KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Absencen (Staubgold) lp 14.98
Another outing of hazy, jazz-dappled beauty from this instrumental German collective, I mean, kollektief, who are long-time AQ faves. Burbling drones, noirish atmospheres, electronic beats, lush melody, sampling and improv all combine on this gorgeous fifth album of theirs, Absencen. They've been compared (by us and others) to everyone from Fridge to Mum to AMM to Miles Davis... we're not gonna add any new names to that illustrious list for this review, rather we'd like to make the point that not only do they deserve such comparisons, Kammerflimmer now have pretty much established themselves as a standard for others to be compared against -- anyone who makes lovely, densely woven, textural soundscapey instrumentals that fall somewhere betwixt post-rock, jazz and electronica should be glad to be told they sound a bit like the Kammerflimmer Kollektief!
MPEG Stream: "Lichterloh"
MPEG Stream: "Equilibrium"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Cicadidae (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
One of the few "post rock" bands to play somber organic, electronica-imbued music and have it NOT be background filler, but full of emotion, narrative, texture, and meaning, Germany's Kammerflimmer Kollektief have delivered their prettiest album with Cicadidae. The squiggly processed electronics frolic, sounding like seagulls, over warm violin, harmonium drone, and chattery, shimmering drums. There's saxophone, vibraphone, double bass, all so evocative and melodic. Exploratory experimental jazz bits contrast nicely with the epic lush resolutions, reminding us sometimes of Amon Tobin's quieter moments, also Kreidler, To Rococo Rot, the Tied + Tickled Trio. Windy's new favorite record and one of the most satisfyingly lovely albums since Fridge's Eph. Just listen to that first sound clip and my guess is you'll be hooked.
MPEG Stream: "Neuhmon Inselhin"
MPEG Stream: "Blood"
MPEG Stream: "Mantra"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Hysteria (Payola) cd 15.98
In contrast with their most recent album Maander, which pulsed and shuffled and rollicked along in a similar mellow electronica vein as To Rococo Rot, Fridge, and Boards of Canada, this new disc from this AQ fave band is a more abstract offering, with wheezing delicate violin and spare layers of sound. It sounds a lot like a less manipulatively weepy Dirty Three. Just lovely.
RealAudio clip: "Hysteria"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Incommunicado ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 13.98
The AQ-beloved German 6-piece, as we've noted in reviews of their other records, "take (post) rock and a bit of subtly handled electronics and mix them up so skillfully that it doesn't sound like a 'mix' anymore -- it sounds like an organic hazy wash of texture, rhythm and melody and infinite small sonic details -- little scrapings and cracklings -- mixed with the dark drama of Village of Savoonga, crazily shuffling jazzbo percussion, and the not-song-dependent melodicism of Ennio Morricone."
On Incommunicado, now finally released stateside, leader Thomas Weber asked the bandmembers to reinterpret their lovely Maander album, only this time the recording would be entirely improvised on different instruments (including guitar, strings, upright bass), and neither edited nor overdubbed. The recording is thus fresh, alive, and very very good. Those of us who already love Maander will enjoy this one too, it is substantially different and super interesting while still retaining the flavor (minus the electronics) of Kammerflimmer's signature sound. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Venti Latir"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Jinx (Staubgold) cd 15.98
If you regularly peruse our New Arrivals list (of course you do!) then you're probably aware that we sometimes review an album the week it's released, or sometimes the week after, or even the week before, or a few months later, or even a whole year later. This is due to a lot of random factors, and also some constant ones -- like the number of hours in the day! All this by way of saying, this excellent new album (the sixth) from Germany's always dependable Kammerflimmer Kollektief came out a month or two back, and it's about time we got it up on our website!
A slowly unfolding, gloriously pretty affair, dense with buzz and shimmer, a mix of acoustic strings and electronic embellishment, gentle rhythms and lovely ambience. Never can tell just what to call 'em: post-rock, jazz, electronica, definitely a heavenly hybrid of all those things. Heck we could just call it krautrock couldn't we? Definitely falls into that tradition. Their moody mood this time around is even more calm and crackly and contemplative than we recall in the past, replete with harmonium and double bass drones... percussion and piano intertwining... and the abstract but alluring vocals of Heike Aumuller. As we like to say (feeling very self-reflective at the moment): quite nice!
MPEG Stream: "Palimpest"
MPEG Stream: "Jinx"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Jinx (Staubgold) lp 15.98
If you regularly peruse our New Arrivals list (of course you do!) then you're probably aware that we sometimes review an album the week it's released, or sometimes the week after, or even the week before, or a few months later, or even a whole year later. This is due to a lot of random factors, and also some constant ones -- like the number of hours in the day! All this by way of saying, this excellent new album (the sixth) from Germany's always dependable Kammerflimmer Kollektief came out a month or two back, and it's about time we got it up on our website!
A slowly unfolding, gloriously pretty affair, dense with buzz and shimmer, a mix of acoustic strings and electronic embellishment, gentle rhythms and lovely ambience. Never can tell just what to call 'em: post-rock, jazz, electronica, definitely a heavenly hybrid of all those things. Heck we could just call it krautrock couldn't we? Definitely falls into that tradition. Their moody mood this time around is even more calm and crackly and contemplative than we recall in the past, replete with harmonium and double bass drones... percussion and piano intertwining... and the abstract but alluring vocals of Heike Aumuller. As we like to say (feeling very self-reflective at the moment): quite nice!
MPEG Stream: "Palimpest"
MPEG Stream: "Jinx"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Maander ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant record that got little attention when it was imported to the US last year. Temporary Residence has finally issued the all-instrumental Maander stateside, and perhaps now the German 6-piece will get the recognition it's due. Kammerflimmer Kollektief take (post) rock and a bit of subtly handled electronics and mix them up so skillfully that it doesn't sound like a "mix" anymore -- it sounds like its own genre (maybe "rocktronica"? maybe not), an organic hazy wash of texture, rhythm and melody and infinite small sonic details, a genius hybrid so well executed that Kammerflimmer's only peer is the UK trio Fridge (who achieved it with 1999's Eph. It makes sense then that Fridge's new album will be coming on out on Temporary Residence as well.) Imagine Oval's attention to details -- little scrapings and cracklings -- mixed with the dark drama of Village of Savoonga, crazily shuffling jazzbo percussion, and the not-song-dependent melodicism of Ennio Morricone. Yeah, it's that good.
RealAudio clip: "Mond?"
RealAudio clip: "Implodiert"
RealAudio clip: "Rand"
RealAudio clip: "Simultan"

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF Remixed (Staubgold) cd 15.98
The title pretty much says it all... and the cover art tells you the rest. This cd features ten remixes of Kammerflimmer Kollektief tracks by Noze, Sutekh, Radian, Secondo, Lump200, David Last, Jan Jelinek, Aoki Takamasa and Hans Appelqvist. Each track sounds exactly like a textbook definition of "remix" -- skillfully dismembered, edited, and augmented glitchy electronica in which both artists are sufficiently 'represented'. That said, the Jan Jelinek and Aoki Takamasa tracks were particularly pleasing treatments of these German faves.
MPEG Stream: AOKI TAKAMASA "After The Rain - Remix"
MPEG Stream: JAN JELINEK "Unstet-Schleifen"

KAMPFAR Heimgang (Napalm) cd 16.98
Yay, more Kampfar(rrrrrr)! This Nordic horde, whose first ep came out back in 1995, was missing in action for seven long years, returning in 2006 with the frosty Kvass, and now they're back again with another icy blast of their Norwegian black metal mastery. If anything, this one's full of even folkier riffs, but stays super grim and heavy too, making for some sort of pagan ritual trudge, rolling and rasping and rollicking on and on majestically. There's something quite "classic" about the folky metal lope of tracks like "Vansinn" that's for sure. And as frozen cold as Kampar's collective heart must be, much emotion is still conveyed by the likes of "Vettekult". So, recommended obviously to any/all Kampfar fans, but also to anyone if you just like picking up a new Nordic black metal album this week - this one is the real deal like back in the '90s!
Something must also be said about vocalist and founding member Dolk (that's his name), who, in a recent band photo we've seen, displays a remarkable Kampfar logo tattoo across his stomach, gangsta-style! It looks pretty funny we must stay, but on the other hand, it's an excuse for him to show off his sixpack abs. As well as demonstrating he's serious about his band, it's no fly by night flavor of the month outfit. Indeed, though he somehow finds time for working out and getting tattooed and all that, Dolk's main priority remains channelling the wintry spirits of his Viking ancestors into metal music so powerful that even a non-band-member might consider getting the logo of inked on their body.
MPEG Stream: "Dodens Vee track 3"
MPEG Stream: "Vansinn"
MPEG Stream: "Vettekult"

KAMPFAR Kvass (Napalm) cd 17.98
For some dumb reason, we love saying the name of this Norwegian black metal band... but mispronouncing it like "Campfire" with a pirate-y drawl. Campfarrr! Dunno why we enjoy that so much. It's the same with Finnish black metallers Barathrum. "BATHROOM" we call 'em, or maybe "Barthroom". And we chuckle like idiots. None of this is fair to Kampfar (or Barathrum for that matter). Kampfar are in fact very much a not-funny, totally true and serious Nordic pagan black metal proposition, having released several cultish albums in the past, efforts easily the equal of their more famous peers like Gorgoroth and Darkthrone and Enslaved in their early days. Actually we didn't even know they were still around, Kvass is their first album in SEVEN years! And thus, happily, that classic '90s style Norwegian black metal is what you get! Six long, heavy tracks with rasping vox, raw riffage, and some Viking folky bits as well. Frosty and spikey and grim, with lots of slower parts and majestic melodies underneath all the ice. Yah, Kampfarrrrr!
MPEG Stream: "Lyktemen"
MPEG Stream: "Til Siste Mann"

KANADA s/t (TMT) cd 16.98
Don't know too much about this Icelandic (not Canadian) group, but this record really knocked us out. Starts off sounding like a souped up, surfed up version of Finnish Casio-popsters Aavikko, but over the course of the next few tracks it turns into something even stranger. A bizarre mix of Barry-Adamson-esque noir soundtracks, pummelling rhythmic post rock, jazzy breakbeats, carnival music, super distorted Christmas carols, dark and ominous DJ Shadow / Godspeed epics (track 11), haunting skittery electronic soundscapes, all held together by omnipresent goofy noodly keyboards (ala Aavikko) and huge pounding drums. Super weird and super great!
RealAudio clip: "La Go"
RealAudio clip: "Demon Child"
RealAudio clip: "Skop Konunnar"

KANDING RAY Automne Fold (Raster-Noton) cd 17.98

KANE, JONATHAN February (Table Of The Elements) cd 14.98
Jonathan Kane was a founding member and drummer of the Swans, as well as a collaborator with La Monte Young and Rhys Chatham. This his new solo record is sort of similar to the idea of Young's Forever Bad Blues Band, an intense and focused foot tappin' blissed out blues sizzler. Repetitious guitar riffs and pulsating percussion that draws you in and leaves you in a frenzy. You can practically hear the sweat dripping off of Kane's body. But don't be expecting any Swans pummel or Teutonic crush, this is pretty much basic blues rock through and through, but of course played with an intense and fierce focus. Includes a Rhys Chatham cover, "Guitar Trio". And as always, there's totally beautiful packaging from the folks at Table Of The Elements.
MPEG Stream: "Curl"
MPEG Stream: "Guitar Trio"

KANE, JONATHAN February (Table Of The Elements) lp 14.98
Jonathan Kane was a founding member and drummer of the Swans, as well as a collaborator with La Monte Young and Rhys Chatham. This his new solo record is sort of similar to the idea of Young's Forever Bad Blues Band, an intense and focused foot tappin' blissed out blues sizzler. Repetitious guitar riffs and pulsating percussion that draws you in and leaves you in a frenzy. You can practically hear the sweat dripping off of Kane's body. But don't be expecting any Swans pummel or Teutonic crush, this is pretty much basic blues rock through and through, but of course played with an intense and fierce focus. Includes a Rhys Chatham cover, "Guitar Trio". And as always, there's totally beautiful packaging from the folks at Table Of The Elements.
MPEG Stream: "Curl"
MPEG Stream: "Guitar Trio"

KANE, JONATHAN I Looked At The Sun (Table Of The Elements) cd ep 11.98
Picking up where his last record left off, Swans founding member Jonathan Kane returns with two more foot stomping blues sizzling instrumentals which use a pedigreed technique of building repetition that makes these tracks sound somewhere between excellent bar rock/blues with a hint of his more intense past and works with Rhys Chatham. Much like recent instrumental outings by Tom Verlaine (not that this sounds like that at all) it's actually sometimes nice to hear someone who seems to have aged gracefully and is playing what they want, with nothing to prove, and with a new found ease and confidence that seems appropriate with their moment in time.
MPEG Stream: "BQE"
MPEG Stream: "I Looked At The Sun"

KANE, JONATHAN The Little Drummer Boy (Radium) cd 11.98

KANENOBU, SACHIKO Misora (Chapter Music) cd 17.98
Heralded as supposedly the first Japanese female singer-songwriter, Sachiko Kanenobu's debut solo outing from 1972, Misora (Beautiful Sky), has an aura of legend. A hard-working presence in the burgeoning Osaka folk scene in the '60s, Sachiko worked for record labels and various bands before striking out on her own. Since it was rare for a woman to be playing her own songs, she quickly managed a record deal. But her love affair with American music critic, Paul Williams, forced her to decide to move to America three months before Misora was released. Without her in Japan to promote it, the record sank without a trace. While in America, she tried to revive her career with the help, of all people, sci-fi writer Phillip K. Dick (!!!), who had become friends with the couple through a piece by Williams for Rolling Stone. Dick, a longtime music obsessive, had always wanted to produce a female songwriter, but unfortunately died of a stroke before that could take place. Her major revival didn't occur until the early '90s when musicians from the buzzing Shibuya-kei scene, such as Cornelius, Takako Minekawa and Kenji Ozawa began citing Misora as a major influence and Misora as a favorite record. The music here is soft and dreamy reminiscent somewhat of Joni Mitchell but with her own innocent flair along with nice arrangements of flute and guitar. One can definitely trace Sachiko's influence on the dreamy sounds of Japanese female vocalists Takakao Minekawa, Tujiko Noriko, and Mineko Itakura from Angel'n Heavy Syrup. Beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Look Up, The Sky Is Beautiful"
MPEG Stream: "I Wish It Would Snow"

KANENOBU, SACHIKO Misora (Guerssen) 2lp 33.00
Now On Vinyl!
Heralded as supposedly the first Japanese female singer-songwriter, Sachiko Kanenobu's debut solo outing from 1972, Misora (Beautiful Sky), has an aura of legend. A hard-working presence in the burgeoning Osaka folk scene in the '60s, Sachiko worked for record labels and various bands before striking out on her own. Since it was rare for a woman to be playing her own songs, she quickly managed a record deal. But her love affair with American music critic, Paul Williams, forced her to decide to move to America three months before Misora was released. Without her in Japan to promote it, the record sank without a trace. While in America, she tried to revive her career with the help, of all people, sci-fi writer Phillip K. Dick (!!!), who had become friends with the couple through a piece by Williams for Rolling Stone. Dick, a longtime music obsessive, had always wanted to produce a female songwriter, but unfortunately died of a stroke before that could take place. Her major revival didn't occur until the early '90s when musicians from the buzzing Shibuya-kei scene, such as Cornelius, Takako Minekawa and Kenji Ozawa began citing Misora as a major influence and Misora as a favorite record. The music here is soft and dreamy reminiscent somewhat of Joni Mitchell but with her own innocent flair along with nice arrangements of flute and guitar. One can definitely trace Sachiko's influence on the dreamy sounds of Japanese female vocalists Takakao Minekawa, Tujiko Noriko, and Mineko Itakura from Angel'n Heavy Syrup. Beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Look Up, The Sky Is Beautiful"
MPEG Stream: "I Wish It Would Snow"

KANG TAE HWAN TRIO Love Time (VHF) cd 14.98
Something new on VHF! Some lovely, droning, minimal sounds as you might expect from that quality label. Kang Tae Hwan is an circular-breathing alto saxophone player from Korea whom we've never heard of before -- perhaps because this is his first ever US release. Seems like an example of VHF branching out from their standard roster, except that Hwan's includes Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple, who has previously appeared on VHF in collaboration with Richard Youngs. Here Kawabata plays both the Indian sarangi, and guitar. The trio is rounded out by Ichiraku Yoshimusu (also a member of Acid Mothers Temple, as well as Otomo Yoshihide's ISO, etc.) on bowed percussion and drumkit. So, I guess an *Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert* is in order! That aside, this is a nice album in its own right, consisting of one slow-building, exquisite 50 minute track for your late-night enjoyment. Not everyone loves saxophone, but this isn't any sort of typical jazz outing that's for sure. Packaged outside the VHF-norm in a brown, gold-embossed cardboard folio.
MPEG Stream: "Love Time (excerpt)"

KANG, EYVIND Athlantis (Ipecac) cd 16.98

KANG, EYVIND Live Low To The Earth In The Iron Age (Abduction) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
You know avant-violinist Eyvind Kang from his several discs for John Zorn's Tzadik label, and/or his work with the likes of Ikue Mori, Bill Frisell, Dying Ground, Joe McPhee, Secret Chiefs 3, and the Sun City Girls, right? Indeed, you probably recall that Kang's extended violin improvisation was a highlight of the SCG's "300,003 Crossdressers From Beyond The Rig Veda", one of their best albums. Well here's more of Kang's violin, backed by a group called the 'Neti-Neti Band' who may or may not be those selfsame Sun City Girls. Four tracks, over an hour of quiet, beautifully droning, melodic violin-based instrumental soundscapes. A bit King Crimson-ish, we'd say. Quite nice. Track three, "Highlands", gets a bit noisier than what came before, but is still quite pretty. Sure does sound like the Sun City Girls, in a trance-y mode.
RealAudio clip: "Heads On Red Lakes Return"
RealAudio clip: "Highlands"

KANG, EYVIND Sweetness of Sickness (Rabid God Inoculator) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Seattle avant-violin etcetera wunderkind's second solo record, following his 7 NADES on Zorn's Tzadik label...If you've heard that, or enjoyed his collaborations with the Sun City Girls, now there's this to absorb.

KANG, EYVIND The Story of Iceland (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Violinist, improviser, experimental composer Eyvind Kang (best known for his appearances with the Sun City Girls as well as a host of other collaborations with such musicians as Ikue Mori, Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, and others) returns with another of his fascinating, weird, and impressive solo albums. With a large cast of additional musicians, Kang creates an epic soundscape here.
The first 5 tracks comprising "The Story of Iceland" are a pastoral mixture of weeping violin, arpeggiated marimbas, and earnest tubas. The 6th track is ten minutes of tortured David Bowie-style vocals with layer upon layer of chanting female harmonies -- lovely. And the album ends with a short gamelan song. Very shcizophrenic, nice album. Recommended.

KANG, EYVIND The Yelm Sessions (Tzadik) cd 15.98

KANG, EYVIND Virginal Coordinates (Ipecac) cd 17.98
Everyone's favorite avant-violinist Eyvind Kang (who you'll find fiddlin' on records with the Sun City Girls, Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn and Blonde Redhead) has released a new "solo" album. But there's more here than just his violin: performed live at the Angelica Festival in Italy, 2000, Virginal Coordinates features Kang joined by a 22-member orchestra including Ipecac boss Mike Patton on vocals and electronics. But this is a much more delicate sounding record than the size of that ensemble (or the presence of Patton) might lead you to think. Pleasantly whooshy, droney, mild and melodic, some of this is in a soundtracky, neo-classical mold, other parts more 'exotic' in character, like a mellow, gauzey gamelan. Compared to a lot of other, more wigged-out stuff that's been released on Ipecac, this sounds like some "serious" music, academic almost. But quite nice.
MPEG Stream: "I Am The Dead"
MPEG Stream: "Virginal Coordinates"

KANGDING RAY Stabil (Raster-Noton) cd 17.98

KANO MC No. 1 ((no label)) cd 14.98

KANO / TINCHY Ice Rink (Wiley Kat) 12" 13.98

KANTNER, PAUL / JEFFERSON STARSHIP Blows Against The Empire (RCA) cd 12.98

KAPITAL BAND 1 2cd (Mosz) 2cd 14.98

KAPLAN PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE, ORI Gongol (Knitting Factory) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Downtown NYC alto sax player Ori Kaplan combines international (Israeli, North African, Arabic) influences with both avant and trad jazz composition/improvisation, with the help of pianist Andrew Bernkey, and percussionists Geoff Mann and the wonderful Susie Ibarra.

KAPOTTE MUZIEK (Not) Lost (Audiobot) 4cd 29.00
Some of you are probably familiar with Kapotte Muziek (which translates roughly to 'broken music') a recording project of Dutch sound artist Frans De Waard, who also runs the Korm Plastics and Bake Records record labels. Kapotte Muziek has recorded, released or contributed to hundreds and hundreds of records, so it makes sense that an odds and ends collection would end up sprawling over the length of FOUR cd-r's. De Waard has explored all facets of sound, from minimal electronics to somber drones but KM would have to be qualified as 'noise music' wethinks. Not noise like Merzbow, although their are moments, but more like simple forms of noise, sculpted into new shapes, and alien sounds. White noise, pink noise, static, distortion, electrical currents, all deftly maneuvered and recontextualized. Each disc is packed to the gills with lost recordings, alternate versions, sound experiments, ambience, harsh noise and everything in between. Slow soundscapes of staticky hiss that ebbs and flows like some strange electronic sea, drones constructed from what sounds like wind and crickets and a million marbles rolling down metal stairs, siren like sinewaves twisted and pitched into clicks and bumps and squealing swoops, shimmering lowercase worlds of rumbles and clicks, creepy and subterranean, lunar landscapes of space-y woosh and robotic bleeps and bloops, and that's just part on one disc. This is definitely not easy listening. This is difficult listening, but as we know, that can often be the most rewarding.
Includes extensive liner notes, with in depth text about the genesis and execution of each and every track.
Packaged in separate sleeves and held together by a Japanese style obi.
MPEG Stream: "The Body In Decay Part 2"
MPEG Stream: "Pure #2"
MPEG Stream: "Ruis Mix"

KAPTAIN SUN Trip To Vortex (Rage Of Achilles) cd ep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Kaptain Sun are from Sweden and obviously owe quite a bit to their fellow countrymen Entombed. They mix in a bit of Cathedral, make it a bit more melodic, a little more straight ahead and mid tempo and add some heavy stoner groove. Pretty cool. On UK label Rage of Achilles.

KARABOUDJAN Sbrodj (Relapse) cd ep 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you remember the Pan-Thy-Monium disc we raved about years ago, then you'll have some clue about what Karaboudjan sounds like, and how weird and amazing it is, as it's basically Pan-Thy-Monium mastermind (and celebrated Swedish metal producer/songwriter/drummer/etc.) Dan Swano revisiting the John Zorn-inspired bizarre experimental realms of P-T-M. That means a mindboggling collision of fuzzed-out superheavy bass lines, free jazz sax skronk, caveman vocal freakouts, fusion Moog keyboards, noise grind drum blasts -- it's all here. Three tracks, each one weirder than the last. We'd been waiting for this to come out for a LONG time, ever since a track appeared a couple years ago on a Relapse sampler, and the wait was worth it. Apparently the delay was caused in part by the label's concern over the Tintin-derived artwork (yes, Tintin, the Belgian comic book hero boy reporter with his little dog Snowy), the legal problem of which was solved by dropping that art concept entirely -- although the band name, song titles, and musician aliases still all reference Herge's cartoon adventure saga (i.e. sampler/fx by Agent Sponz, mix by Laszlo Careidas, drums by General Alcazar...) Very cool, for fans of both weird metal/music and Tintin alike!
RealAudio clip: "Plan 714 Till Sydney"

KARACA, CEM & KARDASLAR Puskullu Moruk (Destur) 10" 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

KARACA, CEM W/ KARDASLAR s/t (Turkuola) lp 33.00

KARATE (Southern) cd 12.98
E-m-o. EMO. Emo. Good though. Our favorite: the song whose only lyric is "COS I SAID SO... COS I SAID SO... COS I SAID SO... WHYYYYYY?"

KARATE (Southern) lp 8.98
E-m-o. EMO. Emo. Good though. Our favorite: the song whose only lyric is "COS I SAID SO... COS I SAID SO... COS I SAID SO... WHYYYYYY?"

KARATE Cancel/Sing (Southern) cd ep 7.98
"I've lost my calculator" or so we believe a line of the lyrics went to the second track of this two song, 26 minute ep. An intentional wink of humor? It's rather hard to say with this oft self-serious breed of apres-rock bands. It appears Karate have decided to settle it down even a bit more, don some smoking jackets and perform some supper club jazz. While there's certainly no denying Karate's chops (hahaha! erm... sorry) with their past efforts defined by fluid dynamics melding elements of emo, jazz and rock experimentations, this ends up as rather painful almost spoken beat poet vocalizing over lackluster noodling.
RealAudio clip: "Sing"

KARATE In Place Of Real Insight (Southern) cd 11.98
Sophomore album from these popular, poppy, emotional guys.

KARATE In Place Of Real Insight (Southern) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sophomore album from these popular, poppy, emotional guys.

KARATE In The Fishtank 12 (Konkurrent) cd 11.98
The In The Fishtank Series coordinated by the Dutch label Konkurrent has reached its twelveth installment, and we're a bit puzzled by it. With very few exceptions, the Fishtank releases have been on-the-fly collaborations (and some damn fine ones at that!), but here... Karate goes it alone. WHY? Did no one want to play with the Karate kids?

KARATE Pockets (Southern) cd 14.98
Sounds like the Karate kids have been listening to lots of '70s AOR soft rock and R&B. The first song seems deeply inspired by Santana's song "Spooky" -- indeed, the first few songs do seem to be Karate's 'Meditations on Santana' or something to that effect. It's all smooth and mellow, easy listening guitars, but with sensitive, spoken-sung boyish vocals over top. From there they revert back to their former more familiar long-standing post-rock selves for a couple of songs with plenty of loud/quiet Slint-isms, and then sort of vacillate back and forth noncommitally between their old and new selves for the remainder of the album. It's all well executed, but somewhat confusing to say the least. An added treat: Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come) pops in mid-album to contribute some guitars licks to one song "Cacaphony".
MPEG Stream: "With Age"
MPEG Stream: "The State I'm In "

KARATE Some Boots (Southern) cd 14.98
Nine overwrought, self-serious, and longwinded (only one is shorter than 4 minutes, four exceed 7 minutes), jazzy postrock numbers (including one bonus cd-only track). This is just as bad as if not worse than their disapointing Cancel/Sing EP released earlier this year. Santana and the Grateful Dead these guys are definitely not, although they often sound like that's what they're aspiring to be. Good musicians does not equal good music. Snooze. Sorry, Karate fans...
RealAudio clip: "First Release"
RealAudio clip: "Ice Or Ground?"

KARATE Unsolved (Southern) cd 14.98

KARIE, KAHIMI K.K.K.K.K. (Le Grand Magistery) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Kahimi's ultra-sweet baby doll vocals twit and twitter around a Gainesbourg/Bacharach-sque melodious stew. Much like a super amped up Pizzicato Five. Lots of Momus here (words, music, production, etc), but Add 'N' to (X), Stereo-Total, and Buffalo Daughter also put in their two bits worth. Soaring pop on a grand scale. Warning: may induce sugar shock.

KARIE, KAHIMI s/t (Minty Fresh) cd 14.98
Super saccharinely sweet female vocals from this woman who has been called a female Cornelius. He guests on this record, as does Momus.

KARJALAN SISSIT Tanssit On Loppu Nyt (Cyclic Law) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "Taa On Katastroofi, Saatana"
MPEG Stream: "Kiitan Puolestani"
MPEG Stream: "Nagon Vacker Dag Far Du Smaka Pa Finn Yxan Javla Rip-Off Gubbe"

KARK The Hermit (HP Cycle) lp 15.98
We had never heard of Kark before, but boy is this a serious slab of free sonic exploration! Kark are a revolving ensemble of over 50 musicians, and it sounds like it. Featuring various Louisville luminaries who also do time in Sapat, Valley of Ashes, Virgin Eye Blood Brothers, Son of Earth, Taiwan Death and others, The Hermit begins with some barely there glitch and crumble, a mumbled murky soundscape, which just sets the listener up to be knocked the fuck out when the group explodes into a furious blast of some sort of demonic big band jazz, a dizzying angular atonal jazz dirge, like Sun Ra possessed by the spirit of Merzbow, splattery drums and bleating horns, a cacophonous percussive chaos, free jazz gone haywire, but always, at least tenuously, linked to some shadow of traditional jazz. Some tracks seriously swing, albeit in a seriously unhinged manner, others sound like free jazz filtered through Masonna, like an orchestra being hurled down a thousand flights of stairs. Pretty amazing, probably too much for run of the mill jazz-niks, but the for the jazz-noise inclined this just might be pure heaven. Packaged in a full color sleeve with a full color, and of course information-less, insert.

KARKOWSKI, ZBIGNIEW Attuning / Attending (Musica Genera) cd 14.98