Bis aufs Messer weekly News 04 February 2024
Hi. Welcome to another newsletter for February - ALEX ZHANG HUNGTAI - Young Gods Run Free LP restock, new stuff from Discreet like the THE FAMILY MEN - No Sound Forever LP, MATS ERLANDSSON - 28/4/23 TAPE, HAMMERHEAD - Nachdenken Über Deutschland LP, V/A - Written On the Wall : American Soul Music 1958-1974 3LP and other CAIRO records restocks, MAHOGANY BRAIN - Smooth Sick Lights LP, BENITEZ & VALENCIA - Impossible Love Songs From Sixties Quito DLP restock, INNER COP AVOIDANCE - s/t LP, MUSIQUE INFINIE - Earth LP, SIMINA OPRESCU - Sound of Matter LP and more
And we also added (adding) a few more second hand LPs and 7“s to our discogs
https://www.discogs.com/seller/XMESSERX
Thank you as usual
Til then thank you for all your orders & support.
Robert & Norman
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7“
TO FORGET - We Are All Condemned to Be Free 7“ (To Forget is a Post-Hardcore / Screamo band from Charleston, SC. FFO: Gillian Carter, Masada, Hundreds of Au, Youth Novel, Closer, …) 8.00
LP
AERIAL - Put It This Way In Headlines DLP (osacarson - Aerial's third album from 2009, first time on vinyl. Swedish answer to Radiohead or The Notwist?) 18.00
ALEX ZHANG HUNGTAI - Young Gods Run Free LP (back in stock, Edition of 500 pressed on orange vinyl. Mastered by Rashad Becker, cut by LUPO. Vinyl comes with a download of the album dropped to your account. Please listen in STEREO. MONO speakers like iphone will not play the album correctly due to Stereo Phasing. Modern Love grip the inimitable genius of Alex Zhang Hungtai - a saxophonist-composer and actor renowned for his work as Dirty Beaches and Love Theme, appearing in David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’, and more recently scoring the award-winning ‘Godland’ - for a maiden vinyl edition of his ravishingly cacophonous and noirish 2020 free jazz salvo. Spliced together from five years of grotty phone memo recordings into a miasmic reverie of echoing percussion and gusty, serpentine sax, it’s a real time-dilating wonder that sits somewhere between early Wolf Eyes, Milford Graves and Angelo Badalamenti - and we don't make any of those comparisons lightly.) 30.00
ARV & MILJÖ - Jorden Först LP (discreet - Newest album by Gothenburg's Matthias Andersson. Storytelling ambient.) 26.00
ARV & MILJÖ - Vålnad Av Fornskog LP (discreet - Gloss laminated sleeve with double-sided insert.* Coming full circle, Vålnad Av Fornskog is the fourth and final part in Arv & Miljö's suite of seasonal ambient albums initiated with Svensk Sommar I Stilla Frid (Omlott, 2018) and continued with Himmelsvind (Discreet Music, 2020) and Ensam Är Nattens Rymd Över Vita Vägar (Discreet Music, 2021). Heavily inspired by the Swedish countryside autumns of the 80's, the album starts just at the tail end of the summer. Fragmentary memories of things like rain on a tin roof, empty playgrounds and windy days walking home in the dark comes alive throughout the five segments on the album, sounds integrated with dissolving melodic synth primitivism and crude tape techniques. While arguably not miles away in sound and ambience compared to the previous parts, the broken new age music of Vålnad Av Fornskog is further pushing the fidelity boundaries with everything almost falling to pieces at the end. Glimpses of early Pacific City Sound Visions or Dreamtime Taped Sounds releases meets 90's Tangerine Dream through speakers on fire with an undeniable dose of 'Swedish tape noise'. Features a guest apperance by Mark Anderson of Greymouth fame on drums.) 26.00
BENTON FALLS - Fighting Starlight LP (thirty something - Orange w/ red & black marble vinyl. First time on vinyl since 2009. Comes with a new design & artwork by Simon Tripcony. Dynamic, enveloping, nearly trance-inducing, the songs on Fighting Starlight feed off one another, to a point where you wonder how four individuals can be so uncannily attuned to an invisible pulse - the heartbeat of a band. The rhythms sprint with intelligent restraint and slow with gentle deliberation. With words and tempo embracing the ideal amount of inflection and pitch to convey a complete range of emotion, Benton Falls is like dusk in Autumn. That intangible moment when we're grasping for those last few seconds of vanishing daylight...the time when the sun warms the sky and our skin with lustrous tones of orange and red, and the deep blue of night creeps up from behind us. This is the instant when we're "fighting starlight." Benton Falls is crisp, bright and as hard as it will be to believe, this is a debut. (DER-399) ) 28.00
BENTON FALLS - Guilt Beats Hate LP (thirty something - White w/red marble vinyl. 20th Anniversary Edition - First time on vinyl since 2003. Comes with a new design & artwork by Simon Tripcony. This Santa Rosa-based threesome doesn't sacrifice volume for intimacy, creating a hailstorm of songs on Guilt Beats Hate that are as brutal as they are tender. Intelligent, electrifying and addictive, Benton Falls fuse together disparate genres to compose songs with lush, luminous segments that shatter unpredictably with bursts of aggression and intensity. They alter tempo with impeccable precision and startling tightness (their most identifiable aesthetic), teetering dynamically between introspection and rage. Richardson's glistening voice, impassioned screams, penetrating lyrics and sharp guitars combined with deftly deployed drum sounds and thunderous bass lines result in masterful narratives about frustration, struggle, uncertainty and inevitability. Guilt Beats Hate is a breath of fresh air and dazzling display of maturity that will be appreciated by both hardcore and post-punk fans for many years to come. "Nothing could prepare me for Benton Falls' latest, Guilt Beats Hate. From the very first track, this album is intense and explosive, yet every song reaches out like a gentle, reassuring pat on the shoulder. It has everything; crushing guitars that leap into wild variations and then dive into soft plucking, vicious screams and an intensity that dares not let up. Every track is like a dark car ride; no one knows where they're going except the driver. Guitars and drums beat incessantly, building up to the point of no return and then cascading down with a burst and blast of energy. Benton Falls stands apart from their contemporaries by their sheer willingness to make music that sounds at once caring and hopeless. We live in an era of ambivalence, wanting to change our ways without altering our standard of living. Benton Falls reflect these thoughts with style and grace." - Pirate Nun ) 28.00
BRENT NAUCKE - Cast A Double Shadow LP (ceremony - Specifically written and recorded by Brett Naucke to be paired with Conjured In Shadows, a Mendocino grown, carbonic macerated Nouveau wine from the 2022 harvest. As the months dwindle into darkness, we move indoors, and the sounds of life grow sparse and quiet, contained within the walls we inhabit. Inside we seek new warmth against the chill of long nights, and even our celebrations must unfold in the interiors of our spaces, the summer all but a memory, a recording kept against the cold in the interiors of consciousness. Brett Naucke's Cast a Double Shadow bottles the seething pulse of summer until it transforms from within, its warm and insistent rhythms reconstituted as icy, twinkling bell-tones and swirling snow. Fractal patterns grow and spread across its tracks like tendrils of frost breathed on glass, while in the background the cold radiance of winter light blooms into harmonic chrysanthemums. ) 30.00
CAMBER - Beautiful Charade LP (thirty Something - Blue With Black And White Marble vinyl. First time on vinyl. On their critically-acclaimed debut Beautiful Charade, Camber translates the desperation of an empty, lost soul into surprising thought and beauty in music. It's a delicate display on the art of dynamics that will leave you speechless. Driving, distorted guitars, tortured vocals and painfully-resigned introspection to the edge, with an incredible wrist-slitting vocal style. Raging when asked, consoling when necessary, Beautiful Charade is like a good friend in the time of need."In a world that keeps getting more and more crowded, Camber finds room to breathe on "Beautiful Charade." With their high-rise vocal harmonies, satisfying guitar textures, and down-low rhythms, the NYC foursome carves out a place with space. On "First," vocalist Barry Lott sings of bittersweet understanding, while the band runs a patient race with tension and gritty guitar lightness. Always careful to betray your expectations, they surf a smooth wave of hope and frustration, then tie it in a knot with tricky rhythms and disorienting downturns." - Alternative Press ) 26.00
DARK SINES - The Space Time Paradox LP (ceremony - Dark Sines is the music project of Taylor Proffitt. Their compositions are designed to bring the struggles of mental illness into form, to give people a safe place to process emotions, and to step into the unconscious; to discover ones deepest dreams, trauma, desires, and ultimately self-love. Harm Reduction Saves Lives & We Keep Us Safe.) 30.00
THE FAMILY MEN - No Sound Forever LP (Harmful - From the depths of Gothenburg, The Family Men emerge. Since 2017, they have slowly carved out a sound entirely their own within the current music scene, standing out as one of the hardest groups in Sweden today. Making use of unconventional sampling, chainsaw-guitars and gritty industrial tones, they manage to blast their way into yet uncharted musical territory. Their debut album 'No Sound Forever' is an explosive, daring and vital record of a band ready to swallow you whole.) 26.00
FAR - Tin Cans With Strings To You DLP (thirty something - White w/orange haze vinyl. Re-Issue of the band's first album for Immortal Record/Epic in 1996. Reconstructed artwork for vinyl by Simon Tripcony. Reissue of the influential Californian post-hardcore band's first album for Immortal Records/Epic in 1996. FFO: Deftones, Quicksand, Hundred Reasons, early-Biffy Clyro.) 35.00
GOAT (JP) - Joy In Fear LP (Repress, edition of 400 copies - goat (JP) are renowned for two albums released in 2013 and 2015 that took Kraftwerk’s man-machine concept back to its roots with swingeing, inch-tight drums, bass and guitar patterns that needed to be heard to be believed. For their long-in-the-making new album ‘Joy In Fear’, band leader Koshiro Hino (YPY, KAKUHAN) describes the process as “90 percent pain” - and we can well believe it - few other records we can think of transmute DAW-composed rhythmic precision into such an expressive instrumental performance. It really is a feat of determination, skill and execution that seems to defy human dexterity. Make no mistake - an academic exercise it ain’t - in the most visceral sense, goat (JP) make BODY music, for dancing, flailing, for losing yourself in completely. As usual, Hino plays guitar, backed by bassist Atsumi Tagami, while Akihiko Ando joins on saxophone, while Takafumi Okada and Rai Tateishi step in to handle percussion, with the latter moonlighting on flute. Every sound is sculpted into a fragment of cadence: guitar and bass prangs alternately echo and dance between the drums, and Ando's sax is mutated into a respiratory slobber of guttural smacks and phantom breaths.) 32.00
HAMMERHEAD - Nachdenken Über Deutschland LP (holy goat - Nach 26 Jahren Warten endlich ein neues komplettes Hammerhead Album: 14 Songs die gleichsam Bestandsaufnahme und Abrechnung mit dem aktuellen Zeitgeist sind und dabei gekonnt die Faust in die Wunde legen.) 21.00
INNER COP AVOIDANCE - s/t LP (trii — An anonymous ICA fan writes in a reddit post, that if you layer these two voices on top of each other and play KP’s voice backwards the band members will speak in unison saying, “we mean there are footsteps while we stand still”. This was suggested a short time after the band played their first concert back in 2022. A few weeks later in another chat someone suggests how the ICA acronym could be understood as a counterabreviation of CIA, “… a music to infiltrate a secret police force?”… Then a certain ConradSvensson states that the acronym in fact is a reference to a swedish supermarket chain of the same name, arguing for a similarity in the atmosphere of the music and the food store, “… an almost empty mall, in the outskirts of a small village. Everyone greets each other kindly as if everything is completely normal. Smiling, raising their caps. In the mainhall a young couple is dancing next to a jukebox. Far back you can hear a strange repetitive rumble. Something small, that suddenly has grown enormously big. A giant bullet looping around in a huge hole in the ground.”) 20.00
KEPLER - Attic Salt LP (The record „Attic Salt“ (2005) of the Canadian band Kepler to hear on vinyl, is definitely a good reason for myself to release it, and with that, making it possible for other vinyl-lovers to also enjoy it. Kepler existed between 1997 and 2006 and broke up, after band member Jeremy Gara changed to Arcade Fire. Their first two 12” (Fuck Fight Fail and Missionless Days) were called in one breath with Codeine, Low and Bedhead. Their third and last record took a new direction (Slowcore to Songcore) and certainly had a significant influence on bands such as Broken Social Scene or Apostle of Hustle. Going for a lighter feeling using sweet harmonies, lush layers and some subtle wit, Attic Salt is deeply beautiful, haunting, and memorable… 12” vinyl in beautiful gatefold sleeve, includes 1 unreleased song. An elaborately designed booklet (integrated in the cover) with lyrics and pictures.) 20.00
LISA ULLÉN - Heirloom LP (Fönstret - Heirloom is the first Lisa Ullén solo recording to appear on LP and exploits the two-sided nature of the physical format with two variations of the same three-part suite, exploring what it means to be ‘in between’ — be it genre, method or identity. The combination of Ullén’s deft control, patience and unconventional technique makes ‘Heirloom’ a sublime, ravishing listen. The LP is pressed on clear vinyl in an edition of 300 copies and housed with a photo of the small box of the possessions she brought with her from South Korea to Sweden as a young adoptee.) 28.00
MAHOGANY BRAIN - Smooth Sick Lights LP (silt breeze - Mahogany Brain seemingly forged their unique audio dialect with their debut release, 'With (Junk-Saucepan) When (Spoon-Trigger) for the legendary Futura label in 1971. More Avant-Garde than Prog, it spoke to the souls of the dedicated one percenters-such as the ESP Disk set- specifically patrons of The Godz & Cromagnon. But in early 1972, Mahogany Brain recorded a follow up release even more bewildering than its predecessor, yet this sat neglected until 1976 when it was issued by the Pole label. Titled 'Smooth Sick Lights', it's hard to know what sort of impressions it formed on anyone besides Steven Stapleton (as his NWW list is how many have been informed of it's existence). It had enough allure that the Tapioca label reissued a botched mispress in 1977, which seems to be the version that most latent hep-cats, whom knew not better, got fooled into owning. Zaius Tapes comes to the rescue once again w/a stellar reissue of this exemplary diamond in the rough. For fans of the further out 70's French Prog, it goes beyond Red Noise & Fille Qui Mousse. You can see how the brain-beams emitted from this release were studied by Heratius & Gutura (among others). It's possible this lp even helped inform factions of the New York No Wave (member Patrick Geoffois would go on to be a member of both The Contortions & James White & The Blacks). As the bard once penned, "conjecture is nine-tenths of the truth." RIYL; Frolk Haven, Mars, Jandek, Sproton Layer. A one time pressing of 300.) 28.00
MUSIQUE INFINIE - Earth LP (hallow ground - Musique Infinie is the collaborative project of Manuel Oberholzer a.k.a. Feldermelder and Noémi Büchi. Their album »Earth«, released through Hallow Ground, is based on a spontaneously composed live score for Alexander Dovzhenko’s groundbreaking 1930 silent film »Zemlya« (»Earth«) created for the 24th edition of Videoex – International Experimental Film & Video Festival. Frequently cited as a masterpiece of early 20th century filmmaking, the movie deals with the collectivisation of Ukraine’s agriculture. The Swiss duo complemented it with atmospherically rich electronic soundscapes that are both deeply immersive and highly evocative. As a stand-alone music release, the two-piece album »Earth« captures the essence of Büchi and Oberholzer’s collaboration that is marked by mutual trust and musical versatility that puts them in a state of »togetherness trance,« as they call it. Oberholzer has been highly productive as a composer, musician, sound designer, and installation artist in recent years, releasing a slew of solo albums as well as a variety of collaboration records with artists such as Sara Oswald and Julian Sartorius. Büchi has recently debuted as a solo composer and sound artist working with electroacoustic techniques to create a »symphonic maximalism for the end of the world,« as she dubs it. Both are prolific and versatile artists with a penchant for working conceptually, however their collaboration as Musique Infinie is an improvisational and thus by design intuitive one. Their sessions start with an exchange on emotions and thoughts rather than theoretical questions or aesthetic debates. When they get to work—often for several hours—they rarely talk. They approached »Earth« the same way, improvising freely together and using only a few select samples from the film’s original score in the process.) 27.00
QITSCH - No Shame LP (order005 - Surprising new Post-Punk album from Switzerland! Shortly following the first album, here´s more of the athmospheric, dark and melodic Post-Punk, Shoegaze and Noise-Pop sounds, vibrating into one huge movement. With the first LP, they remained in mystical obscurity, but at least we know now it´s a swiss “all-star band” including Mike of YC-CY/WALTER FROSCH, and more. LP comes with 16-pages A5-booklet feat. lyrics and photos.) 17.00
SIMINA OPRESCU - Sound of Matter LP (hallow ground - »Sound of Matter« is the debut album by Romanian sound artist and composer Simina Oprescu. The two pieces draw on research conducted with 15 historical church bells at the Märkisches Museum and the Stadtmuseum Berlin. After the artist had presented the results of her studies of the connection between matter and harmony in the form of a multi-channel installation, she has translated the underlying approach of this site-specific work into an album that unfolds slowly, consistently setting in motion subtle tonal changes that continuously change the mood of the two pieces. »Sound of Matter« is both minimalist and maximalist, creating an infinitely rich and multi-layered dronescape that modestly invites its audience to get lost in the sonic experience.) 27.00
STARGAZE - Deerhoof Chamber Variations LP (transgressive - "‘Deerhoof Chamber Variations’ is devised as a continuous piece of instrumental music, based on 9 1/2 songs which drummer and composer Greg Saunier originally wrote for his acclaimed band Deerhoof.Different from most other band and orchestra / classical collaborations Greg himself arranged and recomposed the material for a classical chamber ensemble, using exactly the same notes as in the originals while rearranging the songs structurally, in a kind of miniaturizing and abstracting way. s t a r g a z e adapted this new composition to their particular line-up and the musicians’ personal skills, as Greg Saunier produced the album in Berlin in the freezing winter days of December 2015. The intimacy is evident - favouring the dry sound of the Beatles and George Martin’s approach to recording classical ensembles, rather than the lush approach favoured today. The 19 minute piece of music is the latest in a series of collaborations for s t a r g a z e, who have previously worked with Julia Holter, Owen Pallett, Nils Frahm and Matthew Herbert“) 14.00
STARMARKET - s/t LP (thirty something - White/Black/Grey marble vinyl. Starmarket was a Swedish indie rock band, formed in 1995 in Piteå. The band released five albums and several EPs between the years 1995 and 2004, after which it split. The band relocated once to Umeå and the last years to Stockholm before the break up. They have done a few re-union shows lately. This is the reissue of their '95 released debut album.) 26.00
SUPERBLOOM - Life's A Blur LP (thirty something - Clear With Red Haze vinyl. New York alternative rock / post-grunge band Superbloom follow up their debut album ‘Pollen’ with this new mini-album of 90’s inspired heavy rock music. FFO: Siamese Dream era ‘Pumpkins, Kerbdog, Quicksand, Narrow Head, etc. If you like the sound of chunky riffs, swirling production, and dreamy interludes then this is for you.) 25.00
V/A - Cairo Vol 2: All Of This Goes Too DLP (Cairo records - A new version of the second Cairo soul comp! With an improved track list and all new liner notes. A double LP compilation of some of the best soul music in the world, both obscure and well known. Features vivid sound, long winded anecdotal liner notes, great photos of the artists (some only published here), and a fancy gold foil cover.) 39.00
V/A - The Love You Save DLP (Stunning compilation of great soul songs. The first in a six part series of compilations following a similar logic as Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music - only where Smith covered folk, blues, gospel and old timey, this compilation covers just American soul music recorded between 1955 and 1972. Many deep ballads and a few rockers. Features extensive 12 page liner notes with lots of photo's. Cover has gold foil printing, and the records are housed in classy black sleeves. . Super fancy limited edition double LP not to be missed. ) 35.00
V/A - Written On the Wall : American Soul Music 1958-1974 3LP (Cairo - The seventh and I believe last volume in this Cairo Comp series. thirty six tracks spread over 3 LPs. 28 Page full color 12 X 12 booklet. Gold foil print on cover. "This volume has more obscure and beautiful songs than any of the other volumes in the Cairo soul series. Some of my all time favorites I've been saving for this final in the "straight" soul comps of the series. Extensive liner notes with lots of nice rarely seen pictures. Excellent sound quality.“) 48.00
V/A - Freedom For The Stallion 3xLP (Cairo records - Volume 4 of the Cairo Records soul series. 3xLP, long sold out, but Cairo made a few warehouse copies available. Includes big booklet with artist biographies and photos. American Soul Music 1952-1976) 48.00
TAPE
J. PLACKTIES - Cowboys Oder Piraten? TAPE (oscarsson - Solo project by J. Plackties of German Black Metal band Toadeater. Atmospheric guitar picking meets loads of delay and reverb.) 10.00
DIE VERSION - s/t TAPE (diy - Handnumbered, first edition of 50 tapes. Debut by Hamburg-based Cold Wave / Dark Wave band Die Version.) 10.00
THE LONELY BELL - The Absent Years TAPE (Limited to 50 handnumbered copies. Dark introspective ambient music from a cold little Scottish island…) 10.00
MATS ERLANDSSON - 28/4/23 TAPE (Limited to 40 handnumbered tapes. Swedish electroacoustic composer, musician and sound artist, based in Sweden, born 1985. He is predominantly composing using modular synthesis. As a composer, musician and sound artist, Mats Erlandsson is part of the vibrantly reemerging field of drone music in Stockholm, Sweden, and is associated with practices characterized by the extensive use of sustained sound.
Erlandsson has undergone studies in composition in Stockholm, where he received a Master’s degree in Composition of Electronic Music. In addition to his own artistic practice, Erlandsson holds a position as studio assistant at the world-renowned Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) in Stockholm.) 15.00
