With the additional title "Subtropical Sun Stroke Psych Out" splashed across a suntan lotion bottle on the cover, one can guess with some certainty that the third installment in Far Out's 'Brazilika' series will be crammed with all manner of fuzzy and...
expand review folky Brazilian gems perfect for summer listening. Of course with Andy Votel in the mix, it's also safe to assume that you'll never have heard a single one of said gems before in your life, and that you'll come out loving most of them. Anyone watching the collectors guides (or, um, Turntable Lab) will know that obscure Brazilian sounds have been quite en vogue recently, but instead of letting eBay be his co-pilot, Mr. Votel chose to stick mainly to releases from Sao Paolo's Som Livre and RGE labels, whose tracks are already known in Brazil and whose stocks haven't soared in the record fiend market (well, until now probably). And hey, if you've read this far you probably already know that Votel's great ear doesn't disappoint - whether it's Anatolian or sub-tropical sounds, it seems this man can dig no wrong. Includes tracks from artists like Mutantes, Azymuth, Tim Maia, Oz Brazoes, Sidney Miller, Trio Soneca, Novos Baianos and more. 26 tracks divided up into 12 sections. 50 minutes total. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Andy Votel, keeper of all things strange and fuzzy, is back with another mind-melting 75+ track mix of beat-centric psyche and international intrigue. My mind boggles at what this man's record collection must look like; every time he drops a new mix,...
expand review I half expect him to run out of freak juice, but the well seems to be bottomless. The genres here span folk to funk, rock to soundtrack material and back again - if it's freaky and rare, Andy Votel probably has it. Killer stuff. 76 minutes. -Larri Byrd
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A lost Brazilian glam/psych curiosity from '73, the one and only album from this side project of Os Mutantes' Rita Lee and friend Lucia Turnbull. Originally recorded for Philips (and never officially released), these tunes were recently unearthed by some expat Brazilians...
expand review in Europa, professionally remastered and issued in a strictly limited edition (500 hand-numbered copies each for CD and vinyl). Early tracks like "Festival Divino(1)" have a sweet acid/folk boogie feel, buoyed (or maybe lifted) by Rita e Lucia's breathy dual vocals. Meanwhile the latter part of the record lets loose a bit with Cilibrinas' rock tendencies - check the rollicking garage glam sound on "Nessas Alturas Dos Acontecimentos(2)," zippy girl group vibes with "Minha Fama De Mau(3)," and "Gente Fina E Outra Colsa(4)." And for Mutantes fans, there's a nice treat in the form of two unreleased bonus outtakes, "Hoje E O Primero Dia Do Resto...(5)" and "Mande Um Abraco Para A Velha(6)." 12 tracks, 48 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
Cousin Cole and Pocketknife's (aka Flagrant Fowl) Tambourine Dream EP has been on heavy rotation at the Lab from day one. The vinyl version featured 6 unique indie-rock and folk remixes (which are all included here), but the Flagrant Fowl dudes got...
expand review loose on this CD with twelve more remixes that are hitting the spot right now with winter gloominess in full swing. These songs give all the sappy jams that you listened to when your college crush told you she just wanted to be friends, a danceable quality that'll make you glad she didn't lock you down, so you're free to be knee deep in 'tang until graduation.
Standouts on the mix that aren't on the EP include: Cousin Cole's No Bro-Mo House mix of Indie darlings, Panda Bear. Pocketknife brings the mellow heat with his Faded Beach Towel remix of Feist's Gatekeeper. Seu Jorge gets put through the drum machine as "Rebel, Rebel" gets the Tambo D treatment as the mix starts to wind down. This is all topped off with the great artwork from Nathan Fox and design from Strange Attractors on the jacket and disc. Lightly mixed (you could DJ with em, but cop the vinyl for full versions). Comes in a full color digipak. Recommended. -erock
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I ain't gonna front, I've probably listened to Tambourine Dream over 100 times this year. It's probably gonna wind up being my mix of the year. Although I like the never-ending thump quality of the mix, all you DJs have been begging...
expand review for unmixed versions... Cole and Skooby deliver. Always with the consumer in mind, these guys have even made this release unique with only 200 copies made (hand-numbered), silkscreened covers they did themselves, and a new bonus track. Recommended. -the mgmnt
Money Studies kicks off its new "Lost Masters" reissue series by resurrecting this impossible to find mix from Diplo and fellow Philly record hoarder Tony Tripledouble. Originally self-released on CDR in an edition of less than 500 (plus a few handmade cassettes),...
expand review AEIOU 2 is over an hour of the finest and rarest breaks drawn from Diplo & Tripledouble's extensive collections of psych, funk and obscure soundtracks. Some of the breaks in this mix have gone on to achieve classic status - still no tracklist to help you out, but now it comes in a full-color digipak designed by PH. And if you ever wanted to hear Diplo skratching, right here's the spot. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Perks and Mini mix number four, mixed by Dj Pino P. & DJ P.Ivanoff (aliases for sure). This mix is a departure from the Bone Us Beats formula and features "tastes from around the world," including slabs from Turkey, Switzerland, Germany,...
expand review and afar. As is the norm with these P.A.M. mixes, expect that extra-effort that makes their mixes fun. There's lots of strange moments and dialogue in between these delicious, exotic treats. For fans of Andy Votel mixes. One hour and twenty minutes. -the mgmnt
LAB EXCLUSIVO. Australia stand up! On this 2003 mix, DJ Ransom (Australian DJ pioneer) and DJ Perks (of Perks sand Mini design fame) deliver a strange brew mix of disco, electro, and b-side bonus beats. This mix definitely has a crafted...
expand review feel, with lots of sound effects and trickery (kinda Hollertronixy vibe without the mash-ups) Over one hour, too much fun. -the mgmnt
LAB EXCLUSIVO. Australia stand up! The 2005 follow-up to Bone Us Beats from DJ Ransom (Australian DJ pioneer) and DJ Perks (of Perks sand Mini design fame). DJ Roland Korg says you'll hear "more electro, Goblin, Cosmic Kid, strangeness and scary disk!"...
expand review This one is even more involved and developed than the first with a cool spooky vibe and crazy selections. It sounds like something Snack and Commish would concoct. 30 tracks, one hour and twenty minutes. -the mgmnt
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Bogman procured this CD for us from his network of East Village record store workers. Soul Punk works at the most righteous Academy Records (excellent place to buy used vinyl), and has dropped this unmixed, compilation of 16 rare, and in-demand...
expand review rock tracks, all with big, bad breaks. This is total record nerd area, with tracks from Atomic Rooster, Titanic, Stray, James Gang, Thin Lizzy, Dust, Power of Zeus, Humble Pie, and others. Excellent sound quality. Recommended for rock break lovers, producers, and archivists. -the mgmnt
Back after a short absence -- diggin's hard work! -- DJ Soul Punk returns to his roots with a follow-up to his first unmixed breaks comp. Just like Volume 1, this disc contains 16 rare hard rock tracks filled with nasty breaks,...
expand review some of which you'll recognize and some you'll just want to chop up and keep for yourself. Features songs from Nazareth, Deep Purple (not "Smoke On The Water"), Montrose, Sorcery, Pentagram, Zipper, Free, Hard Stuff, Dog Soldier, Humble Pie, Captain Beyond and more. 77 minutes total. -Larri Byrd
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Sometimes it feels like Finders Keepers and B-Music could keep reissuing records into eternity and never run out of gems to dazzle us with. For this installment in their Anatolian Invasion series, they've brought us the "space age, electronic, progressive-protest, psych-folk-funk-rock" of...
expand review Ersen. If you liked the Mustafa Ozkent and Selda collections, this is for you. Ersen just blew the minds of about half the office (the other half had headphones on), so I won't even attempt to describe the excellent sounds within, but will instead point you towards these fine selections - "Temek(1)," "Bir Aynlik Bir Yoksulluk Bir Olum(2)," "Metelik(3)," "Guzele Bak Guzele(4)," "Zalim(5)," "Gunese Don Cicegim(6)." Right? Hearing is believing. Extensive liners, rare pics and background info included in the booklet. 16 tracks; 59 minutes. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Finally, the highly anticipicated new mix from the Lab's dirty beat digger Gaslamp Killer! This is his third official mix and I'll have to say, it's a mind ringer. You should know his style by now - dark, swampy funk, with murderous...
expand review drums and sounds from beyond. Heavy beat brother Kutmah also jumps in on the action, for a straight hour of neck breaking evil breaks. If you're into that late 90's deep funk, eerie Mowax cuts, and spaced out instrumentals, look no further. Tracklist? Sorry, the Killer's M.O. is always a barrage attack, leaving no clues at the scene(I can only name the Flying Lotus and DJ Vadim's Motion Man "Terrorist" instrumental). Definitely something to enjoy while blasted on good headphones. Also, the sick artwork by Shepard Fairey makes GLK look as twisted as ever. Super recommended for the true beat fiend. -C'mish
A peek inside the mind of a serial DJ wacko. The Gaslamp Killer approaches DJing, beats, and life much differently than anyone I know; and it comes through in his DJ sets. Here's some unfiltered clues to Gaslamp's world with 15 unmixed...
expand review psyche gems from his personal stash. No tracklist for all the biters, but access is better than nothing. The final track is a exclusivo Gaslamp re-edit. Also look for an upcoming GLK beats 12" coming to Money Studies in the fall. Recommended. -the mgmnt
Another unmixed comp of dusty psyche gems from Gaslamp's personal stash! GLK is a complete mystery to most of us here in the BK office, but these collections (and his way too infrequent blog posts) tell us all we need to know...
expand review - this man is dangerous. 15 tracks, with no silly things like artist names or song titles to bind your mind. For some original Gaslamp beats, check his track on the Secret Hangout EP or his upcoming 12" from Money Studies. Highly recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Gaslamp Killer on a rampage! This is his new box set from Obey, limited to 1000, featuring a split 7" with GLK and Free The Robots, backed with his new I Spit On Your Grave mix cd. The two LA beat excursionists...
expand review kill the 7" with GLK's mind bending "Show Stopper(1)" and the horror rock sounds of Free The Robot's "Clocks And Daggers(2)." The anticipated mix continues the evil breaks, with a lil' help from evil breaks partner Kutmah for an hour of murderous drums, deep funk, and dark instrumentals. There's no tracklist for this, but the Gaslamp Killer has never been one to leave clues at the scene of the crime. If you believe in the dark side of funk, you'll love this. Obey certainly didn't pull any stops on the design either. From the piercing portrait of GLK on the cover by Shepard Fairey to the eloquent gatefold art, this is bound to be sought by collectors everywhere. Highly recommended! -C'mish
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Just in time for Valentine's Day! This is the classic 1969 album from Serge & Jane B., featuring the notorious title track(1), which the pair were supposedly being very literal with during its recording. That's a pretty lazy rumor if you ask...
expand review me (sounds like something your friend would make up in middle school, about on par with "Stephanie from Full House killed herself"), but ain't nothing weak about the power of Serge's sleazy French lothario persona matching up with the sweet, innocent tones of Ms. Birkin. This has to be one of the best (or at least most entertaining) musical duos of all time, to the point where it makes me sad when Serge goes solo on this album, like on "L'anamour(2)" and "Les Sucettes(3)." But it's okay: Jane more than makes up for it on the haunting "Jane B(4)" (lovely strings, those) and "69 Annee Erotique(5)," which, like the title track, was originally meant to be sung by Serge and Brigitte Bardot. (Ironically, Bardot went down in history as, arguably, an even more notorious sex symbol.) Cop this, throw it on for a romantic evening (or some opium smoking) and lounge the night away. 11 tracks; 31 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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When the Andy Votel-curated B-Music label -- which generally unearths/reissues only the choicest in rare psych LPs -- releases a current album, you know it's gonna be something special. Misty Dixon front woman Jane Weaver comes with 12 stripped-down and lovely tracks...
expand review of modern folk and gentle psych, anchored by her lush vocals and flawless arrangements, which never go over-the-top but which swell and swoon in all the right places. Check out the rambling "Bits & Pieces(1)," rocker "The Pain(2)," "I Already Coped(3)," stringy hippie tones on "Like An Aspen Leaf(4)," plus the killer pair of "Is Everyone Happy(5)" and "It's Not Over Yet(6)." I know I call most every B-Music release "beautiful," but it's 110% fitting in this case. Get familiar! 12 tracks, 48 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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This is one of those CDs that comes in a slip-sleeve with insane rantings from a bunch of famously "hip" musicians on the outside. Jarvis Cocker says "you really need it in your life," Jim O'Rourke calls it a "brilliant suite of...
expand review instrumental concrete madness," and Tim Gane from Stereolab says the album will "leave your mind feeling like it was fried by the anti-sun." Are they exaggerating in the way that us record collector nerds like to do sometimes? Yes… but just barely. Jean-Claude Vannier was the arranger of Serge Gainsbourg's classic Melody Nelson album, but this rare LP from 1972 is nothing near the Francophone stylings of Mr. SG. Instead, it's a symphonic musique concrete piece – at times proggy, at times funky, but always epic and always seemingly on the verge of implosion. Take "L'enfant au Royaume des Mouches(1)," which shifts pace about 5 times, feeling like a collection of loose ideas scraped from inside Vannier's braind and pasted together especially for the record. (It ends, eventually, with the sound of running water and an overdubbed church choir.) Actually, the more I listen to this, the more I agree with those clowns on the cover. Dang. Check these out, too: "Danse des Mouches Noires Gardes du Roi(2)," "Les Garde Volent au Secours du Roi(3)," "Mort du Roi des Mouches(4)." That shit just sounds pretentious, and I don't even know what it means! But it sure is good. And check the bonus tracks at the end: mid-tempo(4) and up-tempo(5) versions of the Gainsbourg-y "Je M'appelle Geraldine." Nice job on the digital remastering, too. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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French electronic music / musique concrete legend Jean-Jacques Perrey was one of the earliest musicians to utilize Moog synthesizers in his work, including the classic In Sound From Way Out album he created with Gershon Kingsley. Luke Vibert (aka Kerrier District, Spac...
expand review Hand Luke, Wagon Christ, etc.) is the genre-jumping artist who, along with fellow twitchoids like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, helped shape electronic music into what it is today. It's safe to say that, as collaborations go, this is something major. Perrey laid down the initial sounds here, then handed them over to Vibert for chopping, looping and whatever other means of editing Vibert saw fit. The result is a mash of every imaginable electronic style - from literal acid to d'n'b - infused with the warm analogue tones of Perrey's vintage Moogs, and you really just need to hear it. Put it this way: what other artists could put dubstep style sub-bass under a plinking, hokey take of "Frere Jacques(1)" and make it sound good? Also check: "Analogue Generique(2)," "White Knight(3)," "JJPLVDNB(4)" and "You Moog Me(5)." 11 tracks; 46 minutes. -Larri Byrd
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Wonderfully strange sounds once again from B-Music. This time it's Lubos Fiser's soundtrack for Valerie A Tyden Divu, aka Valerie & Her Week of Wonders, an obscure Czech "hallucinogenic-baroque-witch-flick" from 1973. Fiser's score utilizes choral sections and hypnotic baroque instrumentation ("The Magic...
expand review Yard(1)") and has been hailed by some as one of the finest film scores ever. (Check out Andy Votel, Greg Weeks of Espers, Trish Keenan of Broadcast and more expressing their approval in the liner notes.) Listen: "The Letter(2)," "Dinner(3)," "Sacrifice(4)," "Dense Smoke(5)," "Puppets(6)," "Confession(7)," "And The Last(8)."
Haunting stuff, easily one of the strongest entries in the impressive B-Music catalog. 23 tracks, 45 minutes. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The definition of a lost classic. Lula Cortes (of Satwa fame) and multi-instrumentalist Ze Ramalho recorded and released the fantastic Paebiru in 1974; in 1975, all known remaining copies were destroyed in a warehouse fire, essentially making it a one-off private pressing....
expand review (OG copies have gone for over $1,500 in recent years.) This wouldn't be such a big deal if the music on said record wasn't so damn jaw-dropping and magical sounding. While recording the album, Lula and Ze traveled to the mystic Stone of Inga in Paraiba, Brazil, where they found inspiration amid the archaeological ruins and emerged with this concept album about the four elements. Each element is represented by a different group of instruments or sounds: heavy African drums and animal hooves for Earth ("Trilha De Sume(1)"), woodwinds, breaths, birdcalls and floating acoustic guitar for Air ("Harpa Dos Ares(2)"), blazing electric guitar for Fire ("Nas Paredes Da Pedra Encantada(3)") and loose, free-flowing jams in the closing Water section ("Regato Da Montanha(4)"). On the personal tip, I was lucky enough to get a vinyl rip of this off a hardcore collector nerdus friend some years back, and it hasn't left rotation since. Get open and give this one a spin. An awesome, awesome album. 14 tracks; 56 minutes. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Wow. A really amazing reissue from Finders Keepers' B-Music sub-label right here. This is part of their new Anatolian Invasion series, highlighting forgotten Turkish masterpieces, and if I was ever gonna use the phrase "forgotten Turkish masterpiece," it's for Mustafa Ozkent's Genclik...
expand review Ile Elele. This is the type of psych breaks stuff that dudes like Andy Votel flip over (in fact, he wrote the liner notes) and I think once this CD reissue starts reaching more people, everyone else will be flipping over it too. The (incredibly detailed) liner notes can tell you in better detail, but basically, Ozkent was something of a musical mad scientist, creating instruments to match his vision and then fashioning an entire album chock full of breaks that straddle the line between traditional Turkish music and Western influence. I'm a total dummy when it comes to funk and breaks and shit, and I even I know this stuff is useful. Just check out hypnotic tracks like "Dolana(1)" and the organ-trilling "Lorke(2)," or the one-two power punch of "Emmioglu(3)" and "Carsamba(4)." Even stuff like "Uskudar(5)," which begins the album and sounds vaguely like some old cartoon chase music. B-Music is killing right now! 10 tracks; 30 minutes. Recommended! -Chris Lemon-Red
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I was gonna say that Joyce is like Brazil's Madonna, but the fact is that her status in the culture of Brazilian music is pretty much unrivaled here in the States. Her career now spans over 30 years and so many genres...
expand review of music that it would be silly to get into it here, but suffice it to say that this reissue is a real treat. Joyce made this album in 1972 with then-husband (and founding Clube de Esquina member) Nelson Angelo and it's basically Heaven for your ears. Actually, this album draws a lot of comparisons to the Clube de Esquina record from the same year, but there's something so much more ethereal and sweet about this one. Maybe it's the husband/wife thing, or maybe it's just Joyce's flawless vocals over Angelo's vaguely psychedelic acoustic backings. This isn't even the kind of thing that needs audio picks (since you should just listen to it front-to-back in a dark room with a huge spliff) but here they are: "Um Gosta de Fruta(1)," "Linda(2)," "Tiro Cruzado(3)," "Vivo Ou Morto(4)" and "Tudo Comeca de Novo(5)." Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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If Os Mutantes were the Brazilian Beatles, this would be their Revolver, an album that marked a serious stylistic development and would change the band forever. Everyone loves the goofy sound effects and tropicalia flavors of the first Mutantes album, and while...
expand review there are still a number of light-hearted moments on A Divina Comedia…, there's a definite step up in tone and straight up musical skills. (The title translates to "The Divine Comedy, or I Feel Spaced Out," so you know they've still got a sense of humor at this point.) The psychedelic influences are more prominent this time around, especially in the fiery fuzz and organs of "Oh! Mulher Infiel(1)" or the nervous breakdown of "Meu Refrigerador Nao Funciona(2)." But the bubblegum moments are irresistible, too: check out Rita's sweet voice with the Brothers Baptista's bombastic accompaniment on "Ando Meio(3)." Even the tracks in the middle can't lose, like "Quem Tem Medo de Brincar de Amor(4)," which is like bossa, psych rock and a childrens' song rolled into one. They don't make 'em like this anymore! 11 tracks; 42 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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If Mutantes' first album sounded like a bunch of Brazilian teenagers mashing up the Beatles and Marcos Valle while tripping on acid, their second LP sounds like the band falling completely over the edge. While the Baptistas didn't abandon their pop sensibilities...
expand review altogether with Mutantes, the structure and bubblegum feel of their debut feels largely stripped away. Instead, songs like the spacey and vocodered "Dia 36(1)" and the layered "Dois Mil e Um(2)" feel like mini-suites, compact rock operas where Mutantes could accomplish in 3 or 4 minutes what took other bands 10. Of course, there's still the light-hearted "Rita Lee" and fuzzed-out "Magica(3)," not to mention the short and sweet "Algo Mais(4)" which probably could have been a hit in the US… if it weren't in Portuguese. In my humble opinion, this record comes in a close second to the debut record, but at the same time I can't deny the stoned beauty of the pair of closing tracks, "Qualquer Bobagem(5)" and "Caminhante Noturno." Nevermind the fact that the Omplatten reissue of this CD has been fetching major bucks on eBay – if you haven't heard Mutantes' first three albums, you owe it to yourself! 11 tracks, 42+ minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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