Digging deep in archives from West Virginia University to the British Library — across seven decades, 1934-2001 — in search of versions of the chilling ballad of Lamkin, about the grisly murder of a woman and her small child.

‘The definitive collection of Laraaji’s earliest works, Segue To Infinity compiles his 1978 debut Celestial Vibration and six additional side-long studio sessions from previously unknown acetates from the same period. A lengthy essay by Living Colour’s Vernon Reid chronicles the origins of Edward ‘Flash’ Gordon, illustrated with dozens of previously unpublished photographs that capture this beautiful and elusive young artist. Full of discovery and wonderment, Segue To Infinity is a miraculous chronicle of new age’s most fabled artist.’

‘An overview of his earliest works, gathering selections from his 1978 debut Celestial Vibration and six additional studio sessions from the era. Full of discovery and wonderment, Glimpses of Infinity is a miraculous chronicle of new age’s most fabled artist.’

The first of three 10” comprising Charlotte Courbe’s third album; her compelling return to Honest Jon’s after two decades, laced with surprise and subversiveness, and a refreshing, unique candour.
After a cancer diagnosis last year, Charlotte felt the urge to produce and release new music. “It became like a vital thing.”
MRI Song and Planet Ping Pong were recorded during chemotherapy. Mind Contorted is a duet with Terry Hall, also featuring Terry’s son Theodore and Noel Gallagher on guitars, in a cover of Daniel Johnston. The song Fourteen Years is the oldest inclusion, announcing a fresh, freer direction.
The sleeve exclusively presents new work by John Stezaker, in the first of a triptych.

“I put out the first Le Volume Courbe single in 2001… she reminded me of a female Syd Barrett…  real psychedelic soul” (Alan McGee).
“Inspiring originality, fiercely independent, beautiful music, always years ahead of its time. I remember hearing Charlotte’s music for the first time and being immediately taken by the freshness, great melodies and utterly unique approach” (Kevin Shields).

‘Swooping, sub-heavy sci-fi from Riz Maslen, under a new moniker.
‘Heavy-lidded and ethereal, its balance of bass weight, mechanical metre, and darkly tinted new age feels like a cinematic re-approach to some of the textures, moods, and themes of her 1996 Laundrophonic maxi, under the alias Neotropic.
‘Stairway 13 folds in decades of experience in sound design and theatre, along with shards and elements abstracted from Riz’ more recent folk-like music, zoning into a deep, retreated, altogether dreamlike and expansive atmosphere. The scale and soundscape is reminiscent of Geinoh Yamashirogumi and their Ecophony album series, resonating to similar frequencies and exploring themes of chaos and rebirth in feature-length form.
‘The four parts spread and swoop as single extended sides across this double LP. Carried by waves of sub bass and heavenly chorus, and later punctuated with autonomic clicks of machinery, whirrs, and pulses, the work forms a gothic, otherworldly ambience. A subtle space opera.’

Terrific album, originally out on Takoma in 1981 — an edgy, angsty, spiritual mix of Suicide, Cluster, La Monte Young, Terry Riley, West African rhythms… which still sounds bang up to date. Hotly recommended.

‘Almost transparent white vinyl.’

Notorious, seminal electropunk from 1981 — Beate Bartel from Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrislo ‘DAF’ Haas, with vocalist Krishna Goineau — which coursed into Chicago house and Detroit techno. Undiminished; still vital.

Three albums recorded on his brother’s farm in Accokeek, Maryland, in the early 70s. Quite different to his previous releases, the music remains raw and basic, but with vocals and acoustic guitars, mandolins, dobros and piano. ‘An organic blend of downhome music… imbued with a primitive spirituality. There is an unpolished, spontaneous feel to the music which sparks it greedily into life, and the Accokeek earth seems to be ground deep into every groove. You can even hear the frogs croaking outside the shack.’

45s and rarities — classics like Ace Of Spades — recorded for the Swan label of Philadelphia, 1963-67, at his brother Ray Vernon’s rough and ready studio in Washington DC. With younger brother, Doug, on the drums and Shorty Horton on bass, and Ray on second guitar.

Linus plays the hommel, a forerunner of the Appalachian dulcimer, flutes and rattles; and sings.
‘The hommel has existed since the middle ages, but the earliest example still intact is from 1608. Once a staple in most households in the Low Countries, it is a true folk instrument, of the people, mainly played in the past by women who used their kitchen tables as resonating surfaces to amplify & accompany traditional religious & secular tunes. Nowadays it is seen rarely outside of museums in Brussels & other places you most likely have never heard of. It is not spectacular, its simplest version is just a long thin box with strings on top. Some of the strings are melody strings, which have frets placed underneath them, the others are drone strings that have no frets. Traditionally it was strummed with a goose feather & notes were made by sliding a hard stick with a handle, from fret to fret on the melody strings leaving the drone strings ringing openly. The constant hum of the drones is where the name of the instrument comes from: in Flemish, a bumblebee is a hommel.’
Lovely stuff from the wonderful Okraina.

Startling, exhilarating concrete music by this experimental Canadian film-maker, beloved of Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas. (A homage to him is embedded in Star Wars.)