Other Music New Release Update
January 9, 2002

In This Week's Update:

International Harvester reissue
Can't Stop It! Australian post-punk comp.
Kuchen
Jim O'Rourke
Andre Popp comp.
Bert Jansch reissue
What Is Wrong With Groovin'? comp.
Popshopping 2 comp.
Institute of Sonology comp.
Shaolin Soul comp.
Chris Brokaw/Viva Las Vegas split EP
Spunk remixed by Rune Grammofon artists
Ralf Wehowsky & Kevin Drumm
Henri Pousseur 4xCD set
Kid Acne & Req One
Manitoba EP

Just In:
Starsailor domestic
Chicks on Speed/Kriedler EP

Restocks:
Japanese Independent Music book + CD
Ethiopiques Vols. 10 + 11
Miss Kittin & the Hacker

Featured New Releases:

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER "Sov Gott Rose-Marie" (Silence, Sweden) CD $13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/intlhar1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/intlhar2.rm
International Harvester is an incarnation of Parson Sound before
they became Harvester (and later Trad Gras Och Stenar). Much
like the first track of the Parson Sound reissue, the opener on
"Sov Gott Rose-Marie" is a mammoth to be reckoned with. 'Dies
Irae', a death hymn, bursts forth from hell. Its darkness, however,
creates the contrast with which to recognize the shards of light
within the murk--you can hear the sunshine, as it's laced with soft
voices and songbirds. Then comes the Rock. The album's an
amalgam of juxtaposed auras: at once improvised free jazz, folk,
and heavily-structured hard psych. Tribal percussions are
collaged amidst speeding cars and radio transmissions. Primitive
vocal calls permeate a sweet ballad. Driving repetitive patterns
slip you into a delicate coma, only to wake you abruptly when
these dualities crescendo into a stimulating musical expression.
Included is an outdoor improvised recording featuring flute,
chanting, acoustic guitar, dogs, drums, children laughing--14
minutes long and transcendental. If you loved Parson Sound, then
this is worth it for the bonus track alone, a 25-minute psych
behemoth. [NL]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=739194608731&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Can't Stop It" (Chapter, Australia) CD $13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/thelimp.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/moodists.rm
Fantastic compilation of Australian punk and new wave and post-
punk, circa 1978-1982. I can't say you've probably heard of bands
here past the Moodists and the Apartments, but the quality is the
Aussie equivalent of Family Fodder, Raincoats, the Fall--like what
came out on the labels Stiff, Rough Trade, Y. Artsy pop, keyboards
galore, punk force in shambles, tinny keyboard man-machine
melodies, angular angst. From fabulous electro new wave songs to
punk slapdash urgency, to more artsy pop experiments, the
selection (by David Nichols [Cannanes] and Guy Blackman) is
incredible, the vast majority off of tiny-label 7" that you'll
never find, ever. Electro kids will find something to love, punk's
not left behind, even those of you (us?) who lived through this
fruitful period of music will find here a ton of stuff totally
missed. There's a reason The Wire gave this comp. a full-page
review recently--it's good good good. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999170062&refer_url=email

KUCHEN "Kids With Sticks" (Karaoke Kalk) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/kuchen1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/kuchen2.rm
Highly melodic warm electronics from Leeds, England. Kuchen is
the debut of Meriel Barham, formerly of Pale Saints. Slow beats
mark time while acoustic instruments weave in and out. Her touch
for the genre and for manipulating the elements of it is a marvel:
delicate, yet forceful. "Kids with Sticks" is sweetly naive in
sounds and sound, with a clunkiness seemingly derived from the
rhythms of kids playing or exploring the world--but sophisticated,
because it has just as many revelations and wonders in store. For
fans of Four Tet, Manual, Durutti Column, anything else on
Karaoke Kalk--and so far my favorite thing on that label. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=67379110029&refer_url=email

JIM O'ROURKE "I'm Happy and I'm Singing and 1,2,3,4" (Mego, Austria) CD $16.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/jimo3.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/jimo4.rm
Indeed Mr O'Rourke (look under O' in the Penguin guide to post-
populist art-wank) finally produces a solo computer album.
Although traits of O'Rourke-ian past can be found here, some
definite bright new angles also shine throughout the three (dare
we say it) elegant tracks featured here: equal parts schizoid pop,
cracked minimalism, concrete drama, and melancholic
contemplation. It strikes us as a highly personal release. Imagine
the Powerbook as a springboard to explore one's inner self...not
a machine for accentuating the inhuman, but a machine for
embracing, and giving voice to the more delicate elements of the
inner human. Given the nature of this warm beast, it seems likely
to appeal across the board -- electronic nuts, indie rock kids and
yes, even the good folk of the established experimental world
may take pleasure in the nuances of Jim's hard drive. Avoiding
cliches seems like pretty tough business to most artists out there,
not to our boy Jim who has produced a disc worthy of many
repeated listens -- hats off to him for that. [SMa]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999169382&refer_url=email

ANDRE POPP "Popp Musique" (Tricatel, France) CD $16.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/andrpop1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/andrpop2.rm
Bertrand Burgalat acknowledges his enormous debt to French
orchestral composer Andre Popp with this compilation. Popp's
graceful, polished visions infiltrated so many areas of France's
musical landscape from the '50s through the '70s, providing a
sound as essential as Michel LeGrand or Frances Lai--possibly
more so. Popp's vision was always extraordinarily creative, in the
service of something very mainstream and pop, a la Burt
Bacharach's complexities. He set baroque, romantic frames for
vocalists such as Claudine Longet (his composition, 'Love is
Blue', is well familiar, but unfortunately from Paul Mauriat's
much inferior instrumental version, which was, for you trivia
hounds, the last instrumental to hit #1 in the U.S.), Marie
Laforet, Astrud Gilberto, even Herman's Hermits and Francoise
Hardy (the last not incl. on this disc). Just the same, he had a
mastery of the Brazilian pop form, adding the steady thudding
drums to French elegance for the group Maracana. Some of his
laciest, most exquisite pop was made sans vocalist, like the
thudding, ridiculously fun 'Musique Mechanique' (1956) to the
bounding, tense, 'Laura Mia' (1974). A perfect introduction to the
man, with 20 tracks both vocal and instrumental. For those already
familiar with him, you'll be happy to know there is no overlap
between this title and those excellent CDs on the Basta label. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999222222&refer_url=email

BERT JANSCH "s/t" (Transatlantic, UK) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/bjansch1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/bjansch2.rm
Jansch's first few solo records are amongst the finest and most
influential folk albums ever made. Neil Young called him
the "Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar". Young also used/stole
Jansch material for his own 'Needle and the Damage Done' as well
as 'Ambulance Blues' from his classic "On the Beach" record. A
partial list of folks that have recorded songs/been influenced by
Jansch would include: Donovan, Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake,
and Led Zeppelin. Scotsman Jansch settled in London in the early
sixties, his musical genius and his bohemian lifestyle quickly
made him the king of the scene. There was a great deal of
speculation that he'd be the UK's answer to Bob Dylan. However,
Jansch didn't give two shits about becoming famous, so instead he
just kept honing his craft while releasing a series of low-key
masterpieces alone, with John Renbourn, and then eventually with
the folk super-group Pentangle. His self titled first LP was
famously recorded for a mere 100 pounds and featured a series
of brilliant ruminations on the blues, love, and debilitating drug
addiction. This is one of those records that, once you get it into
your life, you'll regret not having gotten it there sooner.
Highest recommendation. [MK]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=505015912042&refer_url=email

[V/A] "What Is Wrong With Groovin'?" (Jazzman, UK) CD $18.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/keithman.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/carleen.rm
The Jazzman record label has released, over the past (at least)
six or seven years, some of the absolutely best reissue rarities
to be excavated. I'll give you their description of this release,
and then I'll give you mine. Theirs: "?featuring the rarest
scorching Latin, oddball library gear, Canadian deep funk,
heavyweight dancefloor jazz, forklift truck adverts and so much
more." Actually, what they've really focused on here is the vocal
jazz. Jazzman singles always contain a jazz element, but this
compilation smartly puts most of the vocal jazz tracks they've
done, together (they have enough material to do a second; I
hope they do!), along with a few other funky numbers. The
standouts, believe it or not, are standards ('Sometimes I Feel
Like a Motherless Child', 'Send in the Clowns')! But these
particular interpretations, by Kathleen Emery and Lorez Alexandria
respectively, are blindingly idiosyncratic, sneaking up on you
with odd phrasing and odder rhythms, till you can do nothing else
but focus on the song. Add to that the stunning title track from
Letta Mbulu, who enunciates so crisply and sharply you feel you
may have actually done something wrong by NOT grooving. Oh,
and many many more. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=503646820004&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Popshopping Vol. 2" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Germany) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/pschirma.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/hgehlen.rm
Volume two of the popular collection of music for commercials,
library musics, and incidental musics of '60s and '70s from
Europe, mostly Germany. The most obvious influences on these
composers: Morricone, Peter Thomas (Thomas is also
included), '60's Hot Rod culture, and quaint retro sleaze. A
lengthy 27 tracks span 1962-1977. Superb. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875276132&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Institute of Sonology: Early Electronic Music 1959-69" (Sub Rosa, Belgium) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/bruynel.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/boehmer.rm
The work that took place at the Institute of Sonology equals, and
maybe even surpasses, that of the Columbia/Princeton studios.
The Institute was a spinoff of the famous Philips studios, a bunch
of rare and expensive equipment moved by Philips to the Univ. of
Utrecht in the late '50s. The composers that used this studio were
lucky indeed, and certainly didn't sleep on their good fortune.
Painting the world with electronic sound, the tracks bubble,
gurgle, and blast brilliantly, and are the German antecedents,
massively influential on the work that's come from Cologne and
even Vienna for the last decade. This CD contains one piece each
by Dick Raaijmakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad
Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig and Rainer Riehn. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=541186711164&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Shaolin Soul Episode 2" (Hostile, France) CD $13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/blakivor.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/labisiff.rm
The 2nd release in a series dedicated to documenting the original
tracks sampled by The RZA. Full of dark and moody soul, pulled
from 1969-79. We can barely keep these in stock--this is the first
time in a few months we've had a few. Listen for the haunting
echoes of the "Ghost Dog" score, ODB's raunchiness, and,
classic moments from the Wu-Tang Clan. Includes lots of Willie
Mitchell productions from the Stax and Hi labels, with vocalists Al
Green, Syl Johnson, & Ann Peebles as well as tracks produced by
Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Curtis Mayfield, and Gamble & Huff.
More than a collection of breaks, these songs work together to
showcase the influence of crate-digging on hip-hop's aesthetics.
(And the Labi Siffre track [RA above], you will recognize as the
inspiration for another rap artists' giant hit. Hint: it's the one that
just beat an FCC rap last week--a radio station was charged with
indecency even playing the clean version!) [DG]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=72438488172&refer_url=email

CHRIS BROKAW/VIVA LAS VEGAS "split" (Acuarela, Spain/Kimchee) CD EP $7.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/chrisbro.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/vivalasv.rm
We here in Boston usually play this when Mr. Brokaw, our fellow
OMer, is out of the shop; but we know he'd be pleased with the
customer response. A split EP with the Spanish post-whodaddy
duo Viva Las Vegas, this 15-minute EP is a brief respite from the
sometimes over-thought sounds coming from indie-rock today.
On 'Bricks' Mr. B sings, accompanied only by Thalia Zedek, his
guitar, and some well-placed rock action. 'La Playa' is a lovely
instrumental track, reminiscent of Brokaw's work on the Pullman
record. Viva Las Vegas could be sat next to Papa M at the global
indie luncheon, intertwined guitars loop through their
instrumental contribution, while their vocal track 'Una vez mas'
is downright Calexicoian. A delicious morsel, and a taste of what
our beloved Brokaw has in store for his full-length coming out on
Atavistic sometime this year. [DD]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=842694690094&refer_url=email

SPUNK "Filtered Through Friends" (Rune Grammofon, Norway) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/spunk1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/spunk2.rm
A remix album by a slew of Rune Grammofon artists (among others)
of music by the Norwegian (female) chamber-music quartet Spunk.
As Spunk themselves are nearly unclassifiable (vocal,
instrumental, modern, ancient, etc), so are the results, though
filtered conspicuously through a cut-and-paste editing process.
The only comparison I can give: take The Ex's least rock work, and
have it remixed by mu-Ziq under a layer of ice. Either that or a less
cohesive form of Bjork. Very interesting, and one to spend more
time with. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=703366202022&refer_url=email

RALF WEHOWSKY & KEVIN DRUMM "Cases" (Selektion, Germany) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/wehdrum1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/wehdrum2.rm
Put a mouse in your desk drawer (no, not a computer one, a real
one). Set him up with contact mics on his paws and teeth, and give
him a stack of old bills and printshop rejects to gnaw on. This is
what a part of Wehowsky and Drumm's new collaboration sounds
like--ruffling, scrabbling, buzzing, clicks, and digital chewing and
mastication. And somehow also tender and intimate! Add to that
sounds of chimes, rolling glass knobs and tiny discs, like all of
the hardware on a briefcase suddenly animate. Delicate and
imprecise, Wehowsky and Drumm randomly choreograph a dance
of fingernail clippings and blown breaths. And that's just the first
of two long tracks. The second adds to that mousetraps sprung,
static charged and scraped, a huge mechanical clock set to chaos.
33 minutes total. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999167222&refer_url=email

HENRI POUSSEUR "Paraboliques" (Sub Rosa, Belgium) 4xCD $21.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/henripo1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/henripo2.rm
A lost epic from this neglected early electronic composer.
Pousseur's "Paraboliques" spans four CDs; the parabolic studies
were produced at the WDR music studio in Cologne in 1972. With
a range of moods that always ends in a particular kind of agitation,
Pousseur manipulated voltages on equipment in real-time (no cut-
and-paste edits) to create these works. The result is often
impossibly squirmy tracks of electronic squiggles--aural
calligraphy gone awry, if you will, which sometimes gets even
downright funky in his rhythms, occasionally takes deep breaths
with a lot of negative space or simple buzzing drones. His hand on
the controls can make them sound like thudding, padding bongos,
or high-pitched squeals. While Pousseur started in 'regular' music,
writing using Webern's serial technique, he turned to electronic
music in the '50s, even collaborating with Stockhausen.
Tantalizingly, Pousseur used these compositions in early live
electronic remixes/performances, something which he hints, in the
booklet, that you can approximate at home using more than one
CD player--but he doesn't get into the details. Apparently more
on these performances of his will be coming out in a book and CD
later. Fans of Pierre Henry (his more abstract work) and
Stockhausen should definitely check this out. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=541186711174&refer_url=email

KID ACNE "Rap Traffic" (Invisible Spies, UK) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/kidacne1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/kidacne2.rm
Bare-bones hip-hop from Req One (who used to record for Skint
under the name Req) and Kid Acne, a graffiti artist from
Sheffield, here turned-MC. Acne's raps are funny-strange and
psychedelic, his delivery is kind of straight and British, which
can make it goofier. Like his artwork, he paints pictures, this
time in words. He's image-building rather than telling a story,
and does so in a fragmented way (also like his artwork). Acne has
no B-Boy pretensions or attitude, and his rhymes are a bit opaque
(head-scratchers), yet this is a very raw hip-hop record, probably
because of the music Req One's provided. Req One's beats are
minimal, but intense, like distilled-essence-of-hip-hop, they
scratch, clap and slam and that's it. But that's all you need.
And, of course, the artwork, by Acne himself, is terrific. I'm
still trying to figure out all the references to sandals. Is this
a hip-hop thing I don't understand? [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999169212&refer_url=email

MANITOBA "Give'r" (Leaf, UK) CD EP $7.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/manitoba.rm
A small EP from the quite under-rated Manitoba (I'm embarrassed
to say that their excellent full-length, "Start Breaking My Heart",
went unnoticed last year by myself among vast quantities of
others), with one track from their album, one remix, two new
tracks and a video. Sweet and jazzy, with a vague sense of
drum'n'bass bubbling up to the surface. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=66601702806&refer_url=email

Just In:

STARSAILOR "Love is Here" (Capitol) CD $11.99
After a slew of imports, we finally get this in at a domestic
price. A group much influenced by the late Jeff Buckley
(and his father, too!).
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=72435353502&refer_url=email

CHICKS ON SPEED/KRIEDLER "Sessions" (Chicks on Speed, Germany) CD EP $7.99
4-song EP of their collaboration. W/enhanced CD video.
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875299042&refer_url=email

Restocks:

[V/A] "Japanese Independent Music" (Sonore, France) Book & CD $31.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/yukonexu.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/hairstyl.rm
This time, when they're gone, they're gone. This is the last of
the first printing, and it is not slated for another. Book
contains 64 pages of essays on the dawn of Japanese
Independent Music, Japanese Psychedelia, Noise, the effect of
the Web, the FBI festival, etc. AND a 270+ page alphabetical
encyclopedia/overview/discography of bands and artists of
Japanese origin. A CD included w/the book has music from Haino
Keiji, KK Null, Hoppy Kamiyama, Jyoji Sawada, Haco, Ruins, and
twelve more artists (most unreleased, none older than 1996).
Independent pop, experimental music, psychedelia, extreme noise,
and lots of those unclassifiable sounds that the country is
especially good at. An incredible, comprehensive resource. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999165156&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Ethiopiques Vol. 10" (Buda Musique, France) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/aeshete.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/yohannes.rm
Subtitled "Ethiopian Blues and Ballads", this next volume in the
delightful Ethiopiques series concentrates on the more somber,
wrenching side of that country's popular music axis. All of these
recordings date to between 1970-74, so it's great material, with
Alemayehu Eshete the primary contributor. One caveat: a few of
these tracks (about three or four of the 13) have appeared on
other Ethiopiques compilations. But what makes this collection
so lovely is that it IS emotive and thematic, it's a disc not just to
catalog and collect (i.e. stick on the shelf) but really return to
when the mood (yes, a particularly blue one) strikes. Here's
hoping that Buda is not coming to the end of their series, but
has just rethought (for the better) the way they're compiling
the discs. I'm most likely to turn to this after my favorite, the
upbeat and funky Vol. 3. [RE]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=330751822222&refer_url=email

[V/A] "Ethiopiques Vol. 11" (Buda Musique, France) CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/alemuag1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/alemuag2.rm
"Ethiopiques Volume 11" is a recording of Alemu Aga, master of the
ancient beguena. Folklore traces this large ten-string variation
on a lyre back to King David. The beguena has low, organic hum
to its strings, with the notes played on top. David Day (up in OM
Cambridge) said that while this CD played in the store that no one
left, but wandered mesmerized as if the sound of the instrument
itself made time stand still. Aga's calm voice sings traditional
folk tales and religious songs dealing with everything from the
creation to, as one song is subtitled, 'the futility of life'. The
music sounds and feels ancient, but also very close, with dream-
inducing qualities, ones which work their way deep inside you.
Also showed up on a number of our staff's top 10 lists this year.
[CK]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=330751822322&refer_url=email

MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER "First Album" (Int'l DJ Gigolo, Germany) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/misskit1.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/misskit2.rm
Like Kittin's romp with Felix Da Housecat, this album parodies the
emptiness of Euro club life, but with the Hacker's contribution,
it also satirizes the musical genres that celebrate that way of
life. The Hacker has never sounded better. His lean, dry, synth
chords are defrosted to room temperature and thus radiate a
kind of warmth that acts as a perfect counterpoint to the
emotionless/affectless vocals of Kittin. '1982' and 'Stock
Exchange' are perhaps the most perfect pop moments here, with
a killer hook and vocals that make oblique reference to synth-pop
pioneers Visage. There's a strain of nostalgia running through
the 14 songs here, almost despite the artists' best intentions. It's
as if the excesses of the '80s made cyborgs of Kittin & The
Hacker, and they're struggling to return to the present moment.
In doing so, they've made an electro masterpiece. [TH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875275752&refer_url=email

This week's contributors: David Day [DD], Robin Edgerton [RE],
Daniel Givens [DG], Tim Haslett [TH], Casey Keenan [CK], Michael
Klausman [MK], Nicole Lang [NL], Sara Magenheimer [SMa].

The Big Picture:

To see a complete list of Other Music new releases for the
week ending January 8, 2002, use this link as a shortcut:
//8january2002.html

To see a list of new releases from previous weeks:
//newreleases.html

To see new release updates from previous weeks:
//updates.html

To order any of the items you see on these pages simply click
the links following each review or visit our Web site at
/

Phone orders are accepted at (212) 477-8150 (ext. #2, mailorder).

For general inquiries or other information, please email
"sales@othermusic.com". Do not reply to this message.

Thanks for reading.
-all of us at Other Music

Other Music NYC
15 E. 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.477.8150

Other Music Harvard Square
90 Winthrop Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617.491.4419
cambridge@othermusic.com