Gryn Brvs / Siblings of Plasma split cassette (Digitalis Ltd) 2

A split featuring two groups that share some members. Gryn Brvs' side is a freeform percussion / acoustic guitar sprawl that seems to lost its way several times but when it's good, it's gloriously good. Siblings of Plasma explore similar territory but with less emphasis on improv and more on hypnotic ritual.

Anthony Guerra & Matthew Nidek - nb cdr (Seedy R) 5.50

extraordinarily loud live show from Australian guitarist Guerra and American drummer Nidek: fuzzed-up guitar and drum mayhem that simply slashes its way out of the speakers - superb

Gulliver - Boujouba 7" (Pickled Egg) 0.25

lovely melodic songs from the man they call the French Momus ... I'd say a Noel Coward for the synth pop generation

h

Hanage Youchien - The Children of Ganga cdr (om ha sva ksha ma la va ra yam recordings) 2

Another limited edition cdr from Jani Uton's Indian trip. Jani Hirvonen (Uton) with a Japanese couple he met in Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh. Instruments used include ravanhattha (traditional Rajasthani instrument), violin, percussion, flutes and vocals. Child-like jams and improv trances.

Hands of Sun - Clay Dreams cdr (Nothing Out There) 4

This is the second instalment of the Odomez Series; the first being that fine cdr from Robert Horton from last year. "Odomez... it's a small town up north in France, inside which is located a huge and beautiful land of strangeness. Before 1965, it was a chemical-textile factory. After that, no one really knew. Like a quiet jungle of metal and plants. The Odomez Serie aims at keeping the memory of that place alive, now that it is doomed to demolition, and to call for musical and visual collaborations. Every artist contributing will be sent an artwork related to the place as an inspiration." Hands of Sun is English sound artist Mark Peter Wright and his contribution is an evocative mixture of musique concrete and field recordings, adrift in a huge haze of wind tunnel drone. The cdr comes in an outsize envelope with a postcard / photograph featuring the work of Constantin Dubois who runs the label.

Harappian Night Recordings - Non Euclidean Elucidation of Shamanic Ecstasies cd (Ikuisuus) 7.50

This is possibly even further out than the Bo'weavil album from earlier this year. Harappian Nights is Dr Sayed Kamran Ali, also a member of Hunter Gracchus. This is a head-on collision between ethnic ritual music and percussion-driven free jazz / folk clatter that sometimes results in the most vicious over-loaded shamanic garage punk such as the appropriately titled "Anarcho-Ambic Makane Punko". Excellent.

Gareth Hardwick 

• London 220109 cdr (Under the Spire) 5.50

Live set by Gareth Hardwick recorded at Cafe Oto early 2009. Who'd have thought there could be such calm in such the UK capital? This is gorgeous. Gareth is joined on second guitar by Dan Layton - chorales of meditative guitar tone singing into the endless winter night.

• Of the Sea and Shore cd (Low Point) 6

An album inspired by visits to various remote coastal locations around the UK ... the cover and rear photographs look like the North Norfolk coast and the sounds on the album reflect that areas fogged mystery and infinite skies. The guitar tones merge into beautiful warm textured drift and are augmented by ghostly gamelan-like chimes and later, as if I wasn't enjoying the sounds enough, harmonium, which is always guaranteed to win my heart. Highly recommended.

Gareth Hardwick / Eyeballs split cassette (Blackest Rainbow) 3.50

Nicely matched split featuring one side of Hardwick's glacial drift - tones merge like clouds on the horizon - and the other features Richard Dawson (Eyeballs). On this side I can hear distant melodies beneath the drone haze but it sounds like they've been suppressed beneath layers and layers of fog or buried deep underground and it's an effect that's deeply unsettling (but in a good way!).

Gareth Hardwick / Machinefabriek split LP (Low Point) 7

Another great pairing featuring Mr Hardwick. This time his piece is recorded on lapsteel and the gliding notes elongate into longing tones that ebb and flow. Its meditative qualities remind of chorale music. Beautiful. Dutch musician Machinefabriek sculpts his drones from static and hiss and latterly the piece becomes a ghostly counterpoint to Hardwick's more classical tones. Highly recommended and on clear vinyl. 

Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia- The Angular Acceleration of Light in the Unsound Mind of my Uncle Dead in Michigan cdr (Reverb Worship) 2.50

Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia is the alter-ego of Salvatore Borrelli (also of Etre). Loose improvised folk clutter utilizing a lot of exotic stringed instruments such as saz, ectara, israj, dulcimer, egyptian harp and celtic drone harp as well as the wheezy drone of harmonica / shruti box / organ. Valerio Cosi contributes saxophone to one track - a strange collage of queasy jazz and dusty Victoriana.

Ian Hawgood - Live Performances Japan 2009 cd (Under the Spire) 6

Two long pieces recorded live in Japan. The first was recorded in Tokyo and features the wheezing tones of the shruti box, processed through laptop into a beautiful piece of horizontal tone-drift of great warmth and depth. The second piece was recorded in Sapporo using wind chimes and laptop, and is a gorgeous glassy meditation. Another gem on Under the Spire.

Hayaken - Jugti cdr (Reverb Worship) 5.50

If the words "gentle" and "soothing" are in danger of sounding a bit flat as a description of this record, they're not meant to, it's simply that Hassaka Kenichi, aka Hayaken, makes rather lovely music which is both gentle and soothing! Acoustic guitar and banjo go forwards, sometimes electric guitar goes backwards, there's a heartfelt singing style and a more experimental side to sound too. I can't find any connection between Kenichi and Maher Shalal Hash Baz, but if you like Tori Kudo's work, you'll probably enjoy this too. (JC)

Heathen Prayers - Behind the Patterns cdr (HP Imprint) 2

Heavy Winged - cassette (Blackest Rainbow) 2.50

• A Day-Moth Cling cdr (Chironex) 4.25

Communal zoned improv similar to some of the stuff Singing Knives has been releasing (Part Wild Horses Mane on Both Sides / Hunter Gracchus). Percussive plucked and ringing guitar strings, blasts of clarinet and lots of wordless wails and deep oms. An offshoot of Towering Breaker.

• Thickly Grown cdr (Iorram) 5

Another lovingly handmade package from Iorram, this time housing a cdr by Helhesten. Excellent ritualistic improv centred around the demonic free vocalisations of Ben Knight. Blasts of free clarinet blowing, tape scree and scratchy viola playing add to the cultish atmosphere.

Nils Helstrom - Discarding All That Was Before cdr (Reverb Worship) 2

Expansive drone-works with an uneasy undertow.

Jason Henn and Joe O'Connell - Mingus Plays Electric Guitar 7" (Luddite Rurual) 1

home-recorded 'tape chess' - ping-pong collaboration from members of Elephant Micah

Chris Herbert / Felix split 7" (Low Point) 2

A lovely split on Gareth Hardwick's Low Point label. Chris Herbert has an LP due on Kranky and one out already. This track is dedicated to the ghost of Basil Kirchin - this starts out with Chris processing electric guitar into drone layers, haunted by a collage of field recordings and a sense of unease. The other side features Felix: a duo of Lucinda Chua on piano / vocals and Christopher Fummerlin on guitars. It is an intimate recording with 'cello underpinning the hushed piano chords and Lucinda's semi-sung, semi-spoken vocals and sounds like Empress recording for Kranky. 

Herons - Walk Upright cassette (Housecraft) 2

Dense drifts of bowed strings, feedback and the kind of indeterminate sound that generates unease and reminds me of Lanterns. 

Victor Herrero - Anacoreta (10 Songs for Spanish Guitar) cd (Bo'Weavil recordings) 3.50

Victor recently collaborated with Josephine Foster on her "This Coming Gladness" album but this album finds him on 6 string (nylon) acoustic rather than electric guitar. The result is a fascinating collection of Spanish folk, flamenco and classical traditions.

S R Hess - Demise cassette (Digitalis) 5.25

Steven R. Hess has worked with Sylvain Chauveau (type records), Haptic and Dropp Ensemble. This solo work sounds like subterranean shortwave; hazy electronic drones heard along a subway.

Christopher Hipgrave - Slow, With Pages of Fluttering Interference cd (Low Point) 6

Following albums on Under the Spire and Home Normal, this is the 3rd album by sound artist Christopher Hipgrave. Gorgeous warm ambient drone - one of the finest examples of its kind.

Hobo Duo - Across Great Distances cdr (Ikuisuus) 2

On this cdr, dedicated to Harry Partch, the duo of Bruno Duplant and Kevin Cosgrove who use a variety of homemade instruments to create a cosmic improvised blues on lapsteel and percussion. 

Holy Family - Anoint cassette (Digitalis) 5.25

Duo featuring Lawrence English and John Chantler of Room 40. Decomposed analogue synth drones.

Homescience - End the Year 7" (Pickled Egg) 0.25

quirky US lo-fi pop with an epic heart

Robert Horton

• If I Can't Play My Boot, I Don't Have A Leg to Stand On cdr (Nothing Out There) 9

A welcome return from one of America's finest sound-makers. Horton's home-made guitar, the Boot, features on every track here, forming a spectral haze of strings. Bells, harmonium and a keyboard that reminds me of Dolly Collins' flute organ breathe sunshine into the stringed fug. Two tracks near the end are monolithic drones: "Dirge for the Court of the Sow Bug", featuring bagpipe chanter, fizzes and swarms like a huge cloud of insects and the final "Tune for the Great Wood" exhales in slow chordal wheezes. Gorgeous. 4 panel artwork.

• 30 Years of Tape Music cassette (Gold Soundz) 5.75

A delve into the treasure trove of Robert Horton's recordings from the last 30 years. Imaginative splicings, harmonica breath, android covers of bubblegum pop, space hum ... there's never a dull moment on any of Horton's releases.

Robert Horton / Sindre Bjerga - Broken Wisdom on Its Wild Lone cdr (Striate Cortex) 6

A reconstruction of Sindre Bjerga's solo release "Broken Wisdom" by Sindre and Robert Horton. The result is an endless shimmering subtly evolving dronescape of synth, gong, boot, tapes and effects. It's hard to see where one sound ends and another begins on a journey into infinity. Nice homemade packaging.

Hush Arbors / Wooden Wand  - Swappin' split 7" (Great Pop Supplement) 2

Split featuring one new song each, "Light" from Hush Arbors and "Breather" from Wooden Wand. Recommended.

i

Iditarod - The River Nektar cd (Blue Sanct) 5

Reissue of the debut album by Jeffrey (later in Black Forest / Black Sea) & Carin, originally self-released on Hub City - bleak haunting avant-folk. Also features 9 bonus tracks including singles, compilation tracks and covers of Donovan & Brian Eno.

Iibiis Rouge - Pink Hybrid cdr (Winged Sun) 2

Collaboration between High Wolf and Astral Social Club - 6 tracks on here and a forthcoming LP on Dekorder. Seriously high-octane stuff that comes on like a cracked meeting point between Neu! and Monopoly Child.

Impromptulons - Beat It / Beat Off 3" cdr (Black Petal) 2

Abstract improv revision of Weird Al Jankovic's version of "Beat It" by Joel Stern, Will Charlton, Alan Nguyen, Rin Healy, Marek Rygalski and Adam Bark.  

Indoor Park - The Neutral Mile cd (Deep Water) 6.50

An album of mainly instrumental electric guitar and drum pieces which confounds any thoughts of beard-strokey post rock. Instead, there are hints of krautrock, nods to instro rock'n'roll and really fine melodic sounds and fuzzed soloing. Sampled spoken word interjections are used to great effect, especially on The Long Boy and the Fat Boy, which I just can't stop playing. A welcome surprise find and one I'd recommend to you. (JC)

Inhibitionists - Concessions Strings cdr (MYMWLY) 2

Abstract sound impressions from Christian Kann, often built from rattling strings into a frenetic throb. Some tracks utilize percussion and drums echo around a weird unearthly hum. Others get darkly glitchy. Nice packaging with felt inside.

Inner City 

• Visions From Dream State cdr (Rural Faune) 5.25

Part of Rural Faune's Synth Series. Inner City is Hans Den from Antwerp and the 11 tracks on this cdr are all tinged with a vaguely industrial feel from dystopian soundscapes to subterranean dub excursions. 

• 2 cassette (Ikuisuus) 5

Loops, drones and eddying currents of melody flow in, out and through the soundscapes of Innercity. On his website, Antwerp based Hans Dens (Mr Innercity himself) attests that these are the sounds that he "found written in the starry scorpion sky on the night of my 29th birthday". He also says that the plastic of the cassette has been designed to absorb the intellect of the listener. Prepare to be absorbed! (JC)

Isaac Willow - Santimonious Rhythm & Rouge cassette (Housecraft) 1

Crazed improv finds itself buried under a mountain of hyperactive tape debris. Sold out at source.

Isengrind - Modlitewnik LP (Blackest Rainbow) 12.25

Gorgeous vinyl release from Solange Gularti, the female half of Natural Snow Buildings. Thick plumes of Eastern-leaning drone-smoke and ethereal folk. Solange uses sitar and other stringed instruments, flutes and whistles and a plethora of hand percussion, filtered through a ton of reverb to create something utterly otherworldly. Beautiful artwork from Solange too, particularly the inner sleeve.

Islaja 

• Palaa Aurinkoon cd (Fonal) 9
• Meritie cd (Fonal) 9

exotic and beautiful avant-folk from Merja Kokkonen who also plays with Kemialliset Ystavat & Avarus: an astonishing array of instruments are plucked and bowed, the vocal harmonies are haunting, the arrangements sound vaguely archaic and the result is utterly sublime if rather unsettling

• Ulual Yyy cd (Fonal) 8.50 / LP (Fonal) 8.50

Brand new (third) album by Merja Kokkonen, also of Avarus / Hertta Lussu Assa. This is truly extraordinary experimental pop that is extremely hard to pin down; it seems to exist in an entirely different world and time - I suppose it makes me think of Can's "Ege Bam Yasi" without really sounding like it. It has a similar tranced feel and a dubby edge to it at times. Merja's vocals are astonishing -  up-front and disconcertingly double-tracked. A few tracks towards the end sound similar to older Islaja songs but this is a bold step into something entirely unique. Highly recommended.

Ithaca Trio - Tesla Verses the Night cdr (Under the Spire) 5.50

Far from being a trio, Ithaca Trio is just Ollie Thurley, with the assistance on these release of other musuians on drums, accordian, clarinet, flute, electronics, guitar and piano. Lovely pastoral electronica / glitch that reminds me of Fennesz in parts or Fabio Orsi.

Jan M Iversen - Live Klubb Kanin 2 x 3"cdr & dvdr (Striate Cortex) 7

Four live tracks recorded as an accompaniment to short films at Klubb Kabin. All my copies have a dvdr featuring the films. Very limited.

Ixchel - Dreams of cdr (Leaf Trail) 2.50

Duo featuring Dubliners Timothy Hurley (Quetzolcoatl / Bonecloud) and Barry Semple. Of all Hurley's projects, this comes closest to being song-based with Hurley's blissed-out vocals drifting high over layers of fogged sound. "Clockwork Castles" sounds like Skaters play something off "Pet Sounds" - nice! I've been a fan of everything Hurley has done to date but this is his finest moment.

j

Jane Austen - Wish Wash cassette (Clean Teeth) 2.50

Solo project of Angeline Chirnside who has also been in Currer Bells, Wyntr Raven and Lost Roman Legions. Strange and magical lo-fi home recordings. Distorted bells that sound like they're ringing from underwater. Sea shanty drones. Strange piano sounds that sound like gamelan music.

Frank Janiurek - Electric Sex Goddess cdr (self-released) 2

Stunning solo guitar from one half of Red Kites, soaring arcs of ringing feedback and the purest of tones, reminiscent of Mazzacane Connor's electric guitar recordings.

David A Jaycock - A New Love Song 7" (Great Pop Supplement) 4

This single is a delight in every way. The artwork is fabulous with a gold sprayed bird on the leaf-cut cover and a printed insert. David A Jaycock is also a member of Big Eyes Family Players and the B side of this single could easily have graced one of their albums with its melancholic chamber folk. The A side is a song with a real early '70s English singer-songwriter feel. Lovely stuff.

Jazzfinger / Culver & Fordell Research Unit LP (Blackest Rainbow) 5

"Brand new split LP featuring heavy hitting UK bleak dudes... A-Side is Jazzfinger's 'Killed In A Clear Sky', one solid slab of fucked up tapped guitar drone and distant eerie whir... like a storm of electric feedback, slashes and cuts. Far out, and a real killer 20 odd minutes to make you lull out. B-Side is a collaboration between Culver and Fordell Research Unit, another side long piece, that starts off with some bassed up doom chugs and slogs that sound like fucking something that could lay down by some Southern Lord brutality, but then it punches you in the face with its distorted churning hell. Limited to 275 white label LPs."

Jennifer Gentle 

• A New Astronomy cd (A Silent Place) 2.50

The official release of a cdr released in an edition of 100 on Sub Pop in 2005 and dedicated to 19th century amateur astronomer Giovanni Paneroni who held a staggering number of nutty ideas, including that the sun is a 2m in diameter silver ball. Luckily "interesting" ideas translate better to the arts than sciences as this cd, perhaps JG's strangest release, testifies. Sounds range from cosmic drone to sweet but warped pop, like hearing Joe Meek productions in your dreams to ragged VU-esque drone / raga jams to damaged acid pop to an out-and-out Meek tribute "Me and Joe on the Moon". Fantastic.

• Live In the House of God LP (A Silent Place) 4

This solo performance by Marco Fasolo was recorded, as the liner informs us, "in a little church somewhere in Italy on July the 31st 2003". It seems like an omen of things to come, as nowadays Jennifer Gentle is Marco's solo project. A Vox Jaguar organ is played through a variety of effects and the music created really thrives in the echo-y acoustic of the church. At times it's almost as though an ancient choir was being channeled through the organ! This is on single sided white vinyl - a lovely thing to look at as well as fine music. (JC)

Jerusalem & the Starbaskets - Battle of the Orchids LP (Great Pop Supplement) 8.75

This duo of guitar/vocals and drums conjure up plenty of pop gems to fill a slice of vinyl which is half wine/violet in colour and the other half a sort of lemon/lime. Imagine the Black Keys being brought up on indiepop rather than blues rock and you're well on the way to imagining this sound. The tunes and the format which carries them are hard to resist. (JC)

Jerusalem & the Starbaskets / Bengal Traitors split 7" (Great Pop Supplement) 2

Two earthy and refreshing rockin' tunes with, at times, flavours of Bo Diddley (the guitar at the end of the Jerusalem song especially) and Medicine Head about them. This is a highly attractive 7" on opalescent vinyl with a spiral pattern printed on the sleeve and fronted by a separate print of the spiral on clear plastic: if you move this against the background, you can simulate the opening sequence of Jon Pertwee-era Doctor Who shows in the comfort of your own home... fab! (JC)

"The Joey side is solid piece of ultra-crude battered guitar-dirge.. There's a real crunchy and toasted basement-vibe that is quite rare these days, it sounds like it's played on a floor-board guitar and pedals found deep in the mud through speakers made of cotton. Kinda like a punk-ass, weed-out version of Ashtray Navigations...   Kema comes more the the Dead C end of things.. Perhaps not that different from Joey, but there's more stoned-out riffing and that ultra lo-fi guitarbased trash-scapes that we've come to love that NZ vibe for... Excellent stuff for sure, this is pure no-fi so turn up loud and scare away the posers! Purple tapes wrapped in double-sided purple A4 sheet. Edition of 30. " (GS)

P Jørgensen  - Palimpset (for Strings) business card cdr (Under the Spire) 4.50

This is one of those dinky business card cdrs, that unfortunately won't play on my hi-fi. It features a track that will be on P Jorgensen's album due out in September, plus another track unavailable elsewhere. This is what I thought of his Low Point album: " Soft-hued tones shift and merge and form dense chordal clouds. Jørgensen has a fondness for a warm, fuzzy ambience which suits listening at sunset on a cold autumnal night."

Joshua - Life Less Lost cd (Spirit of Orr) 6

Reissue of Joshua Burkett's second album, originally released on his own Feather One's Nest in a folded-paper black and white sleeve. Woozy late-night loner folk. Highly recommended.

"Sounding like Laddio Bolocko playing Aufgehoben's songs, this amazing quartet shares a seriously mindblowing connection with the huge  underground noise scenery in the United States.  This half-an-hour free-form session between these Ohio-based dudes  is a long electroshock torture which features Yeh (experimental violinist/electronic musician with a highly growing reputation around the world) playing bass here, Jewell (experimental drummer/electronic musician also involved in Pink Reason and Psychedelic  Horseshit) on drums/electronic junk and John Rich/Jon Lorenz  (Wasteland Jazz Unit) totally immersed in a hyper-amplified and nihilistic sax playing. File under sparkling brutality." (Dreamsheep)

Otherwise known as C Joynes, who released a couple of albums on Bo'weavil, with 2 extra initials. There are 3 instrumentals on here and the disc opens with a fascinating take on what sounds like an Appalachian folk tune played on zither, prepared piano, cello and music box. It's utterly charming. Next up is a long reworking of the spiritual "Lay You Down O My Brother" (used in part on ISB's "A Very Circular Song") which also draws in elements of Hildegard Von Bingen's "Columba Aspexit" - the mid-section of this develops into the kind of celestial elegance James Blackshaw's 12 string playing manages. Finally Joynes rounds the disc up with a melancholic meditation, on nylon strings.

This is the first in a series of 5 7" singles by C Joynes, also being released by Bo-weavil Records. A sides will feature Joynes originals and the B sides reworkings / remixes of his compositions. Gorgeous meditative acoustic guitar finger picking accompanied by The Restless Dead comprise Babygrand (field recording, salt, metal bowl & zither), Rhodri Davies (harp) and Glen Hall (bass flutes).

Julie's Haircut hail from Italy and have accompanied Can's Damo Suzuki, so the Krautrock feel in their music isn't surprising. However, it seems rather unusual to hear Sonic Boom involved here. I say unusual, but I also mean very welcome, as his electronics sit very neatly within the tight rhythms and alongside some very funky Hammond organ! (JC)

Juniper Meadows - Grand Sonora 3" (Palustre) 2.50

Reissue of a 3" that originally came out on Imvated (now Bread and Animals) - hesitant banjo and ukulele pluckings, bowed strings and the soothing wheeze of one of my very favourite instruments the melodica. Sounds like it was improvised late at night under the stars. Gorgeous. Hand-made packaging.

k

Keijo 

• Just Enough cassette (Digitalis) 4

8 track cassette from Finland's Keijo Virtanen. This is his droniest work in a while with the guitar work kept fairly sparse. Harmonica haze, vocal oms and singing metal create a meditative air and Keijo's cyclical guitar weaves magic through that.

• Reduce Snow cdr (267 Lattajjaa) 3.50

Latest from Keijo Virtanen. Minimal blues and hypnotic repetitions on guitar, harmonica and jaw harp.

• So Cold Blues cdr (Anti-Guru) 4.50

Keijo's music is never anything less than enthralling. He is solo on this release, except for the assistance of Aarni Virtanen on percussion and plastic pipe on one track. Endlessly cyclical folk-blues mantras heard through a thick psychedelic haze. Nice fold-out card sleeve with pasted-on artwork.

Kitchen Cynics 

• Hoodie Craw cdr (self-released) 4.50

intimate folk-psych, mostly unadulterated guitar, a bit of keyboard and Alan's gentle lilt. This features covers of 'Vegetable Man' (Syd Barrett), 'Josephine, for Better or for Worse' (the Strawbs) and 'Gently Johnny' from the Wicker Man

• Dumbfoundlings cdr (self-released) 4.50

Another new cdr from Aberdeen's prolific Alan Davidson of purely instrumental tracks, every bit as lyrical and bewitching as his songs. Cascades of harp-like strings like summer rain, Alan's lilting guitar playing, a bit of music hall, some lovely instrumentation (zither, chanter, phono-fiddle, psaltery, clarinet) and the usual great titles ("Double Line for the Gentleman's Comfort" being a favourite).

• Master Of The Fuzzy Fadeout cdr (self-released) 4.50

Aberdonian Alan Davidson has been quietly making some lovely records for over a decade now  - intimate bedroom psych-pop, in a similar vein to Robin Hitchcock but a slightly folksier feel  - includes covers of Fairport Convention and Bridget St John

• A Tune-a-day the Kitchen Cynics Way cdr (self-released) 5

In 2007 Alan Davidson ran a subscriber series of cdrs featuring as you might guess one tune for every day of the year. This compiles 31 of them. Bewitching and lyrical bedroom psych-folk. Adrian Crowley plays on and co-wrote one track.

• A Tune-a-Day the Kitchen Cynics Way 2 cdr (self-released) 5

In 2007 Alan Davidson ran a subscriber series of cdrs featuring as you might guess one tune for every day of the year. This second volume compiles some more of them. Bewitching and lyrical bedroom psych-folk. 

Kompleksi - (I Ain't No) Lovechild / Moscow 1980 7" (Lal Lal Lal) 0.50

Sharron Kraus - Right Wantonly A-Mumming cd (Bo'weavil) 8

Kungen - Cub In 5 10" (Intercontinental) 0.25

I can't find the blurb about this but from memory it's someone from Hermann Dune doing a sample-strewn electronic thing that ranges from fairground cheesiness to hip-hop prowl to rawer early drum-machine / fuzz guitar & organ stuff 

Stefan Kushima - Your Purple Breath cdr (Ikuisuus) 1.50

Kwannon - Clear Star cdr (Reverb Worship) 5.50

l

Laissez Faire - Asylum cassette (Abandon Ship) 0.50

One sided tape of music from Peter Friel (JKTapes / Widening Horizon). A collection of electronic squiggles layered into one seething mass of machine scrawl drone.

Lakes - Monument of nests cassette (Digitalis) 2.50

Lakes is Sean Bailey who also runs the Inverted Crux label and has also been involved in Paeces, Lamp Puffer and Waster Truth. Lo-fi pop distorted through a weird malevolent prism and an octopus on the drum machine.

Lamppukello - Kaahumatti Kaheskanneski, Yyjo Ite Yheskanneski cdr (267 Lattajjaa) 1

perhaps the most deranged thing to come out of Finland - this is a similar idea to the Kneale Kneale Kneale project on CPP: one anonymous Finn and his 2 kids create mind-melting sounds with casios on stun and child-babble looped to crazed infinity - yikes!

Lauhkeat Lampaat - Taikaa Takataskussa cd (Peippo) 3

Leafy Green - Songs cdr (267 Lattajjaa) 1

Ten songs from America "Recorded in a cool room during a hot week in a southern town" by Leafy Green, aka Barrett Jones. These are gentle, wistful guitar based pieces and if you value the heartfelt over exact vocal pitch (and who doesn't?) they may move and soothe. (JC)

Part of the Odomez series, in which sound artists record their reactions to objects found in the abandoned Odomez factory in the north of France. L'Enfant Meduse recorded these songs at the factory and the result is 3 loose improvisations of acoustic guitar and (mainly wordless) vocals (vaguely reminscent of "Sapphie" era Richard Youngs). Nice handmade packaging: outsize card with a photograph and a metal cog (from the site).

Les Beyond is the work of Erin Jane Ward - 6 tracks of melancholic delayed guitar repetitions. Shades of a more minimal Yellow 6.

Here's a highly unusual release - actually, I'd go as far as calling it unique. The label on the clear sleeve containing this picture disc dubs it "An oddly disturbing & humorous Rabbit Love Story". However, as the songs are in German I can't really comment on this, except to say that Ain't She Sweet, that 1927 hit revived by the Beatles in Hamburg and I Don't Want To Talk About It are among them, sung by Leukers in what could be the style of a cartoon rabbit. One side of the disc has a couple of rabbits coiled up with their tongues out - soixante-neuf indeed! - whilst the other is heavily etched and also illustrated by A.L, who is best known as a visual artist. Listening to this made me think of Fred von Jupiter, but I suspect this dips into darker terrain... translations are welcome! Comes with a free magazine (JC)

Light of Shipwreck - When I Hold the Ashes cdr (Reverb Worship) 2.50

Nothing to do with cricket and everything to do with Ben Fleury-Steiner, previous releases on Peasant Majik and Crucial Blast among others. He creates mysterious fog-like drones full of threatening distant rumblings reminiscent of Bjerga / Iversen. Other tracks are pits of  infernal feedback.

Harvey Lord 

• Weighted Down cdr (Reverb Worship) 3

Impressively crisp finger picking guitar flows throughout this album and I suspect Mr Lord sees himself as an instrumentalist first and a singer second. However, his gentle vocal style compliments the folk-blues tinged music well. I suspect he is well acquainted with Bert Jansch's back catalogue and I'm guessing that Weighed Down might be a reference to Skip Spence. Whatever, it's a good record. (JC)

Second edition. The duo's ragged ballads are played acoustically on guitar, drums, bells and vocals and it gives them an even more fragile and post-midnight feel than their recent album on Important.