KONKThe Sound Of Konk(Soul Jazz)cd$ 21.00
[ aquarius records — Rock Pop ]
Showing results 9151 through 9200 of 19388.
KONRADEvil(Ethereal Sequence)lp + 7"$ 23.00
KONSTRUKTIVISTA Dissembly(Klanggalerie)cd$ 22.00
There are a handful of purposeful mispellings of this project's moniker. For the sake of simplicity, we'll just go with the spelling on the cover. Konstruktivist was essentially the solo project of Glenn M. Wallis, who had been affiliated with Throbbing Gristle as something of a bouncer / heavy, given the rather suitable title in some texts as their "control agent." Would you really think that Genesis P-Orridge could take and/or throw a punch? No, Glenn Wallis did that for TG. After their mission was terminated in 1980, he began to explore the darker regions of electronic music and deconstructed minimal wave under those variously spelled Konstruktivist recordings, as well as maintaining an artistic relationship with Chris & Cosey and moonlighting as one of the revolving door members for Whitehouse on stage and on record. A languid synth melody introduces the record with a deathly pall resembling that of a Tibetan thighbone horn (whose eerie bleats graced Lustmord's Heresy album), that slides into a deliciously turgid piece of DIY garage-electronica for creeping drum machine and distorted basslines sounding like those great tracks by Cabaret Voltaire from way back when. A slippery piece of step sequenced synths on "Karnage" much more of a darkly kosmische vibe taking up the sci-fi electronica of Conrad Schniztler. The plodding "Karnal" follows the murky, abstractions that TG created with a distant, heavy drum machine, atonal guitar formations, and subliminally suggestive media collages. Wallis mostly fashioned his disenchanting rhythms and electronics to be instrumental, and when vocals did creep into the mix they tended toward a bleak monotone. The three bonus tracks on this cd seamlessly blend into the dour, DIY electronics of the original album; but sadly this cd reissue is also limited, to just 300 copies.
- MPEG stream: Karnage
- MPEG stream: Beirut
- MPEG stream: Karnal
- MPEG stream: Physical Jerk
KOOLAID (GLOBAL TYRANNY)s/t(Agitated)lp + cd$ 16.98
We first experienced the twisted collaged psychedelic whatthefuckness of Koolaid (Global Tyranny) (and yeah, that's their whole name) on the Agitated Records Record Store Day 12", which also featured the Heads, Carlton Melton and Mugstar, and because of the fact that those are three of our favorite groups, we were guessing we'd probably dig Koolaid too, and we did, big time, describing their track as "the weirdest of the bunch, groovy, and almost funky, thick steel string strum, all wreathed in psychedelic guitar noise, laced with some weird samples, drug related of course... all wound into a sound noisy and weirdly tripped out." It was pretty bonkers for sure, but even as nuts as that track was, it barely prepared us for how fucking utterly far out and deliriously drug addled this new full length is. Four epic tracks, totally drugged out hypnotic space rock of course, but that's just part of the equation, the band set up a groove, usually super simple and minimal, spaced out and krautrocky, and then over the top, they basically let loose, a barrage of samples, all twisted up and layered and doused in effects, some looped rhythmically, others slowed down and sped up, and on top of that sheets of strange drones and whirs, clouds of swooping echo and delay, all manner of backwards melodies, the musical part slipping easily from minimal hushed lope, to pounding wah wah guitar drenched Stooges-y psychedelic stomp, to buzzy raga, to dirgey almost Buttholes Surfer sounding drug rock, but again, it's what's going on all around it, which is like a symphony of malfunctioning samplers gone haywire, the best moments when the band somehow tangle up samples with soaring shredding leads, it's like Negativland meets the Heads, which sounds fucked up, and it is, but in the best possible way. On top of that, the record comes with a bonus cd, which includes the whole record, BUT it's an entirely different mix of the record, apparently at the insistence of the band. Heavy and twisted and psychedelic and dizzyingly out of this world and the musical equivalent to about a hundred hits of acid washed down with a bottle of cough syrup and a handful of thorazine.
- MPEG stream: 18/11
- MPEG stream: Intercity Firm
KOOZITOMidnight Movie Stills, Volume One(NA# Records)cd$ 11.98
KOPP, HERMANNNekronology(Red Stream)cd$ 12.98
Not sure if you're a gore hound, horror movie obsessive or exploitation freek, but odds are, if you are, then like us, you spent a good chunk of your free time, 10 or 12 years ago trying to track down a copy of the film Nekromantik. The film itself wasn't all that great, the highlights being the female fucking a corpse with a condom covered screwdriver and the testicles in the fridge scenes. Eww. And at the time, we were so obsessed with the gross out factor and the blurred nudity that we barely even noticed the soundtrack. So here it is, over a decade later, and surprisingly enough, the soundtrack is really cool. And holds up quite well on its own. Super freaky instrumental squeals that ends with what can only be the sounds of a dead limb being hacked off, haunting almost atonal string quartet. like a slowed down, warped Balanescu Quartet, haunting Tom Waits-ish creepy clatter, with whining violing being transmitted through a crappy little transistor radio, with clanking slow motion rhythms, creepy underwater sound scapes of burbling and swooshing space sound effects, industrial buzz, with a distant mournful melody, all scratchy played over the top and even occasional full on synth heavy Goblin horrorscapes. Definitely cool stuff!
- MPEG stream: The Loving Dead
- MPEG stream: Poison
- MPEG stream: Supper
KOPSTEIN, JACQUESa(Frenetic)cd$ 11.98
Jacques Kopstein is actually Marty Anderson of local rockers Dilute. 'a' is his first solo record and it's pretty fucking great. Great, but really, really strange. Anderson plays all the instruments and does all the singing and even drew all the pictures. The
- RealAudio clip: Sunshine
- RealAudio clip: Are To Spend Not Eternity
- RealAudio clip: Power
KORAY, ERKIN2(World Psychedelia Ltd.)cd$ 17.98
Anyone who dug last year's cd reissue of Erkin Koray's Elektronik Turkuler LP probably also will want to suck on this aural hookah, the man's second album (we would assume from the title -- the English language info here is scant -- but it might actually be his third!) from the mid-seventies. It's another fantastic, psychedelic foray into the East-West juxtaposition of Turkish folk and acid guitar rock...well, compared to Elektronik Turkuler this is perhaps a blend somewhat less psych, more traditional, but still totally great. We just can't get enough of this stuff (see elsewhere this list for another fine example, the Edip Akbayram & Dostlar album!) and we're pretty sure you can't either. On 2, Turkish guitar god Koray's middle eastern grooves move from stately and orchestrated to more lively, rockin' rhythms, all the tracks drawn from singles circa '72 to '76, plus earlier non-album bonus cuts going back to 1967, including an acoustic version of one of the Elektronik Turkuler hits.
- MPEG stream: Estarabim
- MPEG stream: Gonul Salincagi
KORAY, ERKINArap Saci(Pharaway Sounds)2cd$ 26.00
KORAY, ERKINElektronik Turkuler(Dogan / World Psychedelia Ltd.)cd$ 17.98
The Middle Eastern psych rock obsession continues to rage here at Aquarius! Nothin' better than the exotic sounds of swingin' sixties Istanbul (or a close approximation). Here's a cd reissue of a 1974 album by guitarist/vocalist Erkin Koray, known as the Jimi Hendrix of Turkey. Maybe that comparison isn't the most accurate (there's nothing as heavy as "Purple Haze" here), but at least it gives you an idea of the East-meets-West grooves found on "Elektronik Turkuler". Two cultures, one counterculture, it seems. With sinuous "belly-dancing" tunes rocked up with distorted electric guitar, rock n' roll beats, some wild flute playing, and the occasional lysergic organ freakout, this is an authentic "magic carpet ride" as it were, culminating in the 9-minute "Turku" complete with spoken word incantations and freaky sound effects. The traditional-sounding vocals are all in Turkish, some of the tunes are clearly adaptations of traditional Turkish music as well. Anyone who really dug the John Berberian "Middle Eastern Rock" disc we listed a few months back, or loves those great "Turkish Delights" or "Hava Nargile" compilations (both of which feature Koray tracks), should check this album out. Unfortunately we only have 8 copies in stock at the moment, so please act fast, or be patient... MPEG Download: "Karli Daglar" [/audio/koraykarli.mp3] MPEG Stream: "Karli Daglar" [/audio/koraykarli.m3u]
- MPEG stream: Karli Daglar
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KORAY, ERKINMechul: Singles & Rarities(Sublime Frequencies)cd$ 16.98
Uh, c'mon, how could this NOT be awesome? Sublime Frequencies never fails us, first off. AND we're already fans of vintage Turkish psych in general, guitarist/vocalist Erkin Koray in particular. So this release, with its excellent eyeballs-shooting-purple-rays-from-space-or-whatever cover painting, was eagerly anticipated at AQ. And yeah it's awesome. As the subtitle says, this consists of singles and rarities circa 1970-'77 from this Middle Eastern psych rock master, founder of "the first underground group of the Orient", a living legend whose career stretches back to the '50s. Rarities? Well, compiler Mark Gergis notes in the liners: "This collection features tracks not found on the many unauthorized Erkin compilations and LP reissues that have emerged in the west over the years." And indeed these eleven tracks were provided to Sublime Frequencies by Koray himself, sourced from his personal vinyl collection! So, listen up, 'cause this is the stuff Erkin wants us to hear, and well, if you're any sort of Turkish psych fan like us, you NEED to hear it. Tracks like "Kendim Ettim Kendim Buldum" and "Hadi Hadi Ordan" are going to make you very happy. Swirling and shimmering, twanging surfy electric saz (or is that oud?), melodic deep droning vocals, bellydancing folk motifs, stirring orchestration, and YES some wild blasts of psychrockguitar distortion, it's the exotic East (lots of East) meets West sort of thing we just love! While some of this is wonderfully moody, a lot of it rocks, all right, ferinstance just crank up "Krallar" (a '75 single from whence that striking cover image comes) with its especially dramatic vocals to match its uptempo urgency. Digipack cd release for now, with a vinyl version due out in a couple of weeks as well. Is it too much to hope that Sublime Frequencies will get Erkin to undertake a Western tour like labelmate Omar Souleyman, one of these days...?
- MPEG stream: Mechul
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- MPEG stream: Hadi Hadi Ordan
KORAY, ERKINSilinmeyen Hatiralar(Turkuola)lp$ 33.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
KORAY, ERKINTutkusu(Underground Masters)cd$ 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
KORAY, ERKINs/t(Turkuola)lp$ 33.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
KOREA SOUNDBLASTERs/t(Dom Elchklang)cd$ 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
KOREKYOJINNArabesque(Magaibutsu)cd$ 14.98
BACK IN STOCK! Tatsuya Yoshida's Magaibutsu label has at last repressed this second disc from Ruins side-project Korekyojinn. And now, it's got BONUS TRACKS (which may elicit an 'argh' from those who got it already, but that's the facts). They're not listed anywhere on the sleeve, but there are indeed four bonus previously unheard live cuts appended to this disc. FYI, here are the titles: "You Know What You Like", "Careless Heart", "Out Of Head", and "On Reflection". And here's our review of the original edition: It's kinda unbelievable, if you think about just how many records Ruins drummer Tatsuya Yoshida has been involved with. Dozens at least. Especially unbelievable since when you check the credits on most things he's played on, it quite often turns out that he wrote *all* the music. A hero to drummers everywhere, eh? He's got to have written literally hundreds of songs. Consider just Ruins albums alone: that's a LOT of music and it's almost all him. Even the larger ensembles he's in, like Koenjihyakkei, he's always the main composer. And, to a fan like me anyway, his stuff is always amazing. It's not a case of quantity over quality, no sirree. He's just a seemingly bottomless well of not just crazy riffs and rhythmic ideas, but songwriting talent (matched with an ability to play like a mofo). So that brings us to this new album, the second release from Yoshida's Korekyojinn band. Here he teams up with a bassist and a drummer, and as you might expect it's a bit like Ruins+1. A bit groovier perhaps, with some classic rock moments riff-wise, and it's all-instrumental. No nutty vocals, just the tricky, twangy guitars of Kido Natsuki, the bulldozering bass of Nasuno Mitsuru, and of course in the driver's seat, the masterful drumming of Yoshida. Eleven more complex compositions from the mind-boggling musical mind of Yoshida, encapsulating Led Zep licks, Hella hyperactivity, and jazz swing... Chances are if you've read this far, you're a Ruins fan, and if you're a Ruins fan, you'll probably want to check this out. But Arabesque would be a fairly accessible place in the pantheon of Yoshida projects to start with, too, if you're not already a convert. An utter prog instrumental monster that never loses the groove despite the chops on hand. Japanese import on Yoshida's own label.
KOREKYOJINNJackson(Magaibutsu)cd$ 13.98
Ruins fans, listen up! Jackson is the fourth cd to be spawned by Ruins drummer Tatsuya Yoshida's ultra-tech Korekyojinn trio, an instrumental mathrock juggernaut that's basically the Ruins +1 (a guitarist added to the bass/drums duo), chugging a six pack of Red Bull, going gonzo and making the likes of Don Cab and Hella seem like mere amateur fumblers (well, not quite -- going for a bit of hyperbole there, but still...). This isn't improv, all these complex cuts are compositions sprung from the sweaty brow of Yoshida and the musical genius mind behind it. The spazmodic yet precise drumming of Yoshida, the virtuoso guitar playing of Kido Natsuki, and the thick bass rippage of Nasuno Mitsuru as displayed on this disc's hard hitting, smoothly energetic opener "Lebanon" is what we want and expect. You'll be left dizzy and drained before its seven minutes are up. But watch out, there's a dramatic shift of gears when portions of the next track "Jackson" dip into an unfortunately funky style of glitterball fusion. Not sure what they were thinking there... maybe a tongue-in-cheek joke? Thankfully despite being the title track, it's a total anomaly on this album, and with the very next cut "Mindgames", we're back into sheer frenzied insanity of heavy prog mania, though melodiousness isn't neglected, with the bright, folky, infectiously nursery rhymey "Kaleidoscope" standing out in that regard, sounding a bit like something by Yoshida's Tairikutoko vs. Sanmyakuonna band. Mostly this album demonstrates that Korekyojinn are very nearly metal in their shredding capabilities, though of course they sound more like the Ruins than anything else...maybe like Stinking Lizaveta too at times. Which leaves us only to say, wow!
- MPEG stream: Rambling
- MPEG stream: Kaleidoscope
KOREKYOJINNSwan Dive(Magaibutsu)dvd + cd$ 17.98
Seeing is believing. Knowing that the music they make is pretty much mindboggling, perhaps that's why Japanese power-prog trio Korekyojinn elected to package their new album as a double disc set, one an audio cd, the other a live dvd, packaged in a slim, dvd-sized case. The dvd portion provides the visual proof of their ability to play like this live, if there were any doubt about it, while fans already convinced of their genius will enjoy watching it over and over while bowing down in front of the screen chanting "we're not worthy". And since this unit hasn't toured much outside of Japan, it's also the only way we can get to see 'em short of springing for a plane ticket to Tokyo! The cd constitutes Korekyojinn's 5th album, Swan Dive, an album entirely, amazingly improvised by the trio of Mitsuru Nasuno (bass), Natsuki Kido (guitar), and linchpin Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins fame (drums) plus very special guests Uchihashi Kazuhisa and Hoppy Kamiyama, who contribute on guitar and keyboards/vocals, respectively, on two tracks each. Of course it gets pretty wild, there's only six tracks but they're mostly all loooooong ones, up to 11, 17, and even 24 minutes in length... yet somehow they manage to keep it up, both the energy and creativity, their frenzied improvisations sometimes sounding rather more like the most complex COMPOSED prog rock music you could imagine (Orthrelm?), it's pretty insane. However, their convoluted chaotic outbursts are occasionally tempered by stretches of truly lovely, melodic, momentary mellowness. Melt-Banana meets Mahavishnu??? With herky jerk rhythms and heavy riffing, jazzy tinkling keys (when Hoppy sits in) contrasting with massively distorted electric bass, plus sheer avant-guitar textural shred-grind (the ante on that, upped by Uchihashi), this pretty much rules. As we had no doubt it would, considering who the heck this is (members of Ruins, Altered States, Bondage Fruit, etc.). On the live dvd (70 minutes, NTSC, all region), they do a dozen songs, mostly from previous albums (though we think a couple, like the title track, are new), all of which we should mention are pieces in fact composed by mastermind Yoshida, NOT improvs. Again, total math-rock madness, very Ruins-esque, but with guitar. We are not worthy!
- MPEG stream: Magnetic Pole
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KOROUVAShipwrecks & Russian Roulette (2007)(Khrysanthoney)lp$ 19.98
After a bit of a hiatus, the Khrysanthony label returns, with a handful of new releases, as well a a newly hatched label (Loveswirls). The first new release on Khrysanthoney proper comes in the form of Korouva's Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette, a reissue of a long out of print cd-r / download, available on vinyl for the first time, and part of a three lp trilogy (we do have the other two installments, to be reviewed later, but if you want 'em now, check the in stock not yet reviewed section of this week's list). Shipwrecks is probably best known as one of the records 'stolen' by black metal duo Velvet Cacoon, only adding to that group's mystery and controversy, although we imagine there was likely some serious collusion going on between Korouva and VC, regardless, much like the first time we heard this years back, even then thinking it was in fact VC, we were struck by what a darkly lovely and hauntingly creepy record Shipwrecks really is. Folks expecting black buzz or blown out shoegaze will likely be disappointed, as this is all brooding balladry, haunting washed out piano, the sound of rain, and plaintive vocal croons. Miranda "Korouva" Lehman's voice is deep and sultry, reminding us at time of Fiona Apple actually, but much more abstract and minimal, often cooing mumbly wordlessly, those vocals drifting above a slow shifting backdrop of creaking ambience, witchy wheezing harmonica, tinkling chimes, soft swirls of subtle barely there effects, the sound sometimes do distorted it becomes almost avant garde, but at other times so hushed as to be ghostly, the vibe washed out and woozy, faded and dreamily murky. A collection of minimal abstract torch songs, moody, melancholic and mesmerizing, not hard to imagine wandering through some strange city, the rain pouring down, looking for someplace to duck out of the downpour, only to find some mysterious dimly lit dive, and inside, a strange collection of shapes hunched over their drinks, lit only by the flicker of candlelight, while in the corner, sits an old piano, with a shadowy shape at the keyboard, the woman at the piano, providing a mysterious musical balm for the rainsoaked dispossessed, each song a haunting threnody, an aching lament, that speaks to the collective misery, and sadness and hopelessness of the clientele, all drowning their sorrows, waiting for the end. So gorgeous, and darkly, depressively dreamy. Fans of folks like Chelsea Wolfe and Zola Jesus should check this out too, Korouva's sound laced with a gloomy/gothic vibe that seeps into every ghostly note. LIMITED TO 200 COPIES, while they last we have the opaque red / black swirl colored vinyl version. Packaged in a thick full color jacket, with an 8 page lyric booklet and a Khrysanthoney insert.
- MPEG stream: Slowclub
- MPEG stream: Dne Eht Ton
- MPEG stream: The Rain Song
- MPEG stream: Tide
KOROUVASleepwalker (2009)(Khrysanthoney)lp$ 19.98
As we mentioned in our review of Korouva's recently reissued Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette record, originally released in 2007, Korouva, aka Miranda Lehman, is probably best know for having that record 'stolen' by black metal provocateurs Velvet Cacoon, but in fact, separate from the hype, it was and is a gorgeous collection of murky, melancholy outsider torch songs, and was in fact the first in a trilogy, of which this is the second part, originally released in 2009, and available again now courtesy of the Khrysanthoney label (and available exclusively from aQuarius), and like Shipwrecks, Sleepwalker is another gorgeously minimal and haunting bit of abstract mood music, Lehman's vocals a mumbled croon, seductive yet mysterious, the music a lush washed out hybrid of haunting chamber folk and brooding slow jazz mesmer, detuned pianos warble though clouds of hiss and static, the melodies lilting and achingly melancholic, tinkling chimes draped over slow chordal swells, and darkly brooding shimmer, faux strings swirling and soaring, everything muddy and murky, giving the proceedings a definite Caretaker vibe, as if these tracks were all culled from some old wax cylinder. Hushed minimal ballads drift into droned out black ambient creeps, which drift into what sounds at times like alternate universe Tom Waits, that sort of Nighthawks At The Diner, dingy dive bar, house band playing mournful laments for all the drunks and lonely hearts, and like on Shipwrecks, there's still a huge gloom/goth vibe, with Lehman's voice reminding us of Chelsea Wolfe and Zola Jesus. But Sleepwalker shows a definite development, slightly more polished, more textured, less lo-fi and raw that Shipwrecks, without losing any of the emotional urgency that made the first record so intense. Gorgeous, haunting, mesmerizing stuff, we of course recommend getting all three, the third will be reviewed on the next list, but you can grab it now (along with the first one, just ask), separate or as a trilogy, all three of these lps come highly recommended!
- MPEG stream: Marusja
- MPEG stream: Close At Hand
- MPEG stream: Im Abendrot
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KOROUVAUnbearable Romance (2011)(Khrysanthoney)lp$ 19.98
Finally, the third in this series of reissues, of all three full lengths from Miranda Lehman, aka Korouva, who, as we mentioned in our reviews of the first two (Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette and Sleepwalker, which we still have in stock!), is maybe best know for having her 2007 record Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette, appropriated by black metal jokers Velvet Cacoon. We posited that she was probably in on it, and played some part in the hoax, cuz really it worked out for both groups, cementing VC's reputation, and getting Lehman's music out there and into the ears of folks who otherwise might not have discovered her creepy, gothic, piano ballads. And really, this is about as far removed from the black metal of Velvet Cacoon as you could get, hushed and haunting, dark and dreamily druggy, Unbearable Romance recorded four full years after that purloined Shipwrecks lp, yet instead of displaying a more polished production, or more full arrangements, in fact seems to have gone the opposite way, a super stripped down, bare bones, skeletal songsite, of mostly just vocals and piano, recorded live it sounds like, all the sounds bathed in natural reverb, and wreathed in warm swirls of tape hiss, total 4 track bedroom balladry that is so gorgeous. At times, we're reminded of PJ Harvey in fact, albeit super spare and stripped down, a bit like her White Chalk record. In the other reviews we mention Zola Jesus and Chelsea Wolfe as well, and those comparisons are still pretty spot on, fans of either of those women, will find much to love here, but the sounds on Unbearable Romance are much more intimate and personal, the sounds immediate and organic, more than the other two records, this sounds like Lehman is performing just for you, the listener, as if you're curled up in front of her piano, while he serenades you, her harrowing torch songs ghostly and spectral, mysteriously moody and so so lovely. If you bought the other two already, you're gonna want this one too. And if you've yet to check out Korouva, this record will very likely convince you to by all three! LIMITED TO 200 COPIES, packaged in a thick full color jacket, with an 8 page lyric booklet and a Khrysanthoney insert.
KORPSES KATATONIKOeuvres Completes(Klanggalerie)cd$ 21.00
The Austrian post-industrial provocateur Michael DeWitt attained notoriety in the mid-'80s for his project Zero Kama whose sole album was sourced entirely from human bones and skulls, with plenty of smoke and mirror production techniques to arrive at a Crowleyian sound parallel to the likes of early Current 93, Coil, and Psychic TV. Beyond the one album as Zero Kama, DeWitt released another obscure recording in 1982 under the moniker Korpses Katatonik. This cassette - sometimes referred to as Sensitive Liberated Autistiks, sometimes as Subklinikal Leukotomy Aphrenia Spasmophilik Lyssophobo Asphyxia Sinister Lethal Anorex - delved into parallel concerns of societal pathologies and death-obsessed transgressions through very dark electronics. It's very much in step with the classic industrial productions of SPK (when is anybody going to reissue those records again?) and the pre-Brighter Death Now project Lille Roger, with blackened squalls of grim noise belched through slow-grinding rhythms and an ominous proclamation that "we're all fucked." Such doomspeak from Industrial Culture was commonplace, but DeWitt's Korpses Katatonik said it with just as much brutalist force and conviction as SPK, TG, and Cabaret Voltaire at their most zombified. All of the tracks from that cassette and a compilation track make up the entire body of work for Korpses Katatonik, which have been remastered and repackaged for this anthology. The template for much of what Wolf Eyes did later is found here. Terrifyingly great.
- MPEG stream: Nekom
- MPEG stream: Kcock Transplant
- MPEG stream: Chronozon
KORZYNSKI, ANDRZEJMan Of Marble OST(Finders Keepers)lp$ 25.00
KORZYNSKI, ANDRZEJPossession OST(Finders Keepers)cd$ 17.98
A lot of the soundtracks we review, are for movies we haven't actually seen. In some ways that's sort of liberating, at least from a purely musical standpoint, hearing the sounds solely for what they are, instead of having those sounds inexorably linked to specific images. And in a lot of cases, we have discovered some incredible films via their soundtracks, and not the more common other way around. We got this soundtrack to this 1981 French horror/thriller (directed by Polish director Andrzej Zulawski, and scored by his longtime collaborator Andrzej Korzynski, also Polish, but more on that in a second) in a few months ago, and instantly, become totally obsessed, spinning it multiple times a day, inevitably folks in the store would ask what it was, because it's so goddamn good. And creepy, and twisted, and pretty much the perfect score, but for what, we weren't sure, as we had not seen the movie. And while are obsession proves that you needn't see the movie to love this, once we actually DID see the movie, we flipped for that too, wondering how the hell we could have missed out on it all these years. It's literally one of the weirdest, most fucked up films EVER. And the soundtrack we had become so familiar with over the last several months, finally viewed in the contest of the film, made both even more bizarre and amazing. So the film itself, banned until 1991, and at the time classified as a "Video Nasty", stars an American, Sam Neil, who becomes convinced his wife, Isabelle Adjani, is cheating on him, which she is. Neil hires a private investigator, eventually meets the lover, and the lover's mother, but there's so much more to the story, there's a crazily neglected child in the mix, some truly twisted parenting, and SPOILER ALERT!!!! Some sort of super gross oozing monster that lives in an abandoned building that Adjani is in love with, or is at least having sex with? There's tons of screaming and hitting and fighting, and one of thee most dramatic freakouts EVER, with Adjani losing her mind in a tunnel, and ending up spewing and oozing all sorts of weird fluids, there's a particularly psychedelic denouement as well, lots of crazy scenery chewing, the whole thing is utterly and unabashedly over the top. Even right after seeing it, we weren't sure what the fuck just happened. But we did know, we loved the movie, and suddenly, loved the soundtrack EVEN MORE. Korzynski's soundtrack is a series of short cues, most less than a minute, that find the composer experimenting with synthesizers, drum machines, primitive electronics. It's actually quite progressive, and in places is reminiscent of Carpenter or Goblin, especially in the movie's 'theme'. Check out the opening track "The Night The Screaming Stops", and it will be stick in your head forever, the tense strings, the pulsing rhythmic throb, the mysterious percussion, the swirling synth, and the creepy sci-fi sound effects, not to mention the melody. It's so haunting and creepy, but in the film, it's over the most innocuous sequence, and it's that juxtaposition that makes it so effectively chilling. Seriously if this soundtrack was 2 minutes long, and consisted of that first track, we'd still want a copy! But dig in, there's plenty more, haunting swoonsome strings, drifting over a lilting organ melody, dreamy and drifty, but so subtly ominous, there's some full on synth prog, again revisiting that opening melody, but with more heft, as the soundtrack unwinds, there's lots of percussion, shakers, little flurries of synth shimmer, deep drones, the orchestral theme is particularly stirring, a refrain of the opening credit sequence, but so much more creepy and hauntingly stately. There are also lots of brief blasts of synthy psychedelia, appropriately titled things like "Detective's Desserts" or "Bloody Embrace", and part of the reason these cues are so short, is that much of the movie is sans incidental music, so the cues come in to accentuate certain events, the sonic equivalent of jump-scares, but super effective, and they add a whole other level of surreal psychedelia to the proceedings, very 'Euro' for sure. The series of "Kreuzberg" variations are particularly freaky, sinister and mysterious, grim ambience and super tense orchestral weirdness. Oh did we mention "The Man With The Pink Socks"? Another perplexing plot point, and one that here gets the bookending closing sequence, revisiting "Meeting With A Pink Tie". Adding some extra wah guitar, and both revisiting that opening theme. Listen to the sound samples and see if you can resist. But really why bother? You won't be sorry. Even removed from the movie, this score is fantastic, psychedelic, orchestral, proggy, tripped out and bizarre, and no doubt will have you headed to the video store to experience the baffling brilliance of the film, once your sated on the equally baffling and brilliant score. Like all B-Music / Finders Keepers releases, includes a huge booklet with lots of liner notes and tons of rare photos.
- MPEG stream: The Night The Screaming Stops (Opening Titles)
- MPEG stream: Opetanie 1
- MPEG stream: Anna Rewards Mark
- MPEG stream: Possession - Orchestral Theme 1
- MPEG stream: Kreuzberg 1
- MPEG stream: Kreuzberg 4
- MPEG stream: What Is it?
KORZYNSKI, ANDRZEJTajemnic Enigmy (Secret Enigma) 1968-1981(B-Music / Finders Keepers)cd$ 15.98
KORZYNSKI, ANDRZEJThird Part Of The Night(Finders Keepers)10"$ 24.00
KOSMOSs/t(The End)cd$ 12.98
Kosmos is the new group from Michel Langevin (aka Voivod's drummer Away!) deeply inspired by '70s instrumental space prog and vintage sci-fi movies. For the most part it's a cleanly executed journey, but occasionally treads along -- but never into -- the aggressive, thrashy outer limits of Voivod. Even then, Kosmos' wild guitar and keyboard acrobatics maintain a defined trajectory. Kosmos are at their best when exploring cosmic (natch), cermonial-sounding, krautrock-inspired instrumental vistas... they even do a track called "Krautrock" (no, not a cover of the Faust song). That stuff should appeal to fans of Zombi, ferinstance. Unfortunately there's a few less successful tracks marred by vocals, the band rockin' out for fans of some less hip prog styles of the past... groovy, grungey prog Quebecois isn't totally our thing. So you might hit 'skip' on a track or two, but this definitely has its moments.
KOTCHE, GLENNMobile(Nonesuch)cd$ 15.98
For those of us who thought Wilco reached new heights on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, there is no doubt that the addition of Glenn Kotche on drums made a significant impact and influence on those recordings. Joining the band on YHF, he has been a key ingredient in helping Jeff Tweedy/Wilco take their sound further and further. On this, his second solo outing, Kotche shows he isn't just someone's backing man. Kotche has an amazing musical mind and puts it to such great use on this record. What's best about this record is that it isn't what you would expect it to be. Yes it's a drummers solo record and yes it is a mostly percussive affair but the songs have so much depth, variety and interesting twists and turns. You can see how everything from afro-beat to Steve Reich to experimental electronic sounds have helped shape the cannon of Kotche's playing. A very nice outing!
- MPEG stream: Mobile Parts 1 & 2
- MPEG stream: Projections of (What) Might...
KOUDEDEGuitars From Agadez Vol. 5(Sublime Frequencies)7"$ 9.98
Do we even have to tell you this is cool? Basically this is something you should want as soon as you read the words "Guitars From Agadez" and "Sublime Frequencies" on the sleeve. Being a limited 7" single also ought to seal the deal. Everything so far from SF in their Guitars From Agadez series (records from Group Bombino and Group Inerane) has been killer, and this introductory taste of the talents of another North African axe master, Koudede Maman, follows suit. Koudede & his band unleash some smoking, sinuous, hard edged grooves on both hypnotic sides of this single, recorded live on tour last year. Wish we'd been there, sounds like a funky good time. And we most certainly hope that SF has a full-length in the works! Limited to 600 copies.
KOUDEDEGuitars From Agadez Vol. 6(Sublime Frequencies)7"$ 9.98
The fantastic Sublime Frequencies "world music" label brings us another installment of incredible North African guitar music, in the vein of Group Inerane and Group Doueh. We first heard the talents of young Tuareg six-stringer Koudede & his band on Sublime Frequencies' previous Guitars From Agadez Vol. 5 single, and when we reviewed that we said we hoped there was a full-length in the works, 'cause we wanted to hear more of Koudede's hypnotic, hard-edged grooves. Sadly, though, with this release comes the news that Koudede was tragically killed in a traffic accident in October this year, while travelling back to Niger from playing a show in Burkina Faso. So while Vol. 5 was an exciting introduction to his music, Vol. 6 must be a tribute to his memory, and what might have been. The two tracks here were recorded live by SF's Hisham Mayet at a tumultous concert Koudede played in January 2012, in the midst of ethnic strife in Mali. Limited edition of 700 copies (Vol. 5 is long gone already).
KOUSOKUYARay Night 1991-1992 Live(Forced Exposure)cd$ 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. "Legendary and ultra-obscure Japanese psychedelic rock group." You may have heard them on the Tokyo Flashback compilation series (volumes 1 & 2).
KOUSOKUYA & MASAYOSHI URABEThe Dark Spot(PSF)cd$ 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. Tokyo psych band Kousokuya (previous release a live cd on Forced Exposure) collaborate with Japanese free saxophonist Urabe.
KOWALSKY, GREGGTape Chants(Kranky)cd$ 14.98
Finally, a second release from Mr. Kowalsky, with all his heavy electronic /cassette wizardry, he has been a long time favorite for us at aQ, and we couldn't be more impressed with Tape Chants. After spending several years working and reworking these aptly named tape and oscillator compositions, Gregg offers up his opus, a beautifully sculpted expanse of midnight meditations and thick, buzzing walls of analog radiance. Working with digital composition and software, and becoming frustrated with the seemingly unlimited possibilities of digital music-making, Gregg challenged himself to work with more organic, analog-rich source material. The result was a live performance that involved placing 6 to 10 cassette recorders around a space, and playing them simultaneously to create an experiment in live mixing and psychoacoustics. While Tape Chants is not meant to be a document of these live performances, it attempts to channel the mood and aesthetic of these live invocations. And take it from us, the result is an extremely deep and entrancing listen, beaming with melodic overtones and hypnotic pulsing, Tape Chants is like being at the center of a gong or inside a bell tower. Long tones ringing out through a low-lit cavern or cathedral, slow creeping layers of shruti box and mixer feedback thicken the mix to an overwhelming, otherworldly bliss. And unlike most minimalist composition, this record is super engaging, lots of subtle details and deliberate movements that keep you fully immersed. Not that dissimilar from recent releases on Root Strata or Miasma. If you couldn't tell by now, this is highly recommended and a must have!
KOWALSKY, GREGG WITH JOZEF VAN WISSEMMovements In Marble And Stone(Amish)lp$ 19.98
KOZELEK, MARKFinally(Caldo Verde)cd$ 15.98
KOZELEK, MARKIf You Want Blood(Badman)2lp$ 19.98
Limited edition double lp featuring all the tracks from both of Red House Painter Mark Kozelek's solo albums ("Rock n' Roll Singer" and "What's Next To The Moon"). So if you didn't already buy those cds, you now can get Kozelek's acoustic AC/DC interpretations/reinventions on vinyl. Maybe the ghost of Bon Scott insisted. And there's two bonus live tracks as well, to tempt
- RealAudio clip: Find Me, Ruben Olivares
- RealAudio clip: Up to My Neck in You
- RealAudio clip: What's Next to the Moon
- RealAudio clip: You Ain't Got a Hold On Me
KOZELEK, MARKLittle Drummer Boy - Live(Caldo Verde)2cd$ 14.98
Joining in with Aimee Mann and Sufjan Stevens who've already raised their full glasses, er, cds of holiday cheer, Mr. Mark Kozelek (of Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters) offers his limited edition Little Drummer Boy - Live album. Be forewarned though, it's a bit deceivingly named. While the title suggests a whole live performance of Santa songs, the title track is the lone tinsel tune. Recorded during his recent North American and European tours, the nineteen other songs are sort of a 'best of Kozelek' culled from his vast song catalog as a solo artist and frontman for Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. You also get a handful of covers (he takes tunes originally by The Cars, AC/DC and Modest Mouse and makes 'em his own) plus two previously unreleased cuts!
- MPEG stream: Little Drummer Boy
- MPEG stream: Four Fingered Fisherman
KOZELEK, MARKLost Verses(Caldo Verde)cd$ 13.98
KOZELEK, MARKRock'n'Roll Singer(Badman)cd$ 13.98
Windy's new favorite record. Totally gorgeous solo album from the leader of Red House Painters, Mark Kozelek, who comes across as more direct, lush, warm, and poignant. Just perfect. Everyone is loving this album, as the underground word of mouth is spreading. Somehow reminds me of early, mournful Bruce Springsteen, and of course Nick Drake but Kozelek is in a class of his own. You will love this record! And this album's big surprise: four of the songs are covers, one of a song by John Denver, and the other three are...drum roll...AC/DC tunes!! (Totally unrecognizable.)
- RealAudio clip: Find Me, Ruben Olivares
KOZELEK, MARKWhat's Next To The Moon(Badman)cd$ 14.98
As if the three AC/DC covers on Kozelek's recent "Rock 'n Roll Singer" album weren't enough, this new cd is composed solely of AC/DC songs -- ten of them. The emotional depth that Kozelek imparts to these very serene, meditative versions is remarkable and fun. Does contain the three songs from his previous album, but I believe these are new substantively different takes. Wonderful! Those waiting for the new Red House Painters album (which is finally going to see the light of day this spring) should wait no longer -- this is prime sadcore from one of its inventors.
- RealAudio clip: Up to My Neck in You
- RealAudio clip: What's Next to the Moon
- RealAudio clip: You Ain't Got a Hold On Me
KOZELEK, MARKWhite Christmas Live(Sub Pop)cd$ 14.98
Limited to 5000 copies and mainly available only thru web and direct distribution channels, we're pleased to be carrying this live album from Red House Painters' Mark Kozelek. It's got three of the AC/DC covers we love so much, delivered somber-Kozelek-style of
- RealAudio clip: Evil
- RealAudio clip: White Christmas
KRAFTWERK1(Germanofon)cd$ 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. Restocks of the first two Kraftwerk records, the ones with traffic-cone covers. Both are electronic masterpieces, melodic Krautrock classics, and while far more challenging than the popular later Kraftwerk albums, all the more lovely.
KRAFTWERK2(Germanofon)cd$ 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. Restocks of the first two Kraftwerk records, the ones with traffic-cone covers. Both are electronic masterpieces, melodic Krautrock classics, and while far more challenging than the popular later Kraftwerk albums, all the more lovely.
KRAFTWERKAnd The Electronic Revolution(Sexy Intellectual)dvd$ 21.00
It goes without saying that Kraftwerk is one of the most influential groups in pop music history, their influence having touched pretty much every style of music to come since. In the wake of the psychedelic explosion of the late '60s and early '70s, the group's obsessively precise music set them apart from everything else. In a sea of guitar based rock bands, the strange, machine like rhythms and pioneering use of synthesizers made clear to the world that their was nothing remotely rock n' roll about Kraftwerk's approach to music. The albums produced during their classic period (generally recognized from 1974's Autobahn to 1980's Computer World) still sound without precedent, coming across as emotionally detached, yet extremely melodic and melancholy. Of course, nobody could have just created that sound out of thin air, and before venturing into such revolutionary territory, Kraftwerk evolved from the exceptionally fertile experimental German music scene of the early 1970s. Band leaders Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider established an aesthetic that separated Kraftwerk from their contemporaries, creating a mystique that remains to this day. This well researched documentary takes a deservedly scholarly approach to Dusseldorf's legendary Man Machine, charting their path from the pre-Kraftwerk group, Organisation, to their implosion in the mid 1980s. Despite percussionist Karl Bartos being the only member of Kraftwerk open to interview, well informed journalists and key figures from the German scene are able to shed as much light as we'll probably ever see, given the group's notorious standoffishness. The downside to this film is its lack of actual Kraftwerk performances (check out YouTube for some truly remarkable footage), and at 180 minutes, it may be a bit much for the casual observer. Krautrock obsessives, however, will find much to love. ----* ----* In Stock, Not Yet Reviewed : ----* If you want to order one of these, just search for the item, then click on the buy button and it will be added to your cart! AKRON / FAMILY "Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free" (Dead Oceans) cd/2lp 14.98/17.98 BASINSKI, WILLIAM "92982" (Musex International) cd 14.98 BIG BUSINESS "Mind The Drift" (Hydrahead) cd 13.98 BLACK MATH HORSEMAN "Wylit" (Tee Pee) cd 14.98 BLACK PUS "Down Down Da Drain / Bark Of The Tree" (Skulltones / Corleone) 7" 9.98 BLACKOUT BEACH "Skin Of Evil" (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98 BLACULA "OST" (Rev-Ola) cd 16.98 BOXCUTTER "Arecibo Message" (Planet-Mu) cd/2lp 14.98/17.98 BROUGHTON BAND, EDGAR "Demons At The Beeb" (Hux) cd 19.98 CANDLEMASS "Death Magic Doom" (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98 COHEN, LEONARD "Live Songs" (Sundazed) lp 21.00 COHEN, LEONARD "New Skin For The Old Ceremony" (Sundazed) lp 21.00 COHEN, LEONARD "Songs From A Room" (Sundazed) lp 21.00 COHEN, LEONARD "Songs Of Love And Hate" (Sundazed) lp 21.00 COLTRANE, ALICE "Huntington Ashram Monastery" (Impulse) lp 15.98 CONGREGACION "Viene..." (Disco Es Cultura) lp 29.00 CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX "200 Tons Of Back Luck" (Invada) cd 15.98 DISTANCE "Repercussions" (Planet Mu) 2cd 16.98 DOUBLE DAGGER "More" (Thrill Jockey) cd/lp 14.98/15.98 EARLE, STEVE "Townes" (New West) cd 16.98 EAST OF EDEN "Snafu" (Esoteric Recordings) cd 23.00 EBTEKAR, ATA AND THE IRANIAN ORCHESTRA FOR NEW MUSIC "Performing Works Of Alireza Mashayekhi" (Sub Rosa) cd 16.98 ECHTRA "A War For Wonder" (20 Buck Spin) cd 13.98 EDLING, LEIF "Songs Of Torment Songs Of Joy" (Candlelight) cd 14.98 EMTIDI "Saat" (Lion Productions) cd 14.98 FIELD, THE "Yesterday And Today" (Kompakt) cd/2lp+cd 15.98/19.98 FRIDGE "Early Output 1996-1998" (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98 FRODUS "Conglomerate International" (Tooth & Nail) 2lp 24.00 FURUSAWA, RYOJIRO & KAN MIKAMI "Tin" (PSF) cd 22.00 GALACTIC RAMBLE "A Peregrination Through British Rock, Pop, Folk, And Jazz Of The 1960's And 1970's" (Fox Cote Books) book 57.00 GEORGE-EDWARDS GROUP, THE "38:38" (Galactic Zoo / Drag City) lp 16.98 GREY WOLVES, THE "Judgement" (Hospital) cd 14.98 GROUP DOUEH "Treeg Salaam" (Sublime Frequencies) lp 25.00 HAACK, BRUCE "Hush Little Robot" (Q.D.K) lp 17.98 HARVEY MILK "The Singles" (Relapse) 2lp 26.00 HAZLEWOOD, LEE "Movin' On" (Ace) cd 13.98 HENRIKSEN, ARVE "Cartography" (ECM) cd 16.98 HIGH RISE "Psychedelic Speed Freaks Live 1986" (PSF) dvd 27.00 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE "Alyo / Flipside" (Honest Jons) 10" 12.98 IRONSWORD "Overlords Of Chaos" (Shadow Kingdom) cd 12.98 J DILLA "Dillanthology 1" (Rapster) cd 14.98 KHANATE "Clean Hands Go Foul" (Hydrahead) picture disc 27.00 KOZELEK, MARK "Lost Verses" (Caldo Verde) cd 13.98 KRONOS QUARTET "Floodplain" (Nonesuch) cd 14.98 LADY SOVEREIGN "Jigsaw" (Midget Records) cd 11.98 LAZARUS "Trickster" (St. Ives) lp 14.98 LIQUORBALL W/ STEVE MACKAY "Evolutionary Squalor" (Rocketship Records) lp 15.98 MAHIKARI "s/t" (Birdman) lp 14.98 MARTYN "Great Lengths" (3024) cd 16.98 MUELLER, JON "Physical Changes" (Radium) lp+cd+dvd 25.00 NEGURA BUNGET "Maiastru Sfetnic" (Lupus Lounge) cd 15.98 NEGURA BUNGET "Sala Molksa" (Lupus Lounge) 2cd 17.98 NEW ROCK SYNDICATE "From The Dream" (Purifiva) cd-r 8.98 OFEGE "Try And Love" (Acadamy) cd/lp 15.98/19.98 OFERMOD "Tiamtu" (Ajna) cd 15.98 OGRE "Plague Of The Planet" (Shadow Kingdom) cd 13.98 OLD MAN'S CHILD "Slaves Of The World" (Century Media) cd 15.98 PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC "1976 Live Mothership Connection" (Mojo Working / Shout Factory) dvd 14.98 RACEBANNON "IV: Acid Or Blood" (Southern) cd 14.98 REINHARDT, DJANGO "1938 (London Debut and Paris Sessions)" (Monk) lp 24.00 REINHARDT, DJANGO "From The Ultraphone Shelves" (Monk) lp 24.00 REVELATION "Release" (Shadow Kingdom) cd 16.98 SAMAEL "Above" (Nuclear Blast) cd 13.98 SHADOW, DJ "The 4-Track Era Collection (1990-1992)" (Reconstruction Productions) 3cd 32.00 SIMONE, NINA "Emergency Ward!" (Sony) lp 15.98 SIMONE, NINA "Wild Is The Wind" (Universal) lp 15.98 SIMONES, AL "Corridor Of Dreams / Enchanted Forest" (South Side) cd 24.00 SIMONETTI / MORANTE / PIGNATELLI (GOBLIN) "Tenebre OST" (Dagored) lp 23.00 SOULEYMAN, OMAR "Highway To Hassake: Folk & Pop Sounds Of Syria" (Sublime Frequencies) 2lp 30.00 SPIRAL JOY BAND "Little Sparrow" (VHF) cd 13.98 ST. VINCENT "Actor" (4AD) cd/lp 12.98/14.98 TREMBLING BELLS "Carbeth" (Honest Jons) cd/lp 17.98/17.98 TROUM "Eald-Ge-Streon" (Beta-Lactam Ring) 2cd 16.98 TYVEK "s/t" (Siltbreeze) cd/lp 13.98/14.98 V/A "Raks Raks Raks: 17 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From The Iranian 60's Scene" (Raks Discos) lp 33.00 V/A "Rocky Mountain Low: The Colorado Musical Undergeround Of The Late 1970's" (Hyperpycnal) 2lp+cd 29.00 V/A "Roll Your Moneymaker (Early Black Rock 'N Roll)" (Trikont) cd 24.00 V/A "School Me! Vol. 1 (1968-1975)" (Stage Band Research) lp 21.00 V/A "Slimewave: Goregrind Compilation" (Relapse) cd 14.98 V/A "Take Me To The Water: Immersion Baptism In Vintage Music And Photography 1890-1950" (Dust-To-Digital) Book + CD 34.00 V/A "Thai Funk ZudRangMa" (ZRM) cd 23.00 V/A "This Is Happening Without Your Permission" (Teardrops) lp 14.98 VANDERSLICE, JOHN "Romanian Names" (Dead Oceans) cd 14.98 VENETIAN SNARES "Filth" (Planet Mu) cd/2lp 14.98/17.98 VILE, KURT "Constant Hitmaker" (Gulcher) cd/lp 11.98/14.98 WOLF "Ravenous" (Century Media) cd 12.98 YOUNGS, RICHARD "High Sun Energy" (Dull Knife) 7" 8.98 _______________________________________________________________________ Please place your order via our website. [1] We will contact you to verify your order and let you know when it will be shipped. Please note that occasionally it may take a day or two for us to reply. We are not a faceless bunch of computers replying to your order -- we are human beings! [2] If we are out of some of your items and we think we will get them within the same week, we can wait to ship. Or... If it's going to be more than a few days to complete your order, we will ship what we have and then will contact you as the remainders arrive. [ note ] Due to the everchanging nature of the independent record business, we are not responsible for listed price changes (due to supplier price changes) and often cannot update our site fast enough to reflect these changes, but we will always try to let you know of any differences.
KRAFTWERKAutobahn(Kling Klang / Astralwerks)cd$ 17.98
It's about time. Dusseldorf's most famous export, the Godfathers of electronic pop music, Kraftwerk, finally see their classic albums remastered and reissued for the 21st century (although, unfortunately, not yet their EARLIEST classics, the ones with the traffic cone covers). Given the group's notoriety for demanding nothing but absolute perfection, you can safely bet that these sound AMAZING after years of tireless mixing and mastering in Kling-Klang studios. That's probably the main selling point here, as Kraftwerk was never really a "bonus material" kind of band, and there is none of that here; if it was released, it pretty much meant it was labored upon until being deemed suitable for public exposure. These reissues have also got some pretty fancy expanded artwork, with simple but bold slip covers housing the actual cds. Of course, if you don't already have these albums in some form or another, you should probably do yourself a favor and purchase every single one of them immediately. Autobahn was originally released in 1974, and it was in most cases the band's introduction to the rest of the world with the surprise hit single of the title track, edited down significantly for airplay. It was also the point where Kraftwerk began to combine a classic pop approach with their intense Teutonic experimentation (which remains considerable here). What was seen by some people in the mid-1970s as somewhat of a novelty (which is total bullshit, but it was the '70s...), however, laid the foundation for one of the most innovative music groups to ever exist. Clocking in at almost 23 minutes, "Autobahn" may be one of the most evocative songs ever, especially considering how minimal it really is. Synthesizers give you the impression of traveling throughout Germany by car, through many different environments and observational states, as the vocal melody classically apes the Beach Boys "Fun, Fun, Fun". The song also marked the beginning of the band's reliance on vocoders and drum machines, which would from this point forward would play an integral role in defining Kraftwerk. The other songs here retain many of the sonic qualities of earlier Kraftwerk, but it's now plainly apparent where things are heading: Pop Immortality! Oh, and a note to vinyl obsessives, these reissues will be coming out in that format next month, we're told!
- MPEG stream: Autobahn (excerpt 1)
- MPEG stream: Autobahn (excerpt 2)
- MPEG stream: Kometenmelodie 1
KRAFTWERKComputer World(Elektra)cd$ 10.98
KRAFTWERKDie Mensch-Maschine(EMI)cd$ 24.00
German import of the original Man Machine album, with lyrics in German. That's why the lofty price.
KRAFTWERKExpo Remix(Kling Klang)cd$ 10.98
The requisite remix single of Kraftwerk's comeback last year's single features Orbital, Francois K, DJ Rolando, and Underground Resistance. Maybe if you really dig UR records, this would do it for you.
KRAFTWERKMinimum-Maximum - Live(Astralwerks)2cd$ 19.98
If you witnessed a Kraftwerk performance during their 2004 worldwide tour, you may want this 2-disc live recording as a token reminder of your experience. Especially if you attended a show in Warszawa, Ljubljana, Riga, Moskwa, Paris, Berlin, London, Budapest, San Francisco, Tokyo or Tallinn -- the cities from which these virtually perfect live performances are culled. The first eight songs from disc one are absolutely incredible live recordings, most notably "The Man-Machine", "Planet Of Visions", and "Vitamin". The clarity and bombacity of its sound is impressive. Would you pay the extra money it would cost if this came with an implantable chip that would project their video at one meter in front of you while walking around listening? Hmmm, I would. Unfortunately, this is not available. Simply listening to this, however, will help you to recall your live Kraftwerk experience. Speaking personally, I attended their concert in Amsterdam. At the Heineken Arena. So imagine how many people fit into an "arena". Now imagine, of all those people, about 50 are women. The remaining thousands, all men. And not just regular Dutch dudes out to see a show, but men outfitted in one of two styles of dress: 1. in affected Kraftwerk/Sprockets ensemble -- black leather pants with combat boots and a black turtleneck, or 2. in Classic Man-Machine Kraftwerk -- black suit with sharp red tie. Oh how I wished I had my little minidv cam for filming Kraftwerk Parking Lot. No matter how fascinating the crowd was, the show was somehow even better. From the three 30 meter x 30 meter video panels displaying their minimal but powerfully effective video accompaniment (much of which is available to view on their website), to the actual robots backlit behind a scrim, then exposed and moving, to the mind-blowing clarity and depth of sound (which is hard to do right in a large space like that) the aural and visual orchestration reeked of utter Kraftwerkian perfection. And of course, if you did NOT get a chance to see them last year, here's your chance to pick up an incredible aural document of some of their best performances from all over the world!
- MPEG stream: The Man-Machine
- MPEG stream: Planet Of Visions
- MPEG stream: Vitamin
KRAFTWERKRadio-Activity(Capitol)lp$ 12.98
This 1975 follow-up to their internationally successful Autobahn LP pays tribute to the mechanical catalyst that helped create that success, the radio and the power of broadcast communications. While more obtuse and less successful than its predecessor, the songs on Radio-Activity utilize more concrete forms than ever before with sounds of static, Geiger counters, oscillators and Cage-ian moments of silence to recreate the sense of radio transmission. This also marks the first time Kraftwerk recorded vocals in English and made use of robotic voices that would come to the forefront in subsequent releases.