‘Barely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas’ 1982 LP is the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in Calgary’s Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, Disco Jazz is a perfect fusion of East and West; sarod and synthesizer intricately weaving around one another for thirty-seven transcendent minutes, culminating in the viral hit Aaj Shanibar.’

‘The compilation that started the renaissance… twelve tracks of Buddhist Bubblegum Alt Disco Pop recorded during Arthur’s prime years 1985-90.’

The sequel to Calling Out Of Context; another precious extraction from Arthur’s original, completed 1/4” tape masters.
Russell himself compiled this material thirty years ago, on three separate test pressings, labelled El Dinosaur, Indian Ocean and Untitled: five brilliant alternate versions of key works — including This Is How We Walk On The Moon — and four offerings new to the world, triumphantly culminating in the rapt, restless Ocean Movie. Terrific.

The first volume is a mid-seventies masterpiece, Americana touching on Copeland, Ives, and Brian Wilson, with AR ‘re-awakened to the bright-sound and magical qualities of the bubblegum and easy-listening currents in American popular music.’ Volume 2 is a moving, pastoral orchestral work, conducted here by Julius Eastman. Also included are two of Arthur’s most elusive compositions, recorded live in 1975: Reach One is a minimal, hypnotic ambient soundscape for two Fender Rhodes pianos; Sketch For Face Of Helen commemorates his colloborations with Arnold Dreyblatt, recorded with a keyboard, tone generator and — with echoes of Moondog — recordings of a tugboat rumbling across the waters of the Hudson River.

The Richard Evans jazz funk terror.

Cleveland funk from 1971, featuring a popping version of Express Yourself, a do-over of The Temps’ Message From A Black Man, and — crucially — the b-boy jazz anthem, Burning Spear.

Classic Latin soul, following up Watermelon Man, co-written by Pat Patrick from the Arkestra. (Subsequently a massive UK hit for Georgie Fame, using Jon Hendricks’ lyrics, arranged by Tubby Hayes.) Both sides, failsafe boogaloo destroyers.