THE ELECTRIC WEASEL ENSEMBLE - 'S/T'

Formats

• IMPREC532 - 2xLPs

  793447553214

• IMPREC532CD - 2xCDs

  793447553221

Details

Shifting continuously between minimalistic patterns, intricate soundscapes, and evolving textures of overlapping electronic sonorities, The Electric Weasel Ensemble presents a missing link in the history of electronic music. It is a series of previously-unreleased live recordings from a little-known but trailblazing ensemble of improvisers—equipped with a unique embrace of invented instruments and distinctly 1970s avant-garde sensibilities. This historic music is available on both double LP and double CD. Founded in 1974 by composer Allen Strange and now-celebrated instrument designer Donald Buchla, The Electric Weasel Ensemble explored new directions in live performance with electronics, using Buchla’s sophisticated and unusual instruments as a launching pad. Maintained for decades by Ensemble member Stephen Ruppenthal, these recordings include some of the best-preserved examples of Allen Strange’s pioneering compositions: graphically-notated directed improvisations for electronic and electronically processed acoustic instruments. They also offer rare insight into the radical sonic aesthetic that Buchla’s inventions enabled in the Bay Area music scene. Focused on performance and DIY music distribution, the Electric Weasel Ensemble never widely released their music. Transferred from the original quarter-inch reels at Imprec, mastered for vinyl by Tom Eaton at Sounds and Substance, and pressed at Optimal in Germany, this record is a glimpse into the raw creativity and inventiveness that fueled the early decades of electronic music performance. --- Who is the Electric Weasel Ensemble? How do you build a new type of music from the ground up? The Electric Weasel Ensemble continually orbited this very question: inventing new instruments and, through collective play, learning to communicate in their unfamiliar, emergent languages. The Weasels operated along the fringes of Northern California’s 1970s music scene, drawing equally from avant-garde and electronic composition, free improvisation, cybernetics, and the Bay Area’s psychedelic-fueled, countercultural spirit. A group of self-proclaimed “music outlaws,” their eclectic, anything-goes approach eschewed traditional notions of harmony, melody, form, and virtuosity—informed by their evolving relationships with new technology. The group coalesced around musicians Allen Strange and Donald Buchla. Strange illuminated the new field of electronic music through his performances and writings, including his landmark textbook, Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls. His compositions assembled performers interested in spontaneous creation, experimentation, and the unique forms of expression enabled by then-new electronic musical instruments. A kindred spirit, Buchla was an inventor whose electronic music systems had, since the mid-1960s, become pivotal to progressive institutions and musicians. Buchla’s aesthetic sensibilities leaned toward the esoteric. Rather than emulating existing musical styles or techniques, his iconoclastic instruments offered a palette of unusual sounds and novel approaches to interaction. Together, Buchla and Strange conceptualized 1973’s Music Easel, a compact electronic performance instrument. Founded by Buchla, Allen Strange, and violinist Patricia Strange, The Electric Weasel Ensemble was, in part, a consort of Music Easels that acted as a platform for discovering new musical modalities. By 1976, the Ensemble had grown to include trumpeter and sound poet Stephen Ruppenthal and guitarist and violinist David Morse. Together, they staged festivals, offered workshops, and toured the United States and Europe. While Buchla’s instruments served as their point of departure, the Weasels developed a distinctive identity that extended beyond the technology itself. They emphasized improvisation and collective listening, creating evolving sonic environments that shifted between dense, clangorous textures and hypnotic impromptu rhythms and harmonies. They were, all at once, an improvisation collective, a Renaissance ensemble for the electronic era, and an experiment in performative cybernetics: instruments impacting music, which impacted the performers, who impacted the instruments. Collectively, The Electric Weasel Ensemble offers an unprecedented glimpse into the groundbreaking work of a unique group of musicians and the underground instrument designer who enabled their idiosyncratic approaches to composition and performance—at a time when the future of electronic music was still vast, open-ended, and full of unexplored promise.

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ALLISON GRAVES - 'I STILL LOOK FOR THE MOUNTAINS'

Formats

• IMPREC537 - LP

  793447553719

Details

Allison Graves is a singer, songwriter and naturalist from New England who has created a powerful, breathy debut that sounds aged and well loved, like an old home, with dogs barking in the background and kids playing in the yard. Allison Graves' rich sense of melody and harmony underscores the depth of the work. Written and recorded across six months and two coasts, with a secondhand guitar and a broken laptop, I Still Look For The Mountains draws inspiration from many wells including Adrianne Lenker and Bon Iver. As if Graves' debut was a long lost reissue from Joe Boyd's Witch season catalog, this album is also reminiscent of Nick Drake and Vashti Bunyan. Highly recommended to Imprec fans of Kurt Weisman, Diane Cluck, Kimya Dawson, Asa Irons/Swaan Miller. Opening with a brassy modular synth sequence and layered vocals, Allison Graves immediately establishes a vibe ever-present through out I Still Look For The Mountain's duration. Graves' songwriting pins down big, all-encompassing feelings and experiences that follow us all through our lives, and tries to make sense of the profoundly unexplainable joys and sorrows of human existence. RIYL: Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Bon Iver, Adrianna Lenker, Kimya Dawson, Marissa Nadler

Tracks

1. i still look for the mountains 2. good to you 3. doe a deer 4. summer song 5. the leaves and you (change) 6. six 7. blame 8. watching the house go dark 9. careful 10. brighter side 11. back porch, straight through

Press

RIYL: Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Bon Iver, Adrianna Lenker, Kimya Dawson, Marissa Nadler

Audio & Video

THE FALL - '77 - EARLY YEARS - 79'

Formats

• SV217 - LP

  850051035120

• SV217X - LP (COLOURED)

  850051035311

Details

**Exclusive Yellow coloured vinyl limited 500** 77–Early Years–79 was The Fall's first comp ever. Originally released on Step-Forward in 1981, the LP compiles the group's first four singles recorded for the label between 1977 and 1979 – Bingo-Master's Break-Out, It's The New Thing, Rowche Rumble and Fiery Jack – none of which appeared on any of the band's studio albums. (Also included is "Dice Man" from 1979's Dragnet.) Taken together, these 7-inches are The Fall as they initially emerged from the primordial soup of '77 Manchester, pushing out from founder Mark E. Smith's poetry-collective origins into the early punk scene. Right from the first track, "Repetition," Smith and crew's working-class art punk is in full effect. His obtuse lyrical brilliance and inimitable vocal delivery ride atop the band's ringing atonal guitar, looping basslines and propulsive drumming – complemented by wheezy combo organ tones. The tracks from each 7-inch are presented here in reverse chronological order. The Fall's fierce contrarianism defines the early UK punk sound and, at the same time, sounds nothing like any of their contemporaries. The revolving cast of band members includes Martin Bramah, Una Baines and Karl Burns as well as Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon and Stephen Hanley who would remain in The Fall's classic '80s lineups. Many of their best-known songs are featured here – from "Psycho Mafia" and "Rowche Rumble" to the Mayo Thompson-produced "Fiery Jack." Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that 77–Early Years–79 has been reissued on vinyl. Includes liner notes by Stephen Malkmus.

Tracks

1. Repetition
2. Bingo Masters Breakout
3. Psycho Mafia
4. Various Times
5. It's The New Thing
6. Rowche Rumble
7. In My Area
8. Dice Man
9. Psykick Dance Hall No. 2
10. 2nd Dark Age
11. Fiery Jack

Press

Collection of singles recorded in 1977-79
First-time vinyl reissue. Originally released on Step-Forward in 1981

Audio & Video

THE FALL - 'FALL IN A HOLE'

Formats

• SV218 - 2xLPs

  850051035137

• SV218X - 2xLP (COLOURED)

  850051035328

Details

**INDIE SHOP ONLY BLUE VINYL UK EXC COLOUR (500)** Originally released on Flying Nun in 1983, Fall In A Hole is a double LP of an especially incendiary Fall show at Mainstreet Cabaret in Auckland, NZ in August 1982. The second of a two-night stand, this would be the band's final concert of its successful first tour of Australia and New Zealand. Recorded by longtime Flying Nun associate Chris Knox – who also made the striking cover artwork – Fall In A Hole follows the release of earlier live albums Totale's Turns and A Part of America Therein, 1981. Besides capturing The Fall onstage during one of its most feral and exhilarating periods, Fall In A Hole is historically significant for several reasons. It heralds the end of Marc Riley's tenure with the band, an era considered by many Fall fans to be the group's peak, and showcases the two-drummer lineup heard on 1982's Hex Enduction Hour, with both Paul Hanley and Karl Burns sharing drumkit duties onstage. With Riley and Craig Scanlon on dual guitars and Stephen Hanley on bass, The Fall was stepping out in its final iteration with a majority of personnel rooted in their late '70s lineup. The setlist is peppered with a mix of singles and album tracks old and new – including several that had yet to be released. Rarities like "Fantastic Life," "Backdrop" and "Solicitor In Studio" are given epic, feedback-drenched airings, while fan favorites like "Hip Priest," "Prole Art Threat" and "The Classical" radiate with lively, raucous energy. Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that Fall In A Hole has been reissued on vinyl. Includes liner notes by Roy Montgomery. Digital transfers made from analogue master tapes in the Flying Nun Collection and Chris Knox Collection held at the Alexander Turnbull Library (National Library of New Zealand).

Tracks

1. Impression Of J. Temperance
2. Man Whose Head Expanded
3. Room To Live
4. Hip Priest
5. Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul
6. Prole Art Threat
7. Hard Life In Country
8. The Classical (Minus Intro.)
9. Mere Pseud Mag Ed
10. Marquis Cha Cha
11. Backdrop
12. Fantastic Life
13. English Scheme
14. Joker Hysterical Face
15. No Xmas For John Quays
16. Solicitor In Studio

Press

Originally released in 1983 on Flying Nun

Legendary live album recorded in Auckland, NZ on August 21st, 1982

Audio & Video

JERRY GARCIA BAND - 'GARCIALIVE VOL EIGHT: NOVEMBER 23RD, 1991, BRADLEY CENTER'

Formats

• JGFRR1069 - 4LP

  880882707712

Details

One of the most beloved installments in the GarciaLive series is pressed to vinyl for the first time. GarciaLive Volume Eight: November 23rd, 1991 Bradley Center presents the Jerry Garcia Band’s electrifying two-set performance captured on a snowy evening in Milwaukee during the band’s legendary Fall tour. The 4xLP set, pressed in a limited edition of 4,500, is housed in a clamshell box and includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks, “Stop That Train” and “Forever Young”, from Nov. 16th, 1991 at Albany’s Knickerbocker Arena. THIS IS A US BLACK FRIDAY RELEASE

Tracks

Tracklist:
SIDE A:
Cats Under the Stars
They Love Each Other
SIDE B:
Lay Down Sally
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
SIDE C:
Reuben And Cherise
Money Honey
My Sisters and Brothers
SIDE D:
Deal
Bright Side of the Road
Waiting For a Miracle
SIDE E:
Think
Shining Star
SIDE F:
Ain?t No Bread in the Breadbox
That Lucky Old Sun
SIDE G:
Tangled Up in Blue
SIDE H (BONUS TRACKS):
November 16th, 1991 ? Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
Stop That Train
Forever Young

Press

FIRST TIME ON VINYL
ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED INSTALLMENTS IN THE GARCIALIVE SERIES

Audio & Video

VARIOUS - 'BROWN ACID: THE TWENTY-THIRD TRIP'

Formats

• EZRDR222 - LP

  679065076949

• EZRDR222CD - CD

  679065076956

Details

BROWN ACID The Twenty-Third Trip… you have two options: immediately run and duck for cover or get your rocks off big time! Ten more vintage primal detonators from the early days of hard rock, exploding across time to wreck your mind today, just in case you’re still standing after Trips One thru Twenty-Two. Out of the ash heap of ’60s idealism comes harsh reality, uncontrollable urges, alienation, get-it-while-you-can desperation dosed with brutal guitar as these long lost local bands rip it up, captured young right out of the gate, untamed by record biz producers, no namby pamby artsy fartsy moves. This is the sort of deadly to-the-point savagery that only real life unfiltered and gone sideways can deliver! About the tracks: LOOKING GLASS · Watertown, MA Gnarly proto-thrash ripper guitar as the singer delivers muddled promises of a groovy future to the girl he’s hitting on… if he can just get in her pants right now. Extended jam-out with a groove shift and raw spitfire guitar licks. FEAR · Vancouver, BC A brutal rip on the Nazz’s “Wildwood Blues,” itself a rip on the Yardbirds, with UK freak beat vibed vocals over a relentless galloping “La Grange” styled rhythm attack. Savage fuzz lead and lyrics about getting out of your skull in Wildwood, NJ, 1968. C. T. PILFERHOGG · Norton, VA A brilliant song about sex and a girl who is not quite over her previous lover, with frantic lead guitar and jumping-the-gun intensity. WHITE LIGHTNING Zippy Caplan’s band after he split from Minneapolis legends the Litter. Unrelenting minimal guitar in a grab-your-throat trance rock zone; a hypnotic riff that gets more powerful by repetition. An uncanny revolving door ear worm of relentless intensity. KINGDOM · Jennings, LA Rudimentary prog rock moves with cosmic, intellectualized lyrics about losing the girl. Dramatic vocal, churning keys and guitar, and a ridiculously cool virtuoso overbite guitar break that boomerangs back with garage energy. BLU-EREBES · Mount Airy, NC Psychedelic embers flavored put-down about a shallow, self-absorbed girl who “keeps her mind in a plastic bag.” Slow-foot loopy wah-wah guitar break and a lurking, trippy organ intro. PAWNBROKERS · Fargo, ND A killer version of the Boz Scaggs song from the Steve Miller Band “Sailor” LP. Fab convoluted “Jumping Jack Flash” riff with well-timed fancy shifts, and an “ooh-wee-ooh-la-la” vocal hook. MINERAL WATER · Centralia, WA West coast outlaw style with nimble rhythm guitar and searing hard leads, as the singer takes free love into an urgent post-’60s detached zone: a desperate need to connect, but get it now. BLACK WATCH · Pompano Beach, FL Old school Chuck Berry style hard rock ’n’ roll shot through with fancy Jeff Beck Yardbirds lead guitar. When things are going south, just stumble on to the next scene and forget about it. ONE MILE AHEAD · Albuquerque, NM Opens with garage band ambience right out of 1965, but the vocal is a cosmic plea from ’71 to be socially aware. Rides out on maverick, crude experimental guitar feedback.

Tracks

1. The Looking Glass - It's Gonna Work Out Fine 2. Fear - Wildwoodin 3. C.T. Pilferhogg - Tight Mama 4. White Lightning - Before My Time 5. Kindgom - Mistress 6. Blu-Erebus - Plastic Year 7. Dime-A-Dance-Romance 8. Free & Easy 9. Blackwatch - Stumble on 10. Contribution - One Mile Ahead

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Audio & Video

FRANCESCO MESSINA - 'LE API DELL INVISIBILE'

Formats

• W25-23LP - LP

  850051035250

• W25-23CD - CD

  850051035267

Details

Francesco Messina is perhaps best known for his split album with fellow composer Raul Lovisoni, Prati Bagnati del Monte Analogo, originally released on the seminal Italian label Cramps in 1979. Along with contemporaries Franco Battiato, Juri Camisasca and Giusto Pio, Messina helped reshape the world of modern composition with an organic rawness and haunting beauty. In November 2023, Messina performed Prati Bagnati live for the first time in Milan, Italy—along with pianist Michele Fedrigotti, who appeared on the original LP. The concert was a tremendous success and led the composer to further reflect upon the music he made over 40 years ago. From his home piano—a hundred-year-old Schimmel with magnificent resonance—new pieces began to emerge out of these meditative sessions. As Messina says in the liner notes, “The idea of making a new album wasn’t the driving force at all; what mattered was trying to reconnect with the ‘freedom’ I had experienced back then while creating that music. I started over without haste or deadlines, simply trying to find a deeper, inner connection.” W.25TH / Superior Viaduct is honored to present Le api dell’invisibile. From the hazy drone of “For Florian” and the title track to the gentle swells of “Letter for an Absent Friend,” the album is a lush amalgam of new age and ambient minimalism that is vividly reminiscent of Messina’s earlier work. The title draws inspiration from a famous reflection by Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke: “We are the bees of the invisible. We ceaselessly gather the honey of the visible, to store it in the great golden hive of the Invisible.” It is a phrase that has long shaped the way Messina looks at his music—transforming lived experience into sound, making audible what normally eludes the eye.

Tracks

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