Of course we all love new music here on DIS but just occasionally I have a break from bravely forging new ground to listen to some reissues and compilations. These are some of my favourites of this year. Does anyone else have any recommendations?
Alice Coltrane - Spiritual Eternal
After last year’s amazing compilation of her devotional music, this incredible reissue compiles three albums she made for Warners in the mid 70s. They sit right at the junction of her jazz phase and her more purely religious music and are absolutely fascinating, swerving between funky vamps and ethereal hymns. Having ignored her for years her music has come to mean as much to me as her husband’s.
Chris Bowden -Time Capsule
An amazing, sprawling British jazz album from 1992 that anticipates many of the sounds and themes from the much hyped current scene - dub textures, spiritual themes, blends of strings and horns, use of vocals. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Kamasi Washington, Kamaal Williams, Sons of Kemet etc.
Prince - Piano and a Microphone 1983
Just Prince being casually amazing for half an hour or so.
B12 - Time Tourist
Fabulous retro-futurist electronica album on Warp from 1996, sounding just as fresh now as it did then.
Various - Paris in the Spring
Amazing Bob Stanley compilation of French music from the late 60s. Really interesting to hear the influences of British and American Music of the time filtered through the French traditions and reflecting the particularly febrile political situation in France at the time.
Various - Kreaturen der Nacht
A fascinating compilation by JD Twitch of all sorts of post punk/electronica etc from early 80s Germany.
Various - Uneven Paths, Deviant Pop from Europe 1980-1991
Covering similar ground to the JD Twitch compilation but with a wider span both geographical and temporal. Uneven but with some fantastic gems.
David Sylvian and Holger Czukay- Plight and Premonition and Flux and Mutability
Two classic ambient albums from the late 80s. Subtle, ethereal and beautiful
Michele Mercure - Beside Herself.
Compilation of self released tapes from the 80s. Lo-fi electronica/synth stuff. i know there’s a lot of this stuff being ‘discovered’ but I adore this, would be in a general top 10 for the year for me.
David Shire - The Conversation OST
First ever vinyl issue (there was a cd issue at some point) for this slightly forgotten 70s Copolla movie. He made it between the bombast of Apocalypse Now & Godfather movies and is a lot lower key. Music and sound design is really intrinsic to the film and the soundtrack is genuinely one of my all time favourites.
Mary Jane Leach - (F)lute Songs
Can’t really do this justice with my description but just generally beautiful music in I guess an experimental/avant-garde way.
Also the Pomegranates and Against All Logic releases by Nicolas Jaar, which are kind of re-issues.
I periodically give AC a listen as she has so clearly been a huge influence on a lot of artists I love (e.g. Julia Holter’s latest) but it has never clicked. I’ll give this one a go!
Loved Erased Tapes’ compilation ‘1+1=X’ they put out this year. Choc full of great new music by so many awesome artists. These are particular favourites:
Very much enjoyed this compilation, including ambient and experimental works from Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Bing and Ruth and Julie Byrne amongst others. Released on Cascine, it’s the culmination of a series of articles on the Stadiums and Shrines blog.
Unusual Sounds, a comp of library music from the 70s, bought off the back of a 9/10 review from this very parish. Its great fun, the opening track Funky Fanfare by Keith Mansfield is a favourite of my two year old daughter, she likes jumping on the bed to it
I think the Deux Filles records were re-issued this year. An ambient duo from the 80’s who dressed up as French ladies from a bygone era and never played any shows. For fans of 80’s 4AD.
They’re great but I don’t think they were reissued this year. LTM put both of the albums out on a CD in 2013. There was something out under the same name a couple of years ago but I’m not sure what it is.
That Alice Coltrane one is so special and great. Totally agree with the thing in the liner notes where it says it sounds like “a spaceship landing in heaven”.
The only other one I’ve bought is Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth-Boogie in 1980s South Africa which is brilliant fun. Afro disco grooves from when apartheid meant that black South Africans had to have their own radio stations filled with their own music. The fact that they made such joyful music in response to that shite situation is incredible.
Also been streaming Bitter Funeral Beer Band w/ Don Cherry - Live in Frankfurt 82 - superb mindbending but melodious jazz with world fusion elements
Well this is ace isn’t it. I’ve a few of the source albums but even this edited selection just seems really nicely put together. Would make a great Christmas present for a few people I know but that price…
