title:: Urban Gamelan
label:: Ronin records
Rerelease of the second album by 23 Skidoo which came out in 1984. 'Urban Gamelan' is divided into 2 parts.
Part 2 contains seven songs performed with a whole new set of instruments, the 'gamelan' that 'Urban Gamelan' is named for. Instruments used on these tracks are kendang, water jug, conga, bamboo xylophone, metal percussion, and tapes. These tracks are very unique sounding (nothing I can think of outside of actual gamelan records sounds like them) and maintain the very exotic, mysterious, and slightly dangerous feel that the whole record holds.
title:: Dubbing It Studio 1 Style
label::
Jamaican Recordings
The Aggrovators were a Jamaican session band fronted by Bunny Lee (not the same person as reggae artist Neville Livingstone aka Bunny Wailer). He used members of Burning Spear (Robbie Shakespeare, Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, Earl 'Chinna' Smith, & Valentine 'Tony' Chin) as well as others.
What sets this apart from other releases on Jamaican Recordings is that most of the tracks are vocal based. Only five of the fourteen tracks are instrumental dubs.
title:: First Album
label::
International DeeJay
Gigolo Records
Add a touch of Francoise Cactus, a tip of the hat to Chicks On Speed, and the whole package of ADULT. to the synths of Giorgio Moroder and you will have a hint of what Miss Kittin & The Hacker sound like.
This record firmly introduces an artist destined to become notorious and very popular.
various artists
label::
Mo Wax
What Mo Wax has done with the 'Now Thing' compilation is gather 15 contemporary instrumental ragga dub (dancehall) songs by new Jamaican artists.
Jamaica has been exporting tons of singles by new artists but they do not reach most stores and they sell out quickly, as they are pressed in one-off quantities. All of the tracks here have been released on singles by such labels as Greensleeves, Opera House, Golden Cartel, Black Scorpio, Maximum Sound, Slam Productions, Call Me Shams, or Mastermind 2.5. Really fine comp trading little explored grounds.
various artists
label::
Mystic Records
The folks who put out the psychedelic experience compilations have come back strong with volume #4!
In case you aren't familiar with this series, what you'll find here is a collection of incredibly obscure (mostly U.S.) psychedelic bands of the mid to late sixties. If by any chance acid-drenched fuzz guitar is what you crave -- you've hit the jackpot here buddyboy!
various artists
label::
Monika Enterprises
Since 1997, Monika Records has put out a unique brand of postrock releases, and Raumschiff Monika (translating as: Spaceship Monika) compiles tracks from each one of them.
Spotlighted artists include Quarks, Barbara Morgenstern, Contriva, Komëit and Zigarettenrauchen with Rosa. I think every track on this disc has something to offer and there isn't a clinker in the bunch.
title:: Liebe Zu Dritt
label::
Bungalow Records
Liebe Zu Dritt is a four song EP featuring a German language version of the song "L'Amour a 3" from their newest LP 'Musique Automatique'.
Although the first 3 tracks are very different from the version of "L'Amour a 3" on 'Musique Automatique', the final cut is completely unique to this EP. It is a version of a Japanese TV theme, called "Tetsuwan Atomu", worth owning this EP for if you are a fan of Stereo Total. All 4 tracks are ace!
title:: To-Day's Sound
label::
Easy Tempo
To-day's Sound, a double album from 1971 isn't a film soundtrack but sure does sound like it could be -- except for the absence of the thematic limitations inherent in most soundtracks. 21 tracks with varying degrees of jazziness; some tracks are mellow, some could be car chase scenes.
There's also plenty of electronics mixed in with the more standard instrumentation and a liberal sprinkling of Latin influence, too.
