Well, the title was bungled, but the reality is that the album, “Aja,” is a masterpiece. It was sad to see Steely Dan nearly destroyed by their quest for perfection.
Various Artists – Canary Records: Romane Gil’a: 1958-71 Field Recordings of Roma Songs from Slovakia, Eastern Czechia & Northern Hungary
The ever-great Canary Records released this compilation in November 2024, and I finally had a chance to listen to it. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Originally released in 1973 in Czechoslovakia as “Romane Gil’a: Anthology of Gypsy Songs” with a cover that looked like an Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album Continue Reading
Various Artists – Hamfuggi Records: Grosso Modo – Escena Española Experimental 2026
Hamfuggi Records has released a compilation documenting 50 tracks of new experimental music from Spain. Their curatorial abilities are as astounding as ever, as I don’t know hardly any of the musicians, but all sound good in a radically weird way.
Nurse With Wound – Alice The Goon (Funeral Music For Perez Prado)
Nurse With Wound were deep into their career when Alice The Goon came out in 1995. The band has repackaged the release, pairing it with the charmingly titled “Funeral Music For Pérez Prado) in a three-track EP that is as hazy and acid-drenched an album as anyone has heard in Continue Reading
Suff Daddy – Baker’s Dozen: Suff Daddy
I’m rarely into hip-hop these days, but instrumental hip-hop is a rich field still worth mining. Suff Daddy is a producer from Germany who recorded this album for the legendary label Fat Beats. Meaty beats, worth a good listen.
The Uproot Group – Vampires
Every time I delve into the Mexican new music scene, I come up with something brilliant, but this time I was given a heads-up by The Uproot Group band member Enrico Gianfranchi to hear this album. What can I say? This made my day! The release blends jazz (naturally) with Continue Reading
Sonny Rollins – Way Out West
The Colossus has died. Sonny Rollins passed away at the age of 95, leaving a body of work that will number him among the greatest musicians jazz has ever produced.
Various Artists – mulemusiq: Enjoy The Silence Vol.3
Fr0m mulemusiq’s Bandcamp site: “Altogether ten tracks by nine children of Brian Eno, Cluster, Arvo Pärt, and Steve Reich, who all express something honest and unsophisticated while using their machines and instruments in a heartfelt way. That is why „Enjoy The Silence Vol. 3“ bewitches in its overall atmosphere as Continue Reading
Rest Day
Sorry, guys, I need one.
Philippe Simon – Android
Kalamine Records offers a new release from French composer Philippe Simon, whose work I’ve had the pleasure of hearing before. His album sits somewhere between the Berlin School (think early-period Tangerine Dream) and post-Industrial cassette releases from the 1980s. The sound is clean, yet there’s a deep grittiness to it. This is great late-night listening Continue Reading