compilations

Blue cd (Dreams by Degrees) 2.50

after their excellent series of 'seasons' 10"s comes a series of compilation cds based on colours - artists are invited to interpret a colour musically. Featured: Sir, Lazarus, Rivulets, John Davis, Film School, The Stratford 4, Vela, Park Avenue Music, Colophon and more. Remarkably well-conceived.

Doing the Right Thing Takes the Emptiness Away cdr (Pjorn) 4.50

Pretty good compilation from Edinburgh's Pjorn label featuring a whole host of electronics wreakers and sound manipulators including Culver, Alistair Crosbie, Wounded Knee, Fordell Research Unit, Opaque and more. Particularly fine: the skin-crawling noise of Kylie Minoise, descending guitar patterns and creaking bowed cello from Culver and the brilliant Wounded Knee with one of his fine looping self-harmonising vocal creations.

Double Figures cd (Chapter Music) 3.50

this serves as a brilliant sampler to a pretty damn good label: 24 tracks from Cannanes, Minimum chips, Sleepy Township, Jeremy Dower, Driving Past, Tren Brothers, Mia Schoen, Tracey read and more

Dream Frequencies Vol 1 cd (Antenna) 5

Compilation featuring unreleased tracks from Vibracathedral Orchestra, Birds of Delay, Dreams of Tall Buildings, Jazzfinger, Telescopes, Sculptress, The Library tapes, Moon, The Dust Collectors, Bologna Pony, Number None and ... Unexplained Transmissions.

Elsie and Jack and Chair cd (Elsie and Jack) 9.50 

great comp compiling some of the most fascinating sounds in the world of abstract noise and drone, featuring Fuxa, Crawlunit, Shifts, Tabata, Rapoon, Mhlest, Pregnant Pause, Flutter, Totemplow and Monera

Elsie and Jack and Drake cd (Elsie and Jack) 9.50

exquisitely packaged compilation of Nick Drake interpretations by Electroscope & Zurich, Autumns & Simon Raymonde, Drekka, Warn Defever, Archer Prewitt, Ben Vida, Ray Speedway, Jessica Bailiff (Northern Song Dynasty) & more

Everything Comes and Go lp (Temporary Residence) 3 

interpretations of Black Sabbath songs from Matmos, Ruins, Anomoanon, Racebannon, Four Tet, Greenness with Philly G, Grails, Curtis Harvey Trio and Paul Newman 

Great compilation on Mike Tamburo's label featuring R Keenan Lawler, Mike Tamburo, Tusk Lord, Eric Carbonara, Ken Camden, and more - 18 tracks in total.

For the Dead in Space II & III 2cd (Secret Eye) 8

Hearing Music 3" cdr (CLaudia) 3.50

4 tracks based on field recordings which were originally issued on business card cdr. Jane Austen is first up - overheard piano lullabies in the room next door. Next comes C Cottrell with his hyper-real walk in the park - gulls squawk as if they're inside your head and the general rumble washes around everything else like a fast-running river.  Yek-koo's track loops home recordings into what sounds like looped bottle clang. Final track is a cut-up of Tokyo sporting life from Mark Sadgrove.

Hi Fi Allergy cdr (Gold Soundz) 1

compilation of Norwegian noise type stuff including Pal Asle Pettersen, Marakel, Andreas Meland, Origami Epeleptika and more

Ihmettelenpa Sanoi Kampela cdr (267 Lattajjaa) 4.50

2nd of the recent 267 compilations, featuring Black to Comm, Keijo & Jussi Karsikas, Bjerga / Iversen, Ajilsvga, Anla Courtis, Vluba, Ville Moskiitto, Silvester Anfang, Kulkija, Uton, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Voice of the Seven Woods, Emerald cloud Cobra, December, United Bibile Studies and more

Imaginational Anthems Vol 3 cd (Tompkins Square) 6.50

Another great compilation in the "Imaginational Anthem" series featuring Tracks from Ben Reynolds, Steffen Basho-Junghens, Shawn David McMillen, R Keenan Lawler, Greg David, Mark Fosson, George Stavis, Richard Crandell, Cian Nugent, Matt Baldwin & Nathan Salsburg.

Insight 2cd (Xing-Wu) 4

interesting compilation of experimental / ambient noise featuring some well-known names (Climax Golden Twins, Reynols, Volcano the Bear, Thuja, Oren Ambarchi, Janek Schaefer, Loren Chasse, Toshimaru Nakamura) and some new artists from Malaysia

It's Over, We Don't Care cd (Spanish Magic) 3.50

compilation of Australian artists including Hi God People, Pimmon, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Castings, Anthony Guerra and Peter Blamey, Rand and Holland, North Atlantic, Hiss and more

Katsoin kauas ja sydämeni oli kaukana cdr (267 Lattajjaa) 4.50

Co-released with Suklaalevyt, this compiles Finnish artists Rokkiryhma, Varo, Kutomo and Amigo Result. Kutomo is a name I will definitely be looking out for in future - gorgeous haunting forest folk with flutes that float on the breeze. Unsettling Angel Corpus Christi-style female vocal led pop from Varo. Hypnotic string / electronic manipulations from Amigo Result. Piano and percussion bedroom improv from Rokkiryhma. 

Lead Into Gold: Long-Form Works 2cd (Rebis) 5

second compilation of long-form works (and a double this time) featuring Of (Loren Chasse /  Christine Boepple), Son Of Earth, Keenan Lawler, Birds of Delay, Bird Show / Lichens, The Gray Field Recordings, Bruce Russell, White / Light, The Opera Glove Sinks Into the Sea and the Zoo Wheel. Particularly recommended: the Zoo Wheel (Town and Country's Liz Payne) with a mesmerizing dance of plucked strings and bells, creaking winds and singing metal appropriately recorded in an alchemists' oven from Of, Keenan Lawler's plaintive bowing of his resonator guitar, The Opera Glove's deep in the woods drone.

another beautiful package from POK featuring 15 tracks from Finland's finest: Paivansade, Kiila, Hertta Lussu Assa, Kamialliset Ystavat, Islaja, Kuupuu, Lau Nau, Laukeat Lampaat, Keijo, Avarus, Tomutonttu, Pekko Kappi, Taikuri Tali and more. 

great compilation built around sounds made from strings: featuring Birchville Cat Motel, Zaimph, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Taiga Remains, C Spencer Yeh, Peter Wright, Robert Horton, North Sea , Family Underground & Fred Lonberg-Holm

Sing With Me - Music for the Human Voice cdr (Harka-Askel) 3

3rd compilation from Finnish label Harka -Askel, this time concentrating on vocal dominated pieces from the likes of Lampukkello, Robert Horton, Alligator Crystal Moth, Jani Hellen, Kheta Hotem, The Mighty Acts of God, Rokkiryma, Autumn Galaxy, The Reggaee, Xenis Emputae Travelling Band, Ville Moskiitto and more.

Singing At The Moon cd (Singing Knives) 7.50

Great compilation featuring exclusive tracks from Directing Hand, Ben Reynolds, Nalle, James Green, Tirath Singh Nirmala, One Ensemble of Dan iel Padden, Bridget Hayden, Feather Gatherers ( Sharron Kraus ), Michael Flower Band, Chora and more

Something #1 cd (Last Visible Dog) 4

Compilation assembled by Ilya Monosov featuring Chie Mukai, Sarah Peebles, Masayoshi Urabe, Nick Castro, Preston Swirnoff, Andrew Deutsch / Joe McPhee and of course Ilya Monosov himself.

Songs for Nao: Fourteen Bands From Japan cd (Chapter Music) 6

a fascinating collection of songs for anyone who's dug the recent Geographic (Maher Shalal / Kama Aina) releases: featuring Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Nagisa Ne Te, Tenniscoats, My Pal Foot Foot, Place Called Space and more

Sous La Neige cd (Where Are My Records) 0.50

Readymade, Barzin, First Chapter, Vitaminsforyou, 54 sq ft Trampoline, Mitchell Akiyama, Apillow, Sugarshack, Montag, Millimetrik, Galerie Stratique, Taiga, My Empty Screen & more

beautifully packaged cd (gatefold letter-pressed card) featuring 11 tracks from Magic Carpathians Project, Kemialliset Ystavat, Major Stars, Fursaxa, PG Six, Black Forest Black Sea & Larkin Grimm, Avarus, Spacious Mind, Paik, Kinski and a very fine cover of the god-like David Crosby's "What Are Their Names" by Bardo Pond.

Thankful cd (Temporary Residence) 3

Excellent compilation featuring unreleased songs from Eluvium, Caroline, Lazarus, Cex & Nice Nice, The Ladies, Sleeping People, By the End of Tonight, The Drift, Mono and the Anomoanon.

Time and Relative Dimensions in Space cd (Rebis) 4

superb compilation of 5 exclusive long tracks from Taurpis Tula, Skaters, My Cat is an Alien, Number None and Jim Haynes

Trees in the Attic cdr (Akoustic Disease) 5.75

This cdr compilation comes in a painted cloth bag with a card insert and features 16 tracks including Mighty Acts of God, Seht, Fabio Orsi, (VxPxC), Alligator Crystal Moth, Cold Solemn Rites in the Sun (Valerio Cosi) and more.

Wailing Bones Vol 2 cdr (Foxglove) 4.50

Second in the 'Wailing Bones' series couldn't start in a more different manner to the first with the distortion-crazy sci-fi garage-punk of CJA's Futurians. Robert Horton vs Egghatcher is a wonderful euphoric merging of guitar strum overspill and whistle frenzy. The two tracks of infernal psych-guitar, firstly from Terracid that erupts into disjointed vocal splutter towards the end, then a dense, oppressive mass from unknown Ajilvsga.

Wailing Bones Volume 3 cdr (Digitalis) 4.50

3rd in this superb series of compilations from Foxglove / Digitalis - ritualistic psych-folk jams from  Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, heavy electronic blasts and e-bow doom from Apple Snails, primitive clatter and strum from the Serial Harvest (of the Funeral Folk collective) and dislocated drone from Seht

Wailing Bones Volume 4 cdr (Foxglove) 4.50

4th in this superb series of compilations from Foxglove / Digitalis - spacious, dark and densely atmospheric guitar / bass / drums explorations from the Stumps (James Kirk, Antony Milton and Stephen Clover), acoustic horizon-gazing from Brad Rose's North Sea, soporific bowed drones from Broken Mask, another Robert Horton project, and Birchville-like drone from Taiga Remains

Wailing Bones Volume 8 cdr (Digitalis) 4.50

Another four lengthy and enjoyable chunks of music in this ever welcome series. With Anvil Salute, we're in the temple, sitting in a circle with the big drums, the little jinglers - oh and don't forget the incense burner. Pefkin's Heart of the Sunrise isn't a Yes cover and Gayle has not donned a Wakeman-esque cape (phew!). Instead, these tendrils of tone, violin and guitar reach inside your head and would, I think, make a fine soundtrack to the hypnotic, spinning spiral sequences in old ITC tv shows like the Champions. The Rory Storm piece's main elements are bass guitar and radio static. The gentle rise and subsidence of these and other instruments is a model of not overplaying your hand and Californian sound artists VxPxC round off the disc with a melodious cavern of sound, which sounds as though it's welling up from beneath the earth's crust. (JC)

Wailing Bones Volume 11 cdr (Foxglove) 4

The 11th volume starts with more of a plaintive scream than a wail, which soon develops into freeform guitar and drums from Aineettomaksi Temperamentin. Jeff Gburek follows with a lab full of found sound and bell-like electronics, then it's Kheta Hotem, sound like a swampy Arkestra and finally Fathmount, whose guitars live in a lovely big reverb tank. Another strong collection in the series, which will soon be wailin' no more... grab them while you can. (JC)

Wailing Bones Volume 12 cdr (Foxglove) 4

4 new long form tracks: 1st up Thousands with what sounds like a live track - it's a pretty loose jam anyway. The ever-excellent Tim Coster turns out another gem: a slowly unfolding piece of charged hum. Next up Australian Cameron Webb's Seaworthy with a beautiful piece of horizon-gazing guitar drift. And to round things off Anthony Guerra & Matthew Nidek with a superb guitar / drums improvisation that builds from something sparse into slashing chords with the rattling clatter of Nidek's drumming. an excellent cdr. 

Wailing Bones Volume 13 cdr (Foxglove) 4

Suitably spooky sounds open the 13th instalment of the Wailing Bones series with gloomy piano chords and woeful wails from Denmark's Elektronavn. Next up French duo Ghost Brames with primitive electronics, flute and wordless vocals looped into a tranced throb. Abrasive wails from the underground from New Yorks' Stone Baby. Finally Przewalski's Horse with highly charged thrumming drone and the disjointed clang of found sounds.

Wailing Bones Volume 14 cdr (Foxglove) 4

Latest in the Wailing Bones series kicks off with Melody Bar reviewer John Cavanagh's Phosphene and an incredible track that starts out like an outer-space hymn to the Clangers, then via the sine wave attack of VCS3 spirals further out with singing metal and strings echoing into distant space. Lovely. Xochipilli ( Florian Tossitti of Cosmic Brames of the Cerfs, the Reggae etc) is up next with a densely layered piece of drone. Tom Carter, Robert Horton and Lisa and Lee Ann Cameron team up as Sky City for some cosmically damaged backwoods blues. New to me but a band I have heard lots about Natural Snow Buildings and they end the compilation in fine style - shards of some of the most distorted guitar I've heard tear shreds in a heavily reverbed cacophonous gloom. Stunning.

The Wedding Album pic disc LP (555) 1.50

songs recorded for Stewart 555's wedding to Jen Turrell by Softies, Cannanes, From Bubblegum to Sky, Loveletter Band, Escargo-gos, Huon, kid 606, Bright Lights, Lunchbox, Tall Boy, Kelly Slusher, Dear Nora and Winnebago

Witching Hour cdr (CLaudia) 6.50

subtitled 'Field-recordings of Night-time', this is a peaceful document of night sounds from round the globe (Norway, Pakistan, Finland, Ghana & New Zealand) recorded by Lau Nau, Tim Coster, Richard Francis, Phil Dadson, Felicity Ford, P. Westbourne, Un Ciego and Paintings of Windows. Highlights: Paintings of Windows' (Antony Milton) dense atmospherics, charged drone and distant calls to prayer and a highly evocative piece from Lau Nau featuring rasping wind instrument, finger cymbals, bowed string and metal and a barely audible sung lullaby

Yr Agog cd (Oggum) 9.50

great compilation from a few years back with proceeds going to Welsh homeless charities: Longstone, Ectogram, Electroscope, Flying Saucer Attack, Magic Carpathians, Stylus, Nimbus 2000, Hydroplane and more

Dream Magazine #3 with cd 5.50

Interviews with Vashti Bunyan, Green Pajamas, Cerberus Shoal, Ultrasound, Phosphene and more. CD: Jonathan Richman, Iditarod, Phosphene, Glen Johnson, Nick Bensen, Dipsomaniacs and more.

Dream Magazine #4 with cd 5.50

Interviews with Pop-off Tuesday, Gary Snyder, Fursaxa, Pothole Skinny, Ai Phoenix, Last Visible Dog,, Volcano the Bear, Black Forest / Black Sea, Jewelled Antler, Matt Valentine, Kitchen Cynics, Cul de Sac, Marianne Nowottny and more. CD: MV & EE, Pothole Skinny, Tanakh, Kitchen Cynics, Fursaxa, Marianne Nowottny, Cerberus Shoal, Cul de Sac, Pop Off Tuesday, Barbara Manning and more.

Dream Magazine #5 with cd 5.50

Interviews with Robert Wyatt, Julia Vorontsova, Tom Rapp, Ghost, Terry Riley, Kemialliset Ystavat, Marissa Nadler, Eclipse, Mats Gustafsson, Verdure, Sun City Girls, Jonny Trunk, Lost Domain, and more. Cd: Lost Domain, Volcano the Bear, Piano Magic, Julia Vorontsova, Jack Rose, Verdure and more.

Feral Debris Volume 2 cdr plus fanzine 2.50

Cdr features Family Battle Snake, Robedoor, Nackt Insecten, Wounded Knee, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Altar of Flies, Throuroof and Loveletters. Zine features interviews with Jad Fair, Kylie Minoise, Gary Wilson, Carlos Giffoni, Esquilax, Simon Johan, review and other stuff.