Reissues
Program Notes
Max Neuhaus’ Program Notes records the aphoristic statements of the innovative sound artist as he redefined the boundaries of his new audio practice. Seeking to eschew the “small area music [had] been concentrating on for the past several hundred years,” Neuhaus consciously relocated his work in the late ‘60s to what he deemed “the realm of space” as opposed to that of time—choosing to present his music in public and communal settings, decidedly outside of the “proscenium situation.” This…
Fantastic Architecture
Primary Information is reprinting the seminal book, Fantastic Architecture, making the book widely available for the first time since it was originally published: first in 1969 by Droste Verlag in German (with the title Pop Architektur) and later in 1970 by Something Else Press as Fantastic Architecture. Edited by Dick Higgins and Wolf Vostell, this artist’s book/anthology explores the boundaries between pop art and architecture through writings and projects by key artists and thinkers of t…
1976
The Maciunas Ensemble was founded in 1968 by Dutch musicians and sound artists Paul Panhuysen, Remko Scha and Jan van Riet. It has existed ever since, though having gone through a number of membership changes until today. The group's intention was to realize the piece "Music for Everyman" by Fluxus initiator George Maciunas which they interpreted as allowing boundless freedom in the sounds being produced. The group met at a regular basis, usually improvising on a number of instruments that were …
Metti Una Sera A Cena
Quite possibly the greatest Morricone score ever – and one whose dreamy bossa-inflected title theme has been covered a number of times over the years (most recently by the group Balanco!) From the first minutes of the album, you'll instantly recognize the main theme – as it's swells of voices and lilting keyboards are among one of Morricone's best signatures from the time. Don't worry about getting bored because you may already know it, though – as the album has loads of other beautiful …
La Trappola Scatta a Beirut
"La Trappola Scatta a Beirut" (Agent 505 Todesfalle Beirut) is a spy movie directed in 1966 by Manfred R. Kohler and starring Frederick Stafford, Chris Howland, Geneviève Cluny. Diverted from its deserved holiday, the agent S5S, is sent along with a faithful collaborator in Beirut, where there is reason to suspect the presence of a band of criminals about to carry out an attack against the whole humanity. At that time not even a 45 rpm single with music by Ennio Morricone was printed. Now …
Certain Blacks
The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz ensemble that grew out of Chicago's AACM in the late 1960s. The Art Ensemble is notable for its integration of musical styles spanning jazz's entire history and for their multi-instrumentalism, especially the use of what they termed “little instruments” in addition to the traditional jazz lineup; “little instruments” can include bicycle horns, bells, birthday party noisemakers, wind chimes, and a vast array of percussion instruments (including f…
The Sigh of Silver Strings from Suvannabhumi: The Western String
"During the 1800s, various Western stringed instruments came to Burma by means of traders, explorers, and colonizers. These instruments -- the acoustic slide guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin, and zither -- were quickly and ingeniously adapted to the intricacies of Burmese music. The music draws from Burma's rich vocal tradition, and the centuries-old royal repertoire of the Burmese harp and xylophone. Recorded and produced by Rick Heizman. Limited edition of 500 copies." Includes 8-page bl…
Church Number Nine
This is the free jazz record that everyone wants. Its long, mythic history is shrouded and whispered about because of it rarity. Church Number Nine was recorded on March 7, 1970, but remained buried until it was released in 1973 on the Calumet label, a Parisian venture that instantly evaporated into thin air. Only 300 copies of the album made it into circulation; the rest were apparently destroyed. The line-up is one of free jazz's greatest, the same quartet as Frank Wright's legendary BYG …
The Black Ark
**shipping on Friday** 2015 restock, very last copies. Originally released on Freedom Recordings, 1969. Numbered vinyl edition of 1000 and another superior piece of documentation from Bo' Weavil. The Black Ark is one of the most sought-after underground free jazz releases of all time. This record simply is THE BOMB -- a perfect combination of Noah Howard's soulful compositions and playing, infused with plenty of sweet/sour/in/out forms and shapes from the incredible line-up assembled for t…
Underground Railroad
2015 restock. First time vinyl reissue of Joe McPhee's classic CJR LP from 1969. Exact repress of the original artwork. Trumpeter and saxophonist Joe McPhee's first album, Underground Railroad, has been virtually impossible to find on vinyl, issued in an edition of 500 copies on Craig Johnson's CJR label -- it was recorded next to Johnson's house at the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York. It sold out and was never reprinted on vinyl until now. Underground Railroad is comprised of thr…
Mars Archives Volume One: China to Mars
**shipping on Friday**"Following the success of the two live LPs bookending Mars's trajectory through the skies of NYC, Mark Cunningham was convinced to return to his legendary box of cassettes. Even he was surprised to discover the band's earliest shows (done under the name China) were there, amidst a tumble of other tapes. Thus, the idea was born for a trilogy of LPs tracing Mars's development from their first audition gig at CBGB through the shows following their 1980 Lust/Unlust EP. Chin…
The Complete Recordings Vol 3
Third of three double LP versions, housed in a gatefold sleeve. "Volume 3 contains three albums sides which include Jackson C. Frank's demos for his unreleased second album, Marlene and his final recordings from 1997, which were to be part of a new record before his passing in 1999
The Complete Recordings Vol 2
Second of three double LP versions, housed in a gatefold sleeve. "Volume 2 contains Jackson's first recordings from 1957, the 'Blues Run The Game' 45 from 1965, his 1968 Peel Sessions and studio recordings from 1970, 1972 and 1974. Contains fourteen songs never before released in any form
The Complete Recordings Vol 1
**shipping on Friday** First of three double LP versions, housed in a gatefold sleeve. "While Jackson C. Frank's eponymous 1965 album and other material has enjoyed numerous official and unofficial reissues, Jackson C Frank: The Complete Recordings is the first to compile his entire recording career. Released in conjunction with Jim Abbott's book, Jackson C. Frank: The Clear Hard Light of Genius. Every song has been mastered or remastered, a number of them straight from the original, brittle…
Obscure Psychedelic Manuscripts from the Italian Cinema (1967-19
A magnificent concoction of freak beat, baroque pop, heavy rock, LSD exotica, and other mind-melting oddities from the Italian soundtrack/library scene of the 1960s/1970s. Featuring legendary composers such as Bruno Nicolai, Luis Bacalov, Piero Piccioni, The Sparrows, The Pawnshop, Gianni Marchetti, Roberto Righini, Riz Ortolani, Romano Rizzati, Lallo Gori, Carlo Pes, Alessandro Alessandroni, Berto Pisano, Jacques Chaumont, Giorgio Gaslini, Guido & Maurizio de Angelis, Florenza Mormile, Franc…
Library of Sound Grooves: Jazz Expressions from the Italian Cine
Italian films of the 60s were filled with jazzy grooves – no surprise, given that a good number of the scene's best composers got their start working in postwar combos! But the jazz scope here is way more than just the usual blend of bop, swing, and trad – and instead, lots of these tunes have a core jazzy element, especially a key solo – but often take off in more ambitious, expressive styles – as we love in the Italian film scene at the time! There's lots of cool effects, unusual arra…
Endless
For the fourth installment in Into the Light's journey into Greek electronic music, we find ourselves teleported to Piraeus, home place of ambient music composer Dimitris Petsetakis. With the exception of only one track, 'Endless LP' is a collection of previously unreleased material that has remained in Petsetakis' basement studio for almost 30 years now. Dimitris Petsetakis was born in Pireus, Greece and has been a member of the ”Society of Greek composers of Electronic music”, founded by Iann…
The Heliopolar Egg
Documentary recordings of Hartmut Geerken and Michael Ranta’s November and December 1976 tour of the Middle East and East Asia. Geerken is known for his long relationship with Sun Ra (including compiling a discography), but he wears many other hats too: musician, film-maker, archivist. Ranta is a percussionist best known for his famous “Improvisation Sep.1975” collaborative record with Toshi Ichiyanagi and Takehisa Kosugi. This is a CD reissue of an LP boxset, originally released in 2010 as the …
Archives Box 1983-2005
Back in stock, very last copies. A spellbinding archival discovery documenting the entire enigmatic production by one of the missing links in experimental electronic and prototypical industrial music: Anne Gillis. As though pursuing the smallest of impulses to their logical end-points, French composer Manon Anne Gillis began creating sound works and performances in the early 1980s that were simultaneously quotidian and theatrical. This is the first archival release to cover her work in its entir…
Angouleme 18 mai 1980
Recorded live at a crucial period of its existence, this Angouleme May 18, 1980 is a splendid testimony of the Willem Breuker Kollektief, a flagship of the new European jazz orchestra. Founded in 1974 to set to music the musical and social ideas Willem Breuker, the WBK brought together musicians that were somehow his students, and he had leverage their individual qualities although initially many of them were not properly improvisers as could be colleagues such as Bennink, Mengelberg, Maarten A…