Folk Vinyl 241 Items

Nyami Nyami Records presents a reissue of a rare gem from the Gramma Records catalog , the historic Zimbabweean label. Dumisani Maraire, the leading creator of modern mbira, settled in the USA in the late 60s where he popularized the traditional music of the Shona people. Tichazomuona is the first album he recorded in liberated Zimbabwe, in 1986, with his wife Maichi and daughter Chiwoniso. You can hear the very young singer on lead vocals on the title track, long before she went on to perform solo on the international stage. We launched Nyami Nyami with her last recording Zvichapera and are happy to also release now her very first.

I have never heard before of the Jurchen culture from the Chinese and later East Russian Northlands and as well not of the Nanai People who have risen from the scattered remains of the Jurchen culture wiped out by furiously attacking Mongolian steppe armies some 850 years back. The Great Khans did not leave much variety after sweeping through the taiga towards Western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. So the Nanai people came to exist and had their songs and instruments. Some of them were used by composer Alexander Lavrov and singer Kola Beldy who is of Nanian descent in their music on this, Kola Beldy’s fourth album. Just as all his records from the 1980s, this is extremely rare and originals in good shape can cost a small fortune. Just in case they ever turn up somewhere outside the vast Russian country. Now for the very outstanding music that as mentiond above is based on centuries old folk tunes of the Nanai and Jurchen cultures which get slightly updated in the sense of 1989 state oft he art pop and rock and that even in a slightly progressive way. Kola Beldy, already 60 years of age by then, was a long time active folk and pop singer in the Soviet Union who unfortunately passed away only 64 years old in 1993. He owns a full, warm mid ranged voice and chants the ancient melodies in a mystifying way. The instrumentation behind him shows a good variety of old and modern instruments. While the opening track is based mostly on percussion and drum patterns with an eerie grinding sound and later on a jew’s harp added upon which Beldy lays down a melody with a typical far eastern approach in what seems to be Russian language, further tracks contain synthesizer lines and even an electric guitar. Still the overall atmosphere is mostly mystical, solemn and spiritual. I definitely have not heard anything alike before. The more rock oriented tunes could bring back memories of Italian movie soundtracks by Goblin, based on progressive rock and jazz to the mind of the listener, just with these awesome vocals. Italian 90s progressive rockers Presence also had a similar approach. The keyboards, organ, very modern singing bass guitar head towards a very progressive direction here. Art pop, if you want to call it that. Based on ancient Nanian tunes but made timeless and even in 2021 fresh sounding by a very talented band. So, Kola Beldy’s fourth album may not be a mainstream favorite, fans of progressive pop like that of early 80s Goblin, Presence from the early 90s and good ol‘ Peter Gabriel, not for the voice itself but for the songs, will find pleasure in this nifty obscurity which gets reissued now for the first time on vinyl in 32 years.

When we talk about british folk revival we should not forget a key figure as Ian A. Anderson, a songwriter on its own and a truly prime mover in the local scene. Currently editor of the ‘world music magazine’ fRoots, Ian A. Anderson first performed in his home town of Weston-super-Mare as a member of the Backwater Jook Band and came to prominence as a member of the Bristol based country blues scene of the mid to late 1960s, performing live and on record, both solo, with Al Jones and Elliott Jackson as the trio Anderson Jones Jackson, and as a duo with ‘globetrotter’ and long time friend Mike Cooper. After two EPs, he recorded his first album, Stereo Death Breakdown, as Ian Anderson’s Country Blues Band, which was released by Liberty/United Artists in 1969. In December 1969, with John Turner, he conceived the record label The Village Thing, for which he was also a producer. The label released two dozen albums by mostly between 1970 and 1974 including influential albums by Wizz Jones, Sun Also Rises, Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra, Steve Tilston, Dave Evans, Lackey & Sweeney, Chris Thompson, Dave Peabody and more, as well as three by Anderson himself. ‘Royal York Crescent’ is proper solo debut was licensed the 13th of Novemebr 1970 and is still considered as a forerunner of the acid folk movement . His lightly fingerpicking was backed by bongos – Ian Turner – and bass/piano – John Turner – providing a dynamic effort for his spectacular lyricism. This long lost classic is finally backing in print for your necessary uplifting entertainment.

Limited to 15000 copies.

Vinyl version of Remastered Original Album + LP of Studio masters, B-sides and demos (many for the first time on vinyl) from the 2016 Bella Donna Deluxe Edition.

Carl Erdmann’s Bizzarrophytes was recorded in Roswell, New Mexico, during the final years of the 70’s. A desert-fried haze of buzzing sitar raga, shimmering guitar soli, and lonesome instrumental psych. Erdmann had been galvanized several years prior by witnessing an intimate performance by Ravi Shankar at Austin’s University of Texas. Erdmann spent the next several years with a sitar in the back of his pickup truck - teaching himself the instrument between stints working on an oil field as a geologist.

After settling in Roswell, Erdmann procured a Tascam 4-track reel to reel tape machine and began to experiment with recording. He played most of the instruments himself, and followed a fresh muse each day. One day his recordings would mine the same instrumental guitar territory as Leo Kottke and John Renbourn, like on Bizzarrophytes’ opening track, Majesty. The next day Erdmann might multi-track some bass and drums and end up landing in the same hazy psych-folk territory as Relatively Clean Rivers, as evidenced on album standouts Turritella Flats, and Portugal. And then, perhaps his Ravi Shankar influence would shine through, and he’d deliver a stirring sitar raga like Dhun. Erdmann explored all of these sounds without ever considering releasing them into the world. He was simply experimenting with his equipment and his instruments, and flexing his muscles with whatever kind of inspiration happened to strike. It wasn’t until 1980 that a friend convinced Carl to assemble some of these recordings into an album and self-release it.

Bizarrophytes was released in a miniscule private press run, financed and distributed by Erdmann himself. Most copies didn’t make it out of the southwest. And it has remained woefully hard to find until now. The disparate sounds of Erdmann’s experimentation hang together as a beautifully cohesive tapestry of home-brewed psychedelic folk. A menagerie of eclectic instrumental experimentation, baked in the desert sun, and captured to tape. Morning Trip Records is proud to present Bizzarrophytes.

First ever legit vinyl reissue, sanctioned by the band members, of this collectable psych/folk/hard-rock album from 1973. Brigg were a rural Pennsylvania folk-tinged psychedelic band formed by three high school friends: Rob Morse, Jeff Willoughby and Rusty Foulke. In 1973, they borrowed the money to record their first album together. They called it Brigg after one member saw the name in a dream. It was recorded at a grocery store converted into a 4-track studio. The photos for the cover were taken in a purportedly haunted house in Danville. The band members pressed 1000 copies and sold some to their friends but never played a live show together. They divided the remaining copies between them and went their separate ways. Several decades later, the Brigg album became a collector’s item and was bootlegged all over the world.

The London-born vocalist and former Sorbonne lecturer Gilli Smyth became known as the ‘space whisperer’ for the poems she performed in Gong, formed in Paris in 1967 with her Australian-born partner, Daevid Allen of Soft Machine, with whom she also performed. Debut solo album Mother, released by French label Charly in 1978, featured her breathy suppositions on motherhood, the cosmic lifeforce, and the powers of Mother Earth, cut with fellow Gong members such as bassist Christian Trisch, saxophonist Didier Malherbe, drummer Pip Pyle, and Allen himself, as well as their children. A must for all Gong fans!

Amaia Zubiria, the incredible female vocal part of Basque folk-prog legends Haizea, has an extensive discography worth checking. Here’s the first ever vinyl reissue of her 1985 folk album joined by guitarist Pascal Gaigne.

Cult Classic LP BY Legendary Egyptian Guitarist Omar Khorshid, First Released ON THE Label 'voice OF Lebanon' IN 1974 AND Reissued Here ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time With Original Artwork AND Remastered Audio Plus NEW Liner Notes BY DJ Ernesto Chahoud.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Omar Khorshid's highly sought after instrumental album 'Giant + Guitar' originally released in 1974 in Lebanon and recorded at Polysound Studio by famed Lebanese engineer Nabil Moumtaz. The album features Khorshid's unique electric guitar sound mixed with arabic melodies over superb psych arrangements. The album has been newly remastered and comes with the original 'Voice of Lebanon' artwork and a 2 page insert featuring liner notes by DJ Ernesto Chahoud. Wewantsounds' series of Arabic music reissues are curated by Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Omar Khorshid's life, if short (he died age 36 in a road accident), was extraordinary. Blessed with a great talent for music, the Egyptian musician and actor became one of the best guitarists of the Arab World accompanying the greatest stars of the 60s and 70s, including Oum Kalthoum, Abdel Halim Hafez and Farid El Atrache. To avoid the political troubles of the time in Egypt, and to fulfil his artistic ambitions, Khorshid moved to Beirut in Lebanon in 1973 and started recording a string of superb albums experimenting with Oriental music. ?He recorded for several labels including Voice of Lebanon, one of the key Lebanese labels of the time. He released his first album 'Giant + Guitar' for the label in 1974 and it was an instantly popular in the Arab world. The album, which has a great ample sound, was recorded at the Polysound studios overseen by engineer Nabil Moumtaz. The front cover sees Khorshid on his motorcycle in the busy street of Hamra, one of the most vibrant Beirut neighbourhoods where he was playing most nights in residence. (The album was also released internationally as 'Rhythms from the Orient' with a different artwork focusing on belly dance) The sound of the album is both bold and accessible displaying Khorshid's unique guitar sound, accompanied by a small band mixing traditional and modern fuzzed up arrangements. The mesmerizing opening track, 'Rakset El Fadaa', composed by Lebanese musician Nour Al Mallah, is a perfect example of Khorshid's artistry. Starting with a long, hypnotic guitar intro, it then speeds up with the backing of a groovy organ, Oriental percussion and the psych sound of an early synthesizer to great effect. The album continues on the same mode blending traditional Oriental music with inventive arrangements as showcased by the Mohamed Abdel Wahab standard 'Leilet Hob' popularised by Oum Kalthoum, which sees Khorshid and his musicians shifting pace several times over eight minutes. One of the peaks of the album in terms of sonic experiments is undoubtedly Korshid's own composition, 'Taqassim Sanat Alfein', with Khorshid's superb guitar in full bloom accompanied by a few touches of synth. A truly innovative album which pushed the boundaries of Oriental music at the time, 'Giant + Guitar' has gained in stature over the years and has become highly sought after by many DJs and collectors. A hugely important album which Wewantsounds is happy to reintroduce to the international audience for the first time since the 70s

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the the- controversial album of Buck Owens, Don Rich and the rest of the Buckaroos doing countrified covers of Simon & Garfunkel, Donovon, and Dylan along with some originals. We shipped the original reels to Kevin Gray to do an all analog thing of sonic beauty. This is known as Buck's big thumbs-up to the folk-rock sound and it's time we celebrate it. All analog and on clear vinyl.

A Svart Mondo release. Black vinyl, gatefold jacket.

First released by Britain’s then foremost folk label, Transatlantic Records in 1970, Storyteller’s first album is a forgotten gem of Psychedelic Folk Prog Rock. Warm and silky production courtesy of Andrew Bown and Peter Frampton, fabulous dual vocals and a wistful arrangement of top-drawer UK Folk Prog, make Storyteller a diamond worth digging into.

Around 1969, after being a part of the band The Other Two on Decca Records, working with people like Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and Jerry Lee Lewis, and touring with Chuck Berry and The Animals, Caroline Attard joined a new band that was being formed; Storyteller. A quintet who followed their own inclination, ignoring current fashions and just doing what seemed to come naturally, Storyteller is a crate-digger’s delight. Up there with Fairport Convention, Jefferson Airplane and Steeleye Span, Storyteller were steeped in folklore tales such as on ‘Ballad Of The Three Laps’, bringing the true spirit of folk alive in their own unique way. With songs written primarily by Roger Moon, and Terry Durham as muse of inspiration with his paintings and wonderful Yorkshire stories, Storyteller’s debut has the authentic and honest vibe of the real McCoy.

No longer confined to being coveted by collectors and those in the know, this lush remastered reissue via Svart Records comes on gatefold vinyl with updated liner notes and interview. If you treasure Folk, Prog and Psychedelic Rock, make sure this is a tale you don’t miss out on!

Little we know about this long lost gem coming from the outskirts of the Commonwealth. But as far as we know, beautiness lies inside. That is the case of the sole album of mysterious australian band Extradition. Released in a small run on local independent label Sweet Peach in 1971, the self titled album stands as one of the most accurate acid folk rendition outside the UK realm. Formerly a three piece Extradition struggle on their personal behavior forging a rural set up that pursue the ‘think green’ revolution. It could be the English folk revival or the West Coast flower power, but the album introduce a different state of mind, far away from the chaotic suburbs of the counter culture. Lost on the isle, the acoustic set up of the band brings joy and happiness, a new age that reflects the multiple essence of the four elements. While the opener ‘ A Water Song’ brings to mind the course of a small river ‘A Love Song’ sets the mood for a long lost medieval folk tale. Acoustic guitar, small percussion, natural found sound and the celestial voice of Shayna Carlin (also member of cult band Tully, a weirdo surf-psychedelic affair) all of the elements above literally conjure for an ambient album before the definition was fully embraced by a massive audience.

Kënnlisch, one of the rarest haunting psychedelic acid folk LPs from France, was the work of brothers Philippe and Jean-François Macherey.

Originally released in 1976 on the mega collectable label Le Kiosque d'Orphée, it contains some of the most beautiful sounds to come out of the 1970s alternative music scene.

An instrumental album, it opens with a burst of sunshine vibes and takes them into the experimental scene of French alternative folk avantgarde with a strong Cosmische influence. Beauty is the word, grown over acoustic guitar parts harmonised with the most elegant Moog Satellite lines you'll ever hear to create atmospheres of sound that make this is the perfect record for your mind to float away on a peaceful Sunday morning under a clear blue sky - it does have that therapeutic quality that we miss so much in modern music.

Wah Wah presents the very first official reissue of this mega rare LP, housed in it's original minimalist hand made artwork with the little upgrade twist of silk-screen printing and including a 4-page colour booklet with photos and text provided by the Macherey brothers themselves.

500 copies only!

Cult Classic BY Often-sampled Arabic Diva Warda Recorded IN 1973 With Full Egyptian Orchestra ON THE Label Soutelphan. Reissued ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time, With Remastered Audio, Original Artwork AND TWO Page Insert With NEW Introduction

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue 'Khalik Hena' recorded 1973 by legendary Arabic Diva Warda who has been sampled by Jay Z and J Dilla. The album recorded in public mixes traditional Arabic music with a tinge of 70s grooves. Here Warda delivers a hypnotic performance backed by her full-size orchestra featuring those unparalleled Arabic strings that made recordings by Oum Khalthoum, Farid El Atrache and Abdel Halim Hafez so famous. 'Khalik Hena' is one of her all-time classics, written by legendary composer Baligh Hamdi and the audio has been newly remastered. This release features the LP original artwork with a 2 page insert featuring a new introduction by Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe who curates Wewantsounds' Arabic series of reissues.

Warda is one of the undisputed divas of the Arab world. Born in the Paris suburb from an Algerian Father and a Lebanese mother, she was discovered at 11 by Ahmed Hachlaf, Pathe Marconi's heads of A&R specialising in Arabic music. having honed her singing skills at her father's cabaret in the Latin Quarter, the Tam-Tam (for Tunisia - Algeria - Morocco) she quickly found recognition in the Arabic music circles.

The family relocated to Beirut in the late 50s after the police found arms in her father's cabaret destined to the political group fighting for Algeria's independence and was swiftly discovered there by an Egyptian film producer who brought her to Cairo to record and play in his films. From there, her career took a meteoric rise and she became a star working with Egyptian such stars as Abdel Halim Hafez and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

However, in the early 60s a traditional marriage in Algeria stopped her career for a decade to be a housewife until Algerian President Boumediene asked her to perform for the 10th anniversary of the Nation's independence in 1972. This was an epiphany and after a divorce she was back to Egypt for a triumphant comeback.

'Khalik Hena' recorded in public in 1973 dates back to these glory days. Teaming up with her new husband, legendary composer Baligh Hamdi, she recorded a string of classic albums - hypnotic tour-de-forces stretching over two sides in an almost trance-like mode, enhancing Warda's powerful vocal and ability to mesmerise audiences. Blending traditional and modern instrumentations (electric guitar, organ), the music is both complex and groovy, 'Khalik Hena' is one of her best LPs, sought after by Arabic diggers and collectors alike. An undisputed classic of Arabic Music, which Wewantsounds is glad to reissue on vinyl for the first time since the 70s.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce an ambitious Makoto Kubota reissue program with his three albums recorded with The Sunset Gang between 1973 and 1977. The albums feature Haruomi Hosono (who also co-produced ‘Hawaii Champroo’ and ‘Dixie Fever’) and also include Minako Yoshida, Taeko Ohnuki and Tatsuo Hayachi to name a few. Makoto Kubota has been one of Japan’s true musical innovators and following his involvement with Les Rallizes Dénudés in the early 70s, he developed a unique sound bringing American, Hawaiian and Okinawan music influences to his own Japanese folk music mix. Starting with the reissue of 'Hawaii Champroo' recorded in Honolulu in 1975 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono, Wewantsounds will then release 'Sunset Gang' from 1973 followed by Dixie Fever from 1977. All albums have been newly remastered by Makoto Kubota and they each come with original artwork, OBI and the original japanese inserts. This is the first time the albums are released outside of Japan.

Recorded in 1975 at the famed Sounds of Hawaii studio in Honolulu, Hawaii Champroo was co-produced by Haruomi Hosono and marks the start of Kubota's keen interest in Hawaiian and Okinawan music (Champroo is derived from Chanpuru, the traditional Okinawan stir-fry dish). A companion album to Hosono's own 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Bon Voyage Co.' albums(on which Kubota plays), the album was at the forefront of a tropical musical movement started in Japan in the mid-70s. The core Sunset Gang consists of Kubota on Guitar, Takashi Onzo on bass, Yosuke Fujita on guitars and mandolin, Keni Inoue on lead guitar and Hiroki Komazawa on pedal steel guitar. They are joined on the album by Hosono on drums and Teriyuki Kokubu on piano. Having travelled to the United States in the early 70s, Makoto Kubota had fallen in love with American music and had brought back many influences from his sojourn on the East and West coast. these are evident from the tracks covered by the band on 'Hawaii Champroo', including Jesse Fuller's 'San Francisco Blues', The Rooftop Singers' 'Walk Right In' (an old Gus Cannon ragtime) or The Texas Playboys' classic 'Steel Guitar Rag.' 'Hawaii Champroo' also features originals such as the funky 'Shanghai Gaeri' and a nod to the Hula Hawaiian dance 'Moonlight Hula'. One of the highlights of the album is the classic 'Haisai Ozisan', the Okinawan 1972 cult classic by Shoukichi Kina which has become a standard in Japan. All in all, 'Hawaii Champroo' is a timeless classic and one of the key Japanese albums from the 70s which Wewantsounds is happy to introduce outside of Japan for the first time.

Wewantsounds is closing its Makoto Kubota reissue series with the release of "Dixie Fever" recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors, 'Sunset Gang' and 'Hawaii Champroo', 'Dixie Fever' continues to explore American and Island music through a Japanese prism with a skilful mix of blues, swamp funk and America adding an exotic edge to the whole. It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the LP features original artwork with OBI and insert plus remastered audio by Makoto Kubota himself.

A year after the release of their highly-acclaimed album 'Hawaii Champroo' in 1975, Makoto Kubota and The Sunset Gang reunited at Sounds of Hawaii studios with co-producer Haruomi Hosono to record a new album, 'Dixie Fever'. They used pretty much the same ingredients that had made the success of Champroo - an effortless mix of Japanese folk and american roots music with some tropical influences. The same mix that Haruomi Hosono was applying to his own albums, especially ''Tropical Dandy which was experimenting with the same ideas - In fact the front cover of both 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Dixie Fever' are illustrated by Yasuo Yagi. ?As per 'Hawaii Champroo' and 'Sunset Gang', 'Dixie Fever' includes a mix of original compositions and covers. On the album, you spot The Lovin' Spoonful's 'Wild About My Lovin' and a funked up version of UK singer songwriter Ralph McTell's song 'When i Was a Cowboy'. They feature the Gang's usual musicians (Keni Inoue on guitar, Yosuke Fujita on slide guitar and Takashi Onzo on bass and keyboards) complemented by a handful of guests including Tin Pan Alley drummer Tatsuo Hayashi, Motoya Hamaguchi on percussion and New Orleans pianist and Dr. John friend, Ronnie Barron. Together they play a superb brew made of blues, soul, Hawaiian music and southern swamp rhythms. One of the highlights of the album is undoubtedly 'Hoshikuzu' (Stardust) which has become a cult classic over the years on the international City Pop scene and whose sunshine mid-tempo vibe is the perfect reflection of the group's musicianship. The track perfectly adds to the album's charm which Wewantsounds is happy to release for the first time internationally.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Ziad Rahbani's cult album, "Bennesbeh Labokra...Chou?" released in Lebanon only and mixing arabic music with Jazz, Bossa Nova and other western influences. Hailed as an absolute classic, the album is the soundtrack to his eponymous play and has been highly sought-after by DJs and collectors around the world. Curated by Lebanese-born music expert Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the album is reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1978, featuring original gatefold sleeve, remastered audio and a 2 page insert with a new introduction by Choueiry. When Ziad Rahbani released "Bennesbeh Labokra... Chou?" he was only 22 years old. He had started to make an impression on the Lebanese cultural scene a few years before, while still a teenager, composing and releasing albums under his own name. Born into an illustrious musical family - his mother is the legendary Lebanese Diva Fairuz and his father, Assi Rahbani, was a renowned composer and part of one of the most famous Lebanese groups, The Rahbani Brothers - Ziad quickly gained exposure as a gifted composer and producer. When his father fell ill in the mid 70s, he took over as Fairuz's producer which led to a fruitful collaboration starting with the 1979 album "Wahdon." ?Highly influenced by other genres of music, Rahbani had started bringing modern western influences to traditional arabic music. 1978 saw the release of two key albums by the young musician, the Disco 12-inch "Abu Ali" which went on to become one of the most sought-after Arabic albums on the international DJ scene and "Bennesbeh Labokra... Chou?" which follows "Abu Ali" closely in many diggers' want-list. ?A soundtrack to Rahbani's eponymous play, the album "Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou?" gathers all the musical interludes heard during the play, a social diatribe about the Beirut society underlining the difficulties of living in the tense social and political climate of the Lebanese civil war. Written by and starring Rahbani, the play follows the everyday life and problems of a young couple running a cafe in the heart of Beirut. The play underlying Rahbani's leftist sensitivity was an immense success and the album was released the same year (the complete play was also released over three LPs). ?"Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou?" is a skilful blend of Arabic music and Bossa-nova ("First Introduction" - the recurring theme of the album), groove with the funky beat of "Second Introduction" and the jazz vibe of "Variation 3" and "Variation 4." It's also interesting to hear an early version of "Al Bosta" which would grace Fairuz's 1979 album "Wahdon" in a faster, funkier version also produced by Rahbani." ?with a knack for cinematic orchestrations reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin, Ziad Rahbani also brings more complex arrangements to the album on such tracks as "Variation 5" making the album such a rich listening. Undoubtedly one of the most important albums recorded in the Middle East which Wewantsounds is glad to reissue in its full glory with remastered audio and original artwork.

Back in print once again! Robbie Basho's 15th record, and his magnum opus of solo guitar. It is the culmination of his life's effort to usher guitar music into a new artistic paradigm, and to "establish the steel string as a concert instrument indigenous to America."

Originally released in 1979, "Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12" was Robbie Basho's 15th record, and his magnum opus of solo guitar. It is the culmination of his life's effort to usher guitar music into a new artistic paradigm, and to "establish the steel string as a concert instrument indigenous to America."

This album represents Basho’s most technically fine guitar work. In both composition and performance, the album is enormously complex and yet conveys an effortlessness unique to Basho. As he famously espoused, “My philosophy is quite simple: soul first, technique later.” The richness of Basho's soul emanates from this record as distinctly as each note ringing from his steel strings.

Only one song on the record (“Pasha Ii”) features Basho’s enigmatic voice, but it may be his most extraordinary vocal performance – his voice calling out through a shimmer of strings, singing ancient syllables with timeless emotion. The remaining ten instrumental songs roam through Eastern and Western modalities, dark and light meditations, wild and restrained expression.

With "Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12", Basho summons rich allusions, hallucinations and delicately numinous passages. As he said, "It's not about going far out, it's about going far in. It's about a deeper feeling." These are deep waters indeed, as substantial and enriching today as they were 35 years ago.

Here is one of the most sought after Turkish records. Really a rare single from Turkey. Turkish psych folk-rock sound with killer electric saz/fuzz heavy funk single from 1975. Remastered sound, arranged by Zafer Dilek.

Canterbury-based progressive jazz-rock act Ben only released one obscure album, issued on Philips’ prog subsidiary Vertigo in 1971, but it’s a lovely collective of extended instrumental jams, worthy of discovery for those that missed it the first time around. Peter Davey’s saxophone and clarinet melodies push the material to high peaks, against an understated backing from future Nashville Teens bassist, Len Surtees and former Graham Bond drummer, David Sheen, keyboardist Alex Macleery and guitarist Gerry Reid adding flourishes at key moments. The songs “The Wooing Of The Child” and “The Wooing Of The Man” credit a certain K Jarrett as songwriter, making this rare beast all the more intriguing.

Record Store Day 2020 Release.
Limitation: 5000 copies.

7″ single of Cat Stevens songBut I Might Die Tonightfrom the album Tea For The Tillerman. Side A will feature the alternative version of the song from the film Deep End. The A-side was reworked specifically for the film (which starred Jane Asher and somewhat a UK cult classic) and is a previously unreleased in any form! Colour of the 7″ Single is Light Blue.

Percussionist Frank Ricotti played in the National Youth Orchestra and was rated the UK’s top vibraphonist during the late 1960s. In 1971, with guitarist Mike de Albuquerque, he cut the multifaceted jazz album, First Wind, which alternated between experimental rock- influenced jazz and thoughtful adaptations of work by James Taylor, John Sebastian and Melanie Safka, with some surprising blues diversions too, such as Albuquerque’s “Go Out And Get It.” However, Albuquerque soon joined ELO as a bassist, putting an end to the duo.

Fortuna Records return with an exceptional reissue of a mid-80s early electronica LP by keyboardist Raviv Gazit. The album was composed entirely on the Synclavier synthesizer in the basement of the Tel-Aviv University in 1985. Gazit was ahead of his time composing cold yet blissful electronic music for film and theatre which he later released as an album. An unexpected yet extremely welcome addition to Fortuna's killer catalog.

Some hard-hitting rhythm section blending into a prime example of the swingin' sound of the cool influences of Jazz, Funk and Folk music, with a Turkish flavor.
It's fantastic funk jazz groove built on a titanium synth bassline!
An instrumental library of traditional Turkish Jazz session reaching a great climax in drums and percussion sets + electro-bass break with moog and synthesizers from the beginning to the end.
Traditional Turkish songs are based on drums and synth bass over moody 5/8 fuzz guitars...
Album recorded & released in Denmark, 1979, and it has never been released in Turkey.

The first Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Japan from Victor Cavini, originally released in 1983. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that never turn up. With Daibutsu the giant Buddha of Kamakura’s presence gracing the hefty front cover, this is a record bursting with dope samples for adventurous producers: it’s koto-funk madness! Victor Cavini was the library music pseudonym of prolific German composer and musician Gerhard Trede. He was known for exploring instruments and styles from around the world (he played over 50 different instruments himself) and Japan is his collection of 14 musical sketches painted with traditional Japanese wind and string instruments. These are the sounds of traditional Japanese folk music re-interpreted through Western ears, with the occassional contemporary twist.

Beastly sounds for a zombie nation as classic 80s gaming soundtrack Shadow of the Beast gets debut vinyl edition with a recording taken from the original platform game, and new artwork from acclaimed illustrator Keith Rankin.
Composed by David Whittaker for the 1989 Amiga platformer of the same name, Shadow of the Beast sees its first ever vinyl release courtesy of the UK's Lag Records, presented in also its first mastered edition as directly taken from the original game system.
A prolific VGM composer, Whittaker holds more gaming soundtracks to his name than any other, with titles such as Lazy Jones to his name, as (in)famously sampled for the 1999 club hit Zombie Nation.
Shadow of the Beast remains a prime example of his pioneering hands-on approach, programming music directly with instrumental samples of his own on a Korg M1 synthesizer. The tunes make for a singular combination of Spaghetti Western-style tension mixed with world beats. Tracks like The Plains play with harder rhythms like warped speed techno, while a hard-to-miss melancholy pervades the Underground suite.
The fiendishly difficult Shadow of the Beast itself was an interesting example of game design for its time, recorded at a frame rate to match arcade machines as opposed to monitors, and loaded with a 128 colour palette. Two sequels later followed in the 1990s, along with a 2016 remake for the Playstation console.
The soundtrack comes ready for a 2019 audience with mastering courtesy of Jerome Schmitt at the AirLab, and brand new artwork from acclaimed illustrator and musician Keith Rankin in collaboration with artist Ellen Thomas. Shadow of the Beast will also come on transparent purple vinyl, in standard LP format.

Originally pressed in a limited run of 1000 numbered copies in December 1974 The Alice Island Band is one of the rarest UK folk private pressings, having sold in auction for over 600 pounds. Little would school friends Keith Hughes, Tim Phillips and Roger Moore imagine that when they formed The Conqueroos blues band back and subsequent projects like Cinderella's Party Songbook from 1967.



By 1974, Keith, Tim and Roger were ready for something special, and the arrival of Cinny - the ‘Princess’ from the principality of Wales - completed the line up for the next LP. They became The Alice Island Band and recorded Splendid Isolation - Tim, Keith and Cinny played, Roger produced and recorded the 14 songs, some of which had been conceived back in 1968.



For those into the UK folk and psych scenes who love the homemade recordings of Peter Howell and John Ferdinando's projects (Tomorrow Come Someday, Alice Through The Looking Glass, Agincourt, Ithaca...), the bare, raw sound of Comus or those impossibly rare folk albums cut through the Deroy Sound Services – but also for lovers of good crafted songs with male & female vocals and mostly acoustic performances.



Done in close cooperation with Keith and Roger who have been very kind to provide original masters, information and photos for the gatefold insert which also includes the original lyrics – here are 500 copies for those who cannot afford or find an original copy. Comes housed in a reproduction of its original sleeve. Order yours before they fly!

Ultimate space-age exotica trip from Venezuela.
In the early 70s, well-known composer and arranger Chelique Sarabia (who penned the famous “Ansiedad” when he was just a kid) decided to register an album of traditional & folkloric songs from Venezuela but giving them a modern touch, using especially developed equipment (M.R.A.A.), based off of the principles of the Moog.
Chelique, helped by a team of gifted musicians, employed traditional instruments like the cuatro and the bandola llanera, filtering them through oscillators, playing with feedback, tape delay, synthesized frequencies, echoing sounds… The result was “Revolución Electrónica en Música Venezolana”, an album with a truly exotic, psychedelic, and ahead of its time sound.
Originally, the album was sponsored by the Shell Company in Venezuela, given away to customers, employees and friends of the company as a Christmas gift in 1973. It was titled “4 Fases del Cuatro - Música Venezolana desarrollada Electrónicamente por Chelique Sarabia” (“4 Phases of Four – Venezuelan Music Electronically Developed by Chelique Sarabia”). Once the exclusivity period with the petrol company was over, Chelique did a commercial release, this time under the name of “Revolución Electrónica en Música Venezolana” (“Electronic Revolution in Venezuelan Music”). Thanks to this, Chelique and his team were considered electronic music pioneers in Latin America.
“In the past five decades, there have been many attempts at modernizing the vast folkloric tradition of Venezuela, but nobody has reached the level of depth that CHELIQUE SARABIA did when he put his impeccable reputation as a composer and arranger at risk with this out-of-the-blue revolutionary musical manifesto in 1971. 47 years later, an album that remains ahead of its time.” - Alex Figueira (Fumaça Preta)

This reissue comes on 180g. Arabian proto-disco album by Fairuz’s son and his uncle. Right Track is a specialized music label based in Beirut - Lebanon. As an IFPI certified member they are the exclusive Licensee and distributor of multiple international and regional labels in addition to a range of Lebanese Artists. From Omar Khorshid’s arabian-funk to Fairuz’s eerie songs, from Ziad Rabani’s proto-disco to lebanese traditional Wadih Al Safi compositions, Right Track is committed to re-releasing the Immortal Arabic music repertoire on 180 g vinyls, delivering the highest possible quality from remastered audio to satisfy the demanding audiophile connoisseurs.

This reissue comes on 180g. Omar Khorshid was the guitarist of Oum Koulsoum. He pays homage to him in this album that mixes modern and traditional influences. Right Track is a specialized music label based in Beirut - Lebanon. As an IFPI certified member they are the exclusive Licensee and distributor of multiple international and regional labels in addition to a range of Lebanese Artists. From Omar Khorshid’s arabian-funk to Fairuz’s eerie songs, from Ziad Rabani’s proto-disco to lebanese traditional Wadih Al Safi compositions, Right Track is committed to re-releasing the Immortal Arabic music repertoire on 180 g vinyls, delivering the highest possible quality from remastered audio to satisfy the demanding audiophile connoisseurs.

Originally released in South Africa in 1978, “Whistling Jigs To The Moon” is not only a very rare and sought-after album but also a wonderful collection of traditional and original folk tunes with a strong Celtic influence. Featuring Alison O’ Donnell and David Williams from psych-folk legends MELLOW CANDLE.
In 1974, following the break-up of Mellow Candle, Alison and David arrived to South Africa. Once there, they met a couple of fellow expat musicians, Barrie Glenn and Jo Dudding, forming Flibbertigibbet in a niche folk and traditional circle of immigrant and local musicians, building up a repertoire of tunes and songs both original and traditional. They appeared at evenings held in communal houses, at folk nights and the Boksburg Folk Club.
Producer David Marks offered to release their album and launch it in a series of concerts at the renowned Market Theatre. They enlisted the help of a number of fine musicians on the recording, namely classical first violinist Francesco Cignoli, jazz bassist Denis Lalouette, Nippy Cripwell on string bass, Colin Shapiro on flute and Dave Lambert on fiddle.
“Whistling Jigs To The Moon” saw the light in 1978.
First ever legit vinyl reissue, master tape sound and insert with lyrics, liner notes and photos