schweren Klangwolken und den rhythmischen Passagen, vor allem die Übergänge, die immer „logisch“ klingen, aber zunächst unerwartet kommen und ihren eigenen Weg einschlagen. Ihr neues Solo-Album, “When It Rains It Pours” zeigt sie als inspirierte Improvisatorin, die sich nie bloß ihren Einfällen hingibt, sondern die Ideen zu Ende denkt, oder besser: spielt. Selten klang improvisierte Musik so kompakt und zwingend.

Im neuesten Label-Spotlight der 'This Is'-Reihe - nach gefeierten Blicken auf Flying Dutchman und Fame - konzentrieren sich die Ace-Macher auf Goldwax, das seinen 60. Geburtstag feiert, und präsentieren die besten Aufnahmen, die während der kurzen Existenz des Soul-Labels entstanden sind.
Die Compilation rückt nicht nur James Carr ins Rampenlicht, sondern auch seinen wichtigen Labelkollegen Spencer Wiggins oder die wunderschönen Harmonien der Ovations. Diese drei Acts waren die tragenden Säulen von Goldwax und zeigen neben den Songschreiber-Talenten von George Jackson und Dan Greer, warum der Einfluss des Labels auch heute noch wichtig ist. Ein Katalog voller Juwelen, von den frühesten Aufnahmen des Hitmachers von 'Why Can't We Live Together', Timmy Thomas, bis hin zu selten aufgenommenen Künstlern wie Philip & The Faithfuls. Diese Zusammenstellung zeigt auch, wie stark die Club- und Studioszene in Memphis damals war, mit Aufnahmen von Willie Walker, Percy Milem, Barbara Perry, Gene 'Bowlegs' Miller und anderen, die zwar nur sporadisch Aufnahmen machten, aber beliebte Live-Performer waren. 'This is Goldwax' wird mit einem vollständig illustrierten Booklet mit Liner Notes von Dean Rudland geliefert. Eine perfekte Einführung in das Label zu Beginn seines siebten Jahrzehnts. Als Doppel-LP

Nach dem Erfolg von Keb Darges 2023er Ace Rockabilly-Compilation (CHD 1637) kehrt die Legende mit einer weiteren Sammlung von Musik zurück, die ihm am Herzen liegt. - Auf 'Keb Darge Presents The Best Of Ace Sixties Garage Punk' öffnet der schottische DJ-Maestro und Producer seine Archive und enthüllt eine Auswahl von US-Garage-Stompern aus den 60er Jahren. Künstler wie The Hooterville Trolley, The Litter, The Music Machine, The Venturie "5", The Lyrics oder The Nightcrawlers werfen ein Licht auf britische Invasionsbands wie die Who, Kinks und Rolling Stones, heimische Garagenblumen und das dunkle Ende der psychedelischen Straße. Gespickt mit fuzziger Gitarre, Enthusiasmus, treibendem Beat und einer Einstellung, die Proto-Punk war, bleibt diese Musik frisch und wird bereits von einer neuen Generation angenommen. Mit Liner Notes von Keb Darge und Coverartwork von Robin Banks.

Black Truffle is thrilled to present a Song for two Mothers / Occam IX the first ever solo release from Laetitia Sonami. Born in France in 1957, Sonami studied with Éliane Radigue in Paris before moving to California in 1978 to study electronic music at Mills College, going on to make important innovations in the field of live electronics interfaces and multi-media performance. Sonami is perhaps most closely associated with one of her inventions, the Lady’s Glove, an arm-length tailored glove fitted with movement sensors allowing the performer fluidly to control digital sound parameters and processing, as well as motors, lights and video playback. Having performed with the Lady’s Glove for 25 years, Sonami retired it in 2016, turning her attention to the interface/instrument heard and pictured here, the Spring Sprye.

In Sonami’s own description, “The Spring Spyre is composed of three thin springs that are attached to reverb tank pickups, mounted on a metal ring. The audio generated when the springs are touched, rubbed or struck is analyzed in Max/MSP. The extracted features are then used to train machine learning models in Wekinator and Rapidmax and control the audio synthesis in real time. We never actually hear the springs.” After decades of aversion to documenting her work on recordings, a Song for two Mothers / Occam IX treats listeners to two side-long performances with the Spring Spyre: the very first piece developed for the instrument and the most recent, the two contrasting remarkably in sound palette, energy and form. A Song for two Mothers (2023) spins an intricate web of rippling synthetic burbles, rapid sweeps and fizzing textures. Performed in real time with the sensitive and partly uncontrollable Spring Sprye ("a bit tyrannical," Sonami calls it), the music is delicate yet chaotic. Abrupt gestures hover against a backdrop of silence, "devoid of spatial or temporal direction". After several minutes, the sound-world becomes metallic and percussive, tapping and ticking in pointillistic flurries before a wavering harmonic cloud emerges, sprinkled with resonant drips and pops.


Occam IX is a radically different proposition. At the outset of Sonami’s exploration of the Spring Sprye, she asked her former teacher Éliane Radigue to compose a piece for it—and her: like all of Radigue’s work since she ceased working with analogue electronics at the beginning of the 21st century, Occam IX is written not only for an instrument but also for a particular performer. These scores are developed verbally, through meetings and conversations between performer and composer; each is grounded in an image (usually kept from listeners, to avoid influencing their experience); all magnify the subtlest acoustic phenomena and require great commitment and patience from the performer. Sonami’s is one of the few Occam pieces to make use of electronics, bringing it closer to Radigue’s famous longform pieces for ARP 2500. Beginning from a rumbling low tone, the listener is gradually immersed in slowly lapping waves of synthetic tones, eventually thinning out into delicate bell-like pings against a background of white noise, reminiscent of one of the most beautiful sections of Kyema from the Trilogie de la Morte.


Accompanied by notes from Sonami, her longtime collaborator Paul DeMarinis, and Radigue, and illustrated with scores, photographs and images of the Spring Spyre, a Song for two Mothers / Occam IX is an essential document celebrating an under-recognised pioneer of electronic music and performance.

Jon Spencer teams up with Kendall Wind and Macky Spider Bowman - the rhythm section from Woodstock NY punk rock wunderkind The Bobby Lees - to chew bubblegum and kick ass. Two years after “Spencer Gets It Lit” (Marc Riley’s BBC6 Music Album of the Year, “hugely entertaining” MOJO, “a sonic witchdoctor who’ll blow your mind” UNCUT) there is still more work to be done saving rock'n'roll music. “Sick of Being Sick!” will be released on limited clear 45rpm Super-Stereo cut LP. Jon Spencer has been innovative force in the independent music scene since the mid-80s. An acclaimed live performer, he has toured all the continents except Antarctica and has amassed a dizzying discography as the leader of Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, and Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, as well as with Boss Hog, The Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, and Taxi Girls. His collaborations include (but are not limited to) working with Steve Albini, Add N To X, Nicole Atkins, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bomb The Bass, R.L. Burnside, James Chance, Coldcut, Chuck D, Dan The Automator, Jim Dickinson, DJ Shadow, Einsturzende Neubauten, Guitar Wolf, GZA, David Holmes, Japanese Popstars, Dr. John, Calvin Johnson, Steve Jordan, Khan, Moby, Money Mark, The Muffs, The North Mississippi All Stars, Princess Superstar, Puffy AmiYumi, The Sadies, Nancy Sinatra, Solex, Solomon Burke, Speedball Baby, Rufus Thomas, UNKLE, Unloved, Andre Williams, and Bernie Worrell. His production credits include: Cheater Slicks, Demolition Doll Rods, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, Perrosky, Mike Edison, Jesper Munk, Sunshine & The Rain, The Bobby Lees, and Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton.

After years of visiting graveyards, combing through haunted houses, and pursuing (heh heh) dead ends, we finally tracked down the rights to the legendary Frankie Stein and His Ghouls series! Why did we risk life, limb, and livelihood to find these records? Well, first of all, long-time Real Goners know we LOVE these campy ‘60s takes on horror rock—witness our previous macabre moves into the Zacherle, Munsters and Groovie Goolies franchises. But there’s something extra special about these Frankie Stein and His Ghouls records. You wouldn’t think that Halloween records released by a subsidiary (Power Records) of a children’s specialty label (Peter Pan Records) would be so…er…visceral, but these records are definitely the most out there of their kind. And there might be a reason for that…you see, it has been revealed that the Power label enlisted the aid of some very, very interesting musicians for some of its projects. For instance, the imprint’s 1966 album Batman and Robin by The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale was actually produced by Tom Wilson of Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, and Mothers of Invention fame—and the band was made up free jazz legend Sun Ra and members of The Blues Project! Which has led to all sorts of speculation about who Frankie Stein and His Ghouls actually were; among the names bandied about are guitarist Duane Eddy, jazz saxophonist Max Greger, and, yes, Sun Ra and the Blues Project again. At any rate, prepare yourself for frenetic rock-and-twist workouts punctuated by deranged howls and shattering sound effects. And with a back story like this, it’s no wonder original copies of these albums sell for downright horrifying prices…here come the last two for a truly fiendish finale!

This is going to be the scariest spoken word record you’ve ever heard. We’re not joking…and neither is Vincent Price. The star of such horror classics as House of Wax, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and Theatre of Blood (and, of course, narrator of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video) can barely hide his delight while he takes his audience through a graphic and occasionally grisly history lesson in witchcraft from the Bible through the Middle Ages, the Spanish Inquisition, and Nazi Germany. Then, accompanied by occasional eerie, abstract electronic music, Price’s sinister satisfaction only mounts as he provides instruction in the dark arts, with such tracks as “How to Make a Pact with the Devil” and “Curses, Spells, Charms.” It’s all in good fun, of course…or is it? The mysterious writer of the script, one Terry d’Oberoff, has only one other credit to his name: as the “mascot” of an early ‘70s band called…wait for it…Black Magic. This 1969 double-LP release has long been coveted by collectors of the curious and macabre, and for its first reissue in over 50 years, we are giving it the Real Gone treatment, reproducing the gatefold jacket and the full-size, 8-page booklet that accompanied some copies. It’s a combination history textbook and how-to manual in witchcraft, with a title page depicting a particularly unsettling spell called “The Hand of Glory” involving the severed, salted, and dried hand of a convicted felon. We are releasing this one-of-a-kind album on clear with orange “pumpkin” swirl vinyl…Happy Halloween.

All killer, no filler type biz as Naarm hardware donny Furious Frank makes his Oyster Cult return.

Strictly dancefloor wreckers from beginning to end. Girder-strength rhythm and driving, direct torque on the menu as Frank opts in favour of club-ready ordnance. Those with a taste for the rough n’ ready have never been in safer hands.

He’s bringing the heft like it's going out of style while keeping true to sci-fi and hallucinatory tendencies. Future-proofed forays into acid and trance backed with some of the toughest breakneck groove you’re likely to hear this summer. Darting synths, flourishes of 303; all the good stuff.

Dealing damage from the controls of his drum machine, urgent basslines and lacerating percussion are primed for maximum impact. Quintessentially Furious."

We expect that many of you will have heard of Anton Barbeau, but for those who haven’t, and indeed those who have but don’t know much about him, here’s some relevant information. Anton is from Sacramento, California and has been putting out his music on a variety of labels since the early 90s. He has lived in the UK and Germany, and we believe he’s now back in California. A brilliant singer/songwriter and performer with an ear for a catchy, psychedelic tune, Anton has worked with plenty of celebrated artists over the years, including Scott Miller, Colin Moulding, Kimberly Rew, Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Robbie Mackintosh and many more. In 2006 he released ‘In The Village Of The Apple Sun’ on San Francisco’s Four Way Records as a CD only issue. When we started Blue Matter, Anton contacted us suggesting we might like to re-issue the album, as it had never been on vinyl, and he thought it’s overtly psychedelic direction would suit the label. We, of course, agreed. Having worked with Anton over 20 years ago, we were familiar with his output, and were overjoyed to get the opportunity to release this masterpiece on our label. Great songs, great playing, it’s a thoroughly wonderful album, and it’s a genuine pleasure to be working with the excellent Mr Barbeau once again.