les chants de maldoror.

just got this tape in the mail yesterday & i had to share it.

ps love the new design bruno. looking pretty sharp my man.

valley of the birds.

aaron turner's wife & some chicago dude make pretty in the teeth doom drone.

a sad day for investors.

minimal techno for the cats out there who were bummed sandwell district stopped.

on cavalry.

super smooth soul. my neighbor jason just got pregnant from me listening to this.

the ride of aida.

beautifully hypnotique midnite jazz.

returnal.

get mystique with dan higg's banjo hymns.

a gift from me to you.

one of my favorites of the year.

The great age of democracy (a christmas carol)

I've been searching for this album for ages, and only today I finally decided to buy it -- it took quite a while for me to have a international credit card. And, boy, did I feel like a happy college student.

While mostly (totally) associated with that 90's thing called trip-hop, Bristol had its share of indie bands with the likes of You & the Atom Bomb*. And until today it's difficult to find a band that produced such quirky and adorable sounds, paced with unexpected time signatures, while maintaining its high share of glucose.

I have no idea of the whereabouts of the band, which is a shame. I figure if they first appeared a couple of years ago, when Bandcamp and other alternative mediums of distributing music were finally reliable, they would be all over the place (you can still buy their EPs trough Sink and Stove records).

pw: spooked

*BONUS: an assortment of Christmas songs composed and played by Bristol bands, compiled by these guys. Happy holidays for those who care.

Also sprach JT Meireles

What up honorable dudes? I'm in a double embarrassment here. First, I wish I could provide you with a better quality rip, as I own the vinyl (ripping equipment is way too expensive here); second, I don't know why the hell I didn't post this sooner.

The mid-60's in Brazil, pretty much like USA, were deeply into funk. Sergio Mendes and Jorge Ben were the most proeminent acts to find the perfect balance between funk and samba, while bands like Brazilian Octopus were taking it to another level. For me and many others, I figure, it was the Golden Age of Brazilian instrumental music as a whole. Besides the aforementioned bands, we had fantastic trios, like Zimbo, Tamba, Sambalanço, Milton Banana, etc.

JT Meireles' most famous work was probably the arrangement for Jorge Ben's "Mas que nada" (which is a big deal), but he has an extensive and solid discography, on which even I couldn't get a decent overview. This record, one of the last of this era, however, should motivate you to pursue it as well.

pw: spooked

qualchan. // smashing in the face of youth culture.

sorry to be that guy, but here is my latest album. i recorded this live at various locations here in seattle throughout last year & some of this one. lo-fi ambient synth rubs shoulders with field recordings. if yr interested, i'm going to start posting more of my work here.

& before i totally destroy any shred of respectability i have by posting all of my work here, this will be my last one. chopped & screwed loops of experimental library, funk, soundtrack, & jazz loops. heavily inspired by robert turman, croiners, & the my dream date with boyd rice tape comp. this got released by the lovely scott over at ailanthus. support them here. thanks for putting up with this, i promise i have a few more awesome posts for the next couple of days.

Aki Bamboo Leaves

This one's for those who never thought in Shakuhachi music as avant. Unlike Michihiro Sato, though, Sabu Orimo never had -- as far as I know -- a NY buddy to arrange him gigs and all-star collabs. His recordings are more like intense meditation sessions in a dark room, along with the occasional fits of demonic expurgation (you'll know it).

pw: spooked

ps. I really wanted to post this but couldn't find it in my HDD, so I had to search all over the internets, hence the extended delay 
pps. diggin your posts, jefe!

barzakh id markers.

how can you ever go wrong with my best gal daphne oram?

on the banks of the owchita.

pretty decent soundtrack. many thanks to my friend at work for the album. download it for the title alone.

lagoon night.

a little prime era ennio to brighten yr weary monday.

cosmic surfin'.

just had to share this gem of a jam. haruomi hosono, shigeru suzuki & tatsuro yamashita go hard on this one. lounge-y exotica-esque ocean jams made for that one time when thurston howell ran the casino. download this for the version of cosmic surfin' that predates yellow magic orchestra.

circular doorway.

basil kirchin's soundtrack to the abominable dr. phibes won't be confused with particles, but is still a pleasant listen.

the age of the shrug vol. III

here is vol III for y'all. much dancier than the previous installments. perfect for halloween parties tonight! & not trying to boast, but my side is probably in my top ten mixes i have ever made. straight up bangerz sun.

<3
seymour glass

ps this is spookcity's 300th post! thanks for sticking around for so long!

a ghost is born.

i'm going to take this post to address a few things.

a) lou reed passing is a deep deep blow. his music was incendiary & the feeling it exuded was sheer coolness. i don't wanna ramble for too long because everyone is feeling the same exact way as me right now & there are a lot of people talking about it. it's just a bummer ya know?

b) john cameron's psychomania is a dreamily reverbed out biker rock soundtrack. if yr into stone or werewolves on wheels then this will be right up yr alley.

c) i will be posting a little more frequently now that the weather has turned gray outside up here. i have some great gems hidden up my sleeve, so stay posted.

d) if you ever look at the right bar, you might notice warped sounds which is my cassette review blog that i run with my brother. if you want yr cassette reviewed, write me!

East meets (Middle) East

Sup guys, sorry again for the lack of posts. In a blogger's block, I guess. Well, I figure most readers here are acquainted with Tuvan undertone singing and its wonders. And while I could post something from more traditional acts, like Chirgilchin or Huur Huun Tuur, I preferred Sedaa for its Persian blend. "Blend" probably isn't the most appropriate word to address religion in Middle East, but it better demonstrates my fascination at it. Zoroastrianism in Iran (Persia), Buddhism in Afghanistan, Orthodox Christianity in Turkey... there is so much beyond Jewish-Islamic "dualism" to learn and appreciate, and music sure is a good starting point.

Saturday morning anime

I find very interesting how natural avant-garde music evolved in Japan, to the point where it seems to coexist quite harmoniously with the country's mainstream -- as well as the no-so-mainstream -- culture. This record by Otomo Yoshihide (Ground Zero, New Jazz Ensemble, bazillion of other projects) is a good example.

While not the most well-known anime soundtrack composer, Takeo Yamashita's work on widely popular Lupin the 3rd series was enough to grant him a timeless fanbase (Otomo included). In addition to that, guest vocalist Charlie Kosei also contributed to the lovely Katamary Damancy's (a PS2 game) soundtrack.

As for the record itself, while it isn't the most experimental stuff you'll hear from Otomo -- more jazz-focused --, it's a solid addition to his discography.

pw: spooked