GIDDY MOTORS Make It Pop (Fat Cat) cd 15.98
This is kinda like a lot of those tough, angular Touch & Go type bands from the late '80s, plus a bit of that oh-so-now dancey post-punk, and a heaping spoonful of the Pop Group via the Birthday Party as channelled through the Jesus Lizard, topped off with a big dose of extra testosterone. At first I thought I'd try to like it, being, as it is, similar to many of the skronky and confrontational bands I love, but then I was like, "nah."
RealAudio clip: "Magmanic"

GIDEON LEECHES, THE Blessed Is The Noise (Fflint Central) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The return of Fflint!! The first release in almost a year from our hands down, favorite fucked outsider electronic label. Avid readers of the AQ list need only see the names Berkowitz Lake And Dahmer, Cavendish Sanguine, Pendro, Cousin Silas and of course the Gideon Leeches, to know what sort of mind bending, ear shredding electronic fuckery these freaks have in store for us.
The Gideon Leeches, aka Steve Nuttall, was the first group on Fflint, not in some way made up of one (or both) of the two shadowy souls behind the Fflint curtain. But hearing this (and the previous disc, The Freezing Point) one would be forgiven for assuming that it was actually a like minded trio responsible for all of these sounds. Some sort of freakish three headed calf, plopped down behind some busted up turntables, an old sampler and a mixing desk, kept alive with a steady diet of crisps and beer. The results are suitably damaged and off kilter. And glorious!!!
So here we have Blessed Is The Noise, the work of one of those three heads, and what a piece of work it is too. Like most Fflint discs, it's a very fine balance between droning beauty and complete chaos, and as we might expect (and hope), the Leeches have no problem diving headfirst into either. Or both. It's electronic music, but it's sure as heel not 'danceable', it's dark and droney, but not really soothing and tranquil. But then again, it sort of is. Both. Soothing AND tranquil. And danceable. OK, not really danceable.
Vocals are chopped and sliced and diced and reassembled into some sort of damaged robotic Portishead thing, and set adrift amidst a soft shimmery backdrop, before the backdrop revolts and becomes dense and corrosive, moaning like bowed sheets of metal, but remaining still somehow droney and dreamy. Thick swaths of sparkling sunbaked sound are wrapped around a relentlessly catchy nursery rhyme melody, like an ice cream truck driving directly into the center of the sun. A vast expanse of vibrating rods, all shimmering and quivering and letting off soft metallic whirs, is submerged beneath 6 inches of muddy water, while a row of parked cars honks along, the whole thing recorded on a wax cylinder and played back through a hearing aid. Elsewhere, an orchestra of keening high end tones is wrapped around a throbbing rumbling whir, the sound of a crying child is subsumed by a million skipping cds, their skipping creating a warm womb like whir, while also unleashing inadvertent subtly rhythmic pulses. Gorgeous blurry drifts of muted melody are stretched into gauzy sheets and draped over ghostly vocals. A Sunroof! like din is channelled through the spirit of a player piano, resulting in a strange old timey abstract free noise Ur-drone, and so much more...
Blessed Is The Noise is nearly indescribable, or more precisely seems to be more easily described in terms of rods and player pianos and honking horns and ice cream trucks, than tone and timbre, but that's precisely what makes it so magical. Like all of the Fflint stuff, it's gorgeous and confusional, lovely, yet cracked, far out, but completely catchy at the same time. And also, as with all of the Fflint stuff, so wholeheartedly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Blessed Is The Noise"
MPEG Stream: "City Of Dreadful Night"
MPEG Stream: "Windmills Dwindled Into A Nutcracker"
MPEG Stream: "On The Fidgets"

GIDEON LEECHES, THE The Freezing Point Of Sound (FFlint Central) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally!!! More skull cracking, mind bending, feelings hurting, shin kicking, hair pulling, back stabbing, ass kicking, ribcage rattling, ear piercing, eye gouging, bowel loosening electronic mayhem from our favorite lovable miscreants FFlint Central! This time from the mysterious entity known as The Gideon Leeches. We heard a little bit from the Leeches on the amazing Unholy Trinity compilation reviewed a few lists back and could hardly wait for the full length. And we are not disappointed. In fact I might go so far as to proclaim this one of the best releases on Fflint so far. And that's saying a lot, knowing, as you do, how much we LOVE Berkowitz, Lake and Dahmer, Pendro, Cavendish Sanguine, and the whole lot. But the proof's in the pudding. And the pudding here is a thick, miasmic pool of shimmers and rumbles, buzzing and tinkling, howling and keening. We are suckers for this stuff, at least when it's done right. And believe me, this is done so right. Huge expanses of static sound, with swirling, ever-shifting layers of feedback, buzzing electronic drones, throbbing low end pulses, warbly melodies, creaking machinery and what sounds like swarms of sitars, careening madly above a warm and tranquil blanket of gauzy dreaminess. But with a dark and ominous edge. This has AQ favorite written all over it. Think Sunroof!, Skullflower, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Birchville Cat Motel, Pelt, Peter Wright, and all of those other folks who traffic in deep, dark, organic' free-drone. Fans of the above will definitely LOVE this! And again, our pals at Fflint continue to impress, and we're beginning to think that Fflint just may be one of the only labels we know of with a perfect record (except for tUMULt of course!! - Andee). Can't wait to hear what they come up with next. But in the meantime, BUY THIS!
MPEG Stream: "The Freezing Point Of Sound"
MPEG Stream: "Scowring And Flux"
MPEG Stream: "Rising Of The Lights"

GIFFONI, CARLOS Adult Life (No Fun Productions) cd 12.98
On Adult Life, Brooklyn's noise king Carlos Giffoni has made a purposeful shift away from the clobbering sound assaults and sustained concrete block explosions. This is his pure analog synth record; and despite the shift in source material, Adult Life cannot and should not be taken lightly. Giffoni has cited Cluster, Tangerine Dream, and Eno as his inspiration for this album; but these references are not really close to how this album ends up. The kosmische electronics of those pioneering composers has been injected with steroids or blasted with high doses of x-rays or anything really that would give these sounds diabolical super powers. In actuality, Giffoni's industrial-grade lazer blasts and heavily compressed LFO sweeps aren't too far from where Whitehouse started out, but without the blessing and curse of William Bennett. Adult Life begins with a terse police siren which noxiously ping-pongs against mercurial electronic tones and metallic flanges, setting the stage for a head-pounding excursion into the hypnotic and relentless. Throughout the album, Giffoni rotates sawtooth LFO patterns of blistering electricity, rudimentary structuralist patterns adrift on a magnetic sea, and buzzing squigglings from brain-frying modulations.
MPEG Stream: "The Endless Mirror"
MPEG Stream: "A Permanent Choice"

GIFFONI, CARLOS & LASSE MARHAUG Lesbian Brunch (aRCHIVE) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not sure how we managed to miss this one. Only just realized we had a batch of these stashed in the store, and somehow they never got listed. Needless to say these are probably the last copies EVER as this came out on aRCHIVE and was of course crazy limited, and since that stuff routinely sells out in NO TIME, and according to the aRCHIVE website this is indeed out of print, this may very well be it for these, but at least a handful of lucky folks, who enjoy ruining their hearing, punishing their poor speakers, and of course annoying their neighbors, will be in N.O.I.S.E. heaven.
A pretty serious match up, noiseniks should know both these guys by now, NY noise legend Carlos Giffoni, and Scandinavian speaker shredder Lasse Marhaug. So you might expect a punishing blast of Merzbowian white noise, but in fact this is pretty listenable, and really strange and wondrous. There are definitely brutal moments, but there are gorgeous, almost tranquil moments as well.
From a crunchy thump that sounds like a fetal heartbeat run through a busted amp, to a field of decaying glitch and hiss, beneath which, strange metallic melodies drift and shimmer, to washed out crunchy almost Oval like digital skitter, to huge tangled streaks of detuned guitar and full on blown out black buzz, to dense fields of electromagnetic disturbance and malfunctioning machinery, howled voices and glitchy squiggles, grinding industrial clatter and fuzzy swaths of corrosive blacknoise, but all deftly arranged into what sound like actual songs. Melodies mysterious surface here and there, rhythms coalesce out of seemingly abstract sounds, it's pretty dang cool. But be warned, it most certainly is still NOISY. So if you have an aversion to noise, this might be too much for you, otherwise, a wicked slab of gorgeous grinding corrosion and lurching chaotic crunch. More musical manna for the iron eared.
Packaged in a cool 6 panel aRCHIVE style gatefold. LIMITED TO 500 COPIES. Already out of print. We have a handful left...
MPEG Stream: "Frisk Varruller"
MPEG Stream: "Stekte Gronnsakker og Tofu Tilsmakt Med Sotchillisaus"

GIFFONI, CARLOS / THE RITA Two On A Match (No Fun Productions) 2lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
By all accounts, this double LP of pure brutality finds the Canadian noise outfit The Rita remixing source sounds from Brooklyn noise king Carlos Giffoni and vice versa. In the press release for this album, The Rita's Sam McKinlay offers a cogent argument about the aesthetic differences which stem from The Rita's 'dirty' methods of overdriving sound through daisy-chains of pedals contrasted against Carlos Giffoni's pulsing synths which cruise beneath the turbulent noise surfaces. While there are some notable differences on both of these pieces of vinyl, they are secondary to the overwhelmingly harsh noise which persists throughout. This is all about the noise, and this noise is an abject, blackened sound which has the feeling of particulate soot from a very dirty coal power plant given to the force of a sandblaster used not on a brickwall, but your eardrums to penetrate as a viral agent. On occasion, thicker chunks enter this jet-powered stream of sound, smashing against each other like massive sheets of shattering glass. The first of the two LPs uses these sounds within a series of erratic compositions that gradually build to cut-the-power conclusions. The second LP unleashes the flood gates from beginning to end with very little variation to the punishment. In both cases, it's still all about the quality of that noise, as an extremely aggressive tool of harsh, ugly, vile blackness. Limited to 300 copies!

GIFFONI, CARLOS AND HIVE MIND Clastrophobic Wreck (Ultra Eczema) lp 18.98
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
One hails from the rust belt of Michigan, fostering all sorts of sick tones through his Chondritic Sound imprint; and the other inflicts an acerbic noise through his internationally acclaimed No Fun Festival and the accompanying label No Fun Productions. Together, Hive Mind and Giffoni join forces for a rather misanthropic, grim, oppressive set of crunched noises and radioscopic synth throb.
Both tracks incrementally build up lurches of distortion that push out oozing rumbles of low-end and bristling amplifications of electrical static. Heavy synth with an industrial / power electronic mindset that's exactly where you expect Giffoni and Hive Mind to meet. Also see Broken Flag era Ramleh, Whitehouse, and Wolf Eyes. As with all Ultra Eczema titles, this sports a very nicely silkscreened cover. Only 300 copies in print. We will probably not be able to restock this!!!

GIFT OF GAB, THE 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up (Quannum) cd 14.98

GIFTHORSE First Words (Piece Of Mind) cd 10.98
Doug Hilsinger is one talented fellow. On his own, he's remade the entire Brian Eno album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) with Caroleen Beatty on vocals. Together they're two fifths of SF smoky twang combo Waycross. He's also played with numerous local and international artists. Plus he was previously in two other great Bay Area bands... namely Bomb and the creators of this here album, Gifthorse, a heavy prog/psych/metal band who rocked the bay area from 1991 through 1996, and perhaps as referenced in the title, this was their first full length. Absolutely tight and powerful instrumental hard rock! If you dig the Fucking Champs, why don't ya let their elder Bay Area brethren rip your head off too... in a good way!
MPEG Stream: "Onrush"
MPEG Stream: "Asphyxiofile"

GIL, GILBERTO Bandadois (Geleia Geral / Warners) cd 17.98
Nice new outing by one of Tropicalia's leading men.
MPEG Stream: "EsotŽrico"
MPEG Stream: "Refavela"
MPEG Stream: "Lamento Sertanejo"

GIL, GILBERTO Cerebro Eletronico (Philips Japan) cd 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WONDERUL! Japanese-only reissue of the third Gil album (also known as the self titled Gilberto Gil album), originally issued by Brazilian Polydor in 1969. Mutantes fans hungering for more should not skip this gem, and who knows how long it will be available to us so buy now or cry later.
"Every bit as in the zone as Gal's epochal '69 testament; musta been something in the Bahian water that year! The Brazilian military dictatorship of the time didn't know what the fuck to make of these records, but they knew they were plenty subversive & placed Gilberto & Caetano Veloso (don't sleep on his '69 White Album either, even though it's never been as hard to find as these two) under house arrest before exiling them for several years. Lanny, again, provides some of the most psychedelic guitarwork the world has ever known & studio wiz Rogerio Duprat outdoes himself on the almost-Dockstadteresque 'Objeto Semi-Identificado'. There's even a Mutantes cover ('2001' or 'Dois Mil e Uno') which out-freaks the original! ... This was Gil's third album, and second in the Tropicálist style. I've yet to hear a bad one from him..." -- Tropicalia expert Jason Witherspoon in the Forced Exposure catalog.)

GIL, GILBERTO Expresso 2222 (Water) cd 15.98
Originally released in 1972, Expresso 2222 was Gilberto Gil's first recording after his two year exile in London. The record opens with a truly riveting, playful, and festive flute and drum instrumental, that harkens to the ceremonial flute music of the Andes. Sadly, it's the last stylistic foray on the record into the spiritual heights of the high mountain tops, but for those uninitiated, let it be the delectable hors d'oeuvre that sends you on your hunt for more. Luckily what is to come is by far one of the greatest statements in popular Brazilian music of the '60s and '70s. When the second track rolls in, we're thrust back, deep into the midst of a more archetypical Tropicalia sound, though the movement itself was considered to be properly dead at that point. It is clear Gil is looking to Africa for inspiration more than classic American '60s rock and roll and pop, a hallmark of the Tropicalia movement. In all cases however, Gil continuously mines funky indigenous rhythms and melodies, and reinvigorates them with a contemporary urgency. Gil's vocal delivery is always vividly commanding, with plenty of flare and pomp alongside a general purity of form and intention. Gil's frantic guitar playing is a true feat to behold and always rich in craft. Anyone who hasn't spent a little time watching Gil shred in his prime on YouTube should do themselves a favor, it is a real pleasure, and frankly a gift. Gil's supporting cast is in fine form as well on this outing with Tutty Moreno providing crisp, inventive drumming and Lanny Gordin delivering a great chugging and supple bass performance. The production is not as wild or intensely psychedelic as Gil's most immediately previous records at that point in his career, generally emphasizing clarity and separation ahead of the sometimes schizophrenically boisterous psychedelia he also dabbled in. Perhaps the record's most luminous moment occurs on "Cada Macaco No Seu Galho," wherein Gil and sometime collaborator Caetano Veloso launch into a frenetic and roiling duet over one of the most gorgeously sturdy yet lyrical Latin guitar riffs ever recorded. Seriously, go there.
MPEG Stream: "Pipoca Moderna"
MPEG Stream: "Expresso 2222"
MPEG Stream: "Cada Macaco No Seu Galho"

GIL, GILBERTO Gil Luminoso (DRG) cd 16.98
Brazil's beloved Gilberto Gil, as one of the originators of the Tropicalia sound, has written and recorded some of the most beautiful and politically-minded music ever made. We are huge fans of his first three records, especially Cerebro Electronico from 1969, but like a lot of the older Brazilian artists, including Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimento, Gil has been releasing a series of increasingly bland world-beat and jazz-fusion records for quite a while now.
It seems though, that his recent appointment as Brazil's Minister of Culture, has left him little time to record and rehearse with a full band, and so he has thankfully returned to recording and touring with just his voice and acoustic guitar. If you haven't seen him perform recently, you HAVE to, he's truly a magical presence, and hearing the Brazilian members in the audience sing along to every song is a more rewarding experience than you would expect. There's just so much love. Gil Luminoso is a nice return to form with a few visits back to his older catalog (including "Cerebro Electronico"), but containing mostly new songs. At an hour's length, with just voice and guitar, it runs a bit long, but for the most part, it's quite a beautiful record. So put down that Seu Jorge record and get a dose of the real thing! Viva Gil!
MPEG Stream: "Cerebro Electronico"
MPEG Stream: "Raca Humana"
MPEG Stream: "O Compositor Me Disse"

GIL, GILBERTO s/t (1971) (Water) cd 15.98
Don't let the English-sung lyrics deter you from getting one of Gilberto Gil's finest Tropicalia recordings. Recently reissued in a more affordable version by the Water label, here Gil revisits some of his most popular songs such as "Volkswagen Blues" and "Nega", as well as one some great cover versions of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" and The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band". Full of the exuberant singing and fuzz electric guitar as showcased on his previous record, Cerebro Electronico, this record is pretty damn Great!
MPEG Stream: "Nega (Photograph Blues)"
MPEG Stream: "Can't Find My Way Home"
MPEG Stream: "Volkswagen Blues"

GIL, GILBERTO s/t (Cerebro Eletronico) (Water) cd 15.98
Finally available domestically, Cerebro Electronico (Also known as s/t (1969)), is Gilberto Gil's most wild and exciting Tropicalia outing. Mutantes fans hungering for more should not skip this gem. If Gal Costa's 1969 psych-fuzz groove album floated your boat, get ready for this. Another raucous and wild slab of political subversion that later caused his and Caetano Velosos house arrest and subsequent political exile for many years. Featuring some of the most psychedelic guitarwork the world has ever known, studio wiz Rogerio Duprat outdoes himself on the almost-Dockstadteresque 'Objeto Semi-Identificado'. There's even a Mutantes cover ('2001' or 'Dois Mil e Uno') which out-freaks the original! And some fucking awesome whistling on "Volks Volkswagon Blue." Those unsure of where to start on Gilberto Gil's long musical career should begin right here! Highly Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Aquele Abraco"
MPEG Stream: "Vitrines"
MPEG Stream: "2001"

GIL, GILBERTO s/t (Frevo Rasgado) (Water) cd 15.98
Gilberto Gil's Frevo Rasgado is as true an archetypal expression of Tropicalia as one is going to find. As is always more or less the case with defining a genre, some portion of the mental gymnastics hinges on construction and projection. As humans trying to categorize things we like, we often blur the edges and collapse differences in service of our desire to be able to declare unequivocally: "I like Alternative!" Or Shitgaze, or Go-Go, or whatever crackpot concoction you've got brewing. So, all that said, this record does an incredibly good job of presenting a thorough and accessible example of a genre that is surprisingly elusive, now 40 years past its zenith. And perhaps what makes it elusive is the breadth of influence it incorporates, mixing bossa nova, rock and roll, Bahian folk music, myriad African forms, and even a brand of Portuguese blues called fado. The pastiche is so rich in fact that it's pretty easy to lose track of the ingredients in the blend. A good pair of headphones will certainly help you tease the detail out of the auxiliary percussion tucked under the horn section, or pull a thread of whistling out of a dense flute section. For those inclined towards this kind of sonic excavation, this record is a true pleasure.
But enough hemming and hawing about genre, because this record is much more. It's a gorgeous collision between two of Brazil's greatest auteurs. Gil, the once exiled pop star with more than 20 records under his belt, and the current Minister of Culture in Brazil, head to head with Rogario Duprat, something of a Tropicalian Phil Spector, and undeniablyÉ a fucking wizard. And both are in fine form, confident in their skills, expansive in their vision, technically inventive, and generally charming. Many of the melodies and the phrasings will be familiar to anyone whose spent time with the rest of the Rogario Duprat catalogue, especially A Banda Tropicalista Do Duprat, another classic from '68. However, Frevo Rasgado shows Gil also exploring a moodier and more atmospheric terrain. In particular the tracks "Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia" and "Luzia Luluza" balance Gil's typically boisterous and winning vocal approach with a pensive, rainy-day production and arrangement aesthetic resulting in a sweet and sour treat you don't find often. Their sentimental gravitas is absolutely the stuff of soundtracks. Grab it before Wes Anderson does so you can have the pleasure of imagining or living the magic, before its potential is fixed in celluloid. Frevo Rasgodo is less of a guitar record than some of Gil's other records. Instead the many and varied horns, flutes, strings, and percussive ephemera drape the song structures in counterpoint, drawing your attention to the far reaches of what each song's core could imply. It's in this distance perhaps that the magic lies. Between whatever spare version of a song Gil first cooked up, and the spacious context and gallant style Duprat places it in. Anyone whose imagination has been piqued in regards to '60s and '70s Brazilian music by the likes of Animal Collective or Devendra Banhart should spend time with this record and uncover the origins. It's a full spectrum gift that keeps on giving.
MPEG Stream: "Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia"
MPEG Stream: "Luzia Luluza"

GIL, GILBERTO s/t (Frevo Rasgado) (Universal Brazil) cd 19.98
1968's Frevo Rasgado is a truly archetypal expression of the finest the tropicalia movement had to offer. Gil's confidently expansive and inventive songwriting paired with Rogario Duprat wizardly approach to arrangements and the studio place it firmly in the canon. Many of the melodies and the phrasings will be familiar to anyone whose spent time with the rest of the Rogario Duprat catalogue, especially A Banda Tropicalista do Duprat, another classic from '68. However, Frevo Rasgado shows Gil also exploring a moodier and more atmospheric terrain. In particular the tracks Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia and Luzia Luluza balance Gil's typically boisterous and winning vocal approach with a pensive, rainy-day production and arrangement aesthetic resulting in a sweet and sour treat you don't find often. Their sentimental gravitas is absolutely the stuff of soundtracks. Grab it before Wes Anderson does so you can have the pleasure of imagining or living the magic, before its fixed in celluloid. Frevo Rasgodo is also less of a guitar record than some of gils other records. In instead the many and varied horns, flutes, strings, and percussive ephemera drape the song structures in counterpoint, drawing your attention to the breadth of the mix in full-spectrum glory.
MPEG Stream: "Ele Falava Nisso Todo Dia"
MPEG Stream: "Luzia Luluza"

GILBERT, B.C. Ordier (Table Of The Elements) cd 16.98
Table Of The Elements is a label that tends to provoke strong reactions in lots of folks, for here is a label that consistently offers great ideas that sometimes fall short of their grandiose expectations when finally realized. Typically, these shortcomings are the result of a systemic lack of organizational skills, an inability to follow through on those ideas, and occasional pandering to the institutionality of the stodgy contingents of the avant-garde. A case in point would be the two year gap in between the 2nd and 3rd volumes of the TOTE Captain Beefheart vinyl. Another example is the Lanthinides series unwisely packaged in brittle plastic sleeves that inevitably wore through and cracked as well as being a rather narrow exploration of the incredibly rich history of avant-garde music.
Then comes Ordier, an album that causes us to suspend our criticisms of Table of the Elements... at least for this release. I (Jim) should offer the humble preamble that I believe Bruce Gilbert to be an artist whose failures are better than most of his contemporaries' successes. Gilbert is best known for his work in Wire, whose Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 albums are essential punk listening. He also authored a handful of post-punk / proto-electronica gems in collaboration with fellow Wire-man Graham Lewis in Dome and He Said. Ordier is the documentation of Gilbert's minimalist side, which he has occasionally expressed in the past, on his solo Ab Ovo album as well as a number of ballet scores throughout the last three decades. This album was recorded back in 1996 during a Table of the Elements festival and subsequently lost by the label (way to go, guys!). Gilbert runs primitive electronic tones through a series of effects and guitar pedals which provide him with a remarkable amount of finetuning and filtering. With a monochromatic composition of variable buzzings and fluttering chimes which rumble beautifully for over an hour, Ordier emerges as a hot-wired variation on the aesthetic ideas of the Hafler Trio, and stands out as yet another great record for B.C. Gilbert.
Packaged elaborately in a silkscreened wooden box, this will undoubtably cause problems when it's time for a repress so buy it now before the first pressing runs out.
MPEG Stream: "Ordier"
MPEG Stream: "Message Received"
MPEG Stream: "Slot Andalou"

GILBERT, BRUCE & RON WEST Frequency Variations (Sahko) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Some people obsessively collect all of the records by Stereolab, I collect all the things on Drone Records (the label run by Stefan Knapp of Maeror Tri) and Sahko (the exceptional Finnish label that is home of Panasonic and Miko Vainio's Philus and O). While this may not be the best piece of electronic warblings I've ever heard, I'll admit to being a sucker and having to get it. Gilbert (who later went on to form Wire) and West improvised two lengthy pieces on analogue synths and tape loops way back in 1974." - Jim the Sahko / Drone freak.

GILBERTO, ASTRUD September 17, 1969 (Rev-Ola) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Rev-Ola brings us the sweet summer breeze early this year by reissuing this pop-jazz gem from Astrud Gilberto. Famous for her refreshingly lackadaisical vocal debut on Stan Getz's "The Girl from Ipanema", September 17, 1969 marks her last recording date with the Verve label (released in America as "Let Go", with a different song order), as the Bossa Nova craze that had invaded America since the mid-sixties was waning. Filled with more contemporary covers than Brazilian standards, including songs by the Bee Gees, The Beatles, The Doors and Harry Nilsson, the album's standout track is the eight minute opener, a cover of Chicago's "Beginnings", a beat-heavy groover that fans of Wax Poetics will drool over. But the Brazilian cuts are still strong with "Let Go (Canto de Ossanha)" popularized by Elis Regina, being a return to the soft samba vibe that made Gilberto famous. It'll be easy to cringe at some of the more obvious pop interpretations like "Light My Fire", but most of the time her choices work. It's better to think of it like this: without Astrud Gilberto, there would be no Nouvelle Vague!
MPEG Stream: "Beginnings"
MPEG Stream: "Let Go (Canto de Ossanha)"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Sweet"

GILBERTO, ASTRUD Talkin' Verve (Verve) cd 12.98
Verve sessions, many never before on cd, from the Brazillian jazz vocalist ("the dreamy she-voice of bossa nova" it says here) famous for "The Girl From Ipanema." Includes covers of songs by Chicago and the Bee-Gees, along with sambas in Portuguese, etc. Much fun.

GILBERTO, ASTRUD Verve Jazz Masters 9 (Verve) cd 12.98

GILBERTO, BEBEL Momento (Six Degrees) cd 15.98
Yes, we've been a little out of seasonal sorts what with the extra early daylight savings time this year, but we truly know that spring is in full bloom by the arrival of the bright and breezy third album from Bebel Gilberto. It's a definite charmer for fans old and new. A particularly hot one-two punch comes at the album's midpoint when Gilberto turns on a dime from the groovy thumpin' finish of "Cacada" to the gentle wispy beauty of "Night And Day". Effortlessy captivating.
MPEG Stream: "Cacada"
MPEG Stream: "Night And Day"

GILBERTO, BEBEL s/t (Six Degrees) cd 15.98
From the speed with which her new cd is flying out the door, Ms Gilberto clearly needs no introduction.
Her admirers are sure to be happy campers once they hit 'play' on their cd players 'cause her self-titled sophomore effort is another heart-melter! Overall, it takes a slower tempo than her debut Tanto Tempo, but is no less bountiful in the grace and elegance department. Definitely for those looking for something 'soft 'n' romantic'. Her lovely, breathy vocals draws you near as her splendid backing band swings along effortlessly holding the world at bay. Crikey, did I really write that?! Shows you the effect of Ms Bebel. Os Mutantes alert: Ms Gilberto opens the album with a dreamy cover of their song "Baby"!
MPEG Stream: "Baby "
MPEG Stream: "River Song"

GILBERTO, BEBEL Sem Contencao Remixes (Six Degrees) cd ep 7.98
Alas, Bebel Gilberto's lovely voice gets completely buried beneath a mass of heavy, choppy beats not once but twice, and then as if to make up for that, there's an acapella remix version with Bebel going ba-da-ba endlessly. Very unnecessary (unless you're looking for some vocals to sample). Better to stick with her "Tanto Tempo" album.

GILBERTO, BEBEL Tanto Tempo (Ziriguiboom/Crammed/Six Degrees) cd 14.98
Joao Gilberto's daughter releases an album of bossa nova originals and well chosen covers including tracks by Chico Buarque, Baden Powell, and the classic "So Nice (Summer Samba)" by Marcos Valle. Bebel's helped out along the way by Mario C (Beastie Boys), Thievery Corporation, and Amon Tobin, but their more techno influences are kept to a minimum on this simple, exceedingly pleasing album. If you want sunny day mellow mood music, this is it. If you want something more complex and unpredictable, try Caetano Veloso or Joyce.

GILBERTO, BEBEL Tanto Tempo Remixes (Six Degrees) cd 16.98
Ms Gilberto's popular album "Tanto Tempo" gets a proper remixing by such notables as Peter Kruder (minus Dorfmeister), King Britt, and 4Hero. So much more satisfying than the less than thrilling "Sem Contencao" remix ep that came out shortly after the album.

GILBERTO, CLIFFORD Deliver the Weird! (Ninjatune) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
6 tracks of jazzy funktricknology from 26-year-old classically trained German.

GILBERTO, JOAO O Amor, O Sorriso E A Flor (Doxy) lp 26.00

GILBERTO, JOAO s/t (Aguas De Marco) (Klimt) lp 25.00
One of the finest examples of bossa nova music, this record from 1973 was made just as its cultural influence was waning. But what makes this record special is its minimal qualities. It's just guitar, voice and some occasional soft drumming (by Sonny Carr), yet the performance is exceptional! Joao Gilberto is a legendary bossa nova star, right up there with Antonio Carlos Jobim, who wrote most of the genre's biggest hits. It was Gilberto's version of Jobim's "Girl From Ipanema" with Stan Getz that made bossa nova an international sensation in the mid-sixties (though Gilberto's fame may have been eclipsed in America by his wife, Astrid, who became an overnight star from that song).
But Aguas De Marco, as this self-titled album is usually referred to, shows that one doesn't need a lot of window dressing to make a big impact. Gilberto's smooth melancholy vocals and complexly rhythmic but gently wistful guitar playing instantly takes us to far off luxurious tropical locales. Yet this isn't just background resort music, Gilberto brings a vital but downplayed longing to his performance that feels like remembrances of a time now past, giving it an unrequited quality that makes this record more endearing with each listen. Bossa Nova at its best!

GILDED ROOKS, THE Scarecrow's Pockets (Out Of Round) cd 11.98
Wow! if you've a penchant for rustic melancholia richly rooted in American country folk traditions, don't miss this new SF quintet's debut album. Although these days The Gilded Rooks are a full band of five, for these recordings which were captured in Nashville, TN, the band leaders Jessy Brown and Devon Angus were backed by locals Red White Blue. From the sounds of things, they got along smashingly well. The performances are terrific!, so easy-going and relaxed, you can easily imagine that they've been playing together for years. Scarecrow's Pockets is wonderfully drowsy and withery in mood and tempo. Brown's honeyed lilt and Angus' considerably more bristly, Waits-tinged delivery play off one another beautifully. The band tastefully embellishes the core guitar, bass and drums with piano, lap steel and organ, as well as surprise appearances of bright horns and a ghostly whisper of musical saw - all while still maintaining plenty of space to allow the duo's vocals to truly take flight. Each of the dozen songs is burnished to a mellow, whisky hued glow. Very warm and inviting despite the plaintive tones. Highlights are the opening title track, "31 Pages (Of Country Music)", and the closing "Joan Of Arc Of Bernal Hill". Along with the ten originals, they transform Jules Shear's "All Through The Night" (popularized by Cyndi Lauper) into a sweet shadowy lullaby, and also do a terrific rendition of Richard Thompson's "Walkin' On A Wire". Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Scarecrow's Pockets"
MPEG Stream: "All Through The Night"
MPEG Stream: "31 Pages (Of Country Music)"

GILES, GILES, & FRIPP The Brondesbury Tapes (1968) (Mister E) cd 13.98
Delightful, somewhat melancholy pop-psych with jazz and folk flavorings from this obscure pre-King Crimson outfit. (Michael) Giles, (Peter) Giles & (Robert) Fripp released an LP on Decca in 1968 that was not a commercial success (not too surprising since their label described them in press materials as "one of countless groups who have come to London with the vain hope of making good" -- a style of humor that may have backfired on this Monty Python-esque looking group). Undaunted (well, perhaps somewhat daunted), the trio carried on, building a primitive home studio in their flat at 93a Brondesbury Road and turning out quite a few amazingly well-done tracks with just a second-hand Revox F36 stereo tape recorder and some old microphones and a makeshift mixer. These songs appear on this cd for the first time (mostly). There's some really lovely stuff here, much of which benefits from the presence of ex-Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble (Fairport's pre-Sandy Denny female vocalist) and her musical cohorts, songwriting partners Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. These three met up with the GG&F trio via a Melody Maker ad, and, aside from these long-lost tapes, eventually made rock and roll history when McDonald and lyricist Sinfield became part of King Crimson along with Fripp, Michael Giles, and Greg Lake, for that group's groundbreaking "In The Court of The Crimson King" debut. So, one audience for this "Brondesbury Tapes" cd would certainly be Crimson fans curious about the origins of that band. True Crim heads will recognize some of their material here in early form. But, you'll find nothing like "21st Century Schizoid Man". This is a fine record in its own right, more pop than prog, both eerie and whimsical, demonstrating both Beatles and Beach Boys influences, and incorporating UK folk-psych sounds that of course recall both Fairport and the more gentle, pastoral stuff done by early Crimson. Quite nice! And, actually, quite a bit better than Decca's offical Giles, Giles & Fripp release, if only because it doesn't suffer from Fripp's silly/annoying narration all throughout (another bit of British humor that didn't really work for GG&F). The liner notes provide a detailed history of the group and, from Peter Giles, details of their multi-track recording methods (layering overdubs by bouncing tracks back and forth on a 2-track machine) complete with schematic charts illustrating the process. He's rightly proud of what they managed to accomplished, back in the days before home studios were commonplace.
RealAudio clip: "I Talk To The Wind"
RealAudio clip: "Why Don't You Just Drop In"
RealAudio clip: "Digging My Lawn"
RealAudio clip: "Under The Sky"

GILLESPIE, DANA Box Of Surprises (Rev-Ola) cd 17.98

MPEG Stream: "If You're Dreaming"
MPEG Stream: "When Darkness Fell"
MPEG Stream: "I Would Cry"

GILLESPIE, DANA Foolish Season (Rev-Ola) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ooh La La! Foolish Season is one of those rare pop-psych treasures that actually exceeds the expectations stirred by its delicious and mystical cover art. So often we have been burned after seeing some lost record from the '60s or '70s that looks like it's going to be the best record ever, complete with cryptic and captivating artwork, filled with unicorns, sunshine, and band members dressed in nothing but white robes. But then when we listen to the record it turns out to be nothing more than ho-hum middle of road faux-psychedelic rock often with less than desirable vocals.
But every once in a while we actually find a record that lives up to the expectation of its amazing artwork, and Foolish Seasons is one of them! Gillespie adorns the cover in a beautifully embroidered robe, standing beside a white horse, on a bleached out sun-soaked afternoon. Inside we find more great photos of Dana in all her voluptuous and curvy beauty. But most importantly from the first time we pressed play on Foolish Season we were hooked big time! This is truly one of the best lite-psych records we've ever come across. Infectious orchestrated pop with Dana's warm and inviting vocals. We started thinking of Nancy Sinatra collaborating with The Free Design or if somehow Scott Walker as arranger for Dusty Springfield in the late '60s. With songs written by Donovan, Billy Nichols, Michel Polnareff as well as herself, Gillespie perfectly tapped into the magic of bright, bold and breezy orchestral pop done so right. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Tears In My Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Life Is Short"
MPEG Stream: "Foolish Seasons"

GILMORE, JIMMIE DALE Braver New World (Elektra) cd 16.98
What a voice, that of an angel. Are there angels in Buddhism, we are not sure. A long long time ago in Lubbock, Texas, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, and Jimmie Dale formed the Flatlanders, who released classic selftitled album (still available on cd). Gilmore's wiry, ethereal vocals on "Dallas" still generates chills down the collective Aquarius back, nor does this new album disappoint.

GILMORE, JIMMIE DALE Come On Back (Rounder) cd 16.98
So peppery and full of vigor! Dare we say, such a whippersnapper! Jimmie Dale Gilmore's puttin' lads a third of his age to shame. They sure could learn a thing or two from this revered country music veteran. With his unmistakable voice in top form, he sounds absolutely terrific on Come On Back. Dedicated to his father, it's a collection of his renditions of thirteen country, honky tonk, and folk classics. The pace doesn't let up until the closing track, the solemn, deeply moving "Peace In The Valley". Inspiring and wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down"
MPEG Stream: "Peace In The Valley"

GILMOUR, GRAYSON No Constellation (Flying Nun) cd 13.98
One of two new releases on the reinvigorated Flying Nun label, recently reactivated (apparently repurchased by the label's founder) who besides repressing many of the label's classics, is also signing new bands, the shoegazy punky pop trio Die! Die! Die!, whose latest record is reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, and Grayson Gilmour, whose fifth full length is fast becoming a big hit around these parts. A lush collection of soaring layered orchestral pop, dreamy melodies, fantastic arrangements, shades of long time aQ faves like Zumpano, Cardinal, High Llamas, as well as Beach Boys, XTC, Sufjan Stevens. Grayson is a classically trained pianist, plays most of the instruments himself, has a crystal clear voice, and has a knack for sweeping majesty and epic pop bombast.
"Loose Change" is an instant classic, woozy piano melodies, smoldering big builds, those gorgeous vocals, a killer hook, the production lush and rife with odd filigree (xylophone, cello), and a seriously soaring emotional coda. It was tough for us to make it past that song, we found ourselves listening to it over and over and over, but once we did, the whole record is just as good, perfect pop assembled from flurries of piano, bell like melodies, tinkling chimes, layered vocal harmonies, intricate drumming, soaring strings, Reich like repetition, gorgeous lush production (especially considering much of this was recorded in bedrooms and "Mum's house"), the songs slipping easily from hushed moody ballad to crashing epic heartfelt pop. Fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Loose Change"
MPEG Stream: "Chromosomes"
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Light!"

GILMOUR, GRAYSON No Constellation (Flying Nun) lp 14.98
One of two new releases on the reinvigorated Flying Nun label, recently reactivated (apparently repurchased by the label's founder) who besides repressing many of the label's classics, is also signing new bands, the shoegazy punky pop trio Die! Die! Die!, whose latest record is reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, and Grayson Gilmour, whose fifth full length is fast becoming a big hit around these parts. A lush collection of soaring layered orchestral pop, dreamy melodies, fantastic arrangements, shades of long time aQ faves like Zumpano, Cardinal, High Llamas, as well as Beach Boys, XTC, Sufjan Stevens. Grayson is a classically trained pianist, plays most of the instruments himself, has a crystal clear voice, and has a knack for sweeping majesty and epic pop bombast.
"Loose Change" is an instant classic, woozy piano melodies, smoldering big builds, those gorgeous vocals, a killer hook, the production lush and rife with odd filigree (xylophone, cello), and a seriously soaring emotional coda. It was tough for us to make it past that song, we found ourselves listening to it over and over and over, but once we did, the whole record is just as good, perfect pop assembled from flurries of piano, bell like melodies, tinkling chimes, layered vocal harmonies, intricate drumming, soaring strings, Reich like repetition, gorgeous lush production (especially considering much of this was recorded in bedrooms and "Mum's house"), the songs slipping easily from hushed moody ballad to crashing epic heartfelt pop. Fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Loose Change"
MPEG Stream: "Chromosomes"
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Light!"

GILSON, JEF The Best Of... (Jazzman) cd 17.98
The last time we were this jazzed (sorry, couldn't help it!) about a jazz reissue of an artist we had very little or no knowledge of beforehand, was the great Lloyd Miller collection, A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz. So it makes perfect sense that Jazzman, the amazing label who brought us Lloyd Miller, is now introducing us to the musical world of Jef Gilson, a talented French musician, arranger, band leader, sound engineer, music teacher, label owner, and multi instrumentalist. The songs that make up this best of collection are some of the most irresistible, suave, soulful and surprising that we've heard in any form in such a long time.
Spanning a period from the early '60s into the '90s this shows so many different facets of Gilson's recording career. From bebop, to orchestral pop, to multi cultural intersections, to hypnotizing operatic excursions. This is forward thinking jazz, filled with exquisite playing but more importantly an endlessly creative and explorative mindset that has left every track on this collection feeling so fresh and alive all these years later. This is one of those records we would like Yo La Tengo to check out next time they were in the store, as we could really imagine Ira and Georgia at home in their living room reading and relaxing while the sounds of Jef Gilson provided the perfect ambience to a crisp fall morning.
80 minutes of music, 32 pages of in depth liner notes, this might just be a contender for reissue of the year! Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Up To The Light"
MPEG Stream: "Un Pas, Deux Pas, Cent Pas"
MPEG Stream: "Blue-Bizz"

GILSON, JEF The Best Of... (Jazzman) 2lp 29.00
The last time we were this jazzed (sorry, couldn't help it!) about a jazz reissue of an artist we had very little or no knowledge of beforehand, was the great Lloyd Miller collection, A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz. So it makes perfect sense that Jazzman, the amazing label who brought us Lloyd Miller, is now introducing us to the musical world of Jef Gilson, a talented French musician, arranger, band leader, sound engineer, music teacher, label owner, and multi instrumentalist. The songs that make up this best of collection are some of the most irresistible, suave, soulful and surprising that we've heard in any form in such a long time.
Spanning a period from the early '60s into the '90s this shows so many different facets of Gilson's recording career. From bebop, to orchestral pop, to multi cultural intersections, to hypnotizing operatic excursions. This is forward thinking jazz, filled with exquisite playing but more importantly an endlessly creative and explorative mindset that has left every track on this collection feeling so fresh and alive all these years later. This is one of those records we would like Yo La Tengo to check out next time they were in the store, as we could really imagine Ira and Georgia at home in their living room reading and relaxing while the sounds of Jef Gilson provided the perfect ambience to a crisp fall morning.
80 minutes of music, 32 pages of in depth liner notes, this might just be a contender for jazz we'd never heard of before reissue of the year! Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Up To The Light"
MPEG Stream: "Un Pas, Deux Pas, Cent Pas"
MPEG Stream: "Blue-Bizz"

GINA X PERFORMANCE Nice Mover (LTM) cd 19.98
You should have seen some of us jumping with joy (literally!) when we finally got this in stock a few weeks back. And we wanted to list it immediately but it's take us until now to get enough copies! Gina X Performance were a totally ahead of their time electro-pop outfit outta Germany who formed at the end of the 1970's. Nice Mover was their first and best album. Essentially the collaboration between Zeus B. Held, a musician and producer who was getting way bored with the stale world of rock at the time and was seeking to create some cold, dark and sexy electronic based music, and his perfect partner in crime Gina Kikoine, who had a background in art-history and was leaning heavily toward the avant-garde. Together they sounded like Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk hooking up with Grace Jones in the middle of the night at a dark seedy club in Berlin. Such the perfect late night record for those nights that you are feelin' a lil' dirty, a lil' sassy and lot up to no good.
When Pam in mailorder heard this for the first time she thought it sounded like the best kind of "slutty dracula-music!" or the soundtrack to early '80s cult-favorite Liquid Sky. Gina X were the prototype of riot grrl and electroclash. Musically it's that gettin' you so hot by being so cold, with Gina singing queer-positive lyrics about gender bending. there's even a song dedicated to Quentin Crisp. You can't help but hear Gina X Performance in the sounds that would come almost 25 years after from the likes of Tracy & The Plastics, Chicks On Speed, Goldfrapp, Adult, Solex, and Ladytron. Also if you loved that great So Young But So Cold comp as much as we do then this is pretty essential listening as well! Those of us who DJ know that sometimes all you have to do is put on "Nice Mover" or "No G.D.M." and immediately all the wild and sexy dancers will hit the dancefloor all flushed and feverish!
MPEG Stream: "Nice Mover"
MPEG Stream: "No G.D.M."
MPEG Stream: "Be A Boy"

GINA X PERFORMANCE Nice Mover (Medical Records) lp 19.98
This electro-pop classic, previously reissued on cd via LTM, is now available again on vinyl via the always-awesome Medical Records imprint! Here's what we've said about it before:
You should have seen some of us jumping with joy (literally!) when we finally got this in stock a few weeks back. And we wanted to list it immediately but it's take us until now to get enough copies! Gina X Performance were a totally ahead of their time outfit outta Germany who formed at the end of the 1970s. Nice Mover was their first and best album. Essentially the collaboration between Zeus B. Held, a musician and producer who was getting way bored with the stale world of rock at the time and was seeking to create some cold, dark and sexy electronic based music, and his perfect partner in crime Gina Kikoine, who had a background in art-history and was leaning heavily toward the avant-garde. Together they sounded like Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk hooking up with Grace Jones in the middle of the night at a dark seedy club in Berlin. Such the perfect late night record for those nights that you are feelin' a lil' dirty, a lil' sassy and lot up to no good.
When one of our staffers heard this for the first time she thought it sounded like the best kind of "slutty dracula-music!" or the soundtrack to early '80s cult-favorite Liquid Sky. Gina X were the prototype of riot grrl and electroclash. Musically it's that gettin' you so hot by being so cold, with Gina singing queer-positive lyrics about gender bending. there's even a song dedicated to Quentin Crisp. You can't help but hear Gina X Performance in the sounds that would come almost 25 years after from the likes of Tracy & The Plastics, Chicks On Speed, Goldfrapp, Adult, Solex, and Ladytron. Also if you loved that great So Young But So Cold comp as much as we do then this is pretty essential listening as well! Those of us who DJ know that sometimes all you have to do is put on "Nice Mover" or "No G.D.M." and immediately all the wild and sexy dancers will hit the dancefloor all flushed and feverish!
MPEG Stream: "Nice Mover"
MPEG Stream: "No G.D.M."
MPEG Stream: "Be A Boy"

GINNUNGAGAP Crashed Like Wretched Moth (Conspiracy) lp 29.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Our pals at Conspiracy Records, a label/distro based in Belgium, who in the past have brought us records by Boris, Jesu, Shora and more, are this year celebrating their 10 year anniversary. A decade of amazing music. From a bedroom based punk rock label, to one of Europe's most important and influential labels and distros, all we can say is HURRAY! And HUZZAH! It's always so exciting, when a bunch of folks get together to spread the word about great music, great WEIRD music, and survive, even thrive. Such is the case with Conspiracy. And as if that weren't already enough, just knowing that some great people were selling some amazing music, those sweeties at Conspiracy have decided to share the love with us. And you.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they've decided to do a super limited subscription series, 12 records over 12 months, each limited to somewhere between 200-500 copies, ONLY available to series subscribers. EXCEPT, they've decided to let AQ have 20 copies of each, we're the only store with copies of these subscriber only lps, and for a brief moment, we can offer them to you, our loyal AQ customers. Needless to say we are thrilled, as the series lineup reads like a who's who of AQ faves, as well as including a handful of lesser knowns. All pressed on super thick vinyl, and packaged in killer hand screened original art sleeves. But be warned, we only got 20 of each, and we will run out fast and we will not be able to get more. When we do run out, there is a chance you can still get one from Conspiracy direct, but what that means is act fast and prepare to leave empty handed.
Almost not worth listing this one at all. We only got 20, almost 10 were gone almost before they hit the shelves. This latest Ginnungagap is Mr. Stephen O'Malley of SUNNO))), Khanate and assorted other outfits. This one sided 12" is mostly solo piano, heavily reverbed, dense clouds of overtones, drifting and shimmery, with abstract bits of percussion and haunting barely there melodies. It actually sounds a bit like a Lubomyr Melnyk piece, played at 16rpm, little slow motion flurries of notes like snowflakes falling through a pitch black sky. Originally the sound component of an art show featuring O'Malley and Seldon Hunt, who also took the gorgeous cover photos, and who's crazy drawing is silkscreened in silver ink on the B side of this 12" Limited to 500 copies. Gone before you know it...

GINNUNGAGAP Remeindre (Aurora Borealis) lp 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We shouldn't really have to say anything about this SUNNO))) SIDE PROJECT!!!! But we will, because it's pretty different that the various members' other bands, and it's really fucking great.
There have been a handful of Ginnungagap releases over the last few years, all of them featuring various lineups, and all of them invariably WAY too limited and selling for a fortune on eBay. We imagine this super limited lp won't be any different. Which is funny since this is actually a vinyl reissue of one of those long out of print and selling for way too much on eBay releases. Originally an installment in Southern's Latitudes series, this incarnation of Ginnungagap features SUNNO)))'s Stephen O'Malley, Tony Sylvester (Dukes Of Nothing) and Alexander Tucker. A pretty cool group for sure, which is why the music on this disc is all the more surprising. A laid back, outer space, drifting buzzing abstract raga. Droney, dreamy and so hypnotic. Eclectic instrumentation (tamboura, harmonium, mandolin) helps the band weave a dense swirling drone from layers of buzzing steel strings, and wheezing chords, while above and throughout and within float tiny melodic fragments, a bit of buzz here, a little detuned twang there, all adding to the overall mesmeric drone. Eastern melodies materialize once in a while, only to drift into the ether as subtly as they appeared. SO NICE.
As with all Aurora Borealis lps, this is gorgeously packaged, gold ink on a vellum sleeve, packed in a thick clear sleeve, the vinyl is a glow in the dark looking milky white, the whole thing quite striking. And as always. VERY VERY LIMITED. ONLY 700 COPIES MADE! We got 40 copies, most likely never to get more.

GINNUNGAGAP Remeindre (Latitudes 0:02) (Southern) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

GINNUNGAGAP Return To Nothing (Misanthropic Agenda) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Managed to get a final batch of these. So one more chance to pick this up and then they really are gone for good. A little more expensive this time around as well. Ginnungagap is a term from Norse mythology that means something like "seeming emptiness" and that's a great name for this project, which sounds like it emanates from some abyssal void or abandoned cave or something. Ambient sinister drone improv, reminding us a little bit of House of Low Culture or even Thuja, if they were more creepy and liquid-sounding. Ginnungagap is a trio consisting of Khanate / SUNNO))) dude Stephen O'Malley on guitar, Khanate's Tim Wyskida on gong and tympani, and Gerritt Wittmer (who runs the Misanthopic Agenda label, and records solo as Gerritt) on computer. Packaged in a gold-printed, flat oversized cardstock sleeve, this disc consists of two tracks: "Return To Nothing" being a live recording about a half-hour in length, followed by Gerritt's remix "Nothing To Return" for about 20 minutes more. Like so much Khanate / SUNNO))) related stuff, it's of course a limited edition release...in fact, it's already out of print. We supposedly have the last copies. So...act fast if you want one. Sorry!
MPEG Stream: "Return To Nothing"

GINNUNGAGAP Return To Nothing (Misanthropic Agenda) lp 15.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
The music from Ginnungagap's long out of print Return To Nothing cd is available again, however briefly, on vinyl, super swank swirled yellow vinyl in fact, and limited to 500 copies...
Ginnungagap is a term from Norse mythology that means something like "seeming emptiness" and that's a great name for this project, which sounds like it emanates from some abyssal void or abandoned cave or something. Ambient sinister drone improv, reminding us a little bit of House of Low Culture or even Thuja, if they were more creepy and liquid-sounding. Ginnungagap is a trio consisting of Khanate / SUNNO))) dude Stephen O'Malley on guitar, Khanate's Tim Wyskida on gong and tympani, and Gerritt Wittmer (who runs the Misanthropic Agenda label, and records solo as Gerritt) on computer. Packaged in a gold-printed, flat oversized cardstock sleeve, this disc consists of two tracks: "Return To Nothing" being a live recording about a half-hour in length, followed by Gerritt's remix "Nothing To Return" for about 20 minutes more. Like so much Khanate / SUNNO))) related stuff, it's of course a limited edition release...
MPEG Stream: "Return To Nothing"

GINUWINE 100 Percent Ginuwine (Columbia) cd 15.98
Wow, if only every song on this disc was as good as the single, we'd be making this record of the week, indie-rock cred be damned. As it is, a great urban r&b joint, as you would expect from a Timbaland production.

GINUWINE The Life (Sony) cd 19.98

GIRA, M. Somniloquist (Young God) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Outside of his leadership role in Swans and World of Skin, Michael Gira's prolific aesthetic of the abject has also embraced the written word. "Somniloquist" is a collection of his recitations of five of his stories, two of which come from the claustrophobic and brilliant book "The Consumer." Gira's presence as a speaker is lucid and surprisingly unassuming. When reading his work, I felt the enraged bark of the musician who created such a pummelling force on "Filth" or "Cop", but the violence and misanthropy which is uttered here has become the norm for Gira. Perhaps that is what makes this so disturbing.