From piano meditations to desk-bending dub via Welsh psych, seminal electronics and powerhouses of pantsula!
We beam into your Bank Holiday’s to talk about the week’s Best New Reissues, starting with Church of Kidane Mehret from Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, a set of extreme spiritual weight from the venerated Ethiopian Orthodox nun. The record collects all the musical work from Emahoy’s 1972 private press album of the same name, alongside two additional unreleased piano recordings. Recording herself in churches throughout Jerusalem, this is such moving stuff, with some proper massive drones via pipe organ and harmonium too that pretty much sent us all back through our chairs. Absolute gifts from the past, just stunning.
+ Available on exclusive and very limited Clear vinyl.
+ Both LP formats have old school tip-on jacket with metallic silver foil stamping (which looks amazing) along with a 12-page booklet featuring extensive liner notes from scholar and pianist Thomas Feng.
We have a right gem this week on Awesome Tapes from Africa with Moskito’s infectious Idolar. Formed in 2001, the group first emerged as a powerhouse of pantsula (high energy street dance) dancers. Initially created (very aptly) on two cassette decks, there is such a roll to it all, a flow of rap and pumping production. Such good grooves.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Philadelphia rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s eponymous album, which is standing up very well indeed as we give it another spin. It remains as off-kilter as it did back on release, an upbeat and joyous set of alt-pop exuberance. They are one of the few acts to manage sounding a bit like Talking Heads, but not end up sounding like a Temu-Talking Heads! Good stuff.
+ Double Yellow, White and Pink Splatter Vinyl + Flexi.
Also getting some heavy rotation so far this week is Orbital’s Orbital (The Brown Album) that has been lovingly reissued this week on London Records. Originally released in 1993, it took the hard drive of their debut (which was also called Orbital…) and found the duo reaching ambitious new highs in ambience. Absolutely still has bangers though; they were ever so good at making bangers.
+ Reissued on vinyl for the first time in a decade, The Brown Album has been cut at half speed, to ensure maximum audio fidelity for this landmark release. Available on limited Orange and Gold double vinyl.
Following the reissue of Dalec Peilon - the debut LP from Welsh underground icons Ffa Coffi Pawb - we now have an all new pressing of their 1991 follow up, Clymhalio. Still rich in dreamy pop and all those evocative and psychedelic hues, the album was also a shift into more experimental recording techniques.
+ Pressed on limited Green vinyl.
Available for the first time in ages is Scientist’s At the Controls of Dub: Rare Dubs 1979-1980. The set focuses on the last of his analogue production and those dubs sure do sound beefy as the delay bops across the stereo. Always essential stuff.
Also not-new this week we have an Original Jazz Classics pressing of Thelonious Monk’s Thelonious Himself, a sublime 1957 solo LP (besides the appearance of John Coltrane and Wilbur Ware on the seminal “Monk’s Mood” that closes the LP). We have a half-speed master reissue of Suede’s much-lauded 1997 B-sides compilation, Sci-Fi Lullabies. Last few on triple Grey vinyl if you’re quick! The Wedding Present release the fifth volume of their Marc Riley Sessions series. Anyone up for a ‘Lucky Rainbow’ pressing of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s twenty-second studio album Laminated Denim? Yeah man, us too, it’s dead good fun.
Lastly today, we have a new compilation called Strobes in Space from the Two Piers Records crew, who are making regular habits of releasing banging comps! This new set is focused on “Indie Sleaze, Nu Rave & Future Disco 2000-2009”, with absolute blazers from The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, Tom Vek and stacks more. We have a very limited triple pressing on ‘Neon Pink, Purple & Petrol’ colour vinyl.
