Expand your taste in music. Based in Beijing, China.
From the Wajazz Series Bandcamp page:
“Universounds, HMV Record Shop and 180g team up for an exceptional release: from blazing hard bop to free jazz, to introspective saxophone solos and massive big band sounds, renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa presents an essential 14 track collection of “WaJazz” music taken from the Nippon Columbia vaults. Featuring Jiro Inagaki, Minoru Muraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hozan Yamamoto, Count Buffalo, Takeshi Inomata, and much more!”
This is the second time I have the pleasure to share the work of Bay Area guitarists Ezra Sturm and Ernesto Diaz-Infante. Maybe it is because this is recorded live, but I get the vibe of something crossing free-improvisation, lo-fi garage guitar and something that reminds me of the work of SST Records boss Greg Ginn. Minimal, noisy, but this works well!
One of my good friends presented this breakbeat treasure to me a couple days ago. It’s published in Spain, and here are some notes from their Bandcamp site:
“With his latest EP, It’s Cancelled, featuring diffused electronics on the A-Side and menacing drum infestations on the B-Side, Serge Geyzel keeps pounding beats and bass into oblivion. Adepta Editions expertly compiles these recordings onto vinyl and digital media, emphasizing timeless limited editions. While “Take Your Time And Be Mine” deftly walks the line between Plaid-infused melodics and Clark’s shuffling rhythms, “Before the Silence Came” features fuzzy electrical sound fields that eventually collapse, while Serge Geyzel crafts his distinctive characteristic textures. With percussive acrobatics and synth strands floating away, “Come Closer” bookends the A-Side.”
In honor of getting the chance to see the band this evening here in Beijing, I share with you a recent EP by London-based nu-jazz band Alfa Mist. It turns out that they put on a hell of a performance to a packed crowd, mainly of locals. It was one of the best shows I’ve been to in some time now.
Mississippi Records released a collection of field recordings covering local music from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. These were recorded between November 1976 and January 1978.
Folks, this is another stunner from our friends at Wewantsounds! Norio Maeda’s sound crosses funky Blaxploitation grooves with music you would find from a 70s ‘krimi’ soundtrack out of Italy or Germany. Expect to find heavyweight vinyl with gorgeous packaging. This one is NOT to be missed! Check out the Youtube link above to get a taste of what is coming your way.
巴亚宛 Bayawan are heavy psychedelic muqam music from Xinjiang. From Old Heaven Books’ Bandcamp site:
“”Bayawan” is the common name for Muqam music used by the Dolan people. Bayawan, or Dolan Muqam, is a unique form of folk music and one of the most important cultural heritages of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China.
Generally speaking, Muqam is a form of large-scale suites which include songs, dances, and instrumental sections, in which the development of music often features a significant degree of improvisation. The Muqam of the Uyghurs is characterized by its diversity of musical styles. Apart from the classical Twelve Muqam, there are also multiple folk Muqam traditions with distinct regional characteristics, including Kumul Maqam, Turpan Muqam, Dolan Muqam, and Ili Muqam. Among them, Dolan Muqam is often considered as the wildest, if not the uncanniest tradition that still exists. “
Sometimes experimental music can produce either dour listening or tie itself to miserable cover art showing the worst of humanity in some sort of fetishistic way. Not so with this release! London-based Chinese composer Li Yilei’s album concentrates more of a happy, carefree childhood, where, as she puts it, “…learn[ed] about fear and fearlessness, love and despair, grief and glee, curiosity and mistakes.” Sitting back and listening to this after hearing my own Chinese geography students caterwauling for nearly two hours is balm for the soul. A gentle listen that deserves a more appropriate tag than “experimental,” as much as I love the genre.
Though the ever-amazing Unexplained Sounds Group have an impeccable record when it comes to releases, this one has the feel of a diamond hidden in the mouth of a long-lost corpse. It’s a gem that should have seen the light of day ages ago, and USG have made things right by publishing this long-forgotten release by The Tapes. From the USG Bandcamp site:
“”A Touch of Despair” dates back to 1986. It was recorded live on a standard 2-track cassette recorder, using a 4-channel Fostex mixer, the infamous echo unit, a Korg MS-20, and toy instruments like a plastic trumpet. It is undoubtedly the darkest and most industrial work in The Tapes’ production. The cover features a photo of what the musician saw from his bedroom window (where he recorded): the rooftops of industrial factories, with a distant steel mill emitting smoke. Immersed in the music and industrial culture of the time (Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, W.S. Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, W. Gibson, B. Sterling, P.K. Dick), “A Touch of Despair” represents one of the brightest examples of the Italian “tape culture” of the 1980s, as well as a significant testament to creating music that defies the passage of time by experimenting with extremely limited technical means and relying on passion, motivation, and creativity. Reissued on CD in collaboration between the Unexplained Sounds Group and Luce Sia, with mastering by Raffaele Pezzella, the cd features three additional unreleased tracks from the same period when the tracks of “A Touch of Despair” were composed, providing valuable material for enthusiasts of the genre.”
The End of Eternity offer an Italian take on the Berlin School genre. A very engaging album!