Excellent split set from Family Battlesnake and Japanese psych/noise legends Astro on Bill Kouligas’s (Family Battlesnake) suave new vinyl-only imprint:”Delving into the realm of deep listening, transported by way of analog synthesizers, Family Battlesnake weaves an electronic web that cocoons the listener in warm cascading frequencies. Calls to mind classic electronic composers such as Charles Dodge, Eliane Radigue and even a hint of NWW. Family Battlesnake is Bill Kouligas, a London-based Greek who also performs and records with Sudden Infant. Astro is Hiroshi Hasegawa of the legendary and now defunct Japanese noise unit C.C.C.C. Sonic waves of squealing feedback and oscillating waveforms meld with biting distortion in the appropriately titled “Lunatic Luminescence”. Enveloped by haywire electronics and burbling loops & skree, Astro has constructed an impressive piece of modern electronic music of devastating magnitude. A fine document of pure Japanese sonic nihilism and fresh deconstucted electronic frequencies. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker in a limited edition of 330 hand-numbered copies, pressed on 140g vinyl and comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve. It is packaged in a pro-press jacket which itself is housed in a two-tone silk screened pvc sleeve with interweaving geometric designs.” – Pan.

“Vinyl issue of two very important works by this early British sound poet and electronic composer, compiling one of Trevor Wishart's first ever pieces 'Fanfare & Contrapunctus' (from 1976) and one of his latest, 'Imago' (from 2002), documenting a modern approach in composition and an extremely unique progress in sound manipulation and music technology. 'Fanfare & Contrapunctus' (1976) "These two short pieces were made at the newly opened electronic studio at the Sydney Conservatorium, before the advent of music computer technology. The source material derives from free improvisations by Trevor Wishart and Martin Mayes using “soft trumpets”, pop-guns, French Horn and virtuoso eating noises, plus recordings of birdsong and other environmental sources." 'Imago' (2002) '…the universe in a grain of sand…' "Imago is a piece of magical sound metamorphosis in which the single ‘clink’ of two whisky glasses gradually metamorphoses into a multitude of other sounds, eventually alluding to the sounds of birdsong, a junkyard gamelan, the ocean and the human voice, but never entirely abandoning its links to this minimal source. The piece was made using sound transformation software written by the composer, available through the Composers Desktop Project, and the original source sound was taken from Jonty Harrison’s ‘et ainsi de suite’." Trevor Wishart is an English composer, based in York. He is widely acknowledged for his contributions to composing with digital audio media, both fixed and interactive. He has been very active since the early 1970s in the area of electro-acoustic music (first with tape manipulation, later with computer pieces) and musical theatre pieces. Not only has he composed many significant pieces, but he has also written extensively on the topic of what he terms “sonic art,” and contributed to the design and implementation of many software tools used in the creation of digital music. His compositional interests deal mainly with the human voice. He has also written two major books, 'On Sonic Art' and 'Audible Design'. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, in a limited edition of 500 copies, pressed on 140g vinyl and comes in a poly- lined inner sleeve. It is packaged in a pro-press color jacket which itself is housed in a silk screened pvc sleeve with artwork by Kathryn Politis & Bill Kouligas.” – PAN. 

Very excited about the comparative upsurge in documentation of this singular French vocalist/tape composer/instrumentalist: Repas Frod presents the complete edition of what was originally released on CD in a version that was more focussed on its constituent parts. Here it is presented as two side-long compositions. Unlike so many tape composers or sound poets Tazartes’ work always has a fairly solid dynamic and a sense of direction and here he uses propulsive drum sounds and gunshot percussion to advance across a series of dense sonic landscapes, from his patented psychedelic accordion and dark torch song style through polyrhythmic constructions assembled from laminal accumulations of found sound that could almost be a more amphetamine Sylvie & Babs Hi-Fi Companion to a series of inspired ethno-forgeries that touch on the magic of Sun City Girls: “An extraordinary combination of culled found and taped fragments juxtaposed against drums, field recordings and mystery noises, sound loops, birdsong, keyboards and emanations of his own throaty drones and voice propelled by hypnotic, ritualistic rhythms balanced on a razor sharp edge. This is the complete work of Repas Froid; previously released on cd as brief tracks of source material and palette of various sounds. It includes archival and as of yet previously unreleased recordings from the late 1970s and early 1980s, strung together to form two long compositions. A French musician of Turkish parentage, Ghédalia Tazartès is an uncompromising character who defies categorization. Born 1947 in Paris, is one of France's most idiosyncratic talents. He has spent over 30 years within musical practice and experimentation, letting his musical work wander from chant to rhythm, from one voice to another. Utilising magnetic tape recorders into a rough collage and loose ethno-instrumental mulch, he paves the way for the electric and the vocal paths, between the muezzin psalmody and the screaming of a rocker. He traces vague landscapes where the mitre of the white clown, the plumes of the sorcerer, the helmet of a cop and Parisian anhydride collide into polyphonic ceremonies. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, in a limited edition of 500 copies, pressed on 140g vinyl and comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve. It is packaged in a pro-press color jacket which itself is housed in a silk screened pvc sleeve with artwork by Kathryn Politis & Bill Kouligas.” – Pan. 

Wild collage work that presents the sounds of riot culled from a buncha different flashpoints, from concert halls to street brawls: “James Hoff’s How Wheeling Feels when the Ground Walks Away presents an audio landscape comprised of various historic riots, from the concert hall and music venue to the sounds of modern warfare. Presented in surround sound, the work relentlessly envelops the audience as the tumultuous panorama of over-layered riots travel around the gallery. Part of Riot Radio Ballad, which explores the performative and futurist aspects of spoken word, audio, and radio material. Curated by Mark Beasley. Commissioned by Performa. Co-presented by Performa and Artists Space. Produced by Mike Skinner and James Hoff - sound design Mike Skinner and James Hoff. James Hoff is an artist, editor and art curator living in New York City. He has been working with sound and performance since 2003. He is also co-founder and editor of Primary Information- an organization devoted to publishing lost works of the avant-garde and artists publications vital to discussions in contemporary artistic practice. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, in a limited edition of 200 copies, pressed on a 140g one-sided picture disc, housed in a silk-screened pvc sleeve with artwork by Kathryn Politis & Bill Kouligas.” – Pan. 

Heavyweight set of muscular electronic improvisations recorded during the duo of Peter Rehberg and Marcus Schmickler’s tour of the USA with sets from the No Fun fest in New York and Chicago: “Archival release documenting the 2009 USA tour of Peter Rehberg and Marcus Schmickler under the R/S moniker. Real time extreme music improvisations recorded at Lampo in Chicago and No Fun Fest in New York City. 'USA' is the second full length release by the leading electronic music duo, follow up to their 2007 'One (Snow Mud Rain)' on Erstwhile Records. Peter Rehberg (a.k.a. Pita) was a founder of the influential Editions Mego label based in Vienna in 1995 (formerly Mego). He performs throughout the world and has participated in many of the major festivals associated with electronic music, such as Sonar, Ars Electronica and All Tomorrows Parties. In addition to his role as mentor to many artists and label curator, Peter has published work on numerous labels such as Häpna, Mosz, Asphodel, Moikai, Ash International, Source, Touch. He has also collaborated with interdisciplinary artists such as choreographer Gisele Vienne and writer Denis Cooper (Kindertotenlieder; I Apologize), and has recorded and performed with many other electronic music performers including General Magic; Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm; Stephen O'Malley (as KTL); Christian Fennesz; Matmos; Sunn O))); Mika Vainio and Tina Frank to name but a few. In 1999 he received the Prix Ars Electronica Distinction Award for Digital Music. Marcus Schmickler is a key figure in German contemporary experimental music. While rooted in electronic music, Schmickler has a background in contemporary composition, having studied under the prominent Stockhausen collaborator Johannes Fritsch. Schmickler has created solo in a variety of different styles under the Wabi Sabi, Sator Rotas, and Param pseudonyms, as well as five techno-oriented CDs as Pluramon. In addition, he has long-standing collaborative projects, most notably with synth wiz Thomas Lehn, guitarist Keith Rowe, and pianist John Tilbury. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, in a limited edition of 500 copies, pressed on 140g vinyl and comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve. It is packaged in a pro-press color jacket which itself is housed in a silk screened pvc sleeve with artwork by Kathryn Politis & Bill Kouligas.” – Pan.