Isaam Hajali

–

Mouasalatt

The completely unknown debut album of Issam Hajali (Ferkat Al Ard) fuses jazz and folk with Arabic and Iranian influences into unique beauty.

Francis Bebey

–

En panne sur l’autoroute

According to Stelio Farandjis, secretary general of the High Council of Francophonie, “(Bebey’s) voice, his flute, his guitar, and especially his heart and his faith, enchanted the large ones of this world like the humblest among the humble ones.”

Masahiko Sato

—

Belladonna

An early feature-length example of a micro-genre in which Japanese anime producers collaborated with the “pink” film genre, Belladonna’s challenging occult, sexual and political subject matter was the cause of the film’s notoriety for many years, earning Yamamoto’s work a critical platform amongst some of the best counterculture animation films of the era.

James Pants

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All the hits

This is James Pants’s version of a library record. James explains:

“Some guy asked me to make some music for commercials.  I’ve tried to make music for commercials before, namely, women’s razors. And I failed. So in the vein of Mort Garson, or Raymond Scott, I decided to make music for ‘different’ commercials. Maybe music like the wooden king from the Burger King commercials would like. It’s all beats and little melodies.  Also, one of the selling points of the record is that it helps plants enter photosynthesis on command.” 

Trio Los Panchos

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Lo mejor de Los Panchos

Los Panchos are a groundbreaking balladic group comprising Mexicans Alfredo Gil and Chucho Navarro, and Puerto Rican Hernando Aviles. Their high-pitched guitars and heartbreakingly beautiful vocal harmonies established the standard for the trio’s romantic form across the Spanish-speaking world.

James Carter

—

James Carter Organ Trio: Live from Newport Jazz

An effusive, dynamically gifted jazz saxophonist, James Carter caused a critical uproar when he appeared on the New York jazz scene from his native Detroit in the early ’90s. Critics lauded his ability to play in virtually any jazz style without appearing to ape anyone. 

Various Artists

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Tokyo Flashback P.S.F.

Few label founders loom as large in the history of underground music as P.S.F Record’s Hideo Ikeezumi. Over three decades and more than 200 titles, Ikeezumi’s intensely critical ear guided and assembled a body of music that transcended genre; he exclusively championed artists that were uncompromising in their visions, unconcerned with trends or commercial success. This 4LP compilation, selected by Ghost’s Masaki Batoh, is a primer of Ikeezumi’s curation: a kaleidoscopic collection of previously unreleased gems from the Japanese Underground.

Scientist

—

Introducing Scientist: The best Dub album in the World

Introducing Scientist: The best Dub album in the World, his 1980 debut LP, lives up to its boastful title. Recorded with Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio and mixed at King Tubby’s, the album features hypnotic basslines, reverb-drenched keyboards, and fluid, start-stop rhythms.

Les Paul and Mary Ford

—

The Hit Makers

The husband-and-wife musical duo of Les Paul & Mary Ford enjoyed immense popularity in the 1950s, with their popular appeal based as much on their musical talent as the revolutionary recording techniques developed by Paul. The two of them already were music industry veterans when they came together as a couple, both professionally and romantically.

Evgeny Kissin

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Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 3

Pianist Evgeny Kissin has been seen as a major avatar of the Russian virtuoso keyboard tradition. Kissin parlayed a career as a child prodigy into international stardom. Here with the world famous Berliner Philharmoniker and acclaimed conductor Claudio Abbado playing Sergei Prokofiev Piano Concertos.

Roger Roger, Nino Nardini and Eddie Warner

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Space Oddities: Studio Ganaro

During the 60s and 70s, three distinguished old gentlemen who had built their careers playing “made in France” exotic jazz – Roger Roger, Nino Nardini and Eddie Warner – met every evening in the Ganaro recording studio, playing like kids with their new toys: souped-up keyboards that looked more like prototypes of spaceships to explore the Milky Way. Flying high on whimsical and joyful inspiration, the improbable trio used their strange instruments to sketch out the beginnings of something that, at that time, resembled the future of music.

Cem Karaca

—

Nem Kaldı?

Turkish rock pioneer Cem Karaca honed a massively influential style that combined traditional Anatolian lyrics with cutting-edge contemporary rock melodies. With his trademark felt hat, large glasses, and long hair, by the dawn of the 1970s Karaca was not only Turkey’s biggest pop star, but he was also a counter culture icon.

DJ Spooky

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Modern Mantra

If DJ Spooky had a mantra, it would be “make them dance, and make them think.” The record follows in That Subliminal Kid’s tradition of blending hip-hop, drum’n’bass, ambient and electronic music. Spooky described the album as “a kind of digital jazz mixed with rugged beats.” And coupled with his meticulous mixing, Spooky said that Modern Mantra should be examined as a whole, rather than cut-by-cut, to see how that fully plays out. [MTV]

Anoushka Shankar

—

Rise

For two decades, Anoushka Shankar has been hailed as a maverick, seamlessly merging classical with contemporary, East with West. Hailed by the Guardian as a “virtuoso sitar player”, Anoushka pushes the boundaries of how the instrument is heard and perceived. A singular talent, her dynamic and spiritual musicality has garnered several prestigious accolades, including six Grammy® Award nominations.

Chucho Valdés & Irakere

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Lo Mejor de Cuba, Vol. 1

Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés is a highly accomplished and influential figure in the world of Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz. In 1973, formed the innovative and highly influential Latin jazz ensemble Irakere. The group featured various members of the Orquesta Nacional de Música Moderna including such stars of the Cuban music scene as trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and alto saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera. With its unique mix of jazz, rock, funk, classical and traditional Cuban rhythms, Irakere was an explosive and creative ensemble that quickly caught the attention of international audiences. 

Goblin

—

Goblin Greatest Hits

Goblin rose from the ashes of a number of splintered Italian prog acts in the early 70s. Keyboardist and de facto frontman Claudio Simonetti and original drummer Walter Martino played together in Ritratto Di Dorian Gray, guitarist Massimo Morante was part of Era di Acquario and bassist Fabio Pignatelli’s was in Rivelazioni. Most famous for their collaborations with film director Dario Argento providing the soundtrack to many of his films.  

Alpha Blondy

—

Jerusalem

West African singer Alpha Blondy grew to be one of the world’s most popular reggae acts throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Singing his songs in multiple languages, he used his music to address political and spiritual issues, with some of his most popular songs dealing with political topics of the time. 

The Residents

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80 Aching Orphans: 45 Years Of The Residents

Over the course of a recording career spanning several decades, the Residents have remained a riddle of Sphinx-like proportions. Cloaking their lives and music in a haze of willful obscurity, the band’s members never identified themselves by name. The Residents channeled the breadth of American music into their idiosyncratic, satiric vision, their mercurial blend of electronics, distortion, avant-jazz, classical symphonies, and gratingly nasal vocals.

Ahmed Malek

—

Musique Originale De Films

Ahmed Malek was an Algerian musician and composer, known primarily for his groundbreaking soundtrack work. His enduring influence combines Arabic traditions with jazz, psychedelic rock, and funky R&B.

Marine Girls

—

Lazy Ways/Beach Party

Before Tracey Thorn established herself with Everything but the Girl, she produced mellow, spare indie pop with the all-female act the Marine Girls. Thorn formed the Marine Girls with her schoolmate Gina and Jane Fox in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, in 1980. Thorn played guitar with Gina on vocals and Fox on bass. Since they knew no drummers, the group decided to focus on a minimalist approach to music. The Marine Girls eventually released two albums in the U.K., 1982’s Beach Party and 1983’s Lazy Ways.

Fernanda y Bernarda De Utrera

—

Sus Primeras Grabaciones

Fernanda y Bernarda were two sisters born in Utrera, Seville, Spain and were to become two of the most respected female singers in the history of flamenco.

Pharoah Sanders

—

Karma

Pharoah Sanders possesses one of the most distinctive tenor saxophone sounds in jazz. Harmonically rich and heavy with overtones, Sanders’ sound can be as raw and abrasive as it is possible for a saxophonist to produce. As with many records of the mid to late-’60s/early ’70s, Karma is based primarily around the first of two album tracks, “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” 

Ricky Nelson ‎

– 

The Best Of Rick Nelson 1963-1975

Rick Nelson was one of the very biggest of the ’50s teen idols, and Ricky grew into a teenager in public. He was just the right age to have his life turned around by rock & roll in 1956 when he started his recording career. Nelson had a strong country feel to much of his material from the beginning.

Free the Robots ‎

– 

Datu

“‘Datu’ is the name given to the ruling head of a clan or tribe during ancient, pre-colonial times of the Philippines. Colonization, cultural amnesia, and the reshaping of Philippine culture throughout generations have me and countless others almost completely disconnected from our roots. With no knowledge of what stories exist in the physical reality of my bloodline, the concept behind this album is my way of reconnecting with my ancestry in the spiritual realm of the creative flow state.” — Free The Robots

Ultimate Spinach ‎

– 

Behold & See

Ultimate Spinach was one of the most well-known, and perhaps the most notorious, of the groups to be hyped as part of the “Bosstown Sound” in 1968. The name itself guaranteed attention, as one of the most ludicrous and heavy-handed “far out” monikers of the psychedelic era.

H.R. ‎

– 

Live at CBGB’s 1984

Iconoclastic, enigmatic and angst-ridden are words used to describe former front man for the punk/thrash metal group Bad Brains, H.R. (Ras Hailu Gabriel Joseph I). A devout Rastafarian, H.R.’s songs, a seamless blend of singing, rap and African chanting, demand social and economic equality and an end to oppression and racism. He got his start with the Washington, D.C.-based Bad Brains, and sang with them through the ’80s.

セキトオ・シゲオ ‎

– 

華麗なるエレクトーン -サマータイム-

Shigeo Sekito is a Japanese electone player. His first series of professional work was the Special Sound Series which was released in the mid-late 1970s on vinyl.

Sergei Tsatsorin ‎

– 

Russian and German Organ Music

Sergei Tsatsorin is a popularizer of Russian organ music. He is a graduate of the Leningrad (1975) and Tallinn (1980) Conservatories.

The Ink Spots

– 

The Anthology

The Ink Spots played a large role in pioneering the black vocal group-harmony genre, helping to pave the way for the doo wop explosion. The quavering high tenor of Bill Kenny presaged hundreds of street-corner leads to come, and the sweet harmonies of Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, and bass Hoppy Jones backed him flawlessly. Kenny’s impeccable diction and Jones’s deep drawl were both prominent on the Ink Spots’ since the first smash on Decca in 1939.

Kadhja Bonet

– 

The Visitor

The Visitor opens with an awe you’d expect from the golden age of cinema. In its half-mythical atmosphere, “Earth Birth” offers keys and choirs science-fictionally echoing down from deep space. This overture fades and Kadhja’s voice velvetly emerges on “Honeycomb” with a timelessness sending listeners scrambling to find her nearest genre. After running through classical, jazz, soul, folk, and even psychedelia, you find it ultimately impossible to comfortably place her.

Frankie Reyes

– 

Boleros Valses y Mas

Frankie Reyes is the alias of Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker who also records as GB (Gifted & Blessed). Boleros Valses y Mas, his Stones Throw debut, is an album comprised of popular Latin standards, reworked by Reyes with an Oberheim synthesizer.

Eden Ahbez

– 

Eden’s Island

Ahbez, was a 20th century maverick, possibly comparable to Moondog and Harry Partch. A bearded, vegetarian, sandal wearing traveller, known for sleeping in caves and even under the Hollywood sign – in the 1940s. He wrote Nature Boy, first recorded by Nat King Cole and numerous others.

Paul Mauriat

– 

Les 40 plus belles chansons de Paul Mauriat

French composer/conductor Paul Mauriat is a classically trained musician who decided to pursue a career in popular music. His first major success came in 1962, as a co-writer of the European hit “Chariot.” In 1963, the song was given English lyrics, renamed “I Will Follow Him,” and became a number one American hit for . Mauriat is best remembered for his 1968 worldwide smash “Love Is Blue.”

Keith Hudson

– 

Rasta Communication – Deluxe Edition

Ominously known as “The Dark Prince of Reggae,” Keith Hudson was born into a musical family in Kingston, Jamaica in 1946.

Aşık Emrah

– 

Almanya’dan Gitmez Bu Hasret

From İstanbul, Turkey. Released by Uzelli Müzik. Aşık Emrah is one of the masters of Psychedelic Anadolu.

Arthur Barron

– 

The Miami Jazz Project

A fine saxophonist with a sound of his own, Barron originally played drums and trumpet before switching to alto. He attended the Berklee School of Music, influenced by both bebop and R&B, and started doubling on flute.

Zuco 103

– 

Outro Lado

Zuco 103 – the patriarchs of the Brazilectro scene and the trailblazers of the Tropical Bass movement – are still cutting edge after 20 years.

Fred Neil

– 

The Many Sides Of Fred Neil

Moody, bluesy, and melodic, Fred Neil was one of the most compelling folk-rockers to emerge from Greenwich Village in the mid-’60s. His albums showcased his extraordinarily low, rich voice on intensely personal and reflective compositions.

Saccharine Trust

– 

We Became Snakes

Formed in the early ’80s by Joaquin (aka Jack) Brewer and guitarist Joe Baiza, Saccharine Trust metamorphosed from a dissonant, noisy, anti-rock quartet into a more sophisticated, but still jagged and noisy rock-jazz band.

Rocío Jurado

– 

Viva La Diva

Nicknamed La Más Grande, Spanish singer and actress Rocío Jurado is one of the best-selling Spanish female singers.

Various Artists

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Welcome To Zamrock! How Zambia’s Liberation Led To a Rock Revolution, Vol. 1 (1972-1977)

By the mid 1970s, the Southern African nation the Republic of Zambia had fallen on hard times. Though the country’s first president Kenneth Kaunda had thrown off the yoke of British colonialism, the new federation found itself under his self-imposed, autocratic rule. Conflict loomed on all sides of this landlocked nation. This is the environment in which the 70s rock revolution that has come to be known as Zamrock flourished.

Haiku d’Etat

– 

Haiku d’Etat

An explosive one-off, Haiku D’Etat came to fruition as a result of the teaming up of three of the most gifted West Coast MCs ever to trade tongue-twisting similes and extended metaphors in Mikah 9, Aceyalone and Abstract Rude.

Gert Wilden

– 

Schulmädchenreport

German conductor and composer Gert Wilden labored in semi-obscurity for most of his professional career. He provided themes and incidental music for literally dozens of European films and TV shows from the mid-’50s through the ’80s.As a film composer, Wilden scored over 50 movies in about 25 years;the 1970 film Schulmadchen Report (“Schoolgirl Report”) brought low-budget soft-core sex farces to German audiences, who voiced their approval to the extent that 12 official sequels and countless rip-offs

Jamael Dean

– 

Akamara (Remix) from Black Space Tapes

At just 20 years old, pianist, producer, and jazz prodigy, Jamael Dean, had already collaborated and performed with the likes of Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Niño. Black Space Tapes is his debut album.

Steve Cobby

– 

Everliving

Steve Cobby is a musician, producer and DJ from Hull, UK. He co-founded Pork Recordings and since his late ’80s days he’s been variously known—sometimes working alone, other times with partners—as Horsemilk, 2 Loops Lautrec, PVP, the Solid Doctor, White Dopes On Funk, 2 Loops Lautrec, Barney Mullhouse, Brazil Nuts, Heights Of Abraham, Hey, Rube!, J.S.T.A.R.S., North East Sound System, and Peacecorps. (And that’s only about half of them.) But the nom de musique his probably most associated with is undoubtedly the one used by his long-running partnership with David McSherry, Fila Brazillia. [XLR8R]

Minyo Crusaders

– 

Echoes of Japan ( エ コ ー ズ ・ オ ブ ・ ジ ャ パ ン)

Minyo Crusaders rework historic Japanese folk songs (min’yō) with Latin, African, Caribbean and Asian rhythms on their debut album “Echoes of Japan”.

Elia y Elizabeth

– 

La Onda de Elia y Elizabeth

First ever compilation of Elia y Elizabeth’s recordings, a duo of sisters who in a brief yet dazzling career during 1972 and 1973 achieved great success in their native Colombia.

Various Artists

– 

Soul Jazz Records presents CONGO REVOLUTION

This stunning release looks at the explosion of music that came out of the Congo in the years leading up to independence in 1960. Congolese rumba, a wild combination of African, Jazz and Latin influences, created future stars of its now legendary creators – Franco, Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley, Dr. Nico, Papa Wemba – and all feature here in their ground-breaking early groups such as O.K.Jazz, Brazzos, Rock-A-Mambo, African Jazz and The Beguen Band.

Chrome

– 

Blood On The Moon

One of the original forefathers in the industrial boom of the 1980s, Chrome’s amalgam of distorted guitars and vocals, samples from TV, and a raw punk aesthetic became much more popular in the early ’90s than it ever was while the band was around in the ’70s and ’80s.

Marden Hill

– 

The Lost Weekend – A Marden Hill Collection

The band about whom the term ‘Trip Hop’ was first coined – Marden Hill – was formed by Mark Daniels, taking the name from his childhood home, Marden Hill House.

Johnny Hartman

– 

Thank You for Everything

Though he was never the most distinctive vocalist, Johnny Hartman rose above others to become the most commanding, smooth balladeer of the 1950s and ’60s.

Pandora

– 

Dramma Di Un Poeta Ubriaco

Italian prog rock band formed in Bra, Italy in 2005. Their style mixes modern heavy prog sounds with influences from the 1970s. [DISCOGS]

Galaxy 2 Galaxy

– 

Galaxy 2 Galaxy: A High Tech Jazz Compilation

Galaxy 2 Galaxy is a live electronic and jazz music collective featuring members of Underground Resistance. The name comes from an EP created by Mike Banks in 1993. Fame in the techno community rose from the release of A High Tech Jazz Compilation in 2005. [WIKI]