New Arrivals
Sùrtum
Massimo Silverio is one of the most distinctive names in the new Italian music scene, carving out a niche within the independent landscape with his unconventional idea of songwriting — influenced by the folklore of Carnia, electronic textures, and a highly personal approach to songwriting.
Surtùm arrives two years after Hrudja (2023), the album that established Silverio as one of the most intriguing emerging artists in Italy, blending the metalinguistic folklore of Sigur Rós, the gothic arrangem…
The Sympathy Portal
*300 copies limited edition* Recorded during lockdown and previously only available as a CDr self-released in an edition of 99 in 2022, The Sympathy Portal collects four tracks (one of which is divided into three parts) that make full use of Edward Ka-Spel’s command of melodies, cosmic churn, subtle field recordings, percolated vocals, hypno-rhythms, tempered noise, broken clocks, atmospheric keyboards, uncoiling springs and carefully hewn dynamics. Coupled to often despairing or melancholic lyr…
Cosmic Century
Temporary reduced price. The third album from Wallenstein, originally released in 1973, stands as the band's definitive statement and one of the peak achievements of the entire Kosmische Musik movement. Led by keyboardist Jürgen Dollase and guitarist Bill Barone, the group had evolved from their earlier heavy progressive sound into something far more expansive and cosmic in scope.
Cosmic Century is exactly what its title promises - a journey through infinite space rendered in swirling synthesize…
Transmisión Líquida Ceremonial
"Transmission Líquida Ceremonial", a triptych work by bruja Maya Púrpura, traverses with serene force the multiple dimensions of versatile harsh noise.
Torrential undulations with powerful textures glide through the constantly shifting and renewing material of restorative melancholy. The vital pulse that runs through this record floats and buries itself simultaneously in the abyss where remedy and poison coexist, like mistletoe, a druidic plant with aerial roots that never touches the ground, bl…
Rik
Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Harald Lassen returns with Rik, a vibrant and exploratory new album that picks up the threads of his acclaimed Balans - the album that earned him a Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy) - and weaves them into something stranger, softer, and more surprising. “It’s the little brother,” Lassen says. “Same blood, same environment, but making different choices.” Across seven tracks, RIK builds a world that is both cinematic and deeply intimate.…
Døgnville
On Friday, September 5, Liv Andrea Hauge Trio releases its third album, Døgnville, on Norwegian label Hubro. The record explores the feeling of being “døgnvill” – a Norwegian term describing the sensation of being out of sync with time and reality, like during jet lag or insomnia. The music inhabits this liminal space between structure and freedom, consciousness and dream. Half of the compositions were written while pianist and composer Liv Andrea Hauge was bedridden with a high fever – in a sem…
Minnesota
Norwegian coastal culture meets American dreams in Trond Kallevåg’s most cinematic work yet. Imagine Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, and David Lynch sharing a rowboat on a misty West Norwegian morning – that’s the world of Minnesota. With Minnesota, guitarist and composer Trond Kallevåg deepens his image-rich sound – a warm, wistful universe where the atmosphere of Norway’s rugged west coast drifts seamlessly into the wide horizons of the American Midwest. Drawing inspiration from traditional music, j…
Himmel Over Hav
Over the past 15 years, Hanna Paulsberg has established herself as one of the most vital and heartfelt voices on the Norwegian jazz scene. A highly sought-after saxophonist, Paulsberg moves effortlessly between musical genres in her many projects — from the pop/soul/jazz trio Gurls, which she co-founded and writes for, to the quartet Flukten, whose sound blends free jazz and folk influences. She’s also part of a Dexter Gordon tribute with Karin Krog, and has contributed to numerous projects with…
Almadies
*50 copies limited edition* Franz Kirmann returns to Bytes for his eighth solo album, available exclusively on Bandcamp from October 29 on cassette and download (released on all platforms on November 5). The “Almadies” are long wooden boats used by Senegalese fishermen. It is also the name of the neighborhood where Franz grew up, in the suburbs of Dakar near the Atlantic Ocean.
"These new compositions are the result of sound experiments conducted over the past few months and reflections on the c…
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Instrumental Smoothie. What is Grid? is: sax, bass, drums. Recorded @ boto's Farm by Alberto "Boto" Dutto on August 2024.
Farewell to the Night
Farewell to the Night by Ethan Syann is an immersive album released through the IIKKI label, offering a contemplative journey through ambient and cinematic textures. Spanning six tracks, it gently blurs the boundary between experimental soundscape and evocative minimalism, creating a space for reflection and nocturnal introspection. Its subtle layers and atmospheric depth exemplify Syann’s refined and measured approach to sound design.
Poco Prima dell'Aurora
Poco Prima dell'Aurora represents a significant collaboration between Ivano Fossati and Oscar Prudente, released in 1973. This transitional album weaves together folk-pop textures and progressive echoes, reflecting the vibrant creativity of Italian songwriting in the early seventies. Marked by solid arrangements and lyrical depth, its enduring freshness lies in both its authenticity and the synergy between two distinct musical voices.
J’Accuse... Amore Mio
J’Accuse... Amore Mio marks a pivotal moment in the career of Faust’O, standing as a radical and ambitious album within the Italian new wave scene. The work delves into urban alienation and existential discomfort through avant-garde sounds, nihilistic lyrics, and an intense metropolitan atmosphere. Its experimental approach and emotive currents secure its place as a distinctive and influential release in Italian pop-rock history.
Encounters of a Loving Kind
Nadia Cassini’s album Encounters of a Loving Kind delivers a distinct blend of disco, funk, and pop, vividly reflecting the stylistic tides of the late 1970s. Despite a muted commercial reception at the time, its catchy rhythms and Cassini’s charisma earned it a cult following, securing its status as a notable crossroad for fans of sensuous, groove-oriented European pop.
Tender Revolutions
Expansive and ambitious, Tender Revolutions is the latest from Vietnam-born, Portland-based multimedia artist Dao Strom. A fluid album, existing between genres—part ambient folk, part sound collage, part spoken word, part post rock—it blurs the line between the work of an experimental composer and the work of an accomplished singer-songwriter. Instruments slip in and out (guitar, piano, synthesizer, strings, drums, percussion) amid field recordings and samples, all anchored by Strom’s singular v…
Hanu Hansa (Bangkok Blues)
Hanu Hansa is the nomme de guerre of TJ Blake, a visual artist and musician based in Atlanta, Georgia. Known for his work in various mediums, he is perhaps best associated as a member of Lotus Plaza (Kranky) and Lyonnais (Geographic North, Hoss). Sonically, his music explores the intersection of ambient and electronic modes, often drawing inspiration from the contemplative nature of his visual work. Sonically, his music explores the intersection of ambient and electronic modes, often drawing ins…
The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby
This is the sixth album by Dorothy Ashby, a Detroit born jazz harpist who passed away in her early 50s in 1986 way before her time. She left us a rich legacy of music with this 1965 release being one of her milestones. The music is pure bright and swinging with a joyful mood. Dorothy Ashby performs her lines big time with her harp and captures your soul with the melodies she picks from its strings. She is always there upfront while the brass section mostly fills the background with colour if the…
Collectors' Items
When Ira Gitler, jazz journalist and producer at Prestige, curated this album, the term "collector" was already well-established among music enthusiasts. The pursuit of out-of-print recordings, old 78 rpm discs, and unreleased material had reached an intensity comparable to the fervor seen in the vinyl-collecting market decades later. Gitler aimed to offer jazz fans unreleased Prestige recordings while meeting expectations for the amount of music on an LP. Initially dismissed as a mere compilati…
The Travel Agency
During the legendary Summer of Love and throughout the Vietnam protest marches, a mysterious sound emerged from beyond the conventional boundaries. The Travel Agency, a Los Angeles psychedelic rock group, unleashed their only album in 1968, produced by James Griffin of Bread fame. This record is packed with incredible proto-garage tracks and mesmerizing lysergic crescendos. It kicks off with the haunting organ intro of "What’s A Man," which astonishingly echoes the vibe later found in "Smells Li…
Le Cri Du Caire
Le Cri du Caire is a striking mosaic of Sufi poetry, jazz, and spoken word, led by the magnetic presence of Abdullah Miniawy alongside Peter Corser, Karsten Hochapfel, and Erik Truffaz. Fusing hypnotic loops with visceral strings and evocative brass, the album channels the hopes and struggles of Cairo’s youth into a transcendent musical ritual - challenging, inventive, and brimming with emotional intensity.