SQUIDCO/SQUID'S EAR NEWS
December 4, 2008
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Welcome to another two weeks of excellent releases! Highlights this time around include: a new ICP Orchestra live CD; Franz Hautzinger's amazing Regen Orchester XII with Otomo, Fennesz, and Luc Ex; Fennesz' gorgeous Black Sea; 3 Treader releases from Alex Ward, Spaceman J & Matthew Shipp, and Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip; East European RIO/chamber rockers Rational Diet At Work; Cecil Taylor's Dance Project on FMP; Alex Schlippenbach & Aki Takase piano duos on Intakt; ESP's latest round, particularly the Redfearn related Barnacled, plus Paul Bley's Barrage, The Levitts, and the eccentric Yximalloo; 3 new Another Timbre titles, leading with Axel Dorner, Thomas Lehn, & Phil Minton's Toot; Benge's taxonomic treatment of classic synthesizers in book and CD; Max Och's rich guitar work and poetry; Magma archival series continues with Bourges 1979; and Pierre Vervloesem's quirky and compelling electronics.
Last but not least, at the end of this mailing are 8 new reviews on The Squid's Ear.
Improvisation:
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$19.95 Buy
 listen | Baghdassarians / Baltschun / Scherzberg / Thein: Ilinx
(FMP) | | Early 2000's resourceful and imaginative improvisation of an electro-acoustic bent from the quartet of Serge Baghdassarians, Boris Baltschun, Lars Scherzberg & Jacob Thein. |
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Bley, Paul: Barrage
(ESP) | | A synthesis of talent, Paul Bley's '64 group with Milford Graves, Eddie Gomez & Dewey Johnson, adding Sun Ra's Marshall Allen on alto, all playing the compositions of Carla Bley. |
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$22.95 Buy
listen | Braxton / Brenders: Toronto Duets 2007 (2Cds)
(Barnyard) | | Legendary saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton releases the first saxophone duet recording of two ghost trance compositions performed with reed player Kyle Brenders. |
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams:
(Epoch Music) | | Percussionist Ravi Padmanabha and his brothers blend Eastern and Western traditions in a funky and psychedelic mix of compelling and upbeat music. |
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$19.95 Buy
listen | ICP Orchestra: Live at the BIMHuis
(ICP) | | The incredible ICP Orchestra performing live at The Bimhuis in The Netherlands with compositions from Misha Mengelberg, Ab Baars, Monk & Herbie Nichols. |
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$17.95 Buy
listen | Joelle Leandre: Live in Israel
(Kadima) | | Double CD of bassist Joelle Leandre perforing Solo in Israel, then in duos, trios and a sextet with JC Jones, Assif Tsahar, Albert Beger, Ariel Shibolet, &c. |
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$15.95 Buy
listen | Kaufmann / Dresser / Eisenstadt: Starmelodics
(Nuscope) | | The collaborative trio of Kaufmann, Mark Dresser, and Eisenstadt playing original compositions of well-realized improvisations from these versatile players. |
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Levitts, The: ...We Are the Levitts
(ESP) | | The Levitt family's jazz and vocal skills were discovered when 13 yo guitarist Sean was spotted by ESP in Central Park, NYC; they recorded this 1968 album with close friend Chick Corea. |
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$54.95 Buy | Parker, Charlie: Bird in Time: 1940 - 1947
(ESP) | | A 4 disc set and 32 page book detailing Parker's early development from recordings with Jay McShann's band to his own leadership; required listening for all Parker fans. |
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$19.95 Buy
listen | Regen Orchester XII: Town Down
(Red Note) | | Franz Hautzinger's Regenorchester with Otomo Yoshihide, Fennesz, Tony Buck and Luc Ex in six new impressive and far-reaching electroacoustic improvisational works. |
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$19.95 Buy
listen | Schlippenbach, Alex + Aki Takase: Iron Wedding
(Intakt) | | Two of the most distinguished improvising pianists of contemporary jazz come together for an album of original compositions with engaging results. |
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Sondheim, Alan: Ritual-All-7-70
(ESP) | | Alan Sondheim used traditional and avant approaches to compose these expressive improvised works, performed with acoustic, electronic & world instruments and wordless voice. |
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$16.95 Buy
listen | Spaceman, J & Matthew Shipp: SpaceShipp
(Treader) | | After their successful collaboration at the Patti Smith Meltdown, J Spaceman and Matthew Shipp took their golden keyboards to Abbey Road Studios for this studio release. |
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$19.95 Buy
listen | Taylor, Cecil: The Dance Project
(FMP) | | 1990 recordings from the trio of Cecil Taylor, William Parker and Masashi Harada performing live at the Akademie der Kunste in Berlin. |
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$17.95 Buy
listen | Toot (Axel Dorner / Thomas Lehn / Phil Minton): two
(Another Timbre) | | Two extended improvisations by three of Europe's most accomplished improvising musicians, taken from live performances in Austria and Germany. |
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$14.95 Buy
listen | Tyranny, Blue Gene : The Intermediary
(Lovely Music) | | Improvising pianist and conceptualist "Blue" Gene Tyranny uses a live 'shadowing' electronic network to improvise against himself on two extended works. |
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$16.95 Buy
listen | Ward, Alex: Cremated Thoughts
(Treader) | | Extraordinary clarinetist Alex Ward in his first solo recording. In the tradition of Anthony Braxton's 'For Alto' and Evan Parker's 'Monoceros': one musician and one instrument. |
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$19.95 Buy
listen | Wickihalder, Juerg: Furioso
(Intakt) | | Swiss saxophonist and composer Jurg Wickihalder in a quartet with bassist Mark Zubek, reed player Achille Succi, bassist Mark Zubek and drummer Kevin Zubek. |
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$13.95 Buy
listen | Williams, Davey: Antenna Road
(Trans Museq) | | 30 solo and multi-track pieces from improviser and all around eccentric guitarist Davey Williams in a limited edition CDR straight from the artists. |
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Electro-Acoustic/Electronic:
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$17.95 Buy
listen | Anne James Chaton & Andy Moor: Le Journaliste
(Unsounds) | | Part of a series of 100 portraits in sound iniated by Anne James Chaton, a journey into the texts and columns of newspapaper and radio broadcasts of a single journalist. |
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$23.95 Buy | Fell, Mark: Attack On Silence [DVD]
(Line) | | Bringing together a series of works by British artist Mark Fell exploring the relationships between geometry, color, and waveform in sound and algorithmic visuals. |
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$15.95 Buy
listen | Fennesz: Black Sea
(Touch) | | Fennesz' first album since "Venice", transforming his guitar through the skillful application and manipulation of dense sonic textures into beautiful soundscapes. |
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$18.95 Buy
listen | Kirschner, Kenneth: Filaments & Voids
(12K) | | Subdued yet detailed sound on a double CD from electroacoustic composer Kirschner, "a broad and dark space inhabited by dispersed and luminous materials." |
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$17.95 Buy
listen | Lexer, Sebastian & Seymour Wright: blasen
(Another Timbre) | | Two powerful electro-acoustic improvisations by two of the most exciting voices from the current London improv scene. |
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$13.95 Buy
listen | Monteiro, Alfredo Costa: centre of mass
(Another Timbre) | | Limited edition CDR from AT's Byways series, a stunning piece for solo cymbal, demonstrating an extraordinary variety and musicality from such limited means. |
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$13.95 Buy
listen | Vibracathedral Orchestra: My Gate's Open, Tremble By My Side
(Lexicon Devil) | | A reissue of their rare 1999 Roaratorio release with 3 bonus tracks from the original core group of VO playing complex percussive, improvised, minimalist drones. |
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Rock/RIO/Prog:
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Barnacled: Charles
(ESP) | | Barnacled plays fun and complex, twisty/turny improvised rock in a chamber/prog/RIO vein, fueled by Alek K. Redfearn and many Eyesore alumni - recommended! |
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$14.95 Buy
listen | Flynt, Henry: Dharma Warriors
(Locust) | | Unrefined blues boogie & stoner rock in this classic 1983 Woodstock recording from conceptual rocker Henry Flynt on guitar and drummer C.C. Hennix. |
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$14.95 Buy
listen | Flynt, Henry: C Tune
(Locust) | | Henry Flynt's expansive, ecstatic and psychedelic 1980 excursion with tambura player C.C. Hennix is a beautiful sonic work of meditative bliss. |
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$14.95 Buy
listen | Gordon, Peter: Star Jaws
(Lovely Music) | | Dedicated to the artists in the Love of Life Orchestra, this is a compelling Downtown NY mix of music with Blue Gene Tyranny and Kathy Acker in the forefront. |
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$28.95 Buy | Magma: Bourges 1979
(Seventh) | | Part of Seventh Records' Magma archive release series, this soundboard recording was made during the Attahk tour in 1979, with a mix of original and new Magma members. |
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$14.95 Buy
listen | Ochs, Max: Hooray For Another Day
(Tompkins Square) | | Guitarist Max Ochs, composer of the "Imaginational Anthem" instrumental, is also a poet and social activist, here with 12 literate and genre-crossing tracks. |
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$17.95 Buy
listen | Rational Diet: At Work
(AltrOck Productions) | | First proper studio release from this excellent chamber/RIO rock band from Belarus who list their influences from Stravinsky to Henry Cow and Debile Menthol. |
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$16.95 Buy
listen | Taylor, Alexis: Rubbed Out
(Treader) | | Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip puts out a solo song album of originals and one Paul McCartney song, with a little help from Rupert Clervaux and John Coxon. |
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$16.95 Buy
listen | Vervloesem, Pierre: Not Even Close
(STILLL) | | X-Legged Sally Vervloesem's first release since 2005 and the start of the "PV Presents" series, excellent upbeat keyboard (or "knobs twiddling") tracks. |
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$12.95 Buy
listen | Yximalloo: Unpop
(ESP) | | Unpopular Japanese artist Yximallo has been releasing his uniquely personal music since the 80s using crude synthesizers and voice to make satisfyingly strange songs. |
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THE SQUID'S EAR
The Squid's Ear is Squidco's companion online magazine, covering improvisational, avant, and experimental music from around the world.
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Recent Reviews:
Fennesz
Black Sea
(Touch)
Fred Anderson / Hamid Drake / "Kidd" Jordan / William Parker
2 Days in April
(Eremite)
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
Party Intellectuals
(PI Recordings)
Matthew Shipp (with Rob Brown and William Parker)
Magnetism
(Bleu Regard)
Barre Phillips and Joelle Leandre
A L'improviste
(Kadima Collective Recordings)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno
Pink Lady Lemonade You're From Outer Space
(Riot Season)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno
Journey Into the Cosmic Inferno
(Very Friendly)
Marilyn Crispell and Louis Moholo-Moholo
Sibanye (we Are One): Duets
(Intakt)
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