HELLACOPTERS Cream of the Crap!: Collected Non-Album Works Volume 1 (Gearhead) cd 13.98
A compilation of Hellacopters tracks you might've missed 'cause they're all from singles, 10"s, split releases, etc on labels from Sweden, Spain and the U.S. As is often the case, some of the best songs appear in limited release on 7"s, and so it is with the Hellacopters. If you're a fan of the garage punk revival (particularly the Swedish one - hello, Hives!) you'll surely want to check this comp out.
Nicke Royale (aka Nicke Andersson ex-drummer of Entombed) writes some damn catchy retro rock anthems full of ballsy guitars, hammering piano, gang vocals. And they do some respectable rockin' covers of songs by the Stones, Iggy Pop, Nino Tempo and Social Distortion. One thing though, the cd's packaging is a bit confusing. I opened up the six panel foldout and found that one whole side is taken up by a "Cream of The Crap" poster. The weird thing is it looks as if the poster was supposed to be nine panels instead of six and they just sliced off the top three. Confused? Me too. On San Francisco's garage, punk and hotrods label Gearhead Records. Also features the track 'Killing Allan'. Hmmmmmm.
RealAudio clip: "Thanks For Nothing"
RealAudio clip: "Television Addict"
RealAudio clip: "I Got A Right"

HELLACOPTERS Super Shitty to the Max (Man's Ruin Records) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

HELLACOPTERS, THE By The Grace Of God (Universal) cd 15.98
This band rules so hard. Big guitars, big hooks, leads all over the place, even that sort of pounding piano that hasn't been cool since forever. Or more specifically, since your Dad was high as a kite holding up his lighter to Bob Seger's "Turn The Page". Or your Uncle was feeling up some girl in the parking lot of a Lynyrd Skynyrd show. This is totally classic, fucking awesome rock and roll. The kind you should still be able to see in stadiums instead of nu-metal and MTV crap. Huge in Sweden, it's a crime they're not packing Madison Square Garden here. But that's good too, 'cause it means that's it's still okay for all the hipsters to still dig 'em. But ignore all that stuff and just buy this record. Think every stadium rock show you've ever seen, Kiss, Lynrd Skynrd, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Van Halen, Peter Frampton, and then supercharge it, filter it through a bunch of former death metallers, and you've got the Hellacopters. In a perfect world bands like the Darkness and the White Stripes would be begging for a chance to open for these guys! Or not. Includes two videos, a video interview and a patch!
MPEG Stream: "By The Grace Of God"
MPEG Stream: "All New Low"

HELLACOPTERS, THE High Visibility (Gearhead) cd 13.98
The domestic release! Sweden's been churning out some fiery garage punk in the last few years. Example #1: The Hives! Example #2: these guys! Actually calling these guys garage punk - a genre in which they've been frequently categorized - is a bit misleading. In fact, this is slick hard rock - think Rocket From The Crypt meets MC5. Lead by former Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson (now on guitar and vocals), they kick out driving tunes heavy with '70s rock guitar and some almost Rick Springfield or Foreigner-ish vocals. It's been well-documented how seriously both bands rage in the live arena, kicking butt on most of their American contemporaries. So if you're seekin' some rawkin' good times - maybe a companion disc to your Hives' "Veni Vidi Vicious"? - look no further!
RealAudio clip: "Toys And Flavors"
RealAudio clip: "You're Too Good (To Me Baby)"

HELLACOPTERS, THE Hopeless Case of a Kid in Denial (Universal) cd ep 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Limited edition little cardboard "box set" ep from these hard-rockin' Swedes... Includes five tracks, 4 of which are previously unreleased, plus 2 videos for your computer and a patch for your jean jacket.

HELLACOPTERS, THE Rock & Roll Is Dead (Liquor and Poker) cd 16.98

HELLACOPTERS/GLUECIFER Respect the Rock America (Man's Ruin Records) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

HELLCHILD Bareskin (Howling Bull) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hellchild are the undisputed kings of Japanese metalcore. And for good reason; huge complex compositions that are brutally heavy and ultra fast, downtuned and furious. We have both their full lengths as well as the limited 10" that features two absolutely unbelievable medleys (track one: Whiplash/ Metallica/Exodus/Destruction/Slayer/Kreator and track two: Motley Crue/ Motorhead/U2 (!)/Sex Pistols) twisted and contorted almost beyond recognition. Almost.

HELLCHILD Circulating Contradiction (Howling Bull) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hellchild are the undisputed kings of Japanese metalcore. And for good reason; huge complex compositions that are brutally heavy and ultra fast, downtuned and furious. We have both their full lengths as well as the limited 10" that features two absolutely unbelievable medleys (track one: Whiplash/ Metallica/Exodus/Destruction/Slayer/Kreator and track two: Motley Crue/ Motorhead/U2 (!)/Sex Pistols) twisted and contorted almost beyond recognition. Almost.

HELLCHILD Speed Metal Hell/Rock'n Roll Bastards (Howling Bull) 10" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hellchild are the undisputed kings of Japanese metalcore. And for good reason; huge complex compositions that are brutally heavy and ultra fast, downtuned and furious. We have both their full lengths as well as the limited 10" that features two absolutely unbelievable medleys (track one: Whiplash/ Metallica/Exodus/Destruction/Slayer/Kreator and track two: Motley Crue/ Motorhead/U2 (!)/Sex Pistols) twisted and contorted almost beyond recognition. Almost.

HELLFISH One Man Sonic Attack Force (Planet Mu) cd 14.98

HELLFISH AND PRODUCER Bastard Sonz Of Rave (Planet Mu) cd 15.98
"Rave Is Back! (It's Official)" has been the DJ Scud / Ambush slogan for the past year and UK's Hellfish And Producer have followed suit with their much anticipated follow-up to 2000's "Constant Mutation". Not a whole lot has changed in the last couple of years, but these boys can still crank out the adrenaline charged fuckstep mashup gabba jams they've become known for. Plus, they plunder in some old school B-Boy jams like "Rock The Bells" and rude boy deejay toasting for fun and good measure. Just as great, if not better, as anything out on DHR or Praxis or Ambush. And unlike much in this genre, there's a healthy amount of humor and good fun prevalent, rather than the usual apocalyptic propaganda that plagues it. Full on headpummeling beatdown that never fails to piss off at least one customer every time it's played in the store...
RealAudio clip: "Crawl & Die"
RealAudio clip: "Professional Psycho"
RealAudio clip: "Toilet Wars"

HELLFISH AND PRODUCER Constant Mutation (Planet Mu) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With this punishing record, Hellfish & Producer has filled the surprisingly empty noise-beat market left wide open by Alec Empire and the rest of his Digital Hardcore empire, which has been remarkably quiet for the year 2000. "Constant Mutation" is a continuously mixed disc of singles previously released by Hellfish & Producer. Unrelenting 909 gabba / drill & bass beats tear throughout the record well beyond the pace that a sober / non-tweaked individual can keep up with. Silly samples that anthemically call for the death of rock 'n' roll and headrattling blasts of white noise march through the pounding beats. Yup, Hellfish & Producer certainly give Mr. Empire a run for his money.

HELLHAMMER ONLY DEATH IS REAL (Sanctuary) cd 12.98

HELLHAMMER The Demon Entrails (Century Media) 2cd 12.98
No frills version. Cheaper but see our review of the other version and you'll want it instead.
MPEG Stream: "Crucifixion"
MPEG Stream: "Maniac"
MPEG Stream: "Decapitator"

HELLHAMMER The Demon Entrails (Century Media) 2cd + book 27.00
We could easily fill several paragraphs talking about the historical significance of Hellhammer (speaking of metal history, not world history, of course, though for some of us the two are of equal importance). But if you're reading this, and possibly already considering buying a deluxe double cd (or triple vinyl!) set of the band's early demo recordings, you probably already know something about the seminal significance of Swiss primal metal trio Hellhammer, the precursors to Celtic Frost. If you do want to know more, we'd point you to the liner notes to this release, written by HH/CF mainman Thomas Gabriel Fischer (aka Tom G. Warrior, aka Satanic Slaughter), which were adapted from his forthcoming book Only Death Is Real, all about the early '80s origins of those two bands.
As you probably know, Hellhammer started off as an amateur but enthusiastic exercise in teenage worship of NWOBHM black metal originators Venom, but took Venom's defining sound to further extremes, becoming a pioneering band not only in the black metal genre, but also for death metal and sludgy doom metal as well. And all this without much of a recorded legacy, just the 1984 Apocalyptic Raids ep and some compilation tracks and these demos, the band's initial recording sessions at long last presented officially on cd and vinyl, remastered from the original master tapes.
These three demo cassettes -- Satanic Rites, Death Fiend, and Triumph Of Death -- were released in mere handmade handfuls back in 1983. Including raw(er) versions of such later classics as "The Third Of The Storms", "Triumph Of Death", and "Revelations Of Doom", as well as many otherwise unheard Hellhammer hammerings, such morbid morsels as "Dark Warriors", "Crucifixion", "Decapitator", "Ready For Slaughter", and, er, "Bloody Pussies", it's 29 tracks, 102 minutes of truly ancient evil that any self respecting black/death/doom metaller should revel in. With a twanging low-end of rubbery bass, lurching riffs, pogoing rhythms, echoed vocals, these decidedly lo-fi recordings sound almost like a no-wave take on metal. Accidentally avant-garde (unlike Celtic Frost's later efforts to intentionally be so), Hellhammer were so wretched and fucked up that they've defined "necro" for all time. Hear here how they began.
The limited edition double cd version is packaged in a handsome, slipcased hardback digibook, 5.5" x 7.5", with a 36 page booklet bound inside, plus a small poster. Within the booklet, you'll find hella vintage black and white necro photography, xeroxed flier artwork, the original cassette covers, lyrics and liner notes from the band. Along with occult artwork, including a previously unpublished demonic pencil sketch by bassist Martin Eric Ain that, since it's rendered on graph paper, has us speculating that these guys probably were playing D&D in their bunker as well as recording the metal of death.
Meanwhile, the vinyl edition (also quite LIMITED, the eight we have are probably all we'll ever have) is a truly weighty proposition, 180 gram vinyl in a thick gatefold package with the aforementioned booklet, etc. as well.
Once the deluxe cd edition is gone, we'll have the regular, less-deluxe (but also less expensive) version.
MPEG Stream: "Crucifixion"
MPEG Stream: "Maniac"
MPEG Stream: "Decapitator"

HELLHAMMER The Demon Entrails (Century Media) 3lp 39.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We could easily fill several paragraphs talking about the historical significance of Hellhammer (speaking of metal history, not world history, of course, though for some of us the two are of equal importance). But if you're reading this, and possibly already considering buying a deluxe double cd (or triple vinyl!) set of the band's early demo recordings, you probably already know something about the seminal significance of Swiss primal metal trio Hellhammer, the precursors to Celtic Frost. If you do want to know more, we'd point you to the liner notes to this release, written by HH/CF mainman Thomas Gabriel Fischer (aka Tom G. Warrior, aka Satanic Slaughter), which were adapted from his forthcoming book Only Death Is Real, all about the early '80s origins of those two bands.
As you probably know, Hellhammer started off as an amateur but enthusiastic exercise in teenage worship of NWOBHM black metal originators Venom, but took Venom's defining sound to further extremes, becoming a pioneering band not only in the black metal genre, but also for death metal and sludgy doom metal as well. And all this without much of a recorded legacy, just the 1984 Apocalyptic Raids ep and some compilation tracks and these demos, the band's initial recording sessions at long last presented officially on cd and vinyl, remastered from the original master tapes.
These three demo cassettes -- Satanic Rites, Death Fiend, and Triumph Of Death -- were released in mere handmade handfuls back in 1983. Including raw(er) versions of such later classics as "The Third Of The Storms", "Triumph Of Death", and "Revelations Of Doom", as well as many otherwise unheard Hellhammer hammerings, such morbid morsels as "Dark Warriors", "Crucifixion", "Decapitator", "Ready For Slaughter", and, er, "Bloody Pussies", it's 29 tracks, 102 minutes of truly ancient evil that any self respecting black/death/doom metaller should revel in. With a twanging low-end of rubbery bass, lurching riffs, pogoing rhythms, echoed vocals, these decidedly lo-fi recordings sound almost like a no-wave take on metal. Accidentally avant-garde (unlike Celtic Frost's later efforts to intentionally be so), Hellhammer were so wretched and fucked up that they've defined "necro" for all time. Hear here how they began.
The limited edition double cd version is packaged in a handsome, slipcased hardback digibook, 5.5" x 7.5", with a 36 page booklet bound inside, plus a small poster. Within the booklet, you'll find hella vintage black and white necro photography, xeroxed flier artwork, the original cassette covers, lyrics and liner notes from the band. Along with occult artwork, including a previously unpublished demonic pencil sketch by bassist Martin Eric Ain that, since it's rendered on graph paper, has us speculating that these guys probably were playing D&D in their bunker as well as recording the metal of death.
Meanwhile, the vinyl edition (also quite LIMITED, the eight we have are probably all we'll ever have) is a truly weighty proposition, 180 gram vinyl in a thick gatefold package with the aforementioned booklet, etc. as well.
Once the deluxe cd edition is gone, we'll have the regular, less-deluxe (but also less expensive) version.
MPEG Stream: "Crucifixion"
MPEG Stream: "Maniac"
MPEG Stream: "Decapitator"

HELLO, BLUE ROSES The Portrait Is Finished And I Have Failed To Capture Your Beauty (Locust) cd 14.98
Awwww, February, blossoming romance is in the air! Fans of fey femme folk, here's a Valentine sweetie for you! Dan Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers, Swan Lake) and his ladylove Sydney Vermont took some time out from North America and travelled to Spain for a spell. The musical inspirations that their journey spawned are found on this here album. It's an earthy, ephemeral melange (yes, we said "melange"!) of Kate Bush drama, waif-pop Lavender Diamond, '70s soft rock AOR singers such as Melissa Manchester or Carly Simon. With a description like that you could be warily anticipating a somewhat milquetoast listen, but fear not! It's all distinguished and elevated by Bejar's unmistakable musical eccentricities. His prickly guitar and distinct voice are perfect foil for Vermont's lilting soprano tones -- particularly on fine songs like "Mediterranean Snow" and "Sunny Skies". Oh and yes there's even flute (ya hear me Andee?). Go on, don a flowing chiffon gown and sway to this floral loveliness. Includes a cover of Kevin Ayers' "Hymn".
MPEG Stream: "Hello, Blue Roses"
MPEG Stream: "Sunny Skies"
MPEG Stream: "Skeleton Aim"

HELLVETO In Arms Of Kurpian Phantom (God Is Myth) cd 13.98

HELMS ALEE Night Terror (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
Review courtesy of Justin Foley, long time aQ customer, and member of fellow Hydra Headers The Austerity Program!
Long time readers of the AQ mailing list may remember Northwest sasquatch-metallers Harkonen, whose two EPs and full-length or two charted out a wooly mass of distortion-laden virility. Harkonen's pummel stumbled across the line between Cavity's fierce crust/metal and Schlitz-dripping barn burners. At the head of this obviously unshaven trio was Ben Verellen, pumping out distorted bass lines and howling a great rock yell that is probably a family heirloom.  
Harkonen broke up a few years back and after a while word got around that Ben was in a new band - Helms Alee. Putting on their first full length - Night Terror - those who know some or all of the history above won't be too surprised at first. Ben's driving, fuzzed-up bass starts things off with an off kilter riff that spins into the instrumental intro "Lefty Man Handle", sounding a bit like Harkonen dipped in the soundtrack to a Sergio Leone movie. At the beginning of the second track, the same voice that bellowed over Harkonen's amps builds up from a measured sing to a top-of-the-mountain whoop - I'm telling you he's got a set of pipes on him. And by the time the song really opens up, the drummer is slamming on the cymbals, the bass and guitar are locked in a hypnotic two note riff and that guy's just roaring at you.
Then something truly wonderful happens.
And this is why the Helms Alee is surely my favorite record from 2008. Because while I love the ripping stomp that the song had purposefully built into, the band suddenly drops out the bottom and the drums, takes a breath and shifts into a guitar shimmering break. A two part female harmony picks up the song and carries it to what you later realize was the only place that it could have gone. It's like coming out of a tunnel into early daylight. And for the next 35 minutes or so, they deftly weave the pounding, yelling sweat-rock of the best Harkonen stuff with the equally strong and bittersweet beauty of an unexpected melody and harmony. Some times this happens at the same time, at others they switch back and forth. But it's done nearly perfectly over the course of the whole record, resulting in a sound that's equally poignant and heavy.  
Make no mistake - it's still a loud rock record that probably eviscerates live. But the thing that's really special about this band is the unexpected space they've found in a type of music that often seems like it runs out of new room. Special mention should be made of two things. First, the recording work on this is great - clear, physical and very unobtrusive. Second, those who buy it and sit for a full listen will really be rewarded by "Shmnna" - a record closer (almost, there's actually a nice coda song) that's obviously the climax of what the whole thing's building toward. The song's final guitar bit absolutely brings down the house. So good!
I've noticed that AQ likes to give reference points, so I'd suggest anyone who craves the male/female juxtaposition of X or Barbaro, the aging prizefighter nobility of Tar, or even some of the more rock parts of My Bloody Valentine must buy this record now. There's probably whole other groups who I should target as well - anyone who's into other stuff on the label, anyone who likes loud rock music at all, anyone who is signed up for the AQ mailing list, anyone who's not my sister - because this thing is a real, unexpected treat.
MPEG Stream: "Left Handy Man Handle"
MPEG Stream: "A New Roll"
MPEG Stream: "A Weirding Away"

HELMS ALEE Night Terror (Robotic Empire) lp 15.98
Review courtesy of Justin Foley, long time aQ customer, and member of fellow Hydra Headers The Austerity Program!
Long time readers of the AQ mailing list may remember Northwest sasquatch-metallers Harkonen, whose two EPs and full-length or two charted out a wooly mass of distortion-laden virility. Harkonen's pummel stumbled across the line between Cavity's fierce crust/metal and Schlitz-dripping barn burners. At the head of this obviously unshaven trio was Ben Verellen, pumping out distorted bass lines and howling a great rock yell that is probably a family heirloom.  
Harkonen broke up a few years back and after a while word got around that Ben was in a new band - Helms Alee. Putting on their first full length - Night Terror - those who know some or all of the history above won't be too surprised at first. Ben's driving, fuzzed-up bass starts things off with an off kilter riff that spins into the instrumental intro "Lefty Man Handle", sounding a bit like Harkonen dipped in the soundtrack to a Sergio Leone movie. At the beginning of the second track, the same voice that bellowed over Harkonen's amps builds up from a measured sing to a top-of-the-mountain whoop - I'm telling you he's got a set of pipes on him. And by the time the song really opens up, the drummer is slamming on the cymbals, the bass and guitar are locked in a hypnotic two note riff and that guy's just roaring at you.
Then something truly wonderful happens.
And this is why the Helms Alee is surely my favorite record from 2008. Because while I love the ripping stomp that the song had purposefully built into, the band suddenly drops out the bottom and the drums, takes a breath and shifts into a guitar shimmering break. A two part female harmony picks up the song and carries it to what you later realize was the only place that it could have gone. It's like coming out of a tunnel into early daylight. And for the next 35 minutes or so, they deftly weave the pounding, yelling sweat-rock of the best Harkonen stuff with the equally strong and bittersweet beauty of an unexpected melody and harmony. Some times this happens at the same time, at others they switch back and forth. But it's done nearly perfectly over the course of the whole record, resulting in a sound that's equally poignant and heavy.  
Make no mistake - it's still a loud rock record that probably eviscerates live. But the thing that's really special about this band is the unexpected space they've found in a type of music that often seems like it runs out of new room. Special mention should be made of two things. First, the recording work on this is great - clear, physical and very unobtrusive. Second, those who buy it and sit for a full listen will really be rewarded by "Shmnna" - a record closer (almost, there's actually a nice coda song) that's obviously the climax of what the whole thing's building toward. The song's final guitar bit absolutely brings down the house. So good!
I've noticed that AQ likes to give reference points, so I'd suggest anyone who craves the male/female juxtaposition of X or Barbaro, the aging prizefighter nobility of Tar, or even some of the more rock parts of My Bloody Valentine must buy this record now. There's probably whole other groups who I should target as well - anyone who's into other stuff on the label, anyone who likes loud rock music at all, anyone who is signed up for the AQ mailing list, anyone who's not my sister - because this thing is a real, unexpected treat.
MPEG Stream: "Left Handy Man Handle"
MPEG Stream: "A New Roll"
MPEG Stream: "A Weirding Away"

HEMATOVORE Untitled (Acerbic Noise Development) cd 11.98
Shredding instrumental math-metal played in happy, major keys on downtuned guitars with dual (or even triple) harmonies?? Sounds good? Check. Sound familiar? Double check. If you're a fan of San Francisco's The Fucking Champs it should. But this ain't the Champs. A glance at the colorful, Aaron Turner (Isis/Hydra Head) designed packaging reveals that this is a band called Hematovore, and they're from Alabama. We guess it had to happen. The Champs had some downtime, people got antsy, and then along comes a band that sounds so much like 'em it's absolutely uncanny. Unoriginal maybe, but what the heck. If you've been eagerly waiting for a Champs VI, well, you need to get this now!! It's just what the (rock) doctor ordered.
What's weird is that according to their online bio, they've been around for, like, 13 years (just like The Champs). And no mention is made of them as an influence. So perhaps it's a case of parallel evolution, inspired by the same cool things -- Carcass, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Maiden, technical death metal... But we doubt it. They've GOT to be really into The Champs. Though, there's a few differences. Hematovore rocks with THREE guitars and a bassist, whereas The Champs make do with two guitars (sometimes three, when the drummer isn't drumming) and no bass. And the blend of extremes, death metal on one end, indie/post-rock on the other, seems more pronounced with Hematovore. They get more hardcore METAL than the Champs do at times, but at others also more mellow and pretty.
There's almost no point in describing this further, 'cause if you're NOT already into The Champs you either wouldn't like this, or need to get some Champs cds first. But if you're a Champs fan (and why wouldn't you be??) then this is basically the new Champs album you've been wanting, just under a different name. More ear candy for Champs fans basically. So we can't help but recommend it!!
MPEG Stream: "Witherspoon, Pt. 2"
MPEG Stream: "Blasting Through The Back Nine"

HEMMINGSON, MERIT Queen Of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove (Amigo) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow! The wonderful, wonderful music of organist Merit Hemmingson combines a bunch of stuff we just simply LOVE but never heard quite like this before. The title of this "best of" collection boldly suggests as much to you too, right? Swedish Hammond Folk Groove, yeah!! We hadn't heard of her before we came across this, but now we know she made a handful of records in the '70s that brought together ancestral Swedish folk melodies, jazzy Hammond organ grooving, and some colorful psychedelic moves. Merit's Hammond is at the fore, playing her own swingin', riffin' take on these traditional tunes, but the arrangements also variously incorporate '70s funky wah-wah psych guitars, her lovely, wordless vocals, flutes and bongos and more... It's all so sunshiney and delightful, reminding us of everything from Hansson & Karlsson to Turid to The Free Design to a calmer, mellower version of Aavikko! And of course modern-day Swedish folk organ duo Sagor & Swing.
Merit's music is gentle, soulful, rhythmic -- so nice! It's total "grooving with trolls and flowers in the forest funk". Not your everyday organ jazz that's for sure, though Merit got her start in the '60s playing jazz -- she came over to the New York City to study, taking piano lessons from both Joe Zawinul and Lalo Schifrin and even getting to sit in with Miles Davis's band! But soon she went in a more pop/funk direction, and then became inspired by Scandinavia's rich history of olden folk music to create the sounds heard here.
The twenty tracks on this collection are all from albums originally released between 1971-1977 (Huvva, Trollskog, Bergtagen, Balsam, and Hoven Droven) except for a couple of recently-recorded tracks at the disc's end done in a similar style, featuring as sidemen members of currently happenin' Swedish retro-leaning rock bands (and big Merit fans) Dungen and The Ark! That's right, while obscure for years even in Sweden, she's undergone a bit of a hipster rediscovery lately and in fact this disc (the first time on cd for most of this music) is the prelude to a new album due out this year.
Queen Of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove is a nicely deluxe package, in a slipcovered jewelcase with a thick booklet full of photos, liner notes in both English and Swedish, and Merit's own track-by-track commentary. We had to go to a bit of trouble to import these from Sweden, but it was worth it!
MPEG Stream: "Mandom Mod Och Morske Man"
MPEG Stream: "Brudmarsch Efter Lisme Per"
MPEG Stream: "Setnmarks Slalompolska"

HEMOPHILIAC John Zorn's 50th Birthday Celebration Vol. 6 (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Good grief, it's become a running joke 'round these parts about John Zorn's never-ending 50th birthday sell-a-bration. I mean, of course he gets our best wishes and everything, but it seems like Tzadik's still gonna be releasing Zorn 50th Birthday cds when the man turns 60! Certainly it might take us that long to review all of 'em. But, that's no complaint, when we get to check out via compact disc shows we probably would have been stoked to see had we been in NYC during Zorn's month-long birthday concert happenins' in September 2003. Like this one, a rare recording from Hemophiliac, a trio made up of John Zorn (on sax), Mike Patton (voice) and Ikue Mori (laptop electronics). How's that for avant-cool? Crazed chaos ensues of course...squeals and squeeks and squalling squonk. Surely an endurance test for some, but sticking with it we're hearing some interestin' textures -- and even calm drones and beautiful sax lines -- alongside the exciting improv cartoon carnage dished out by these pros.
MPEG Stream: "@:<>:@"
MPEG Stream: "<<-^->>"

HENDERSON, JOE Power To The People (Universe / Milestone) cd 16.98
Italian reissue of this 1969 album by tenor sax man Joe Henderson, or shall we say Joe Henderson and heavy friends: Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette... Very "jazz" indeed.

HENGST, CLIFF AND SCOTT HEWICKER Good Times: Bad Trips (Gallery 16 Editions) book 25.00
Ever had a bad trip? And no, not just an "oh I'm freaking out man" sort of trip, we're talking the sort of trip that sticks with you forever. The first time, the worst time, the best worst time, sex, death, injury, mayhem and misery, well our very own Scott Hewicker and his partner Cliff Hengst have been collecting tales of these bad trips from a who's who of artists and musicians, friends and family, even AQ employees and have finally compiled them all into one volume, this here gorgeous hardcover book entitled Good Times: Bad Trips, and not only packed with stories, but with all sorts of original and found artwork to accompany these far our freaked out tales of drugs and debauchery. 
The contributors include Devendra Banhart, local luminary John Dwyer, our very own Irwin Swirnoff and our very own Lauren Robertson, Martin Schmidt and Drew Daniel from Matmos, John Koch from Troll, Ezra Feinberg from Citay, Alexis Georgopoulos from Arp, Wayne Smith from Aero-Mic'd, Nathan Burazer from Tussle, Jack Hanley (of Jack Hanley Galleries) as well as loads of artists and writers like Chris Johanson, Shaun O'Dell, Keegan McHargue, Leslie Shows, Kevin Killian, Dodie Bellamy... the list goes on and on and on. 
The thing is, it almost doesn't matter who wrote which story, so much so that the credits are tucked away, way in the back of the book, so the stories are just that, stories, removed from their authors, not overly writerly, instead conversational, like hanging out drinking and telling tales, where most bad trip stories actually get told. And these are some seriously demented stories. Some are super funny, some are really intense and brutal, some are so ridiculous they sound made up, others are more mundane, but resonate as experiences most of us have shared. It's an amazing read. A killer collection of short stories, all of them fascinating, tales of stolen jet skis, yellow food banquets, secret upper crust sex societies, deflowered virgins, brain loops, dead body mannequins, emergency room freakouts, smoking out with Lee Scratch Perry, football player rapists, midnight calls to Mom, industrial strength lasers, heart murmurs, talking crows, living nude books, grey music, naked hippies, sex with surrealists, skin rashes, mouths full of dough, Cher costumes, stolen Harry Potters, boom box kicking, fake pistols, guitar masturbating, mother meltdowns, Tesla coils and so so so much more. 
Gorgeously designed and laid out, plus the book is jam packed with eye popping art, paintings, drawings, collages, photographs and ephemera, all suitably warped and trippy, beautiful and bizarre, collected, found or created by Hewicker and Hengst. And all housed in a super swank, full color 136 page hard cover book. Each one signed by the artists!! Absolutely recommended. And a limited run of only 1000 copies, so buy now or be prepared to sell a kidney or take out a second mortgage on your house to pick one up on eBay later...

HENKE, ROBERT Atom / Document (I/CM) cd 17.98

HENKE, ROBERT Layering Buddha (Imbalance Computer Music) cd 16.98
We love the Buddha Machine, but we have to admit, we're still a tiny bit surprised at just how popular it became. For those of you who somehow missed the whole Buddha Machine hubub, basically, it's a small plastic soundmaker, with a tiny speaker, a volume knob, and an output jack, and it can store a handful of sounds. In Asia, it's used to store prayers and teachings of the Buddha, but the musicians in FM3 realized they could store their own little ambient loops on there, and thus we have the Buddha Machine.
We've barely been able to keep them 'em in stock. Most folks buy 2 or 3 (Brian Eno famously bought 8, Alan Bishop from the Sun City Girls bought 24!! -- not from us, unfortunately). It's the perfect gift. And you can use multiple machines to create super interesting sonic effects. And thus, we have Robert Henke's Layering Buddha. A project for which he used the built in inconsistency of each machine, and took the sounds, slowed them down to expose still more sonic nuances, and wove them together into lengthy textured drones. The results are fantastic. Fuzzy, whirring, gurgling expanses of muted murky sound. Drone fiends will love it for sure. The only drag is, that in no way can you tell that the sound source is a Buddha Machine. Had the record been called something different, and had no mention been made of the process, you'd just think this was a really gorgeous drone record. We almost would have preferred Henke had approached this project in the style of an installation. Like a thousand Buddha Boxes, all set up in some huge hall, recorded in some ingenious way, so the sounds overlapped and got all tangled up. A much more organic approach, staying more true to the spirit of the machine. That said, this is still a wonderful record. The looped dronescapes are dense with sonic detail, lots of fuzz and grit and lo-fi detritus, all wrapped in billowy clouds of warm whir, making Layering Buddha sound both lush and sort raw. Really cool.
Available as a cd in a digipak, or on vinyl, as five 7"s, pressed on grey vinyl, with gorgeous center labels, packaged in a beautiful cardboard box.
MPEG Stream: "Layer 001"
MPEG Stream: "Layer 002"
MPEG Stream: "Layer 003"

HENKE, ROBERT Layering Buddha (Imbalance Computer Music) 5x7" 63.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We love the Buddha Machine, but we have to admit, we're still a tiny bit surprised at just how popular it became. For those of you who somehow missed the whole Buddha Machine hubub, basically, it's a small plastic soundmaker, with a tiny speaker, a volume knob, and an output jack, and it can store a handful of sounds. In Asia, it's used to store prayers and teachings of the Buddha, but the musicians in FM3 realized they could store their own little ambient loops on there, and thus we have the Buddha Machine.
We've barely been able to keep them 'em in stock. Most folks buy 2 or 3 (Brian Eno famously bought 8, Alan Bishop from the Sun City Girls bought 24!! -- not from us, unfortunately). It's the perfect gift. And you can use multiple machines to create super interesting sonic effects. And thus, we have Robert Henke's Layering Buddha. A project for which he used the built in inconsistency of each machine, and took the sounds, slowed them down to expose still more sonic nuances, and wove them together into lengthy textured drones. The results are fantastic. Fuzzy, whirring, gurgling expanses of muted murky sound. Drone fiends will love it for sure. The only drag is, that in no way can you tell that the sound source is a Buddha Machine. Had the record been called something different, and had no mention been made of the process, you'd just think this was a really gorgeous drone record. We almost would have preferred Henke had approached this project in the style of an installation. Like a thousand Buddha Boxes, all set up in some huge hall, recorded in some ingenious way, so the sounds overlapped and got all tangled up. A much more organic approach, staying more true to the spirit of the machine. That said, this is still a wonderful record. The looped dronescapes are dense with sonic detail, lots of fuzz and grit and lo-fi detritus, all wrapped in billowy clouds of warm whir, making Layering Buddha sound both lush and sort raw. Really cool.
Available as a cd in a digipak, or on vinyl, as five 7"s, pressed on grey vinyl, with gorgeous center labels, packaged in a beautiful cardboard box.
MPEG Stream: "Layer 001"
MPEG Stream: "Layer 002"
MPEG Stream: "Layer 003"

HENKE, ROBERT Piercing Music (Imbalance) cd 15.98

HENKE, ROBERT Signal To Noise (Imbalance Computer Music) cd 16.98
Another gorgeous, gorgeous minimal drone record. Not sure what to say. Our drone thesaurus is darn near tapped out. Shimmering, rumbling, drifting, ethereal, dreamy, Signal To Noise is all of those and more. The first two tracks are composed and performed utilizing only an old Yamaha SY77 synthesizer, filtered, pitch shifted and processed into two lengthy smears of glacial sonic whir. The last track was composed using filtered noise and granular delays to emulate a thunderstorm. A barely there ambient crawl, like a lonely hike through the desert late at night, with the occasional crackle and boom of artificial thunder. Haunting and quite lovely.
MPEG Stream: "Signal To Noise II"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Chiaroscuro (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
On his own, trumpeter for Norwegian "death-jazz" geniuses Supersilent Arve Henriksen seems like a big softie, blowing and singing wordless soundscapes that are eerily pretty and entrancing. Arve's 2001 solo debut Sakuteiki merged his haunting horn with minimal abstract electronics. Now he's back with his 2nd solo for Rune Grammofon, Chiaroscuro, on which Arve's breathy playing and ever-so-slightly Bjorkish singing are joined by the live sampling of Jan Bang and the drums and percussion of Audun Kleive. The results, yet again, are gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "Opening Image"
MPEG Stream: "Blue Silk"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Sakuteiki (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Henriksen is a member of AQ-faves Supersilent, the unclassifiable and brilliant Norwegian improvising outfit. On this, his debut solo album, he blends his gorgeous, haunting trumpet playing with the drone-ful production of electronicist Deathprod (aka Helge Sten, who is also a member of Supersilent) -- although the sleeve states that everything was recorded direct to 2-track with no effects added in post production. Wow. Seemingly inspired by a visit to a Japanese Zen garden (with track titles like "Beauty of Bamboos", "Peaceful -- Close To Cherry Trees", "Planting Trees Creating Beauty", and "Shrine"), Henrikson's album is austere, hushed, detailed, and beautiful. The far north meets the far east: keening shakuhachi-like horn calls, breathy melodies, some pulsing sub-sonics, rare electronic blips, and even on the track "White Gravel" what sounds like rubbing stones. It reminds us of the lovely, melancholic tones of Armenian duduk player Djivan Gasparyan, if he were performing in an environment created by an Arctic ambient-electronica artist like Biosphere. If you enjoyed the "glacial Miles Davis" moments (as we put it in our review) on the most recent Supersilent disc "5" -- the ambient-jazz stuff that might have had something to do with why ECM picked up Rune Grammofon for distribution -- then you'll love Henriksen's disc too. So nice.
RealAudio clip: "Procession Passing"
RealAudio clip: "White Gravel"
RealAudio clip: "Tsukubai - Washbasin"

HENRIKSEN, ARVE Strjon (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Here's another set of moody abstract electro-acoustic soundscapes from Supersilent trumpeter Arve Henriksen, his third solo outing on the Rune Grammophon label, as lovely as the other two. In addition to his calm, melodic, breathy "glacial Miles Davis" horn playing, he also utilizes electronics and keyboards and wordless singing. Plus Supersilent bandmates Stale Storlokeen Helge "Deathprod" Sten (on production duties as well) contribute on keys and guitars respectively, adding to the overall mysterious drone-factor of this music, some of it very Supersilent-sounding (as you might expect with this lineup), some parts particularly reminiscent of the austere Arctic tranquility of Henriksen's solo debut on Rune G, Sakuteiki. Overall, there's an air of olden mystic ceremony, with tracks like "Glacier Descent" building to white-light shining bliss. Ominous relaxation... definitely for fans of Supersilent and Deathprod.
MPEG Stream: "Black Mountain"
MPEG Stream: "Leaf And Rock"

HENRIKSSON, ORJAN as the side-scene of reality melted, we slowly realized that the surrounding chaos of molecules and atoms no longer made sense to us (Firework Edition) cd 14.98
Electro-acoustic composer Orjan Henriksson has found a good home for his debut album on the eccentric sound art label Firework Edition which has also released albums from Leif Elggren, Kent Tankred, Zbigniew Karkowski, and Mikael Stavostrand. His album ripples with a continuous repetition of strange midrange clicks that are not the average electronica glitch, but rather some amplified acoustic phenomenon (clipped wooden percussion, perhaps?) treated with elliptical delay effects. Henriksson does incorporate gentle patterns of granular synthesis, hissing washes, and theatrical drones into the background of his sputtering clicks to re-inforce the spectacle of this electronic productions. This is an alien sounding record, with very few references (Scandinavian composers Arne Nordheim and Rune Lindblad get a few nods). The mysteriously long title about atoms no longer making any sense is certainly an apt description of much of the gritty clatter found within Henriksson's semi-rhythmic collages. Bizarre.
RealAudio clip: "Track 3"
RealAudio clip: "Track 4"

HENRY COW Concerts (ESD) 2cd 28.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

HENRY COW Western Culture (East Side Digital) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Western Culture" was the final recording of Henry Cow and the end result of a tumultuous two year period of tour mishaps, line-up changes and general hardship amongst the group's many members. Formed in 1968, this legendary English group (which takes its name from the early 20th century pioneering American composer Henry Cowell) was the antidote to the mainstream progressive rock of Yes, Genesis, et al. Henry Cow's core members Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, Lindsey Cooper and Tim Hodgkinson have all since established themselves as major figures in avant rock and jazz. This album was recorded in 1978 and includes as a fifth member Anne-Marie Roelofs on trombone & violin, plus some assistance on a few tracks from Irene Schweizer (piano) and Georgie Born (bass). The tracks, all composed by Cooper, Hodgkinson, or both, are strikingly reminiscent of Frank Zappa's "Uncle Meat" with maybe a dash of King Crimson's "Lark's Tongue In Aspic" thrown in. Angular, sharp-as-pins melodic lines with lots of strange parallel voicings of instruments, complex arrangements and a really strange bias towards the higher frequency range (when I first heard the song "Industry" years ago I was sure that something had gone awry with the recording.) As a bonus to this reissue are three tracks which didn't make it to the original LP or previous CD issues of the album. One is an alternate version of the album track "Look Back", one is a brief half minute ditty and the other, "Viva Pa Ubu", is the only track on the disc with vocals.
RealAudio clip: "Industry"
RealAudio clip: "Falling Away"

HENRY FIAT'S OPEN SORE The Parallel Universe of (Coldfront) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Besides having an awesomely demented band name (who the hell is Henry Fiat?) Henry Fiat's Open Sore are so smoking hot and so ultra kick ass, it's amazing we're only now discovering them. I was going to describe them as the Hives meet the Mentors, which I still think is pretty apt, although the rest of the AQ staffers hear more straight ahead punk rock a la the Ramones. But if you're into that hypercharged Swedish guitar sound, this will definitely be right up your alley. Dressed in tattered mod suits and heads wrapped in black bandages, they look like the Mummies' scary older brothers. But no retro lo-fi garage rock here. This is fierce and furious, ass kicking 3 chord, bounce up and down punk rock and roll!
MPEG Stream: "Midlife Riot"
MPEG Stream: "Move And Walk"
MPEG Stream: "Proto-geek"

HENRY, PIERRE Antagonismes IV (Philips) cd 21.00
This is the first release of Henry's recent musique concrete composition "Antagonismes IV" (1996) which is the result of reworking one pre-existing composition according to the framework of another work. While Henry poetically states that "'Antagonismes' is a radiography, a sort of horn-in-the-eye of 'Intérieur/Extérieur' (which was a manner of ritual, an Imaginary corridor layout for the adventure of a secret ceremony)", it's not entirely clear what is a reworking of what. It ultimately doesn't matter, as Henry has produced another wonderful gem of manipulated electroacoustic string works, experimental tape constructions, and abstract electronic tonalities.
RealAudio clip: "Dualite"
RealAudio clip: "Psaltry"

HENRY, PIERRE Fragments Pour Artaud / Entite / Prisme (Philips) cd 21.00
Chapter 4.2 in the Philips reissue series of the musique concrete works of Pierre Henry features 3 pieces: "Fragments pour Artaud" (1970), "Entite" (1959), and "Prisme" (1973). "Fragments Pour Artaud" lives up to its name as an absurdist homage to Antonin Artaud, in jumpcutting through 13 interlocking segments of monotonous voices that have been manipulated into eeriely sputtering fluctuations of synthesized noise. Henry opens and closes this composition with the random plucks of an untuned steel-stringed instrument flapping against its soundboard. Quite obtuse, yet bombastically theatrical. "Entite" is a brief 6 minute piece for tape, with nonspecific grey sounds fluxing in and out of the audible range whilst generative metallic clatter and tape whirr pop throughout the stereo field. "Prisme" rounds out the collection as another investigation into the realm of possibilities for magnetic tape manipulation. These concrete sounds filtered through an arsenal of effects are quite typical for Henry and those at the INA-GRM institution, with the biggest difference being the advancement in technology and sound quality between 1959 and 1973.
All liner notes are in French.
RealAudio clip: "Mexique (from Fragments Pour Artaud)"
RealAudio clip: "Le Temple d'Emese (from Fragments Pour Artaud)"
RealAudio clip: "Entite"
RealAudio clip: "Prisme"

HENRY, PIERRE Futuristie (Philips) cd 21.00
Composed in 1980 as an homage to Luigi Russolo, author of the Futurist manifesto "The Art of Noise," Pierre Henry's "Futuristie" centered around the recreation of Russolo's "intonarumori." Henry designed similar looking noise intoners (which are odd shaped boxed with huge metal speakers sticking out their sides) based on the photographs of the objects, as the originals had long been dismantled. I've often wondered what these "intonarumori" would sound like, and what they were amplifying. All that any historian seems to say about Russolo's "intonarumori" is that they made noise. Come on, can't anybody do better than that? What kind of noise?
Anyway, I doubt that Pierre Henry knew either as the dense collage of sounds that he broadcast through those loudspeakers falls well within his musique concrete signature. Henry does claim a strong influence from Futurism, as a manifesto which promoted the removal of semiotic barriers between noise and music. His complex abstraction scrounges for the sounds of aluminum cans getting crushed, the clatter of wooden pegs falling, scraped metal wires, sporadic electronic bleeping, and layered rhythmic grunts and vocalisations sounding like a multi-dubbed Jaap Blonk. Henry certainly is following the spirit of Futurism, but if he is actually following its sonorous aesthetics, I guess we'll never know.
The liner notes are all in French, compounding the quandry.
RealAudio clip: "Bruiteurs 1"

HENRY, PIERRE Les Annees Cinquante (Philips) 2cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the fourth chapter in the continued archival project for musique concrete composer Pierre Henry, Philips presents this collection of Henry's earliest material from the 1950s, which had been previously issued on the long out of print Mantra 3CD set. The compositions (number 4.3, if you must know) within this set include "Microphone bien tempére" (1950-1952), "Concerto des ambiguites" (1950), "Musique sans titre" (1950), "Bidule en mi" (1950). "Spirale" (1955), "Voile d'orphée" (1953), "Spatiodynamisme" (1954), "Aut-voltage" (1956), and "Coexistence" (1958). These pieces, which are all based upon magnetic tape playback, splicing, and speed manipulation with various filters, reflect Henry's early mastery over his material despite the lack of dynamics from his equipment (which generated very little pure bass reflex at all)... disembodied vocals, metallic cymbals with variable attack, sustained organ, spring reverb manipulation, and any other obtuse sound that resonates within the mid-range timbres.
Liner notes are all in French.
RealAudio clip: "Etendu (from Concerto Des Ambiguites)"
RealAudio clip: "Spirale"

HENRY, PIERRE Mix 03.0 (Philips France) 4cd 55.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Are you a musique concrete connoiseur who already has the Pierre Henry box sets "Mix 01.0" and "Mix 02.0"? Then wethinks you'll have to pick this one up too! Again, a hefty helping of Henry's brilliant music. Contains 4 discs: "Variations Pour Une Porte Et Un Soupir / La Reine Verte", "Futuristie", "Antagonismes IV (nouvelle version)" and "Hugosymphonie / Gouttes d'eau". The first three discs are available separately (see nearby reviews) but the "Hugosymphonie" one is a bonus exclusive to this box. The two pieces on it are symphonic poems inspired by nature themes in the work of Victor Hugo, recorded in 1985. So, getting this handsome box is much cheaper than buying the discs individually, and it comes with more music too!

HENRY, PIERRE Pierres Reflechies / La Noire A Soixante / Gymkhana (Philips) cd 21.00
In the reissue campaign from Philips of Pierre Henry's work, his compositions "Pierres Reflechies," "La Noire A Soixante," and "Gymkhana" constitute the volume 4.1. "Pierre Reflechies" (1982) is a good example of Pierre Henry's current aesthetic with a greater emphasis on the dialogue between orchestral instruments and electronic synthesis. Here, Henry composes the orchestral elements through serial repetition of blurted notes, then disfigures them through a number of filters which resemble contemporary DSP techniques. For this piece, Henry has translated the work of Proust into sound and dedicated it to the other Pierre of musique concrete (Pierre Schaeffer, that is). "La Noire A Soixante" jumps back to 1961 and to a minimal application of Henry's electro-acoustic pings and reverberations. "Gymkhana" (1970) appears to be a 'remix' of the aforementioned "La Noire A Soixante" with acoustic instrumentation (sustained oboes and pointillist flutes) laid over the backing tape.
RealAudio clip: "Diaspre (from "Pierres Reflechies")"
RealAudio clip: "La Noire A Soixante"
RealAudio clip: "Gymkhana"

HENRY, PIERRE Variations Pour Une Porte Et Un Soupir / La Reine Verte (Philips) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Variations For a Door and a Sigh" may in fact be Pierre Henry's most well known piece, simply because it has become the unwitting self-parody / archetype of musique concrete as a solipsistic study by academic farts recording creaking doors and passing the results off as high art. Conceived and realized in 1963, this piece is an elaboration upon the individual colors of three distinct sounds: a sigh, a musical saw, and squeaking door. It appears that Henry's decision to limit his palette to only three sources was in direct opposition to near limitless sounds he had developed through the mutable techniques of musique concrete. To be fair, "Variations For a Door and a Sigh" wouldn't have received so many emulations and homages if there weren't something worthwhile in the recordings.
"La Reina Verte" is a 30 minute electronic / orchestral work also from 1963; it's an incomplete edit of the original 46 minute composition, but significantly longer than its previous inclusion on "Messe Pour Le Temps." His intent in combining the artificial sonorities of musique concrete with the timbres of orchestral instruments, was "not only in search of unwonted conceits, [but also] a lyrical or even a poetic counterpoint to the different forms of this spectacle."

HENRY, PIERRE, & MICHEL COLOMBIER Metamorphose: Messe Pour Le Temps Present (ffrr) cd 15.98
Pierre Henry's musique concrete gets the remix treatment, contributors include William Orbit, Fatboy Slim, Coldcut, Funki Porcini, Dimitri from Paris, and others.

HENSKE, JUDY & JERRY YESTER Farewell Aldebaran (Phoenix) cd 17.98
One of the more amazing curios of the late sixties folk-rock era, this sole record by Judy Henske and Jerry Yester is a strange and heady amalgam of baroque pomp-rock, lilting folk-pop and experimental electronic weirdness. Henske is best known for a series of early folk-revival albums on Elektra, that featured her howling blues vocals and cabaret like wit. Yester, best known as a producer from an assorted array of folk and psychedelic bands including The Association, The Loving Spoonful, Tim Buckley (and more recently No Neck Blues Band!), made his debut as a musical artist and singer on this record. Originally released on Frank Zappa's Straight label (like those Alice Cooper albums we made Records Of The Week last time!), the album never did real well, but has always remained a cult treasure due to its genre-defying song styles and early psychedelic synthesizer experiments on the title track. Written in the voice of a dying star, Henske utilized an early vocoder device for the vocal tracks which also features Moogs and Theremins. Although it's the only track to feature that effect, it seems to fit right in with the rest, as no two songs are quite alike. That might make it a hit and miss listen for those craving consistency, but those who like the more unpredictable corners of sixties music, this cult gem is well worth it.
MPEG Stream: "Horses On A Stick"
MPEG Stream: "Charity"
MPEG Stream: "Farewell Aldebaran"

HEPTONES Fattie Fattie (Studio One) cd 14.98

HEPTONES Night Food (Harry Records) lp 14.98

HEPTONES Unreleased Night Food & Rare Black Ark Sessions (Auralux) cd 17.98