Irmin Schmidt’s Villa Wunderbar to be released on vinyl, live dates announced

21 October 2019

Six years ago, Mute and Spoon gifted the world with the magnificent Villa Wunderbar, a 2CD set from avant-garde composer and one of Can’s founding members Irmin Schmidt. The release compiles Schmidt’s solo and soundtrack work, with the first part being a collection of his solo work over the past 30 years. The second half, curated by long-term collaborator Wim Wenders, compiles Schmidt’s film and television soundtrack work and also features two Can remixes, ‘Alice’ and ‘Last Night Sleep’. Villa Wunderbar, previously only available on CD, will be released as a four-piece vinyl box set on November 22nd, with his latest work ‘Klavierstück V’ included as a bonus.

Villa Wunderbar is an absolute treat and you can hear it for yourself with this selection of six very different and very excellent tracks.

In other good news, Schmidt has announced three rare live solo dates in the UK and Europe, including an appearance at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on November 21st, that will see him perform the worldwide premiere of two unheard compositions and the UK premiere of “Klavierstück II”. He will also perform in Nantes on December 11th and at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festival on January 25th.

HHY & The Macumbas release live EP Melting In The Heat Of Chase

17 October 2019

Porto based ensemble HHY & The Macumbas are celebrating their 10th anniversary and to mark the occasion, they have unveiled a 20-minute live EP called Melting in the Heat of Chase, edited out by founding member Jonathan Uliel Saldanha from a live show. The EP, as the accompanying blurb explains, “inaugurates the documenting process of the group’s inner mutations and their live sonic actions”.

What’s more, HHY & The Macumbas have also paired Melting In The Heat Of Chase with a video piece directed by Diogo Tudela. Press play!

Melting in the Heat of Chase is out now through House of Mythology

Sam Wilkes shares new single from upcoming live album Live On The Green

16 October 2019

Photo: Roman Koval

Bassist Sam Wilkes has a new live record on the way, Live On The Green, and he had already teased it with the first single ‘Alma’. Live On The Green features songs and alternate versions from Wilkes, his debut album, as well as other new tracks, including a beautiful cover of Alice Coltrane’s track ‘Sivaya’. Wrap your ears around it.

Live On The Green is out on November 8th through Leaving Records.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2019: Richard Youngs

14 October 2019

There’s less than a month to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Richard Youngs

Official Website

Performing Friday 8th November at Theater Kikker, curated by Jenny Hval

The wonderful and inimitable multi-instrumentalist and improviser Richard Youngs has stolen our hearts a while back. A restless and prolific sonic adventurer, his music catalogue boasts over a hundred solo and collaborative releases, from folk to drone and electronic and last year’s Belief was one of our 15 Album Picks of 2018. Youngs had already dazzled us with an unforgettable a cappella show at Le Guess Who? in 2017 and we are immensely excited to see what he has in store for us this time. Read on for a list of three acts he’s looking forward to.

 

Lasse Marhaug

Website

Performing Saturday 9th November at Stadsschouwburg, curated by Jenny Hval

“I’ve heard so many of his records over such a long period of time, but have never caught him performing live. I am really curious about what he will do.”

 

Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paradiso U.F.O.

Website

Performing Saturday 9th November at De Nijverheid

“Makoto and I have been friends for a very long time. We have performed and recorded together, I have visited him in Japan. Acid Mothers are always a joyful experience.”

 

Earth

Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by The Bug

“I love their early stuff, and I have to be honest I haven’t heard where they have gone since then. I understand they are quite different and I am intrigued to hear what direction they’ve taken.”

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 7-10 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And take a look at other artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis out on Friday

14 October 2019

Photo: M.Tarantelli

This Friday will see the release of Matana Roberts‘ Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis, marking the fourth instalment in her ongoing experimental project Coin Coin. The project counts already three releases, 2011’s Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres, 2013’s Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile and 2015’s Coin Coin Chapter Three: river run thee.

Roberts offered a few words about it:

“As an arts adventurer dealing w/ the medium of sound and its many contradictions I am most interested in endurance, perseverance, migration, liberation, libation, improvisation and the many layers of cognitive dissonance therein as it relates to my birth country’s history. I speak memory, I sing an american survival through horn, song, sadness, a sometimes gladness. I stand on the backs of many people, from so many different walks of life and difference, that never had a chance to express themselves as expressively as I have been given the privilege. In these sonic renderings, I celebrate the me, I celebrate the we, in all that it is now, and all that is yet to come or will be… Thanks for listening.”

Following the magnificent first taste from the album, “Raise Yourself Up” / “Backbone Once More” / “How Bright They Shine”, the phenomenal alto saxophonist, composer, improviser and sound experimentalist is raising the bar of excitement with a medley of three pieces, “Her Mighty Waters Run” / “Wild Fire Bare” / “Fit To Be Tied”.

Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis is out on October 18th through Constellation.

Crammed Discs set to release Kinshasa 1978: Originals And Reconstructions

13 October 2019

Crammed Discs have announced a very exciting and extravagant release entitled Kinshasa 1978: Originals And Reconstructions. A double record, it features unreleased music from Sankayi, Orchestre Bambala, Orchestre Bana Luya and Konono Nº1, recorded in Kinshasa in 1978 by Bernard Treton. The release also features new reconstructions by French producer Martin Meissonier, who had this to say about it:

“Bernard Treton – who produced the original recordings in 1978 – is a longtime friend and colleague: we were working together at Radio France during the ‘70s, often with composers of minimal music, in which we were both interested. During his stay in the Congo, he regularly kept me informed about the emerging scene there, about bands such as Konono No.1, Les Stukas etc., and was bringing me 7” records. I was fascinated by these quasi-punk African musicians, who were manufacturing their own instruments and microphones, and were playing in the streets in front of fake amplifiers.

When he offered me to create remixes from the original stereo tapes, I didn’t hesitate. I aimed at staying as close as possible to the rhythms and the spirit of their trance-inducing music, while giving it a fatter sound, for use in my DJ sets. It turns out that it does work, and young audience members often come and ask me about the identity of these strange tracks that they can’t find with shazam…”

Kinshasa 1978 : Originals And Reconstructions is due out on November 15th but we can already get a taste with two ecstatic singles, Konono N°1’s original ‘Kin 78 One’ and the reconstruction of Sankayi’s ‘Il ne faut pas intervenir’.