Underwater serenity through to otherworldly suspense, with folk, jazz and other new-not-new tones.
This week, we have become slightly obsessed with Jezz Woodroffe’s (a former member of Black Sabbath) lush and tranquil Wonders Of The Underwater World (Soundtrack From The Film). We promise it is not just because it has a stick-your-own stickers sleeve, but seriously now, it has a stick-your-own stickers sleeve! Somewhere between The Life Aquatic, Jacques Cousteau and Daphne Oram, with especially underwater-sounding synths that bubble and bloop. Really immersive stuff, quite the vibe.
We have the first pressing in yonks (maybe since release) of A Tribe Called Quest’s fifth, and at the time, final LP, The Love Movement. The ‘love’ concept LP (spread across a 3LP pressing) is quite dark, but not without the flashes that always made them so vital and driving. Such an amazing catalogue, we must try and get everything back in the building.
Huge excitement over here late last week with Bobby Krlic releasing N/Y, the first new piece of solo music as The Haxan Cloak in over a decade. Dark and writhing music, clunking beats and wailing frequencies, it’s really arresting.
Krlic has also launched the Archaic Devices label and this week presents fresh ‘23 vinyl pressings of the self-titled The Haxan Cloak, Observatory and Excavation albums. Pretty sure this is the first time they’ve been available since the original Triangle releases a decade back. Those will be our Winter most-played over here.
Jazz. In. Abundance.
Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers’ Ugetsu is pressed as part of the Craft Jazz Essentials series, a 1963 live set from the original Birdland. A ridiculous line up tbh.
Also on Craft Jazz Essentials, we have a double from The Miles Davis Quintet, with Steamin’ and Miles. Again, a wild lineup for both sessions (1956). Proper history.
Lastly, (and again as part of the impressive ‘Craft Jazz Essentials’ series), Abbey Is Blue was a 1959 Riverside Records LP from jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln. She has insane power, but the way she holds it back is pretty wild.
We have an essential repress in the racks of Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan’s The Nation's Most Central Location. The May pressing flew out and we had to stop selling this new White vinyl edition too… But we do actually have a little stash for the shelves, so have at it! A mournful and melancholic beauty for all you cement heads.
Excellent musical archeology this week on Earth Recordings with Elephantasia, the long lost 1972 folk opus from Bangor-born singer/songwriter Dave Evans. Finger-picked traditionalism with something altogether more proggy and woozy and sagging tape loops. Feels like a perfect Autumn record, the mood is strong.
We also have Turin Brakes’ 20023 Ether Song (a first time pressing since it’s OG release), a ten year anniversary edition of Mac Miller’s Watching Movies With The Sound Off and the utterly blazzin’ Le Sato 2 from Benin’s T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo.
As previously mentioned, we have a few nice Black Friday Exclusives left to include; Joni Mitchell demos, a couple of stonkers on Soul Jazz, The Flaming Lips live, The Bees in dub and Dungen! Available in a very limited way here.
You’d also have to be living under a rock to not already know that we have Kate Bush album reissues looking truly splendiferous. They are here.
We’ll be ushering in December at the end of the week, with a brand new Record of the Month and publication of our Deluxe Records of the Year newspaper.
Keep it tuned!