While speaking of the US, Squidco, which is to say, I and everyone in our crew, also spent time reading and considering the problems in our own country, with the second murder of a peaceful protestor in Minneapolis, and the subsequent gaslighting of the event by the White House administration. Politics shouldn't be a part of our service, and certainly not our blog, but it's a time than any good human needs to stand up and make a few things clear:

Squidco stands with protestors in the US who have direct comments to make; I plan to stand literally with them in future protests here in our own city of Wilmington. Squidco also stands against imperialism, and finds the challenge to Greenland abhorrent. Squidco detests the kidnapping of a sovereign leader, no matter how much of a villain that leader might be. Squidco doesn't believe in claims to Venezuelan oil, or the Panama Canal. Squidco don't believe that Gaza should be turned into a resort. We also believe that the US should aid Ukraine in liberating itself from Russia's invastion. We have no faith in a "Board of Peace" when the nation has remade the Department of Defense into the Department of War, and invited Russia to it's newly invented "Board". We stand with NATO and believe in honoring the treaties and agreements that have made the world relatively peaceful. And we believe in free trade without tariffs except when necessary to prevent abuse from country to country.

Ultimately, like the music we sell, we believe in cooperation, not competition. The sharing of ideas and beliefs, the diversity that makes us stronger, is the goal — not isolation, bullying, and declarations of superiority.

We understand that many customers are disgusted with the changes in our politics. We're feeling it in the challenges in front of us, while we struggle to bring in the material that defines our business and musical interests.

Last week's blog was a bit hasty — I didn't even remember to date the entry! Most of the time was spent navigating the challenges of bringing in imported albums, as regulations throughout Europe and the UK have changed significantly, with each nation now handling shipments to the US in its own way.

Here in the US, Squidco — meaning myself and everyone on our team — has also spent time reflecting on the troubling events in our own country, including the second killing of a peaceful protestor in Minneapolis and the subsequent attempts by the White House administration to dismiss or distort what occurred. Politics are not usually a part of our service, and certainly not a regular focus of this blog, but there are moments when it feels necessary for any thoughtful person to speak clearly.

Squidco stands with protestors across the US who are raising their voices for justice, and I plan to stand alongside them at future demonstrations here in Wilmington. We oppose imperialism in all its forms and find recent rhetoric regarding Greenland deeply disturbing. We reject the kidnapping of a sovereign leader, regardless of how controversial that leader may be. We do not support claims over Venezuelan oil or the Panama Canal, nor the idea of turning Gaza into a resort destination. We believe the US should continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself against Russia's invasion. We have little faith in newly created "peace boards" when military escalation continues elsewhere, and we stand with NATO in honoring the treaties that have helped maintain relative global stability. Finally, we support free trade, using tariffs only when necessary to prevent clear abuses.

Ultimately, much like the music we represent, we believe in cooperation rather than competition. The exchange of ideas, cultures, and perspectives — the diversity that strengthens us — should be the goal, not isolation, intimidation, or claims of superiority.

We understand that many of our customers are frustrated and disheartened by the direction of current politics. We feel it as well, particularly in the increasing challenges of bringing in the music that defines our work and passions.

A Closer Look at Jessica Williams and Morton Feldman:

A couple of weeks ago we were made aware of a recently released vinyl album that didn't initially seem of much interest: late pianist Jessica Williams' Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987. Williams was an intriguing figure, a classically trained pianist deeply influenced by bop players, particularly Miles Davis and John Coltrane, which led to a long career in jazz on both the east and west coasts. She took a bold approach to the piano, spanning traditional jazz forms alongside more experimental and inventive directions; for instance, her striking prepared piano interpretation of "Bemsha Swing" on the album In the Key of Monk is a joy to hear, while her later experimental releases bridge electronic and classical forms.

I didn't expect any of Williams' reissues to be of great interest to our more avant catalog, but upon hearing a review copy of Blue Abstraction, I was happily surprised by the innovative approach she took across eight pieces, using unusual piano preparations on works including the title track and portraits of Picasso and Matisse. While listening, Carl shouted from across the office, asking what fascinating album I was playing. Hearing it together, we agreed that this album definitely belongs in our catalog. I point it out to our readers who, like I did, might assume this is a traditional jazz album — which it is anything but.

Williams, Jessica: Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987 [VINYL] (Pre-Echo Press)

Drawing from a period of intense experimentation in the mid-1980s, Jessica Williams transforms a prepared piano into a newly imagined and startlingly creative instrument, shaping music that moves from Satie-like lyricism to controlled cacophony through altered strings, tactile resonance, and deeply expressive melodic voicing-forward-thinking and intimate work unheard for nearly four decades.

The other album exciting us in more sublime ways is the 6-CD box set on Another Timbre featuring Morton Feldman's later trio compositions, performed by the GBSR Duo with Taylor MacLennan. John Eyles wrote this review and overview on The Squid's Ear, which explains the album in more detail than I can here. I will mention that it is a monumental listen, beautifully rendered, enveloping the listener in the complex sound world that Feldman somehow makes feel so simple. Kudos to Another Timbre for this stunning production, released in a sturdy box with a booklet.

Feldman, Morton / GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan: Trios [6 CD BOX SET] (Another Timbre)

Spanning Morton Feldman's three expansive trios for flute, piano, and percussion, these performances by the GBSR Duo with Taylor MacLennan immerse the listener in an extended temporal field where quiet intensity, precise timbral balance, and fragile rhythmic relationships unfold with hypnotic patience, transforming duration itself into an expressive element of listening, presence, and sustained attention.

The final piece, For Philip Guston, runs a full four and a half hours, spread across three CDs. The performances come from the trio of Taylor MacLennan (flutes), Siwan Rhys (piano, celesta), and George Barton (glockenspiel, marimba, and tubular bells). Feldman himself considered Why Patterns? one of his most significant works, and he would no doubt have been impressed by the presentation, attention to detail, and the interpretive choices — explicitly permitted within the score — realised so thoughtfully by this small ensemble.

Feldman, Morton / GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan: Trios [6 CD BOX SET] (Another Timbre)

Spanning Morton Feldman's three expansive trios for flute, piano, and percussion, these performances by the GBSR Duo with Taylor MacLennan immerse the listener in an extended temporal field where quiet intensity, precise timbral balance, and fragile rhythmic relationships unfold with hypnotic patience, transforming duration itself into an expressive element of listening, presence, and sustained attention.

Equally exciting are four new albums on the Belgian NI-VU-NI-CONNU label, all beautifully produced and fully in keeping with the label's distinctive aesthetic. As I began listening on arrival, my personal first choice among the four quickly became the Kai Fagaschinski release, an artist whose work I've followed closely for many years. Much like the group I most strongly associate him with, The International Nothing, Fagaschinski's music employs harmonic interaction and carefully unfolding evolution to create deeply engaging sonic environments.

A double album, the first volume features an octet of clarinets spanning a wide octave range, performing Fagaschinski's composition Welcome to the 20th Century. On the second volume, Fagaschinski assumes the role of all performers, layering himself in the recording studio in a process humorously referenced by the title Surrounded by Idiots.

I've been following Liz Allbee's work since her 2010 contribution to Moe Staiano's Mute Socialite release. Since then, I've heard her on albums with Walter Weasel on ugExplode, with Jon Raskin and Carla Harryman on Tzadik, with Killick on Exsanguinette, as a member of Splitter Orchester, and with John Butcher — particularly through her releases on NI-VU-NI-CONNU. Beyond her work with trumpet, Allbee is a compelling sound artist who works extensively with electronics and self-built instruments. Her new album, Breath Vessels, may be the most striking and expansive work I've heard from her: four pieces that captivate through their mysterious pacing, evolving from rich sustained tones into curious percussive and interactive cycles, and ultimately resolving in a joyful, buoyant song-like structure. I felt my own breath contract and release as the album unfolded — a beautiful example of immersion and presentation.

The remaining two albums almost speak for themselves. Sven-Åke Johansson and Yan Jun join Nicholas Bussmann on a set built around his robot-controlled piano, resulting in a quirky and elusive work that resists easy definition. Meanwhile, Angharad Davies and Burkhard Beins take listeners on a powerful journey for strings and percussion, engaging in often wild free improvisation that uses remarkable technique to create sonic environments that are at once confrontational and consonant — true "meshes" of intense interaction.

Allbee, Liz: Breath Vessels [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)

Using self-built breath vessels alongside tuning forks, sine waves, and voice, Liz Allbee creates a form of speculative folk music shaped by respiratory rhythms, resonant drones, and tactile gestures, unfolding a quietly epic, intimate, and immersive soundworld that imagines future collectivity through shared breath, material resonance, and electro-acoustic communion.

Fagaschinski, Kai: Aerodynamics [VINYL 2 LPs] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)

Two expansive clarinet-centered works explore psychoacoustic perception and collective illusion, the first album a swarm-like octet performance by The Paranormal Clarinet Society built from simple instrumental language with a rigorously structured multi-track, the second a solo improvisation that imagines ensemble interplay through breath, density, spatial awareness, and finely calibrated sonic detail.

Bussmann, Nicholas / Sven-Ake Johansson / Yan Jun: Tea Time [Vinyl] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)

Bringing together robot-controlled piano, percussion, and voice, Nicholas Bussmann, Sven-Åke Johansson, and Yan Jun construct a dreamlike improvisation that balances playful artifice and genuine interaction, where fragmented rhythms, unconventional vocal techniques, and mechanized piano gestures blur distinctions between jazz, ritual, and abstraction.

Davies, Angharad / Burkhard Beins : Meshes Of The Evening [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)

In this duo setting, violinist Angharad Davies and percussionist Burkhard Beins achieve an extraordinary level of focus and trust, unfolding detailed free improvisations through intersecting and consonant playing that moves through episodic, suite-like forms, where texture, space, and timbral transformation dissolve individual roles into a single, continuously evolving musical presence.

Squidco Publishing Roundup:

You can view our latest fully cataloged albums in the Recently Section.

You can also browse new titles as they enter our Just In Stock Section — meaning we physically have the album and can ship it, though we may still be updating additional information about the release.

To see restocks of previously listed titles, visit our Recently Restocked page.

And if you're interested in a future release, you can ask us to notify you by email via our Upcoming Releases page — no obligation necessary.

January 22, 2026: New @ Squidco:
Morton Feldman/GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan -Trios [6 CD BOX SET] (Another Timbre)
Angharad Davies/Burkhard Beins -Meshes Of The Evening [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Nicholas Bussmann/Sven-Ake Johansson/Yan Jun -Tea Time [Vinyl] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Daniel Levin/Laurent Estoppey -Freedom From The Known [LP] (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Jessica Williams -Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987 [VINYL] (Pre-Echo Press)
Fieldwork (Iyer/Lehman/Sorey) -Thereupon [CD] (Pi Recordings)
Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner -The Music of Anthony Braxton [CD] (Pi Recordings)

January 21, 2026: New @ Squidco:
Kris Davis and the Lutoslawski Quartet -Solastalgia Suite [CD] (Pyroclastic Records)
Kai Fagaschinski -Aerodynamics [VINYL 2 LPs] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Liz Allbee -Breath Vessels [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Ernesto Rodrigues/Guilherme Rodrigues/Jung-Jae Kim/Andreas Willers -Points of Dichotomy [CD] (Creative Sources)
Ernesto Rodrigues/Claudia Risch/Grgur Savic/Guilherme Rodrigues -Past Dreams In Rust [CD] (Creative Sources)
Die 3 Diven -RCHTN MTNCHTN [CD] (Creative Sources)
+Felladog+ -II [CDR] (Love Earth Music)
Meketa Power Electronics -Suffering [CDR] (Love Earth Music)

January 21, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Webber/Morris Big Band - Unseparate (Out of Your Head Records) by Paul Serralheiro.

January 20, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: McPhee, Joe & Strings (w/ Maneri / Lonberg-Holm / Bisio) - We Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (RogueArt) by Paul Serralheiro.

An interesting note on Bullfighting On Ice! is that the title comes from Evan Parker's response to hecklers in the audience who simply didn't understand what the duo was attempting to achieve. The confrontation pushed the music to greater intensity, and you can hear Parker addressing the crowd: "Bring back bullfighting, bring back bullfighting... whoa... Bullfighting on ice!" as well as "Bring on the lions!" Hence the title — and the remarkable synergy that emerges between the performers, the audience members who were listening intently, and those who were pushing back. It's a remarkable and, in my mind, important album that captures both the turbulence of the era and the rapid shifts in improvised music that had unfolded over little more than a decade.

Curran, Alvin / Andrea Centazzo / Evan Parker: Real Time Two [VINYL] (Ictus Remastered Collection)

Recorded on December 14, 1977 in Pistoia's cavernous, half-empty sports pavilion, the Curran/Centazzo/Parker trio plays with surprising translucence as piano and synth glint, trumpet flashes, sax lines braid into overtones, and percussion radiates in airy space, the room's unlikely acoustics giving the music an ethereal transparency that makes every attack, shimmer and sudden silence feel magnified.

Curran, Alvin / Andrea Centazzo / Evan Parker: Real Time [VINYL] (Ictus Remastered Collection)

Captured on the trio's December 12-13, 1977 Rome dates, Alvin Curran's piano, trumpet and synthesizer set melodic fragments and minimalist pulses in motion while Evan Parker and Andrea Centazzo answer with spiralling sax multiphonics and electrified percussion, the three languages finding a volatile common ground where groove, texture and rupture keep swapping roles in real time.

Parker, Evan / Andrea Centazzo: Bullfighting On Ice! Live In Padova 1977 [VINYL] (Ictus Remastered Collection)

Restored from the December 12, 1977 Padova concert, Evan Parker's soprano/tenor torrents collide with Andrea Centazzo's percussion and electronics, turning audience heckles into rocket fuel as long, scorching sequences leap from whispering key-click detail to volcanic blasts, capturing a decisive moment when Italy's free scene opened wide to Northern Europe's most inventive sax voice.

Focus on Alexander Zethson & Thanatosis Produktion:

Alex (Alexander) Zethson is a Swedish pianist, keyboardist, and composer active in contemporary jazz, improvised, and experimental music. Based in Stockholm, he is a long-standing member of ensembles including Angles (notably Angles 9 and related iterations), Goran Kajfeš Tropiques, Fire! Orchestra, Je Suis!, VÖ, and Yokada, and can also be heard in collaborations with artists such as Sven Wunder and Mariam the Believer. Zethson performs frequently as a solo artist and works across a wide range of acoustic and electronic contexts. In addition to his performance and compositional work, he is a concert organiser and runs the Thanatosis Produktion record label. He completed his studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he earned degrees in jazz performance.