Folk 380 Items

We're super happy to announce our 13th release by Sharhabil Ahmed, the actual King of Sudanese Jazz (he actually won that title in a competition in the early 1970s). Sonically it sounds very different from what Jazz is understood to sound like outside of Sudan. It’s an incredible unique mix of rock’n’roll, funk, surf, traditional sudanese music and influences from Congolese sounds. Original copies of Sharhabil recordings are often hard to find, so we’re happy they will now be widely available. “Argos Farfish” which was featured on our last comp amassed close to 400.000 plays already.

Inspired by the poetry of Alda Merini and her studieswith composer Garret List, Italian violinist-composerSilvia Tarozzi turned to the song form after beinginvolved for many years in contemporary music andfree improvisation. Over the course of nearly adecade, Tarozzi practiced setting the poetry of AldaMerini to music and then replacing it with her own toreflect her own life experiences. As a result, Mispecchio e rifletto is a wondrous combination ofbaroque folk, avant-garde, and progressive musicart-song that feels both poetic and earnestlyautobiographical. Echoes of past masterpiecesreverberate throughout: the gentle chamberexplorations of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, the sciencefiction of Franco Battiato's 'Fetus', the abstract freejazz flourishes of Maria Monti's 'Il Bestiario', thesweetness of Caterina Casseli's 'Primavera'.As a solo performer, Tarozzi is a long timecollaborator with composers Eliane Radigue, PascaleCriton, Cassandra Miller and Martin Arnold. In duowith Deborah Walker, and as a member of EnsembleDedalus, she has worked with Christian Wolff, JürgFrey, Michael Pisaro, Catherine Lamb, SébastienRoux, and many others. She previously releasedPhilip Corner 'Extreemizms: early & late' on UnseenWorlds in 2018.

On October 17th, 2011, the Smoke Fairies backed by members of Blitzen Trapper (Subpop Records) recorded Volume 6 of the Upstairs at United series of all analog recordings in the historic United Record Pressing plant. True to the Upstairs at United series, each song was recorded in a single take direct to ¼ inch tape then cut at 45 RPM for the ultimate listening experience.

''The Fairies are Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire, two lasses from Chichester, UK who sing and play acoustic guitars. The duo's voices and instruments harmonize in haunting ways that evoke the ethereal spirits from which they take their band's name.'' - Steve Horowitz (popmatters.com)

The addition of Blitzen Trapper's Erik Menteer (b-3 & percussion) and Brian Koch (drums) along with Martin H. Gonzalez on bass add a unique element to the haunting guitar and vocal combos of Katherine Blamire & Jessica Davies that we've come to love as the Smoke Fairies.

What Sophie Michalitsianos has created, using barely more than her voice, piano, and cello, is magical, defying labels. Originally released as a private-press CD for her fans, I.A.A.Y.A, or I Am As You Are, is sublime, intimate, weightless, and comforting. The album takes its time yet feels urgent, like you need this music, this moment. This is the first time it's been available on vinyl. If the name Sol Seppy sounds familiar, it's because Michalitsianos had one groundbreaking album in 2006, The Bells of 1 2, which for those that heard it became one of the most important albums of the 00s. From it came the track Enter One, which has been used on numerous high-profile TV shows and has a silly number of views on YouTube. Most of I.A.A.Y.A was recorded and mixed in Knoxville, United States. Now, though, Michalitsianos lives in a small Greek village, hoping to make it her home while she works on the next two records. Yes, this is just the first part of a trilogy. In Sophie's own words: "Deep within these songs is a meeting place. It's an old home of everyone's and I hope for it to be an anchor whilst we bob up and down in chop." This is rare, this is real, this is true.

Enter the Mirage is arguably the most blazing and powerful album yet by The Sonic Dawn. It has an unusual live feel for a studio album, packing much of the raw energy and electricity that has made The Sonic Dawn’s psychedelic concerts famous in the rock underground. Enter the Mirage’s overall theme is freedom. It is about visions that may seem too distant to be real, but only those who take the trip will ever really find out. Frontman, Emil Bureau, explains about the album’s inception: “First I lost my father, then I lost my job and finally I lost my will to be a servant of anything that isn’t peace, love and freedom. It should be simple, but in this world it isn’t. Instead of getting back on the so-called career path, which is generally a dead end, I took a leap of faith, with the band’s support.” Bureau spent half a year in a songwriting frenzy, spawning not only Enter the Mirage by The Sonic Dawn, but also a solo album in the folk genre (available via Heavy Psych Sounds). To give form to these song ideas, the Danish trio rented a space in the gloomiest part of Copenhagen, set up a studio there and rocked out for two months. You hear that roughness, present as a determined attitude from a tightly knit band. With three past albums and some 200 shows under their belt, The Sonic Dawn is a psychedelic group to be reckoned with. However, at the end of their long and laborious creative process, the band was completely broke. Fortunately, friend and former producer, Thomas Vang, allowed them to mix the album in The Village Recording at night, after his own sessions. Thanks to this, and a skillful mastering by Hans Olsson Brookes (Graveyard et al.) Enter the Mirage puts the HIGH back in high fidelity. Turn up the volume and experience The Sonic Dawn.

Enter the Mirage is arguably the most blazing and powerful album yet by The Sonic Dawn. It has an unusual live feel for a studio album, packing much of the raw energy and electricity that has made The Sonic Dawn’s psychedelic concerts famous in the rock underground. Enter the Mirage’s overall theme is freedom. It is about visions that may seem too distant to be real, but only those who take the trip will ever really find out. Frontman, Emil Bureau, explains about the album’s inception: “First I lost my father, then I lost my job and finally I lost my will to be a servant of anything that isn’t peace, love and freedom. It should be simple, but in this world it isn’t. Instead of getting back on the so-called career path, which is generally a dead end, I took a leap of faith, with the band’s support.” Bureau spent half a year in a songwriting frenzy, spawning not only Enter the Mirage by The Sonic Dawn, but also a solo album in the folk genre (available via Heavy Psych Sounds). To give form to these song ideas, the Danish trio rented a space in the gloomiest part of Copenhagen, set up a studio there and rocked out for two months. You hear that roughness, present as a determined attitude from a tightly knit band. With three past albums and some 200 shows under their belt, The Sonic Dawn is a psychedelic group to be reckoned with. However, at the end of their long and laborious creative process, the band was completely broke. Fortunately, friend and former producer, Thomas Vang, allowed them to mix the album in The Village Recording at night, after his own sessions. Thanks to this, and a skillful mastering by Hans Olsson Brookes (Graveyard et al.) Enter the Mirage puts the HIGH back in high fidelity. Turn up the volume and experience The Sonic Dawn.

Stunning LP fusing far-eastern field-recordings with modern electronic production techniques - a true Sound Voyage! This time as repressed basic editon without the golden bagde!

Steep Canyon Rangers are Asheville, North Carolina's GRAMMY winners, perennial Billboard chart-toppers, and frequent collaborators of the renowned banjoist (and occasional comedian) Steve Martin. The Rangers can now add their hometown Asheville Symphony to their long list of musical companions on the new album Be Still Moses. Each track on Be Still Moses features the Rangers and symphony breathing new life into signature Steep Canyon Rangers songs through newly inspired orchestral arrangements.The album's title track features what is perhaps their most singular musical partnership to date ' Steep Canyon Rangers teaming with not only the Asheville Symphony, but also Philadelphia soul legends Boyz II Men to completely overhaul the Rangers' original 'Be Still Moses,' which was first recorded on their 2007 breakout album Lovin' Pretty Women. The collaboration was recognized for its 'sublime harmonies and soulful ad-libs" by Rolling Stone and resulted in both the Rangers and Boyz II Men performing the song live together in October 2019. The First Edition LP arrives on translucent blue vinyl.