Criatura Azul hail from Portugal, and the music they offer is a hazy, bluesy sort of psychedelic rock. Echos, effects, mellow strumming and spoken word make this into a good disc to chill out to.
Criatura Azul & Jota – Pessoas
Chapovski – Fogged, Encased
Bleak and morose, this is the debut recording (as far as I know) of Alexander Chapovski, related to the Čapovski clan of musicians from North Macedonia. There’s a thread of Tindersticks, Leonard Cohen and Swans in this piece, perhaps a neofolk influence as well. I look forward to hear his style develop.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Music To Be Murdered By
A note of thanks to one of the great oddball reissue labels, Vreemde Opties Records, who operate out of Belgium. Apparently, they have taken the time to license used-bin treasures like this and remaster them well enough to sound spectacular on your computer (or however you choose to listen to these).
This one, of course, comes the Alfred Hitchcock Presents television show. It’s a collection of music which appeared on said program many years ago, and I never thought I’d see this gem reissued. Bravo.
Novoselie, Questa Musica – Requiem
A sublime, baroque look at the requiem on Fancy Music. From the label’s Bandcamp site:
“Requiem (from Latin requies – “rest”) is a high genre of concert sacred music, a kind of mourning oratorio.
Even the above phrase is little understood by the general public, not to mention the names and meaning of the Latin psalms of the canonical Requiem. As for people who are knowledgeable, for example by virtue of belonging to the Catholic Church of the Latin rite, even for them, I am sure, these texts are devoid of the burning apocalyptic meaning with which they were filled for a person in the Baroque era or in earlier times.
The same is true of the Orthodox analogs of the requiem Mass. Due to its archaic nature, for a person who has not been involved since childhood in the scope, sound and meaning of the Church Slavonic language, the text is often simply incomprehensible, and if understood, then, with few exceptions, it is perceived formally, as some template phrases and its perception is deprived of the relevance of involvement with the human feeling of loss and prayerful ecstasy, except when a person is personally confronted with such a loss.”
Willebrant & Williamson – Night Daze
I was introduced to a project new to me coming from Australia. From Karl Willebrant’s Bandcamp site:
“Night Daze blends immersive textures and emotive expanses that invites the listener to conceive a visual experience through soundscapes and drones utilizing bass, trumpet, field recordings, and improvised performance. The album evokes themes of time and place moving in congruent motion.
‘Night Daze’ Full performance interpretation with special guests Peggy Lee (cello) and Dylan van der Schyff (drums) viewable here – www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQgYvLem3lY
“Each track feels like a seemingly large area in which the sounds of the bass and trumpet echo around luxuriously. I have to say it gives me a vibe of some kind of extra-dimensional jazz club with the sultry trumpet licks ringing through a space that defies common physics.” – On the Fringes of Sound www.onthefringesofsound.com/2024/02/willebrant-williamson-night-daze.html“
Fumio Itabashi – Watarase
Our friends over at Wewantsounds have released a post-bop gem by pianist Fumio Itabashi which will be available in April 5th, 2024. From their Bandcamp site:
“Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Fumio Itabashi’s sought-after album “Watarase” hailed as one of the great Japanese jazz albums and featuring Itabashi on piano playing an inspired mix of standards and originals. Recorded in 1981 for Denon and released the following year, the album has since reached cult status among jazz connoisseurs, thanks to Itabashi’s inventive piano playing and to its cult title track, a superb soulful and spiritual composition. Newly remastered by Nippon Columbia using their ORT mastering technology, the album reissue features original artwork including a 2 page insert with a new introduction by Paul Bowler.”
[Podcast] The Drone Pilots #056 – Sirens of the Sea
Our friends The Drone Pilots have bequeathed us a full hour of trance sprinkled with some incredible music. The sample list is shown below:
00:00 The Drone Pilots – The Drone Pilots
00:15 Above & Beyond – Sirens of the Sea
00:58 Oceanlab – Sirens of the Sea (Cosmic Gate Remix)
01:56 Above & Beyond, Oceanlab, Marsh – Sirens of the Sea (Marsh Extended Mix)
03:52 Above & Beyond Pres Oceanlab Feat. Justine Suissa – Sirens of the Sea (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
05:05 Above & Beyond, Oceanlab, Marsh – Sirens of the Sea (Marsh Extended Mix)
07:11 Tomi H, Soul Star – Nnangalimbe
08:38 Dos – Bellagio Series
08:55 Rockka – Elevation
10:25 Nasiri, SIAAH – Misirlou
10:44 Rockka – Synthesis
11:29 Ayala (IT) – Mumbai
12:50 Niko Garcia, Alain M. – Distant Lands
15:11 Space Motion – Baiana (Radio Edit)
15:50 Elypsis, Taglo – Swimming with Sirens (Extended Mix)
17:01 Konte – Cold Winter
17:45 Ria Mehta, Cafe de Anatolia, Pere Oudav – Wahid
18:49 Stan Seba – Timeless Tomorrows
20:28 Emoji Park, Halishan – Kingdom of Dreams
20:46 Taleon – Timetrip
21:20 Maxxim, flanerr – Moments of Wonder (Extended Mix)
21:49 Lucho Bragagnolo – Plexo
22:31 Rezident, Ekko – Only For A Moment (Extended Mix)
25:21 Rodrigo, Pochelu, Char Spinelli – Redemption
26:04 The Conductor & The Cowboy – Feeling This Way (Lange Extended Remix)
27:44 Nova Norda, Soft Analog – BUGU BENIM GUNUM
28:40 Tyng, Kmm, Oovation – Morphia (Oovation Remix)
29:14 PACS – Timeshift
30:13 Innellea, Monolink, CamelPhat – Shelter
31:29 Zehv – Kiya (Extended Mix)
31:37 Kasper Koman – Sinking Sky
31:53 Valer den Bit – Kiss (at 0 fm
33:08 Alessio Pagliaroli, Jinadu, Rancido – Distractions (Rancido Dub)
33:35 Arba Han, DJ Ted, Cafe De Anatolia – Baimena
34:25 Farius – Propulsion (Extended Mix)
38:14 Messier, Zy Khan – Prestigeaux (Original Mix)
38:34 RossAlto, Joca – Rising Hope (Joca Remix)
40:03 Das Pharaoh, VUMA – Morgana (Extended Mix)
40:50 Eric Rose – Higher
42:13 Betoko, Paul Sawyer, Messier- Romulus (Messier Remix)
42:30 Digital Mess, Tantum – Find Yourself (Tantum Remix)
43:25 Victor Garde – I’m Alive, I’m Free
44:17 Shayan Pasha – Highnology
45:10 Jack Willard, Rebel of Sleep – Road Beyond (Extended Mix)
45:57 David Podhel, Ivanshee – Black Hole (Ivanshee Remix
47:34 Haze Official, Cafe De Anatolia – Stargazing
48:50 Dan Stone, Nihil Young – Metronome (Nihil Young Extended Remix)
50:13 Da Luka, ELECTRIC DADA – Rubicon
50:44 Around Us, Eichenbaum – Invisible Time (Eichenbaum Remix)
51:28 Eximinds – Perseus
52:26 John Grand – French Kiss (Extended Mix) (
54:22 Scollario, Milad E – Treasure (Extended Mix)
56:50 P.O.S. – Pacific Tide
58:50 Hans Zimmer – Harvester Attack
Extra Kraut: A Guide to Can
Kudos to George Grella at Bandcamp Daily for delivering a synopsis of Can’s remarkable career. It looks like almost all titles are on the platform now, so if you prefer digital copies of Kraut’s finest, check here.
Majid Bekkas – African Gnaoua Blues
Majid Bekkas produces a stunning take on blues from a Moroccan perspective. From his Bandcamp site:
“This secular music is still considered the “healer of souls” from Essaouira to Marrakech, easily understandable when you listen to the spellbinding sound of Bekkas’ voice, guembri and guitar.
Like a watermark, the mystery of Africa can be felt in the background, alongside the blues. Gnawa’s intact purity is the essence of authenticity. By claiming to be part of Africa, the mother of the blues and its numerous offspring such as funk, Bekkas is placing gnawa in its primary dimension.”
Various Artists – Antonovka Records: Made in Davlekanovo: Russian and Chuvash Songs from Bashkortostan
The brilliant folks at Antonovka Records continue to amaze and delight with their travelogues across Russia, Moldova and the Balkans. This particular recording covers an area I have ready plenty about, but have not yet passed through. From the label’s Bandcamp site for this release:
“The album features Russian folk songs in stage arrangements, as well as a couple of Chuvash ones (tracks 5-7). These are performed by musicians from the Davlekanovsky district of Bashkortostan, a republic in the southern Urals within Russian Federation.
Some of the songs (for example, 3) are traditional of local origin, some are Cossack ones (for example, 4 and 8) and original ones (9).
Minigali Shaimuratov was a Soviet major general born in Bashkortostan. The song about him was composed in the Lugansk region, where he fought and died in 1943.”