[ aquarius records catalogue — I ]

Showing results 1 through 50 of 687.

I AM A LAKE OF BURNING ORCHIDSMorning / Hands(Loveswirls)cd-r$ 9.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Along with the reactivation of the Khrystanthoney label (check out reviews of Korouva and Melankoli elsewhere on this week's list), comes the introduction of a new label, a Khrysanthoney sub-label, the first two releases, both EXTREMELY limited eps from UK 'dreamo' outfit I Am A Lake Of Burning Orchids, whose sounds is a gloriously distorted, ultra blown out, electronics heavy blackened, crumbling shoegaze. And it's just as good as that sounds. Just check out the first track on "Summer In My Veins" from the group's first ep, which sounds like My Bloody Valentine, Mohinder, Tim Hecker all blended up and mixed by Alec Empire, or something. It's a dizzyingly dense tangle of ultra buzzy crumble, grinding distorto electronics, shrieked vox buried in the mix, lilting minor key melodies transformed into jagged streaks of furious fuzz, the production too, warped and woozy, almost Faxed Head style, with the sound swooping in and out, fading to near silence, then exploding into blow out speaker shredding howls, the sound stuttering and glitching out, often woven into strangely dynamic sprawls of start stop psychedelic noise, just as often smeared into prismatic FX drenched swirls. Some of the music sounds a bit like a crappy old Casio keyboard run through a million distortion pedals and then broadcast through a wall of Marshall amps, some sounds like pure abstract electronic komische melted down into pure, swirling, crystalline noise, and some sounds like malfunctioning techno, draped with harsh vokills and then doused in gouts of distortion and fuzz. Glorious, ear melting, head spinning, rainbow colored, blown out, buzz drenched, metallic dreamo bliss out of the highest order. Morning - Hands is IAALOBO's second ep and explores a different side of the group, harnessing many of the same sounds and textures, but trading in the Melt-Banana style short-sharp-shocks for long sprawling dronescapes, total Tim Hecker style epic crumble, like a super distorted blown out Caretaker record, the tracks here rumble and smolder, the sound delivered in swells, that build and build, before decaying into abstract swirls of sound the opening salvo is just total droned out heavy psychedelic dream-noise mesmer, but the second half is much more abstract and ambient, slipping from hushed hazy drift, all warm soft swirls and muted gauze-y crackle, to an almost krautrocky like komische, albeit one doused in distortion and effects, and finally, a sprawl of processed field recordings, which gradually blur into a murky sprawl of grey thrum, before dissipating and once again revealing the found sounds within. Both eps are SO GREAT, such a crime they're so limited. How limited? THESE ARE LIMITED TO JUST 50 COPIES!!! We have only a handful of each, and then they're gone for good. Beautifully packaged in an 8" x 17" fold out insert, housed in a translucent envelope, hand numbered in metallic ink.

I AM A LAKE OF BURNING ORCHIDSSummer In My Veins(Loveswirls)cd-r$ 9.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Along with the reactivation of the Khrystanthoney label (check out reviews of Korouva and Melankoli elsewhere on this week's list), comes the introduction of a new label, a Khrysanthoney sub-label, the first two releases, both EXTREMELY limited eps from UK 'dreamo' outfit I Am A Lake Of Burning Orchids, whose sounds is a gloriously distorted, ultra blown out, electronics heavy blackened, crumbling shoegaze. And it's just as good as that sounds. Just check out the first track on "Summer In My Veins" from the group's first ep, which sounds like My Bloody Valentine, Mohinder, Tim Hecker all blended up and mixed by Alec Empire, or something. It's a dizzyingly dense tangle of ultra buzzy crumble, grinding distorto electronics, shrieked vox buried in the mix, lilting minor key melodies transformed into jagged streaks of furious fuzz, the production too, warped and woozy, almost Faxed Head style, with the sound swooping in and out, fading to near silence, then exploding into blow out speaker shredding howls, the sound stuttering and glitching out, often woven into strangely dynamic sprawls of start stop psychedelic noise, just as often smeared into prismatic FX drenched swirls. Some of the music sounds a bit like a crappy old Casio keyboard run through a million distortion pedals and then broadcast through a wall of Marshall amps, some sounds like pure abstract electronic komische melted down into pure, swirling, crystalline noise, and some sounds like malfunctioning techno, draped with harsh vokills and then doused in gouts of distortion and fuzz. Glorious, ear melting, head spinning, rainbow colored, blown out, buzz drenched, metallic dreamo bliss out of the highest order. Morning - Hands is IAALOBO's second ep and explores a different side of the group, harnessing many of the same sounds and textures, but trading in the Melt-Banana style short-sharp-shocks for long sprawling dronescapes, total Tim Hecker style epic crumble, like a super distorted blown out Caretaker record, the tracks here rumble and smolder, the sound delivered in swells, that build and build, before decaying into abstract swirls of sound the opening salvo is just total droned out heavy psychedelic dream-noise mesmer, but the second half is much more abstract and ambient, slipping from hushed hazy drift, all warm soft swirls and muted gauze-y crackle, to an almost krautrocky like komische, albeit one doused in distortion and effects, and finally, a sprawl of processed field recordings, which gradually blur into a murky sprawl of grey thrum, before dissipating and once again revealing the found sounds within. Both eps are SO GREAT, such a crime they're so limited. How limited? THESE ARE LIMITED TO JUST 50 COPIES!!! We have only a handful of each, and then they're gone for good. Beautifully packaged in an 8" x 17" fold out insert, housed in a translucent envelope, hand numbered in metallic ink.

I AM SEAMONSTERNebulum(Basses Frequences)cd-r$ 10.98

Another amazing release from Basses Frequences (and no, that's not a typo), a new-ish (mostly) cd-r label from France, whose gorgeous sounds and lovingly packaged super limited releases have definitely been hitting the spot lately. They're up to 6 or 7 releases by now, we listed the Tamagawa a few lists back, and elsewhere on this list you'll find a new release from Aidan Baker, and the latest from Irish drone outfit Wereju.� But here, we have the debut (as far as we know) from the curiously (and cooly) named�I Am Seamonster, and we knew we were were in for something special, after only a few seconds of "Nebulum". It's definitely drone music, but this is not cavernous doomy low end rumbles, or delicate high end shimmer (although we do love both), no, this is something much more akin to Fennesz or Tim Hecker or Philip Jeck. Washed out and gauzy, blurred and ethereal. It's like someone removed a 2 or 3 second chunk from a perfect pop song, and stretched it out to 500 times that, simple melodies pulled apart into indistinct streaks, notes and chords transformed into deep glowing slow burning drones. Or perhaps imagine taking some shimmery bit of pop and examining it under a microscope, glimpsing past all the surface stuff and examining the mysterious world within, the textures revealed offer up a whole new world of sound, all the various microscopic parts, music at the atomic level, a blurred soundscape of massive slow moving shapes, of slowly shifting textures, the sound all grainy and blurred, you can almost imagine this as the first shot in the musical version of that film when the camera pulls back from the inside of the molecule all the way back to the furthest reaches of the universe. Who knows what sort of song, or what kind of music might be revealed if we pulled back from the soft, intimate dreamlike sounds of I Am Seamonster, but it hardly matters, because if anything, we actually want to get closer, to go deeper, to shrink ourselves down and lose ourselves in IAS's mysterious microscopic soundworld... Amazing packaging. The cd is seated in a black tray within a hinged metal tin, with a paste on front cover, full color sticker, and a sticker inside too with the liner notes.� LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES!!!

I AM SPOONBENDER'Blue Print' Poster(IAS)poster$ 15.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Limited edition large poster screenprinted on blueprint paper - so each is one-of-a-kind! Features the face of Crack: We Are Rock member Erin. Designed by Slang (who's responsible for a number of other stunning, highly covetted, non-paper posters for SF artists like Church Steps, Sounds Of The Barbary Coast, Kit Clayton, and O.S.T. go to: www.slanginternational.org).

I AM SPOONBENDER'Telepathic Antiquity' Poster (2nd North American Tour, 2003)(IAS)poster$ 4.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. These limited edition posters were designed by IAS (imaginatively illustrated by Cup!) for their 2nd North American tour, 2003. 'Hair Is Real', indeed. Very few copies remain. 11"x17" heavy paperstock.

I AM SPOONBENDER1" logo button(IAS)button$ 1.00

1" button: uniquely shiny chrome with black print of the band's head-bending-fork logo.

I AM SPOONBENDER1" three forkmen button(IAS)button$ 1.00

1" button: uniquely shiny chrome with black print of the Teletwin logo.

I AM SPOONBENDER1.25" Buy Hidden Persuaders button(IAS)button$ 2.00

A brand new IAS 1.25" button to go with their brand new album! Uniquely shiny chrome with black print of the 'magic/magnetic hand' image from the front cover of their Buy Hidden Persuaders limited edition album.

I AM SPOONBENDERBuy Hidden Persuaders - Special Limited Edition(Mesmer Detector Ltd.)cd$ 13.98

By the time this is read, I Am Spoonbender will have�played their first show in 3 years. A meticulously planned and extensively elaborate sonic and visual feast for the eyes and the ears. In honor of this rare and long overdue live performance, IAS have�made a limited cd pressing of their latest full length album,�which was previously only available as a�free download from their website. It too is meticulous and elaborate, sonically and visually! From the beginning,�IAS (featuring AQ's own Cup, it must be said) have always had their feet planted firmly outside the traditional trappings�of what it means to be a band. Instead, they are more aligned with the tradition of performance art and ongoing dialogue, which�sometimes takes the shape of albums and songs while other times is expressed through imagery, mirrors,�card sets, film scores, and their psychedelic 1.1.1 alter-ego. Buy Hidden Persuaders finds IAS in the unique�position of being both avant-minded yet so immediate�and musical. Proggy and spazzy, paranoid and�poppy, rife with futuristic undertones and oh so undeniably melodic.�Elements of electronic progsters Heldon and prime-time new wavey Gary Numan are still integral parts of the IAS fabric. BHP is the�sound of a new propaganda created by examining the effects on the psyche�of the onslaught of insidious images and ideas, the ones we are bombarded with on a�daily basis. Fighting fire with fire, or more specifically with a driving and rhythmic�musical flame much like the trick candles on a�birthday cake that refuse to ever go out. Inextinguishable, it will burn images and ideas into your mind until you're armed with�new questions, and no simple�answers.�A contagious conflagration n' confrontation in musical form. Presented in a special lp-sized gatefold, with their�trademark immaculate packaging and filled with stream�of consciousness text that further underscores their ongoing�desire to create, illuminate and compel. Very limited so�don't blink...

I AM SPOONBENDEREgyptian motif sticker(IAS)sticker$ 0.50

New I Am Spoonbender stickers are now here! Striking Egyptian motif. Bright orange, black and white weather-proof vinyl. 2" wide by 6" high.

I AM SPOONBENDERPlastic Lips(Contact)7"$ 5.50

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Ultra-super-limited pressing of this Japanese import only available in the U.S. from us here at AQ. Features two songs: the A-side is a retitled "Replaced By Toys" from their first album "Sender/Receiver" now called "Plastic Lips" The exclusive B-side is an electro-op-pop cover of the wonderful Young Marble Giants' song "Searching For Mr. Right"! Note: if you're quick like a bunny you might even get one of the extra-ultra-super-limited number of these that were pressed on white vinyl. Definitely buy now or cry later.

I AM SPOONBENDERSender / Receiver(Gold Standard Laboratories)cd$ 11.98

The debut album from the San Francisco avantgardists I Am Spoonbender is quite a brilliant fare, in which the telephone operates as metaphor to semiological, aural, and sidereal transmissions (Andee's interpretation: "They sing into phones"). But this object finds itself in need of repair, disrupting and misinterpreting the original signals of This Heat and Gary Numan into mutant grooves propelled by Dustin's post-Jaki Leibezeit percussion and Brian's prog bass angularity. On top of all of this rhythmic disruption, Cup's delicate synth melodies fall somewhere in between the tropes of early 80's new wave and Nurse With Wound's Soliloquy for Lilith. Yeah, I already run the risk of making this review far more advanced than it really need be, so I say that this - the aural equivalent of Avital Ronell's Telephone Book - is one of my favorite records of the year. No shit.

I AM SPOONBENDERSender / Receiver Picture Disc(Gold Standard Laboratories)lp$ 10.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. First time on vinyl, and in the form of a beautiful picture disc at that! The only thing that is missing from this version of I Am Spoonbender's first full length is the peic final track "Mr. Knife Miss Fork". Unfortunately due to the time constraints of the vinyl format, the track simply would no fit. Nevertheless even without the final track, the debut album from the San Francisco avantgardists I Am Spoonbender is quite a brilliant fare, in which the telephone operates as metaphor to semiological, aural, and sidereal transmissions (Andee's interpretation: "They sing into phones."). But this object finds itself in need of repair, disrupting and re-interpreting the original signals of This Heat and Gary Numan into mutant grooves propelled by Dustin Donaldson's post-Jaki Leibezeit percussion and Brian Jackson's prog bass angularity. On top of all of this rhythmic disruption, Cup's delicate vocal / synth melodies fall somewhere in between the tropes of late '70s new wave and Nurse With Wound's Soliloquy For Lilith. Yeah, I already run the risk of making this review far more advanced than it really need be, so I say that this -- the aural equivalent of Avital Ronell's Telephone Book -- is one of my favorite records of the year. No shit. Limited pressing.

I AM SPOONBENDERShown Actual Size(Gold Standard Laboratories)cd ep$ 5.98

During the two years between I Am Spoonbender's "Teletwin" EP and the "Shown Actual Size" 3-song EP, electro-revivalism -- or perhaps better known as the stupid cliche 'electroclash' (who's fighting anyway?) -- has self-destructed. Once a succinct manifestation of perfectly machined rhythms and plastic passion with an android sheen (e.g. Adult.), electro-revivalism is now just a vapidly stylistic coke dream of robot sex and perfectly coiffed hair. Indeed, I Am Spoonbender have developed a tight, very flashy live persona complete with choreographed lighting, op-art film references, and sharp costuming. However, beneath their theatrical glitz, I Am Spoonbender remains dedicated to crafting an avant-pop homunculus out of This Heat and Gary Numan, or perhaps alternately stated, IAS strives for a means to rock without guitars. For Spoonbender, electro has simply been a convenient vehicle to attain some of their goals (art? popularity? world domination?). That said, "Shown Actual Size" is probably the least electro sounding record from I Am Spoonbender, centered upon the vocal duets of Donaldson and Cup (yes, the same Cup whose smiling face can be found behind the counter at Aquarius) fronting punchy synthetic grooves and metronomic electrical sparks (plus bass guitar played by Dave Edwardson of Neurosis!). These two voices bounce between fractured narratives that not only imply a humanistic optimism about extracting meaning out of miscommunication, but also a cautiousness towards the technologies which may be complicating the lives that they seek to improve. Hopefully, more material will soon follow these far too brief 13 minutes. The album cover is a psychedelic / sci-fi '70s photograph of a phallic burst of water shooting into an androgynous mouth that you may recognise as the cover of Ash Ra's "Correlations", borrowed here -with permission- from Storm, the man behind Hipgnosis, the design firm responsible for that image as well as many other legendary album covers (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and tons more).

I AM SPOONBENDERSpoonbender Sleep Research Team: 'Hypnotic Trance Pamphlet' - Series 1(Seismic Seance)card set$ 9.98

'You have been suggested': This is the 1st of 3 in a series of what I Am Spoonbender call 'Hypnotic Trance Pamphlets' -- sort of an 'Oblique Strategies' for the memetic engineering mindset. Ten 2" by 3" cards unique to each series, imprinted with an array of provocative IAS word/image concepts, thoughts and musings enclosed in a hand-numbered red vellum envelope. Tres sublime. Each edition will be limited to 333 copies. When I snap my fingers, you will not snooze on this...

I AM SPOONBENDERSpoonbender Sleep Research Team: 'Hypnotic Trance Pamphlet' - Series 2(Seismic Seance)card set$ 9.98

This is the 2nd series of 'Hypnotic Trance Pamphlets' by the Spoonbender Sleep Research Team (the printed-word annex of I Am Spoonbender). Enclosed in each metallic anthracite-hued paper, die-cut envelope are ten 2" by 3" cards (unique to each series), imprinted with an array of provocative IAS word/image concepts, thoughts and musings. Think a sort of 'Oblique Strategies' for the memetic-engineering mindset, although this set has some sociomagico narrative-generating possibilities... mix 'em up! Tres sublime! As with the 1st (and forthcoming 3rd edition), these are limited to 333 hand-numbered copies. Hypnotico! Arouseo! Awakeup!

I AM SPOONBENDERTeletwin(Mint)cd$ 11.98

After the tricky 3-sided-but-on-a-single-12" vinyl release, I Am Spoonbender offers the (one-sided) cd version of Teletwin. This 41-minute ep starts with an altered version of "Stopwatch Static" (here titled "Clocks Grow Old" to expand the meaning of the original), one of the avant-pop numbers from their 1998 album Sender / Receiver which then fades into "Infinity Limiter", a Steve Reich-ian tune for synths, which has become a staple in the I Am Spoonbender live 'Dream Set'. "Where Do Words Go?" at first appears to be a pretty straightforward cover of Berlin's new wave classic "The Metro" -- but upon closer inspection you realize that it is a 'tele-twin' of sorts, with completely different lyrics exactly set to the original melody! This makes IAS' version an imposter -- passing for the orginal, but actually completely different. Lyrically and conceptually, this now places the song entirely within the IAS ethos (illusion / reality, etc). Furthermore, the song eventually detours into layers of melodic deconstructions and time signature shakeups which somehow all reconvene back into the original song structure for its finish. For "Frozen Dog Futurist", IAS generate Heldon-esque synths with an obsessive bassline matching the disorienting punch of Dustin Donaldson's live drumming. This decomposes into digital glitch manipulated organ drones which could easily have origins in the soundtrack to the classic, freaky film Carnival Of Souls. That is followed by "October Blurred By", a hypnotic rhythmic track of flanged bass repeating a complex anti-funk groove that could be mistaken for a Tones On Tail out-take! "They Don't Have Mirrors" continues the aural relay with a caustic electronic wash which gives way to a blast of percussive math cluster bombs topped by slippery bass distortion before breaking down into thick recordings of steam engine horns with backwards digital skittering... and then erupts back into the aforementioned structure. For all of the plastic / new wave sheen that I Am Spoonbender applies to their songs, their structures may in fact be closer to This Heat or Funkstorung's experiments with fracturing electronica by shifting rhythmic elements in and out of atmospheric moods. Note: we have both the Canadian import version released on Mint Records which features extra-stylin' black jewelcase packaging as well as the domestic version released on Little Army Records.

I AM SPOONBENDERantique fork design sticker(IAS)sticker$ 0.50

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. The original IAS sticker design! 8"long by 1.5"wide vinyl sticker with silver band name and shiny black antique fork design on matte black background.

I AM SPOONBENDERband logo sticker(IAS)sticker$ 0.50

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. 2" high by 5"wide vinyl sticker with white band name and silver logo on matte black background.

I AM SPOONBENDERlimited edition 1.5" tour button(IAS)button$ 2.00

Limited edition 1.5" button: uniquely shiny chrome with black print of the phrase "I went to see I Am Spoonbender and all I got were memories."

I AM SPOONBENDERlimited edition mirror(IAS)mirror$ 2.98

Back in stock! An unexpected I Am Spoonbender object for your multidimensional delight and reflection. It's a limited edition 2.25" circular mirror! These were formerly only available from the group at their performances and have been long long gone. However, to commemorate the release of their latest album Buy Hidden Persuaders which has mirror themes running throughout, IAS have made a fresh batch. We've got a small quantity here at aQ. The back is imprinted in black with their logo and the phrase "this is a 2 way mirror" (Who is on the other side? And where are they watching from?) on the same sleekly unique chrome finish as their 1" buttons. Perfectly stylin' and perfectly handy.

I AM SPOONBENDER T SHIRTBuy Hidden Persuaders t-shirt(IAS)t-shirt$ 13.98

A brand new I Am Spoonbender t-shirt design to go with their brand new album! Black 50/50 t-shirt with metallic silver and red print of the 'magic / magnetic hand' image from the front cover of the Buy Hidden Persuaders limited edition album. Sizes: YL, S, M, L, XL. Please specify in the comments section of the order form which size shirt you want.

I AM SPOONBENDER T SHIRTglow-in-the-dark t-shirt(IAS)t-shirt$ 13.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. This black 50/50 t-shirt is graced by a white telephone handset design that glows in the dark! It's surrounded by thin red lines. Adult extra large only.

I AM SPOONBENDER T SHIRTlogo t-shirt(IAS)t-shirt$ 12.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Black 50/50 t-shirt with metallic silver print of the band's head-bending-fork logo. Various sizes available. Please inquire.

I AM SPOONBENDER T SHIRTtelephone t-shirt(IAS)t-shirt$ 12.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Black 50/50 t-shirt with red telephone and white lines design. Large only.

I AM SPOONBENDER T SHIRTthree forkmen t-shirt(IAS)t-shirt$ 12.98

Black 50/50 t-shirt with metallic silver print of the three forkmen from the Teletwin album. Various sizes available. Please inquire.

I AM SPOONBENDER W/ KID 606 AND SLAVES/PLEASURE FOREVER'Telekinetic Disassembly' 2001 Show Poster(IAS)poster$ 4.98

These limited edition posters were designed by IAS for their first ever headlining show at SF's Great American Music Hall. Very few copies remain. 11"x17" cardstock.

I AM SPOONBENDER W/ MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?'Inner Space Vs. Outer Space' (Noise Pop 2000 Poster)(IAS)poster$ 4.98

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. These limited edition posters were designed for IAS by Spacebase (aka Justin Wright, the man behind those recent Expo 70 cdrs!) for the Noise Pop 2000 show at the Great American Music Hall. Very few copies remain. 11"x17" cardstock.

I AM SPOONBENDER W/ PLEASURE FOREVER'Ouija Board' Poster (1st North American Tour, 2001)(IAS)poster$ 4.98

These limited edition posters were designed by IAS to commemmorate their first U.S. tour back in the spring of 2001. Very few copies remain. We've heard reports that some clever folks have laminated theirs for use as table placemats! 11"x17" cardstock. Planchette not included.

I HATE MYSELFs/t(No Idea)cd$ 11.98

I ROBOTEt Cetera(Immigrant Sun)cd$ 14.98

The retrospective compilation of the short-lived NY hardcore band known as I Robot includes three previously unreleased tracks, as well as a couple of 7" cuts and a live performance on KXLU Radio. Most notable about the music here is the contrasting vocals of Matt Grande and Peter Bisso (now in Homesick For Space) - an acidic, shriek-yell assault much like that of The Locust in which any moment you expect to be hit in the eye by a projectile tonsil versus a considerably more gentle emo-boy approach. And the music is right there along with them alternating from moments of subdued, lulling guitar post rock to more imposingly raging walls of guitars.

I ROYDread Bald Head(Jackpot)cd$ 14.98

1976 recordings of some classic toasting by I Roy. Produced by Bunny Lee and Recorded at King Tubby's studio.

I SAW IT ALL HAPPEN FROM BEGINNING TO END AND SOMETIMES I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I SAWLife Everlasting, Amen.(Firework Editions)cd$ 17.98

Members of the hypnogogic nation state Elgaland-Vargland (one of whom is the UK Ambassador), I Saw It All Happen... present a field recording of a life support system in its relentless quest to keep the patient alive and in doing so becomes part of the patient's living flesh. As one could gather from watching any given episode from the daytime soaps on which somebody named Montana or Dakota would be in a coma for six weeks until their contracts expire, the life support machine emanates a hypnotic pumping of mechanical whirs and beeps. Packaged with grainy photos and text dropping innuendos of the patient's inevitable death, this is a conceptual listen to the end.

I SHALT BECOMEIn The Falling Snow(No Colours)cd$ 17.98

Yet another archival release from grim suicidal one man black metal outfit I Shalt Become, aka S. Holliman, who hails from Illinois of all grim places, and who, as far as we can tell, has been pretty much inactive for the last decade. This release was recorded way back in 1998 and was originally released as a demo credited to Birkenau, the name Holliman used before switching to I Shalt Become. Like Wanderings before it, In The Falling Snow is a fantastic, and fantastically twisted chunk of sorrowful black misery. As doomy as it is black, heavily indebted to Burzum of course, but I Shalt Become shares much in common with other more modern practitioners of this sort of ultra grim, plodding midtempo blackness, Xasthur, Krohm, Nortt, Make A Change Kill Yourself, the riffs buzzing and crumbling, the temps loping and dirgey, the mood grim and dour, super atmospheric, not lo-fi necessarily, but murky and muddy and washed out sounding, dreary and drone-y, sweeping swaths of epic keyboard, and the vocals, an exhausted miserable sounding croak, as if most of the lifeforce has already drained away, not leaving enough vitriol to howl or shriek, just enough energy to barely get out these last words from a moldering old deathbed, the wasted, dead quality of the vocals perfectly matching the depressive mood of the music. But even as miserable and despondent and depressive as these sounds are, they're also hauntingly and harrowingly beautiful, soaring strings, minor key melodies, super dramatic and ultra personal, everything weirdly soft focus and dreamlike, the buzz and plod blurred into gauzy dronemetal soundscapes, the double kick, a pulse buried beneath thick layers of billowing fuzz, the riffs looped and repeated into black buzzing mantras. Way recommended of course, for the miserable and the black hearted.

I SHALT BECOMELouisiana Voodoo(Inspired Hate / Saadi Saati)cd$ 10.98

The latest from Illinois one man black metal band I Shalt Become bears the strange title Louisiana Voodoo, not sure if this some sort of bizarre concept record, but sonically, it does pretty much start up right where 2010's Poison left off, the muddy, Burzumic, Xasthur-like murk of the earlier releases, transformed into something twisted and symphonic, the sound more strings and orchestra than black buzz, but fear not, ISB's finest moments, are when the two collide, creating a sort of symphonic black doom creep that fuses washed out murky guitar buzz, and buried barely there drum plod, to swirling symphonic strings, dramatic piano, even some Carpenter like synths, all topped with raspy, demonically croaked vokills. It's strange stuff for sure, but as much as we loved Poison, we're digging Louisiana Voodoo even more, all of the twisted symphonic elements, and the newly expanded sound palette, are even more expansive and wonderfully warped this time around, Louisiana Voodoo sounding like some sort of Broadway black metal production of Phantom Of The Opera, all bombastic and dramatic, creepy chamber music wrapped in swaths of grim black buzz, it's almost like a more lo-fi home brewed version of Dimmu Borgir or Fleshgod Apocalypse, but somehow even less metal, or at least less buzzing and blasting, instead more creepy and loping, lumbering and muddy, sweeping and soundtracky, it's not difficult to imagine these sounds accompanying some twisted big budget art film, the arrangements are intricate and epic, the sounds majestic and soaring - think Xasthur via Arvo Part, or Make A Change Kill Yourself performing with a symphony. Although it's obvious that ISB is not just cramming some fake orchestra sounds into a black metal template, this stuff is meticulously crafted, and the results are stunning, and while there's still plenty of metal going on, metal references definitely don't do this justice, instead, think of some blackened hybrid that's equal parts Devil Doll, Death SS, Jacula, Gnaw Their Tongues, Xasthur, Seirom and Dimmu Borgir. Awesome.

I SHALT BECOMEPoison(Moribund Records)cd$ 15.98

A brand new record from Illinois one man black metal I Shalt Become is always cause for much excitement around here. The aQ metalheads can't get enough of ISB's haunting Burzumic creep, dirgey and doomy and depressive, but as we've mentioned before, ISB takes Burzum's black template and transforms it into something much more lush and washed out and dreamlike, incorporating strings, and swaths of shoegaze-y ambience, we often compare ISB's black metal to very UN black metal soundmakers like Philip Jeck and Tim Hecker, it's got that sort of warm gauzy quality, all blurred and bleary and otherworldly. Which is what we were expecting on Poison, and while that is still present, the sound seems to have shifted dramatically, with the blackness and the buzz taking a backseat, to the orchestration, cellos and violas, symphonies, synthesizers, pizzicato violin melodies, swirling clouds of frenzied cinematic strings, it's kind of shocking, not because classical music and black metal are strange bedfellows, but more because of how the two are mixed here, the result at first is jarring, and as much as we were imaging more of that lush textured murk, this is something way more far out, and fucked up and awesome. It's almost like a black metal score for some Hollywood blockbuster, dramatic and emotional and intense, but those soundtracky elements underpinned by howling metal shrieks, and droning buzzing riffage, that stuff in the background, as opposed to the other way around, it's weird, but seriously cool. The opening track is all classical fanfare, until the drums come in, and some growled groaned vokills, but they're almost more textural, as horns moan, and the strings soar, it's depressive, but in a wholly different way than we're used to, the drums are matched up with booming tympanis, choral arrangements are rendered in shades of grey and black, there are moments of buzz, but those usually dissipate into something much more atmospheric, letting strings, or orchestral swells drive the tracks, the murky buzzing blackness off in the background, in some ways it's almost more like industrial music, that sort of martial neo classical, MZ412 or Toroidh or Von Thronstahl, Teutonic, epic, majestic, just a bit more metal, but only a bit. Lots of metalheads will probably be screaming foul, as it was, ISB's sound was already bordering on the avant garde, more minimal and dreamlike, than grim and black, but this has definitely pushed the sound even further afield, but it sounds incredible to us, and just leaves us one question, when is some visionary Hollywood director gonna hit this guy up to score a film??

I SHALT BECOMERequiem(Moribund Records)cd$ 15.98

Newest disc from this long running depressive funereal black metal outfit. Originally formed in 1995, This Midwestern one man band has averaged about one record every four and a half years, although it seems that the band actually spent a good long stretch inactive, since the other two ISB records we reviewed were both recorded before the turn of the century, one under a different monicker.� So, in fact, this is the first full length in almost a decade, and it sounds fantastic, even better than the other two discs, the sound beefed up and much more produced, but without losing any of the sound's miserable grimnity, a record of swirling murky buzzy slow motion doomscapes, distinctly USBM, very reminiscent of Xasthur actually, but ISB is even more blurred and indistinct, most songs having only one or two parts, locked into a mesmerizing looped crawl, the guitars buzzy, but blurred into soft waves of low end, churning and throbbing, everything bathed in a warm gauzy patina, a sea of shimmering keyboards, all very epic and majestic, but so layered and washed out, that it barely sounds metal at times. Instead sounding like some drone drenched super distorted Godspeed, huge crashing waves of sound, everything bleary eyed and smeared into shadows and shapes, even when the metal components drop out, leaving a simple keyboard line to repeat hypnotically or a minor key guitar melody to loop over and over, the sound is more akin to Philip Jeck or Tim Hecker than any sort of black metal, and when the guitars and drums and buzz do return, that doesn't really change. It's still some sort of hazy smoky impressionistic ambient black metal, washing over you like dreamy soft black waves of buzz and whir. Sometimes this feels like the sort of black metal band those guys would actually start. Imagine Tim Hecker, Philip Jeck, Christian Fennesz and William Basinski, all in corpsepaint, lurking in a wintry forest, hunched over their instruments on a dimly lit stage, unfurling these roiling waves of gauzy blackness and looped blur. So intense and hypnotic and beautiful. If you ever wanted to get someone into black metal, this could very well be the record to do it with. WAY recommended.

I SHALT BECOMEThe Pendle Witch Trials(No Colours)cd$ 16.98

A new disc from one man black metal outfit I Shalt Become is always welcome around these parts. The washed out weary blackened blurscapes are for us, the black metal equivalent of Tim Hecker or Philip Jeck, a sort of black metal Pop Ambience, the various sounds distinctly black metal, but in ISB's strange otherworldly drift, rendered in shades of grey instead of black, the guitars warm whirring smears, the drums murky pulses, the vocals a croak barely audible over the heaving swells of soft buzz. The melodies mournful and miserable, the tempos lugubrious, the vibe grim and forsaken, depressive black metal nirvana for sure. Sonically, ISB probably has the most in common with Xasthur, but where Xasthur's sound is distinctly lo-fi, almost stumbling at times, the music of ISB manages to be both lo-fi and incredible lush, the sheets of dreamlike buzz spun into lush expanses of warm shimmer, traditional blast and buzz has no place in ISB's windswept sonic wasteland, instead, the buzz is worn smooth, and spread out like gauzy low hanging clouds, there is no blast, only plod and pound, lope and lumber, there are keyboards everywhere, but they are at one with the guitars, adding dense texture, creating soft shadows, occasionally manifesting as super dramatic streaks of sonic melancholia. The songs tend toward one, maybe two parts, hypnotic and so mesmerizing, almost looped sounding, repeating over and over, totally trancelike, blackly blissful and dismally dreamy. Near the end of the record, several of the tracks grow fairly aggressive and get about as heavy as any ISB gets, but even then, the sound is infused with the strange choral sounding atmosphere, the instruments wreathed in delay and reverb, everything slowly melting together into one gorgeously bleary and blown slow motion sprawl, culminating in the two chord, storm drenched bliss drone outro. Some seriously gorgeous depressive black metal for sure, that like past releases, is so blurred and blissy, that it might possibly appeal to folks into stuff like Nadja, Jesu, Fear Falls Burning and other dronedirgedoom outfits as well.

I SHALT BECOMEWanderings(Moribund)cd$ 16.98

Originally released in 1996, this slab of suicidal blackness finally gets unearthed and resurrected by the doomed souls at Moribund. I shalt Become inhabit a completely bleak and barren world of abject misery. A doomy minor key slow motion black metal miserabilism. There's Burzum worship, and then there's taking your Burzum worship to an even more anguished and desolate, wretched and forlorn extreme. Think Xasthur, Burzum, Krohm, Make A Change... Kill Yourself, but then imagine those bands even more despondent, more hopeless, recording with razor blade inches from exposed wrist. A gorgeously bleak and buzzy expanse of minor key arpeggiated guitars, draped like black cloth over thick swirls of monochrome buzz. Riffs are looped and repeated, melodies become murky mantras and the vocals are so distorted and buried in the mix they just sound like whispery squalls of static. So mournful and melancholy. Wanderings is often so slow and fuzzy, so dreamlike that it almost ceases being metal, and becomes some abstract experimental drone music, an ambient soundscape of reverb drenched guitars, a loping black doom waltz, so goddamn sad sounding and so so beautiful. This reissue tacks on three bonus tracks, not quite as murky and lo-fi but just as tortured and tormented: Two Judas Iscariot covers and of course, an even more morose (is that were even possible?) version of Burzum's "En Ring Til AA Herske".

I SIGNORI DELLA GALASSIAIceman(Medical Records)lp$ 19.98

This might be the coolest, weirdest release yet from Medical Records, which is saying a lot considering how much cool, weird stuff they put out. From the French synth pop of Mathemetiques Modernes, to the twisted WTF? guitar & synth one man band Lou Champagne System (a previous Record Of The Week!), and from the space-y psychedelic synthscapery of Axxess (another past ROTW!), to Swiss teenage electro poppers Guyer's Connection, it's all so good, and we could go on, but you get the picture. We love this label, and their ability to consistently dig up the most amazing, baffling, brilliant gems, maybe none so brilliant and baffling than this rarity, a 1979 record from an Italian outfit called I Signori Della Galassia, who play cosmic prog space disco, but with plenty of sonic twists and turns. Might as well start with the cover, a stunning super surreal painting of a stylized naked woman, whose bottom half is a tree, her roots and branches disappearing into the sand of what looks like an alien beach. Flip the record over, and peep the band members' photos, they all look like regular seventies rockers, that is except for the giant collars on their different colored capes/jumpsuits!!! Holy cow, everything is screaming PROG so far, and opener Proxima Centauri (prog title too, no?) does not disappoint, 8+ minutes of pulsing sci-fi, futuristic chase music, swirling synths, wild percussion, loads of FX, crazy catchy melodies, the beat is definitely disco, but it's pretty progged out too. Fans of groups like Majeure, Zombi and Umberto, will FLIP. The Carpenter and Goblin vibe is obviously huge, but when combined with some pulsing Euro-disco propulsion, the track explodes into some serious space-disco-prog radness! It sounds like the follow up track is more of the same, if anything, even MORE prog, heavier, with some fuzzy acid riffing, the vibe darker, laced with swirling soundtracky strings, and this time vocals, super dramatic, alternately pushing the sound toward something more disco, but then something poppier and proggier. Super dynamic, super psychedelic, and pretty goddamn heavy! Things slow down around track three, the sound growing even more cinematic, pulsing and puslating, droned out and ominous, tinkling synth melodies over a bed of cosmic shimmer, and sinister low end thrum, some acoustic guitars, as well as strange voices, and mysterious effects, and then suddenly, about halfway through, the song explodes into a weird, almost jaunty groove, proggy and funky, and SO GOOD! And so it goes, the band laying down carnivalesque keyboards, fuzzy guitars, and then BLAM, track 4 turns into what sounds like the music for Christmas On Ice, goofy and playful, the main motif totally holiday, but all the while, Eastern guitar melodies swirl in the background, a push pull between festive and exotic, at one point sounding a bit like a disco-prog version of Perrey And Kingsley! And it only gets weirder from there on out. Slipping into some seventies yacht rock balladry, lush and heartfelt, before flitting right back into more disco-prog, this time heavier on the disco, it's not hard to imagine some alien discotheque, I Signori the house band, the dancefloor looking like the Cantina scene in Star Wars. Later, the sound is transformed into creepy cosmic balladry, Tangerine Dream synths wrapped around grooving hard rock drums, Queen like guitars, and some super twisted processed vocals, before finally moving into a songsuite that is total cosmic disco-prog bliss out, swirling synths, wild drumming, complex arrangements, the sound lush and epic, spacey and psychedelic, until the very strange closer, which begins like it might be another pulsing prog out, even when the vocals come in, it's total classic Italo-prog, a synth driven chorale, that is suddenly transformed into some treacly seventies yacht pop, which is somehow still peppered with bursts of tangled prog, not to mention some weirdly abrupt stops and starts. So weird, and SO GREAT! Like all Medical Records releases, elaborately packaged, pressed on 180 gram silver vinyl, and LIMITED TO 600 COPIES!!!

I TEOREMIs/t(Vinyl Magic)cd$ 10.98

Bombastic '70s progressive rock proto-metal from Italy! I Teoremi were a quartet who really kicked out the jams hard, specializing in muscular, complex stuff that, amazingly enough, at its most extreme reminds us of the prog-punk of much more recent bands like Stinking Lizaveta, Breadwinner, and Ruins! Seriously. For 1971 (when this, their only album, was released), they're one of the heaviest and most spazz-tastic we've heard. Sure, you have to enjoy some grandiose vocals in the typical dramatic Italian prog style, but mostly this is about their instrumental ass-kicking. With its herky-jerky riffing and spiralling guitar patterns, "Il Dialogo d'un Pazzo" could be a song off of one of the first two albums by Greg Ginn's Gone for gosh shakes! Now, we should mention that there's actually a somewhat more recent reissue of this on Arkarma, in one of their mini-lp style digipaks, that's got a bonus track...but we won't be getting any of those 'til we get rid of the two copies of this older jewel case version we happen to have. So we're selling 'em cheap, come n' get 'em! Everyone (well, two people) into early '70s hard prog and metal need to hear this.

I'M ALAN PARTRIDGESeries 1(Warner / BBC America)2dvd$ 34.00

A-haaaaaa! Laughing is fun... and healthful too! We're quite partial to a hearty belly laugh now and then. And if you share our sense of humor -- which we're pretty sure many of you do (test question #1: did you love the original BBC series The Office more than the US version? Are you becoming dangerously obsessed with Peep Show, the UK's version of Curb Your Enthusiasm?!)-- then you'll be doing lots of it too while watching this dvd which has finally been released domestically! Stateside awareness of Steve Coogan, the British comic madman of many less than savory personas, has certainly grown significantly in the past year, mostly due to his prominent appearances in hip movies such as Tristram Shandy and Marie Antoinette. That said, this is the one and only Coogan domestic release that truly matters... at least where Cup is concerned. This dvd showcases Coogan at his best, most wickedly funny, most uncomfortable. It's amazing how completely immersed he is in this character. The title is no lie! We're talking about a remarkably fully realized, deceptively complex, alternately despicable and pitiful, genuine wince'n'cringe individual. It oozes from his pores, revealing itself in every word and mannerism, both conscious and unconscious. The fictional story in a nutshell: Once upon a time, Partridge was a former TV variety show host (his program was called "Knowing Me Knowing You" -- yes, he has a thing for ABBA which in itself equals more brownie points with Cup) and news show The Day Today's sports reporter, but is now a small town early bird radio show DJ living in a motor lodge, and desperately in pursuit of his former 'glory'. Partridge vacillates between helpless, awkward manchild and horseblinder-ed arrogant wanker. But one thing is for sure, all that he does, he does with absolute conviction and determination with his own (distorted to everyone but himself) sense of logic -- regardless of (and oblivious to) the degree to which he may be making an appalling, insensitive ass of himself. His interactions with others, namely the small staff at the Linton Travel Tavern and his dutiful P.A. Lynn, are nothing short of priceless. One of the brilliant-est things about this show is that there's not only plenty of the 'holy shit, that's hilarious!' kind of moments, but also the gradual cumulative squirm that we find somehow ever so perversely irresistible. This is razor sharp, brutally frank, but equally subtle television comedy as only the Brits can do, and they've been doing it for years! Hard to believe that this series originally aired back in '97. Stateside comedies simply can't touch 'em (and really should stop trying!), and invariably end up coming off as forced, trying too hard for shock value, and ultimately missing all of the key nuances. Really, the only American shows that's come anywhere close to this delicious discomfort are maybe Curb Your Enthusiasm and the ahead-of-the-curve Larry Sanders Show, and the latter's release on dvd got stalled at Season One... yeesh. Actually for those of familiar with the The Office (UK) and The Larry Sanders Show, think of this as the missing link between the two. Oooh! (or should that be "Ewww!") Doesn't that sound good? C'mon now, get "up with a Partridge!"

I'M FROM BARCELONALet Me Introduce My Friends(Virgin)cd$ 19.98

I'm From Barcelona is a pop music army, or at least a pop brigade. Sergeant Emmanuel Lundgren (on hiatus from his former band Valley Days) has teamed up with TWENTY EIGHT of his closest friends to, somewhat unexpectedly, bring you Let Me Introduce My Friends. Although all twenty-eight band members have appeared on stage at once (and a one-time show band they thought they would be), the album sounds a bit more like a tag team effort. Each individual song is not indicative of a band with so many members but a sum of its parts. The power chord guitar riffs reminiscent of the glory days of Kindercore Records, muted trumpets and xylophones present in some songs are replaced in others by banjos, keyboards and (possibly the only sign of such a large band in a single song) choiresque multi-person harmonies much like those of The Polyphonic Spree. Unfortunately, I'm From Barcelona may lose the battle in lyrical depth, but they win the war for creating an album that not only reminds listeners of giddy feelings often conjured up by new love or the first days of spring, but may be a nice soundtrack for these moments as well.

I'M NOT THERE (V/A)OST(Sony)2cd$ 17.98

Here's the double disc soundtrack to the new movie about Bob Dylan which stars no less than six actors, including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere, ALL as Bob Dylan. Whoa. It's like Casino Royale. As a matter of fact, both the movie and the soundtrack are star studded to ridiculous proportions! Thirty four covers of Dylan songs performed by a mix of hip young things and venerable veterans such as Sonic Youth, Eddie Vedder, Calexico, Willie Nelson, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Tom Verlaine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O, Antony & The Johnsons, John Doe, Stephen Malkmus, Iron & Wine, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, Los Lobos, Jeff Tweedy, The Black Keys, Mark Lanegan, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sufjan Stevens, The Hold Steady, Charlotte Gainsbourg and The Band! A perturbing thing we noticed about these renditions though is that it seems like many artists were trying to sound like Dylan... and strangely enough many ended up sounding like Neil Young instead! Weird.

I.C.E.Apocalyptic End In White(Crash Music)cd$ 15.98

A few years ago, the UK metal magazine Terrorizer had an April issue that featured what we all imagined was the coolest black metal band EVER: Arktyk! From Alaska, all of their song titles were frosty and chilling tales of blizzard beasts and frozen wastelands. They all had crazy snowy names and the picture accompanying the article of course had the corpsepainted band posed in huge drifts of snow. How could we not become immediately obsessed? Well, we soon discovered that the band was made up and the article was an April Fool's Day joke. But here it is, several years later, and we're tempted to think we're being duped yet again. But the proof is right here in our hands. The new record from I.C.E, aka Imperial Crystalline Entombment. The cover art is a fantasy painting of four figures in white hooded cloaks, and white masks, wielding huge staves of ice, surrounded by icy demons. The band members are named Bleak, Mammoth, Blisserred, and of course, Icesickkill. And the song titles: "Cryogenic Communion", "Astral Frost Invocation", "Hypothermic Possesion", "Apocalyptic Blizzard Regime", "Convulsing Frigid Death" and on and on. Which is all quite appropriate when you finally throw it on and hear the demonic strains of a band bowing in worshipful reverence before Norwegian black metal masters Immortal, circa Blizzard Beasts which, if you're anything like us, is a very good thing. Buzzing, blurry, frosty and ultra grim black metal, with shrieking wails of demonic possesion, thrashing hyperspeed blast beats, and maniacal riffing. Pretty fucking great. And while I.C.E. may be from Maryland, their hearts are firmly packed in blackened Nordic Ice!

I/DEXSeqsextend(Nexsound)cd$ 8.98

IASOSCelestial Soul Portrait(Numero Group)cd$ 14.98

We've been huge fans of the Greek born new-ager Iasos since discovering his 1975 masterpiece, Inter-Dimensional Music through EM Records' 2006 reissue. That record had us totally rethinking our understanding of new age music and helped give us a whole new love for the genre. While that record has been reissued a few times since, the rest of Iasos' material been harder to find, so it's nice to get this overview of hisseventies output, nicely released by the fine folks at the Numero Group. For those concerned, there are 5 tracks here from Inter-Dimensional Music, but 8 others that are totally new to us, and for anyone familiar or new to the gossamer vibes of Iasos, this is a great collection, and a perfect introduction. Most all of this music was created on a houseboat in Marin, where Iasos conducted musical experiments with tape reversal, electronic processing of acoustic instruments (phase-shifted flutes and harp strings) and the first commercially available synthesizers. He believes he was transcribing music from Vista, a benevolent music-maker from a distant dimension, and in doing so essentially created a new genre of music. There is even evidence of a psychology paper from 1989 that states that Iasos' music bears a striking resemblance to the sounds people hear in near-death experiences. It is indeed heavenly music! This release features never before seen photos and extensive liner notes, detailing Iasos musical process and history. So great!

IASOSElixir(Rotifer)cassette$ 4.50

It's rather funny that with cassette tapes becoming popular again that we now see classic New Age albums getting reissued in the same format that they were originally released. We got a handful of this new cassette reissue of New Age Icon Iasos' 1986 release Elixir. Subtitled, A Visionary Gateway to Celestial Realms, it certainly is a dramatic mix of the symphonic and electronic with deep vortex swooshes, angelic cascades and mind-expanding synth drones. Heavenly!

IASOSInter-Dimensional Music(EM Records)cd$ 23.00

New age. Pretty much the ultimate diss when you want to put down someone's musical taste. Or harsh on some band, or record. Tough to think of a more purely musical putdown. Sellout? Maybe. Poser? Definitely, but not necessarily musical. But New Age. Oof. Moms and Grandmas listen to new age. Yanni ferchrissakes! And with all the ambient music we love so much here at AQ, we're extra conscious of negative New Age connotations, cuz it's always a fine line between shimmery droney dreaminess and whooshy New Age schmaltz. But c'mon, trust us, trust the folks at EM Records, and take our word that if you're only ever gonna buy one unabashed actual New Age album (and Andee hasn't already forced you to get some George Winston or Kitaro), then this should absolutely be the one. Iasos was born in Greece and moved to America when he was 4, began playing piano at 8, then flute at 10. In the late sixties, he began to hear a 'new' music in his head and moved to California to try and realize this "heavenly music". And finally in 1975, he did it! Iasos 'invented' new age music with the release of 1975's Inter-Dimensional Music Through IASOS, which has now been reissued by the fine folks at EM, and has stood the test of time pretty darn well. It's all here, tinkling piano, swooshing synthesizers, running water sounds, bird calls, maudlin melodies, fluttering flutes, crickets chirping, lots of nature sounds, thunderstorms, strange sound effects, gentle keening drones, whirling sonic washes and sweet swirls of soft focus sound. Even the song titles: "The Bubble Massage", "Rainbow Canyon", "Crystal Petals", "Clouds Prayer", Libra Sunrise." Yep, this is definitely New Age, there's no two ways about it, but if you can look past that 'stigma', this record is actually quite beautiful. And mysterious. And delicately lovely. It has lots of elements that plenty of AQ faves share, strange production, lots of fuzzy airy drones, plenty of insect sounds, bird calls, all wrapped into sweet expanses of dreamy sound. In fact if we listed this as some super limited cd-r on some upstart microlabel in Tasmania, and it had some murky forest photo on the cover, we'd sell tons, and no one would be the wiser. It's easy to forget that the modern crop of drifting ambient experimentalists owe quite a bit to new age pioneers. And let's not forget about all the pretty cool bands who either WERE new age, became new age, or incorporated elements of new age into their sound: Popol Vuh, Ashra, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Deuter, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Vangelis. But Inter-Dimensional Music, regardless of pedigree, or genre classification, is just a dang good record. A little cheesy in places maybe but so what, hasn't stopped us from listening to this practically every day!! Like all EM releases, the packaging is amazing. But the Iasos has a truly striking cover, even by the already impossibly high EM Records standards. Metallic gold embossed printing on glossy white paper. the cover image a man's torso, emerging from a cloud, arm upraised holding a flute, which is being struck by lightning. Some of you may recognize the image as it was stolen for a record cover many years back by Canadian noiserock guitarmy Superconductor. And of course there's also gold and white obi, as well as a massive booklet full of liner notes (all in Japanese, sorry) and loads of photos. As with all EM releases, SO RECOMMENDED!!!!