[ aquarius records new arrivals

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Showing results 1 through 50 of 95.

More southern fried, revivalist, back woods countrified gothic stomp from probably the only band trafficking in such sounds (outside of MAYBE Nick Cave). This one's live, and sounds fierce as fuck, but still moody and dark and really, really creepy. Like

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With Kruder & Dorfmeister and Thievery Corporation striving for the lowest common denominator, trip hop hasn't been an arena of adventurous music for many years now. It could be due to hip hop's increasing appetite for eccentric production (see the latest Missy Elliot record, Anticon, Chocolate Industries, etc), which has diminished the interest in instrumental hip hop (a slightly

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Hopefully all AQ-list readers are aware of the plight of Pennsylvania journalist and death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal (sentenced to death for a cop killing that he may, or may not, have committed -- regardless, his trial was hardly fair, making him indeed a

Six extended dancehall mixes of Horace Andy from 1982. This is an excellent collection of recordings and is highly recommendable to those who picked up -- and enjoyed -- the "Nice Up The Dance" comp we listed a little while back. Though the cuts aren't quite as lengthy as those on "Nice Up The Dance", most clocking in around 7 minutes, each has a good long dub bridge in the middle with

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By now most readers of the AQ New Arrivals list should be familiar with the work of Koji Asano, the uber-prolific Barcelona-based Japanese experimental composer who has long been a big favorite here at Aquarius. We didn't have to wait long for this, the

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The last few Posies records (and Posies related records) haven't been entirely satisfying for those of us who have been yearning for that lush, powerful, harmony-vocal-soaked pop. Both Ken and Jon have been dabbling in random solo projects, and the Posies

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This is the third release from Vancouver, BC post rockers Beans (yeah, we still wish they had a different name, but what can you do?). The moody melodicism of "Crane Wars" continues the path set by last year's wonderful "Tired Snow" EP: melancholy and

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Jazz composer Gregg Bendian offers up a musical tribute to legendary Marvel Comics artist Jack Kirby (1917-1994 RIP). Thus the heroic four-color Kirby artwork that adorns this disc, the liner notes from Kirby collaborators like Stan Lee, and yes, the

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CD reissue of the lone 1972 album from this German hard rock outfit with an English vocalist. This is the band that '70s-loving Swedish death-progressive metallers Opeth named their most recent opus after, leading us to think that it might be a weirdo

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Recorded this past spring in the open air of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Waves of Grass is the second release from The Blithe Sons, an offshoot of the improv-drone ensemble Thuja, featuring Loren Chasse and Glenn Donaldson. Like miniatures of the

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AKA "Vision Recreation by EYE". The fourth installment in the R.E.B.O.R.E. series of remixes isn't necessarily a "remix" of Boredoms material, but a reconstruction, or recreation as the title suggests. Contained are seven wonderful tracks of blissed out

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The first of two Anthony Braxton albums released in the BYG/Actuel series. Recorded at the Studio Saravah in Paris on September 10, 1969, featuring Leo Smith (trumpet), Leroy Jenkins (violin) and Steve McCall (drums). Pressed on 180 gram vinyl, original artwork is restored on a beautiful gatefold sleeve, with pics of a movie-star handsome young Braxton. Vinyl only. (Oh, and it's

Some choice American freedom-energy-jazz-in-exile recorded in Paris on August 13, 1969. Pianist Burrell is joined by Archie Shepp (tenor sax), Alan Silva (bass), Sunny Murray (drums), Clifford Thornton (cornet), Grachan Moncur III (trombone) and Arthur Jones (alto sax). If you dug the fab Silva LP also recently re-issued in this series, check this one out too. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl,

Manu Chao, former leader of the French band Mano Negra, was born in France of Spanish parents, and in recent years has spent much of his musical career in South and Central America. And as you would expect, his music is a similar stew of sounds, all of which

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The Chicago Underground Quartet consists of Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor (of previous Chicago Underground releases), Jeff Parker (of Tortoise, Isotope 217) and Noel Kupersmith (of Brokeback). Recorded by John McEntire. It's a nice jazz record with many moods. For Fans of Tortoise, of course.

An increasingly prolific body of work is emerging from a loose collective of San Francisco artists and musicians, a group that has spawned such neo-psychedelic improvisers as Thuja, Mirza, The Knit Separates, The Blithe Sons, and now The Child Readers.

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Clientele, a London area trio, play dreamy, lo fi, Brit pop that is reminicent of The Zombies, Nick Drake, The Go Betweens, and The Byrds. Suburban Light has an atmospheric '60s quality throughout but the songs vary enough from each other to keep ones interest.

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As soon as this came on the AQ stereo, Byram chimed in, "Is this on Raster?" Nope. "Oh, it must be on 12K then." That initial reaction is the blessing and curse of Taylor Deupree and his 12K label, both of whom so badly want to have that Raster-Noton sound. "Occur" is an album of "non-repetition and subdued melodic passages composed almost entirely by granular synthesis

Not a collaboration but a split between Chicago's experimental guitarist Kevin Drumm and Vienna's powerbook cruncher Pita. As far as the Kevin Drumm side, this is the most accomplished piece that this Jim O'Rourke protege has released so far. Behind a muffled yet spartan clatter of metallic objects, Drumm situates a simple melancholic melody (perhaps a french horn, but more likely just a

Boring and uninspired new Eno collaboration with J. Peter Schwalm. Really unnecessary and sad. I sure wish my musical heroes would learn when to retire. Sigh...

The furious fivesome from Coalinga are finally back, dispelling rumors of suicide pacts or abductions, with nine tracks of venomous (not to mention completely retarded) death metal. For those familiar or unfamiliar with their past work, Chiropractic

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Experimental electronica (particularly the glitch techno and collage work on the Mille Plateaux label) is getting dangerously close to self parody, with the definitions of very specific electronic music forming ever increasing legions of devoted followers Fennesz' third album -- the aptly titled "Endless Summer" -- picks up where his ep of Rolling Stones / Beach Boys covers left off with a digital dispersion of "fun in the sun" rock mythologies. While there are no obviously discernable pop culture references, Fennesz builds a sound that really is quite summery from odd duets between disintegrating acoustic guitar strums and the coalescence of digital errata. Thus, this album has the feeling of the classic Beach Boys sound, but very little of that structure. These are NOT Beach Boys covers; but if he said they were, we'd have no basis to call him a liar. Regardless, Fennesz's "Endless Summer" is just fucking great.

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Kieran Hebden, Putney, London-based wunderkind, has released some lastingly beautiful records as part of Fridge (whose amazing Eph was Windy's #1 album of 1999). Four Tet is his solo project. A little more "electronic" than the post-rock Fridge, this is very

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24 glorious tracks from SF's favorite hushed indie rock combo, who've recorded for Matador and Smells Like. Their magic is heavily evident here, on this album of rarities, singles tracks and live stuff. Fuck are restrained yet shambolic and melodic yet

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Rebecca Gates was previously in The Spinanes from Portland, Oregon. She has since moved to Chicago and created this album, her first "solo" recording, with the help of John McEntire (of Tortoise and the Sea and Cake), Noel Kupersmith (of The Chicago Underground Quartet), and Brian Deck (of Califone, Red Red Meat and Modest Mouse), among others. Her songs vary from sweet folk to

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Contemporary composer Vinko Globokar began his career in Slovenia as a jazz trombone player in the '50s, and he has since worked with Luciano Berio, Stockhausen and Takemitsu. This recording consists of three pieces composed in the 1990s: one for trombone,

Import disc featuring Dan the Automator with guests Damon Albarn (Blur), Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), and Del tha Funky Homosapien. Sounds exactly like you'd think it would (assuming you'd think it would sound mostly

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Lying somewhere betwixt Esquivel and Spike Jones is Bernie Green. Guitarist and arranger Green is one of the original madmen of "easy listening" music. Like Esquivel, much of his magic lies not only in the outlandish orchestral arrangements, but in the

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The ultra-minimalist Bernhard Gunter created Monochrome White in attempts to simulate the experiential weightlessness that Gunter found within a recent Bill Viola retrospective of his video installations. Gunter conceptualized that this mimesis could take place through a steady spectrum of high frequencies, as if they could "lift it off the ground, so to speak." Monochrome White is

The late '60s Swedish power duo of Bosse Hansson (Hammond organ) & Janne Karlsson (drums), though having slipped into relative obscurity, were once a legend -- and rightfully so. Not only did Jimi Hendrix seek them out when on tour in Europe, jamming with them and watching them play, but even covered one of their songs -- "Tax Free". Legend has it that Bosse Hansson, trained as a

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Got a few more copies of this final Harvey Milk album from '97. It's very different from their tUMULt release (the cd reissue of the '95 "Goodwill And Courtesy..." LP) which was super-heavy dronemetal to outdo the Melvins, but "The Pleaser" is still a great

Easily most accessible presentation from Matthew Herbert (aka Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, Radioboy, etc.), Bodily Functions is a shuffling house homage to the jazz vocal standards from the '40s. Fans of Portishead and Lamb, who may be looking for a slight variation on ethereal / noir female vocalist fronted classy electronica, might want to check this out.

Great two disc anthology of Jamaican vocalist John Holt's output throughout the sixties and seventies. Holt is probably most known for his work throughout the late sixties as the vocalist for The Paragons and, more specifically, the song "The Tide Is High",

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I (Allan) once came across this band in one of those encyclopedic psychedelic record collector reference works (Scented Gardens of the Mind, I think it was) and was intrigued by the description: an *Icelandic* hard rock band from 1971, comparable to Black

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Ida's new release has soft ethereal songs, in the same vein as their previous releases. It was recorded during the sessions for their previous disc, "Will You Find Me", yet it is somewhat darker and said to be much more personal to the band. This release has

Kiyoshi Izumi may or may not have had anything to do with a really early incarnation of the Boredoms, although his previous outing for Rephlex a few years back made such claims. "Orange Sunshine" is Izumi's most recent collection and has nothing really to do

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After making Borbetomagus-like muscular free jazz in Blowhole and doing experimental tape manipulations as Hands To, Jeph Jerman has begun releasing work under his given name, to produce a primitive response to the technologically driven "lowercase sound" of minimalism (i.e. Bernhard Gunter, Steve Roden, Loren Chasse, etc.). While he has been known to use some amplification in his work,

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Beloved Omaha, Nebraska native singer-songwriter combines the best elements of Leonard Cohen poetry and pacing, Nick Cave's simply drawn drama and lush, lazy instrumentation. For fans Vic Chestnut and Bob Dylan.

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In contrast with their most recent album Maander, which pulsed and shuffled and rollicked along in a similar mellow electronica vein as To Rococo Rot, Fridge, and Boards of Canada, this new disc from this AQ fave band is a more abstract offering, with

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A few months back we were able to pick up a few copies of the original Cramps '70s vinyl of this album, but now the hardworking Ampersand label has reissued it on CD. Two & Two is the collaborative effort between German sound artist Christina Kubisch and

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60 composers from 18 countries commissioned to score 60 second pieces for piano (and occasionally tape). Go! Quick!! FASTER!!!

Perhaps beginning with the soundtracks that Throbbing Gristle supplied to Derek Jarman films and Coil's rejected score to "Hellraiser," industrial culture has slowly been creeping into more and more mainstream venues through its affiliation with film. Brian "Lustmord" Williams' work is certainly no exception as he began his musical career during SPK's most devistating period back In the mid '90s, Williams followed the lead of SPK's Graeme Revell by working on the sound design for big Hollywood movies. Revell, in fact, is credited with scoring the "Tombraider" soundtrack (amongst 30+ others)... Quite a long way from the autopsy imagery of SPK's "Information Overload Unit!!!" Anyway, "Metavoid" marks the first proper Lustmord album in almost seven years, and the time that Wiliams has spent toiling for Hollywood has undoubtably affected his own work as Lustmord. While the slashing drills and unnerving screeches blast from his gaping drones, Lustmord has laced these already threatening pieces with unneccessarily theatrical synthetic strings and mystical flutes that seem better suited for "Xena" than a Lustmord album. A disappointing return.

This is the very first attack (circa 1982) from these ultra-campy (but great!) he-man metallers, now remastered and reissued in time for their 20th anniversary. There's many classic tracks to be found here, including theme song "Manowar", "Fast Taker", "Dark

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Throughout their 25 year career, Voice Crack (the Swiss duo of Andi Guhl and Norbert Moslang) have sought out fellow improvisers and electronic experimentalists to collaborate with, including 16-17, Jim O'Rourke, Erik M, and Otomo Yohsihide. During this time,

Female Rick James proteges the Mary Jane Girls get the "20th Century Masters The Millenium Collection" best-of treatment with this disc, featuring hits like "In My House", "Candy Man", "All Night Long" and more, all digitally remastered (whatever) long versions. Sure it's super dated mid-'80s disco-funk-pop. But without the Mary Jane Girls, would we have today's girl groups like

Reissue of the long out-of-print and highly sought after international debut of Melt Banana. Originally released on Nux / Charnel Music in 1994, "Speak Squeak Creak" took the US hardcore scene by storm and dropped jaws worldwide as these four bright eyed kids from Tokyo destroyed any and all bands they've ever played with. Recorded in Chicago by Steve Albini during their first US tour,

A few years back, Daniel Menche recordings occupied a brutalist space, where tortured wheezes of somatic activities adjoined harsh textures of rough stones upon strained glass in the production of thick slabs of smoldering noise. Yet, Menche has recently emerged from an extended sabbatical, to showcase the softening of his craggy, bleak attitudes with an equally powerful sound that

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In November 2000, Mirror travelled to the US for a handful of shows in Austin, Chicago, and maybe a few other places in between (unfortunately not San Francisco). While cd-r bootlegs of those shows have been circulating, "I Paint For Love Of Color" is the second official documentation of that US tour, the first being the "Island" 2LP on Die Stadt. Mirror, of course, is the

This album makes me embarrassed for conceptual art. Thurston created ten short guitar improvisations, each just barely over a minute long. Fusinato completed a painting in the time that it took for Thurston to make his improvisation. While listening to

[ aquarius records new arrivals — issue 116 ]