Rock and roll rawness, psychedelic disco, transcendental floats, post punk… and we haven’t even mentioned Ukraine yet!

We are compilation heavy to start this new week with Best New Reissues and we have some proper belters for you.

Firstly, an amazing new project from the folks that specialise in amazing projects. Light in the Attic presents Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996. It is the first comprehensive collection of Ukrainian music, recorded prior to - and immediately following - the USSR’s collapse. It has been lovingly compiled in partnership with the Kyiv based reissue label Shukai (meaning “to hunt, or search”) and one of its biggest victories is how consistent the vibe remains across decades of style and genre. Ambience, exotic jazz, baroque pop, fuzzed out guitars, dulcimers, electro bangers and heartbreaking folk. It really does take a trip.

+ Available on limited and exclusive Clear Sky Blue & Sunflower Yellow colour vinyl.
+ Available as a limited Deluxe CD edition that features bonus digital content housed in a deluxe, 64-page hardbound book.
Also on Light in the Attic is Why Don’t You Smile Now, the third in the label’s series of Lou Reed reissues, this time covering pop songs penned by Reed during his mid-60s stint as a staff songwriter for the long-defunct label Pickwick Records. You can see him finding his voice in real time, which is pretty thrilling stuff. The package is again quite brilliant. It sounds amazing (remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin) and includes in depth booklets with unseen photos and liner notes by Richie Unterberger and an essay by Lenny Kaye. We also have a limited and exclusive Oxblood & Gold colour vinyl pressing.

Soundway absolutely bring the vibes this week with Ayo Ke Disco (translating as "Let's go to the disco" in Indonesian), a collection of lovingly-curated bangers from the vibrant discotheques across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Rare cuts from the 1970s and 80s and all loads of fun.

A corker from the Soul Jazz Records vaults with D-I-Y: DO-IT-YOURSELF - Punk, Post Punk, Punk. Out of print for 15 years, the compilation features a host of post punk, punk, punk funk / dance and electronic experimentation from UK bands in the late 1970s and 80s that all arrived in the aftermath of punk. Big hitters like The Buzzcocks, A Certain Ratio and The Fire Engines, but it’s the lesser known, rare and obscure tracks that make this one really stand out.

Also this week. As part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, we have a cool Blue Splatter pressing of Weezer’s self-titled debut, the Blue Album. Been enjoying revisiting it. Fire have reissued two remastered editions from Royal Trux with Untitled and Hand Of Glory. Cool editions in monochrome. Fat Possum release J. Spaceman (Spiritualized) and John Coxon’s original score for William Eggleston’s Stranded in Canton. It was recorded live at a special film screening at the Barbican Gallery in London in 2015 and has remained on the shelf since.
Chet Baker’s Baker's Holiday gets a fresh pressing via Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series. His 1965 tribute to Billie Holiday really is a joy, floating trumpet lines and flashes of his saccharine vocals too. Transferred from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Dialogue was vibe man Bobby Hutcherson’s debut for Blue Note as bandleader. Latin vibes and such a lovely breeze, a killer band too. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Lastly today we have a stunner of tranquillity with Terry Riley’s Descending Moonshine Dervishes. Originally recorded live in Berlin in 1975, what he created using just a modified organ is quite astonishing. Long form drones and subtly to transcendental effect.