Dark, spooked, early-seventies worries from PU — disguised as M. Zalla, in the throes of his fascination with psychedelia and electronics — with titles like Mondo in Crisi, Problemi Sociali, Azione Sindacale and Mafia Oggi.
Drum-machines, Moog and EMS Synthi.
Still acutely germane; musically and temperamentally.
Demdike Stare has called it the first techno record.
Moody Umiliani, with tasty Hammond and plenty of breaks. Set between Egypt and Ferrara, tackling racial integration in 1973, this is the second of Scattini’s films featuring Zeudi Araya. (That’s her singing on the spaced-out Cantata Per Miriam, over proto-Headz funk-drumming. Pretty great.)
This soundtrack to Romano Ferrara’s 1964 spy movie is one of PU’s best and most celebrated. Featuring Nini Rosso, Chet Baker, Bill Gilmore, Marcello Boschi and many others. Excellent sound, from the original analogue masters, with lots of bonus material; in a beautiful sleeve, with a reproduction of the original movie poster on the inside gatefold.
Terrific stuff from the 1978 Antico Adagio sessions.
Ravishing jazz and electronics from the same stumbling, giddy reaches as La Monte Young and Terry Riley, recorded in Texas in 1981 on multi-tracked organ and synths (with tape loops of birds and wind-chimes), and acoustic guitar.
‘My music is designed to enhance deep meditative, or altered states, to allow the listener to personally connect to the Creator of All that exists in the Universe. My music style is to first create a foundation using cyclic, polyrhythmic music, then build several layers of improvised leads and rhythms that allows you to transcend time and space… We have Memories of Past Lives that reverberate in our hearts like Echoes From Ancient Caves.’
Minimal, deep, dazed roots, steeped in session vibes.
Featuring Sly and Robbie at Channel One, from the same master tape as Rocks And Mountains (and likewise a Shaka plate, back in the day).
Bringing together two Cry Tuff sevens from 1976. (Gimme Gimmie is the same heavyweight rhythm as Prince Far I’s Zion Call, aka Concrete Column.)
‘Recorded across East London, South-East Kent and Snaresbrook Crown Court during what is described as “the UK media’s attempt at divining integrity from the orchestrated turbulence of Brexit”, with the record setting out to “juggle the documentation of this particular moment with the desire to discern motivation from despair”. World In Action takes in field recordings, woodwind freakouts and percussion from Valentina Magaletti amongst other elements’ (The Quietus).
Startling digi do-over of Yabby You’s great Jesus Dread rhythm, with a driving, tumping dub and sermonizing keys. Mis-credited to Phillip Fraser on the label.
Horatian worries on the wicked E20 rhythm.
Hotly recommended, utterly ravishing Cubanismo by the great Amara Toure from Guinée Conakry. All ten releases, 1973 and 1980, starting with three sublime 7” singles recorded in Cameroon with the Black & White group, and ending with the LP recorded in Gabon, when AT was with the Orchestre Massako.
‘Latin music, is it really foreign to us Africans? I don’t think so. Listen to the drums, to the rhythm. It all seems very close to us - it feels like it’s our own culture.’
Coming after Nothin To Look At Just A Record, with its densely layered trombones, this is Niblock’s second, rarest LP, from 1984: a collaboration with Joseph Celli (who himself had worked with Cage, Oliveros and Ornette), playing oboe and English horn.
Niblock creates seamless, ringing drones by skilfully cutting all Celli’s breaths and pauses. Play it loud, he says, for its viscerality, and to get its ringing overtones rolling around your room.