Besides all-new recordings, this features two fond souvenirs from Valle’s late-seventies sojourn in California, out of reach of the military dictatorship at home: Feels So Good, a precious two-step collaboration with Leon Ware, initiated in 1979 but unfinished till now; and a fresh version of Life Is What It Is, sunny AOR disco originally written for the Chicago 13 album, now with upped tempo and a deeper groove.
The rhythm section is Alex Malheiros and Renato Massa, from Azymuth, and percussionist Ian Moreira.

Alternatively — Terry Callier Boys Tear Up Bacharach And David With Charles Stepney At The Desk And Phil Upchurch, The Chess Strings And The Pharoahs All On Fire. Great, showy soul music from 1972.

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.)

In truth this is just prior to the formation of Liquid Liquid, in 1981. Like a no-wave, Saturnian version of Raymond Scott’s big band. The punks at the London Musicians Collective would have loved them.
LI played various NYC lofts and clubs, including Tier 3, Mudd Club and CBGB. Audience members were encouraged to bring their own instruments along. Idiot Orchestra was an offshoot involving more than a dozen players — clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, violin, cello, synth, bass, marimba and drums.
With a fanzine featuring rare photos and a new interview with Richard McGuire.

Mid-seventies disco, produced by Eddie Drennon — Bo Diddley’s musical director, a decade before — and mixed by Tom Moulton.
Featuring the sublime Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had A Ball) — immortal bump’n'hustle from a woman’s point of view, beloved throughout the Zulu Nation as a queen amongst Ultimate Breaks & Beats, and sampled by De La Soul, BDP, Public Enemy, Guru, The Coup… the lot. (Trust Ghostface to piss in the font.)

Curator James Blackshaw brings together Espers’ Swedish cellist Helena Espvall, koto virtuoso Chieko Mori, Dutch lute player Josef Van Wissem — along with a track from Blackshaw himself.