Folk Sale 249 Items

8-Track available on Pink, Yellow, Blue or White (Randomly selected). Due to limited capacity the full track-list is not included on the 8-Track Definitive collection of Nancy's rare singles, demos and previously unreleased cuts. Includes 3 previously unreleased tracks, plus 3 tracks making their vinyl debut. Deep booklet includes new Q&As with Nancy & Don Randi (The Wrecking Crew) - both conducted by Grammy®-nominated co-producer Hunter Lea Plus never-before-seen photos from Nancy Sinatra’s personal archive. Features audio freshly remastered from the original analog tapes by Grammy®-nominated engineer John Baldwin. Vinyl pressed at RTI. Double LP housed in a gatefold jacket with 24-page book Light in the Attic continues to celebrate the influential career of singer, actress, activist, and icon *Nancy Sinatra* with a captivating new collection, Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978. Exploring the lesser-known gems from Sinatra’s rich catalog through 25 B-sides, rare singles, covers, demos, and previously-unreleased recordings, Keep Walkin’ was remastered by the *Grammy®-nominated engineer John Baldwin* and available in a variety of formats, including vinyl, CD, 8-track, and digital. The 2LP set, pressed at Record Technology, Inc. (rti), is presented in an expanded gatefold jacket and accompanied by a 24-page booklet featuring an array of photos from the artist’s personal collection, as well as a new in-depth Q&A with Sinatra, conducted by the reissue’s Grammy®-nominated co-producer, Hunter Lea. The booklet also contains a fascinating interview with keyboardist Don Randi (The Wrecking Crew), who recently spoke to Lea about his hit-filled career and his 50 years of work with Nancy. Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978 serves as a companion to the widely-acclaimed 2021 career-spanning retrospective, Start Walkin’ 1965-1976, and marks the latest release in LITA’s ongoing Nancy Sinatra Archival Series, a partnership with the legendary artist, which honors her musical legacy through lovingly curated reissues (including her 1966 debut, Boots and the 1968 classic, Nancy & Lee), limited-edition merch, and other special releases. In 1965, 25-year-old Nancy Sinatra scored her first No.1 hit with “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” a bold anthem for female empowerment. Brazen, sassy, and utterly infectious, it was a reintroduction of sorts for the eldest daughter of Frank Sinatra, who had been struggling to find a spotlight of her own amid a changing musical landscape. Suddenly, audiences who had initially brushed off Sinatra as too demure or out-of-touch were paying attention. Written and produced by Oklahoma-born songsmith Lee Hazlewood (with swaggering instrumentals, courtesy of Billy Strange and The Wrecking Crew), the song launched the singer’s career, as well as one of music’s most unlikely, yet compelling, creative partnerships. Over the next decade, Sinatra continued to notch multiple hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Sugar Town,” “How Does That Grab You, Darlin?,” and a haunting rendition of the Sonny Bono-penned “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” The singer also paired up with Hazlewood for a series of popular duets (“Summer Wine,” “Jackson,”* and *“Some Velvet Morning”) and collaborative albums. In between best-selling LPs like Boots (1966), How Does That Grab You (1966), and Nancy & Lee (1968), Sinatra performed the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice, and collaborated with her father on the global chart-topper, “Somethin’ Stupid.” While these career landmarks are well-documented in the annals of pop culture history, however, much of Sinatra’s catalog remains sorely overlooked. As Keep Walkin’ co-producer Hunter Lea explains, “With the changing taste of the record-buying public in the late 1960s and the counterculture taking over, artists like Nancy Sinatra weren’t in the mainstream as they once were.” Despite that fact, “[Sinatra] kept working, recording, and performing at a voracious pace.” Lea continues, “This compilation is a celebration of some of the many glorious recordings that may have been overlooked, forgotten, or never even released at the time. The obscurity of some of these recordings doesn’t mask the genius, brilliance, and effort that went into them; on the contrary, it’s incredible to learn that some of the lost gems are just as rich as the national treasures.” Among the highlights is the spritely opener “The City Never Sleeps at Night,” which served as the B-Side to “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’.” Overshadowed by the colossal success of its A-side, it’s no surprise that the cinematic tune never had its proper due. Yet, Lea reveals, Hazlewood initially intended to make it the focus single. Another long-lost B-side is “The Last of the Secret Agents?,” which was paired with the Top 10 hit, “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?” The playful song, written by Hazlewood, served as the theme to the 1966 comedy of the same name, in which Sinatra co-starred alongside Marty Allen and Steve Rossi. Keep Walkin’ also features several choice A-sides that were never included on albums and were overlooked for one reason or another. Among them is 1966’s “In Our Time,” a rebellious anthem for ‘60s youth, which references drug culture and women’s liberation, among other topics. Speaking to the Hazlewood-penned track, Sinatra recalls, “That was a fun song. Lee was starting to do his ‘anti’ stuff. He was cynical and it showed in his writing at some point.” But, despite the themes of the song, Nancy laments that she was never embraced by the counterculture. “[drugs] knocked me out of the picture completely. I was so far removed from the hip people in those days. I think they probably made fun of my stuff.” Another stylistic departure for both artists is “Love Eyes,” a bluesy, soulful single from 1966. The song, Nancy shares, is “one of my favorites. I think what helped Lee’s writing at that point was the bigger sound.… I really love it. I think it holds up to this day.” She adds that her dreamy vocal performance was inspired by early female R&B stars like Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker. The collection also features several outstanding covers, including a previously-unreleased rendition of the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil classic, “I Just Can’t Help Believing” (a hit for both B.J. Thomas and Elvis Presley). This 1978 recording, reimagined as a duet, marked one of Sinatra’s brief reunions with Hazlewood, following his abrupt move to Sweden not long after 1972’s Nancy & Lee Again. Another choice track finds Nancy interpreting Neil Diamond’s “Glory Road.” Released as a single in 1971, it features one of the singer’s most cherished vocal performances. “After I worked on my voice and improved as a performer and as a singer, I embraced Neil Diamond. Anything I did by Neil Diamond, to me, is my best work.” Nancy also looks back fondly on her moving rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine," released in 1973 as the B-side to “Sugar Me.” The recording (which features particularly lush orchestral arrangements by Billy Strange) reunited Nancy with another close collaborator, Jimmy Bowen, who produced the singer in the early ‘60s and later introduced her to Hazlewood. “I love Jimmy,” she declares. “The records we did early on…had a depth to them that I appreciated. He heard me and saw me in a different light; he saw me as a much more serious performer, which I appreciated.” Listeners will also be delighted to hear a pair of previously-unreleased demos: “Something Pretty” (the 1968 country hit, made famous by Wynn Stewart) and the theme to the 1965 Richard Rogers/Stephen Sondheim musical, Do I Hear a Waltz?, both of which were intended for a self-described “disco” record. Despite the two catchy takes featured on Keep Walkin’, Sinatra calls the shelved album “A disaster. I called it the disco fiasco!” Offering additional insight into Sinatra’s career is music director, songwriter, and keyboardist, Don Randi. A member of the hallowed *Wrecking Crew* collective, Randi was one of the most prolific session musicians of the ‘60s and ‘70s with hundreds of credits to his name, including The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” Linda Ronstadt’s “Different Drum,” and “These Boots are Made For Walkin’” – his first recording with Sinatra. For the next fifty years, he would be a fixture at her sessions and live shows. He also appears on nearly every track in this collection. Speaking to Lea, Randi delves deep into his time with Sinatra, with a palpable admiration for the singer. *“She was easy to work with,”* he shares. “She was always wonderful to musicians; nobody even comes close.” The keyboardist, who met Sinatra through Hazlewood, also recalls the magic of that partnership. “I always liked working with Nancy & Lee. They had something very special that they could get out of each other. It was a good team.” He continues, “Sinatra stood up for herself [around Lee]…He could be so cantankerous…but that’s Lee…. [Nancy] saw through it. She was so lovely and helpful to him a number of times when he really needed someone to talk to.” That said, Randi also appreciates the power of Sinatra’s solo performances. “I never thought she really needed [Hazlewood},”* he reveals. “I thought her shows were just as well with everybody else; they were excellent.” After stepping back from the industry in the ‘70s to focus on her young family, Sinatra returned to the spotlight in the mid-90s, releasing a string of new albums, including the star-studded Nancy Sinatra, which paired the artist with some of her biggest fans, including Morrissey, U2, Calexico, and Sonic Youth. Since then, Nancy’s legacy has only continued to grow. In more recent years, her impact has been recognized by the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, and Rolling Stone, while in 2020, “Boots” was inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame*. Today, Sinatra remains a force in the industry, as new generations discover her influential catalog, which boasts nearly 20 studio albums and dozens of charting singles.

Mustafa Özkent made this eclectic ‘’psychedelic Sampling’’ album for sixtieth year of his musical adventure. He wanted to create a new & modern sound with sample instruments and live solos in his studio. Basically recorded modernized short melodies of traditional Turkish folk music combined with additional melodies and solos he composed. He played all the sample instruments and live solos with his electric guitar, fretless guitar and his new special instrument Saztar which is combination guitar and saz. As always, DR.FRANKESTEIN! Synthesized Turkish traditional folk music with psychedelic funk, jazz, rock, blues solos arranged, performed, recorded and mixed by Mustafa Özkent himself.

Pressed on colored vinyl. Color unknown. Not on label.

Borrowed Tongue is the debut solo album by Korean singer-songwriter Minhwi Lee. It’s a mysterious, strangely compelling thing, an album of rare poetry, and remarkably self-assured. Originally released in November 2016, the album made waves, winning best folk album of 2016 at the 14th Korean Music Awards. Its eight songs, written and predominantly arranged by Lee, don’t reveal their secrets easily, or at first blush; rather, they take their time slowly to unfurl in her listeners’ worlds. There are hints of other music here, from time to time: the intimacy of Stina Nordenstam, perhaps; the gauzy haze of Hope Sandoval, on the blissed-out pop of “Broken Mirror”; there are touches of acid-folk, and ECM jazz, and a slyly filmic approach to songwriting and arrangement that makes every song fit perfectly into the album’s arc.

Lee arrived at her solo music through a complex, circuitous route. After studying musicology in Seoul, she learned her trade, film scoring, in New York and Paris. She also studied classical music, blowing off steam in a wild punk duo, Mukimukimanmansu, who released one album, 2012, on Korean indie label Beatball. Subsequently, Lee has been refining her music, focusing both on her solo songs, and on writing for television series and films; she’s written scores for films by such directors as Sangmoon Lee, Jeongwon Kam, and Wanmin Lee. She also plays in the jazz outfit Cubed, and recently joined doom metal group Gawthrop on bass.

Since its release in 2016, Borrowed Tongue has slowly bewitched listeners with its idiosyncratic arrangements and evocative songwriting. It’s an album that hints at plenty, but refuses to make grand statements, something Lee seems intent to pursue: in correspondence, she’s very clear that she wants these songs to enact a kind of transmutation, to be adopted into the listeners’ lives and exist within their own imaginings. She does, however, offer a few hints to what propels these mercurial songs, explaining, “this album is about a person who again opens their mouth, which was once shut. The album deals with what it means to speak: things that are known but not said, things that should be said but are not, things that cannot be said but nonetheless are.”

This may well explain the curious mood of Borrowed Tongue, the multiple ‘voices’ that inhabit the album; Lee’s singing voice is pliable and mutable, approaching each song as its own diorama and ensuring the song is sung with just the right tone. The arrangements Lee conjures for her songs are all in service to narrative and melody; they appear to her alongside the composition, which is surely why everything here fits together so beautifully. From there, Lee approaches her songs carefully, in deference to their ‘need to be sung’ a certain way. There isn’t a moment wasted: everything on Borrowed Tongue is as it needs to be, whether a melancholy folk song taking to the air, or a psychedelic reverie dreamed into being. It’s a beautiful, poised and confident debut.

On this LP we find Michael Hurley stretching out on six longer than usual compositions that are heartbreaking & beautiful as anything he's ever done.Side one features Hurley on a creaky pump organ and a Hammond organ. Side two starts out with two newer compositions - just Michael on guitar & vocals. The record ends with a stunning version of Tea Song (which Michael originally wrote & recorded way back in 1963).A sustained feeling of loss & need for redemption haunts this record. It ain't easy listening, but then what worth a damn is?Includes insert with Michael's notes on the songs and some artwork.

Record Store Day 2023 first time officially reissued on vinyl since 1988. Limited to 500 copies. Rasman Maxwell Udoh was one of the best things to come out of the Nigerian music scene in the 80s and 90s. Born on the 29th of August 1959 and passed away on the 18th of December 2014, his 55 years on earth were a memorable time that resulted in many contributions to the musical heritage of Nigeria, and the messages he spread through his lyrics are still treasured by the downtrodden even today. Maxwell Udoh was a true pioneer, and his musical legacy is more than relevant, even to this day.

After he left Oron’s Methodist Boys High School in 1980, Maxwell’s uncle Patrick Peter Udoh took him under his wing. As a professional musician with The Doves Rock Band, Patrick taught him all he could until the band’s dissolution, which prepared Udoh for the trailblazing career that he would soon be embarking upon. Maxwell Udoh and His Masses Militia Band took Nigeria by storm with their debut album ‘Forward Ever, Backward Never’. The record was a massive hit that opened his route to greatness, taking his reputation far beyond the shores of Nigeria and winning him several music awards.

The fame that Maxwell would claim from this would skyrocket him into his election as chairman of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria. As a naturally inclined musician and charismatic leader type since childhood, his journey is a series of natural progressions that sequentially delivered to him the many stages of the recognition he deserved.

Rasman Maxwell Udoh was renowned as an advocate for social justice, as well as one of the first few Africans to sing authentic reggae in its true form. His musical catalogue overall helps tell the story of a man who was larger than life and is cherished both in Africa and the world over to this day. Maxwell’s independent albums and singles are classics for the ages and stand firmly and triumphantly as paragon examples of the best of Nigerian music.

On the album we are proudly presenting you today (‘Survival Of The Fittest’ recorded in Nigeria in 1972) the listener is treated to six mind blowing tracks filled with excellent reggae, funk, soul, boogie and disco influences. Also included is the heavy hitting smash-hit “I Like It (Don’t Stop)” that was featured on the ’’Khruangbin: Late Night Tales” album. Fans of Maxwell will be proud that he was chosen as a representative of Nigeria on these ongoing and acclaimed series. A great accreditation for Maxwell Udoh and a big deal to say the least. All of the above makes ‘Survival Of The Fittest’ a real must-have for collectors and fans alike.

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the First ever vinyl reissue of this landmark Nigerian album originally released on Average records in 1988 (OG copies go for large amounts on the second-hand market). This is also the first time these recordings are being released outside of the African continent. This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (strictly limited to 500 copies) with obi strip and features the original artwork. Released exclusively for Record Store Day (uk/europe) 2023 and available in participating stores on April 22, 2023.

"28/4/23" captures the atmospheric live performance of Swedish composer Mats Erlandsson at Fylkingen, Stockholm on the 28th of April, 2023. With exceptional delicacy, Erlandsson guides the audience through his signature electro-gothic soundscape of continuous tension; 40 minutes of processed field recordings, zither, feedback and Serge modular synthesizer.

Cyanotype prints and woodcut by Håkan Jonson. Released in an edition of 90 copies.

In this new album, Matjé delivers stories sung or rapped in French on tropical music. His light and poetic words but heavy with meaning mingle, among others, with Colombian Cumbia, Brazilian Forro, African Soukous, Reunion Maloya, Malagasy Salegy...Although drawing on traditional music, this new opus is anchored in modernity and we sometimes feel Hip hop influences in the flow or production of certain titles.His solar and catchy music exudes a positive energy inviting to dance while the careful and poetic writing leads to take a step back and reflect.

Combine a single-malt voice, an acoustic guitar, songs from the heart and a touch of magic, and you have the music of Mari Mana. Her music possesses that nostalgic familiarity and that fresh wonder at the same time. Her performance is a unique and enchanting expression of wise melancholy and a poetic love for life.
Mari Mana was born and raised in Berlin. She wrote her first songs in the year 2000, and since 2008 has taken her performances to various concerts and festivals worldwide.
With arrangements consisting of strings, bass, drums and electronic elements, arranged and produced together with Mo Stern, we present Mari Mana’s music for the first time on vinyl.
The songs 'Floating' and 'Find Me' are influenced by Soul, Folk and Electronic Music, and feature various international musicians, including
Alex Trebo (ITA), Timo Lassy (FIN), Marlene Schuen (ITA), Lee Caspi (ISR) and Natasha Jaffe (USA).

In the late Congolese musician Lumingu Zorro, protégé of Kinshasa’s legendary 60s band leader Dr Nico, recorded Mosese, his only pre-2000 solo album, for the Tabansi label- and this is it.CHAMPETA STORM WARNING! The first-ever reissue of one of West Africa’s best-kept rumba-soukous secrets- as well as being one of the most in-demand titles on Colombia’s booming Champeta sound system scene, where a rare record is protected as fiercely as on the Northern Soul or Jamaican sound system scenes, the label scratched off, the record hidden from view when not on the turntable.Possibly one of the strongest and most consistent Congo dancefloor albums ever recorded perfectly balanced between voices, horns, guitars and percussion.Which is why original copies of this all-time rumba rarity almost never reach the open market, being traded between Colombia’s champeta picoteros (sound system selectors) instead.In Kinshasa they say ‘Miziki ezelaki eleng ndeko’- ‘Sweet music, brother!’. Roger that

Here I AM is the first thing. A powerful incantation sung in full choral style at Dartington College of Arts in 1982 and captured on tape, now in 1s and 0s for all eternity. It’s a bold phrase, this assertion of existence, this permanent claiming of space in time; these three words we were made to sing in church, that we used to recite one after another at the beginning of class. Doing so might seem mundane, or easy, but it’s not. What’s easy is not. Not declaring one’s presence, not showing up at all. Claire Bushe, Cathy Frost, Lisa Halse, Cathy Josefowitz, and Mara de Wit showed up, took a side. They called themselves Lining Time. They were here. ANY Woman CAN SAY I’M A Witch, they said. Strike is the album Lining Time made. It plays out like a freedom spell, like liberatory healing magic. Reveling in the power of the voice, Lining Time sing. Not at us, but for us. As if by putting voice to the traumas inflicted by the patriarchy and capital, they could be made right. As if the whole world might join in and sing along, might join in and take action - might join in and strike.There’s nothing exclusive about the music Lining Time made. Like many of the best and weirdest records of the post-punk era, Strike wears its amateurism as a badge of honour, flies it like a flag to rally around. It is inclusive to the extreme. Which isn’t to say anyone could’ve made Strike. That’s the thing. The music preserved here is too weirdly spare and idiosyncratic - and wildly overconfident in the way that only the young and young at heart can be. Sometimes it’s almost protest folk, acappella or accompanied by a single acoustic guitar, as on ‘It’s Possible’. Sometimes schoolroom auxiliary percussion clunks out a cyclical, ritual rhythm, as on the title track. At no point does it feel less than singular. Still, this is music about and for universal sisterhood. It invites solidarity. Take up an instrument for the cause and sing your own song. Time Passes Time Passes Time Passes Time Recorded music often functions like a time capsule. It’s not rare that an album is “lost”. Rather, it’s rare that a work is heard widely at the time it was made. Often, it’s barely heard at all. It just exists somewhere, a cave painting or an ancient piece of graffiti, waiting to be stumbled upon for whatever reason. The reason, in Strike’s case, is a wonderful posthumous exhibition of Cathy Josefowitz’s artwork, The Thinking Body, a cooperative effort between Kunsthaus Langenthal, Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris, Macro Roma, Les Amis de Cathy Josefowitz, and Elise Lammer. It’s possible that some might be tempted to think of Lining Time as a sideshow curiosity to the main event, but that’d be foolish. Strike, nearly forty years old, is as alive and relevant as it was when it was recorded in the wake of the Reclaim the Night march. If anything, it’s shocking how potent and necessary its message remains today.

Pulsing electro-Fra Fra and DIY afro-gospel combine on God Created Everything, the debut album by Ghanaian singer Linda Ayupuka. Reminiscent of recent releases by Otim Alpha (Nyege Nyege) and Ata Kak, God Created Everything captures the rawness and immediacy of early-career recordings from the likes of Oumou Sangaré and Rokia Traoré, and heralds a new West African vocal talent - Linda Ayupuka. Produced by Francis Ayamga, (King Ayisoba, This Is FraFra Power!), at his locally renowned Top Link Studio in Bongo, Northern Ghana, God Created Everything features eight highly charged exchanges of polyrhythmic dancefloor beats where Linda and Francis channel traditional Guren+¢-language, Frafra ceremonial music with rapid fire tempos and hypnotic drum loops, referencing an international palette of dance styles from Malian DJ-led Balani Show street sound, electro-acholi to modern dancehall/RnB.

Folk duo lilo's ascent continues with second EP, I Don’t Like My Chances On The Outside. Having met at school aged 11, Christie Gardner and Helen Dixon’s friendship runs over a decade deep. Starting out with homespun recordings and YouTube covers, by the time they moved to London in their late-teens, they had an unshakeable creative bond that forms an incredible bedrock for them to flourish from. Their exceptional debut EP Sleep Country (Practise Music) came out in late-2021. Taking cues from alt-folk and classic country, it showed a maturity and dexterity that belied their years. As Loud & Quiet said of the band in a recent interview, "what sets them apart from their contemporaries is a real understanding of Americana-influenced folk’s lineage as a genre. Think Emmylou Harris’ soul bearing and the pitchperfect vocal glide of Karen Carpenter." New EP, I Don’t Like My Chances On The Outside, is a truly brilliant follow-up that underscores that we're no longing talking about promise with this duo. Working with producer friend Joseph Futák, they're now firmly in their stride, deftly counterbalancing delicate moments and harmony-led pop highs across a full-bodied band sound. Their lyrics speak for their generation too, encapsulating the panic, anxiety and love of twenty-somethings at a time of great uncertainty; from single 'Settled' where the financial realities of needing to move back in with your parents to the sheer relief of ending a relationship on 'I Don't Love You Anymore' and 'Just A Thought's failing attempts to pull a friend away from a bad person ("It's your hill to die on," they warn), nothing is off the plate.

The release is available for the first time on vinyl and cut from original masters.

Quantity: 1700
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

Dark Horse Records is proud to reissue Leon RUSSELL’s 1984 album Hank Wilson Vol. II on limited Red Vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday. The album notably features a duet with Willie Nelson on the country standard “Wabash Cannonball,” plus takes on classics by Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and Don Gibson. Russell was born in Oklahoma, had a home in Tulsa, and grew up around country and blues music. After making successful rock albums, touring, and releasing the concert album Leon Live, he returned to his roots under the name of a fictional musical personality: Hank Wilson. His second outing under this assumed name, Hank Wilson, Vol. II, was self-produced in 1981 at Leon’s Paradise Studios in Burbank, California.

Newly Expanded Deluxe Double LP Edition! Includes the original 1972 album, plus all of Larry Mark's acoustic demos and tracks from his unreleased 1970 LHI LP for the first time on vinyl Previously unreleased session outtake of “Cold Hard Times” plus demos of obscure Hazlewood compositions “Drums,” “The Start,” “Susie,” “Miracle on 19th Street,” and “Peppermint Morning” 30 total tracks Remastered by GRAMMY®nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin Liner notes by GRAMMY®nominated reissue producer Hunter Lea including interviews with Larry Marks, Joe Cannon, Torbjörn Axelman & Suzi Jane Hokom Lee Hazlewood comic strip, the story of 13 told through original artwork by Jess Rotter Double LP housed in a gatefold jacket “Pimps… whores… pushers… dopers… gangsters… and bottom of the human chain shitheels. Now you’re probably thinking I’m writing about major record companies and their unscrupulous executives… and lawyers. You could be right… but this time… You’re Wrong! I’m describing the characters in my album ‘13’ …Some I knew… some I invented … some are true… some are false… some I liked… some I didn’t. But they all had a story to tell and I told it…none of ‘em seem to care… and I don’t either… have fun…" Lee Hazlewood



“He (Lee) took my voice off the album and put his voice on the album. Now don’t forget these were in my keys, it was my charts, it was my everything. Lee Hazlewood was not even remotely going to be considered as an artist for this album and that’s the way he wanted it.” Larry Marks



The album 13 was never supposed to be a Lee Hazlewood album. It is perhaps the strangest record in one of the most varied discographies in music. The Bombastic brass heavy funk, deep blues and soul paired with Hazlewood’s subterranean baritone would be best enjoyed with a tall Chivas in an offstrip seedy Vegas lounge. By 1972 Lee Hazlewood had settled in his new homeland of Sweden. His days were spent carousing, making movies with Torbjӧrn Axelman and releasing albums. To keep up his prolific recorded output, Lee began to mine the recently defunct LHI Records archives for material. One such gem, was an unreleased album by Larry Marks (lhi producer, artist and the voice of the first ScoobyDoo theme). Larry’s concept was to take Hazlewood’s strongest compositions and arrange them in a soul vibe. An album was completed, but with no distribution in America and no funding, Lee had no vehicle to release Larry’s record. The tapes were taken to Sweden, Larry’s voice was wiped and Hazlewood’s was dubbed… 13 was born.

Kouyaté without Neerman is Lansiné Kouyaté. A Parisian griot, a balafon virtuoso from the region of Kangaba in Mali, a child born among musicians, an early musical prodigy who learned the ropes with the National Orchestra of Mali before playing with the stars of world music (Salif Keita, Mory Kanté, Omar Sosa, Cheick Tidiane Seck.). Neerman without Kouyaté is David Neerman. A French musician who expanded on his training (classical percussion and the piano) by choosing an instrument that is both keyboard and percussion, the vibraphone, who meandered through various eclectic projects (jazz, world, electro, noise, with Youn Sun Nah, Anthony Joseph, Alice Lewis, Krystle Warren.), as long as they smelled of adventure. With Kangaba, their first album (recorded with a rythm section), released in the summer of 2008 they created a glorious future for themselves. Well received by critics, the record gave the opportunity to the duet to tour alot and as such, to strengthen their performance, provide more substance to their music and discover new energies. Skyscrapers & Deities, their second album recorded last fall in an analog studio in the Parisian suburbs, is the result of this evolution. Lansiné still plays like he's stirring up tropical rains on water lilies and David has still plugged (or even more) his vibraphone on bizarre pedal effects (distortions, wah-wah). The duo is backed up by a new rhythm section, that accompanied them on tour : Antoine Simoni on the double bass and David Aknin on the drums, two musicians open to the rythms of rock and hip-hop. The name of the album, Skyscrapers and Deities comes from the spoken-word lyrics of special guest and only voice on the album Anthony Joseph on the track 'Haiti'. The other guest on the album is the legendary kora player Ballaké Sissoko, long time friend of Lansiné, since the days of the National Orchestra of Mali. Skyscapers inspire modernity, altitude and a panoramic point of view. Deities inspire ancestral magic, spirits, be they from the forest or the clouds. The album floats in between all these things, between the horizon and vertigo, technology and spiritualism.

Originally released by Wounded Wolf Press as a limited release (only 100 cassettes were made) back in 2016, "Loopworks" compiles Turkish visual and sound artist Koray Kantarcioglu's (Ankara, 1982) loop based work composed of samples taken from Turkish records released in 60's and 70's as source material. "Loopworks"
impacts almost instantly mainly because it shows some familiarity with the recent work of Leyland Kirby as The Caretaker, particularly with the "haunted ballroom" effect. Koray explores the usage and the dynamic of these sounds as ambient music for different scenarios as well as the importance of a newfound life with the raw
material he used to create these songs. The source material appears as enigmatic as
these new sounds and activate a sense of discovery and constant wonder throughout
"Loopworks". With the vinyl release of "Loopworks" we continue to manifest the
importance of showing how technology and geography create different and original
approaches to the standard western interpretation of field recordings and sound
manipulation. Koray Kantarcioglu's work here is a strong manifestation of that and
how "haunted music" can express a myriad of feelings and sensations. "Loopworks"
has a tremendous vision of the metamorphosis that's been occurring in ambient music
during the last decade. Sometimes it's dreamy and calm as aquarium music is
("500606" or "22 47 91 Take 1"); surprising and infinite as "263 Loop", one of the few
tracks with a voice, in this case a mysterious and transcendental one; or part of a John
Carpenter & David Lynch film yet to be made ("Organ Extract KP 001"). A fantastic
voyage, from earth to space, through time or simply as the most beautiful and peaceful
dive into the ocean. Old music transformed into something new, unique. That's
special.

The illustrious, London-based duo Kit Sebastian, aka Kit Martin and Merve Erdem, return with a limited edition 7” single. It features ’L’addio’, a breakbeat driven, sultry ballad, and ‘Hayat’, a hazy, psychedelic scorcher that delves into the band’s Turkish and Azerbaijan influences.

‘L’addio’ saw the band perfecting their production and orchestration, with strings, horns and double bass, and an Italian synth found in a French dump. The music was greatly influenced by Italian soundtracks and Italian female singers, such as Mina or Rita Pavone. The track announces itself with a break that is guaranteed to get samplers twitching. The tone of the melody and lyrics is heartfelt and aching. It has a beautiful, intimate sadness like the closing scenes to a love affair, and it exquisitely rides over the slow, psych-funk-dramatic backing track. The lyrics are inspired by a flat opposite Merve's window that's occupied by drug addicts, with many guests coming in and out every night. Merve elaborated “Being both neighbours and strangers, and with the boredom of a post-tour everyday domestic life and a pinch of urban voyeurism, it was hard not to wonder what was happening in that flat. The words imagine an addict before her/his golden shot as if it's a love relationship between them that comes to an end.”

Having spent much of 2022 touring and writing, ‘Hayat’ was the first original composition the band recorded since their October 2021 album, ‘Melodi’. Here we see them weaving a psychedelic tapestry of Mugham melodies, organ-driven grooves, and jazz-pop harmonies in classic Kit Sebastian fashion. Recorded to Fostex 1/4” tape, the essence of the production is perfectly balanced between being brand new and retro, which is a feat very hard to pull off.

‘Hayat’ is sung in Turkish and the title translates as ‘Life’ in English. The song examines our desire to find one's place in the world and the provisionality of existence. Merve's searching lyrics ask “Where are you? Where is the universe?”. Her vocal delivery perfectly reflects the lyrical focus, its texture is probing and ethereal, almost as if sung from looking above us.