Brainwave Research Center is back once again with another superb album, and once again Chase Smith and Christa Majoras embody a unique DIY sound crafted from analog synthesizer experimentations. This is another entry into the duo's initial four-part series and it encapsulates the essence of summer. The A-side commences with a dreamy narrative that transitions into the gritty urban landscape of Brooklyn in 'Interceptor iii,' and concludes with euphoric sunset vibes. On the B-side, the music delves into the sensation of falling in dreams, reminiscent of their second album Mosaic, again blending electronic and acoustic elements. Feel Free, then, invites listeners into the everyday musings of Brainwave Research Center and is a classic listen for fans of locked-in rhythms.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. "Life Of A Earthworm"
2. "Interceptor III"
3. "Electric Twilight"
4. "Wow!"
5. "Big Moonlight"

Side 2
1. "Falling (Sensation)"
2. "Innerspace"
3. "Wild Air"
4. "(It's) Free To Dream"
5. "Endian Summer"

Following the Kota Motomura and Exterior debuts earlier this year, it’s another first from Hobbes Music. Maastricht Research is a brand new project from Scottish artist Jonathan Hunter producing ambient/drone style material. Jonathan was part of the quartet behind the much-loved Slabs Of The Tabernacle parties at Glasgow's now-legendary La Cheetah club back in the late 00s/early 10s. He's also one half of The Three Lives, whose debut EP, Mud & Flame and follow-up Across & Beyond were released recently by Glasgow's Full Dose label.

Written and recorded over a number of years, whilst living in Amsterdam, Glasgow and Dublin, the Maastricht Research vibe is about as horizontal as it gets and is the perfect soundtrack to long, lazy days and balmy eves in the park, by the pool, in the bath etc! There are zero beats. It's proper ambient / drone music and could well have been beamed in from another dimension, planet or century altogether, including field recordings, atmospheric fx, lush and eerie pads, with the occasional snatch of a weird vocal and generally other-worldly sounds.

The record owes a debt to the likes of Manuel Gottsching, Cluster, Susumu Yokota, Detroit Escalator Company, Astral Industries and Alessandro Cortini, among others…

Mastered by Keith 'Radioactive Man' Tenniswood, Idle Animation will now be out at the end of October on extremely limited edition 12" vinyl, with CMYK printed labels, contained in a plain white sleeve with 3mm spine (reverse board for natural finish) including full colour artwork plus titles* printed using a Risograph on 135gsm ‘Context Natural’ A3 paper and finally all packaged in a polyurethane bag. *[printed on the ‘Obi flap’ - excess paper folded around the spine].

"Loving it. Beautiful stuff here - all tracks doing it for me" ROLANDO (UR)

"This is great! Will use in on Ambient Flo" AUNTIE FLO

"Really diggin the MaastrichtResearch release" INTERGALACTIC GARY

"Love this, thanks for sending" DOMENIC (Sub Club)

"This sounds fantastic!" NICK CRADDOCK (Gateway To Zen)

"Really liking the sound of the record. Dublin air tugging on his emotive side by the sounds :)" JOHN HECKLE

"Mesmerizing music, something we all need to listen to because of so much chaos and stress in the world...with this, just sit back and zone out for a bit and regain balance...." DAN CURTIN

"This is nice music, thank you for sharing it with me. A3 is the one for me, really nice vibe" ARIO (Astral Industries)

"More emotive and soulful ambience and drone from this red hot label. Maastricht Research have been reviving the Poolside revellers at Pikes morning sessions this summer" DRIBBLER (Pikes, Café del Mar, Ibiza)

TRACK LISTING

A1 An Makar
A2 Kussner Effect
A3 Winter Lanterns
A4 Lumenwood Kin
B1 Aphelion
B2 Workshop Heretic
B3 Ben More From Martys Bay
B4 Balkon

Mysterious Robert Pollard project in limited edition of 1000/1000. IYKYK Besides Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard has released music under a stunning number of aliases and band names. Today he adds another one. As Brooklyn Vegan points out, Rip Van Winkle, Pollard’s latest alter ego, will release their debut EP, The Grand Rapids, next month. It’s unclear who’s playing with Pollard on this one, but lead single “Prose Kaiser” nicely laces Uncle Bob’s usual style with a glowing neon post-punk vibe.

TRACK LISTING

1. Prose Kaiser
2. He Did The Clock
3. -1
4. Images From A Dead Planet
5. Storage
6. No Crowns For Valdez
7. Circle Of One
8. The Metal Clip That Goes Over

Research is the punk/funk/disco project of drummer Geoff Serle (Radius, Tek-San, Sonicphonics). Research have previously had releases on the German Dossier Label, Rong/DFA, Bearfunk and Paper Recordings.

The two tracks here are extra mixes from the Paper release of 2012 which featured the vocals of Valerie Maxfield (Groove Armada).
This is the first time these mixes have been available on vinyl.

The Psychemagik Instrumental is a nu-disco banger featuring a hypnotic synth bass line alongside some spiky guitar and an 80's linndrum groove.
The Spigelsound Remix is a more deep house affair complete with vocal interpretations and elements from the original mix alongside some spacey Fender Rhodes and nice glitchy claps.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Ultra slick, high fidelity, full fat productions from Psychemagik and Spigelsound who take Research's "Day By Day" into upper echelon new disco territory.

TRACK LISTING

A. Psychemagik Instrumental
B. Spigelsound

Named after the Brixton club where it was road-tested, Phonox Nights is the last album conceptualised and completed by Nina Walsh and Andrew Weatherall at her Facility 4 studio before his February 2020 passing. Starting with the sleek acid majesty of the percolating title track, Andrew playing ethereal synth lines at Nina's coaxing, Phonox Nights' rapturous blend of slow burning acid house and luminescent dub disco tops the pair's 30 year creative relationship with their masterpiece.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Phonox Nights
A2. Cryptic Numeric
B1. Bone Pointer
B2. Infidelity Of Time
C1. Wolves Don't Chase Hope (They Chase Rabbits)
C2. Gates To The South
D1. Church Of Burnt Offerings
D2. Boots & The Pike
D3. One Part Disco

Prepare to delve into the transcendental realm of experimental soundscapes with the re-release of Experimental Audio Research’s “The Köner Experiment”. Featuring Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3), Thomas Köner, Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) and others.

Space Age Recordings are proud to present this iconic album pressed on 180g Heavyweight white vinyl. The artwork stays true to the original. Thomas Köner's visionary work invites you to embark on an introspective journey where boundaries dissolve, and music becomes a profound experience. Each track is a portal to a world where sound is sculpted into something ethereal and thought-provoking. The echoes and glacial reveries of “The Koner Experiment” have been meticulously revitalized, with each track remastered for vinyl by the legendary John Rivers at Woodbine Street Studios. This release stands the test of time within the world of experimental music. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this release is a captivating entry point into a universe of sound that defies convention. A testament to the enduring legacy of experimental music.

Chase Smith aka the W.T. Records and Apartment associate and documentary filmmaker Christa Majoras are back as Brainwave Research Center with their second full length, Mosaic. Once again the sonically inquisitive pair mix up analogue synths with electro-acoustic experiments, epic and adventurous soundscapes and plenty of raw texture, hooky pop melodies and innocent rhythms. Along the way the duo take influence from their heroes including Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter and Kraftwerk on a record that was laid down in the back of Smith's synthesizer repair shop. It's an absorbing listen once more from this increasingly vital pair.

TRACK LISTING

Silica
Brain Drain
Ostrich Talk
Treading Water
Road Runner
Guajillo
Medecene II
Last Song Of Summer

Mouche (real name Tim Karmouche) returns to Australian label Research Records with another full-length of imaginary soundtracks, instrumentals and sun-kissed digital jazz. Active on the Melbourne scene in projects such as Crepes/The Murlocs/Swazi Gold/Dreamin' Wild, Tim's first album Live From The Bubble arrived back in 2020 as an ode to his aptly named studio space - The Bubble.

Lake Songs builds on those same atmospheres, showcasing the inward-looking craft of his one-man band. Cicada field recordings and light keys open proceedings, reflecting the warmer side of 80s new age, though before long we're introduced to a variety of stylistic shifts incorporating elements of cosmic funk, lounge and library-style compositions. There are traces of Steve Hiett, Max Groove or even the recently re-discovered Ronald Langestraat, though the strength of Mouche's talent for harmony shines through on its own level.

Shifting between moods yet reflecting an overarching sense of positivity, listening through the ten tracks gives off a real sense of place, though time is somewhat irrelevant. The warm climate and sandy beaches of Australia seem eternally embodied in 'Juice' or 'Crystal Water'. Perhaps where Live From The Bubble was dedicated to the very studio that birthed it, Lake Songs is dedicated to the vast land that surrounds it.

TRACK LISTING

1. Silence On Lake Purity
2. Swans In The Night
3. Crystal Water
4. Swamp Thing
5. Forest Solitude
6. Juice
7. The Neighbourhood
8. Race Against Time
9. After All
10. Sweet Rain

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2023 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

The E.A.R. debut project, Mesmerised, is a total collage of drones, tones, and endless atmospheric washes that becomes a logical extension of earlier works into realms of psychedelic haze. This mysterious and beautiful sound is a complete exploration into 90ís post/space rock. Only released on vinyl once in 1994, this RSD 2023 release has been created to exactly replicate the Space Age Recordings release from 2009. Working with Pete Kember, and keeping an environmentally conscious mind. This superb release will look as good as it sounds. Transparent red vinyl, inside a clear acetate bag with concentric circles and the EAR logo printed direct to it (plus barcode, track list etc). A very special release and one sure to get the collectors buzzing.

This is the only BBC session ever recorded by the wonderful Marine Research, the group formed by members of Sarah legends Heavenly following the death of Mathew Fletcher. Gatefold double 7” vinyl has four songs, among them the gorgeous ‘Angel In The Snow’ and previously unreleased ‘Bad Dreams’, featuring David Gedge of the Wedding Present) plus ‘Capital L', which would probably have been a single if the band hadn’t split up. Package includes a set of postcards with previously unseen pics, download codes and informative sleeve notes from Amelia Fletcher. As an added extra freebie on the download, you also get a live show from BBC Sound City in Liverpool in October 1999 - introduced by Peel himself.

TRACK LISTING

1. I Confess (Peel Session) 03:25
2. Angel In The Snow (Peel Session) 04:18
3. Bad Dreams (Peel Session) 04:16
4. Capital L (Peel Session) 04:55

The collaborative reactions of Adrian Flannagan (Kings Have Long Arms), actress Maxine Peake (Shameless / Silk) and Dean Hohner (I Monster) - under the umbrella moniker The Eccentronic Research Council - take their collective experiences in theatre, music technology, television, pop cultural archiving and radio to reimagine a time and place, barren of authority and religious faith, where the unified working classes and alternative thinkers are mocked and persecuted at the hands of a flawed and paranoid government and monarchy.

As The Eccentronic Research Council recognise, “Socially and politically things haven’t changed so much in 400 years, people are poor again and have to do bad things too eat, individuals who don't fit in are still beaten down with bats, and there are hypothetical witch hunts all around us.”
Stylistically, The ERC opt for a vast array of mechanical music machines and synthesised effects to create this conceptual non-populist pop using analogue and acoustic equipment alongside tape manipulation, vocalisations and spoken word, remaining faithful to a pre-digital and unpredictable era taking cues from Mort Garson, Suzanne Ciani, Sorel Hayes, Joe Meek, Daphne Oram, JP Massiera and Delia Derbyshire amongst others.

Conceived with the same ambitions and goals as an electronic Smithsonian Folkways record, ‘1612 Underture’ is a concept album that aims to reevaluate and positively recontextualise an important historical and cultural feminine incident, but also hopes to encourage listeners to rethink how they process modern folk and popular music 400 years after the events in the eye of this project’s unique subject matter.

Released to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witch Trials, which should bring with it plenty of fanfare and live events. Check out this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxh6LrwET0U

STAFF COMMENTS

Philippa says: The collaborative reactions of Adrian Flannagan (Kings Have Long Arms), actress Maxine Peake (Shameless / Silk) and Dean Hohner (I Monster) - under the umbrella moniker The Eccentronic Research Council

TRACK LISTING

1. Autobahn 666 (Travelogue #1)
2. This Is The North (Travelogue #2)
3. Wicked Sister Chant
4. Her Kind (Anne Sexton Poem)
5. Malkin Cat Trapped Behind A Wall
6. Curious Morbids (Travelogue #3)
7. 1612 Underture
8. Trial By Jiggery Pokery
9. From The Grave To The Freshcos Late (Travelogue #4)
10. (I) Pendle Wind
       (II) No Hackney Cab To Gallows Hill
       (III) The Hangman's Song
11. Device Kids Find A Box Of Chattox Melody
12. Another Witch Is Dead (Trad.)
13. Ouija Up A Witch
14. Ghost Of Old Lizzy Southerns Returns