Aquarius Records closed in 2016. This site is an archive — a place to rediscover their extraordinary music recommendations. Nothing here is for sale.
Showing results 101 through 150 of 235.
GARADAMA1(Alchemy)cd$ 19.98
Garadama is a hitherto unknown to us, super heavy metallic rock trio from Japan, making their debut on Osaka's Alchemy label (home to albums by Hijo Kaidan, Merzbow, Masonna, Angel 'In Heavy Syrup among others). They're not unlike a more modern-sounding version
GEROGERIGEGEGENone Friendly(Mink)cd$ 17.98
BEFORE YOUR READ THIS REVIEW, BE AWARE WE ONLY HAVE TWO COPIES. WE WILL NEVER GET MORE. BUT I REALLY LIKE IT AND WANTED TO GIVE MAILORDERS CUSTOMERS A CHANCE. SO FIRST TWO CUSTOMERS THAT ORDER IT GET IT. SORRY. AND ODDLY ENOUGH, I ALREADY HAVE A FEELING I Anyway, album number 132 (or something close to that) from Japanese noise musician / sound artist / professional masturbator Juntaro Yamanouchi. Gerogerigegege (loosely translated as vomit, diarhhea, ha ha ha) has gone through all sorts of sonic incarnations, noisy splatter punk, bombastic japanoise, experimental musique concrete, with some of those incarnations featuring the added bonus of Juntaro's trademark live and mic-ed masturbating. On 'None Friendly' (actually recorded in 1987), he tackles THE DRONE and it's quite a listen. Deep and sonorous, lush and mesmerising. I was convinced it was a synthesizer until I noticed on the sleeve, that it specifically points out that there was 'No synthesizer used.' So what the sound source actually is remains a mystery. Maybe it -is- processed masturbating. I mean, I hope it is. But either way, this is a fantastic record. One extended buzzing and humming, slowly developing hypnotic drone. Really great.
GOLD CHAINSs/t(Orthlorng Musork)cd$ 9.98
I can't believe that this record hasn't driven us mad. In the very near future, it very well may. But at the moment, Gold Chains certainly tickles our fancy for purposefully ridiculous, totally fun electronica/hip-hop. Gold Chains is the boisterous hip-hop
GOODIEPALNarc Beacon(Skipp)cd$ 15.98
Goodiepal is an extremely shy young man from Denmark who plays gleefully bent music that teeters on the fringes of experimental electronica (ala Mego) and Scandinavian flavored folk music. A collector of unusually tweaked and jagged sounds, Goodiepal maintains a day job independently contracting sound work from companies like Nokia, Chupa Chups, Hitachi, Carlsberg, Matrix, blah blah blah... Anyway, the music itself disguises a dissonant, troublemaking problem child with wide-eyed innocence as captivating as it is irritating. To confuse even further, he records under aliases like Chupa Chups and Mainpal Inv. and collaborates with the Italian Gamers In Exile and those V/VM pranksters. From dreamy, otherworldly arrangements involving acoustic guitars, resonating chimes, car horns, toy recorders and other wind instruments to a brilliantly conceived acapella track performed through a vocoder, Goodiepal brings back a Jean Jacques Perry or Electric Company (the old TV program, mind you) feel to inspire a new, inventive, and playful electronic music. After I first put this on, I looked again inside the cardboard package to see if there was a toy prize! On Dat Politics' own label Skipp!
GUENTNER, MARKUSIn Moll(Kompakt)cd$ 16.98
Squelches and whirrs nestle in rolling hills of fuzzy dreamy drones as clicks and pops struggle for air beneath a downy blanket of suffocatingly gorgeous billowy clouds of synth wash. Sound good? It does. It's German electronica artist Markus Guentner's debut cd for the Kompakt label. For those of you who don't know, the Kompakt label has developed an almost timeless aesthetic, not unlike the 'heroin house' sound of Chain Reaction. The Kompakt sound is an application of the often invoked but rarely successful working model of 'ambient techno'. A good example of this sort of thing that AQ-customers probably know about ('cause we sell so many of 'em) is the Wolfgang Voigt project Gas. His minimalist techno releases (in particular the Gas album "Konigsforst") are some of the few electronica albums that all Aquarians can agree on and strongly endorse. In creating "In Moll," Markus Guentner has done more than his part to fill the void created by Voigt's unusual absence, with a disc that captures much of the feel we liked so much about the Gas records, a sort of dreamy melancholy that manages to be both wistful and hopeful, lonely and warm. Jeff thinks it has a real "change of seasons" vibe, that harkens, again, to Gas. And while the Gas comparison is surely accurate (if you haven't caught our drift already, let's state: fans of Gas should pick this up without a second thought!), Guenter does add his own flair to Voigt's signature sound though, creating a more varied and more dynamic soundscape than Voigt's pastoral hum and thump.
HAACK, BRUCEThe Electronic Record For Children(Mississippi)lp$ 14.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** This sixties electronic kids' classic reissued on vinyl!! Here's our review from when we listed the (now out of print) import cd version way back in 2004: There was a time not too long ago when Bruce Haack was simply an anomalous footnote in the history of electronic music. But thanks to the rise of (for the lack of a more specific term) experimental music and the good folks making it, the gospel was spread and steps were taken to lift Haack's dedicated life's work out of the doomed classification of 'incredibly strange music'. In the late '90s, a vinyl reissue of Haack's legendary Electric Lucifer album appeared. Then in 1999, the QDK and Emperor Norton labels issued separate compilations of tracks selected from Haack's massive oeuvre: Hush Little Robot and Listen Compute Rock Home, respectively. These compilations featured a huge chunk of material originally released on Haack's own Dimension 5 imprint (with Listen Compute Rock Home being tagged as a D5 'best-of'), and set off a new generation of record geeks and purveyors of oddly adventurous sounds on the lookout for the original small press lps. Introduced in 1963, Dimension 5 was a project created by Haack to reach children, as he believed that music could be a powerfully communicative, and ultimately educational, tool. Along with a host of guest musicians and educators (most notably Miss Esther Nelson), D5 set out to create inspiring and imaginative recordings - both sonically and narratively - for children of all ages. Having issued eleven lps over a span of thirteen years, Dimension 5 is certainly a musical phenomenon worth investigating itself, in addition to the other works of Bruce Haack. So here's 1969's The Electronic Record For Children, which just might be the best of the bunch. This album is credited to Bruce Haack, but also prominently features Miss Nelson. Like the title implies, there is an emphasis on the use of electronics, but the narrative certainly doesn't take a back seat here. There are songs that are indirectly of an educational nature: "First Lady" is a skit in the style of a television game show in which a young girl lists off the names of the US presidents in chronological order, set to a robotic rhythm. Simple enough, but when the host asks the girl to recite the names in reverse order, Haack flips the tape backward, splices and cranks it - a total mindfuck for kids! Other 'lessons' teach us about rhythmics ("Clapping With Katy"), the compositional use of call and response ("Echo") and the life and daily routines of arachnids ("Spiders"). Inspired by the classes that Miss Nelson and Bruce once taught is the activity song "Dance", a Raymond Scott-fueled rollercoaster ride with wacked out helium vocals. But what stands out most for me on this recording are the songs of an abstract nature. "Mara's Mood" tells the story of 'a boy who tried to grasp the moon' over a loop of fuzzed out psychedelic guitar and synth. "Upside Down" could easily be mistaken for late sixties era British psychedelia a la Twink or Floyd. Quintron fans just might toss out their Quintron records when they hear the completely insane organ and rhythm box track credited, incredibly, to the Planet Of Singing Mice's Greek Cathedral Childrens' Mouse Choir, "Saint Basil". Definitely one of the better of the Dimension 5 releases, though there's something for everyone throughout all of their wondrous recordings!
HAINO, KEIJIPercussion(PSF)video$ 44.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. In honor of Haino's 50th birthday, in addition to his long overdue recognition on the cover of highbrow experimental music rag The Wire, PSF has issued a video document of a rare performance for voice and percussion instruments. Enigmatic and mysterious when merely only listened to, this video gives an anticipated insight to the physicality and trancendence of space experienced when witnessing Keiji Haino in full force, for seeing Haino perform in the flesh is an experience like no other. Unlike the previous video offered by PSF, an excerpt of a Fushitsusha performance (only 45 minutes of a supposed three hour set!), this offers a complete peek into the mystical genius of Keiji Haino. See Haino reduce a poor tambourine to its raw elements, tearing away at its flesh, drawing away its spirit, and exposing its corpse.
HAINO, KEIJITenshi No Gijinka(Tzadik)cd$ 16.98
HAINO, KEIJI WITH BORISBlack: Implication Flooding(Inoxia Records)cd$ 14.98
Along with the sudden miraculous appearance of their nigh-impossible to find 1998 album "Amplifier Worship" in our racks (see elsewhere on this list) we've also managed to acquire a few copies of some other hard-to-find Boris titles, including this RealAudio clip: "The Decision of a Dream Which Will Never Be Completely Red" [/audio/hainoborisdecision.rm]
HAMBURGER, NEILRaw Hamburger(Drag City)cd$ 13.98
Neil's "blue" record. Hilarious. Offensive. Really stupid. We play it a lot here.
HARPER, JAMES TWIGBrain Wave 2000-2001(Here See)cd-r$ 6.98
Super tweaked out electronic lunacy from Twig, the male half of Chicago knob twiddlers Nautical Almanac. Recorded using a Commodore 64 and modified electronic equipment, which were then sent to friends for additional productions, the ten tracks
HECKER, TIMHaunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again(Substractif)cd$ 14.98
With a couple of recordings under his belt as Jetone on Force Inc, Tim Hecker has temporarily shelved his Chain Reactive, techno-minimalist pseudonym to experiment with sonic abstraction. "Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again" is easily Hecker's best album
HELLFISH AND PRODUCERBastard Sonz Of Rave(Planet Mu)cd$ 15.98
"Rave Is Back! (It's Official)" has been the DJ Scud / Ambush slogan for the past year and UK's Hellfish And Producer have followed suit with their much anticipated follow-up to 2000's "Constant Mutation". Not a whole lot has changed in the last couple of years, but these boys can still crank out the adrenaline charged fuckstep mashup gabba jams they've become known for. Plus, they plunder in some old school B-Boy jams like "Rock The Bells" and rude boy deejay toasting for fun and good measure. Just as great, if not better, as anything out on DHR or Praxis or Ambush. And unlike much in this genre, there's a healthy amount of humor and good fun prevalent, rather than the usual apocalyptic propaganda that plagues it. Full on headpummeling beatdown that never fails to piss off at least one customer every time it's played in the store...
HIROSHIGE, JOJOKimi Ga Shinette Ieba Shinu Kara(Alchemy)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. Solo album from Hijokaidan guitarist.
HIROSHIGE, JOJOKonomama Shinde Shimaitai(Alchemy)cd$ 19.98
Jojo Hiroshige is the founding member of the Osaka-based noise unit Hijokaidan. Along with Merzbow, Hiijokaidan is one of the oldest post-Masayuki Takayanagi noise artists in Japan, with recordings that date back to the late seventies. In addition, Jojo
HIROSHIGE, JOJOMinna Shinde Shimaeba Iinoni(Alchemy)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. Another Solo album from Hijokaidan guitarist.
HIROSHIGE, JOJOThe Very Best Of Jojo Hiroshige(Alchemy)cd$ 21.00
Yes, it's true. Though his solo discography is quite small, Jojo has assembled a great introduction to his post-Hijokaidan world of painful dissonance. As founder of said group as well as the mighty Alchemy label -- responsible for the most cohesive and consistent output of powerful noise artists from around the world, Jojo's history is long and impressive. A true visionary, full of integrity and a dedicated advocate of difficult and extreme musics, he is the Eastern Godfather of noise. Collecting some of the strongest moments from his three solo records, this is an indispensible peek into the sonic malevolence and brute force that is Jojo Hiroshige. If you've been afraid to step into his world, give this disc a chance. But still, be very afraid!
HIRSCHE NICHT AUFS SOFAIm Schatten Der Mohre(Streamline / Drag City)cd$ 14.98
"Im Schatten Der Mohre", originally released in 1987 on Dom Records, was the fourth album from the collected bent minds of Christoph Heeman, Achim P. Li Khan and Andreas Martin. Long deleted, unavailable for years, and thus highly sought after, this
ILITCH10 Suicides(Fractal)2cd$ 21.00
This album number two from Ilitch (a.k.a. Thierry Muller), originally released in 1980 and finally reissued in its entirety with a bonus disc of unreleased/live material. '10 Suicides' is record of dark and claustrophobic, primitive and noisy, electronic
INCAPACITANTSRepo(Alchemy)cd$ 19.98
Alchemy Records digs into their vaults yet again to re-issue on cd a 1989 Alchemy LP by the notorious Japanese noise act Incapacitants. This makes for Incapacitants' eighth cd release on Alchemy! Wow, what a legacy of high-end skree, low-end rumble,
KID 606The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams(Violent Turd)cd$ 13.98
I know we seem to be kind of hard on Kid606. We are. He's the artist du jour. He's on practically every electronica compilation that came out in the last two years, everyone wants to put his records out, everyone wants to remix him (or be remixed by him),
KITBUILDERSWake Up(World Electric)cd$ 18.98
After a handful of 12" singles and compilation appearances, "Wake Up" is the much anticipated debut full length from the Cologne-based duo Kitbuilders. Alongside American outfits like Adult. and Fischerspooner, Kitbuilders are at the forefront of the
KNIFEHANDCHOPDancemix2000 / Don'tsayaword(Irritant)7"$ 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. Gabber-tech madness invades pop culture for the Playstation generation from Canadian whizkid Billy Pollard, aka Knifehandchop! Pounding beats clash with a hilarious aural juxtaposition of Destiny's Child, Eminem and those Eurodance sensations, Vengaboys. Assertive female independence, aggressive misogyny and purely apathetic bubblegum dance join forces to rock yr ass! Totally ridiculous, but really smart and catchy as fuck. And the smartass is only nineteen! Brilliant!
KOSUGI, TAKEHISACatch Wave(Showboat / Sky Station)cd$ 27.00
Man, do we at ever AQ love that Japanese '70s group the Taj Mahal Travellers! Masters of organic drone, utilising bowed cymbals, violins, loudspeakers, tape loops and all sorts of unique source material. And we've been blessed of late with the reissue of lots
LADDIO BOLOCKOStrange Warmings Of(Hungarian)cd$ 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY. This record is one of the most amazing we have ever heard, and of course, it's been practically impossible to get back in stock. But now we have it, and you should buy it. It's pummelling and heavy and beautiful. Not sure how long we'll have this in stock. An ex-Dazzling Killmen (Blake Fleming) takes his penchant for angular discordance a step further, forgoing the ferocious heaviosity of his former outfit, and instead, explores lengthy semi-improvisational psychedelic freakouts and repetetive hypno-krautrock instrumentals ala Circle. Post rock jamscapes littered with shrieking and droning Albert Ayler-ish sax, jabs of no wave guitar, an overwhelming over-saturated super-distorted production and absolutely crushing drumming. Totally essential.
LE SHOKS&M(Slamdance Cosmopolis)7"$ 5.98
A band that continues to haunt us from the grave, it's the defunct SoCal art-spazz-punk assembly known as Le Shok. The very special feature of this record? Why they've pressed an additional track right onto the sleeve - a cover of the Chosen Few's "No Fun at the Beaches". The record itself contains two suitably hyper-garage-wave short spurts from the days when Le Shok were a
LESSERMensa Dance Squad(Tigerbeat6)cd$ 11.98
Not as willfully cacophonic as the "Gearhound" album for Matador, "Mensa Dance Squad" finds Jay Lesser making an overachieving concept record which rails against the pretenses of IDM (aka 'intelligent' dance music) and all of its self-congratulatory
LIGHTNING BOLTRide The Skies(Load)cd$ 14.98
This is the long-awaited, highly anticipated full length release from Providence, RI's amazing bass and drums duo LIGHTNING BOLT! Imagine Tokyo drums/bass duo Ruins in their early years: way obvious prog influence and heavy as fuck, then subtract the zeuhl
LIGHTNING BOLTs/t(Load)cd$ 12.98
Finally, the debut LP from Providence, RI's Lightning Bolt gets reissued! Now on cd for the first time, with over forty minutes of bonus live material! When this record first hit the streets a couple of years ago, people either instantly fell in love with or
LOVEForever Changes(Elektra)cd$ 16.98
This remastered deluxe edition of Love's 1967 masterpiece features seven bonus tracks! If you've never heard this classic record before then you must buy one now. Period. You will love it, promise. For those who're already fans of Love, know that the bonus tracks are a mixed bag. There are some wonderful outtakes and new songs, some versions of songs that are seemingly indistinguishable from the originals, and one hilarious track where Arthur Lee exhorts his bandmates to relax... and then says "Okay, Take 25"!
LUDACRISBack For The First Time(Def Jam)cd$ 17.98
Actually stumbled on upon this one by happy accident. We were trying desperately to figure out who did this one song that we kept hearing on the radio, but they never said who it was, since it was always in the middle of some sort of megamix. Finally figured it out, only to realize, that the same guy also did an even more amazing song that we had practically given up on finding. So, the guy is Ludacris, the sound is southern-fried gangster rap ala No Limit, but with way better / commercial radio production. and the song in question (that you've probably heard) is 'What's Your Fantasy', a nasty boy vs. girl duet with a catchy (and funny) stick in your head chorus: ' I wanna lick lick lick lick lick you from your head to your toes...'
LUDACRISWord Of Mouf(Island / Def Jam)cd$ 16.98
Still more hip hop bubbles up from the dirty south, from the underground, and spills out all over MTV and hiphop radio. Ludacris has been kicking around for a while, mix tapes etc... But last years's 'Fantasy' track blew up BIG and made Ludacris a household
MAGICAL POWER MAKOHapmoniym 1972-1975(MIO)5 cd box set$ 117.00
We recognize that probably only people who've been looking for these five cds ever since they were first released in limited and expensive form in Japan almost ten years ago are likely to want to pay nearly $120 for this box set reissue, and they already know In 1993, Japanese label Mom & Dad promised to release fifteen discs chronicling the unreleased studio recordings of Tokyo psych legend Magical Power Mako, but were only able to produce the first five. Israel-based MIO has decided to take on the project and will release three box sets containing five discs each. The material that makes up Hapmoniym 1972-1975 was recorded while Mako was working on his second masterpiece for Polydor, "Super Record". Often compared to krautrock pioneers Faust, this collecton is an incredible assemblage of sound experiments, collage pieces, tape manipulations and astral folk-psychedelia so epic and so out, one might be so bold to state that Hapmoniym as a whole even surpasses the density and innovation of the mighty Faust Tapes. And he was only a wee sixteen years old on the earliest of these recordings! Andee is especially fond of disc two, the part where it sounds like Jimi Hendrix jamming with a meowing cat. Keiji Haino fans take note as he appears on disc one, on possibly his most spaced out psychedelic trip ever. We await the remaining two 5-disc volumes with curiousity and excitement (and, patience). We do, however, have to scold MIO for a slight problem with the packaging: the 5 discs are in slim cd5 cases inside a little red cardboard box, with a booklet as well. It looks handsome, but each disc has its own unnecessary obi that doesn't really fit anywhere in the package once opened, but that of course you can't throw away, either, if you're like us. Oh well. We also could have done with more English language text in the booklet, it's mostly the original Japanese liner notes.
MALARIA!Compiled 1981-1984(Indigo)cd$ 15.98
It always seemed a little odd that during the past couple of years, a series of unlikely remixes of Malaria! had been popping up from Sun Electric, Dr. Motte, Westbam, Chain Reaction's Moritz Von Oswald, and the reprehensible Chicks on Speed (all of this due Malaria! is clearly dated from the early '80s and sometimes shows their age. But I'll take Malaria! over Le Tigre any day.
MATMOSs/t(Matador)cd$ 14.98
This is one of our unanimous store favorites, a very accesible, murky electronic record inspired by electro and the sounds of hair, breathing and Polish trains. Recommended without reservation, this is some of the best of the bunch.
MCGINTY, KATHYs/t(Hamburger Records)cd-r$ 11.98
You ever have that problem where you're in an internet sex chat room, and you make a date with some pervy girl for a phone sex session, and then when you call her up it's actually some jerk with a sampler loaded with a sexy female voice telling you things A few of the callers figure it out, and then it gets even more pathetic as they continue to masturbate, being such geeks that they're turned on by the technical details of the joke (one guy asks, excitedly, about if the sampler is triggered by keyboard or mouse). But most of the guys are so clueless and horny that they're completely unfazed by Kathy's bizarre comments ("I think you might be racist", "I want to have your retarded babies", "I've got a pickle in my ass") and limited vocabulary (she says "Yesssss!" the same way every time), or her deafeningly noisy, Merzbow-level obviously-looped screams of orgasmic ecstasy. We could go on, but we don't want to reveal too much. Just get this, it's the best crank call disc we've heard in a long time. You'll be playing it for everyone you know, except maybe your mom. Absurdly funny.
MELT BANANACharlie(A-Zap)cd$ 12.98
With every release, you wonder how Melt Banana is going to make their records just as fierce and brutal as the last without indulging in banal formulas. Yet their sound has evolved into complex shards of Dadaist hardcore played with hyperkinetic precision. One of the highlights on this album is their insane collaboration with Mr. Bungle! Highly recommended!
MELT BANANASpeak Squeak Creak(A-Zap)lp$ 9.98
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,
MERZBOWAmlux(Important)cd$ 12.98
In the continuing onslaught of Merzbow releases (and considering the emphatic reverence displayed by the attendees at Akita's All Tomorrow's Parties performance, as well as Sonic Youth's seal of approval, there will no doubt be tons more to come), Newbury,
MERZBOWFrog(Misanthropic Agenda)lp$ 14.98
Yep, that's right, Masami Akita exploits the powerful and hypnotic depth of everyone's favorite musical amphibians. The record begins, simply enough, with the soothing rumbling croak of the webbed feet wonders, gradually evolving into an explosive demon that only Merzbow can conjure up. Handsomely packaged in a gatefold sleeve adorned with colorful baby frogs and layered with a
MERZBOWHard Lovin' Man(Anoema)cd$ 15.98
Possibly the first deconstruction (re: remix) effort from Akita-san (unless you count that disc supposedly based on free jazz drumming?). Yes, that fragment of guitar you'll hear looped and processed on "Hard Lovin' Man" is that of Ritchie Blackmore, from
MERZBOW / MATSUNAGA KOUHEISplit(Tigerbeat6)cd$ 13.98
Split disc between two noise giants from Japan via Kid 606's Tigerbeat6 imprint. Masami Akita furthers his explorations in the digital domain, appropriating the tranquil somniloquisms of Olivier Messiaen's "Mode De Valeurs Et D'intensite Pour Piano" and
METALUXFluorescent Towers(Hanson)lp$ 10.98
From the latest handful of releases on Ann Arbor's Hanson Records comes this Chicago trio of art twaddlers and tape manipulators, Metalux. Having been around for a few years without a record, and hearing much about their live shows, my hopes of a band over their self indulgent "experimental" beginnings - formulating a more refined and original creature- were cut short on my first
MISS KITTIN & THE HACKERFirst Album(International Deejay Gigolo)cd$ 16.98
Joining the international ranks of the new wave / electro revivalism are Germany's Miss Kittin & The Hacker, alongside Fisherspooner, Adult., and I Am Spoonbender. The foul-mouthed Miss Kittin fronts this duo as the Teutonic ice diva complete with
MORRICONE, ENNIODanger: Diabolik (OST)(Sycodelic (M.D.W.C.G.C.G.)cd$ 17.98
One of the early filmworks from Mario Bava (best known for his horror flicks), Danger: Diabolik is a spectacular, unusual and campy romp of a movie. From 1967, it's an Italian comic book come to life complete with wonderfully mad leaps of logic, a bevy of
MY BLOODY VALENTINELoveless(Warner / Sire)cd$ 12.98
We just realised that this record, one of AQ unanimous all time favorites, never got listed on the website OR the AQ list. And while most of you may already have this, a few of you are in for a big surprise and a musical awakening. "Loveless" stands at the That track along with the equally groovy-yet-dreamy "Glider" ep had been the basis for Simon Reynolds curious thesis that My Bloody Valentine had produced some of the earliest jungle tracks. More plausible was that MBV were one of the first rock bands to actively incorporate sampling into their production techniques. My Bloody Valentine had resampled their guitar feedback digitally to created strangely warbling layers of sound and allow for additional tools to build their bittersweet, melancholic melodies. "Loveless" may remain the final testament to the musical prowess of My Bloody Valentine, as Kevin Shields continues to state the claim that another album is in the works... well it's been in the works for over a decade and has no signs of ever being realized. Nevertheless, this album *still* sounds totally fresh and wholly superior to all of the bands that have attempted to revive the My Bloody Valentine sound (Lilys, Swirlies, Flying Saucer Attack, Third Eye Foundation, Fennesz, Chessie, etc, etc, etc). Perhaps our opinion best stated by former Aquarian Marc Kate: "If you don't own it, I won't be mad, but you will certainly earn my pity." An earthshattering record. Period.
MYSTERY BRINKMANN / PLEASUREHORSEsplit(Load)lp$ 10.98
Pleasurehorse is one Shawn Greenlee, rhythmic power electronics maestro with one previous disc on Vermiform as well as the excellent "Dropdead: Reconstructed" 12" on Load, currently on bass duties in the newly reformed Six Finger Satellite. Think Merzbow with beats. Mystery Brinkman aka Mr. Brinkman (duh) used to be in Providence duo Forcefield (remember their split 7" with
NAGISA NI TEFeel(Jagjaguwar)cd$ 13.98
Disappointed with that crappy new Neil Young album? Try this instead! This is the fourth record (and first domestic release!) from the Osaka psychedelic folk duo of Shinji Shibayama and Masako Takeda. Scotland's Geographic label recently issued a great 'best of' Nagisa Ni Te compilation called "Songs For A Simple Moment" that we've sold quite a few of (reviewed on list 127) so maybe you do already know 'em. The material on "Feel" is newer than anything on that comp, though. This album, with its crisp production quality, intensifies the fragility of Takeda's voice and the overall outsider artist naivetÈ of Nagisa Ni Te. Though it's not a major part of their sound here, you should be aware that this features brief moments of extended electric guitar wank, as with most Japanese artists in the psych vein. Of course, that's one of the things we LIKE about Nagisa Ni Te (and you'll find lots more of that Neil Young-ish guitar stuff on the compilation). But "Feel" generally refrains from cranking up the volume like that. Beautiful and minimalist atmospherics add depth and a visual element to their lyrically melancholic lullabies of hazy reminiscence and love lost. The beautiful photographs (taken by both Shibayama and Takeda) which accompany "Feel" evoke the spirit of spring and feelings of renewal. The music itself however, also reminds us of its bitter breeze and what has passed. Shinji and Masako are joined on several of "Feel"'s tracks by guests including Seiichi Yamamoto (of Boredoms/Omoide Hatoba/Rovo) and Tim Barnes (Tower Recordings).
NAGISA NI TESongs For A Simple Moment(Geographic)cd$ 15.98
"Songs For A Simple Moment" is an introduction to the musical world of Shinji Shibayama. Since 1992 Nagisa Ni Te has released four records of honest, fragile psychedelic folk. With ties to Maher Shalal Hash Baz, whose members have at one time or another With a revolving host of guest musicians, the core of Nagisa Ni Te centers on Shibayama and his partner Masako Takeda. Drummer Ikuro Takahashi, most recently of Fushitsusha, had once been a major part of the lineup, but has recently, mysteriously retired from music altogether. But that's another story... In the Japanese psych underground, there is a strange coexistence of feedback/noise and earnest, heartfelt acoustic folk. Nagisa Ni Te embrace both aspects and combine the two at times. Think a more naive version of Tim Buckley or Neil Young. And if you're at all familiar with the brittle psychedelia of Shizuka, or the primitive guitar feedback freakout of the obscure '70s psych gods Les Rallizes Dénudés, you will definitely want to venture forth. From the fragility and innocence of "Star" and "They" to the shattering, feedback drenched Rallizesesque live rendition of the twenty minute epic "The True Sun", this comes highly recommended as an introduction, and is a great companion to the growing output of Nagisa Ni Te! (Even if you're already a fan and have their Japanese import cds, you'll probably want this for the rare/unreleased/live tracks included.)
NAKED CITYLive At The Knitting Factory 1989(Tzadik)cd$ 16.98
At long last, the archive of live documents of the infamous Downtown supergroup Naked City is being unleashed! Starting out in 1989, the hardcore/grind/jazz/soundtracks/noise/etc. inspired outfit led by John Zorn had yet to include harsh vocalisations in their compositions, future contributions from Brutal Truth's Kevin Sharpe and Boredoms' Yamatsuka Eye had not yet come to fruition. This first volume in Tzadik's Archival Series of Naked City recordings presents the group at their modest beginnings, featuring the lineup of Fred Frith, Wayne Horvitz, Joey Baron, Bill Frisell and Zorn himself. The setlist performed here represents some of the earliest, raw blueprints for what was to become the first (and last!) recording for Elektra's Nonesuch imprint, plus some originals and cover versions of compositions by Ennio Morricone, Johnny Mandel and John Patton that never made their way onto proper studio recordings! Beautifully designed, as expected of all Tzadik releases, with Weegee cover art (again) and many rarely seen photographs of the group in action onstage and off.