Exuma (1970 *Mercury SR 61265) Flac + 320

The debut record from righteous Afro-Bahamian songwriter Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, aka Exuma. His earliest work is an unreal melange of heavy folk dirges, pounding junkanoo ruckus, and the groaning incantations of mythically just, voudoun enlivened cataclysms of spiritual and material oppressions in our brave new world. Proper chant down Babylon vibes. Exuma's records have long been a staple of the countless hauntologically-minded and/or whateverly freak-folked RSS electroducts we've been privy too for years, now. I know I've dropped him here, before. Hot on the heels of GC's recent Exuma II drop, here's a lossless/320 upgrade, ripped by yours truly with the help of my friend DJ Cuica, who kindly lent it my way to share the love of this astounding record. Huge thanks! Full scans included. Enjoy.

Exuma -- Exuma (1970, Mercury SR 61265) 

Flac + 320

Side 1 

1. Exuma, The Obeah Man

2. Dambala

3. Mama Loi, Papa Loi

 Side 2 

1. Junkanoo

2. Seance In The Sixth Fret

3. You Don't Know What's Going On

4. The Vision

Javād Ma'roufi -- Golden Dreams & Other Romantic Melodies (Iran, 197x / SARLP-500)

  

"Javad Maroufi (جواد معروفی)  was born in Tehran in 1919. He was one of the first musicians who chose to perform Persian music on the piano. Piano and violin were brought to Persia during the reign of the Qajar King Nassereddin-Shah. In the beginning, these instruments could only be found in the royal palaces and the homes of the nobility. Qolamreza Salar Moazez, Motamedolmolk Yahyaian, and Mahmoud Mofakham were among the first musicians who introduced the piano in Persia. Alinaqi Vaziri taught piano in his music school, and later, prominent musicians like Moshirhomayoun Shahrdar, Hossein Ostovar, Morteza Mahjoubi, and Javad Maroufi were the ones who were admired by the lovers of this instrument and by ordinary people. Maroufi was the son of Moussa Maroufi, a renowned player of the tar. Mousa was the best student of Darvish Khan and Alinaqi Vaziri. He paid special attention to his son Javad’s musical education. After completing elementary school, Javad Maroufi attended Alinaqi Vaziri's School of Music. He started with the tar, but turned to the piano after a few years. Maroufi graduated from Vaziri’s School of Music in 1932. He went on to receive a diploma from the Tehran Conservatory, where he studied Western music. He believed that, in order to be able to play Persian music on the piano, one should also master the techniques of Western music. Maroufi began working at Radio Iran when it was established in 1941. He collaborated closely with the great Rouhollah Khaleghi as a piano soloist, as well as an arranger of works of other composers. He taught piano, music theory, and solfege at the School of National Music for many years. He also composed many original works for piano solo. Maroufi passed away in 1994." (Rouhollah Khaleghi Artistic Center)

Here's a much needed re-rip of this wistful, yet contemplative, solo set of Persian piano compositions by Javād Ma'roufi. Golden Dreams is a longtime personal favorite from my collection, highly recommended, we'll say, for any other homeless wanderers who've found solace in the sounds of Tsegue Maryam Guebrou. Romantic regional piano solos; Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances, as another example, are slowly becoming a strong fascination, here. Do any discerning readers out there have further recommendations? 

Javād Ma'roufi -- Golden Dreams & Other Romantic Melodies (Iran, 197x / SARLP-500)

Flac + 320

Side A

1. Prelude no. 1

2. Prelude no. 2

3. Prelude no. 3

4. Prelude no. 4

5. Prelude no. 5

Side B

1. Jila

2. Golden Dreams

3. Kou Kou

4. Fantasie on Armenian Theme

5. Fantasie on La Minor

Exuma -- Exuma II (1970 *Mercury SR 61314) Flac + 320

"Exuma, the Obeah Man, was born in Cat Island, Bahamas and christened as Tony McKay; he grew up through Canaan Lane off Shirley Street, Nassau, Bahamas. Drawing on the traditional Bahamian folk songs, the infectious beat of Junkanoo, ring play, myths and linguistic idioma, Exuma, through his musical recordings, performances and paintings, has promoted Bahamian heritage and extended Bahamian music throughout the world moreso than any other contemporary Bahamian recording artist." (Nina Simone Database)

Righteous Afro-Bahamian songwriter Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, aka Exuma, sang it with depth. At times, he comes on like a man possessed, defiantly exorcising himself. His earliest work is an unreal melange of heavy folk dirges, pounding junkanoo ruckus, and the groaning incantations of mythically just, voudoun enlivened cataclysms of spiritual and material oppressions in our brave new world. Proper chant down Babylon vibes. Exuma's records have long been a staple of the countless hauntologically-minded and/or whateverly freak-folked RSS electroducts we've been privy too for years, now. I know I've dropped him here, before. This is my flac rip of Exuma II. Baal destroys me. Some contend that this record's uneven. Mayhaps its more of a for madmen only kind of thing. Nahmean? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Paz.

Exuma -- Exuma II (1970 *Mercury SR 61314)

Flac + 320

Side 1

1.  Damn Fool 
2.  Baal 
3.  Paul Simon Nontooth 
4.  Fire In The Hole 

Side 2
1.  A Place Called Earth 
2. We Got To Go 
3.  African Rhythm 
4.  Zandoo

Olivia Tremor Control : Opera House EPs (1996) + Black Swan Network : The Late Music (1997)

Another freshly ripped installment of late-90's artifacts culled from the remains of my long-lost, recently found, cd collection from mine own younger days. These two drops offer up some of the weirder long-form, lo-fi concrete experimentations out of the OTC camp. Out-of-print rarities, both.

Bill Doss, RIP.

The highfalutin lo-fi interactivity that Olivia Tremor Control first explored with the ambient bonus disc included on early pressings of Dusk at Cubist Castle reached its apex with the vinyl version of "The Opera House." A quadraphonic odyssey spread across two 7"s, each featuring the titular psych-pop nugget that leads off Cubist Castle backed with differing musique concrète experiments clocking in at just under 15 minutes apiece, the presentation allows for listeners to create unique songs by playing back the records simultaneously in various temporal combinations and RPM speeds. Similar in conception to the Flaming Lips' Zaireeka, "The Opera House" requires three turntables for maximum mindf*ck action, but the extra effort is worth it. Like those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books on which kids of the '80s grew up, the paths and possibilities "The Opera House" lays out are endlessly labyrinthine and completely immersive. (Jason Ankeny, Allmusic)
 

 

Olivia Tremor Control : Opera House EPs A+B(Blue Rose Record Company, 1996)

Flac + 320

BRRC10112A

1. The Opera House 3:15

2. Black Swan Radar (With Capillary Radar) 14:55

3. The Opera House 3:15

4. Black Swan Radar (With Enveloping Bicycle Folds) 14:55

5. Black Swan Radar (With Capillary Radar + Enveloping Bicycle Folds) *Ghost-Capital Edit: Tracks 2 & 4 combined. Soundcloud audio sample above)

""The Late Music, was born out of a small message hidden in the liner notes of The Olivia Tremor Control's Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle, requesting that people submit recordings of dream descriptions to the band. The album consisted of seven untitled pieces incorporating the submissions with different other ambient sounds and musical fragments. (Wikipedia)

Black Swan Network : The Late Music (Camera Obscura, 1997)

Flac + 320

CAM003CD

7 Tracks, all Untitled.

Amps For Christ -- Circuits (Vermiform, 1999) *Flac + 320

"Circuits was originally released in 1999 on the Vermiform label. It was well received, even charting on CMJ. Comprised of stellar originals, Scottish, English and North American folk songs and Child ballads, biblical lore, and choice pop folk cover tunes, Circuits is singular in its approach. Heavily referencing Steeleye Span and Pentangle’s moves in working with songs of the British Isles, as well as Jean Ritchie and North American Appalachian songlines in general, as well as DIY nosenik modalities, AFC uniquely adds to the history of these songlines. This reissue puts Circuits on vinyl for the first time as a deluxe double LP with a gatefold cover and a full bonus side of unreleased material . Circuits includes AFC collaborator Tara Tavi (ex-Blue Silk Sutures, Bastard Noise, Savage Republic, currently of Auto Da Fe) who plays yangqin (Chinese hammer dulcimer) and sings. Former Man Is The Bastard drummer Joel Connell plays tablas and percussion." (Turned Word)

From the archives; A freshly ripped Flac / 320 offering of the very best album by Amps for Christ. Woefully out of print for years, now, Circuits was recently remastered by the superlative Timothy Stollenwerk for a fancy new double LP reissue (its first time on wax!) by Turned Word / Water Wing, and featuring a full side of primo bonus material. I highly recommend you snatch one up, while the gettin' is still good. This rip, though, is straight from the original cd, which is one of the very few plastic discs I kept around after my college daze. I'm basically re-upping this because it still appears to be OOP in any digital format. If anyone from AFC, Vermiform, et al, wants this masterpiece back down, please just say the word -- Your wish is my command. Paz.

Amps For Christ -- Circuits (Vermiform, 1999)

Flac + 320

*full scans included.

VMFM 51CD

Super Djata de Bamako -- Vol. 2 (1983 -- Musique Mondial, MAD 004) *Flac

"Zani Diabaté, prominent guitar player in the Super Djata Band, one of the most popular bands from Bamako during the 1980s, joined the Ballet National in 1963, where he sang, danced and played guitar, kora, balafon and percussion. In his spare time, he would play in Harmonica Jazz, where he played harmonica, and later he formed the Ganoua Band with Daouda Sangaré on kamalen n'goni and on vocals, and with Maré Sanogo on djembé. In the early 1970s, the Ganoua Band was appointed the third National Orchestra of Mali (Formation C). When they were left without work, Zani and his fellow band members decided to switch to a private band which they named (Super) Djata Band. It was in 1974 that they started recording for Radio Mali.

The sound of Super Djata, based on the, compared to the mellow malinke sound of for instance the Rail Band, hard hitting Bambara rhythms and melodies, is highly coloured by the outstanding guitar playing by Zani Diabaté." (Musiques-Afrique)

Super Djata de Bamako -- Vol. 2 (1983 -- Musique Mondial, MAD 004) *Flac

Friends, you can still grab the (better sounding?) mp3 version of Super Djata's Vol. 2 at the invaluable World Service music blog. And, be sure to show some love over at WS, too...Not only for showing extraordinary taste and generosity in having shared our interweb's first best rip of Vol. 2 (and more!), but also for WRLDSERV's  own heartfelt personal insights and recollections about the life & career of Zani Diabaté & co.

Huge thanks to  DJ Cuica for lending out this platter that matters.  Djata truly brought this afternoon to life back here at the homestead. Heavenly sounds. 

Suni McGrath - Cornflower Suite (1969 -- Adelphi, AD1002S) 320 mp3 + Flac

"The music on this record is my attempt to explore and further the american acoustic guitar. I have four sources for the musics here presented: Bulgarian music for rhythmic modes and ideas, also modulation of melodic modes and harmonies; Hindustani for subtle melodic graces and ideas of variation, fahey for the conception of the art; Bartok for modal harmonies analogous to conventional western harmony, and treatment of themes." (Suni McGrath, cover notes)

In my view, Fahey, Basho & McGrath are something of a holy trinity for american primitive solo guitar. Among them, McGrath is easily the least well-known. Cornflower Suite is his outstanding first LP. This is a fresh vinyl rip by yours truly. Enjoy.

Suni McGrath - Cornflower Suite (1969 -- Adelphi, AD1002S) 

320 mp3 + Flac

Side 1

1.  Cornflower Suite   13:05

2.  Picnic On The Moor   2:21

3.  Garden Of Afternoon   6:15

Side 2

1.  Winged Sandal   4:15

2.  Pea Plucker's Pavane  4:29

3.  Xopo   4:18

4.  Blue Domes Of Isfahan   4:29

5.  Parting Dance   3:20

Photodementia - Fig. 3 (1997 -- Photodementia, 2012 Reissue) *320 + Flac

"Recently unearthed by the good folk at Rephlex, 'Photodementia' is an outstanding nugget of eight succinct and kinetic machine moves from late '90s Washington. Apparently a few white labels were distributed to Black Market in London and New York's Sonic Groove way back when, but they're that far off the radar even discogs hasn't heard of them. However, the press release reliably informs us that it's the work of Canadian-born Victor Beaudet "one time collaborator with Richard Davis of legendary band Cybertron" (sic) "and his partner, New Orleans' born Bernard Davies (R.I.P.)", so unless someone is telling porkies, this is quite a find. Essentially their sound is very similar to a number of classic projects from Drexciya to earlier AFX and the like - composed and structured with a free-flowing intuition and feel for that melancholic funk which is prized by so many nerds like you and I. Sterling stuff..."(Boomkat)

Dope reissue. I'm a bit of sucker for the electro. Has that Detroit sound, by way of mid-90's DC. This post is dedicated to my old friend Faso in BK. Thanks for the words, man! 320 vinyl rip by yours truly. FLAC is on the way, as soon as mediafire allows it. Enjoy.





**Photodementia Links removed by request. 

1. Mysophilia
2. Synovium
3. Ethnog
4. Gyrectomy
5. Fotografische
6. Anhydrosis
7. Sporobolus
8. Nitromersol
9. Hypercatharsis
10. Astrography

(V/A) Ongaku 70: Vintage Psychedelia in Japan (Hiruko, 2011)

"Ongaku 70 is the ultimate beginner’s guide to the Japanese psychedelia era. A incredible set of 13 tunes released between 1969 and 1978 including Osamu Kitajima, Stomu Yamash’ta’s Red Buddha Theatre, Akiko Yano, Sadistic Mika Band, Harry Hosono & The Yellow Magic Band, The Apryl Fool, Rabi Nakayama, Karuna Khyal, Kuni Kawachi & His Group, Toshiaki Tsushima, J.A. Caesar & Shirubu, Maki Asakawa and Les Rallizes Denudes. Neither group sounds nor hard rock here, only deep psychedelic rock with local instruments and native language. Be sure to hear the finest hours of Japanese 1970s music." (InSound)



A real oddball digest of 70s Japanese psych/prog. Big ups to Owl for throwing this nice 320 package my way. Looks like it was upped in Flac by Kel bazar over at Avax, back in May. Dig it.

(V/A) Ongaku 70: Vintage Psychedelia in Japan (Hiruko, 2011) 320 kbps.

A1 Osamu Kitajima – Tengu
A2 Stomu Yamash'Ta'S Red Buddha Theatre – Awa Odori
A3 Akiko Yano – Tsugaru Tour
A4 Sadistic Mika Band – Nanika Ga Umi Wo Yatte Kuru
A5 Harry Hosono* & Yellow Magic Band, The – Shambhala Signal
A6 Apryl Fool, The* – The Lost Mother Land (Part 1)
B1 Rabi Nakayama – Good Night!
B2 Karuna Khyal – Alomoni 1985 (Edited Version)
B3 Kuni Kawachi & His Group – The Cat
B4 Toshiaki Tsushima – Ape Society
B5 J.A. Caesar* & Shirubu – Jigoku No Orufe
B6 Maki Asakawa – Govinda
B7 Les Rallizes Denudes – Strong Out Deeper Than The Night (Edited Version)