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Experimental /

Yo
*In process of stocking. 2022 stock.* Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus is an experimental vocal group based in Tokyo. Drawing upon influences as diverse as the Fluxus movement, hardcore punk, contemporary classical, TV commercials, cartoon music, Conceptual Art and more, Adachi’s complex compositional miniatures are filled with energy, imagination and a sly sense of humor. This stuff really kicks.
Electric Eel
An entire CD of compositions and improvisations on jaw harps! Creative and versatile, Makigami's first CD of solo voice improvisations was a favorite of vocalists from Mike Patton to Pavarotti. On Electric Eel he takes an unexpected turn. While studying Mongolian throat singing with masters in Tuva, Makigami became acquainted with the simple folk instrument the jaw harp. Fascination turning to obsession, he has now developed an incredible array of extended techniques on this ancient instrument, …
Under the Pipal Tree
Mono is a young instrumental band from Tokyo combining elements of minimalism, psychedelia and trance rock to create a distinctive and powerful new sound via John Fahey, Sonic Youth and the Grateful Dead. Austere and intense; their music is simple, beautiful and incredibly direct. Sheets of sound, lyricism, wailing guitars and pounding rhythms evolve slowly, morphing into a ritual of noise and ecstasy. A remarkable debut from this exciting new Japanese band.
The Temperature in Hell is Over Three Thousand Degrees
Composer Virgil Moorefield was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1956 and grew up primarily in Europe. Living in NY since 1975, Moorefield recorded and toured as a drummer with numerous rock bands and avant garde ensembles, including the Swans, Glenn Branca, Bill Laswell, Elliott Sharp and Damage. The music on this disc is a reflection of his recent interest in microtonality and in creating a music which is looser in structure than his previous works. Alternating between strict notation and…
Musical Aluminum
An absolutely raging new instrumental trio from the Kansai area of Japan, home to the Boredoms, Omoide Hatoba, Haco and more. Combining hardcore punk, improvisation, metal, funk and fusion in a seamless and dynamic new music, Motor Humming is at the forefront of instrumental experimental rock and one of the most original bands in Japan. Musical Aluminum (a light metal) is their first CD, and it features an incredible range of pieces in a program you will find exciting, challenging and fun. Along…
Zohar
From the inventive minds of John Zorn and Yamantaka Eye comes an intimate and highly original duo project inspired by historical recordings of ancient Judaica. The Mystic Fugu Orchestra masquerades as "newly discovered" recordings from the Mystical tradition of Kabbalah - paralleling 14th century author Moses de Leon's original presentation of of his Kabbalistic classic "The Zohar" or "book of Splendors" as having been discovered by him and actually written by Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai centuries be…
Pranzo Oltranzista
Following the remarkable success of his solo debut, Adult Themes (Tzadik 7015), Mike Patton, best known as the vocalist of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, steps out as a composer. Patton's extended composition, Pranzo Oltranzista: Musica da Ravola per Cinque (Banquet Piece for Five Players) is inspired by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Futurist Cookbook (1932). Performed by an all-star ensemble, Pranzo Oltranzista magically transports the listener to a surreal ambient world of the unexpected. In addi…
Camp Songs
A regular drummer with John Scofield, Dave Douglas, Steven Bernstein and many others, Ben Perowsky is a familiar name to jazz fans the world over. Joined here by keyboard sensation Uri Caine, one of the most acclaimed young pianists on the scene, Ben’s first recording under his own name on Tzadik is an eclectic take on the songs he used to sing during his formative years at Jewish summer camp. Exotic percussion, twisted arrangements and several brilliant original compositions make Camp Songs a s…
Rashanim
Jon Madof, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, Mathias Kunzli. This dynamic NY guitar trio covers a range from Jim Hall ballads to Blood Ulmer funk harmolodics. Complex compositional originals alternate with gorgeous renditions of classic Jewish melodies making this an extraordinary program from start to finish. Beautifully recorded, with mix translations by Bill Laswell.
Dion McGregor Dreams Again
Dion McGregor dreams out loud, and his dreams are not very pretty. Tzadik invites you to eavesdrop on the horror in Dion McGregor's mind. In 1964 ten of Dion's tape-recorded dreams were released on album and quickly dropped out of print. This CD is it's sequel, drawn from the same source material -- the spoke-aloud dreams of Dion McGregor as taped by his room mate Michael Barr between 1961 and 1967. Documented with extensive photos and a long essay by Dion scholar Phil Milstein, this is the ulti…
Fundamentalis
Coproduction with Autofact (Usa). Art Direction & Design by Jon Wozencroft. Spire Live - Fundamentalis is a collection of live tracks recorded at various Spire events held throughout 2005 and 2006. Released in association with US label, Autofact, Touch presents a selection of tracks performed by the main performers of Spire: Fennesz - Philip Jeck - BJNilsen - Charles Matthews - Marcus Davidson. Improvised pieces from Fennesz, BJNilsen and Philip Jeck contrast with a performance by Charles Matthe…
Musica Electroacustica Española
Legendary rare album focused on spanish electronic scene issued by Circulo de Bellas Artes presenting in this LP five pieces of electroacoustic music. Only one copy available.
No Man\'s Land
Music from a film soundtrack. No Man's Land (1985), is much more closer to the conventional definition of minimalism. Riley likes the piano on this one, but the tablas and sitar can be heard on almost every track, along with some voice and what sounds like electronically altered instruments. Only one copy available.
Cadenza On The Night Plain and Other String Quartets
After years of composing for piano and electronic media and more jazz-based ensembles, David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet convinced Terry Riley to try his hand at a work for the recently formed ensemble (DH is the 1st violinist). This marked the beginning of an astonishing series of works for string quartet, that far exceed anything produced for the medium by either Steve Reich or Philip Glass (who've both composed works for Kronos). This LP shows the earliest of Riley's music for Kronos. "G…
Keyboard Study 2 / Initiative 1 (+ Systèmes)
Rare original copy of the split release between Terry Riley and French avant-garde composer Pierre Marietan that was recorded in Paris on September 30th and October 1st, 1969. Riley's piece is a 24-minute work for 2 pianos (Gérard Frémy and Martine Joste of the GERM ensemble - Groupe d'Etude et Réalisation Musicale). Marieten's piece is performed by the full GERM ensemble including Philippe Blachette (violin), Philippe Drogoz (double bass), Louis Roquin (trumpet), Chantal Lemaire (cello), Gérard…
Mauro Pagani
First Mauro Pagani solo album featuring many of the best Italian musicians of that time, including AREA members Demetrio Stratos, the whole work is an amazing eastern tinged folk experimental album, now reissued by BTF in the usual wonderful papersleeve gatefold CD edition, with detailed booklet.  
Sulle corde di Aries
With Sulle Corde Di Aries (1973) Battiato evolved towards the chamber electroacoustic music of Sequenze e Frequenze and Da Oriente A Occidente, a natural progression from his electronic-rock fusion.
Za
This is another one of Franco Battiato's amazing recordings from the 70's, and it features two extended pieces -- "ZA" and "Café Table Musik". "Za" is a long piece for solo piano, with lots of spare minimal moments, and haunting trancelike lines of chords that build very very slowly. It's a beautiful exercise in restraint, and the kind of haunting soundscape that Battiato is legendary for. "Café Table Musik" is a bit more complex, although it's still got minimal piano progressions as its core. T…
L\'Egitto prima della sabbie
Battiato's work on minimalism culminates with "L' Egitto prime delle Sabbie", with two long pieces based on hardly one note and its harmonics.
Computer Music
Works by three composers ("Quartets in Pairs / Quartersines / Mudget: Monologues By A Mass Murderer" by J.K. Randall, "Synthesism" by Barry Vercoe, "Changes" by Charles Dodge) realized in the computer centers of Columbia and Princeton Universities. Only one copy available.