# albums

name: JS Bach on Solo Ukulele Volume 2
sku: estrem-soloukutwo
upc: 847646005682
description:
Many of the instrumental works of Johann Sebastian Bach have the magical ability to be performed on a number of different instruments in addition to the ones they were composed for. The sonatas heard on this recording are from the Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin. The instrument used is a tenor ukulele with an unconventional tuning that has the same intervals as the violin (fifths).

Bach wrote these works around 1720 while he was Kapellmeister at the court of Anhalt- Cothen and with this collection firmly established the technical capability of the violin as a solo instrument. It is speculated that Bach himself gave the first performance. According to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (C.P.E. Bach), "in his youth, and until the approach of old age, he played the violin cleanly and powerfully." It was during this period that he also composed the Brandenburg Concerti, the Well-Tempered Clavier and the Six Cello Suites.

The Sonatas and Partitas were first published in 1843, nine decades after the composer's death. The original manuscript was famously saved after nearly being used as butcher paper.


name: Colors of Spain
sku: estrem-spain
upc: 876809003296
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/colors-of-spain/id370502116
description:
The red and yellow "Colors of Spain" are said to be descriptive of the Spanish personality. Red identifies passion, blood and love while yellow indicates the warm spanish sun. On this recording Daniel Estrem gives a fluid and precise interpretation of spanish classics with the majority of the works by Isaac Albeniz. One can easily conjure up the sights, fragrances and sounds of Spain when hearing this music. It is highly expressive and gorgeously sensuous. Albeniz himself said of his music that "It contains sunlight, warmth and the taste of olives."


name: Colors of Spain Volume 2
sku: estrem-spaintwo
upc: 847646002292
description:
Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados and Isaac Albeniz are among the most important proponents of the modern Spanish school of composition founded by Felipe Pedrell. Each of these composers used the folklore of his country in his own unique manner. Most of the attention on this recording centers on de Falla and Granados, while Estrem's first Colors of Spain album consists mainly of works by Albeniz.

De Falla's El Amor Brujo (Love, the Magician) was initially commissioned in 1914-15 as a gitaneria (gypsy piece) by a flamenco gypsy dancer and reflects the composer's skillful use of flamenco elements in shaping this highly original suite. It was later re-scored as a symphonic suite and eventually became a one-act ballet.

Enrique Granados was thoroughly imbued with romantic culture and continued composing in the manner of Chopin and Schumann. He was an exquisite colourist and gave his works a poetic view of a refined 18th century Spanish culture. His Valses Poeticos reveals the expressive nature of his compositions and his thorough mastery of the waltz form.


name: Telemann on Guitar
sku: estrem-telemann
upc: 847646008393
description:
German Baroque composer, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was one of the most prolific composers of his time with a body of work comprised of more than 3,000 pieces. He lived a relatively long life extending into the early Classical Period, and despite declining health in his later years, he continued to compose music of the highest quality until the evening of his death. His personal assets in addition to a passion for music included his likable personality and sense of humor. He became quite wealthy from his commercial efforts of publishing and selling his works and his salaried income at Hamburg was about three times what J. S. Bach earned at Leipzig.

Telemann's music was one of the driving forces behind the late Baroque and early Classical styles. His music gradually changed over the years incorporating more and more elements of the galant style, however he never completely adopted the ideals of the early Classical Period. Telemann's style remained contrapuntally and harmonically intricate, and already in 1751 he dismissed much contemporary music as too simplistic.

This album consists of solos, duets and trios from a variety of works by Telemann.


name: Telemann Trios on Guitar
sku: estrem-telemanntrios
upc: 847646007648
description:
German Baroque composer, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was one of the most prolific composers of his time with a body of work comprised of more than 3,000 pieces. He lived a relatively long life extending into the early Classical Period, and despite declining health in his later years, he continued to compose music of the highest quality until the evening of his death.

Telemann's music was one of the driving forces behind the late Baroque and early Classical styles. His music gradually changed over the years incorporating more and more elements of the galant style, however he never completely adopted the ideals of the early Classical Period. Telemann's style remained contrapuntally and harmonically intricate, and already in 1751 he dismissed much contemporary music as too simplistic. One can hear examples on this recording where the piece begins sounding almost Haydn-like and then gradually becomes more densely polyphonic and complex.

Transcriptions for guitar by Anton Hoeger (Germany).
Cover art image courtesy of velo_city on flickr.com


name: Vivaldi Concertos on 8-string guitar
sku: estrem-viveight
upc: 847646004104
description:
Antonio Vivaldi's (1678-1741) distinctive style was characterized by the ability to shape his harmonic sequences and expressive melodies with infinite variety. His three-part (fast-slow fast) concertos are known for their vitality, color, quick rhythms and syncopation in the fast (allegro) movements, separated by a slow (largo) lyrical movement.

Vivaldi infused his concertos (over 500) with constant variation and a certain amount of unpredictability. Even though many of his works sound naturally symmetrical, he often plays with phrase lengths and frequently confounds our expectations. The celebrated wisecrack that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto hundreds of times (attributed to Dallapiccola and repeated by Stravinsky) is humorous, but few people find it believable today. The idea is true only in the most superficial sense and ignores the considerable invention of his work.


name: Compositions For Film Vol 1
sku: danielhalliday-compositionsforfilm1
upc: 847646009932
description:
Compositions For Film Vol. 1 is an album written and recorded with film soundtrack use in mind. However, rather than the kind of orchestral compositions typically used as incidental music in cinema, this is a collection of guitar-based pieces suitable for indie/arthouse/noir genres.

Useful reference points are John Lurie's work for Jim Jarmusch (eg. Mystery Train), Ry Cooder's Southern Comfort soundtrack and others such as Richard Thompson (Grizzly Man), Neil Young (Dead Man).

Credits:

All tracks written and recorded by Daniel Halliday.

Daniel Halliday: Bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pitch pipes, electronics, shruti box, percussion.


name: Blank River
sku: dknowler-blankriver
upc: 876809006679
description:
Blank River is the third instrumental solo album from Daniel Knowler (The Infinite Three, Leisure Hive, Slunq).

Blank River ranges from cinematic textures and post-rock crescendos to plaintive acoustic finger picking. Taking cues from folk, blues, pop and film soundtracks, this music takes a more melodic turn than most of Daniel's previous work.

Hidden within the organic orchestration, however, are ciphers more in keeping with Daniel's background in experimental music: field recordings, subtle electronic drones and electronic treatments follow the melodies around like grey shadows.


name: Hypersurface
sku: dknowler-hypersurface
upc: 847646009796
description:
The fourth instrumental solo album from Daniel Knowler (The Infinite Three, Cindytalk, Sweetie, Leisur Hive). Hypersurface sees Daniel begin to incorporate sonic textures from some of his noisier projects into his finely woven instrumental music. Whereas previous solo recordings emphasized warmth and clarity, Hypersurface filters its emotional and melodic content through veils of subtle noise and disintegration.


name: Silvery Beast
sku: dknowler-silverybeast
upc: 847646005484
description:
Eleven instrumental songs ranging from organic compositions for acoustic guitar and cello, ambient soundtrack pieces and grandiose post-rock arrangements. Drawing on influences from folk, blues and avant-garde music Silvery Beast is a haunted sonic narrative.

Silvery Beast is Daniel Knowler's second solo album of intricate, obsessively orchestrated instrumental music and follows on from 2011's Our Wet Geometry. Silvery Beast continues in a slightly darker vein, however, with more prominent signs of the experimental sonics of Daniel's work with The Infinite Three.


name: Our Wet Geometry
sku: dknowler-wetgeom
upc: 847646002216
description:
Taking cues from folk, blues, pop and soundtrack music Our Wet Geometry creates a warm lush instrumental blanket of sound. Hidden within the organic orchestration however are ciphers more in keeping with experimental music: field recordings, subtle electronic drones and electronic treatments follow the melodies around like grey shadows.

Ten wordless songs ranging from cinematic textures and post-rock crescendos to plaintive folksy finger picking.


name: Lautenschmaus
sku: dshoskes-lautenschmaus
upc: 847646006450
description:
In the mid 17th century, France was the center of excellence for lutenists who. After much experimentation, they settled on the "d minor" tuning system on an instrument with 11 sets of single and double strings ("courses") tuned f' d' a' f d a g f e d c. Once the "Sun King" turned his attention to the previously low brow guitar and elevated it to royal status, the lute fell out of favor. Performers spread throughout western Europe into the mostly German speaking countries and began to fuse the contemplative cerebral "broken" style of the French lutenists with more Italian influences that emphasized melody (Cantabile) and counterpoint while retaining the popular French dance music forms. In the later German baroque, two additional bass courses were added (b and a) and the music increased in harmonic complexity.

The program on this album is an exploration of this rich and underappreciated repertoire, performed on both 11 course and the later 13 course baroque lute. The 11 course music retains much French influence with separated chords and simple harmonies but introduces more melodic components. The 13 course music introduces the singing cantabile style leading to the complex harmonies and grandeur of Sylvius Leopold Weiss and Johann Sebastian Bach. Finally, a modern composition by Roman Turovsky shows that the "German" baroque lute has not sung its last new songs.


name: Patrons of the Lute
sku: dshoskes-patrons
upc: 876809008789
description:
The lute was a popular instrument for both professionals and amateurs in England and Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. Professional lutenists required the patronage of the Court to make a living and indeed many of their students amongst the nobility became quite decent performers and composers in their own right. As an "amateur with a day job" myself, I want to pay homage to those whose love of music was expressed both through their compositions and their patronage of the full time professionals.

The album opens with a Plainte by the great baroque lute composer Sylvius Leopold Weiss. This is not a plainte of love, but rather a complaint to an un-named patron who failed to pay his fee! There are two versions of this piece, one each in the London and Dresden manuscripts. I have tried to use the best features of both.

A Patron who did support Weiss was Prince Hyacinth de Lobkowitz (1680-1734), in fact Weiss dedicated one of his Dresden lute sonatas to the Prince. Lobkowitz was regarded as a fine performer and two of his lute suites survive. The suite in Bb major performed here is tuneful, rhythmic and shows an advanced mastery of technique. It is found in the Vienna 1078 manuscript.

Much less is known about Count Ferdinand Graf von Bergen (1678-1766), although fully five suites of his have survived in three manuscripts. While his music is charming the lute tablature can be awkward to play as written and does benefit from some re-working. His suite in A minor, also from the Vienna 1078 manuscript, contains the rarely used Tournee, a dance in 2/4 time.

Johann Anton Logy (1650-1721) (also spelled Losy) was a Count in Prague and composed for both baroque lute and baroque guitar. He is perhaps best known for a piece written in his honor by Sylvius Weiss following Logy's death (Tombeau sur la mort de Monseigneur Comte de Logi). The solo works performed here are from the Swedish Kalmar manuscript. The four surviving duet movements (in A minor and F major) do fit together well to make their own suite. The chaconnes movement is an amalgamation of two chaconnes, the first in D minor and the second in F major. This pairing was performed this way by the lutenist Toyohiko Satoh during a recital at the Lute Society of America's Summer Seminar and I feel that it works quite well.

The British physician Thomas Campion (1567-1620) was a poet and composer and wrote over 100 lute songs that survive today. Unusual for the period, some are written from the woman's point of view and we include three such examples here.

Finally, to close the loop of Patronage, the album ends with a new piece that I commissioned from the modern day lutenist and composer Ronn McFarlane. Ronn is a prolific performer, founding member of the Baltimore Consort and his album of his own compositions, Indigo Road, was nominated for a Grammy. The Passacaglia he wrote for this album is, I believe, one of his most beautiful compositions and it's my honor to present the world premier.


name: Weiss Undercover
sku: dshoskes-weissundercover
upc: 876809008512
description:
Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) was arguably the greatest composer for the baroque lute and certainly one of the most prolific. His compositions exist in handwritten manuscripts, often incomplete and mixed in with pieces by other composers. This album focuses on these pieces of uncertain parentage and includes reconstructions of duets by modern composers writing in the idiom of Weiss.

The album opens with a suite of pieces for lute that are attributed in at least one manuscript to Weiss but are almost certainly by another composer. These pieces, written in gallant style, are likely by Wolff Jakob Lauffensteiner (1676-1754), Johann Georg Weichenberger (1676-1740), Placide Marie Pichler (1725-1796) and Johann Andreas Bohr von Bohrenfels (1663-1728). The Weiss evidence is softest for 2 pieces: the chaconne by Weichenberger only has a "W" as the composer and the Gigue from the Strasbourg Ms is anonymous. Pat O'Brien said it might be by Weiss, and that's good enough for me!

JS Bach and Weiss knew each other and by account even competed in improvising fantasias and fugues. Few violinists are aware however that the harpsichord accompaniment of Bach's sonata for violin BWV 1025 is actually an intact complete Weiss lute sonata which is a fine standalone composition. In this recording, we present 3 of the interior movements.

Several existing Weiss sonatas are likely duets without a surviving second part. The sonata in g minor in the London Ms has many such features. Michel Cardin has written a lovely duet part for baroque flute which we (with his permission) perform here with violin. Both the London and Dresden Ms have lute duets and Karl-Ernst (Charlie) Schroder wrote beautiful and tasteful reconstructions of a second lute part. He recorded the Dresden duets with Robert Barto but nobody has yet recorded his d minor duet from the London Ms which we present here. Following Charlie's tragically untimely death in 2003, the reconstructions were posted to the public domain (http://goo.gl/oqQiPT).

One of the most famous works by Weiss is his Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Comte d'Logy, written following the death of lutenist and nobleman Jan Antonin Logy. Following the death of our beloved teacher Patrick O'Brien (1947-2014), composer Roman Turovsky has written a beautiful and heartfelt tombeau in his honor. It is only fitting to conclude with this piece and to dedicate the album to his memory.

Full liner notes are available in the artwork download file.


name: Grandchildren's Delight
sku: daria-grandchildrensdelight
upc: 847646007938
description:
This Grammy-Ballotted and Parent's Choice Award Winning album is a compilation of best-loved songs from the good old days. Grandchildren's Delight offers creative new versions of classic kids songs that critics have hailed as "pitch perfect for the entire family" and "not sugared up or dummied down".

This album includes a beautiful new versions of old-time classics such as "This Little Light of Mine", "Oh Susannah", "Little Liza Jane" and "Akin Drum". Cute and clever, but never cliche are versions of "Playmate", "Do Your Ears Hang Low" and "Be Kind To Your Webbed Footed Friends". "La Cucaracha" makes for a fun bilingual (Spanish/English) nonsense song and "Over In The Meadow" is a sweet version of the age-old counting song with a few new lyrical twists and turns.

If you're looking for children's music that's savvy enough to be enjoyed by all ages and doesn't send older listeners running out of the room - this is it!


name: Galdrbok - Medieval Songs of Love and Enchantment
sku: daughters-galdrbok
upc: 876809004774
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/galdrbok-medieval-songs-love/id370501473
description:
A stunning collection of love songs and instrumental dances from 12th to 15th century Europe. The album includes passionate Spanish ballads by the Troubadour Martin Codax about a woman who waits on the sea shore for her lover. There are mysterious magical songs which describe meetings with the Fairy Queen, songs of women who are spurned by untrue lovers by the female troubadour Comtessa de Dia, and an anonymous song of a woman who escapes the cruelties of the cloistered life for the outside world of earthly pleasures. There are also two courtly love songs by Jehan de Lescurel a priest from Notre Dame who was later hanged for debauchery.

The majority of the songs on this album come from monophonic melodic lines, sometimes accompanied by text, which the band have interpreted using a stunning array of early instruments which include gothic harp, hammered dulcimer, recorder, bass viol, bagpipes, hurdy gurdy, percussion, pipe and tabor with the beautiful voices of leading early music singers Jennie Cassidy and Sophia Brumfitt. The album concludes with 'Galdrbok' a Norse word meaning 'book of sung spells' which is an original compostition by director and bagpipe player Katy Marchant and hurdy-gurdy player Steve Tyler - so linking the medieval past with our lives in the modern age.


name: Be
sku: dpreston-be
upc: 847646003367
description:
Be Creative and BeIng were recorded at the same time - the same moment. They always felt like brothers. The concept for these tracks was to take the idea of creation, the act of being creation and turning it into a spiraling, chaotic, yet controlled piece - with so much haste to reveal the creation that unraveled itself into this world. BeIng is that very unraveling - the curtain call for Be Creative. Images of a human discovering the body they reside in kept running through my mind while composing and hearing it.

Be Joy is a circular piece - a mantra. The two sections always constantly becoming one another. Composing this, I knew it was right to go to the opposite section when my craving for it could not wait any longer.

Be True formed first among the other pieces and personally, it sounds like it. It's an infant, playful, peaceful, and full of joy. Yet, some noises may give you a hint at another thought. While the melody if easy to listen to, the rolling and sweeping sonics that appear in the background hint at a different understanding of truth all together.

Be Alive is passion. Full of peaks and valleys. A sonic land scape. By far the hardest piece to manifest for the series of pieces. I only recorded parts for this track when completely in the mindset of intense passion. Those beautiful vocals are front man from Glowing House, Steve Varney.

Be Different and Be Something are minimalistic. These two are miles apart from Be Alive on the sonic landscape, yet polar opposites on one another. Be Different sings to the earth while Be Something chants to the ocean. Ying and Yang but folding into each other.

Be Hope, the cousin of Be Alive. Brimming with life, but with a twist. This is the manifestation of Hope - where none exists.


name: Soundtrack for Motion
sku: dpreston-soundtrack
upc: 876809008604
description:
As he did in his ambient debut "Be", Preston intricately weaves uncommon intensity and passion into the sonic landscape and manages to accomplish something rare: Ambient music that is capable of a wide range of feelings.

From the transcendent "Blind Lovers Hand In Hand", the near sacred rage of "The Blood In Your Veins, and the wailing of "A Giant Leap Of Faith" to the Blade Runner atmospherics of "Spinning Away From The Earth" (a collaboration with Mingo), "Soundtrack To Motion" shows significant growth and maturing of Preston as an ambient artist.


name: Acoustic Earth - Electric Sky
sku: modica-acousticearth
upc: 876809007010
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/acoustic-earth-electric-sky/id332463017
description:
Layers of acoustic guitar interwoven with modern keyboard sounds and percussion. It's both mystical and melodic. Moving and stirring with hints of influences from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd, and also guitarists Pat Metheny and Ottmar Liebert.

"Acoustic Earth, Electric Sky" takes the listener on just such a journey, this time with full instrumentation of orchestra and band and also pieces written specifically for acoustic guitar. And because the music was calling for it - the last piece (Acoustic Earth, Electric Sky) was begging for an electric guitar."
David Modica


name: Angel
sku: modica-angel
upc: 847646002193
description:
The music that makes up the album Angel, by David Modica, is incredibly delicate, meditative and soaring all at once. But it's also filled with stunning, unexpected moments that induce intense clarity felt somewhere between the mind, heart and soul.

It has the ability to merge that lost memory of the feeling you had the last time you asked for forgiveness with the intensity of a beautiful sunset. The compositions are mostly slow-moving and vaporous, spacious and wondrously melodic weaving you into a fairy tale-like dreamscape. In all of its dreaminess, Angel invites the listener into a special place: It pulls back the curtain so you can step into a music that is at once of its own time and, seemingly, timeless.


name: Dreaming in Real TIme
sku: modica-dreamingrealtime
upc: 847646008799
description:
Dreaming In Real Time, by David Modica is a transcendent expression of acoustic and electric guitar melodies which will leave any listener feeling as though they've just taken an expansive supernatural journey that exists only as a result of a direct outpouring of inspiration. This album collection is a rebirth of David's original signature talents joined with a new awakening and appreciation for this latest inspirational space in which to write.

Dreaming In Real Time, the title track, starts the listener off in a peaceful and sublime movement of tranquility and wonder. Here, the journey begins.

Castle In The Air was written as a beautiful expression of a life's dream unfolding as a result of living authentically, feet planted firmly on solid ground created from up above.

Acquiescence was written with a capacity of understanding the act of silent agreement, which in turns surpasses all understanding of the one who loves us the most.

Sanguinity and Temporary Significance are spirit-filled in the sense that they both elicit a mystical anticipation of unearthly cheerfulness.

Wandering Pilgrimage is a charming interpretation as if one's soul knows and has known all along it was meant to travel this very pilgrimage till now, and now a new path begins, leaving behind the old.

Alone But Not Alone captures the idea that we are truly walking hand in hand, heart in heart, breath in breath with the one true giver of life, who is life and is the beginning, the middle, and the end, and the end is infinite.


name: Amazing Grace
sku: modica-grace
upc: 876809009199
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/amazing-grace/id409636389
description:
This subtle and sublime recording of acoustic and electric guitars focus on a purity of tone, clarity of harmony, and counterpoint of melody to achieve a tender lyricism. David Modica brings us into a Zen-like musical garden of textures and sounds - as if entering into an instrumental prayer of harmony, balance and deep emotion. Modica, as always, moves easily from one composition to the next displaying his unique and tender touch on both acoustic and electric guitar.

Starting with "Wings" - one definitely feels lifted into another realm - a journey is about to begin... and on it goes weaving in and out of textures, moods and atmospheres. The last song on this album is the traditional "Amazing Grace" which gives the project a true sense of closure and leaves the listener wanting to stay in this musical meditation of spirit, surrender and peace.


name: Jenny
sku: modica-jenny
upc: 847646004784
description:
Jenny, by David Modica, is an expressive musical journey back to innocence. Guitar compositions both charming and elegant along with David's mastery of melody and spontaneous improvisation takes the listener on a reflective journey within. Modica, as always, moves easily from one composition to the next displaying his unique and tender touch on both acoustic and electric guitar. Let yourself go and enter into a garden of instrumental prayer of harmony, balance, peace, and joy.


name: My Heart Is A Castle
sku: modica-myheartisacastle
upc: 876809000691
description:
My Heart Is A Castle is both reflective and meditative, taking the listener on a journey through an eternal timeless space. Get ready for beautiful guitar compositions rich in melody, mood and atmosphere. The melodies on David Modica's new album are innovative, inspiring, unique, tranquil, and relaxing. Layers of acoustic and electric guitar are masterfully woven into powerful soundscapes.


name: Native Intuition
sku: modica-native
upc: 876809004644
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/native-intuition/id369494851
description:
David Modica aims to heal your mind through music. You should set aside a full hour of uninterrupted listening pleasure and let "Native Intuition" take you on an acoustic journey.

From the moving "Falling Leaves" and the ethereal "Meditation" to the mysterious "Middle Path" and very poignant "Reverence." Using acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, native flute and percussion, Native Intuition is a journey into the inner depths of inspiring, beautiful music.


name: Near Distant Future
sku: modica-nearfuture
upc: 847646001585
description:
Near Distant Future is an evocative musical journey. A mixture of highly textured compositions that weave acoustic and electric guitars in ways that absorb the listener into a space of ambient tranquility. David takes another step into a new direction with his mastery of composition and soundscape. Near Distant Future is a deep and sophisticated interplay of sparse melody and enigmatic chordal passages.


name: Seraphim
sku: modica-seraphim
upc: 876809003005
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/seraphim/id369487642
description:
On the album Seraphim, David Modica reveals a style that lifts your spirit and keeps you wanting to hear more.

David dives into his influences: from Stevie Ray Vaughn and David Gilmour to Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, bringing about an album of pure harmony and elegance fused with spirit and soul.

From the first cut and title track "Seraphim" you'll find yourself immersed in a deep and mystical journey that you'll want to take again and again.


name: Stillness and Movement
sku: modica-stillness
upc: 876809006488
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stillness-and-movement/id336060477
description:
Innovative, Inspiring, Unique, Tranquil, Relaxing...A must have album that fits in nicely with Pink Floyd and Michael Hedges.

Unique Compositions that will leave you in a wonderful state of Stillness and Quietness. Acoustic Guitarist David Modica writes and performs acoustic guitar music like no one else? his haunting and reflective music on guitar touches the listener's heart.

"My first two "Timeless" and "Stillness and Movement" were purely Acoustic Guitar. I feel they were both works of a "journey" of sorts, one that would take the listener to a new world with highs and lows and emotions to fulfill the senses.
David Modica


name: Timeless
sku: modica-timeless
upc: 876809006495
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/timeless/id332433150
description:
Beautiful guitar compositions rich in melody, mood and atmosphere. Both reflective and meditative taking the listener on a journey through a timeless space.

"This album (Timeless) caught my attention when I was doing my usual surfing and shopping. As if the music possesses some magical effect, the acoustic tune of guitar seemed to calm me down, making me forget all the stress I had from my work. The reverberation of the guitar makes one imagine that he is driving down a long road along a countryside...throwing aside all the troubles he had. I was so drawn to the music, I couldn't really pinpoint which track I liked best. To simplify everything...it's captivating."
Wil. C of Capeland Life

"My first two albums - "Timeless" and "Stillness and Movement" were purely Acoustic Guitar. I feel they were both works of a "journey" of sorts, one that would take the listener to a new world with highs and lows and emotions to fulfill the senses."
David Modica


name: The Water is Wide
sku: modica-water
upc: 876809008574
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-water-is-wide/id383185373
description:
Inspired by the old traditional Irish song "The Water Is Wide" comes a hauntingly beautiful soundscape of melodic compositions sounding at once both composed and spontaneous.

This album has touches of jazz, classical, folk and new age nuances. With David's masterful touch on acoustic and electric guitar interwoven with piano lines crafted with harmonic and rhythmic subtlety, utterly listenable and very intriguing taking the listener on yet another mystical journey of the senses.


name: Dayazell
sku: dayazell-dayazell
upc: 847646005743
description:
"After a remarkable EP, Dayazell is back with a real first LP. Who are Dayazell? A quartet that proposes a talented and free interpretation of ancient World music.

Real passionates, the members of Dayazell seek for old medieval and traditional repertoire, with no consideration for the frontiers.

They do not stick to the European culture, but take the listener far, far away: Spanish hymns of praise, Armenian and Mongolian songs, Sephardic and middle-Eastern music...a Worldwide inspiration.

It's also one of their assets not to confine themselves in a dusty academicism, but to take liberties with the interpretations of those songs. They're giving them a new life, while keeping a serious approach as well as excellent technical skills.

Dayazell invites you to a sophisticated trip around the World. An inner trip also. I recommend that you embark with them."
N. Kapalika


name: Pale Fire
sku: dle-palefire
upc: 847646000236
description:
By incorporating elements of ambient, Baroque, dream-pop, shoegaze, new wave, goth and crafting every aspect of their sound and vision, Dead Leaf Echo are one of the few contemporary artists who work on high-art as concept. Dead Leaf Echo has become commentary on a new style of expression.

Pale Fire is the debut EP from NYC band Dead Leaf Echo. It features the title track mixed by Ulrich Schnauss (Mojave 3, Coldplay) With 6 songs recorded at the Bunker Studios and mastered by Alan Douches, it touches the relationship the band has with the Russian-American author Nabokov and his masterpiece "Pale Fire".


name: Truth
sku: dle-truth
upc: 847646000229
description:
By incorporating elements of ambient, Baroque, deam-pop, shoegaze, new wave, goth and crafting every aspect of their sound and vision they remain one of the few left to work on high-art as concept. Dead Leaf Echo has become commentary on a new style of expression.


name: Deep Winter 2014
sku: deepwinter-deepwinter
upc: 847646007402
description:
The music on Deep Winter album is a spirit of classic rock with a new fresh and modern new look. It is a mix of garage rock, blues rock, dance rock, rock and roll, alternative and psychedelic rock. The album is an entirely self-produced product made by two members of the band to realise a shared vision of lovely classic rock thing in 21st century.

This is the debut LP album from rock duo Deep Winter.


name: The Journey
sku: dejanilijic-journey
upc: 847646002094
description:
Piano landscapes meet electronic, jazz and the Balkans traditional music in this stimulating, chill, and intellectually pleasing record.

It's hypnotic and intriguing... built from deceptively simple motives, it develops naturally and effectively into an ecstatic musical journey.


name: Sun
sku: dejanilijic-sun
upc: 847646003084
description:
Macedonian traditional songs arranged and played in ambient jazz and classical mood.

Dejan Ilijic pulls listeners through a deep groove of love, life and loss, with music that is both new and old, gorgeous in its execution and its implications. Without words, the record tells you a lot about Macedonia - the emotion of the country, its past and future.


name: Delko 321
sku: delko-delko
upc: 847646001523
description:
Delko is a French alternative stoner rock band. Their music develops: the songs' energy builds from being stripped at thebeginning to give way to a more detailed rock, heavier and more musical. The common thread is the roots that tap into the sediments of 70s rock and take care of the energy of grunge, alternative rock of the 90s. The rest is the passion of the big four of Delko that is their task, the riffs "depotent" and the words, their scope of poetry is rarely equaled.

Released in 2011, Delko 321 was their first LP. The album brought together the first 3 EPs the quartet published between 2007 and 2010 and proceeds as a documentary about four years in the life of the band.

Delko 321: From the rock ... to stoner


name: Earth Embodied
sku: destinylove-earthembodied
upc: 847646010938
description:
Sultry female vocals, catchy, simple lyrics, and earthy beats, this album of experimental sounds has a life of its own. This album was a labor of love, as Destiny self-engineered it in the wee hours of the morning while her toddler was sleeping, in her home studio in Ashland, OR. It was professionally mixed and mastered. It has been played for live ecstatic dances, podcasts, and in a documentary.


name: Home in the Light
sku: destinylove-homeinthelight
upc: 847646010907
description:
A world-ensemble comes together to create a dynamic and unique genre of inspiring world folk. Instruments include crystal clear female vocals, grand piano, keys, bazooki, tambura, guitar, upright bass, sitar, ukulele, viola, japanese flutes, and world percussion. Recorded in a professional studio in Ashland, OR, and mixed and mastered by DJ Rara Avis (aka Alex King Harris, co-founder of YogiTunes). You will be delighted by the variety of rich sound and simple, catchy lyrics (with great hooks) that this album has to offer.


name: Centuries
sku: dtc-centuries
upc: 876809009328
description:
Destroy The Colossus' "Centuries" is a tour de force of brutal, pummeling technical metal that is unlike anything out there.

As a band, we wanted to stray from the conventions of hardcore and death metal and instead mix the two along with some other genres to fulfill our own desires to hear something fresh in the music scene while still retaining a catchy groove than gets our hearts pumping.

"Centuries" is somewhat based on the history of The Colossus of Rhodes and the epic tale of not only its rise and fall, but the people the fought to either defend it or destroy it.


name: The Bright Knowledge
sku: rowan-bright
upc: 876809007515
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-bright-knowledge/id293466171
description:
John notes: Diana Rowan is another world music / classical music straddler who lives in Berkeley, California. She plays the classical piano but it's in her capacity as a harpist that she appears here on Magnatune, with one of her solo records, which feature a number of her friends and a few of her musical heroes as well.


name: Songs from Nowhere
sku: diggsville-nowhere
upc: 847646003664
description:
Songs from Nowhere exudes evocative, seductive and haunting compositions that can only be described as film-noire trip-hop.

Delicious, jazzy and fresh with solid drums, lounge-like piano, sultry sax and sexy female vocals; Diggsville divines a seamless infusion of electronica, jazz, latin and funk with an awesome level of chill where you can immerse yourself in a world of deep groove dreamtempo jazz.

Both atmospheric and danceable, these cinematic beats will haunt your head and heart with a cinematic force that immediately transports you to an undiscovered auditory landscape. If Diggsville's songs are indeed from Nowhere then take me there!


name: Eurynome
sku: diometrix-eurynome
upc: 847646000038
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/eurynome/id432539732
description:
Diometrix is a young electronic project from the very heart of Siberia, who present to you their new conceptual album release Eurynome.

Cold guitar melodies and atmospheric electronics capturing the spirit of such musicians as "Mono" and "The American Dollar".

Eurynome has a number of details about their story from earlier, but experimenting with the sound, Diometrix had also found their voice through a beautiful singer named "Leach".

Despite the diversity of the tracks, "Eurynome" is an integral composition, in which Alex, Roman and Alexander put all that they left aside in their previous album "Newfoundland".

Let the cold Siberian wind into your house with Diometrix's music.


name: How Do Things Inspire
sku: diometrix-howdothings
upc: 847646004319
description:
How Do Things Inspire features atmospheric guitar melodies, mixed with ambient tones and powerful drums, that evoke a feel of loneliness, but in a warm and mostly welcoming fashion.

You can start your journey in the cornfield, near an old and abandoned countryside. Let yourself see beauty even in the most simple things with Diometrix's music.

How Do Things Inspire is a new, conceptual release by the Siberian band Diometrix.


name: Newfoundland
sku: diometrix-newfoundland
upc: 876809008673
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/newfoundland/id399656093
description:
diometrix fans have said numerous times that the music on NEWFOUNDLAND miraculously conveys the atmosphere of unity with nature. For one there seems to be a rain, for another endless ocean, and thirdly giant icebergs on the Northern pole. The mere fact that diometrix members live in Siberia, is reflected in their creations. The picturesque nature of far-eastern Russia, with its fluffy snow and dense forests, cold winters and rainy autumns makes itself felt in NEWFOUNDLAND. Without getting into the genres, diometrix themselves classify their music as Siberian, with an emphasis on the fact that there is the spirit of this extraordinary place within it. You have the unique opportunity to let a little piece of cold Siberia into your home, along with diometrix music.


name: I Catch the Wind
sku: dixiecannon-catchthewind
upc: 847646008508
description:
The songs on this album are united by the theme of spiritual search, the search itself, and love. Musical arrangements of the songs, in addition to unusual and modern experiments with sound, rooted in classic English pop, rock, folk and psychedelic type of the late sixties and seventies.


name: Highland Sunrise
sku: dixiecannon-highlandsunrise
upc: 847646008539
description:
Highland Sunrise is a compilation of instrumental compositions from different years. Also includes works written especially for the theatre and movies. A lot of tracks from this album can be used like a background music for cafe and restaurants, advertising, commercial, TV-shows, radio and TV broadcast, etc.


name: Monkey Town
sku: dixiecannon-monkeytown
upc: 847646008515
description:
Monkey Town is a first solo album by Dixie Cannon. Some of the tracks recorded with his band "Barley Corn" and musician friends in the period 2006-2008.


name: Till We Make It Alive
sku: dixiecannon-tillwemakeit
upc: 847646008522
description:
This album is a compilation of works by Dixie Cannon early years. All tracks recorded with his folk-rock band "Barley Corn" in the period 1997-2000.


name: Sonic Chill
sku: djcary-sonicchill
upc: 876809006754
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sonic-chill/id336070757
description:
Sonic Chill album for sale by DJ Cary was released Aug 12, 2008 on the Magnatune label. Sonic Chill CD music contains a single disc with 11 songs.


name: After Dinner Lounge
sku: magnacomp-dinnerlounge
upc: 876809003739
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257898230&s=143444
description:
Features relaxing, chilled tracks sampled from the albums of several Magnatune artists, crossing several genres.


name: Downtempo Chill
sku: magnacomp-downchill
upc: 876809003722
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
The first in a series of downtempo compilations from online record label Magnatune.com, featuring 14 different artists.


name: Downtempo Chill 2
sku: magnacomp-downchill2
upc: 876809004675
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257898346&s=143444
description:
Smoky trip-hop beats meet the cool purity of vocals from Lisa Debenedictis, Ammonite, Artemis, and Lizzi. These are rounded out by some choice atmospherics like "Direction Dub" from Beat Under Control and "Waterfall" by Solar Cycle. The mood of this album is mellow and hushed?these are the kind of tracks that stand out much better on a compilation than on their albums of origin.


name: Eastern Grooves
sku: magnacomp-eastgroove
upc: 876809004002
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257772280&s=143444
description:
The best selling of all DJ Cary's compilations, Eastern Grooves has a friendly, mid-tempo groove throughout much of the album, making it ideal for work and after-work alike. Eastern influences are abundant, of course, and the overall sensibility here is a modern, cosmopolitan one interwoven with more timeless sounding material such as "Kereshme" by Stellamara. The subtle beats return with "Mirrored Image" by Cargo Cult?an irresistable track by Cargo Cult. Next comes the tabla seduction of "Dance of the Aisles" and the understated poetics of "Arabesque" by Hans Christian. We especially like the atmospheric "Waddi Jah" by Rapoon, which blends what sounds like 1920's Indian radio broadcasts with fizzy, floaty ambient loops.


name: Electromelange
sku: magnacomp-electromelange
upc: 876809005979
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=267136559&s=143444
description:
A good mood in album form, DJ Cary has come out with another of her fabulous mixes, and this one will keep you grooving happily all day long. A wonderful assortment of world-influenced electronic music, featuring some of our most popular artists including Williamson, Four Stones, and Burning Babylon. Enjoy!


name: Power Synths
sku: magnacomp-powersynths
upc: 876809004682
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257912517&s=143444
description:
Though it's called "Power Synths" this compilation actually features the more subdued, finespun side of Magnatune's favorite electronic artists like Dr. Kuch, Cargo Cult, and Four Stones. Liquid synths burble and glint with subtle energy, and there are loops and flourishes as delicate and detailed as a chandelier.


name: Evolution of the Mind
sku: markitos-evolution
upc: 876809002725
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257773891&s=143444
description:
Evolution of the Mind is the trance of DJ Markitos, a young producer from the Slovak Republic who fell in love with the utterly non-commercial nature of the underground scene there and captured it perfectly in his music. It's all in there: the layered, textured sounds, washes, crescendos, and occasional soulful vocals. Definitely evocative of the underground parties and raves that centered around electronic music itself as the main attraction as well as the blissful anonymity and release it provided to those who danced to it all night long.


name: About Love
sku: dkrasnoukhov-aboutlove
upc: 847646009031
description:
Do you know how to love?

If you say that there is probably you are right.

Think like a child, when the whole world seemed to be a fairy tale, and all the people - the good fairies. As time passed, it turned out that this is not true, or rather, not exactly....

The first grievance, meet with incomprehension and wrong changed the picture of the world, covering the heart.

It will take years before it becomes clear that the world is what it is, but you can build, change it at will, to do this real fairy tale.

And this tale, who lives in a strong heart, perhaps, another warm, but weak and weary heart and dissolve the pain will get stronger soul shine with joy and love, and who knows, perhaps God himself will smile back?


name: The Angel Birth
sku: dkrasnoukhov-angelbirth
upc: 847646009000
description:
The Angel Birth is a travel from reality into a beyond-the-reality World. On waves of terrestrial elements - wind, water, sun, we shall transfer ourselves to the Worlds of Origin. The image of the angel under my fingers on piano keys has become the real angel that was born in these Higher Worlds. Her destiny depends on us. Whether we shall grow fond of Her, whether we shall remember Her and ask for help... You see the angels are always ready to help, it is their work. Their help - rest in our souls, clarity in our consciousness, love in our hearts, simplicity and openness in our relationships. Be happy!


name: Drops of Rainbow
sku: dkrasnoukhov-dropsrainbow
upc: 847646009024
description:
New age romantic piano music that brings calmness, rest and hope to a tired hearts. Epitomises the vulnerability of Chopin, melodies of Kevin Kern, filigree of Keiko Matsui's and the elegance of Giovanni and Richard Klaiderman.


name: Fairy Peace
sku: dkrasnoukhov-fairypeace
upc: 847646008997
description:
Travelling in a wonderful country, every corner is so close and at the same time completely unknown.


name: Fly
sku: dkrasnoukhov-fly
upc: 876809009724
description:
They say the Lord tests his loved ones. It happens that people do not know about it, and are not separated from suffering. For those who find it difficult to say goodbye to the past, this music will give hope. Who has forgotten that the Angel is always there - let him remember... And do not forget your loved ones - those who are near and who are no longer there.


name: Legend
sku: dkrasnoukhov-legend
upc: 847646008980
description:
The space of music is unlimited, and one can find in it flows of any degree of complexity and beauty. But sources of transparency - they are not too frequent, and far not every wave does without bringing gray foam ashore, right?

Dmitry Krasnoukhov seems to be lucky in this sense - when listening to his music, one imagines and feels the pure sources... Sure, when saying "lucky" - one does not mean blind chance, but the result of some inner work, of a certain stage of the road. For, if you listen to previous recordings by Dmitry - you understand: it is exactly about the path, beauty and joy. Well, and, moreover, it seems that "Legend" is currently the best album by Dmitry Krasnoukhov. At least in what regards inner harmony, balance, confidence in pauses - this is a different degree of attention, clarity, skills. No hurry, fuss, the whole album is a natural flow, convincing and beautiful in all of its transformations...


name: On the Wave's Wings
sku: dkrasnoukhov-waveswings
upc: 847646009017
description:
The Crimea is more than just a geopolitically important stretch of land between Ukraine and Russia. This region is known for its beautiful landscapes and its vibrant culture.

It is where Dmitry is part of musical life every summer. Hence, getting inspired by the Crimea and expressing things in impressive piano pieces in classical style would seem like the most natural thing in the universe. On the Wave's Wings, Dmitry is doing exactly that: the album reflects impressions of summer trips to the Crimea with its immense vastness, width and soaring vistas. An album for dreamers, On the Wave's Wings is great for relaxation and daydreaming. Are you ready for a fascinating journey? Then, you should give this album a listen!


name: New Memories
sku: domased-newmemories
upc: 876809002688
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257832948&s=143444
description:
The man hidden behind the "Domased Electronica" is called Ladislav Zajic and he is a Slovak producer of electronic music. He was born in 1975 and produces mainly music in the styles of old-school trance, down-tempo, ambient and lately also progressive trance.


name: Selection
sku: domased-selection
upc: 876809004217
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257978310&s=143444
description:
A great album of old-school trance from an artist who really knows what he's doing. Whether it's the shimmering aphid waves of "He Is Leaving Us," the croaky alien amble of "Another Lifeform," or the rising and falling electronic burble of "Voices," Selections is full of highly textured sonic goodness.


name: Dawn - Je Ne Crois
sku: doublethink-dawn
upc: 876809008154
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dawn-je-ne-crois/id373664605
description:
doublethink's new release is their most cohesive and confident work to date. Buckling down in a previously unknown creative place, this album finds a band that no one IN the band even knew really existed. Powerful, challenging, dark but overall extremely melodic, every song on the album sounds like an explosion of energy and exhausting creativity. It prickles your ears, and challenges your brain and your senses like no other doublethink release has. Their previous efforts are good, but this is the first one that is great.


name: Seeing Red
sku: doublethink-seeingred
upc: 876809005726
description:
A hard hitting, driving-with-the-windows-down shot of fresh air. Produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Silverchair, Our Lady Peace, The Black Crowes, and many more) this album was the band's first attempt to refine their sound into a distinctive work. Recorded mostly live at The Document Room Studios in Malibu, California on the hills overlooking the Pacific ocean, it's hard not to get caught up in the energy and fun that the songs on this album give off..


name: Acoustic Journal
sku: doughamer-acousticjrnl
upc: 847646005835
description:
Acoustic Journal has truly been a musical journey, a special voyage of the heart to places and experiences that have left an indelible impression on the artists soul.

Every composition is intended to carry the listener across time, across mountains and oceans through a wide array of emotions. Each original piece represents a memory and is intended to capture an impression of a special moment in time.

This project is purely Doug doing what he loves best. It is comprised solely of his original melodies and arrangements while playing his beloved Martin and as such this album gives the listener an intimate glimpse into the very heart of the writer and guitar-stylist. He considers music to be one of life's greatest blessings and each song he has written to be a gift. Growing up surrounded by the coastal mountains and waters of Puget Sound, his writing and even his playing style has invariably been influenced by the beauty of his surroundings. The texture, mood and flow of his compositions reflect his love of nature and gratitude for our Creator. Relax and enjoy the journey.


name: Rainforest Suite
sku: doughamer-rainforestsuite
upc: 847646005828
description:
"Well named, Rainforest Suite. You can feel and smell the dampness, see the green and hear the echo of the woods around you. The first track is called "Silent Voices" and it places you deep in the middle of a silent forest. In "Spirit Lake", single strings being plucked give the sense of raindrops hitting large green leaves. This album is labeled new age and is predictably calming and peaceful. It would work well as background music; however, I found it extremely energizing and exciting when I just sat and listened closely. A uniquely moving work."
Jeanette Housner, VICTORY REVIEW- Acoustic Music Review Magazine

Doug Hamer, composer/guitarist has recorded Rainforest Suite, a beautiful acoustic impressionistic album. Rainforest Suite is currently being aired on radio stations in Europe and Japan as well as on diverse acoustic radio stations in the USA, (National Public Radio,etc).

Doug's tracks "Spirit Lake" and "Fragile", also taken from the album, were featured on the very popular European radio station, Alooga Lounge (Jazz/Ethno/Abstract/Ambient) with "Spirit Lake" airing at number one on the playlist. Doug uses 6 and 12-String and Classical guitars, Piano, Fretless Bass, Vibes, Sitar, Tamboura, Flute, Synthesizer and Percussion.


name: Fear and Curiosity
sku: dpkaufman-fearcuriosity
upc: 847646006863
description:
With "Fear and Curiosity", Kaufman dives into a lush, layered post-rock sound. He draws from his previous work in electronic and orchestral production, but the soundscapes take on an entirely new character. Sweeping washed-out guitars and unorthodox rhythmic elements create a delicate balance between simmering intensity and subdued ambience. Complex sonic architecture carries the simple soaring melodies into an otherworldly space.


name: Lullabies for the Apocalypse
sku: dpkaufman-lullapocalypse
upc: 847646005002
description:
Lullabies for the Apocalypse is meant to create the image of a father telling stories to his child in the midst of a chaotic environment; sonically complex, accessible melodies set against the backdrop of darker, brooding textures and rhythms. While certainly within the ambient electronic category, it still maintains an organic warmth and richness often absent within the genre.


name: As the Ruin Falls
sku: dpkaufman-ruinfalls
upc: 876809008635
description:
"As the Ruin Falls" is a collection of instrumental electronic/experimental soundscapes; complex textures and occasionally bizarre instrumentations are melded into melody-driven compositions that often betray the composer's classical roots. Listeners of Jon Hopkins or Ulrich Schnauss will immediately appreciate the album's constant attention to both melody and rhythm, and each listen reveals new sonic intricacies.


name: The Valley Below
sku: dpkaufman-valleybellow
upc: 876809000684
description:
North Carolina Film Composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Doug Kaufman has returned with The Valley Below, an album that unfolds in pure magical melancholia. It's delicate piano and guitar compositions, lavishly textured by gorgeous string arrangements and haunting airy synths, spawn wistful and hope-filled melodies that soar and subside in cinematic grandeur.
"The Valley Below" echoes the same masterful strokes as Kaufman's 2014 release "Fear And Curiosity" with its expansive ambient electronica laid out like a sumptuous blanket but it's the addition of guitar to the forefront and improved songwriting that makes this a far more compelling listen. The creative process explains Kaufman was completely different.
"Whereas "Fear And Curiosity" was for me a musical representation of processing some psychological questions of our motivations, and hope and tragedy, "The Valley Below" was more of a purely musical exploration; following the emotional trajectory of each sound as I tried some different directions. "Memorial" was recorded on an old upright piano, but then I experimented with a lot of sampled percussion and synth patches. The second track, "To Face the Unknown", was an attempt at more of a pure guitar-driven post-rock sound. Later in the album, I incorporated some string arrangements from a group in Saint Petersburg I worked with, as well as some more purely ambient concepts. So kind of working backwards - starting with musical concepts and seeing where that led as opposed to starting with a concept and writing for it".
The Valley Below is an intimate listen with a nostalgic desire, each piece touching an emotional nerve and resulting in a stirring score yearning for a film, with tracks like "Memorial", "Eyes Aglow", "Cerro Torre" and "Through Black" striking deeply and deserving to be graced with the larger than life treatment of the silver screen.


name: Analog Disease
sku: domased-analog
upc: 876809002657
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257900012&s=143444
description:
Magnatune staff favorite Analog Disease is boppy and dance-y and exactly ten thousand times more charismatic than the vast majority of electronic music. Dr. Kuch are three guys from Nantes, France, and they want to know "Does anyone know how to save musical creation?" They are apparently, "very upset of listening shit anywhere." We couldn't agree more, and feel much better now that Dr. Kuch is on the job. Standout tracks too numerous to mention, but we especially love "Completely Mysticism," "The Persuaders Dub," and "Oui Mossieur Chuibelle."


name: We Can't Stop Progress
sku: drkuch-progress
upc: 876809008017
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-cant-stop-progress/id346389339
description:
They're French, they're soooo-sophisticated and they ooze "le funk". Laugh at your friends who are still listening to Jamiroquai, and hear a classic example of loose, fun French electronica.


name: Abstract Love
sku: drsounds-abstract
upc: 876809009502
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/abstract-love/id414551115
description:
Lush sounds of ambiance: a balance of dark pitches, set to the higher energy of the love which surrounds all beings. Relaxing and deep. Meditative ambient.


name: Bungalow
sku: drsounds-bungalow
upc: 847646005149
description:
Bungalow is an album inspired by the series "30 Degrees in February", particularly the feelings of the character Joy and the bungalows in Thailand. The music is influenced by the events from the series, including the drastic emotions felt when the bungalow catches on fire and the feelings for Joy and Pong on the beach. Thus the name of the album is born 'Bungalow'.

So the dream the music is created on, is about sitting in a bungalow, swimming in the sea and having a nice date with Joy (being Pong), and still being able to take advantage of new technology to reach out with music.


name: Big Dipper
sku: droptrio-bigdipper
upc: 876809002633
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257834662&s=143444
description:
Deliciously mathy structures overlaid with highly original, funk-tinged instrumental grooves are what you'll get on the perennial Magnatune jazz best-seller, Big Dipper by the award-winning Drop Trio. This group thrives on improvisation and is influenced by avant-garde jazz, so the overall vibe here is loose, but the chops here are tight and the structure is never neglected, so the overall effect is pretty darn airtight. This is a great album to put on in the afternoon while you're working, or in the evening when you're ready for happy hour. It's upbeat yet just mellow enough too, it'll keep you moving forward without dragging you down.


name: Cezanne
sku: droptrio-cezanne
upc: 876809004316
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257776216&s=143444
description:
Drop Trio's third release is a live album recorded in Houston's most famous jazz club, Cezanne's, and it really shows off the unity they've achieved as a group. The performance was made to an overflow crowd, and sound engineer Kirk Madden does a great job of capturing the kinetic, buzzy feeling of a live show while making sure the music stays front and center. "It was an edge-of-your-seat kind of night," said drummer Nuje Blattel. New songs on the album include the reggae-influenced "Luna," mixed-meter funk opus "L.U.G.," and the explosive non-linear swing tune "Shelby."


name: Dub Protection
sku: dubmaster-dubprotection
upc: 847646011485
description:
I am happy to present my new Dub/Reggae record "Dub Protection". After years of preparation, study, and experimentation, I am finally ready to share with you my solo work. It is a record that expresses my passion for dub and reggae music, mixing rhythms, sounds, dubbing effects, voices and atmospheres into an original and engaging mix. The record contains ten tracks, each with its own story, its own personality, its own vibe. I hope you enjoy it and that it will make you dance, dream, reflect and defeat babylon.
Thank you all for your support and trust.
Bless!

Dubmaster Conte: music and arrangments, bass guitar & dubs, mixing and mastering

mixing & mastering @ Magic Garden Studio

www.dubmasterconte.com


name: Final Beats Vol. 1 - Hinterland Milano Crew
sku: dubmaster-finalbeats1
upc: 847646010839
description:
Created between 2004 and 2008 by the maker and producer of the Hinterland Milano Crew, Dubmaster Conte, this series of albums was inspired by the hip hop from the 90ies. They all share an old-school beat style and a genuine urban atmosphere, in which warm sounds and different rhythmic structures were masterfully coupled with lyrics to give each track a distinctive character. These albums have inspired the free-style performances of several MCs as well as the scratching and cuttings of various turntablists. What's more? The albums are also perfect as beats for lead instruments, or just for listening while chilling and grooving to the sound.


name: Final Beats Vol 4 - Hinterland Milano Crew
sku: dubmaster-finalbeats4
upc: 847646010945
description:
This album is inspired by the Hip Hop from the 90ies, which was characterized by an old-school beat style and by genuine urban vibes. The warm sound and the rhythmic structures of the tracks give this album its distinctive character. They were produced by the beat maker and producer of the Hinterland Milano Crew, Dubmaster Conte, between 2004 and 2008. In 2020, the tracks were remastered at the Magic Garden Studio, using new hardware and vinyl techniques. Since then, the album has has inspired several free-style performances and the scratching and cuttings of several turntablists. Even better, the albums is also perfect for listening while chilling and grooving to the sound.

Links:

https://dubmasterconte.bandcamp.com/ https://hinterlandmilano.bandcamp.com/ www.dubmasterconte.com


name: in Dub
sku: dubmaster-indub
upc: 847646006351
description:
After different years and many musical adventures Dubmaster Conte is back with a solo album. A work completely dedicated to his first musical and genuine love: Dub Music.

Bass-heavy riddims, advanced delay techniques, deep reverbs for a dubby space are the trademarks of this album. The sounds are rich and tight, the bass is just phat and put forward.

It is an energetic take, largely instrumental and saturated with delay, reverbs and horns. The organic mix follows the structures of the original Dub of the seventies and eighties. Some field recordings were used in the final mix to create an unique sonic collage.

The songs were created during different periods and largely were written during the Artist's travels and movements. Collected together, they were mixed and dubbed in the Magic Garden home studio. So it's easy to understand why the album, unconsciously and genuinely, is created and built around the theme of the human journey. A physical and spiritual journey able to free the listener from the bad vibes of babylon.

Bass guitar, Drum machines, Sampler, Field recordings, Synths, Keys, Processings, Dubbings, Mixing and Mastering by Dubmaster Conte.


name: Sonic Reflections
sku: dubmaster-sonicreflections
upc: 847646011195
description:
It is with much delight that Dubmaster Conte (from Entheogenic Sound Explorers and Liquid Rainbow) presents you his new solo album, Sonic Reflections.

Get ready for an album full of rhythm and musical might. Dubmaster Conte takes you on a journey through his memories, such as a mountain hike, the bridges of Amsterdam, the wonder of nature. His reflections on these experiences and his love for music flowed into every single of these tracks. Come travel back in time with him and listen to how his reflections cause the sound spheres to evolve.

This album draws from a variety of different musical styles, including Electronica, Jazz, Trip Hop, Blues, D'n'B and House. Underlying this always always are a dubby and ambient influence, and creative mixing.

All Songs played, arranged & recorded by Dubmaster Conte

Mixing & Mastering by Dubmaster Conte @ Magic Garden Studio

Synth on "Colour Variations"" and Cover Photo by Marta Salamina

Album Graphics by Piero Marchesi

..on the cover: Dubmaster Conte & Mia (the Dog from Palermo) for more:
www.dubmasterconte.com


name: Shoreline 303
sku: dubtrak-shoreline303
upc: 847646001127
description:
I'm hoping I can interest you in new music from Dubtrak. "Shoreline 303" is an 8-track album of smooth and easy flowing downtempo beats. Deep groove melodica licks, lush synth pads and wave-crushing sounds give this nautical-theme music a unique, cross-genre vibe. Tracks are steeped in deep dub techno flavor yet the music feels much warmer and more colorful than most, typical dub techno tracks. Rather than invoking images of gray and fog covered seas, music on this album transport a listener to a sunny beach, with warm sand and fragrant air. Thanks to the skillful use of melodica organic sound, analog leads and rich, layered synth pads, Dubtrak creates an album of unique dimension: a fusion of downtempo electronica, retro synth pop and cinematic ambient soundscape.

Let's hope "Shoreline 303" will be your new, favourite destination!


name: Cancionero
sku: dufay-cancionero
upc: 876809008628
description:
Music for the Spanish Court 1470-1520.
This disk of medieval repertoire spans the end of the 15th and the early 16th century, in what was Spain's golden age. The music comes from two main sources - the Cancionero Palacio containing songs and instrumental music from the court of Ferdinand and Isabella; and the manuscript Montecassino 871, associated with the Spanish court in Naples.

Nominated for a GRAMMY and winner of a CMA/WQXR Record Award, this disc was also chosen as GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE's DISC OF THE YEAR.

What the critics have said::

'...highly attractive... Quite irresistible.'
The Sunday Times

'Easily surpasses the competition.'
BBC Music Magazine

'It is surely one of the best anthologies of this repertory to have appeared on CD...be sure to add this one to your collection...Superb.'
Gramophone

'Performed with grace and joy...a delightful recording.'
Classical Music Web

'I hope that cover's only temporary. It looks more like a Karate instruction manual.'
Peter's Mum


name: A Lestampida
sku: dufay-estampida
upc: 876809008611
description:
A L'Estampida (153/4th Anniversary Edition) - Medieval Dance Music.

Due to continuing demand for this, their first ever release, the group decided to re-release it as a souvenir to mark their fifteen (and three-quarterth!) anniversary. Complete with downloadable sleeve notes giving a potted history of the band and its chequered career, this infectious medieval dance music will take you on a toe-tapping tour round the European musical scene at a time when popular music was still a good deal more sophisticated than dentistry.

"This disc is a smile a minute. Delights abound in this fantastic trip through the late medieval and early renaissance. Superb ensemble playing from this fine group."
Kevin Sutton - MusicWeb Recordings of the Year 2005


name: Vihuela Duets of Valderrabano
sku: chambure-valderrabano
upc: 876809002596
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257776640&s=143444
description:
Due Chambure brings renaissance Spain to life through the infinitely gentle compositions and transcriptions of Enriquez de Valderrabano. Valderrabano's music book is considered an important source of knowledge on vihuela music and early European music in general as it includes transcriptions of pieces by other significant composers of the time, but whether you're interested in these composers or not-this is an album of incredibly soothing and timeless instrumental music.


name: Six Sonatas for Flute and Violin - Opus 51 - Boismortier
sku: bois-sixsonatas
upc: 876809005900
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
The press has described Stephen Schultz as "among the most flawless artists on the baroque flute," and here he teams up with Elizabeth Blumenstock of the "hair trigger virtuosity" on violin for a deeply charismatic performance of Joseph Bodin de Boismortier's sonatas. We always love it when such fresh, vibrant sensibilities are brought to bear on baroque compositions, and this album has been in heavy rotation since we got it.

Recorded by John Buckman for ToneGnome Classical Music Recordings


name: Renaissance Lute
sku: eddurbrow-renaissancelute
upc: 847646009949
description:
The music on this CD spans the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century and represents countries throughout Europe. The lute was the most popular instrument of the Renaissance and the amount of music that has come down to us is enormous, despite the length of time and the lute virtually disappearing from use in the late 18th century.

The lute is one of the oldest of instruments, evolving perhaps from an ancient instrument made of a tortoise shell with some sinew stretched across it to the myriad forms we see in use today throughout the world (oud, biwa, mandolin). The defining characteristics of the Renaissance lute would be the pear shaped back made of many ribs, the bent back pegbox and the double strings (the highest sounding one is usually a single string).

Music for lute is written in a system called tablature which, rather than representing the pitch in normal musical notation, represents the position of the fingers on the fretboard by means of numbers or letters. This system is used today by many guitarists. Italian and French tablature have horizontal lines which represent the 6 highest strings of the lute with numbers or letters placed on or above the lines to show the fret position. German tablature has a separate symbol for each position.

Francesco da Milano (1497-1543) was so highly regarded in his time that he acquired the title "Il Divino", a title shared only with Michelangelo. His works were so popular they were still appearing in manuscripts 50 years after his death.

Virtually nothing is known of the life of Joan Ambrosio Dalza except that two lute books were published by the famous music publisher Ottaviano de'Petrucci of Venice. The two Dalza lute books (the first one being lost) were among the first printed lute music and some of the oldest lute tablature we have. The dances here are of a simpler style than the complicated polyphony of Francesco but have many interesting rhythmic surprises.

John Dowland (1564-1626) was the most famous lutenist of his day. A Catholic, he never gained the coveted position of lutenist at the protestant court of Queen Elizabeth. He was employed in the court of Denmark and traveled throughout the continent. His first book of songs published in 1597 established a genre which blossomed for the next 20 years.

Francis Cutting (?-1596), John Daniel (1564-1625) and Anthony Holborne (1562-1602) were well known English contemporaries of John Dowland. Kemp's Jig probably refers to the famous Shakespearean clown Will Kemp. The Volt and Current can be found in several sources in different countries but this version came from England.

Hans Neusidler (1510-1563) published several lute books in Nürnberg from 1536 to 1549. Welscher tantz would be a foreign, probably Italian, dance and Gassen hawer means street song.

Vinzenso Galilei (ca. 1525-91) came from a family of musicians and was the father of the famous astronomer. He was an important theorist of his time and a member of the Florentine Camerata which advocated the new monody style.

The Fantasia by Spain's Alonso Muddara (ca. 1515-1580) is well known among guitarists as the 'harp' fantasia. It is in the style of Ludvico, whom we gather to be a harpist. In the latter half of the piece, written right into the score, are the words "from here until the end are some false notes, but when played well they don't sound badly."

Pierre Attaignant was an important music publisher in France in the first half of the century. Ballard represents French music from a much later generation.

So ben mi c'ha bon tempo, Bianco fiore and Dell Attore come from Cesare Negri's dance treatise of 1602. All the music in this and the other important dance book of the period in Italy, Caroso's Il Ballerina, were written in lute tablature.

Little is known about Edward Noteworthy, but it is conjectured that he might be a distant relative of P.D.Q. Bach.


name: Cifras Selectas de Guitarra, Santiago de Murcia 1722
sku: figueroaohlsen-cifraselect
upc: 847646001813
description:
The manuscript "Cifras selectas de guitarra" (1722) of Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739) was found by the musicologist Alejandro Vera in Santiago, Chile, during research undertaken between 2003 and 2004. The seventy pieces in the manuscript in its current state (the last fifteen folios are lost) combine Spanish dances, suites, pasacalles in different meters and modes, French dances (mainly minuets) and some marches, including both new pieces in strict sense and new versions of preexistent settings by Murcia himself.

In this sense, "Cifras selectas de guitarra" represents a synthesis not only of Murcia's music as a whole, but of the genres cultivated by the guitarists of his time. The present album consists of a representative anthology of such a repertory.

See also:
Alejandro Vera (ed.): Santiago de Murcia: Cifras Selectas de Guitarra (vol. 1: introduction, transcription and critical report; vol. 2: facsimile), Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions, 2010.
Alejandro Vera: "Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739): new contributions on his life and work", Early Music, 36/4 (2008): 597-608.


name: Courante
sku: martinwalker-courante
upc: 847646006856
description:
This recording represents a unique attempt in the modern discography of lute music to seek out the beauty of the contrepartie, or "counterpart", in the French lute tradition.

The great French lutenists were above all formidable soloists, but often the solo music they wrote was accompanied in manuscript sources by a complementary part (the "counterpart") written for a second lute that would add harmony and resonance, and sometimes even extend thematic material, of the solo piece. While the solo piece could always stand alone, the addition of a second lute gives a result that is something rather more than the sum of its parts: sumptuous texture, synergistic sound, and greater compositional robustness, all of which is rare to hear in the modern concert hall.

Martin and Walker felt that the repertoire needed some longer, more involved pieces in addition to the characteristic small dance form prevalent in the repertoire. Seeking to discover a larger scale chaconne for duo turned fruitless, so Gamut Music commissioned Minnesota composer Tyler Kaiser to compose two counterparties; one for the G major Chaconne, the other for the A major Chaconne (Sarabande). He did so in a convincing manner, enhancing each respective piece without changing the character, and keeping in the style of each work.

Finally, a short note about the instruments used for this recording. In order to maximize the balance that is necessary for this remarkably delicate repertoire, the artists are playing an identical matching set of eleven-course French lutes that were specifically made for the recording by the gifted luthier Daniel Larson. The lutes are strung entirely with pure gut strings that were made by Gamut Music, and the nuance, warmth and depth of sound is immediately apparent to the discerning audiophile.


name: Cry Wolf
sku: ehren-crywolf
upc: 847646009741
description:
"Cry Wolf" is Ehren Starks' third album. Written and recorded over the course of 15 years, it is his opus. Insisting every record be better than his last, Ehren explored new musical territories and influences to create this record.

As always though, life in general was his biggest influence. The trials and tribulations of life in a small town, love lost, substance abuse, mental breakdowns and coping with adulthood all shaped "Cry Wolf". The album seeks to encapsulate all the power of beauty, melancholy, torture, anger, joy, loneliness, and escapism during this period.

"Cry Wolf" though almost never saw the light of day. After a devastating computer meltdown, all the files were lost except for one source. With the help of a fan and the mastering skills of David Chutka, the pieces were put back together and the album finally came to be.


name: The Depths of a Year
sku: ehren-depths
upc: 876809002534
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257918896&s=143444
description:
This is the second body of work from pianist Ehren Starks who is joined by Kate Gurba on cello. At only age 19, Ehren wrote the entire album and approached Kate Gurba to work with him. Kate's cello adds a beautiful element that simply makes the album stand out. "The Depths of a Year" documents a relationship. This inspiration produces a wide range of songs and emotions heavily influenced by the works of Edgar Meyer, Radiohead, and Ehren's own style. This album has yet to disappoint a single listener. It is filled with beautiful melodies and is most often considered perfect for movies. So enjoy and thank you.

To give you an idea of Ehren's influences and inspiration, his favorite bands are: Radiohead, Wilco, Medeski Martin and Wood, The Strokes, Magnet, The Constantines, and Godspeed.


name: Lines Build Walls
sku: ehren-lines
upc: 876809003821
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257778875&s=143444
description:
A big best-seller on Magnatune, the second album from pianist Ehren Starks is both strikingly modern and completely evocative. Cleanly elegant piano compositions show great attention to both structure and melody, and Starks demonstrates deep fluency and depth of feeling for his instrument throughout. There's an internal logic to this music that calls to mind contemporary architectural forms, yet it's incredibly lyrical too-the streamlined poetics of a young master. Highly recommended.


name: The First Gate
sku: eightgates-firstgate
upc: 847646010488
description:
The First Gate's concept could be described as a kind of an audio-movie that's painting a journey from ancient times and dense forests into spectacular worlds, where soul and technologies come together. This story had to be told in different musical languages, and thus, the voices and words of several wonderful Russian singers-songwriters from a variety of music genres - such as: indie-electronic, native Russian folk music, indie-rock and jazz - found their way onto this album. Fantasy and mystery is the main language here, so let them be your guide.

I would like to wholeheartedly thank Timofey Sudakov for having been a big part of Eight Gates for years, Trox, Yana Blinder, Anna Paragis, Sasha Vinogradova, Irina Pyzhyanova and Marina Volkova for the beautiful vocals, powerful creative energy, ideas and lyrics, Anna Oparina for the glorious artwork, Andrey Ryzhkov for the mastering, and all the fellow musicians from around the world for having inspired me.

Dedicated to Nikita's parents.

Written by - Nikita Shaposhnikov and Sudakov Timofey (tracks: 1 to 11)
Arranged and programmed by - Nikita Shaposhnikov and Sudakov Timofey (tracks: 1 to 11)
Vocal melodies - Nikita Shaposhnikov (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 8), Yana Blinder (track: 4), Trox (tracks: 5, 9)
Vocals and backing vocals - Yana Blinder (tracks: 2,4), Irina Pyzhyanova (track: 2), Anna Paragis (tracks: 3,8), Trox (tracks: 5,9), Nikita Shaposhnikov (track: 7), Marina Volkova (track: 9)
Lyrics - Yana Blinder (tracks: 2,4), Sasha Vinogradova (track: 3) Anna Paragis (track: 8), Trox (tracks: 5, 9)
Bass Guitar - Nikita Shaposhnikov (tracks: 4, 5, 6, 9)
Guitar - Nikita Shaposhnikov (tracks: 2, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Artwork - Anna Oparina
Mixed by - Nikita Shaposhnikov
Mastering by - Andrey Ryzhkov


name: Scenes of Travel
sku: ehodgkinson-scenestrav
upc: 847646000267
description:
The concept for "Scenes of Travel" sprang from a desire to create a "whole" product. Too often, classical CDs do just what they say on the box, and, whilst they are undoubtedly excellent, I wanted to create something that enabled the listener to engage with the music both musically and personally. I frequently encounter audiences who feel there is a barrier between the classical performer and audience. However, if the performer has taken the time to speak to them and draw them into his or her sound world, then the audience feels much closer to the music and able to appreciate and enjoy the experience in their own way.

Travelling has always fascinated me, and for many of the composers on the album, travel was a source of inspiration. The Romantic era in the 19th century was a time of new horizons being opened up, and seemed the perfect starting point when choosing repertoire. The actual recording process was a breeze, with my husband, Nick Stringfellow overseeing all aspects with a keen ear and infinite attention to detail. For the artwork and liner notes I wanted to make an old travel journal and my good friend Ricardo InsuaCao designed the fantastic cover and booklet, magically coming up with exactly what I had in my head. Scenes of Travel is dedicated to my father, a real traveller in every sense of the world, who encouraged people to think, and think again!


name: Conquers The World
sku: elecfrank-conquers
upc: 876809002527
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257779433&s=143444
description:
"Conquers the World!" - Electric Frankenstein's critically acclaimed second album release. This record features all the original members! This album collects onto one album all of their greatest and most loved early singles, originally on the Junk Records label and others that are out of print today. These songs define High Energy Punk Rock 'n' Roll '90s style! Includes covers of Naked Raygun's "Home Of The Brave" and Vox Pop's "Just Like Your Mom.".

NYC's answer to all things that rock and this album is one of the reasons why. This record contains many fan favorites such as "Electrify Me", "It's All Moving Faster", "Get Off My Back", as well as many others. This is another history making Electric Frankenstein release.

This REAL Rock and Roll, not the commercial crap! This married the intense energy of Punk Rock with the powerful song writing of Hard Rock to create a Frankenstein monster that will leave you speechless! You'll be too busy jumping up and down to the wild music! Experience the full fury of Electric Frankenstein at their initial best! This ear shatterin' shocker was previously only available as an import disc, but now, thanks to Devil Doll records, this beast is back from the grave!

"Conquers the World" captures the face peelin' fury of ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN with Steve Miller on board. You got it! So, cram this bad motor scooter into your trick or treat bag and remember...help Fight the Anti-Rock Conspiracy - buy only real Rock and Roll!


name: Sick Songs
sku: elecfrank-sicksongs
upc: 876809002503
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257780704&s=143444
description:
One of Electric Frankenstein's first three famous albums! This is the record that features Scott Wilkins on vocals, of Verbal Abuse/ Condemned to Death fame!

Electric Frankenstein songs that made great High Energy Punk Rock and Roll. All on "Sick Songs".


name: Eastern Wind
sku: eliyahu-wind
upc: 876809007874
description:
Mystical Music of the Near East. Devotional music, love songs, and folk tunes from throughout the Middle East, performed on traditional instruments with authenticity and soul. These ancient melodies and improvisations, with lyrics in Arabic, Hebrew, Armenian and Turkish, span the ages.

The album features:
Rachel Valfer- oud, vocals, kemanche
Eliyahu Sills- ney, oud, bansuri, saz, vocals, upright bass
Faisal Zedan- bendir, dhola, riqq, bendir
Bouchaib Abdelhadi-darbuka, vocals
John Villa- qarqaba, morrocan tablas, doira
Evan Fraser- kalimba, zabumba,
Fares Hedayati- zarb, daf


name: Moments Musicaux
sku: wolff-moments
upc: 876809002480
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257900458&s=143444
description:
Miss Wolff's affinity for and love of the piano works of Rachmaninoff have garnered special notice. She was featured as guest soloist on New York's WQXR's "Russian Nights" special broadcast, and has concertized and conducted master classes at the renowned Rachmaninoff Institute in Tambov, Russia. She has also given recitals for the International Conference of the Rachmaninoff Society in London and Vienna as well as has reviewed new CD releases for their publication.

Of Miss Wolff's own recording of the Six Moments Musicaux, Opus 16, American Record Guide noted, "I have never heard anything quite like the enchanting soft playing in No. 5, and No. 6 is a remarkable performance...a stimulating and musical pianist." This disc also features a premiere recording of both sets of Moments Musicaux (Opus 7 and 84) by Moritz Moszkowski.


name: Dalliance
sku: emavision-dalliance
upc: 876809004514
description:
"Dalliance" is a collection of sonic images based on the words and songs we captured while traveling through Yunnan, Chuanxi and Guizhou provinces of China from 2002 to 2004, then reconstructed in our studio in a village outside of Beijing. I can still remember walking in the mountains, through the clouds, and hearing a farmer girl singing from miles away in the fields.

We didn't intend to bring our listeners a few forgotten songs for yoga practice. Our aim is to blend what we heard and saw into various forms of aural experiences to enhance someone's mood spectrum.


name: Reminiscence
sku: emielstopler-reminiscence
upc: 847646006887
description:
Reminiscence is an album with solo acoustic guitar pieces. When I was a teenager, taking classical guitar lessons and discovering acoustic steel-string guitar, guitarist Michael Hedges was my absolute hero. The sounds that Michael Hedges managed to produce from just one acoustic guitar during the 1980's were both unprecedented and awe-inspiring. Many people couldn't believe his solo albums Breakfast in the Field and Aerial Boundaries were recorded without overdubs.

The music on this album Reminiscence is like a suite with five movements on solo acoustic guitar. The pieces were written between 1994 and 2003 and I tried to create my own magic from what I'd heard on the albums of Michael Hedges and other so-called finger style guitarists like Alex de Grassi.

This album kicks off with a rather virtuoso prelude and then continues with Reminiscence: a work inspired by memories of my childhood. (While composing this piece, I could almost hear the children's voices on the schoolyard in my mind.) The Peasant Wedding is a lively jig (an Irish dance) and depicts festivities and people dancing from the past. Avond in Schaddeberge is a Dutch title meaning Evening in (the village of) Schaddeberge. A friend of mine unsuccessfully tried to find Schaddeberge on Google Maps, until I told him the village name was made-up. I had used the name in a children's story I was writing. The suite closes with Finale, a rhythmic piece with strumming and percussive effects.

If you're a guitar enthusiast you can download and play the guitar TABs of this album from MusicaNeo: http://emielstopler.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/?cat=4599


name: Stargazing
sku: emielstopler-stargazing
upc: 847646005750
description:
Stargazing is an album with acoustic guitar instrumentals, sometimes with the accompaniment of double bass, (electric) piano or marimba.

Although there are no lyrics, each of the tunes on this album has a story connected to it. The title track of this album, Stargazing, depicts an imaginary scene of a lone traveller. He plays his harmonica at a campfire and wonders what life is all about in the deserted wilderness under a wide, star speckled sky. In the background, one can hear the accompaniment of crickets and the crackling of a wood fire.

The Dutch magazine Muziekwereld reviewed this album and wrote:

"Emiel Stopler is a talented composer, but on this album, we also hear a gifted guitarist who very accurately plays fingerstyle [guitar], with an impressive sense of detail and timing. The recordings are clear and placed directly in the mix, which does justice to the impressive and atmospheric guitar playing. The repertory is diverse, ranging from pop to ragtime and jazz to latin flavors."


name: Alice in Wonderland
sku: ewallace-alicewonder
upc: 847646003282
description:
Longing and love dance through this piano-jazz-pop EP which uses inspiration from literature, history and Viggo Mortensen. Like songs from an eccentric torch singer who's read far too many books, Emma charms with her whimsical lyrics and quirky piano. Alice in Wonderland spikes its lovelorn songs with humor that is refreshingly new. Enjoy the bilingual title track for a taste of the fantasy and sincerity that is found in Alice in Wonderland.


name: Dreaming
sku: ewallace-dreaming
upc: 847646008218
description:
From the boisterous Ballad of the Pirate Captain to the sweet and lilting I'm a Lost Cause, this EP creates a rich storybook setting.

Each track is written from a different character's perspective and view of love. Mostly piano and vocals with a few layered Celtic instruments (most notably in the title track, Dreaming), the simplicity of the arrangements highlights the melodies and lyrics.

The EP "Dreaming", lightly inspired by Peter Pan and Celtic music, is perfect to listen to in those twilight hours when everything is a bit glowy and magical.


name: The Stuff of Fairy Tales
sku: ewallace-fairytales
upc: 847646006153
description:
A breezy, fresh look at fairy tales as told with a piano, lilting vocals and a sprinkling of humor. Enjoy a bluesy take on the story of Snow White with "Fairy Tale Ending," a Beatles-inspired version of the Cinderella story in "I Should Know Better," and a gentle, romantic song based on "The Snow Queen" among others. Emma keeps it light and promises happy endings in this album that is The Stuff of Fairy Tales.


name: First Impressions
sku: ewallace-firstimpressions
upc: 847646011065
description:
This Album is a playful reflection on relationships and what we want from them. The songs were all inspired by characters in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (though you don't have to have read the book to enjoy the record). The album skips through genres from ragtime to electronic to simple piano with lyrics that reference Austen's clever writing.


name: Immortal_
sku: ewallace-immortal
upc: 847646009888
description:
Immortal tells the story of a night of love from the very start of the romantic affair to the sunrise of the next morning. The lyrics are inspired by the magic and rich imagery of Greek myths. Emma adds to her signature piano foundation with exotic beats, rich synth layers, and ethereal vocals. Listen to this EP for a musical escape to a night of passion and intimacy.


name: Let's Hibernate
sku: ewallace-letshibernate
upc: 876809006884
description:
I wrote this album as a retreat for those needing a comfy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa for comfort from those heavy days. I love the coziness of holiday music but I wanted to have a record that could give you that warmth and coziness when it wasn't holiday time! The songs are all gentle piano/vocals- no angst, no despair.

So anytime you just want to hide under the covers, phone turned off, with a mug of chamomile tea, this album is your soundtrack.


name: Down the Rabbit Hole
sku: ewallace-rabbithole
upc: 847646003299
description:
Travel down the rabbit hole for a steampunk-inspired musical wonderland. Enjoy a bit of temptation, a spot of tea and impossible things with a healthy dose of madness. Ragtime piano and warm female vocals create a whimsical mood perfect for stirring Earl Grey and stirring your imagination. Anyone with a love of quirky piano pop and optimistic lyrics will adore this trip down the rabbit hole.


name: A Reason to Stay Up all Night
sku: ewallace-reason
upc: 847646003268
description:
This album is filled to the brim with dreamy, lovealicious lyrics sung with warm female vocals and sweet, ragtime piano.

The perfect accompaniment to a cozy evening, A Reason to Stay Up All Night is a delightful blend of romantic and quirky. Try out Stay With Me Tonight, a classical/jazz fusion that is still Emma's bestselling track.

Pair this record with a spicy Bordeaux and very dark chocolate.


name: Santa Take the Night Off
sku: ewallace-santanight
upc: 847646007242
description:
Holiday songs to get you feeling warm and fuzzy with a cozy mix of songs from lilting traditional tunes to light and jazzy familiar favorites to gypsy-inspired originals. The title song, "Santa, Take the Night Off," is an original with inspiration from the classic Christmas songs of Nat King Cole or Ella Fitzgerald.

Marie Bee returns to play her exquisite violin on three tracks, including the haunting "Noche de Paz" (Silent Night). From the hearty "Here We Come a-Wassailing" to the ethereal "Bitterest Winter Nights," and all the songs in between, Santa, Take the Night Off, will bring the warmest and sweetest parts of the holidays to you.


name: Temptation_
sku: ewallace-temptation
upc: 847646003275
description:
Vintage-inspired from the songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern, the songs on this album would be perfectly at home on Tin Pan Alley thumped out on an old upright. Start with Song In My Head or Fred Astaire to get in the mood to give into this temptation!

Featuring piano and sultry female vocals (with a sprinkling of instruments from accordion to upright bass), the album starts with a song in your head, ends with a circus-themed.

Imagine sipping espresso at a Parisian cafe - this is your soundtrack.


name: Crowd of Reeds
sku: emmalee-crownreeds
upc: 847646005125
description:
Crowd of Reeds is the third studio album from Emmalee Crane. Featuring a familiar range of instruments including woodwinds, strings, brass and broken circuitry, it is her most accomplished work to date.

Intricately layered, yet masquerading as "a stunning economy of means"
(Ryan Moran)

Crowd of Reeds is an inspiring journey through a subdued and reflective orchestral landscape that is "at the intersection of so many things: ambient, chamber music, noise, post-rock... just brilliant."
(Steve Lawson)


name: Crux
sku: emmalee-crux
upc: 876809002510
description:
Crux is the debut album from Canadian-turned-Californian musician Emmalee Crane. It is a soft yet majestic wash of instruments ranging from woodwinds and cellos to analog synthesizers and circuit-bent electronic toys. While Emmalee herself describes it as "drone", that hardly does justice to the orchestral swell and intricate melody that weaves throughout the album, a critically acclaimed work that has been described as "an absolute success...built upon passion and love and emotion," and "as beautiful as it is inventive."


name: Formantine
sku: emmalee-formantine
upc: 876809009533
description:
The follow-up to her immensely successful debut album, Crux. Emmalee Crane's Formantine is a wash of woodwinds, brass, strings and synths combined with found sounds into captivating orchestral drone. By turns soothing, rousing, and even (as one reviewer described) frightening, Formantine is an emotional journey through the heart and mind of an extraordinary artist.


name: Beat Generation Mad Trick
sku: emmasmini-beat
upc: 876809002473
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257900462&s=143444
description:
Emma's Mini is a duo from Seattle, WA. They first started making music together in March of 2002 and in April of 2003 they self-released their first album, beat generation mad trick. The album received high praise from local fans and solid air play on KEXP 90.3. Taking their cue from bands such as lamb, Massive Attack and Moloko, Emma's Mini is creating a new and exciting sound, seamlessly blending Suzanne McClean's rich, lush vocals with Demian Shoemaker's innovative beats and soundscapes.


name: Fever Dreams
sku: endlessblue-feverdreams
upc: 847646002346
description:
Musically, Fever Dreams bridges the ambient electronic sound of the first album and the live edge of the sophomore effort Smoke Through It. Blending and focusing the two styles deftly, Endless Blue creates organic soundscapes that slowly build to a powerful guitar driven crescendos, only to drop down into a bare whispered lyric. Hillman has honed her vocal style in Fever Dreams. From the breathy sadness of "Her" to the jazzy scat of the title track, her voice can not be easily described as "sounds like X". Added into the mix is Mitchell's newfound appreciation for hip-hop production, which shines with immediate driving beats and rumbling syncopated bass lines.

Founded in 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Endless Blue grew out of the remnants of Madison, Wisconsin electro-rock band STATE4. Desiring to do something a bit mellower and a bit more in the downtempo/trip-hop genre, Endless Blue released the first album in the spring of 2004, supporting it with a short US tour and regional shows around the Midwest. The band relocated to Milwaukee in early 2005 and continued to play local shows for the second album, "Smoke Through It".

After just over three years since their last album, Milwaukee trip- hop duo "Endless Blue" have broken the silence and released a third album, Fever Dreams. Employing a large cast of guest musicians, core members Laura Hillman and Nick Mitchell went about crafting this new release meticulously and patiently, writing and rewriting many of the album's ten songs multiple times.


name: Smoke Through It
sku: endlessblue-smoke
upc: 847646002353
description:
Smoke through it, the second album by Milwaukee trip-hop duo Endless Blue, takes the Bristol sound of the early nineties and spins it off in a new direction. Refining the tone established in their self-titled release, producer Nick Mitchell begins to infuse the fruits of other genres into trip-hop's signature lo-fi beats, vintage synths, and jazzy bass.

From the synthpop-laced chorus of "Stranger" to the industrialized "Break" to the tremolo twang of "Undone", each song on smoke through it presents a collage of sounds and tones encased in sharp and approachable songwriting. Tying it all together are the vocal stylings of Laura Hillman, an artist that seamlessly blends numerous eras of vocalists into a single voice. Drawing from the torch singers of the '40s, the classic female rockers, and the modern trip-hop singers, Hillman weaves a masterful tapestry that complements each song uniquely.


name: Dowland's Dialogues, Volume One
sku: eayres-dowlanddialoguesone
upc: 847646008065
description:
We tend to think of The Renaissance as a movement which, above all, rediscovered and celebrated the endless fascination of the individual human life, but the dialogue too was a form close to the heart of renaissance artists and intellectuals - after all, two can be even more fun than one. The dialogue form derived cachet from Classical antiquity, especially the writings of Plato, and was familiar from Christian catechism; it lent drama to every occasion, and the most unlikely treatises and how-to-do-it books, on subjects from music theory to fishing, were framed as dialogues.

In music, renaissance composers turned repeatedly to the dialogue form when treating certain subjects, and this disc, which sets dialogues by the greatest English lute song composer, John Dowland, alongside works by his contemporaries, groups duos, duets and dialogues-proper together according to theme or topic. In fact, in the English lute ayre repertoire some dialogues lurk in the guise of solo songs. 'Say Love if ever thou didst find' [track 2] printed for one or four voices, surely comes from some court entertainment, flattering Queen Elizabeth I, and in fact is very similar in structure to another court piece of Dowland's, 'Humour, say what makest thou here?' which was published as a dialogue and chorus; as far as we know this is the first recording to reconstruct the song in its probable original form, and likewise we give the first recorded dialogue interpretation of 'Awake sweet Love, thou are returned' - a very convoluted soliloquy, but which again makes good sense if it is read as a dialogue between the Lover and Love.

Our first set or genre consists of Conversations with Cupid. We open with Dowland's famous 'Come again, sweet Love doth now invite' [1], which begins as an address to a wavering lover, before the singer turns to the audience to describe his torments, and in the last verse commiserates with Cupid at the impotence of his darts. Next we have a song [2] in which Cupid explains to his interlocutor that his arrows are useless against a certain person - the Queen, of course, who in fact is the true queen of love, and unchangeable. (The line 'yet still the same and she is so' refers to her motto, 'semper eadem', always herself.) 'Tell me, true Love' [3] is another verse and chorus piece, a one-sided address to Love, who does not answer; where after all can we find Love in this wicked world? But true love can be found in the marriage of true minds -this song (of which we perform only two verses) is probably a wedding song. 'Tell me dearest, what is Love?' [4] is a play song sung by the two heroines of Beaumont and Fletcher's The Captain, Frank and Clora. The music was written by Robert Johnson, for a few years the in-house composer of the King's Men, Shakespeare's troupe. 'Awake sweet Love, thou are returned' [5] is one of Dowland's loveliest melodies yet the lyrics can baffle audiences. We think it makes perfect sense as a dialogue between the Lover and Love. In the first verse the Lover tells Cupid to awaken because 'thou are returned' i.e. '[my] love is at last reciprocated'; and he goes on to describe his former pain. In the second verse Cupid consoles the Lover that 'she all this while but played with thee to make thy love more sweet'. We close this set with an anonymous duet setting for two lutes tuned a fourth apart of 'Dowland's Bells' otherwise known as 'The Lady Rich's Galliard'.

In our next set of pieces [tracks 7-9] we pay a visit to Arcadia, the land of fair shepherdesses and love-lorn shepherd lads. Dowland did not write many pastoral pieces, and certainly we under-represent the pastoral mood here. First popularised by Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, pastoral scenes of all kinds grew and grew in popularity until in the late 17th century one feels that 'shepherd' and' shepherdess' are merely synonyms for man and woman. At all events, we present a little vignette of three scenes. In Ferrabosco's 'Fair cruel nymph' [7] the clouds of the swain's despair are very quickly dispelled and the lovers are vowing constancy within a mere two minutes. 'A shepherd in a shade' [8], however, leaves the shepherd dangling; for all the song's joyous part-writing, we do not know if his shepherd maid will respond positively to his threats to pronounce curses on Love itself. 'Tell me, O love', [9] is another of Ferrabosco's micro-dramas. After conventional protestations, we discover that in fact it is some unspecified circumstances keeping these true turtle doves apart (a very common theme in English folksong) and they are left just hoping that their luck will change so that they can be together.

A dialogue with the dead is necessarily a one-sided affair, but perhaps a dialogue is what is subconsciously implied in John Coprario's choice of a two-soprano texture in his cycle of seven Funeral Tears (1606) composed on the death of Duke of Devonshire, of which we perform two songs here. 'O sweet flower' [10] laments a life cut cruelly short, likened to a falling flower or a tired pilgrim, and 'Oft thou hast' [11] recalls music in happier times, now turned to songs of sorrow.

Now we return from death to Cupid, with a second trilogy, this time telling a little love story, beginning with maidenly-modest refusal. Danyel's 'Coy Daphne fled' [12], which opens his rather learned book of songs published in that same year of 1606, gives two opposing views of the Classical myth of Dafne, turned by chaste Diana into a laurel tree to save her from the clutches of the lustful Apollo. To the man this seems a frigid and sterile end, to the maiden it is a blessed preservation of innocence and virginity. Morley's 'Who is that this dark night?' [13] sets to music a balcony scene written by Sir Philip Sidney. The girl on the balcony, initially sceptical of her wooer's constancy, is won over, but the romantic scene is broken up by 'noises off' of approaching family or neighbours. We give our story a happy ending with another of Ferrabosco's dialogues, 'What shall I wish' [14], an avowal of lovers' constancy. 'My Lord Chamberlain his Galliard' [15] is famously written for two to play on one lute - John Dowland's son Robert sitting on his lap perhaps - yet surely it must have been used for wooing and flirtation too, with a young lady on a gentleman's lap. We have re-interpreted it for two lutes, with differing timbres.

Our next set of songs are not dialogues at all, though originating in a dramatic and courtly occasion - the retirement in 1590 of Sir Henry Lee, Queen Elizabeth's self-styled 'champion', on the grounds of old age. These songs are recorded as being sung before the Queen by her favourite singer, Robert Hales, on behalf of old Sir Henry, to the accompaniment of a concealed consort. Yet Dowland printed the trilogy 'Time's eldest son' [16] as a duet for soprano and bass - an ensemble popular on the Continent but which never really caught on in England - and 'His golden locks' [17] as a vocal quartet. The lyrics are distinguished by charm and gentle wit - 'Time's eldest son' in particular ingeniously alludes to liturgical heads of Christian service in the cult of the Virgin Queen.

Orpheus in the underworld was a story especially important to renaissance musicians; at the heart of the story is the idea that the power of music is great enough - almost - to restore the dead to life. Fittingly, Monteverdi's Orfeo was the very first opera, but in fact English composers tackled the story too, and our last track, 'Orpheus I am' [18] tells a part of the story within a play by Beaumont and Fletcher, The Mad Lover; court musicians stage a masque for the benefit of a lovesick general, who has got it into his head that he should commit suicide in order to win the hand of the woman he loves in the next world. They dissuade him by showing him those who commit suicide for love suffer torments not happy union with their loves in the afterlife.

This is not the only Orpheus dialogue in the English renaissance repertoire, nor is our disc exhaustive of Dowland's dialogues: works written for viol consort would be a project for another day!


name: The Laughing Cavalier
sku: eayres-laughing
upc: 876809009397
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-laughing-cavalier/id414533189
description:
Few generations of artists have sensed the transience of life more keenly than the so-called 'Cavalier' poets and musicians of mid-17th century England. Perhaps this sensibility grew out of renaissance humanism's fascination with all aspects of human life - think of Shakespeare's 'Seven Ages of Man' speech - but perhaps too, some prompting of the Zeitgeist whispered to the cavaliers that their gay and glittering worlds of silks, satins and masques was on the brink of violent destruction in the Civil Wars.

At all events it seems fitting to try to tell the life story of imagined cavalier in one brief hour of music. After an opening 'carpe diem' song (track 1) and an invocation to the lute (track 2), we perform songs about youth and innocence (tracks 3 and 4), and songs about passionate young love in its many aspects (tracks 5 to 11). Next we consider the pleasures of middle age, with songs about drink and jollity (tracks 13 to 16) - and the midlife crisis, with a seduction song for an old man (track 17) and a song of mountebank cosmetics salesman, promising to turn back the years (track 18). Personal crisis is mirrored in the national crisis of civil war, with a lament for 'Jerusalem' (that is, England!) (track 19), a song of man to his imprisoned girlfriend (track 20) and a Royalist song looking forward to the King's return (track 21).

In old age our cavalier turns to contemplation, of the power of music and poetry to give solace (track 23) and of his religious faith (track 24); finally death comes, considered as sleep (track 25), as magical transformation (track 26) and as the end of music itself (track 27). But we couldn't leave you on this bleak note, so we close with a perky moral (track 27) - life is grim, but we can still go fishing...

Much of the music here has never been recorded before, mostly because it has never been published; and where it has been, it has usually been in solo song versions, not the rather richer and livelier vocal trios performed here. For musicians who would like to perform this music for themselves, an edition including 15 of the songs here will shortly be available from the Lute Society, at www.lutesociety.org.


name: I sing of a maiden that matchless is
sku: eayres-maiden
upc: 847646002209
description:
I sing of a maiden that matchless is, but what maiden? A rosy-cheeked milkmaid treading the dawn dew as she goes out to milk her cows? A fine lady sighing at the window of castle tower? Or Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Mother of God and Star of the Sea? It has been said that in mediaeval poetry you often cannot tell whether the poet is talking about his mistress or the Virgin Mary, and indeed that is neatly borne out in the lyrics of tracks 3 and 4 here, which use exactly the same imagery of a knight swearing fealty to his liege-lord - ?I am thy man, hand and foot, day and night? - to express devotion to Mary, and to a lover, respectively.

Erotic love and spiritual love sat easily together in the mediaeval mind in a way that they have not done since. Conventional history would explain that the language of mediaeval courtly love suited devotional poetry because courtly love was love from afar, never to be attained or consummated, having its origins in the feelings of young squires for the castle chatelaine whose lord was away fighting the crusades, perhaps. Later, a wedge was driven between romance and religion, firstly by the Protestant reformation of the 16th century, which sharply demoted the female principle in Christianity, banishing the mystical, magical, sensual, ritual, decorative and emotional aspects of faith; and secondly by scientific rationalism.

Today of course, Darwinism and neurochemistry tell us, rather unsentimentally, that romantic love is associated with the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, and is part of a strategy evolved to ensure strong pair-bonding between the parents of the vulnerable human infant, while religious experience may be related to the hormone dimethyltriptamine, and the stimulation of the right temporal lobe of the brain.Yet for all that, could it be that the mediaevals, rather than being merely foolish and unreflective, were simply rather more honest than we are, in acknowledging the overlap between different types of love and beauty, sacred and secular, which in our modern prudery we feel embarrassed about? Many a new mother must have been surprised to discover that the strongest and purest love of all, of a mother for her child, can feel like a romantic, even erotic attachment.

This album then, celebrates a melting away of customary boundaries, a glorious mediaeval mixture and muddle, if muddle it be, between the sacred and the profane, the worldly and the spiritual, as expressed in 700 years of English music. Here are religious songs which were really popular ballads, probably never sung in any church [tracks 1, 3, 20] or which present spirituality in terms either of romantic love [tracks 9, 11] or of loving human relationships [tracks 3, 5, 10]. Alongside these we have put songs which, conversely, present romantic love in spiritual terms, in the language of faithful vow and pilgrimage [tracks 4, 13, 14, 16, 17] or which stand in the courtly love tradition of devotion to an unattainably high object [tracks 4, 8, 19]. As so often in English music, the imagery of nature is a thread running through all, even in religious music, where we would not particularly expect it [tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 13, 15, 18, 19]. So we have included three songs which simply celebrate nature and the English village scene; a mediaeval song in praise of ivy [6], a song describing a morris dancing contest [19], and a classic English folksong of young love in a rural setting [15]. As befits our theme, we have not kept to a strict historical order, and the mediaeval lyrics are (in the case of the Holst settings) rendered into modern English or (in the case of the original mediaeval settings) tweaked here and there so that the listener should catch as much as possible without too much recourse to the lyric sheet.


name: Oasis
sku: alasdeka-oasis
upc: 876809006952
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ensemble-al-asdeka/id272060099
description:
Lush instrumentation and evocative interpretations of folk melodies from a geographical area covering Turkey and Armenia all the way to Andalucian Spain. Guitar, flute, sax and violin punctuated by Middle-eastern rhythms and seasoned with jazz and rock influences-- exuberance coupled with restraint. For the world music lover, a complete album, created with attention to every detail, using the very best production gear. Produced and engineered by Robyn Robins.

Reviews:
"The hypnotic gypsy melodies of Ensemble Al-Asdeka will spice up a cold winter's night by transporting your shivering body to the hip-shaking shores of the Mediterranean with just one listen."
Emily Stavrou, Production Coordinator, Schuler Books and Music

"Ensemble Al-Asdeka's music is undeniably infectious. Each piece creates a visual journey in the mind of the listener through the sounds of the Middle East, which are obviously foreign but strangely comforting."
Joey Marburg, Shore Magazine


name: Dolci Miei Sospiri
sku: ecarpediem-dolcimiei
upc: 847646001547
description:
Ensemble Carpe Diem Geneve's album Dolci miei sospiri offers a look at the Italian secular music of the seventeenth century and reveals some aspects of Baroque affetti, contrasts and colors. The desire is to explore the different facets of the feeling of love, to express the contrasts of joy and sadness, through dances, fantasies, songs and madrigals.


name: Francesco Barsanti Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo
sku: eelectra-barsanti
upc: 847646000274
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/francesco-barsanti-sonatas/id432563420
description:
Francesco Barsanti was one of many Italian musicians who ventured to the cold northern European climes in the early 1700s. He arrived on London's lively musical scene in 1714, together with Francesco Geminiani, fourteen years after Corelli's orchestra had, according to historian Roger North, "cleared the ground of all sorts of musicke whatsoever." Geminiani, Barsanti and their contemporaries brought with them the sizzling Italian playing manner that soon became so popular. Barsanti made a decent living as flutist and oboist in the orchestra of London's Italian Opera Theatre. During these years, the six recorder sonatas were written, to be published in 1724 by Walsh on Catherine Street.

The recorder during this era was called simply "flute", or flauto, not to be confused with the "flauto traverso", or German flute. Barsanti's sonatas were published at a time when the transverse flute was beginning to overtake the recorder in popularity, but they are intended for the recorder. They are important not only because they are original compositions for the instrument, as opposed to transcriptions or arrangements, but also in that they represent some of the last works for the recorder before the instrument essentially went into hibernation for 175 years.

Barsanti's compositional style is flamboyantly expressive, often eccentric, and full of passion and wit. Clearly he was familiar with Handel's works, yet his harmonic language, frequent use of 9-8 suspensions, and enharmonic cadential clashes are unique and daring; his use of slurs in both the melodic line and the bass line are innovative and at times downright quirky. The energy and spirit of Barsanti's fast movements coupled with his ardent emotive slower movements create masterful pieces of lasting quality. We hope you enjoy listening to these sonatas as much as we enjoy playing them!


name: Fantasia Incantata
sku: libroprimo-fantasiaincantata
upc: 876809005931
description:
The term "Stylus Phantasticus" first arises in "Musurgia Universalis" (1650); Athanasius Kirchner's work about harmony in music. It is a style of both composing and performing instrumental music which derives from phantasiren or "the art of improvising". "Stylus Phantasticus" represents a form of liberty in the composition of instrumental music. The style does not confine the composer's imagination or force it to abide by strict rules. This way of writing instrumental music can be difficult to define using common structures and forms of the early 17th century. In this case, the composer's will to write down and structure their ideas was a natural conveyance of a highly elaborate improvisatory performance practice. Johann Mattheson writes about this contemporary performing style: "The Stylus Phantasticus is sometimes agitated, sometimes hesitant, sometimes one- and sometimes many-voiced; often also shortly after the beat: without rhythm; but not without the intention to please, to rush nor to amaze."

For our CD, we have selected works representative of this genre not only for their obvious virtuosity, but also for their subtlety. The liberty within the style leads us through fantastically quick passages and also to moments of hesitation and silence. The juxtaposition of intense and frantic passages with the hesitant and tardy holds a particularly human charm.

Often interspersed amongst the quasi-improvisational passages of music, in both Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani and Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli, are ground-basses providing occasional respite in the form of a repeating and reliable ostinato bass-line.

Nicola Matteis exhibited the eccentricity of the "Stylus Phantasticus" in his personality as well as his compositions. He was praised for his eloquent, expressive style by his contemporary Roger North. We can imagine his way of playing by studying his Passaggio Rotto.

Biagio Marini subtitles his Sonata Quarta "Per sonar con due Corde" which suggests that using double stops on the violin was extraordinary for the time in Italy. We see the same effect as commonplace in Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's violin works; as he often writes multi-voiced chords and in scordatura (alternate tuning systems).

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's Darstellung im Tempel (The Presentation) is the fourth sonata in the cycle of the famous 15 mystery sonatas describing the lives of Jesus and Maria. This sonata is a set of variations composed over a ground bass.The fourth sonata belongs to the "Joyful Mysteries" and the eight bar ostinato bass as the musical foundation builds a heartfelt theme. The "Rosenkranzsonaten" are a monument in the 17th Century works written for violin, not only for the fact that each sonata is written for a differently tuned violin but for the heavy narrative imbued in each of these sonatas.

We have tried to symbolize the equality and intimacy offered in this fantastic music by recording and producing it ourselves in the atmospheric surroundings of Glasgow Cathedral.


name: Conversations Galantes
sku: mirable-conversations
upc: 876809004330
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257900520&s=143444
description:
This lightly elegant dance music of Conversations Galantes was invented for the court of Louis XIV, but Louis-Gabriel Guillemains' Italian training as a violinist also added a warm, passionate quality that absolutely thrilled mid-eighteenth century Parisians. Greer Ellison, flutist, Elizabeth Blumenstock, violinist, and Joanna Blendulf, violist da gamba delicately exchange parts back and forth on this recording, which is performed in a tastefully relaxed manner and has a really pleasing overall sound. They're supported by the continuo ensemble of JungHae Kim (harpsichord) and William Skeen (violoncello) whose supple tones compliment the overall mood. The members of Ensemble Mirable also perform with Philharmonia Baroque, American Bach Soloists, Musica Angelica, and the Portland Baroque Orchestra.


name: Influenza Italiana
sku: mirable-influenza
upc: 847646004081
description:
Influenza Italiana, or the influence of the Italian style, is the unifying theme of this marvelous collection of baroque works presented by Ensemble Mirable in their latest recording.

The composers represented on this recording are all either Italians who helped develop the unique Italian style of baroque composition, or other Europeans who were influenced by the Italian style; incorporating Italian elements such as the agitated style of Claudio Monteverdi or the virtuosic instrumental styles developed by such composers as Biagio Marini and Dario Castello. Among those represented here are Dietrich Becker, Dietrich Buxtehude, Marco Uccellini, Diego Ortiz, Giovanni Battista Buonamento, and Andrea Falconieri.

With this latest recording Mirable continues to present lesser known baroque works performed by some of today's finest artists using period instruments. Their lyrical and virtuosic performances breathe new life into these oft forgotten masterworks, reminding us of the glorious music that arose amidst the backdrop of severe hardship frequently experienced by composers of this time period, many of whom were affected by the black death that wreaked havoc in Europe from the 1340s through the 1770s. This recording reminds us both that the Italian influence extended far beyond the borders of what is now Italy, and that life in the 17th century brought with it inconceivable hardships yet managed to produce some of the finest music ever written.


name: Triemer Six Cello Sonatas
sku: mirable-triemer
upc: 876809002428
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=258040721&s=143444
description:
The Composer

Virtuoso cellist and composer Jean Zewalt Triemer was born in Weimar around the turn of the eighteenth century, at a time when the cello had been steadily gaining popularity as both an orchestral and solo instrument. Around 1680, Viennese orchestras were utilizing this bass instrument and by 1720 it had spread into northern Germany. At the same time Johann Sebastian Bach had written his solo cello suites between 1717 and 1724, Triemer was becoming prominent as a cello soloist in Weimar where he studied with Gregor Christoph Eylenstein, cellist and chamber musician to the Duke of Weimar. Triemer's education in both performance and theory was sponsored by the Duke and he eventually became a member of the court orchestra. Considered one of the first virtuoso cellists in Germany, Triemer was added to Gerber's Dictionary of Music for his noteworthy performance accomplishments. From Weimar, he began his extensive travel, first taking him on a concert tour to Hamburg in 1725 where he was a member of the theater orchestra. After two years in Hamburg, Triemer left for Paris where he pursued the study of composition with Boismortier. His travels later took him to Amsterdam where he composed his set of six cello sonatas in 1745 as well as a cello method which was published in 1739. Triemer spent the rest of his years in Amsterdam, where he died in 1762.

His Music

The VI Sonatas for Violoncello are indicative of the increasingly challenging technique seen in the writings of other composers for the cello in the mid eighteenth century. This is seen in the extensive use of string crossings, chords, barriolage (as in Sonata III, second movement) and quick left-hand passage work. Also challenging is working with the thin texture created by the close proximity of the solo and continuo voices, being careful not to interrupt the cello line while at the same time providing support and creativity. Perhaps Triemer conceived the cello line first and subsequently added the continuo line, resulting in this challenging texture?

The spirited (and sometimes raucous) allegro movements, graceful minuets and poignant lento movements take both the performer and listener through a myriad of rhythmic figuration, colors, textures and resulting affects. Triemer's slow movement melodies have both charming and passionate vocal qualities, whereas the fast movements are often reminiscent of folk dance accompaniment, complete with fiddlers and bagpipes. Unlike these playful allegro movements, the final sonata (Sonata VI) ends with a fugue which unites the two individual lines yet creates a dialogue between them.


name: Stolen Jewels
sku: vermillian-stolen
upc: 876809004538
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257781342&s=143444
description:
Ensemble Vermillian's chamber music is so graceful, and well recorded that listening to it is nearly a visual experience. On Stolen Jewels, Frances Blaker's fresh arrangements of six highly regarded Baroque composers are shot through with bright, golden threads of cello, harpsichord, recorder, viola da gamba, and organ. It's a richly textured work, but always light on its feet. Full liner notes included with download!


name: Magic Garden
sku: soundexplorers-magicgarden
upc: 847646011522
description:
With our Music we would like to encourage self and cosmic consciousness, respect for Mother Nature and Sacred Plants, and development of the human being through exploration of the Self, Arts and Meditation.

To explore the dimensions of the Magic Garden, whether it be vegetable, animal or more spiritual and cosmic, is to undertake a trip toward our deeper perception, which recalls the multiple faces of our vital cradle, Mother Earth, Gaia.

What we want to express is the range of vibrations that can only be discovered through careful listening. By using certain sounds that are closer to our emotional and spiritual sphere, we want to manifest our origins, our roots, which in everyday life aren't always portrayed in the best way, but which can certainly help in taking a better approach toward our existence.

This new edition of "Magic Garden" comes with an exclusive painted album cover created by Piero Marchesi (www.pitturiamo.com/it/pittore-contemporaneo/piero-marchesi-19756.html?page=1)

We wish you a great listening experience.

All Songs written, arranged and performed by Stefano Contini & Piero Marchesi.

Stefano Contini plays Bass guitar on Track 5.

Mixing by Stefano Contini

Mastering by ESE @ Magic Garden Studios

www.dubmasterconte.com


name: Path to Myth
sku: soundexplorers-pathtomyth
upc: 847646010747
description:
Following their 2015 release of "The Fifth Dimension", Entheogenic Sound Explorers have now published a new album, called "Path to Myth".

"Path to Myth" carries on what the duo started in their previous works, by painting inner and emotional landscapes with the use of elements from nature, human art and meditation. However, it does so in a more detailed and precise manner than before, aimed at expressing a unique vibe and emotion for each song, thus weaving a common thread through this record.

The whole album is, in fact, a vibrating sonic path that guides to the more intimate and deep spheres of the unconscious, passing at times in tortuous ways in order to look beyond the darkness and beyond the light for something still undefined but consciously existing. It looks for something that goes beyond the conscious, in pursuit of myth.


name: Eric 2
sku: erickamen-erictwo
upc: 847646006566
description:
Motivated by the global success of his first World Music album "Native Unit", Eric released his second World Music album, Eric 2.0. 'As all artists know, in the wake of a success, you can't (or shouldn't!) simply follow the same equation which lead to the first success. Whether you are Mary J., Beyonce or Shakira ... you gotta keep moving forward! ... for the sake of your soul as well as your audience.'

'I attempted to really understand what so many people around the world enjoyed about my first album ... and built upon it in my second album Eric 2.0'. It wasn't such a radical departure from the basic notion of merging contemporary beatz with more traditional music from around the world, but feeling emboldened by the success of my first album Native Unit, I took some 'leaps of faith' I doubt I would taken on my first album. For starters - I used a photo of myself for the album cover!

'I also took a lot more liberties in the degree of musical diversification ... by including Asian and Indian tracks.'

'Eric 2.0 too was a successful financial and artistic undertaking, including my highest selling and most often played track - Goin' Down. I am pretty proud of the album!'


name: The New Art Of Urban Flamenco
sku: erickamen-flamenco
upc: 847646006573
description:
The third album in Eric's series of World Music albums is entitled 'the New Art of Urban Flamenco'. 'I think I went a little OTT with that album title! I should have simply called it 'Urban Flamenco'. The full title reflects the realization which had solidified in me that I had created somewhat of a new form or a new branch of music ... thus 'the New Art ...'

Well, regardless, 'Urban Flamenco' too is selling quite well and contains several of my most successful tracks ... notably 'Tango de Zorro''. I think 'Tango de Zorro' is my own favorite track, on all 3 of my World Music albums so far! I just let it rip ... and this is what came out.' What is surprising about Tango de Zorro is that it is built upon a Hip Hop acoustic piano rif! The Spanish guitar is actually somewhat of an afterthought!'

'If one wants to be a 'musicologist', the rif in Tango de Zorro strikes me as a combination of Bizet's opera 'Carmen', Mary J's 'No More Drama' ... and God knows what else. That's how art works! Each generation subliminally takes in the brilliance of previous generations ... and uses them as 'mimes' in their own work.'


name: Native Unit
sku: erickamen-nativeunit
upc: 847646006559
description:
Native Unit was Eric's first entry into the genre of World Music. Eric got a two week break in his producing schedule of young R? singers and rappers, and took several tracks he had created for those projects and experimented with using his Spanish guitar along with the tracks - no singing, no rapping. 'I was fascinated by what came out! I didn't really take it too seriously at first, but upon listening, it sounded pretty good to me ... and importantly, it was clearly 'its own thing.' It was def not the Gypsy Kings, nor Ottmar Liebert. I didn't really know how to describe it - other than to say it was a fusion between R?, Hip Hop and more traditional music from around the World - mostly the Mediterranean (Spain, Greece Turkey ... where I had spent a lot of time over the course of my life.'

'Timidly, I put 4 or 5 of the tracks on Myspace (this was 2006! .. when Myspace was the rage) ... and was shocked by the results. Within several months, I had accumulated 1/2 million fans! ... and numerous notable Awards and much other critical acclaim (for example - Best Instrumental CD of the Year Award from www.musesmuse.com ... plus numerous very positive write-ups in the press and on the Internet).'

I appreciated that I had hit a nerve by merging a contemporary vibe with more traditional music. Young people (14-17 is my biggest demographic on Facebook, ReverbNation et al!) could appreciate the more traditional acoustic World Music because it was packaged along with some very kool contemporary beatz ... and older people could appreciate (or at least tolerate LOL) the modern beatz because the music itself was so touching.

'As a kid, success meant getting a gig in one of the well-known clubs in lower Manhattan. Never in a million years did I ever imagine the day would come when tens of thousands of young kids, from Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico etc ... would be sending me such loving and supportive comments and emails.'


name: Chopin Preludes for Piano
sku: ezivian-chopin
upc: 876809008741
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/chopin-preludes-for-piano/id400939385
description:
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) wrote most of his 24 Preludes in 1839 while on the island of Mallorca trying to recover from the poor health that plagued him during most of his short life. He was there with his companion, the writer George Sand, and her two children, taking a break from their life in Paris. This was considered his most prolific period, in spite of the unusual, bitterly cold weather they experienced during their stay on the island. The Preludes, 24 short compositions in all the major and minor keys, inspired by Bach's Well-Tempered Klavier, were met with mixed reviews from critics of Chopin's time, but Liszt wrote: "they are poetic preludes, analogous to those of a great contemporary poet, who cradles the soul in golden dreams, and elevates it to the regions of the ideal." (1841). Many of the Preludes are less than a minute in length, though a few extend to several minutes.

Chopin began writing Polonaises as a young child in his native Poland. He was immediately recognized as a prodigy and compared favorably with the master Polonaise composer, Oginski. After leaving Poland at the age of 20, he spent the rest of his life in Paris, but he remained fiercely patriotic and was especially moved by the tragedy of the failed Polish uprising of 1830. The raw and powerful Polonaise in F# Minor, op. 44, was composed in 1841. It is a wonderful example of Chopin's ability to take a simple patriotic dance-form and bring to it an extraordinary originality and expressive force. One special feature of this Polonaise is Chopin's use of a gentle mazurka (another Polish dance) as a middle section.

The Barcarolle in F# Major, opus 60 was composed in 1845-46. A Barcarolle is a Venetian gondola song. Of Chopin's Barcarolle, Ravel said: "Through his brilliant passages one perceives profound, enchanting harmonies. Always there is the hidden meaning which is translated into poetry of intense despair....The Barcarolle is the synthesis of the expressive and sumptuous art of this great Slav."

Most of Chopin's mature music was composed on a French fortepiano by Pleyel, but Chopin was also partial to Graf style Viennese pianos he had performed on in 1830 when he made his very successful debut in Vienna. On this recording Eric Zivian plays an original Graf style fortepiano by Anton Rausch, built in Vienna in 1841.

Recorded by John Buckman for ToneGnome Piano Recordings


name: A Work in Progress
sku: eschnack-wip
upc: 847646000663
description:
After relocating to Berlin from his native Panama, Ernesto Schnack started exploring his various influences through his acoustic guitar. The music that came out is a unique blend of fingerstyle guitar, rock, classical and ethnic rhythms.

The music ranges from soft and bittersweet, to powerful and aggressive, but always moody, suggestive and enrapturing.

A Work in Progress is the result of an artist finding his sound.


name: Wood
sku: eschnack-wood
upc: 847646000670
description:
Wood, a new spin on acoustic fingerstyle music, using loops, samples and effects to create whole arrangements: drums, bass, ambient textures, fuzzed-out guitar solos; it's all there, and it all originated from an acoustic guitar, giving the album a very unique sound. That's not to say there isn't room for tradition. Half of the songs are more straightforward solo pieces, balancing things out.


name: Ciaconna
sku: ernststolz-ciaconna
upc: 847646006399
description:
The Italian recorder player Romeo Ciuffa visited the Netherlands for this concert. We have chosen an all Italian program ranging from the Early baroque with Giovanni Paolo Cima (c. 1570 - 1622), till the high Baroque period with Francesco Maria Veracini (1690 - 1768).

On this album we have recorded some canzonas for solo or duo instruments (recorder and viola da gamba) and some sonatas for recorder and basso continuo. Karel Smagge also played some solo works on the organ of the Meerburgkerk Zoeterwoude in the Netherlands.

Although we were in this combination joined for the first time, our musical temperaments matched remarkably well.

This album was recorded during rehearsal time for a concert program with Italian baroque music in the Summer of 2013.


name: German Viola da Gamba Sonatas
sku: ernststolz-germansonatas
upc: 847646005071
description:
German Sonatas for Viola da Gamba from the Baroque period.

On this album you will find some very fine sonatas and a suite from German composers who have been living between 1659 and 1787.

The viola da gamba came somewhat late in Germany. In 1571 a merchant bought a "chest of viols" made in London for the court in Munich. The viol was used in consorts and vocal ensembles, often played by English violists, like John Cooper. Then came the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) resulting in a decrease of cultural life.

From Northern Germany, with the rich Hanseatic cities, there developed an important school of viol music. Composers like Dietrich Buxtehude, Matthias Weckmann and Franz Tunder composed music for the instrument. Builders like Tielke made abundantly ornamented instruments. The nobility discovered the viola da gamba. Frierich Wilhelm von Brandenburg, Max Emanuel von Bayern, Leopold von Anhalt-Kothen and Friedrich Wilhelm von Preussen, played the instrument.

Johann Friedrich Ruhe was Kapellmeister at Magdeburg Cathedral for 43 years, all of Ruhe's compositions are lost except for these five gamba works. Probably written in the 1730s, they are lively, forward-looking pieces in three and four movements in an Italianate Style with some resemblance of Telemann's style.

Theodor Schwartzkopff 's career is closely related to the court of Wurttemberg where he worked as Kapellmeister. This suite is part of the music collection of the Crown Prince Friedrich Ludwig von Wurttemberg. Although the French style, played an important role in Germany, also this work bears strong Italian influences, but perhaps the suite form is more French then Italian.

Johann Daniel Hardt worked in Strasbourg. He has been Kammermusikus for about five years to Stanislaus I and later he became violist for the Chapel of Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schonborn in Wurzburg. From 1746 on he was second Kapellmeister together with Ignaz Holzbauer und Niccolo Jomelli. In 1755 he retired.

Anonymus from the Wiesentheid collection. Rudolf Franz Erwein had begun to form his musical collection, which still exists today at Wiesentheid. The beginnings of the collection date from 1694. Rudolf Franz Erwein played the flute and the bassoon, but his favorite instrument was the cello. The collection today contains around one hundred and fifty printed works and five hundred manuscripts, many of them, like this anonymous sonata, unique.

Carl Friedrich Abel Abel was born in Kothen, where his father was a viol player in the court orchestra where Bach was Kapellmeister. When Bach moved to Leipzig, Abel 's father became this position. The young Abel studied at the Thomaschule, where he was taught by Bach. After 1759 he went to England and became chamber-musician to Queen Charlotte. He gave a concert of his own compositions in London together with his by then good friend Johann Christian Bach, the eleventh son of J.S. Bach. They organized England's first subscription concerts. Abel also composed orchestral works.

Johann Christian Bach, was the youngest son of Bach who was already 50 at the time of his birth. From 1756 on, he lived for many years in Italy (Bologna and Milan). In 1762, Bach went to London and established a reputation in England. Like Abel he became music master to Queen Charlotte. The sonata on this CD was put up for auction in 1992 at Sotheby's in London and till then unknown. It is originally composed for the viol with pianoforte and just recently published by edition. Guntersberg.


name: Genuine
sku: ejp-genuine
upc: 847646008690
description:
Eternal Jazz Project is a Swedish Jazz Band, now presenting their fifth album "Genuine", consisting of all original compositions. The feeling you get when listening is that of a Scandinavian jazz timbre, with a fresh, yet mystic flow.

But if you want a more solid description; it's plain modern jazz, with great melodies and great improvisations performed with grand piano, double bass, saxophone, drums and electric guitar. It leans towards slower jazz, with mosaic harmonics, but EJP can perform fast numbers too. Recorded in two days, live in the studio. Enjoy!


name: GratisJazz
sku: ejp-gratis
upc: 876809006075
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=277014176&s=143444
description:
Hailing from Sweden, the Eternal Jazz Project's debut album features gentle, original jazz with a great sense of melody and a relaxed yet polished sound. This easy-going quintet features a saxophone, piano, guitar, double bass, and drums. A great album to put on after work.


name: Handmade
sku: ejp-handmade
upc: 847646001783
description:
Handmade is the third Eternal Jazz Project album, mainly recorded in one of Sweden's most famous jazz studio recording facilities - the Swedish Broadcast radio. The feel is relaxed and down to earth, and has that (as many people point out) Scandinavian touch and mystic ambience. EJP is still a fairly traditional jazz band with it's roots in 50's and 60's jazz. (The piano player and composer Lars Lundell and is a big fan of Bill Evans.) As always, EJP is presenting only their own compositions, going from the soft and beautiful "Hey June" to the glimpse in the eye -swinging "Jamaican BBQ". No matter how Scandinavian, there's always room for surprises and groovy improvisation.


name: 24 Days
sku: etherine-24days
upc: 876809002398
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257921062&s=143444
description:
"Etherine is the name of a musical project by Michael Weeks, and "24 Days" is the first album created under the project's umbrella. The album was created as an experiment, the author wrote and recorded one song every day over a 24 days period. Despite the experimental character, it has cohesion and the inner "movement" of the album as you progress through the songs feels good and natural. The name of the project could not have been chosen more properly - Etherine creates a music that's ethereal, pure and transparent. And there's something to it that puts it light years ahead of the typical, forced-ethereal, ambient or "new age" music.

The usual "new age" products are sort of bland, just streams of peaceful sounds that are beautiful at times, but lack real meaning. While Etherine produces something that has character, and the message is clear for anyone who's open to it. The atmosphere is strongly introspective, and it clearly carries the marks of a genuine introspection - there's _someone_ behind that music, you can feel a soul's stirrings and ups and downs. But perhaps the album's biggest value resides in the "altitude" of the states of mind that are behind it. While some songs are a bit melancholic, and a very few are turned towards more earthly feelings, the pinnacles of the album are very, very high above.
Florin Andrei


name: Light Off
sku: euchmad-lightoff
upc: 847646009710
description:
Mysterious and dreamy, like a Tim Burton movie, this album immerses us in childhood, in a fantasy world.

Piano, celesta, pizzicato, glockenspiel, electronic percussions, Music box, and choir are the main instruments.

All the songs were composed in a cinematic mood.


name: When Droplets Coalesce Into A Puddle
sku: euchmad-whendroplets
upc: 876809007195
description:
Hypnotic and touching, like in a strange dream, this album is built with strings and percussion instruments, punctuated with sweetly sorrowfully played piano pieces. Sometimes moving and emotional and then heartwarming and uplifting. As with certain books or movies, it feels like being disconnected, to undertake a journey towards a world of enchanting glockenspiels, ethereal strings, naive and soothing piano melodies.


name: Exaltation
sku: evgenybardyuzha-exaltation
upc: 847646007211
description:
Exaltation is my third album. This is what happens when a progressive trance producer and DJ tries to break the standard EDM concept and think wider.

The album genre is something between breakbeat, chill out and dubstep with cinematic touch. It sounds dreamy, etherial and slightly melancholic.


name: Exhalation_
sku: exhalation-exhalation
upc: 847646010013
description:
This concept album embraces everything from ethnic heavy hitting drums to soft ambient pianos and strings. The project is a collage of many inflections ranging from ambient, post rock, and cinematic vibes that blend into each track. An underscoring goal whilst writing was to let the subconscious take over and letting my instincts keep moving me forward in the creative process. Not only was creating melodic hooks important but also creating an atmosphere to rest upon.

Austin Crosby - Artist/Producer

Archie Montoya - Guitar/Bass

Album Art - Ned Crosby


name: Red Cabin
sku: exhalation-redcabin
upc: 847646010051
description:
"Red Cabin" is filled with atmospheres surrounded by finger picking guitars, strings, and pianos to create rich soundscapes. This EP is multilayered with drones and field recordings to provide the ambient foundation of the project. Another aspect is combinations of acoustic and electric sounds creating a cohesive cinematic journey with waves of voices. "Red Cabin" is a place of rest and peace.

Artist /Producer - Austin Crosby Bass & Electric Guitar - Archie Montoya Acoustic Guitar - Chas Haynes Cover Art - In loving memory of my great grandmother, Lillian Barden Gerace.


name: Horizon
sku: eyot-horizon
upc: 847646000649
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/horizon/id440799014
description:
"Eyot" represents a musicians hungering for a fresh sound: blending the culture of jazz, the sophistication of classical piano, the gritty elements of East European folk music, and just a hint of smooth electronic fusion.

"Eyot" has been called the "Nirvana" of European Jazz. The band was founded in Nis, Serbia about 2 years ago.


name: Adore
sku: fallingyou-adore
upc: 847646001493
description:
Adore finds "Falling You" exploring a more optimistic, rock-oriented motif. Though the ethereal / ambient base is still there, the music ranges from ambient, to jangly shoegaze, to melodic space-rock, to dream-pop and finally back to ambient. The concept is a simple one - life is a varied and wonderful thing, and though it's trials can weigh heavily on us, it's tribulations can lift our hearts. "Adore" is about exploring the more optimistic side of emotional music and this gift called life.

Vocalists include Anji Bee (LoveSpirals), Suzanne Perry (MelodyGuild, Love Spirals Downwards), Aimee Page (Vishnu's Secret), Victoria Lloyd (Claire Voyant), Erica Mulkey (Unwoman, Stripmall Architecture), Dru Allen (This Ascension, Mirabilis), Summer Bowman (The Machine In The Garden, Mirabilis) and Kirsty Hawkshaw (Delirium, Mr. Sam).


name: Blush
sku: fallingyou-blush
upc: 847646005781
description:
"Blush", the 6th record from Falling You, continues in the dreampop / shoegaze direction that began with their previous release, "Adore". The atmosphere remains ethereal, the perspective remains optimistic. There are innumerable events, large and small, which happen all over the World which can induce a smile on our face and a gentle tug at our heart, if we only let them. This album is about celebrating those unexpected, yet beautiful moments.

Capillaries open. Flowers bloom. Hearts swell. Ideas spread.


name: Faith
sku: fallingyou-faith
upc: 876809006457
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=291764184&s=143444
description:
Featuring incredible performances by Suzanne Perry (Love Spirals Downwards), Amanda Kramer (The Golden Palominos), Shikhee (Android Lust) and other Falling You favorites, 'faith' continues in the dark ambient / heavenly voices / ethereal style of 'human' and 'touch', while adding subtle industrial elements. Exploring what we humans do when life's experiences shake the foundations of whatever beliefs we hold, 'faith' asks the question, 'What do we do when everything crumbles around us?'


name: Human
sku: fallingyou-human
upc: 876809004996
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=200851515&s=143444
description:
A Magnatune best-seller and winner of NAR's Best Vocal Album of 2006, Human showcases John Michael Zorko's ability to fuse beautifully emotive female vocals with dark ambient instrumentals. The overall effect is otherworldy and elegant: like music for a haunted palace. Human features performances by Dru Allen of This Ascension and Suzanne Perry of Love Spirals Downwards, as well as Aimee Page and other Falling You favorites. Full liner notes with download purchase, including lyrics.


name: Touch
sku: fallingyou-touch
upc: 876809002367
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=68946009&s=143444
description:
This Magnatune best-seller features the superlative sound design of John Michael Zorko and the haunting vocals of Dru Allen (This Ascension), Sara Ayers, Jennifer McPeak, Victoria Lloyd, Erica Mulkey, and Aimee Page. Perched perfectly somewhere between a dark, dissonant mood and a lilting, elegant one, Touch explores Zorko's love of unstructured sound and emotive female vocals; the songs float and change shape slowly, like clouds. Standout tracks include "Something About Eve," "The Light Between Us," and "Reading the Leaves (by Moonlight)." Named NAR's Best Vocal Album of 2005.


name: Ludwig Senfl
sku: farallon-senfl
upc: 876809003500
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257902258&s=143444
description:
Here, we have a survey of this too-little heard composer's works, engagingly performed and well recorded. Early Music Vol. XXXVI, No. 4 November 2008

Reviews:
"This excellent disc includes recorder quartet arrangements of an assortment of Ludwig Senfl's works both sacred and secular, and will not only delight the ear but should also help to shed light on an unjustly neglected master of Renaissance polyphony".
New Releases for Libraries February 2006

"Farallon...is quite the equal of the well-known European recorder ensembles. Their control of intonation and ensemble is exemplary and they show a real understanding of Senfl?s idiom. Both the performance and the choice of repertoire make this a disc that will be of great interest to lovers of Renaissance recorder music".
American Recorder January 2006


name: C-Section
sku: fatherofsam-csection
upc: 847646006344
description:
Father of Sam's debut album is entitled C-Section. Released in 2012, it is a heavy psych-pop in-your-face experience. The music ranges from dark and moody to catchy, danceable rhythms but always with an edge and a touch of sarcasm.

C-Section is an honest and unpretentious album featuring excellent musicianship and strong vocals. Sophisticated but with plenty of working class appeal. An album that is certain to please hard rock fans as well as the indie set.

Father of Sam was formed by Alec Badxxxxx and Stephan Kuzibutta in 2008. The two New York City based musicians grew up subjects of the former Soviet Union bringing a unique approach to American music.


name: Arpeggi
sku: federicomoscogiuri-arpeggi
upc: 847646007440
description:
An arpeggio is a group of notes played in succession, as in a harp - "arpa" in Italian. Like the harp, the lute is an instrument of remarkable beauty, with a rich history and ethereal sound. Both delicate and intense, the lute dominated music and art in Europe from the late 15th C to the late 17th C.

This album is a collection of original lute pieces, taking inspiration from some of the great Renaissance lutenists as well as more modern music to produce something quite unique, and easily enjoyable. Relax, and let it transport you.


name: Orpheus
sku: federicomoscogiuri-orpheus
upc: 876809002954
description:
Orpheus
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Greek mythology, Orpheus was effectively the embodiment of music: a sublime musician, born of a Muse, taught by Apollo, capable of charming all the creatures of the world with his lyre. Gentle, soulful, evocative: these are words which would probably have described such music, and which also describe the sound of the lute. While not purporting to come close to so great a gift as that of Orpheus, this album can be regarded as a tribute to the kind of music that he might have played. As the Classics inspired the early thinkers, artists and musicians of the Renaissance, so they have partly inspired this album, which is like stepping into a dream.


name: Sailing by the Stars
sku: moscogiuri-sailing
upc: 847646011577
description:
The title of the album, and that of some of the songs, refers to the human condition of having a degree of control over our lives and our course, but ultimately needing to feel our way along based on our ability to understand and interpret the wider world around us, which we often struggle to understand, let alone control. For centuries sailors and explorers have relied on the stars to navigate both charted and uncharted waters. The stars in the firmament are both a reminder of how small we are in the vastness of the universe and a source of awe and inspiration - as expressed through our naming of the constellations, among other things. The title is also a nod to Oscar Wilde's famous quote, "we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" - though we don't have to stay in the gutter; in fact we can sail where we wish to with a dream, a desire, a commitment, and what we have in our hands.


name: Almeria
sku: fernwood-almeria
upc: 876809006518
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/almeria/id278024817
description:
Frail and haunting, beautiful and dreamy, the music of composer team Gayle Ellett and Todd Montgomery has a unique, yet familiar feel. Both of them have each been composing and performing music professionally for many decades. Working under the name "Fernwood" they have released two albums so far: "Almeria" and "Sangita". Their cinematic music blends the beautiful sounds of Greek and Irish bouzouki, sitar, dilruba, quirquincho, acoustic guitar, Chinese ruan, Turkish cumbus, Moroccan oud, mandolin, harmonium, gimbri, tenor banjo, rababa, bulbul tarang, jal tarang, dotara, surmandal, tambura, manjira, tumbi, bugchu, gopichand, violin, rhodes piano and upright bass. All of these exotic tones are used like paint, to create dramatic visions of beauty.

GUITAR PLAYER Magazine described the music as "Wonderfully melodic, expertly layered, masterfully interwoven, luscious yet rootsy". NEW AGE RETAILER said "Sangita's 12 songs display influences from disparate cultures and heritages: Appalachia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and other ports of call. You may hear a snatch of bluegrass, a hint of blues, or even an Indian raga. The genre-bending fusion presented on Sangita is another fine example of defying world beat conventions."


name: Arcadia
sku: fernwood-arcadia
upc: 847646007914
description:
Fernwood, the award-winning all-acoustic instrumental duo, announces the release of their much anticipated third album, Arcadia. This 11-track offering expands upon their previous work which Guitar Player describes as "wonderfully melodic and emotionally direct".

Utilizing an exotic array of world instruments, Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) and Todd Montgomery have created a soundscape that is both familiar and exotic, classical and contemporary, warm and inspirational.

Purposefully conceived to evoke the visual language of film, Arcadia takes the listener on an epic, emotional journey through a pan-cultural landscape. Contemporary Americana and Old-World styles are merged and blended together to produce a beautiful antidote to the stresses of everyday life.

Produced with what can only be described as a golden tone, Arcadia is a marvelously cohesive offering. The arrangements and orchestration are sophisticated and dynamic. Montgomery and Ellett achieve Arcadia's rich and inviting sound by showcasing the natural timbres of instruments such as the Irish and Greek bouzouki, sitar, dilruba, ruan, charango, tanpura, surmandal, tenor banjo, mandolin, harmonium, acoustic guitar, tenor ukulele, violin, piano, upright bass, and more.

"One of the things we try to focus on, is our attempt to apply the artistic concept of theme and variation, to the many different elements of our music such as the rhythm, harmony and melody, but also to the dynamics, arrangements, orchestration and instrumentation. And in a way, its almost like we are a national orchestra ... for a missing country!" says Fernwood's Ellett.

Created and recorded in their Malibu studio, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Ellett and Montgomery's music is a reflection of their lives in Southern California, their knowledge of progressive rock, folk, world and jazz, and their professional experience in film, television, animation and games. Authentic and honest, they play music the old-fashioned way: by hand. Formed in 2006, they have released three albums so far: Almeria, Sangita and Arcadia.

In order to maintain a more natural and dynamic sound, Arcadia was recorded without compression or computer manipulation.

All music played by hand, on instruments made out of wood!

Listen with headphones, you'll be glad you did!


name: Sangita
sku: fernwood-sangita
upc: 876809000295
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sangita/id324402337
description:
Fernwood, an all-acoustic instrumental group announces the release of their second album titled "Sangita". Following on the heels of their widely heralded debut release "Almeria', this 12-track offering greatly expands upon their previous work. Utilizing an expanded palette of world instruments, Gayle Ellett (Djam Karel) and Todd Montgomery create music that is both familiar and exotic, lush and melodic, warm and inspirational. They create contemporary acoustic music that is beautiful and elegant, with a strong cinematic and pan-cultural feel. By playing traditional World instruments in new and interesting ways, they have created a new hybrid style that is uniquely their own.

GUITAR PLAYER Magazine described their music as "Wonderfully melodic, expertly layered, masterfully interwoven, luscious yet rootsy."
And their debut release "Almeria" was chosen as "#4 ALBUM OF THE YEAR" at nationally syndicated Echoes Radio.

Montgomery and Ellen achieve a rich and inviting sound on "Sangita" with the use of a wide variety of traditional wooden folk instrument s such as: Irish and Greek bouzouki, sitar, dilruba, ruan, oud, gobijen, jal tarang, dotara, tenor banjo, harmonium, acoustic guitar, violin, upright bass, and other instruments. Contemporary Americana and Old World styles are merged and blended together into something new and beautiful. The arrangements and orchestration are sophisticated and dynamic. Produced with what can only be described as a truly golden tone, "Sangita" is a marvelously cohesive offering.


name: Old School Old Time
sku: fiddlewham-oldschool
upc: 847646005453
description:
The debut recording of Fiddle Whamdiddle sizzles and celebrates Old Time music on fiddle and dulcimers.

Old School Old Time is a collection of 15 tracks of old-time music, including a couple of originals from each fellow, learned and shared by many generations of players and now picked up and taught to each other, coming out in some refreshing arrangements that highlight the beauty of the instruments and the liveliness of the tradition. Are you saying, "I know what a fiddle is but what is a whamdiddle?" The whamdiddle is a slang name for the hammered dulcimer; "hog fiddle" is a slang name for the mountain dulcimer, both are traditional American folks instruments. Together with the fiddle they make for a porch-picking, knee-slapping good time.

Recorded by Aaron Youngberg at Swingfingers Studio in Masonville, CO, Mastered at Airshow Mastering by Charlie Pilzer. With thanks to Brent Hawley for Guitar and Mandolin.

Reviews:
"Tight, spirited, and varied arrangements by two excellent folk musicians. Present throughout is an obvious love of both the material and the craft of presenting it." -Don Pedi, Old-Time mountain dulcimer player, N Carolina, DJ of "Close to Home"
WCQS Public Radio of the Mountain Air Network

"This album is a breath of fresh air for the old-time music community. Smart song selections, fresh accessible arrangements...great performances make for a very enjoyable listening experience.
Matthew Hartz, Fiddle Champion: World (1988), Grand National (1988, 1992), Grand Masters (1989, 1993, 1995)


name: All the Days Have Gone Away
sku: firehead-allthedays
upc: 847646004074
description:
ATDHGA is a concept album in which all of the songs flow seamlessly together to take the listener on a journey, without knowing where one song ends and another begins.

ATDHGA is also being made into an animatic film in which the story behind the album will be told in greater detail. It is a post-apocalyptic story in which a character, Jerry, wakes up to find the world around him completely devastated. This album is about his journey through this new, desolate world. This is an album about personal redemption, self-realization, and our cosmic connectivity. All of the songs are introspective, deep, and very personal. The music keeps the listener moving, and incorporates various sounds and instruments that help disguise the pop sensibility hidden beneath the songs.

FireHead Jerry uses it's usual blend of electronic and pop sounds, while also featuring the saxophone on 3 pinnacle tracks on this album. "Toys", "Convince Yourself" and "The Return of the Space Brothers" all have extremely powerful saxophone solos. As "Solitude" and "Lost Love" may be the singles off this album, FireHead Jerry made the album to be heard from start to finish, with no breaks, skips, or bathroom breaks.

All the Days Have Gone Away is FireHead Jerry's 5th studio album. This album is more than just an album, it's an experience.


name: B-sides
sku: firehead-bsides
upc: 847646000014
description:
In the Summer of 2009, Dan decided to take his musical talents and ambitions to New Orleans. Dan began playing and recording with local musicians and really started to make a name for himself. It was shortly thereafter, Ben decided visit his brother to do some recording with him.

Although Ben was only in New Orleans for a few days, the two songs they recorded inspired the whole idea behind the release of B-Sides. "The Mississippi River" and "Everything That's Me" were written and recorded in 2 days. "The Mississippi River" was at this point, the catchiest song they have ever written together. That song was written by Ben and Dan, who were drinking their morning coffee staring at the Mississippi River. The genuineness of this song shines through like the sun over that very river.

B-Sides is collection of past songs written and recorded by FireHead Jerry that did not make it on any previous albums. Some of the recordings are raw, and some are even recorded on a 4-track. This 8 track album has songs that have been recorded over a 4 year span, including the two most recent tracks recorded in New Orleans.

One of the tracks on this album, "Self-Defense" was featured in a short filmed called Demption. This film was produced and stared by David Krumholtz.


name: Nothing Seems Right
sku: firehead-nothingright
upc: 876809009991
description:
FireHead Jerry's combination of introspective lyrics, pop song writing sensibility, and surreal sonic textures gives them broad appeal to a variety of fans. On this 12 song debut album which features a wide range of genres, instrumentation, and creativity, not one outside member contributed to the performance of this record.

The songs for this album were written the over the span of one or two years. Ben, the eldest of the two lives in Los Angeles and Dan who resides in San Francisco, finally decided to take their music to the next level. Dan also runs his own studio in San Francisco, Room 3 Studios, and Nothing Seems Right marked as the label's first full studio album.

Since the release of this album, a few songs on it found their way into other media sources. The song "Goodbye, for now" is featured in the full length film, Separation Anxiety. "Suitcase Full of Lies" was also featured in a short film titled Baggage. KPRI 102.1 in San Diego also played the song "Nothing Seems Right" during one of their local broadcasts. This album is also available on Pandora radio.

"Nothing Seems Right" keeps the listener engaged by varying genres, sound effects and lyrical content. If nothing else, it inspired FireHead Jerry to keep making records together.


name: Sidewalks
sku: firehead-sidewalks
upc: 876809009984
description:
FireHead Jerry's most recent album "Sidewalks" may also be their most complete. This 10-track album is one that keeps the listener on his feet, as every song involves new instrumentation, constant build-ups, and catchy hooks. While Ben and Dan still wrote and performed most of what you'll hear, they decided to reach out to other artists as well for the betterment of album's sound.

The making of this album took approximately 7 months, as attention to detail was at an all-time high. Bringing in other musicians also took extra time, but it was well worth the wait. Jessica Ling does an amazing job playing the violin on 4 songs, and Sleepless J plays the clarinet on a few tracks.

The unanimous choice for the single off this album is Track 1, "Little Miss Nothing." FireHead Jerry is currently finishing up an animated video for this song.


name: Symmetry
sku: firehead-symmetry
upc: 847646000021
description:
The is the second album released by FireHead Jerry, although it may be considered more of an EP due to the brevity of the album. Symmetry only runs for 14 minutes and consists of 5 songs.

Ben was in graduate school getting his Master's Degree in Social Work during this time, and this album was recorded during his winter break from classes. FireHead Jerry was just so eager to record together again, and at the time, this was the most they could fit in.

The album features a couple beautiful ballads, one being "Because, Because, Because" which features Ken Restivo on piano. "Personal Heaven" and "Anxiety" begin to show the introspection and depth that the previous album hinted upon.


name: Requiem
sku: firesphere-requiem
upc: 847646009444
description:
Requiem is the debut album by the epic band Firesphere. In essence it is really a dark gothic love story. Together, the twelve songs on the album tell the tale of its two main characters, the immortals Priest and Rosemary Butterfly, who's undying love for each other is the only thing that keeps their ancient hearts from turning entirely black.

Together, they created Firesphere in the 21st Century as a vehicle to tell their epic love story. The music on Requiem is new and exciting, a sound all unto itself. Refusing to follow trends or formulas, they have instead fused industrial metal/rock with techno and epic cinematic soundtracks to create a sound quite unlike anything in the market today, a sound that is fresh and different.

As Priest likes to say . . . Feed your hunger!


name: Automatic Ordinary
sku: fivestar-automatic
upc: 876809002350
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257784440&s=143444
description:
From the dazzling liquid guitar loops of "Mercurial Girl" to the analog synth telegram embedded in "What Planet Are We On?," Five Star Fall tricks out its sparkling pop with lots of satisfying sonic detail. This band really layers and lathers up the sound with old effects pedals, Kraftwerk-era drum machines, and hall-of-mirrors samples that work well with their upbeat, almost retro sense of wonder. Gordon Deppe's voice is as buoyant as ever, as is his kaleidoscope guitar work. The tracks are tight, polished, and impeccably arranged. Plus, Tom Lewis somehow coaxes synth-like groans from an old Fender bass while Michael Shotton delivers fast, intricate rhythms in the way that only a drummer with real heavy metal experience could. Melodic and meteoric, the well-crafted songs of Five Star Fall seem always to be rocketing forward toward some better tomorrow.


name: My Darling, The Glass Was Always Half Empty
sku: flurries-mdtgwahe
upc: 847646001073
description:
The musician writes:

The writing on this album is ambitious and borrows from my classic rock influences, as well as 80's new wave pop. This fusion of classic rock meets modern, created a sound that could go alongside The Killers or Franz Ferdinand. Still, no one I know has been able to give me an accurate sound alike comparison, which I suppose, is good. The result is an album sounding unique and modern, but yet familiar and classic at the same time.

I started tracking rough, instrumental demos for this album in 2005. I tracked casually for two years with producer Stephan Hawkes, as I searched for a singer. As two years became three, I realized this album would never see the light of day if I didn't do it myself. After another several months of vocal coaching and writing the melodies and lyrics, I tracked the vocals myself. Four years, five studios, six amps and three drum sets later... it was done.


name: (instrumental) My Darling, The Glass Was Always Half Empty
sku: flurries-mdtgwahei
upc: 847646001080
description:
I started tracking rough, instrumental demos for this album in 2005. I tracked casually for two years with producer Stephan Hawkes, as I searched for a singer. As two years became three, I realized this album would never see the light of day if I didn't do it myself. After another several months of vocal coaching and writing the melodies and lyrics, I tracked the vocals myself. Four years, five studios, six amps and three drum sets later... it was done.

In my opinion, the writing is ambitious and borrows from my classic rock influences, as well as 80's new wave pop. This fusion of classic rock meets modern, created a sound that could go alongside The Killers or Franz Ferdinand. Still, no one I know has been able to give me an accurate sound alike comparison, which I suppose, is good. The result is an album sounding unique and modern, but yet familiar and classic at the same time.


name: Pastourelle
sku: fwheel-pastourelle
upc: 876809007584
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pastourelle/id339075414
description:
I met long-time Magnatune musician Tim Rayborn's new musical partner Annette Bauer a few months ago at a Berkeley restaurant. Tim has always been a multi-instrumentalist, straddling the worlds of early classical music and eastern music. Annette is very much the same, as she is a recorder player who also plays the Indian sarod. Tim and Annette cover medieval repertoire with their new group Canconier. Annette explores Indian music with her group Magic Carpet. Another long-time collaborator with Tim Rayborn is Shira Kammen, who shows up in this set of new releases with another of her groups, the medieval ensemble "Fortune's Wheel".


name: Chronic Dreams
sku: fourstones-chronic
upc: 876809002343
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257784803&s=143444
description:
The Magnatune release of Chronic Dreams is a showcase for its do it yourself (DIY) pop musicians and casts these artists in what has been called an album of "groove soaked ambient chill."

Lisa DeBenedictis is a singer/songwriter who has had great success at Magnatune with her ethereal, shimmering textural pop. A prototypical DIY musician she wrote and performed her entire debut solo album Fruitless. For Chronic Dreams Lisa re-recorded the vocals for "Brilliant Day" remixed here as a late-night ambient Al Green style in album's opener and later over a classical string quartet. She also sings a previously unreleased original song "Ocean in her Head" which makes it's world debut on Chronic.

Another DIY musician c. layne's music is pure, both in it's deceptive simplicity and depth of soul. On his Magnatune debut Potemkin Villages there are strong reverberations of 60's pop brought up to date in a distinctively modern style. Layne contributed the vocals to two previously unreleased songs to Chronic which were subsequently remixed here as a 10cc-style ambient ("Just My Luck") and the stunning album closer "How Soon We Forget (Minsk Mix)" which fuses layne's haunting vocals with the soaring, soul searing voices of the Kyiv Chamber Choir.

Ian Varley's band Drop Trio plays a unique blend of organ/electric piano jazz, fusion, rock. Their success, both artistic and commercial, is significant. Their brilliant album Big Dipper is a consistent best seller at Magnatune and their live performances are legendary for their energy and musicianship. The Trio's track "Lefty's Alone" was heavily sampled in Chronic Dream's "Not Even Alone" and Ian's brilliant electric piano playing can be heard on "Be Brave (Dip Blotter Mix)" which he specifically preformed for Chronic.

The prolific singer/songwriter Norine Braun is an indy iconoclast and her five (!) albums are all available on Magnatune. Her studio work is varied and deep and she proves a mastery over a multitude of genres. Norine's song "Be Brave" has been completely recast from it's original acoustic version on her latest release Now and Zen and appears on Chronic Dreams as "Be Brave (Dip Blotter Mix)" in a beat-era cool groove replete with jazzy-strings chorus.

Producer Victor Stone (a.k.a. fourstones.net, Four Stones, fourstones) has been producing and collaborating online for 10 years. His first Magnatune release was a 40 minute mega-mix entitled Ridin' the Faders: Magantune Remixed. He currently runs the popular Virtual Turntable site aimed at helping DIY independent musicians with technical issues relating to recording their own music. Stone is also an outspoken advocate for music industry reform and is a regular contributor to the Creative Commons weblog.

The Chronic Dreams project was originally based Stone's concept of showcasing both the new business model at Magnatune as well as its artists. A deep background write-up on the genesis of Chronic can be found here. He also contributed several original instrumental and remix tracks including "Dead Money" and "Art vs. Process."

The Chronic Dreams album is sprinkled liberally with samples from throughout the Magnatune catalogue including tracks by Indian artist touchingGrace, IDM techo by Beat Under Control, the Johannesburg Philharmonic, 30's style blues guitarist Jag and many, many others.


name: Chronic Dreams 2
sku: fourstones-chronic2
upc: 876809006358
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
ccMixter wizard Victor Stone aka "fourstones" remixes his favorite Magnatune tracks and brings in some great new talent in the process including Calendar Girl, DJ Vadim and the totally fantastic "Ms Muthaphukin Vybe." As usual, there's a whole lotta warm and friendly funkiness in Stone's sensibilities, although the more tender and reflective "July" is a really strong showing as well. Other highlights include "Trashy GT" and the sultry "Let Them Quake."


name: La Vie Chill
sku: fourstones-viechill
upc: 876809004293
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257921133&s=143444
description:
The album title says it all: this is a thick slice of chill outedness and downtempo groove in the form of original compositions by Victor Stone, laced with subtly funky samples. "Til My Cup Runs Over" is a brilliant track and shows Victor Stone's skill at weaving relaxed jazz melodies throughout his work, and "Walk Like Me" and "Cleaning His Gun" are also great specimens of the grown-up, nighttime vibe that Stone is so good at creating. La Vie Chill Blue Velvet than Ibiza, so it's an album that's right in line with the neo-lounge movement of late: sophisticated, modern, and fabulously nocturnal.


name: Numinous River
sku: genco-numinous
upc: 876809007454
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/numinous-river/id306175003
description:
Francesca Genco comes to Magnatune via Laura Inserra, who plays the newly invented Swiss instrument called the "Hang" on Francesca's album. Francesca's music is more on the Indian/World fusion side of things, blending Indian singing with other instrumental traditions.

In this her first solo album, Francesca shares these chants which unfolded from deep within her heart. "They invoke an ancient and powerful Indian tradition, inflected through my own improvisational style. Although they are all in Sanskrit, they reflect the influences of many genres of music from different times, cultures and spiritual traditions, including Gregorian chants, Arabic love songs and Australian aboriginal trance music. What unifies these songs is the openness and devotion with which I offer them. May they be as healing for you as they continue to be for me."


name: Downtown Ride
sku: francoiscouture-downtownride
upc: 847646005903
description:
Chill, Lounge and funky sound.
Melodies played on the trombone by Evelin Auger and backed by the rhythm of the drums of Denis Pouliot.


name: Ground Cherry
sku: francoiscouture-groundcherry
upc: 847646008676
description:
Couture, a man of boundless musical imagination, continues to fearlessly blend modern electronic rhythms with subtle ethnic and even classical motifs. With nine albums under his belt, ranging from new age to world beat to neo-classical, his music draws the listener into the ever-changing world of his creations. And this world turns out to be very exciting.

He explores the musical universe and its mysteries, fusing everyday sounds with string orchestras, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and electronic sounds, all exquisitely produced and taking the listener on a journey through the entire musical spectrum. An alchemist who likes to push the boundaries between ethnic music, folk, ambient and electronic, Francois Couture is one of those rare musicians who always amazes with his fresh and innovative style and surprising combination of sounds. His music gets airplay and praise around the world.


name: LA BUCHE vol 1
sku: francoiscouture-labuchevol1
upc: 876809000721
description:
LA BUCHE
Musique et cuisine Québécoise
www.restolabuche.com
www.boghei.com
Philippe Amyot - Violon - Mandoline / Violin - Mandolin (1-2-6-7-8-9-11)
Sylvain Neault - Violon - Mandoline / Violin - Mandolin (4-5-13-15)
Réjean Clouet - Accordéon / Accordion
François Couture - Guitare - Banjo - Cuillères - Podorythmie / Guitar - Banjo - Spoons - Foot tapping
Frédéric Drouin - Bodhran - Planche à laver - Osselets / Bodhran - Washboard - Bones
Denis Maheux - Consultant traditionnel - Traditional consultant
Réalisateur / Producer Compositeur / Composer François Couture
Enregistrement / Recording Studio François Couture Québec, Canada
www.studiofc.com
Production / Production
Disques BOGHEI Records
(Québec) Canada
www.boghei.com
info@boghei.com
Restaurant LA BUCHE 49 ½, rue Saint-Louis Vieux-Québec G1R 3Z2 (418) 694-7272
www.restolabuche.com


name: La Symphonie des Lampes Allumees (The Symphony of Burning Lamps)
sku: francoiscouture-lampesallumees
upc: 847646008706
description:
The Symphony of Burning Lamps was Inspired by a popular and much loved Quebec song, a best-seller for weddings, called Si je n'ai pas l'amour (If I don't have love). Composed by Denis Veilleux in 1978, this song made Its way through French-speaking countries and was translated into other languages. This song Is the adaptation of part of a letter In Corinthians written by St. Paul, called Hymn to Love. (1 Corinthians 13).

Francois Couture's talent takes flight against a biblical backdrop. but the sound is contemporary.


name: Ludovica
sku: francoiscouture-ludovica
upc: 847646005910
description:
In 1618, Champlain proposed to replace the name Quebec by Ludovica or Louisville. By this gesture, he wanted to honour Louis XIII, who was then king of France.

To underline in his own way the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, Francois Couture offers a photo and audio album in twelve scenes. Electronic, acoustic, vocal and traditional sounds are intertwined to redefine an environment both modern and based in its roots.

With Ludovica, as with the preceding album Qallunak, Francois continues to explore different forms of interbreeding between electronic and traditional music.

With the collaboration of:
Andre Bouchard - accordion
eric Dostie - voice
Jean-Francois Gagne - violin and viola
Francois Guilbault - double bass
Helene Guilmette - soprano
Louis Larouche - trumpet
Jacques Lavallee - violin and viola
Sylvain Neault - violin and viola
Dominic Painchaud - cello
Patrice Painchaud - hand saw and violin
Annabelle Parent - voice
Catherine Simard - violin
La maitrise des petits chanteurs de Quebec chorus.

Photographs David Cannon.


name: My Little Book, Tome 1
sku: francoiscouture-mylittlebook
upc: 847646005927
description:
Early jazz/dixieland/swing tunes for those nostalgic of a bygone era.

My Little Book is neither more nor less than a notebook from the composer Francois Couture. A book of melodies inspired by daily meeting with musics and musicians. The objective: to bring together musicians and simply play for the pleasure of it. Record the inspiration and the feverishness of this moment.

Tome 1 is the first session of a series and features the following guests:

Gregoire Painchaud, Violin;
Andre Larue, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano sax;
Francois Couture, Guitar;
Francois Guilbault, Double bass.


name: Qallunak
sku: francoiscouture-quallunak
upc: 847646005934
description:
Qallunak (pronounced kadlunak) is an album where tradition and modernity interweave. Musician, composer and Canadian producer Francois Couture was inspired by throat singing and traditional Inuit song to create this music. With the collaboration of Annie Ikkidluak, Celestin Erkidjuk, Daniel McLister, Elisha Kilabuk and Koomoo Nooveeya McLister with the songs.

A surprising album where two worlds meet and become one. Electronic, acoustic and vocal sonorities combine together to redefine a modern environment integrated in its roots. In the first few seconds, the listener is immediately immersed in the universe of the Canadian far North.

A combination of cinematographic, electro, pop and other arrangements contribute to emphasize the emotion emanating from these traditional songs. The unique character of this recording makes it impossible to circumvent.


name: La Suite Foraine
sku: francoiscouture-suiteforaine
upc: 847646008683
description:
Founded in Quebec City in 2011, Trio Beau Soir is made up of experienced chamber musicians who came together to express their creativity through an ensemble of rarely combined instruments. Trio Beau Soirs repertoire mixes original works for flute, viola and harp, with arrangements and transcriptions of vocal works adapted to the countertenor voice. Always with great attention to subtlety and precision, Trio Beau Soir musicians are equally at ease performing French and lieder melodies, impressionist music and contemporary creations.

Jean-Francois Gagn?; received his degree in violin from Laval University and in viola from Conservatoire de musique de Quebec, where he was awarded the Grande Distinction prize upon graduating from the class of Francois Paradis. Jean-Francois Gagne currently plays in Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec and has worked with Violons du Roy, the Shleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, and the string quartet Abysse. He is also pursuing a parallel career as a countertenor, mainly with Trio Beau Soir.

Genevieve Savoie received a rich musical education from Conservatoire de musique de Quebec, Conservatoire de musique de Bordeaux, and University of Montreal, where she earned a doctorate in performance. Winner of several competitions in Canada, Genevieve is an extremely versatile musician. She brings her passion for refinement to her contributions to symphony music, chamber music, world music, musical theatre and contemporary music. Winner of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Award, Genevieve Savoie has received support for her projects from, among others, the Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Quebec and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Isabelle Fortier, harpe / harp; since autumn 2004, Isabelle Fortier has had the honour of being solo harpist in Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. Over the past few years, she has performed solo for Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Violons du Roy, Orchestre Symphonique de Longueil, Sinfonia de Lanaudiere, and on Radio-Canada. A graduate of Conservatoire de Musique de Quebec, she now teaches harp there, as well as at Laval University and Cegep de Ste-Foy.


name: Tape Speed
sku: francoiscouture-tapespeed
upc: 847646005941
description:
The album "Tape Speed" stirs the soul from the very first seconds. Francois Couture continues to blend modern electronic rhythms with subtle ethnic and even rock motives. He easily immerses the listener in the changing world of his music. And this world turns out to be very exciting.

The music of Francois Couture is very special. It is impossible to compare it with anything. The album Tape Speed is filled with passion. You simply lose yourself in the shimmering of Francois Couture's moving music. It is adorned by string instruments which give a completeness to the artists inspired compositions.


name: Yahndawa
sku: francoiscouture-yahndawa
upc: 847646005958
description:
When a string orchestra merges with the songs of the Wendat people. More than a hundred years of slumber separate us from the meaning of these lyrics, yet the emotions conveyed remain intact. Let yourself be carried away.


name: The Ugly Army
sku: freshbody-uglyarmy
upc: 876809003227
description:
The Ugly Army is the album of a versatile band, the kind of album that the "music industry" hates the most, the one you should not send to any major label. Fresh Body Shop is free, and explores all its musical fantasms, from Pop/Rock to Industrial Rock, from Acoustic Pop to Alternative Rock. The main focus of FBS's music is always based on melody and dynamism mixed up together. Listening to The Ugly Army will give you magical powers.


name: Jungle Out There (instrumental)
sku: funkinchely-jungleinstrumental
upc: 847646009468
description:
Welcome to the instrumental version of Jungle out There .

A Soulful blast of Funk Beats, World Hop Grooves and Positive Inspiration is what the new album Jungle out There promotes.

Uplifting, Upbeat, and Positively Arranged are all fermented in this musical cocktail. From 1980s Instrumentals, Pop, Funk Rock, Hip Hop and RnB this album stands and delivers.

Artwork image courtesy of Thomas Hawk http://tinyurl.com/h5yshhu


name: Jungle Out There
sku: funkinchely-jungleoutthere
upc: 847646009451
description:
A Soulful blast of Funk Beats, World Hop Grooves and Positive Inspiration is what the new album Jungle out There promotes.

Uplifting, Upbeat, and Positively Arranged are all fermented in this musical cocktail. From 1980s Instrumentals, Pop, Funk Rock, Hip Hop and RnB Gospel this album stands and delivers.

Artwork image courtesy of Thomas Hawk http://tinyurl.com/h5yshhu


name: The Real Deal Music
sku: funkinchely-realdealmusic
upc: 847646009482
description:
A Funk Fusion Album that is guaranteed to score. This project is The Real Deal Music and one of Funkinchely's finest by far.

From Acoustic Blues, Funky Saxophones, Rock Beats, Hip Hop and World Grooves this album is sure to please. Please be informed this musical masterpiece is very contagious.


name: The Rise and Fall of Rolodex
sku: funkinchely-riseandfall
upc: 847646009475
description:
A magnificent trip back to the nineteen eighties is what this album delivers.

If you love the sound from video games past such as Pac Man, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong this may be for your ears only. Particular definition for this album genre is Chiptune Electronic.

The Chely Funk Mob featuring Geichidan happens to be an extension of the group Funkinchely.

Artwork image courtesy of TOKY Branding and Design http://tinyurl.com/zhhpgpt


name: Devastate the Details
sku: fur-devastate
upc: 876809008918
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/devastate-the-details/id399667079
description:
The songs contain elements of post-punk, shoegaze, new wave, alternative, industrial and pop music.

In "Devastate The Details" four of the ten songs; "Here's to The Angels", "Pretty Thoughts", "Foxtrotsky" and "How To Put Holes in Her Happiness", were recorded during a very thought out and deliberate recording process of strict overdubbing and metronomic playing. The sound is clean, precise, full and warm.

The other six songs were recorded live on the studio floor to capture the noisier, more frantic sound the four were starting to cultivate during live sets. The resulting recordings are a bit lo-fi and muddy. Rather than overdub guitar swells, the band chose to overdub noise tracks, creating layers of feedback and reverb. The recordings as a whole are strong, supported by good playing and songwriting.


name: Devastate the Details Instrumental
sku: fur-devastateinst
upc: 876809008925
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/devastate-details-instrumental/id426768368
description:
This is the instrumental version of FUR's "Devastate the Details" album. The songs contain elements of post-punk, shoegaze, new wave, alternative, industrial and pop music.

In "Devastate The Details" four of the ten songs; "Here's to The Angels", "Pretty Thoughts", "Foxtrotsky" and "How To Put Holes in Her Happiness", were recorded during a very thought out and deliberate recording process of strict overdubbing and metronomic playing. The sound is clean, precise, full and warm.

The other six songs were recorded live on the studio floor to capture the noisier, more frantic sound the four were starting to cultivate during live sets. The resulting recordings are a bit lo-fi and muddy. Rather than overdub guitar swells, the band chose to overdub noise tracks, creating layers of feedback and reverb.


name: Decade
sku: futureformer-decade
upc: 876809001711
description:
"Decade" is the essential of the last 10 years of Danyel's work as a music composer. The year 2007 marked the start of a new episode in his life and in many ways a new beginning: he had some things to learn, to discover, and to recapitulate his past, present and future.

Every song on this album tells a story from Danyel's journey. His music is as much about his feelings and thoughts, as it is about the relationships between his family, friends and himself. And while some people describe it as relaxing and emotional, others feel that listening to the songs helps them reflect on their life. It is in fact Danyel's mission to instill good vibes with his music and to have a healing effect on people!

Danyel composed the music for this album in the classic way, with physical electronic but also virtual software instruments. He used several hardware synthesizers such as the Yamaha CS-80. Other sounds were produced by software instruments like Kontakt or Omnisphere. That's the way how Danyel creates his music: he perceives making music with these modern tools like exploring new worlds; they give him the power to create a real listenable dream.

To quote Danyel: "I hope hat you will like my sound, and perhaps it will take you on a personal adventure trip with your own inner universe. :-)
   ***
   
This album is dedicated to my family & friends and all the people loving Chillout and Electronic music. A very special thanks goes to Mathias Willvonseder (Copenhagen) for his long term friendship and usage of his outstanding studio capabilities for a few songs. I also have to thank Bernd Scholl (Moonbooter) from Mellowjet Records for his excellent Audio Mastering of this album."


name: 30 Vaccines
sku: fuzzit-30vaccines
upc: 847646010716
description:
FUZZIT are Stane Spegel (composer, arranger, producer) and Jure Pukl (saxophones, composer).

The LP "30 Vaccines" is their second musical collaboration. It brings you 30 long eclectic musical antiviral vaccines blending all kinds of electronic music with jazz improvisations.


name: QUAZIJAZZ
sku: fuzzit-quazijazz
upc: 876809006938
description:
Anthem
Uplifting deep & acid house anthem with live saxophone recordings from one of the best European sax players. Plenty of changes keep the track lively and pumping.

Traffic
An exciting and upfront drum & bass track with strong, jazzy notes and a touch of trance synths. Live saxophone played by a great musician. Funny, joyful and catchy melodies.

Flutter
Positive vibes. This is an uplifting, powerful, groovy and energetic breakbeat tune with melodic jazzy saxophone, lots of synths and synthetic whistle.

Awaking
Ear catching saxophone melody and improvisation, layered with deep rhodes sound, funky guitars, smooth bass and and chillout drums. Starting off on a dreamy ambient vibe, this track later expands into a mightily jazzy down tempo score. A beautiful melody from a romantic story which culminates in a wild sex experience.

Disrupters
Sexy, upbeat retro funk groove with great saxophone riffs and improvisations. This tribute to David Holmes drives on groovy drums, retro-style keyboards and guitars with funky bass lines.

Hustler
Jazz-influenced breakbeat tune with lots of breaks, catchy soprano saxophone melodies and improvisation with a touch of klezmer music.

Houselogy
Uplifting and sophisticated jazzy and funky house tune. Ear catching saxophone main melody/riffs and improvisation, layered with deep rhodes sound, a 4/4 house rhythm with Latino percussion and a funky bass. A few breaks lead into more chill-out atmosphere.

Funky Monk
Uplifting and sophisticated jazzy and funky house tune, which starts off with a smooth chill-out intro and then expand into a groovy score. Ear catching saxophone melody and improvisation, layered with deep rhodes sound, funky guitars, funky bass and breakbeat drums.

Chilam
Deep, groovy and chilled jazzy downtempo lounge electronica with nice live saxophone melodies and improvisation. Playful, with lots of breaks and ups & downs. Melancholic, smooth, reflective and inspiring instrumental.

Think Panther
Groovy, jazzy tune with swing-style drums and double bass that will push Pink Panther into retirement. Great saxophone melody and improvisation, jazzy keyboards, finger-clicking and modern sound effects. Mysterious Nu Jazz groove with slightly comic and ironic vibes.

Syriana
Mysterious and dramatic track with great tension, sadness &, hope with a strong Eastern feel. Hypnotic and sinister, it makes think of altered states of consciousness.


name: Josep i Maria (Spanish and Catalan Folksongs and Villancicos for Christmas)
sku: galliarda-josephmaria
upc: 847646006030
description:
The singularly rich vein of folk music in Spain and Catalonia has survived into modern times far better than its counterpart in the British Isles. Many people in Spain today still know and sing the airs which their forebears sang in centuries past. Within this tradition is a substantial corpus of music dedicated to Christmas celebrations of one sort and another; these songs also reflect the essentially bucolic nature of the communities who first developed and sang them.

The lyrics enumerate offerings to the Christ child which include bread, sausage, nuts, olives, sweetmeats and all kinds of rural produce; the celebrants offer to perform their local dances, dress in colourful costumes, bring their animals to join the worship, and so forth. Naturally, the theme of the shepherds at the Nativity features prominently, and of course the biblical travails of Joseph, Mary and their infant son must have struck a familiar chord in the minds of a peasant community. The rugged geography of the Iberian peninsula has also contributed to regional traditions being maintained well into modern limes.

The Spanish term villancico is most usually translated as "carol", though it does not carry the Christmas connotations of the English word. In Catalonia nadala or in Camille villancico de Navidad would be the usual definition. Many other forms of villancico can be defined, though that is more often the province of musicologists rather than the progenitors of the music. The essentially naive nature of the music and lyrics lends itself eminently well to performance on historical instruments - lutes, viols, recorders, early flutes, etc.

The work of 19th century collectors such as Rodriguez Marin, Inzenga, Pedrell and their contemporaries has been hugely expanded both by Spanish and foreign authors in more recent times, giving us a rich tapestry of folk music upon which to draw. Virtually all the songs on this disc survive as single melodies with a variety of lyrics, occasionally with a second harmonising voice. The task of preparing them for Galliarda's performance has thus involved harmonisation and the creation of quasi improvised instrumental ritornelli; with folk music there is no urtext in the conventional sense. Subsequently, the recordings are intended as entertaining arrangements, not an attempt at authentic reconstruction.

In addition to the folk elements, the disc contains a gallimaufry of other pieces to complement the Iberian theme, - essentially a distillation from one of Galliarda's concert programmes. Dentro en el vergel (anon) and O Reyes Magos (Juan del Encina) are found in the Cancionero de Palacio (c.1505-20), a source which includes a number of seasonal Christmas pieces in a more courtly vein of the folk tradition. Teresica hermana, set for the vihuela by Valderrabano (Book VI, 1547) is originally a villancico by the Catalan composer Mateo Flecha. Hespanoleta is from organ tablature in Flores de Musica (1706-09), while the evergreen Canarios dance by Gaspar Sanz (1674) found new life in the 20th century in a fantasia/concerto by Joaquin Rodrigo. The Gallardas by Santiago de Murcia is from his Passacalles y Obras de guitarra of 1732.

From England we have plundered several sources which can supply a Spanish flavour to our proceedings: The Spanish pavan was widely popular in the 16th century and appears in a number of instrumental guises. Tobias Hume, the rumbustious advocate of the lyra viol who certainly encountered Spanish soldiers on his military adventures, gives us A Spanish Humour for ensemble and A Cavaleiro's Humour for bass viol. John and Henry Playford's "Dancing Master" (1651 et seq.) provides us with A New Spanish Entree and Saraband. The haunting atmosphere of Noel nouvelet, is sung here in the French version. The melody is just as well-known with Spanish, Catalan and Provencal lyrics. Claude Daquin's Dixieme Noel might seem an interloper on this disc, but in fact it uses the same basic tune as Claro abril resplandecio, itself an air better known in Catalonia as El desembre congelat or La Nit de Nadal (Christmas Night). Finally, the Balls de bastons is our own medley of traditional Catalan dances such as one might hear even today accompanying sardanas on a mellow evening in Barcelona.


name: Cool Aberrations
sku: fuzz-cool
upc: 876809001094
description:
Cool Aberrations is a tribute to the power of collaboration. The tracks range from soothing melodies to raging funk jams. Every track has at least one collaborating artist on it. Echoes, a nationally syndicated radio show on NPR, ranked Cool Aberrations #5 on their 25 essential echoes cds for 2007. It was also ranked #20 on their 2007 listener poll.


name: General Fuzz
sku: fuzz-fuzz
upc: 876809001124
description:
General Fuzz displays considerable talent in a variety of styles. This is his first album, the self titled General Fuzz and is the most consciously electronic. Let your mind go on a random walk, with a graceful journey through catchy melodic riffs and sexy filter sweeps.


name: Messys Place
sku: fuzz-messy
upc: 876809006020
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=277102467&s=143444
description:
"If more producers doing ambient breakbeat (Sasha, for example) lived in sun-kissed San Francisco and jammed regularly with live musicians they might sound like this. But they don't, which means General Fuzz still has this sound all to himself. Messy's Place sounds surprisingly organic despite the drum machines. He builds his elastic, funky grooves with a mixture of programming, composition and improvised jamming, the drum patterns usually being fattened with the rapid patter of Indian tabla. Thrown into the mix in various combinations is synth, guitar, bass, trumpet, Hammond, strings, various pianos and some sensual female ooh-ing and ah-ing. Cool Aberrations is sunny and tuneful throughout and, whatever the tempo, these soft-edged grooves remain swathed in the composer's trademark California glow." -Ambientmusicguide.com


name: Miles Tones
sku: fuzz-milestones
upc: 847646002322
description:
Its been over three years since my last release, and during that time I became a grown up. My 1.5 year old son now takes center stage in my life. There are many musical references in this album reflecting the anticipation, arrival, and development of my son during the past few years.

This album turned out to be sort of a companion album to "soulful filling". It has that same mellow vibe and melodic sensibility. I've decided to attempt to release albums with a more consistent vibe, so all my latest mellow tracks ended up on this one.

I was lucky enough to work a whole mess of truly amazing musicians in past couple years. It was an absolute honor to have Audio Angel, Josh Clark (the guitarist Tea Leaf Green, a band I have seen 20+ times), Ryan Avery, Phoebe Jevtovic Alexander, Jesse Ivry, Emiel Stopler, Shakiban, Peter Medland, and Ryan Hughes in my "studio".

The album art was a photo taken by Sophie Thouvenin.


name: Soulful Filling
sku: fuzz-soulful
upc: 876809007157
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/soulful-filling/id336046371
description:
Echoes, a nationally syndicated radio show on NPR, ranked Soulful Filling #12 on their 25 essential cds for 2008. It was also ranked #9 on their 2008 listener poll. It also ranked #9 on the 20th anniversery listener poll, which ranked the top 200 albums ever played on the show.


name: Inner Sunset
sku: fuzz-sunset
upc: 876809001117
description:
Inner Sunset was all about me stretching my musical wings, exploring different underlying contexts for electronic music. I'm quite proud of this one, even if it isn't as accessible as the first one was. The last three tracks are all acoustic, very personal songs. Friday on Thursday (track 9) was the processional to my wedding. Paddington Bear (track 10) was written for my friend Githa Ong, who sadly passed away after a long battle with Leukemia.


name: By the Sea
sku: gcawthorn-bythesea
upc: 847646004364
description:
By the Sea invites the listener into an emotionally evocative yet unsentimental musical journey. There is a refreshing simplicity yet sophistication to these improvised piano pieces that lingers in the air and the ear.

Designed to play as music for contemplation or relaxation this collection of musical musings works beautifully as background music yet rewards careful attention.

Evocative soundclouds in the opening track, "Sky is Underwater", suggest a dark, atmospheric journey till the gentle songlike quality of the follow up offers a playful antidote and hints that this is an album of unexpected treasures. Each piece states simple themes that give way to subtle improvisations, using jazz scales and chords, creating deceptively complex musical journeys. Several tracks, like the epic "Shifting Sands", use minimalist strategies, of ostinato and repetition, to lay a sonic foundation for a circling cascade of thematic variations.

The result is both mesmerising yet surprisingly energetic.


name: The Cat's Whiskers
sku: gcawthorn-catswhiskers
upc: 847646004357
description:
This is an album of rich variety, from moody jazz atmospherics, plaintive folksong, to stark minimalist stylings.

Playful, uplifting, with a sometimes crystalline beauty. This is the second album of improvised piano music by Geoff Cawthorn, playing around with themes and melodies that reflect a rich tapestry of emotions. Keeping things even more simple and honest, these pieces use space and subtle changes in register to present quiet yet forceful statements.

A number of pieces, such as Miles House and Night Garden were written as film music, and evoke images and places, landscapes and emotional states.

Where most of the pieces are recorded live in one take "Night Garden" makes use of overdubs and echo effects, creating a haunting soundtrack. Others, like "Time in a Minor Key" and "Moon Cloud" push the music into an atmospheric, cinematic space, drawing on jazz notes and chords.


name: Ravishing Sweetenesse
sku: georgeclifford-ravishingsweetenesse
upc: 847646008089
description:
Thomas Baltzar (1630-1663) was a German violinist and composer. He was born in Lubeck to a musical family; his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all musicians.

Baltzar emigrated to England in 1655, leaving behind his newly attained position of Ratslutenist of Lubeck. Baltzar's arrival in England was met with acclaim. On March 4, 1656, he performed the violin at the residence of Roger L'Estrange, where John Evelyn was in attendance. Evelyn wrote in his diary that night:

"This night I was invited by Mr. Rog: L'Estrange to heare the incomperable Lubicer on the Violin, his variety upon a few notes and plaine ground with that wonderfull dexterity, as was admirable, and though a very young man, yet so perfect and skillful as there was nothing so crosse and perplext, which being by our Artists, brought to him, which he did not at first sight, with ravishing sweetenesse and improvements, play off, to the astonishment of our best Masters: In Summ, he plaid on that single Instrument a full Consort, so as the rest, flung-downe their Instruments, as acknowledging a victory."

Anthony Wood heard Baltzar play at a performance in Oxford, and described his "very great astonishment" at the German's skill. "[I] saw him run his fingers to the end of the finger-board of the violin, and run them back insensibly," he wrote, "and all with alacrity and in very good tune, which [I] nor any in England saw the like before." Also in attendance was John Wilson, a professor of music at the University of Oxford, who (according to Wood) bowed at Baltzar's feet after the performance.

On December 23, 1661, Baltzar entered Charles II's service as a member of the king's private music ensemble with an annual salary of 110 pounds, a high figure for the time.

According to Wood, Baltzar's drinking habits contributed to his death. He was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey on July 27, 1663.

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern (1644-1704) is one of the most significant composer-violinists of the late 17th century. He composed music for a virtuoso technique including the extensive use of doublestops and arpeggios, his works also display a wealth of formal compositional devices.

Biber was born in the small Bohemian town of Wartenberg, Biber worked at Graz before he illegally left his Kremsier employer (Prince-Bishop Carl Liechtenstein-Castelcorno) and settled in Salzburg. He remained there for the rest of his life, publishing much of his music but apparently seldom, if ever, giving concert tours.

Johann Paul von Westhoff (1656-1705) was a German Baroque composer and violinist. As one of the most important exponents of the Dresden violin school, he was among the highest ranked violinists of his day. He was a member of Dresden's Hofkapelle (1674-1697) and at the Weimar court (1699-1705), and was also active as a teacher of contemporary languages.

Westhoff's surviving music comprises seven works for violin and basso continuo and seven for solo violin, all published during his lifetime. More works, particularly a 1682 collection of solo violin music, are currently considered lost.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was a German Baroque composer (one of the most prolific in history!) and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually settled on a career in music. He held important positions in Leipzig, Sorau, Eisenach, and Frankfurt before settling in Hamburg in 1721, where he became musical director of the city's five main churches. While Telemann's career prospered, his personal life was always troubled: his first wife died only a few months after their marriage, and his second wife had extramarital affairs and accumulated a large gambling debt before leaving Telemann.

Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755) was a German Baroque musician, violinist and composer who led the Court Orchestra in Dresden for many years: then the finest instrumental ensemble in Europe.

Pisendel was born in Cadolzburg, a small town near Nuremberg, where his father Simon Pisendel was the cantor and organist. At the age of nine, Johan became a choirboy at the court chapel of Ansbach. The Director of Music there was the virtuoso singer Francesco Antonio Pistocchi and the Concert Master was the celebrated violinist and composer Giuseppe Torelli. It is thought that Pisendel studied the violin with Torelli. After his voice broke, Pisendel went on to play the violin in the Court Orchestra but, in 1709, he left Dresden for Leipzig to further his musical studies.

On the way to Leipzig, he met Johann Sebastian Bach at Weimar and, once in Leipzig, was introduced to Georg Philipp Telemann. Pisendel was an enthusiastic member of the student Collegium musicum founded by Telemann and they became close friends. In 1711, after a performance at Darmstadt, Pisendel was offered a place in the court orchestra there, but declined.

The following year he accepted a place in the Dresden Court Orchestra. He remained with the Dresden orchestra for the rest of his life, though he accompanied his new master, the Crown Prince, on a tour of Europe, visiting Antonio Vivaldi (some of whose solo violin works he had already performed) in Venice.

In 1728, Pisendel was promoted and became Concert Master of the Dresden Court Orchestra.

Pisendel's compositions are few in number but high in quality. All of his surviving works are instrumental. They include 10 violin concertos, 4 concertos for orchestra, 2 sonatas for violin, a Sinfonia and a Trio.


name: Canada, Mon Amour
sku: satamian-canada
upc: 876809004125
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/canada-mon-amour/id370470090
description:
This album is a tribute to Satamian's adopted country, Canada. It is a 'thank you' for the loving and dignified way he was treated as a refugee from Lebanon (starting in 1989). Without the compassion he was shown, he would not have been inspired to write such beautiful music. Canada gave him a sense of stability, security and happiness that were necessary for his creativity.
Elvira Voskanyan (violin) / Gerard Satamian (piano)

The Depth of Joy, Hope from Above
"Mr. Satamian has done it again. From the depths of his inspired soul, he voices yet another message of hope from heaven, as it were. He captures impressions and expresses them with a feeling of hope; he inspires with lilting phrases and mature movement. Much of the spirit of his "Dry Fig Leaves" is evident here, with added verve and joy. Congratulations to him on another gift to all of us."
- Stephen Ehat


name: Dry Fig Trees
sku: satamian-dry
upc: 876809002336
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257785387&s=143444
description:
Francois Houle, clarinet
Gerard Satamian, piano

This charming album consisting of original compositions by Gerard Satamian was recorded at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It received a grant from Socan (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada). Here is what the critic of Socan wrote in their monthly magazine about Dry Fig Trees (named after a gorgeous painting by Armenian painter Vartan Tashdjian): "The works featured on this album are clearly of a Middle Eastern flavour, notable for their modal scales and nostalgic mood. His nine 'Chansons sans paroles' are lovingly played by clarinetist Francois Houle with Gerard Satamian at the piano, while the composer is on his own in two excerpts from his Suite Lyrique. Warm, approachable and innocent music." Words and Music

Francois Houle (Clarinetist on Dry Fig Trees)
Francois Houle's energetic performances are bridging the gap between the new music and improvisation. He went to McGill University in Montreal where he received his bachelor of music degree and graduated with a Masters degree from the Yale school of music. He also spent two years in residence at the Banff Centre for the arts. His great interest in contemporary music has led him to perform under the direction of Bruce Mather, Mauricio Kagel, Arthur Weisberg, Toru Takemitsa and Yannis Xenakis, among others.

Since moving to Vancouver in 1990, Houle has established itself as a strong new voice on the Canadian creative music scene. Recent performances include all Western Canadian gas festivals, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, the Festival de Music Actuelle de Victoriaville, new music across America, time flies, and Seattle World Jazz Festival. He has also dedicated much of his time composing for his own critically acclaimed group Francois Houle Et Cetera.


name: Forget Me Not
sku: satamian-forget
upc: 876809000646
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/forget-me-not/id348776321
description:
Gerard follows his heart, instinct, taste and musical ear instead of traditional musical or harmonic rules while composing. He aims for quality rather than quantity, releasing nothing unless he is totally committed to the piece. His interests lie in the Eastern music of Armenian Folk, Arabic, Romanian, Jewish (and alike), and also French Impressionists.

When Gerard started out composing these pieces between 2007 and 2008 they were for voice and piano, but they soon evolved into something more complicated, so he arranged them for flute, cello, violin and piano.

Playing with Gerard on this album are:
Heidi Kurz - flute
Evan Buttar - cello
Elvira Voskanyan - violin

Song # 1 is inspired by a poem by Bonnie Nish.
Song # 7 is a beautiful piece dedicated to Gerard's mother.


name: Persistence of Vision
sku: gom-vision
upc: 876809009007
description:
"Persistence of Vision" is a reflection and reaffirmation of the progression, drive, motivation and vision of this Indiana-based metal band. This album is a compilation of highlights from the past two years for Ghost of Maine and reinforces the direction the band is going. It's a transitional album that reflects GOM's journey from its hardcore roots to the foothills of progressive metal. The bonus tracks on the album (8, 9 and 10 which are amended from a 2007 release) are the culmination of this journey and a taste of what is to come.


name: The Birth of a Dancing Star
sku: gianmarcoleone-dancing
upc: 847646005439
description:
The Birth of a Dancing Star is a piano album emphasising deep emotions and fascinations. Instead of focusing on the composer's feeling, this introspective album tries ascending on a celestial level where individual emotions split and collide.

While the composition is kept simple and minimalistic, this doesn't compromise its beauty. On the contrary it brings down any remaining stiffen barrier between listeners and music.


name: The Missing Link
sku: gzimmermann-missinglink
upc: 847646005668
description:
I have to explain a little bit about my work as a composer and musician. The "missing link" I'm talking about here is the viola da gamba, originally an improvisation instrument, which happens to be able to associate with all traditional instruments of the world.

There is the manifestation, then the writing of a composition (to communicate with other musicians), and most important of all, its interpretation. In both cases, for me, it is always a question of improvisation.

Open-minded music for Open-minded people.

Why "World Music"?

In the jungle of commercial-style classifications, as on MySpace or other internet portals there isn't any label (open-minded music) yet, I have to use the catch-all wording of "World Music". As my music "blends" influences from all over the world, so be it; whatever, I'll always be French. When I started playing music, and later the viola da gamba, I never wondered about musical style, which brought me some problems with various "police", the "jazz police", the "baroque police", the "art producer police" ("this music is too good for that film") ... are there also "World music police"?

Meeting with older "masters" did help me a lot on my way. Martial Solal in 1979: "You can do what you want but should be able to explain it". Constantly unsatisfied, I never felt at ease in a style, and always went too far for my colleagues. Someday someone offered me a book by A.K. Coomaraswamy: "The Transformation of Nature in Art", in which he explains traditional art, and the idea that Style is the man, and by no means the essence of art.

Another "master", Dr. M. Bernhard, professor at the Music Institute of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (sounds good ay!),opened the doors of his library to me. So I studied European medieval music treaties and naturally Gregorian music. I discovered real treasures. References always go back to Plato. But as information here was relatively vague, I continued by searching in Arabic and Indian music.

Traditional bases of music theory are almost the same everywhere on this planet. Learning through books, is fine, but I consider it not enough, and the theory must be experienced through actual traditional practice, when possible. So I experienced with mostly oriental musicians (Arab, Turkish, Indian), as the practice of modal improvisation is more than rare in the West.

So I have been able to revitalize all these modes, which have been known as "church modes" ever since good old Gregory.

The discovery of the viola da gamba in 1993 for a film score did change my music a lot. For about 15 years I stopped working with chords and did only melodies, but as I still liked ensemble music I composed pieces using parallel melodies, like in "The City". Meeting modern hurdy-gurdy player Valentin Clastrier has been crucial, as he advised me to use electronics with the viola da gamba. Here I found a link to my past with electric guitar, where I used all well-known effects like echo, reverb, wah-wah, flanger etc., plus the synthesizer and sampler worlds. In my career during some studio recordings, I happened to have to replay a bass line, then a keyboard and even percussion part, realizing at the end, apart from the vocals and possibly drums, I had played everything. Little Mike Oldfield from Nancy was born.

I always use a special concept for a composition, as in film music. I have about 3 hours of compositions waiting for recording (Dragon, Tortue, Libellule, Papillon, Funambule...), the titles say it all.

In this recording I chose the most accessible compositions, leaving too complex rhythms (9, 6, 5, 11 and 13, in the relevant order), and used almost everything I had at my disposal (Ableton Live software), a lot of vocoder. As I don't have a midi viol, I "had to" put the sound of the viol through the filter of a synthesizer or sampler. And then even a wah-wah effect. "Why not?" said Frank.

Not being subjected to time constraints as support for images, the compositions did not have to be formatted in an acceptable way for the masses; each musical idea implies its own development, and so the pieces are relatively long, sort of "symphonic poems".

The interpretation is another "paire de manches" (a whole different ball game). Find the musicians who can, who will, who dare, and who stay, most importantly of all modal improvisers. And keep it going. This recording reflects my ideal ensemble, and I hope to reproduce it live as soon as possible.


name: Atmosphere
sku: gcostantini-atmosphere
upc: 847646002872
description:
Atmosphere is listening music for relaxation, meditation, chakras redressing, and massaging. If you know "Cafe del Mar" and "Buddha bar" collections and you like chill out music, you'll appreciate for sure the regenerative spirit of this musical genre. "Atmosphere" goes into emotions in a balanced way, and it inspires relaxation without being too intimate.


name: Liquid Harmony
sku: gcostantini-liquidharm
upc: 847646002889
description:
Liquid Harmony is a collection of 9 pieces that were live recorded during a rebirth session in volcanic water. It has a strong emotive impact and it is suitable for introspection, energy redressing, regression, massaging, reiki, rebirth. By a proper use of frequencies and reverberations, this music guides you in an ideal journey through the depth of sea, helping in releasing the deepest emotions.


name: PianoPianoForte
sku: gcostantini-ppforte
upc: 847646002896
description:
A "trait d'union" between classical music and pop sounds, the PianoPianoForte album of Giorgio Costantini offers a journey through fifteen intense and essential piano songs in the "New-Classic" genre - a musical style that has representatives in Sakamoto, Nyman and Yanni.

From the evocative atmosphere and minimalism of "Elegia" to songs by strong impact and cinematic orchestration as "Rosso", the album PianoPianoForte is an indie album that garnered great success among the audience, climbing up to seventh in the Italian iTunes chart on January 2009.


name: Up and Down
sku: bledsoe-updown
upc: 876809004279
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257902284&s=143444
description:
Somehow detailed and minimal at same time, the esoteric synth compositions of Up And Down are often just single lines of delicately rapid fire sonic happenings. As you listen they become miniature, ultra-modern worlds of their own. An eccentric, uniquely intimiate foray into the future.


name: Valaji
sku: gokulsalvadi-valaji
upc: 847646009529
description:
Valaji is a collection of hand-picked tracks from two EPs, in which each track has a distinct theme and revolves around a particular Indian Raga.

Expect nice blends between traditional Indian and modern instruments, the strong melodic structure and intricate rhythm patterns that are typical in Indian classical music, and tracks that employ both to explore different thematic soundscapes, leading to musical surprises.

If you love Indian music and/or fusion experiments, this album is made for you!


name: Soliloquies
sku: ruiz-soliloquies
upc: 876809008796
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/soliloquies/id400940792
description:
Gonzalo Ruiz explains: three works on this disc were composed for cello and the fourth for flute. The baroque oboe is not an instrument normally heard in an unaccompanied setting. I don't believe Bach ever envisioned that these particular pieces would be performed on oboe, although I like to think that he would approve. The truth is that I play them simply because I love them and have lived with them for many years.

When I first heard Johann Sebastian Bach's unaccompanied suites I practically had a crisis, fearing that I had picked the wrong instrument. My love for the oboe was shaken by the realization that there was nothing in its repertoire like these complete masterpieces for a single player, and suddenly my warmup routines seemed intolerably dry and boring next to those of cellists who started their day with a bracing round of Bach. It was years before I dared tackle an arrangement of one of them and then it was for strictly personal reasons. The suite became my main etude, my biggest challenge, and a constant companion that traveled everywhere in my instrument case. As the number of these arrangements grew, so did my abilities on the instrument. I found that working on them was the best way to prepare for the next concert, whatever repertoire it contained. I never thought I'd perform or record them, but over time I ceased to think of them as "music written for other instruments" and began to feel them simply as "music I enjoy playing".

Listeners familiar with these works will notice the ways in which I altered them to fit the oboe. These include the choice of key, some degree of octave transposition, and adapting or omitting many double stops, but in some cases they are simple esthetic choices. In measure 32 of the G minor Sarabande for instance, I suspect I am plausibly correcting a copyist's mistake in the surviving manuscript. In the repeat of measure 24 of the Sarabande of BWV1008 the F natural is not what Bach wrote but a beautiful alternative, and is dedicated to Anner Bylsma and Michael Marissen as my talisman against the risks involved in changing the text.


name: Picassos Dream
sku: wray-picassos
upc: 876809002299
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=7439678&s=143444
description:
With more than a passing nod at The Beatles, The Doors and Motown, Grayson Wray's tuneful, psychedelic, 60s inspired rock is completely relevant and compelling today. Be sure to listen to The Doors/Motown inspired second song on the album: "There You Were". The third song "In 1671" is a trip back to the Beatles' golden era.


name: Little Palaces
sku: annussek-palaces
upc: 876809007201
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/little-palaces/id65460912
description:
Greg's debut CD "Little Palaces" offers a number of musical choices, from the indie rock of tunes like "Young Again" and "In the Movies" to the twangy alt-country of "Long Way Down. As Shredding Paper magazine put it, "Annussek sleekly takes parts of pop, western, and electrics, and mixes it into a non-acoustic version of the singer-songwriter tradition. It's nice to see the tradition stretched in directions beyond its standard confines."

Songs from the album, which was produced by Ernest Adzentoivich, have been licensed by a number of TV shows such as Big Brother, Flipping Out, and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.


name: The True Harvest
sku: hube-harvest
upc: 876809004118
description:
"The True Harvest" was born of sonic adventures deep in the woods of Northern California. It was birthed and nurtured in the cool earth of the River House, now offered to you as a musical companion. An audible feast of rich pulsing soundscapes; rhythms of the intangible within our vast, churning world.

Performed and recorded solely by multi instrumentalist and producer Bobby Cochran, "The True Harvest" succeeds in widening the scope of h.u.b.e. music and pushing the vision further.


name: hands upon black earth
sku: hube-hube
upc: 876809003289
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257903494&s=143444
description:
The enlightened-yet-sleek Hands Upon Black Earth flows effortlessly and-for the most part-serenely, but has enough bite and back end to keep the overall mood energetic and upbeat. Luminous little flourishes of Eastern and Middle eastern vocals drift in and out of solid, sensual beats, perfectly illustrating what breakbeat has in common with world's complex polyrythms. Standout instrumental/ambient vocal tracks include "Inspiral" and "Kalimayantra," but there are also some really strong vocal-driven tracks too. "Ghost Song" is a beautifully melancholy trip-hop track featuring Sharon Knight on vocals, and graceful countermelodies sung in Hindi, while "Otherside," is a subtly torchy song that alludes the group's early Massive Attack influences. "Divindei" and "Lastime" provide the album's most driving and darkly mystical moments, while "Priest" ends things on a hypnotic, spirtual note.


name: Translucent
sku: hube-translucent
upc: 876809007546
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/translucent/id308778254
description:
Set on a reliable path from the first beats, the new Hands Upon Black Earth album, Translucent, evolves organically swelling into a presence, ripe and provocative, and ebbing gracefully into submission. It carries emotion and summons release, seductive and soothing when so inclined, well scripted and perfectly unpredictable. In Translucent, h.u.b.e producer Bobby Cochran continues his path to uncharted sonic territories, and extends to accomplish what can only be the goal to enrapture.

On this follow-up to the groundbreaking self-titled debut album, Cochran is joined by vocalist and collaborator Irina Mikhailova, formerly of Medicine Drum and currently of Lumin, Kaya Project and many others, Irina is a well respected and established solo recording artist in her own right, and adds new sensuality and Eastern European flavor to the mix. Additional collaborations feature downtempo producer and cellist Rena Jones (Native State/Aleph Zero), singers and composers Artemis, Sharon Knight and Celeste Lear, among others.

Sometimes echoing the moody downtempo of Massive Attack meets Solar Fields, the ethereal lushness of Ulrich Schnauss meets Sigur Ros, and the sensual, hungry rhythms of Bassnectar meets Cheb I Sabbah. Translucent is an amalgamation of traditional electronica styles, infused with new and exciting energy that pushes the edges of contemporary music, and grounds itself in the universal medium of Bass, Beats, and Beauty.

These are songs that mix the ancient salt of tide pools with the gleam of mercury; natural ambiences tastefully introduced and skillfully blended, pulsing and undulating rhythms fused with soothing strings and electronic textures awakening the body to movement while opening the mind to infinite possibilities. Translucent is a doorway to the uncharted territory within us all.


name: Les Baricades Misterieuses
sku: proosdij-baricades
upc: 876809004132
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/les-baricades-misterieuses/id370500765
description:
Les Baricades Misterieuses features Dutch harpsichordist Hanneke van Proosdij, renowned for the elegance, virtuosity, and expressiveness of her playing. She performs on a harpsichord based on the Ruckers-Goujon harpsichord in the Musee d'Art et d'Histoire in Neuchatel, Switzerland; it has more than a frisson of the original Ruckers, and tenders energy and complexity to the works of Jean?Henri D'Anglebert, Francois Couperin, Antoine Forqueray, Jacques Duphly and Claude Balbastre. The title of the album derives from Couperin's famous work "Les Baricades Misterieuses" which was published in 1717 in his VIth Ordre de Clavecin. Although countless theories have been advanced as to the meaning of the title, none is convincing, and the ineluctable modality of the piece has captured the imaginations of composers, writer and artists. In 1961, Rene Magritte painted "Les Barricades Mysterieuses," which eventually was transformed into a grand mural in Halle Delvaux at the Palais des Congres in Brussels.

The French harpsichord school of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is known as Les Clavecinistes. They flourished and achieved a refinement of keyboard writing which was constantly admired and often imitated outside their home country. The French Clavecinistes flourished at the royal court and the aristocratic salons of Paris. This recording will take you on a journey among the different generations and styles of French harpsichordists and composers.


name: Harpsichord suites of Chambonnieres
sku: proosdij-chambon
upc: 876809002282
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257903595&s=143444
description:
Jacques Champion de Chambonnieres (ca1601- ca1672) is considered the father of the French harpsichord School, a style of playing that reached its zenith in the works of Francois Couperin and Rameau. He was the first musician to hold the position of Harpsichordist of the King. To the pay of six hundred livres (pounds) he added, around 1650, a pension of one thousand ecus (crowns) drawn on the royal treasury, which is an indication of the esteem he then enjoyed. He published two books of works for solo harpsichord in 1670, and a number of other pieces survive in various manuscripts. In addition to his activities as a composer Chambonnieres was also an accomplished teacher. Among his pupils were many of the most important players and composers of the time: the three Couperin brothers, Hardel, one of the Gautiers, d'Anglebert, Lebegue, Cambert and Nivers.

Chambonnieres showed the desire, never realized, to seek his fortune at the court of Queen Christina of Sweden. To this end, Constantijn Huygens was enlisted to pave the way for him there. Meanwhile, his current position at the French court was jeopardized by a nearly successful plot to force Chambonnieres to resign in favor of his student Louis Couperin. The loyal refusal of Louis Couperin to displace Chambonnieres could only have sprung from high personal regard. In 1662 he finally found himself abruptly deprived of his pension. As a result he sold his post to his pupil d'Anglebert for 2000 pounds. Chambonnieres held his engagements, but the services were covered by d'Anglebert; Chambonnieres no longer appeared at court, in the concerts or the ballets.

Chambonnieres was famous early in his life. Mersenne described his playing as distinguished by delicacy and subtlety of touch, fleetness without display, and imaginative embellishment: "each time he played a piece he mingled in new beauties ports de voix, passages and various ornaments, with doubles cadences". A little later Mersenne praised him even more highly: "After listening to the harpsichord played by the Sieur de Chambonnieres ! I can only express my feeling by saying that one should hear nothing afterwards, whether one desires lovely melodies and fine accompanying parts mingled together, beauty of rhythm, fine touch or lightness and speed of hand ! it can be said that this instrument has met its ultimate master."

The works of Chambonnieres have been preserved for us in two engraved volumes and in several manuscripts. The Bauyn Manuscript (ca1690) is considered one of the most important sources of French keyboard music of the seventeenth century. This single source brings together 350 pieces, most written for the harpsichord, and is organized into three sections, the first consecrated entirely to Chambonnieres, the second to Louis Couperin, and the third to various composers like Froberger, Hardel and du Mont. The pieces in the ms are grouped to mode, and within each modal grouping are further organized accordingly to dance forms. Some of the Doubles have been taken from a manuscript in the Bibliotheque du Conservatoire in Paris. These doubles are published in the complete Chambonnieres edition published by the Broude brothers (edited by P. Brunold and A. Tessier). I have adhered to the French customary grouping; allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue. Even though Chambonnieres is not known to have formally used the word "Suite" he does group his dances in this order. Optional pieces include the chaconne, pavane, gaillard, volte, brusque and menuet.

(d minor Suite) Allemande La Loureuse - Courante* - Double de la Courante* - Sarabande* - Pavanne* - Sarabande* - Gigue la Madelainette
(G major Suite) Pavane l'Entretien des Dieux - Courante - Double de la Courante** - Sarabande Jeunes Zephirs* - Double de la Sarabande Jeunes Zephirs** - Menuet -Chaconne* - Gigue*
C major Suite Allemande Le Moutier* - Double Allemande Le Moutier by L. Couperin* - Courante Iris - Double de la Courante Iris by d'Anglebert** - Sarabande de la Reyne - Gigue La Verdinguette - Double de la Gigue La Verdinguette attributed to d'Anglebert**
(g minor Suite) Allemande dite l'affligee* - Courante - Sarabande - Gigue
(F major Suite) Allemande - Courante* - Sarabande O Beau Jardin attributed to d'Anglebert** - Double de la Sarabande O Beau Jardin attributed to d'Anglebert** - Chaconne* - Chaconne*

All pieces were taken from the engraved books except where noted:* Bauyn Manuscript** ms Reserve 18 223 Bibliotheque du Conservatoire Paris.

A note on the recording:The harpsichord used in this recording was made by in 1996 in Amsterdam by Joop Klinkhamer after an instrument by Ruckers-Goujon (1632/1742) currently in the Musee d'Art et d'Histoire in Neuchatel, Switzerland. In its present state, the original is strung very lightly to preserve it; our instrument conforms more to 17th century stringing practices which makes it suitable for earlier harpsichord repertory since its tonal palette is both dark and transparent with clear articulation. 2x8' 1x4' FF-ff''' A=392.

Every technical effort was made in this recording. Producer David Bowles and engineer David Tayler tried to recreate the feeling of sitting in front of the instrument as it was being played, with the image hovering slightly higher than the speakers. In addition, we felt it was necessary to have an absolutely transparent texture, in which the inner voices of the music can be clearly heard without any metallic ring to the overtones. Two matched pairs of Schoeps microphones were used in conjunction with a Mytek 8X96 AD converter in four tracks at 88. 2 kHz/24 bit. A high speed preamp was used to capture the transients in the sound and provide superior imaging, and the tracks were combined and edited using the Sadie system. The imaging is so sharp that you can hear the bass notes coming from the right side of the harpsichord, just as in a live acoustic!

Recording Production, Digital editing and Mastering: David v. R. Bowles
Engineering: David Tayler and David v. R. Bowles
Tuning: Andrew Lagerquist
Recorded 1-4 October 2001 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Belvedere, CA


name: All Is Well
sku: hanschristian-alliswell
upc: 847646001738
description:
Unconventional cellist Hans Christian has recorded and released a new solo album called All Is Well. This album, as part of a trilogy of live recordings from Chartres France, where Hans appears as adjunct faculty to Wisdom University's annual New Chartres Mystical School, is steeped in introspection, spiritual suspense, and sonic symmetry.

Hans employs a technique called live-looping which enables him to record himself on the fly and play to it, adding or subtracting multiple melodic layers. The music is an exquisite construction of a harmonic web which captures the listener with its gentle but probing quality. Subtle and passionate, understated and elegant, deliberate yet played with abandon, All Is Well will remind the listener of their own spiritual journey. A great album to chill out, do yoga, slow movement, or have a talk with God.


name: Cinema of Dreams
sku: hanschristian-cinema
upc: 876809005924
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=267135807&s=143444
description:
Unravel and/or time travel to Hans Christians' glorious Cinema Of Dreams, a collection of solo cello pieces combined with keyboards, sarangi, tape, nyckelharpa, sitara, bass, sarod, and various rhythm instruments. This album also has some great sound design with tape effects, backwards phrasing, half speed loops and more. Finding new musical settings for the cello has always been of interest to Hans, and on this CD he has discovered some amazing new territory in this regard. Some pieces have an electronic quality with oscillator-driven drone scapes, while others incorporate a distinctly classical orchestral sound. Esoteric yet very warm. Enjoy!


name: Undefended Heart
sku: hanschristian-heart
upc: 876809008840
description:
Solo cello with live loops and delays. Recorded live in Chartres, France, July 5-10, 2010

Undefended Heart is a courageous step towards vulnerability, a documentation of a journey towards a light that liberates us from ourselves, from the egoic selves, and opens an internal space that permits us to be who we really are. It is also a place of healing, where all internal tensions, lies, and deceptions recede and yield to a vision of the compassionate true nature of mankind. It opens a timeless listening experience, perfect for yoga, massage, movement, or just being quiet.

"Hans Christian's music is unique. It marries sumptuous classical elegance with a raw and profound spiritual passion. Anyone who listens to it will find in it the voice of their longing and ecstatic soul."
-Andrew Harvey


name: Hidden Treasures
sku: hanschristian-hiddentreasures
upc: 847646007259
description:
Hans Christian, veteran cellist, music producer and member of the GuruGanesha Band, is offering a new album called Hidden Treasures. The music on this instrumental album spans a four year creative time period in which Hans would freely record musical ideas, often archiving them for future completion. The lyrical, orchestral blend of layered strings within a contemporary production reflect Hans' fluid musicality, ranging from gorgeous melodic structures to deeply felt emotional renderings on solo cello.

This unique sound was first shared with a wide audience through his work with his mystical world music group RASA (featuring singer Kim Waters). His appearance as a guest musician on countless albums in the greater devotional music genre has often added a highly virtuosic and emotional quality to those projects, and so it also happens on this album, there is something infectious about the strong sense of melodies on this album which weave, turn, and morph with a captivating beauty.

Some pieces on Hidden Treasures are contemplative in nature, while others are rhythmically driven to reveal a darker and more muscular color. This musician is not afraid to express the frequencies of all chakras with an earthy foundation, imaginative soundscapes, and ethereal overtones in the upper frequency range.

A deeply sonorous cello weaves a continuous lead throughout the album, and Hans Christian fans will not be disappointed with his heartbreakingly beautiful performances on Heart To Heart, Cathedral Of Tears (recorded inside Chartres Cathedral, France), and I Lift Up Mine Eyes.

Review of Hidden Treasures
While the harp may be the instrument of Heaven, the cello is the voice of the soul, especially when Hans Christian holds the bow. His mastery with "live looping" - accompanying himself with rhythm, melody, punctuation and majestic strings - and expertise with other exotic instruments (mohan veena (adapted sitar), the Swedish nyckelharpa, and the sarangi) creates mini-masterpieces that form an exquisite whole.

His appearance as a guest musician on countless CDs in the devotional music genre has added a virtuosic and emotional quality to those projects. There is something infectious about his strong sense of melody which flows with a captivating beauty. Some pieces on Hidden Treasures are contemplative in nature; others are rhythmically driven to reveal darker tones. Hans is not afraid to express the frequencies of all chakras with an earthy foundation, imaginative soundscapes, and ethereal overtones in the upper frequencies. Hans' deeply sonorous cello weaves magic throughout this album.
Lloyd Barde


name: Phantoms
sku: hanschristian-phantoms
upc: 876809002275
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257923498&s=143444
description:
Hans Christian's first journey into his imaginary music realm. Phantoms is rich with musical imagery, passion, and unusual instrumentation. A mixture of classical, rock, and world music. Originally released in 1993, remastered in 2003, it is rich in ethnic, pop, and neo-classical ingredients, with the cello soaring through a colorful tapestry of rhythms and melodies. Passionate intensity is the driving force behind this stunningly beautiful and rich music. It clearly penetrates deeply into life and is unafraid to explore the full breadth of existence - including the shadow side, without which we would be unable to know the light. Cello is often the lead instrument, along with a full regalia of exotic instrumentation, including electric basses, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, sound effects, vocals, percussion, didjeridoo, tablas and frame drums. Rhythmic, experimental and innovative, this is supreme music for the daring and the deeply caring and offers a welcome relief from canned music of all varieties.


name: Rumi Symphony
sku: hanschristian-rumi
upc: 847646002063
description:
The Rumi symphony is a glowing, magical, passionate and profoundly inspiring journey into the heart of the world's greatest mystic's experience of divine love. It is a collaboration between Andrew Harvey, internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher, Rumi scholar and translator, and the world renowned musician and composer, Hans Christian.

Rumi is the world's greatest and most passionate and inspiring mystical poet. He combined the philosophical intellect of a Plato or Kant and the soul force and grandeur of a Buddha or Christ with the sublime literary gifts of a Shakespeare. As millions of seekers of whatever religion or persuasion all over the world now know: Rumi's extraordinary words have an unique power and initiatory effect. The return of Rumi to the consciousness of the world is one of the great forces behind our global mystical renaissance.

For many years Andrew Harvey dreamed of creating with a great musician, a Rumi Symphony that would fuse together his translations and freshly composed music in a complete unfolding of Rumi's vision of the path of divine love and passion. When he heard Hans Christian's profound and wonderful playing during an initiation into the Chartres Mystery School of Wisdom University in France, he was overwhelmed with joy and knew that he had at last found the musician and composer that had the musical virtuosity and depth of spirit that could create exactly what he had dreamed of.

This holy work, The Rumi Symphony is the child of the marriage of their hearts and gifts.

The music of this symphony carries Hans Christian's unique combination of instruments that crosses any familiar stylistic boundaries and genres. At times passionate and rousing, then again languishing and wanting, with assertive rhythms that are contrasted by deeply sensitive spaces, the music works on multiple levels to transport the listener into the world of spirit and mystique.

The journey is in four parts: in the first, "The Call" Rumi's words arouse the heart to the core of the beloved. In the second, "Falling in Love", the heart opens to the ecstasy of the love of the beloved. In the third "The Dark Night" the heart undergoes the death into eternal life. In the fourth, "Divine Union" the heart revels in the peace and passion of identity with God.

This sublime symphony will prove an ideal inspiration for your meditation and your search for God. An instrumental version of the Rumi Syphony is also included as a second album.


name: Sancta Camisia
sku: hanschristian-sancta
upc: 876809006945
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sancta-camisia/id294072235
description:
Contemplative solo cello recorded inside Chartres Cathedral.

Hans' latest album, Sancta Camisia, was recorded live inside the famous Chartres Cathedral in France and features Hans Christian on solo cello. The album sets a contemplative and devotional mood with energetic passages, as well as Gregorian chant type repetitive melodic structures. The music is improvised, yet clearly structured and well recorded with lots of ambience.


name: Surrender
sku: hanschristian-surrender
upc: 876809002268
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257786300&s=143444
description:
Surrender is a deep journey into Hans Christian's musical realm. His unmistakable cello virtuosity is bound in a spellbinding ethnic context - you will hear Middle-Eastern, East-Indian, and European Classical influences.

Highlighting Hans Christian's unmistakable cello virtuosity, Surrender features the cello, this most soulful of instruments, in new and exciting musical contexts. The pieces on Surrender suggest a musical path that freely crosses the boundaries between Eastern and Western traditions in a fusion of cultural styles. where the classical/European voice of the cello, the Far Eastern or Middle Eastern sounds of an oud-like guitar, Balalaika or Shakuhachi are integrated with the modern pulse of electronic timbres. Each composition in this collection is decidedly different; passion dominates one piece, the next is reflective, another brings powerful rhythms - yet each is carried by a clear melodic voice which gives rise to a deep probing into the listener's soul. An intensely beautiful album that is an emotional rendering of compassion and transcendence.


name: The Lake
sku: hanschristian-thelake
upc: 847646006986
description:
Nine songs that celebrate the beauty and mystery of the Great Lakes. Timeless arrangements for cello, voice, piano, guitar and traditional folk instruments.

Several unusual instruments were used on this record: A Swedish bowed string instrument called a Nyckelharpa, where wooden keys are played to alter the pitch; an Indian bowed instrument with 36 strings called a Sarangi; and a small Indian keyboard with a bellows and reeds called a Harmonium.

This music was recorded in late September in a cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan. We sifted through a number of traditional folk songs and shanties looking for music that reflected the beauty and mystery of the Lake. In the end, three original songs were also included. We would play a melody, share arrangement ideas and then perform the songs together, recording as we went.


name: You are the Music of my Silence
sku: hanschristian-youaremusic
upc: 847646004401
description:
Harry Manx on Mohan Veena (20 string Indian slide guitar), lap steel, acoustic guitars, banjo. Hans Christian on cello, Indian sarangi, Indian sitara, swedish nyckelharpa, fretless bass, piano, keyboards, percussion and programming.

The creative energies of Hans Christian and Harry Manx on this recording capture a timeless journey that combines the traditional music cultures of India and Western Europe in a contemporary sound. The artist flow effortlessly as they are in their elements, and the listener is blessed with an extraordinary end result.

There is an ageless magic that unfolds when two master musicians sit down to "do some music". Ideas formulate very rapidly, a common language is spoken, knowledge and intuition start to dance, in short, inspiration appears!

This album is a celebration of original, artistic, exotic and inspired creativity. Enjoy the journey!


name: The Glass Desert
sku: harlan-glass
upc: 876809004873
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-glass-desert/id370466311
description:
The compositions on The Glass Desert are instrumental and range in moods from ambient and celestial to darkened and tragic, always with a layering of harmonies and an intricate structure. The writings are usually in minor key and can sometimes end up gothic sounding. The style is very unlike traditional classical guitar music, using multiple instrument parts, elaborate arrangements, and unusual timings.

The front cover artwork is one of Harlan's original paintings. These detailed works have been on display in galleries in North Carolina and Louisiana. The subjects are all structural or things that don't actually exist, sometimes taking as long as an entire year to finish.

All of the song titles on this recording are found somewhere in the scope of Christian history or directly in the Bible itself. For example, "In Nomine Domini" is Latin for "In the Name of the Lord", "Gregory IX" was the pope who instituted the inquisition, and "The Limb of the Fiend" is 16th century reference that's another way of saying "The Arm of Satan".


name: All Hayle to the Days
sku: harham-allhayle
upc: 847646002230
description:
In All Hayle to the Days, Celia Harper, composer behind the group Sulis on Magnatune, has researched and arranged a refreshing collection of carols old and new, sacred and secular, mediaeval to modern.

Engagingly performed by an intimate group of her singer and instrumental friends, there's something for everyone here in an immediate and unusual recording. "All Hayle" is ideal for the whole holiday season through to wassailing songs for the New Year.


name: Sooner or Later
sku: hazelmain-soonerlater
upc: 847646003091
description:
Led by the gorgeous, fragile vocals of Charmian Kingston, Hazelmain's music is bitter-sweet pop with hints of jazz, rock and even a little bit of country. Written and recorded by multi-instrumentalist Connor Fitzgerald (with a little help from his friends!), 'Sooner or Later' was recorded during the members' last months of university in NSW, Australia. While real life led the project to end before it began, the music and the good memories remain.

Sadly this project ended before it began, for several reasons. However I'm still quite fond of the music, and the singer (Charmian Kingston) remains one of my favourites. Again, I wrote the tunes (with a little help from Dave Tweedie and Jack Britten) and played the instruments, but I got a real singer to do the vocals :)


name: Sooner or Later (instrumental)
sku: hazelmain-soonerlaterinst
upc: 847646003121
description:
This is the instrumental version of the album Sooner or Later. The music is bitter-sweet pop with hints of jazz, rock and even a little bit of country.

Written and recorded by multi-instrumentalist Connor Fitzgerald (with a little help from his friends!), 'Sooner or Later' was recorded during the members' last months of university in NSW, Australia. While real life led the project to end before it began, the music and the good memories remain.


name: Dolce Musica - A Contemplative Journey
sku: hadidian-dolce
upc: 876809006150
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
Based on studies that certain kinds of music can promote healing and relaxation during stressful hospital stays and procedures, Eileen Hadidian and Natalie Cox's music is designed to create a peaceful sound environment for patients, using a combination of medieval, Renaissance, and Celtic music. In addition to their busy performance schedule, they often play in medical and retreat based settings and seek out other non-traditional places for live music.


name: Garden of Healing
sku: hadidian-garden
upc: 847646000250
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/garden-of-healing/id432579870
description:
Soothing heart and spirit. Experience a lush soundscape of of musical pieces selected from various world traditions for their ability to lift stress and banish anxiety. The music is specially chosen by the musicians of Healing Muses for their healing properties, an organization whose mission is to bring healing music to hospitals, clinics, hospices, convalescent homes, retreat centers and homebound individuals. This album is suitable for promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety during stressful hospital stays and medical/dental procedures (patients and staff both benefit), and providing calming music in the midst of life's daily challenges. Performed on harp, recorder and flute, the music is drawn from various world traditions including medieval and Renaissance Europe, Celtic and American folk tunes and spirituals.


name: Reflections - music to soothe and uplift the spirit
sku: hadidian-reflections
upc: 847646000243
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/reflections-music-to-soothe/id440533310
description:
Music to soothe and uplift the spirit. Experience the power of music to calm and release anxiety in today's noisy, high stress world. Reflections gives the listener the opportunity to sit back and calmly reflect upon the day's events within a lush, comforting soundscape of music drawn from various world traditions including medieval and Renaissance Europe, Celtic and American folk tunes and spirituals. Performed on harp, recorder and flute. Also suitable for promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety during stressful hospital stays and medical/dental procedures. Patients and staff both benefit.


name: Acoustic Abstracts
sku: heavymellow-acoustic
upc: 876809002251
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257786649&s=143444
description:
Heavy Mellow is the instrumental duo of Barry Sulkin and Paul Hadley, based in Nashville, Tennessee and Sylva, North Carolina. They play relaxing and melodic music using various guitars (6 and 12 string, classical), dobro, mandolin,and other instruments, interweaving finger-style and flat picking. Their first album, "Acoustic Abstracts", is a collection of duets, some of which have been used as film sound tracks.


name: Horizons
sku: heavymellow-horizons
upc: 876809005399
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257933022&s=143444
description:
The name of this best-selling instrumental Magnatune group basically says it all, but we can't resist singing the praises of their latest album a bit anyway: Horizons is a gorgeously mellow album of all original acoustic guitar duets by Paul Hadley on lead acoustic guitar and Barry Sulkin on 6 and 12 string guitar and finger-picked dobro. Their sparkling compositions are rounded out with well-placed touches of mandolin, Hammond organ, slide, bass, and harmonica.

Horizons by Heavy Mellow is one of those rare albums that serves as the perfect accompaniment to almost anything - waking up, winding down, working, driving, hanging out...whatever!


name: Immersion
sku: hectormukomol-immersion
upc: 847646009079
description:
This time - as well as on the later album "Unexplored World" - Hector Mukomol creates worlds and spaces that are not alone. This is not the only reason why the feeling arises as though you merge into three worlds at once.

One of them is, sure, that of water. Rapid and slow, cold and warm, transparent and not really - grand water, in which there is enough space for plankton, and for whales, and for those who have no name in the modern language.

The second one - sure, that of air. At that, it is not just open space, in which there is nothing except for wind and distant voices. No, this is, rather, wind as it is, which has consciously chosen the direction - from land straight into the sky, without any curves - and easily but confidently it carries away all those who hear, all those who sound. Well, and at the crossing of these two, but also independently of them, there arises the third one - sure, that about which they do not speak in words, because this is in vain. We will not speak about it either - in the end, sometimes it is just enough not to forget about unnamed things, and to leave them unnamed. Strange enough, but it is so that they become obvious, do not disappear from horizons of life. In the course of time you find that it is no longer you who plunges into the world, but the world that plunges into you.


name: The Unexplored World (Journey of Consciousness)
sku: hectormukomol-unexploredworld
upc: 847646009086
description:
In the sphere of ambient Hector Mukomol (Genadiy Mel'nyk) is, presumably, one of the best known musicians today, at least in the territory of the CIS. Personally I, for example, heard his music first in Russia - although he lives and creates in Kyiv. However, it would be even strange if global geography had any substantial influence on the presence here. Because the space of his works is directly related to internal geography, to travels of a person in the internal universe - and as is known, is the direct reflection of the external universe. Consequently - not subject to borders.

Moreover, this time Mykola Oorzhak took part in recording the album by Hector Mukomol. This is also a person who is not simple, and known in the world - and his depth has become an important part of the local sound field. Actually, the author tells us about it in the booklet, I will not retell it therefore. I will say about another thing. Music is usually a guide - in various places - and a purposeful guide. But high-quality ambient, as to me, does not send a listener in any concrete direction. It, as a bullet, grows harmoniously, broadens in all directions at once - and, in fact, that is what happens to the audience. The crooked becomes smooth, cavities are filled in, slits grow over - this music helps a person to become integral. Healthy. Light. What is needed is the desire and readiness to work, because hurrying is impossible here. And, since you are already here - maybe, you should try...


name: Further Adventures in Monkeyland
sku: heifervescent-furthermonkey
upc: 847646002599
description:
Further Adventures in Monkeyland - Exploring the archives of unreleased demos from his days in Monkeyland, Andy re-recorded some of his first songs, trying to keep the original sentiments as far as production goes. The album has a synergy and collectively illustrates Andy's love of shimmering guitars soaked in reverb and delay on top of lush strings and walls of overdriven guitar sound.

Seed of Sin was originally laid down as a quick idea on a 4 track cassette. 15 years later it was finished and re-recorded and is probably more relevant now that Andy's obviously older with lyrics proclaiming "I still feel this young". A driving edgy guitar track full of apprehension.

Chase the Vagabonds explores the innocent sentiment of trying to hold onto a relationship by offering lots of promises. Chiming, shimmering echoey guitars mixed with big ambient vocals give this very melodic pop track an ethereal quality.

Rejuvenation cranks up the tempo and the guitar noise and talks hopefully about a brave new world. There's a few twists where the track virtually stops and then explodes again.

Figure 8 is a very catchy love song with jangly guitars, shuffle beats and a very simple chord structure.

The Furthest Outpost is more ethereal and builds up with suspense, into a huge wall of guitar sound. Again the sound focuses on hope and optimism, albeit in an escapist way.

All the Way to the Pit is a strange acoustic based bouncy track with an odd minor chord structure. The vocals talk in a more negative way about a relationship gone sour.

The heaviest of the tracks is Don't Die on Me - funky sequenced beats and baseline underlays big crunching guitars and a driving chorus line talking about not giving up in a desperate situation.

Big Mistake is one Andy's oldest songs - a simple descending chord structure, driven by acoustics and overlaid with ringing guitars, the song has a medium tempo and energy.

Vagrancy appeared on many Monkeyland recordings as a new wave punk style track, but this is the original feel which was more laid back and casual.

Eyesore, again appeared very differently to this on Monkeyland recordings with a funkier Madchester beat. This was the original flavour though - an ambient, gentle track with small bells and piano, talking about collateral damage in a war zone.

The Wooden Attraction is a short, fast paced indie guitar song, which was written simply about a wooden bench in Andy's hometown that was akin to a throne for the local idiot of the moment. Some great idiots have sat there and this song pays homage to them all.

Closer Than completes the album and this is a mysterious ethereal track that builds and falls all the way through and speaks about the everlasting life.


name: The Glue Factory
sku: heifervescent-gluefact
upc: 847646002582
description:
After 4 albums, there were many tracks that weren't included as they didn't fit the respective album styles and so the best of these were brought together to form The Glue Factory, Heifervescent's fifth album.

Superglue opens the album and mixes heavy distorted guitars with analogue synths. Vocals talk about being overwhelmed by a lover and being out of control.

Magnetized has a similar theme but the music is more raw and less synth driven.

The pace slows down on As far as the eye can see, a track full of psychedelia, random bursts of energy and subdued vocals.

Tripping Touring Taxi gets a little more country and blues with a slight twist here and there. Again the vocals have a slightly random and mixed up feel with lots of questions.

Lunar Module takes the listener through a very short relationship full of small talk, which ends prematurely. the innocence of the event is reflected in the simple chord structure and simple guitar sounds.

Last Drop Loverboy steers in the opposite direction and approaches the subject of abuse and desperation. A roller coaster of a track, the majority of the mix is low key, with loud chorus bursts.

The mood makes way for manic chaos in I'm Not Moving Honey - full of crazy 60s organs and punk guitars and distorted vocal chants.

What's this all about is more melancholy and melodic with a reminiscing vocal theme and soft overdriven guitars.

Murder in the Garden (part 2) ends the album with a strange painful rumbling approach full of intrepidation and guitar noise


name: Hoofed and Dangerous
sku: heifervescent-hoofed
upc: 847646002520
description:
An upbeat, melodic, pop driven album.

The album starts with 'The Mind Laboratory' a uniquely styled funky pop track featuring wah-pedalled guitars and a quirky synthesizer riff. The sentiment of the song is about conditioning the mind to feel optimistic, despite an acceptance of growing older. A song about being thankful about what you have, and holding on to love and life.

100 miles or more is quite the opposite of the preceding track - a song about self doubt and worry that you've overstepped the mark. Acoustics and overdriven guitars give this a pacey indie rock feel with slightly distressed vocals.

Shopping for religion asks the big questions about organised religion - why? how? what? It doesn't necessarily rebuke any particular religion, it just says 'don't shove it down my throat'. The music mixes a very catchy melodic chorus with psyched and 80s synth patterns.

Billy Comes Home moves along on top of catchy repeating guitar progression, throwing in analogue synths and lush strings. Focusing on returning to a place you left many years before and finding everything changed - you're no longer part of a particular society, you're not in the cliques any more and frankly you start regretting going away in the first place. Jangly guitar arpeggios ring throughout with 60s style backing vocals.

Bomb is a short, quiet acoustic track about feeling like a ticking bomb running out of time, hoping that someone can defuse the situation.

Sharkbite is a lamentation - remembering a loved one who was taken away. Waltzing acoustics, strings and piano and flute underlay vocals which compare the death to a final sea journey.

Chased by a cow was sparked by an actual event where Andy was actually chased by a cow whilst trespassing across a farm field. However the incident also triggered a feeling of mindless giddiness and whilst running away sparked a further feeling of invincibility. The music is very upbeat, uplifting and optimistic, with jaunty electric guitars and strong happy pop melodies.

In contrast again, The Man from the County Court depicts a man in trouble, apologizing for dragging his lover down. A predominantly acoustic track which keeps you in suspense until the big crescendo at the end.

Rational Behaviour brings a punk/new wave indie feel back to the album with crunchy guitars and aggressive drums. However the track retains a simple catchy melody and talks about a friend who criticizes everything but doesn't really know what he/she's talking about.

A Friend for Life is a song for when you're simply sick of the human race. Animals don't answer back or try and change your life and that is the focus of this song. Bouncy acoustics and electric guitars set the base for happy catchy vocal melodies.


name: Murder in the Garden
sku: heifervescent-murderinthe
upc: 847646002568
description:
Possibly the darkest of all of Heifervescent's albums, Murder in the Garden combines edgy guitars with big strings and orchestral sections to create some dark atmospheric alternative rock moments along with some shimmering pop.

The album starts quite upbeat with Bessie's secret, which probes behind the door of a seemingly sweet old lady who harbours a dark secret past. Crunching guitars over pacey acoustics.

Wonderful Thing ambles along at first with just rhythm guitar, bass and vocals until the chorus where everything joins the mix and the song paints a wonderful picture of the lover, given extra depth with the hammond organ and then horns and big symphonic strings.

Electric Towers is essentially a melodic indie rock song, combining overdriven guitars with delicate piano parts and organs, the words illustrating the beginning of the end of a relationship.

They've got tanks and everything has a sense of urgency with reverb soaked synth loops and punk drums and bass. The lyrics paint a picture of being surrounded and fear and anticipation.

Where I once was brings the tempo right down with an atmospheric period of reflection, reminiscing about good times. The echoey guitars and harmonies add to the ambience.

A disturbing look at the effects of war is brought to the table with Someone just took our babies. Ironically the song has quite a pleasant tempo and melody. The combination of pleasantries with the disturbing subject matter makes the song seem even darker.

Respond take the atmosphere even darker beginning with menacing laughter and deals with a person who has had the life sucked out of them. Heavy rock guitars join the mix and the track goes up from level to level until the wall of guitar sound that is the chorus.

The Diplomat is noise fuelled crashing alternative rock song with repeating riffs and focusing on the subject of diplomacy and avoiding making a decision.

Journey through the slugs keeps the heavy theme going but with the 60s style organ and upbeat melody, the track is actually a bizarre love song.

Murder in the Garden is a deep schizophrenic love song where the girl is told, by her lover, that her lover is dead, as if he is another person. The words are sincere and heartfelt and erupt into a powerful chorus where the lover admits he had problems. The song is a roller coaster of delicate intricate acoustic guitars and crashing distorted guitars.


name: Pondlife Fiasco
sku: heifervescent-pondlife
upc: 847646002575
description:
The "most listened to" of all the Heifervescent albums, Pondlife Fiasco is a melodic twisting journey through indie guitar psychedelia.

The opening track When the Stars Fall from Grace begins with chiming acoustic and electric guitars and describes a fateful love affair where nothing seems enough for the lover. Strings, backing harmonies and flutes give the track a gentle ambience, but the chords have a sense of urgency.

Deep Sea Diver is probably the most well known Heifervescent track, and was at one stage, for a short time, one of the most listened to Creative Commons tracks in the world. A hard chugging baseline joins stabbing guitars as the distorted vocals sing about a couple locking themselves into a shelter to sit through the impending chaos.

Kaleidoscope begins slowly and gently with just vocals, electric piano and flutes. The vocals explain the reserved beauty of a lover and plans to make everything ok. The chorus is joined by tremelo guitars and strings with a pleasant low key melody.

We've got to plug you in speaks to a vacant lifeless person who simply needs a kick up the ass to get on with their lives. The minor key and distorted vocals, gives the track a slightly distressed feel.

Stop Following Me could be relevant to anyone who's being followed, hounded, stalked by sinister people but it was actually just a song about a wasp. A slow paced ballad with piano and full orchestral parts.

It's Coming Together is a more light hearted love song with melancholy piano riffs and bells. The chorus is full of optimism and pop naivety.

Out of Tune brings the mood down again - a slow waltzing number with the pain of failure and self loathing. The song goes from quiet reflection to crashing guitar solos and back again.

Counting without Numbers is possibly the poppiest track on the album with a catchy guitar melody, and approaches the subject of sheer confusion, when you're in a situation that just defies logic? like counting without numbers.

Victim of Crime is a big slow lamenting song asking all the questions after a lover has left. Big strings and woodwinds give the track some classic moments, but the crashing guitars and backing vocals keep the track edgy.

The final track - And the Pond Life Flourished is made of a big repeating guitar riff and vocals that try and justify the loss of the lover by playing the memories down and remembering all the pain. The song plods along slowly and aggressively but maintains a catchy chorus and vocal layers.


name: Verbal Bandit
sku: heifervescent-verbalbandit
upc: 847646002551
description:
Verbal Bandit has a slightly more folky feel in parts than the other Heifervescent albums. Songs are about real life and the strange situations that you find yourself in set to very melodic indie pop tunes, with an abundance of guitars - acoustic and electric.

Golden Gun is the opening track - a 60s style rhythm with a slight country lead guitar, the song tells tales of the paranoid thoughts of closet hypochondriac. Strings and vocal harmonies give the song depth and charm.

Wishbone has more of big ambient chorus with swirling strings and harmonies, but quickly dips into mysterious verses and lyrics that contrast the feeling of optimism and hope with all the negative things that are occurring.

Northern Casanova tells the tale of a hapless love affair. Although everything goes wrong, the song speaks to the ex-lover about the side they never saw. Acoustics, harps,strings and french horns bring the story to life.

Run while you've still got your legs describes being at the end of your tether, in a no win situation, where it's ok to take the easy way out through the back door. A sweeping ballad with big symphonic strings and gentle acoustics.

Strange kind of fiction tells the twisted story of couple who think their sex life is over. So the man phones a sex chatline and recognises the female voice as his wife. A country/folk style track with a twist.

Fabricated Loony Commune describes a scary big brother world where nothing is private, everybody knows everything about everybody. The songs retains its pop melody but the track has quite an eerie ominous feel.

The Suspect List once again deals with the subject of paranoia, but this time, it's deeply paranoid man that thinks everybody wants to kill him. An indie guitar style fused with a slight latin chord structure.

Yesterday's News closes the album, and is a folky acoustic track that tackles how to move on in life when it seems like your best days are behind you. The mix slowly builds up as more instruments are introduced.


name: The Citadel
sku: heirtomadness-citadel
upc: 876809006723
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-citadel/id287182938
description:
Heir to Madness is the moniker under which Jason Wiscarson administers his style of dynamic and dark progressive music. HTM is difficult to classify, atmospheric ambiance combines with scathing guitar work to make a unique blend of emotionally driven, sonically devastating soundscapes that are haunting in their depth. Sometimes calamitous and assertive; sometimes gentle and tenuous. Strong influences such as Opeth, Tool, and Porcupine Tree can be heard throughout, mixing with HTM?s style and grace.

After several attempts at a normal band experience, he finally decided the only way to make the music he truly wanted was to do it himself. Thus Heir to Madness thrust itself upon humanity. The name Heir to Madness is derived from the idea that we are all inheritors of madness; the madness of mind, ego, and separation.


name: Swell
sku: hollywoodrunks-swell
upc: 847646007204
description:
"Man I feel different now!" Eric Winzenried exclaims from the Hollywood Drunks albums' title track "Swell". It's a feeling that we all experience at various stages in our lives. We wake up and suddenly everything has changed but we're not sure how or why. You're just not the same person. "Swell" is a coming of age album for a new adulthood. In Winzenried's case, it's one that has been severely delayed.

Once again combining an eclectic mix of musical styles, The Hollywood Drunks second album is a free for all of pop, rock, reggae, hip hop, and alternative. And lyrically, whether he's crooning or flowing, his style is all over the map as well. It represents his life as an artist, always changing and evolving, never staying in the same place. But what remains constant is his honesty and his ability to laugh at himself and his life.

"Swell" is an album that's both humorous and reflective. It's about adapting to the new circumstances and obstacles life likes to throw in our way."That Age" follows the aging process as it recognizes that, with each new year we're on this planet, more and more friends will drop out of our lives. And whether it's due to their death or that they're just sick to death of us, we experience and mourn each loss. He sets a somber tone in "Lonely Feeling" which explores emotional loss. But then, follows it with the humorous "Wake You", where Eric, attending a friend's party, laments the loss of his youth realizing, "Over half the people there I could've been their father." Entering the mind-blowing age of parenthood is sensitively addressed in, "Getting Young." You can almost see the bemused smirk on his face as he tries to convince himself and us that through each change he "feels swell in a perfectly unusual way." And his enthusiasm is contagious.

The Hollywood Drunks are able to make us laugh at the absurdities in life, all the while encouraging us to live each day as if it's our last. and by the end of "Swell" we can see the power and beauty of accepting each face-slapping change that life blindsides us with and we, too, feel "Swell".

Eric Winzenried - Vox
Lloyd Stuart Casson - Guitars, Bass
Carl West - Bass
Paul Sandberg - Keys
Sebastian Sheehan - Drums and Percussion


name: Oriental Spaces
sku: homelessballoon-orientalspaces
upc: 847646007228
description:
"Oriental Spaces" by Homeless Balloon has 76 minutes of chill out music mixed with world fusion grooves and acoustic performances shattered with experimental, electronic sounds, ambient atmospheres and some strong melodic themes.


name: El Zoo
sku: horstreich-elzoo
upc: 847646003909
description:
The album El Zoo is a straight forward punk rock music collection. It is short but highly energetic and great fun with a very independent, charismatic note. The ones who are aware of the german language also might recognize the wordplay of the album and the band name: Horstreichelzoo - Stroke your ears with this album!


name: Legs without Brains
sku: horstreich-legswithoutbrains
upc: 847646008836
description:
Stray feet step out to dance on a fragile surface...

This striking illustration on the silver printed artwork of the band's 20th anniversary album gives a good impression of the collection of gems inside.

Explosive harmonies and highly energetic drive are carefully combined with an abundance of stops and goes, ups and downs and whispers and shouts. The polish of arrangements, the detail of composition and the warmth of the production prove that the band has come a long way and that the boys know exactly what they're doing. This highly entertaining album is topped off by fine lyrics and stories about white rooms, hypnotic isolation, blindfolded rat race and shoes that just won't fit.

Guest vocals: Eva Gold
Production: Tom Korbler


name: Loepoenk
sku: horstreich-loepoenk
upc: 847646001202
description:
Loponk. How many umlauts can you fit in one title? The word is pronounced like french "le punk" and is a perfect description of the album's content. Charming, happy three minute punk songs, friendly melodies and a timid voice. Not rough, not intended to hurt but a toe tapping delight that gets the summer started.


name: tinytension
sku: horstreich-tinytension
upc: 876809009809
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/tiny-tension/id426733787
description:
A well balanced composition of straight-in-the-face punk rock with twisted arrangements, a fragile emotional voice, and plenty of energetic drive. In the last 15 years the band has grown in sound, spent a lot of time on structured songwriting, focused on harmonies and worked to make the music last longer. While the sound has become less accessible on the first take, there is a lot more to discover. If you let the album sink in, you will be struck by those catchy pop-monsters that are hidden beyond the surface.


name: Journey's End
sku: hferre-journeysend
upc: 847646001530
description:
On his debut album, Journey's End, Howard Ferre brings his original music to another stage creating an organic soundscape that takes the listener on a road through a rich universe of sound and emotion.

'Journey's End' fuses innovative musical facets of electronic, rock, and old world sounds, as well as melds several works with classical elements to form a mosaic of music both vivid and compelling.


name: Delirious
sku: humanresponse-delirious
upc: 876809002213
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=258043580&s=143444
description:
Jan Hanford (aka "Human Response") is a classically trained musician in piano and composition but is as passionate about electronica and its various subgenres as she is about J.S. Bach.

She creates electronic music with layers of melodic and rhythmic interaction. Her extensive use of the minimoog gives her music a vintage analog sound which she continued when her music evolved using digital samplers and sequencing.


name: Dreamer
sku: humanresponse-dreamer
upc: 847646003053
description:
Before samplers, before midi, before sequencing; it was me, my minimoog and my Teac 4-track. Every note had to be performed live, every melody line played and overdubbed from beginning to end. There was no digital editing, no computers, no copy and paste. Difficult? Sure was, but I loved every minute of it.

In the mid-1980's samplers became commonplace and in the early 1990's excellent, powerful sampling keyboards became affordable. Having spent so many years recording with a limited studio and multi-track tape, I found the sounds offered by keyboard samplers and the ease and power of sequencing irresistible.

However, what to do with all that old analog music I worked so hard creating? Every musician has huge reservations about letting the world hear anything they've done that isn't perfect. I decided that I love this music too much not to let it be heard, flaws and all.

I hope you enjoy listening to this music as much as I enjoyed creating it.


name: Single Barrel
sku: hunterjacks-singlebarrel
upc: 847646006580
description:
Hunter and the Dirty Jacks are a Los Angeles based blues/rock band that is on the rise, putting on great shows with an exhilarating mix of originals with choice covers, and have been playing around extensively.

Hunter and The Dirty Jacks have performed at House of Blues Sunset, House of Blues Anaheim, Saint Rocke, Biscuits and Blues, The Mint, Harvelle's, and toured all throughout California, including San Francisco, Monterey, Sacramento, Humboldt County, as well as into Nevada.

Hunter and The Dirty Jacks have also started and run a weekly residency on Tuesday nights for a year and a half at Harvelle's Santa Monica, which benefits feeding the homeless and teaching underprivileged children music. Many international touring artists come out regularly to join the band onstage to jam, which helps raise awareness.


name: Concordias Finest
sku: hwye-concordia
upc: 876809006327
description:
In a small place located in the rural south, the Black Belt Region, bottom of the Delta, there emerged a click of young men. Certain circumstances brought these young men together, forming what is now known as Highway Entertainment Records, specializing in tight logos, spectacular beats, and lyricists with nice flows. The camp includes: Rob, Nate, ill Friss, Joe Bear, Clay Mac, Grip, KC, Lil James, and Lloyd. Pay close attention, these guys could very well be the next multi-platinum rappers in the hip hop world.


name: Strait 2 the Streets
sku: hwye-straitstreets
upc: 847646003244
description:
Strait 2 the Streets takes you more into the personal lives of the Hwy E artists as it relates to the environment in which they live. This album has a darker mood than the previous Concordia's Finest, released 3 years prior.

"Strait 2 the Streets" reflects all of the shifting and infrastructure changes within certain circles of people and can be deemed somewhat controversial. However, with bangin' beats and interesting subject matter combined with superior lyricism, "Strait 2 the Streets" will become a classic in any true hip hop fans' album collection.


name: Axioms
sku: icicle-axioms
upc: 847646010990
description:
Krassy Halatchev (Icicle) has proven with his 9 studio albums to date that he has a lot of colours in his musical palette.

Axioms is no exception with its 12 tracks of driven alt rock/pop that is chockfull of imagination and good beats. The sound is as eclectic as it is manic, but it is the quirkiness that unifies it all.

It's the same kind of musical Krazy-Glue that bonds such acts as Foals, The Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys, Beck, Spoon, Blur, Kasabian, Talking Heads̷0; to name a few.

Icicle handles the vast majority of the vocals but occasionally, as in previous records, would invite singers on lead and/or backups. This time it is the Brit Kat Howell who takes charge of the fairy-tail-ish One Bad Boy for Every Girl (track 4) and completes the choruses on The Force Within (track 2).

Axioms goes in many directions throughout its 12 compositions but the manic, head-spinning theme continues throughout. Snowman at My Door (track 2) is a cool, hypnotic trip well backed by acoustic guitar and keys, with the latter breaking into subtle shimmering stars at the choice moment. This is Not a Love Song (second single/track 9) is another enjoyable sing-along tune based around a P.I.L.-esque vocal hook and some hip-hop style well stitched verses. Desert Tree (first single/track 11) is a beautiful heartfelt piece about the colliding forces of science and ambition. It should well provide some clues to the other strange places that Icicle will lead you to throughout this record. Meanwhile, bluesy guitar grooves provide the perfectly askew backdrop for White Horse, You Against You and Tone It Down a Little.

For more info please visit Icicle's website.


name: Provenance
sku: icicle-provenance
upc: 847646010402
description:
Provenance, the latest album by Montreal-based Icicle, is set to release March 20, 2019. The album will be available to download and stream through all major online retailers. Fans can also purchase hard copy CDs through BandCamp.

In line with Icicle's previous work described as "genre-bending" (Darcia Helle, Sound Waves Review) and pushing his own sound to the forefront" (Richard Lyne, The Appetizer) the 12 new tracks playfully point to highly eclectic influences, all the while furthering Icicle's ever-shifting, distinctive sound.

Krassy Halatchev, the composer, singer, bass player and driving force behind Icicle, describes the album as life-affirming, built around themes of beginnings, growth, evolution, and love: "It reveres the miracle of life, birth, and growth, as well as strength, endurance, persistence, fight - all the necessary elements for one's survival. Of course, love is the backbone of it all. As David Bowie says, 'The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Fans who've come to know what Jeremy Bregman from Medium.com called Icicle's "giant melting pot of different sounds ranging from groovy, bouncy bass lines to tracks with a new wave, 80's feel" won't be disappointed with the buoyant Let It Snow or the defiant I Had Enough. The 11th track, Because You Asked, features lyrics by Antonia Gueorguieva, based off a verbatim-style notation of Halatchev's words. The record also features vocals on select tracks by Laurie Gordon and Kat Howell.

Halatchev has charmed Canadian and international audiences for over two decades, following his defection from communist Bulgaria with the band The Clouds. From 1996 to 2012, he was a core member of the Montreal-based band Chiwawa. Provenance is Icicle's 7th LP since he went on his own in 2013.

For more information, visit: http://icicle.club.


name: Resonance
sku: icicle-resonance
upc: 876809008970
description:
Herd Records presents RESONANCE by Icicle (icicle.club) - 4th solo album of genre-defying tracks.

Official Release Date - February 19th, 2017

Listeners are invited to discover select early-release tracks on Bandcamp (icicle-band.bandcamp.com) and SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/icicle-band).

"These 13 songs take us on a journey of style and depth," reports Soundwaves Review (soundwavesreview.com/new-album-preview-resonance-by-icicle). "We have funky dance, spacey grooves, instrumental tracks blending industrial and electronic sound, and lyrics that captivate with their honesty."

RESONANCE reaches a broad new scope for Icicle, the alias of Krassy Halatchev who has been swept up in an intensely productive and personal wave of song-writing since going out on his own. Thus it is no surprise that this new record stands tall to its predecessors - Resurgence (2014), Theorems (2015), and Reverie (2016).

Floridian poet Joel Jenkins lends lyrics to Win Win Win, Super Connected, and Hanging Ten. All other lyrics and all songs on RESONANCE are written, performed, arranged, recorded, and produced by Icicle.

The new album is characterized by especially strong and inventive writing. The mix ranges from raw and brutal sounds like those in War and Smoke and Ash, to Runaway Train - a "break-up song." 1962, says Icicle, "is a throwback into the height of the Communist regime; a parallel between the East and the West," while Madness Is My Home (first single) evokes "the mad scientist, working relentlessly on a small miracle, finding that Eureka moment at the break of dawn." The album opens with the instrumental Tuck the Puck - Icicle's signature, and closes with Hanging Ten - "a reminiscence and reflection upon the way of the world and its mechanism; a call for awakening and realization; a call for revolution of the mind."

For more information on Icicle and RESONANCE contact: info@herdrecords.ca

@herd_recs @Icicle_band


name: Restiveness
sku: icicle-restiveness
upc: 847646010914
description:
The Trilogy Is Complete - The Latest Offering From Icicle Is Here

Restiveness follows up Provenance (2019) and Senescence (2020) to close out this musical chapter by Krassy Halatchev - the force behind the Icicle persona.

"I wanted to put out three connected records that focused on beginnings, lives lived in between, and the ends that complete our stories", says Halatchev.

Restiveness has a classic indie rock feel but intermingled with a great variety that is emblematic of the myriad of impacts in all our lives. It is a deeply thoughtful album, both poignant and provocative, driving and driven.

It is Icicle's 9th studio record, and can be seen as a collection and reinterpretation of all influences on an artist's road to self-knowledge and musical self-expression.

This Wonderful Smack, the first single (track 10), is a hooky frantic synth and heavy guitar number - right in your face from bar one! It opens a window on drug addiction, self-destruction and disillusionment - recurrent themes on the album. The vocals are filled with tension and vulnerability.

Murder Is Murder (track 2) is a groovy, bass-driven song with a heavy guitar intro riff to remind that there will always be challenges in the search for sanity and peace of mind, so often out of our reach.

We Are Both to Blame (track 13) is a song dedicated to Halatchev's closest childhood friend, Bobby Karaboitchev, who first introduced him to the bass - still Krassy's favorite instrument. Bobby died of an overdose before he even reached 30.

"He was my Syd Barrett" reminisces Halatchev. "I miss him to this day and hope he finally found peace or perhaps peace found him. After all, life is an incurable disease."

The album deals with the issues we will all have to deal with eventually, but with music! The strong songwriting, heavy guitar riffs, sexy bass lines and bang on drums on Restiveness will leave you breathless!


name: Resurgence
sku: icicle-resurgence
upc: 847646007976
description:
Krassy Halatchev, a familiar face in the Canadian music scene, lays new ground as Icicle with Resurgence. The album bounces between rock and pop. It is both accessible and innovative yet open and defiant. Bright and multi-layered sounds fill the 51-minute album, created during an exceptionally intense period for the artist.

Halatchev has charmed Canadian and international audiences for over two decades following his defection from communist Bulgaria with the band The Clouds.

From 1996 to 2012, he was a core member of the Montreal-based band Chiwawa - a group that had some success touring as well as collaborating on various film and video projects.

While Resurgence marks his first solo album, his collaborative spirit brought him together with Florida based poet Joel Jenkins who wrote lyrics for many of the songs. The merging of the cultural and expressive styles has brought forward a work that is both unique yet familiar. "Morning Bells", the album's second single and closing track, draws on a text by Halatchev's partner Antonia Gueorguieva.


name: Reverie_
sku: icicle-reverie
upc: 847646008867
description:
Montreal writer and composer Krassy Halatchev (Icicle) invites us into the universe of his latest album - a world of sensual fantasies, eerie nightmares and biting reality. The third instalment of his solo career titled "Reverie", releases officially on April 3rd, 2016.

Matured and eclectic sound (think of a blend between Depeche Mode, Placebo, Simple Minds, The Black Keys and Beck) fills the 48-minute record.

This latest studio full-length consists of 12 unmistakable compositions that are woven with passion and conviction. They span through delicate slow rhythms, voluptuous mid-range and furious up-tempo.

Icicle takes us through his world of tenderness ("Nothing In You"), apocalypse ("Fools Refuse To Learn"), personal disappointment ("What Day Is Today"), intimate stasis ("Boggles My Mind") and social criticism ("Paranoid Pigeon", "The Edge On Which We Run").

Icicle's philosophy has closely tied him together with Florida-based poet Joel Jenkins, the man behind the integral and deep-felt lyrics of 4 songs on this record. This collaboration has given life to compositions that are extremely personal and universal at the same time. "Paranoid Pigeon", the album's first single, is a perfect example of their remarkable teamwork. The song is simply contagious, driven by a hypnotic groove and infectious hooks. Its imagery reflects the zeitgeist of today and the chorus resonates long after the song's end.


name: Senescence
sku: icicle-senescence
upc: 847646010884
description:
Senescence (Icicle's latest offering), in its essence, is about death, mortality and the finality of things.
Indeed, it is an album which deals with difficult subjects. It questions, and it consoles. It is full of zest, clarity and above all - peace and resolve. It celebrates death rather than dread. In fact, it even brings a festive feel to it.

The opening/intro track Killer sets the mood for a journey that is rich in amplitudes and anticipation.
The second track Questions (Part 1) gets to the point rather adroitly with a powerful and assertive tone. It is as if Krassy Halatchev (the main force behind Icicle) is racing with the clock but, in reality, aren't we all U+003F ?
The first single Talk Talk Talk was dubbed as "the best break-up song ever" by one of Icicle's long-time loyal fans. It is a track that masterfully captures the feeling of abandonment, betrayal, hurt and loss. It grips with raw anger, despair and agony from the first note.
The second single Another Moment, featuring Laurie Gordon on lead vocals, is in full contrast to the latter. It is a soft ballad-esque tune which focuses on the importance of moments and details that matter the most. Time is running out after all.
Senescence is a record in the most traditional sense. It is an album which beckons you sit down and listen to in its entirety because, as Prince reminded us, "Albums still matter."

For more info please visit Icicle's website.


name: Silence
sku: icicle-silence
upc: 876809008987
description:
Icicle's newest record SILENCE is one of the finest in his acclaimed catalogue, taking him down yet another new sonic path 5 albums into his career. This is an act whose name has been built on the progressive evolution of its own aural dynamics, innovative compositions and stellar arrangements.

SILENCE is a bold, upfront, driving album, relying on grooves of pulsing keyboard twists, infectious guitar hooks and the off-kilter, slinky rhythms to carry the vocals of singer/bassist Krassy Halatchev. Lyrically, the record is demanding attention and mindfulness. The topics are broad, deep and above all - painfully honest and sincere.

These 13 songs are some of the most sensual, serendipitous, sparse recordings to come from Icicle, showcasing a new dimension in his songwriting and marking SILENCE as that crucial next sonic step forward for one of Montreal's best artists.

For news and more visit: http://icicle.club/

Contact: info@herdrecords.ca


name: Theorems
sku: icicle-theorems
upc: 847646007921
description:
Icicle is back with a second instalment - Theorems.

This follow-up solo record consists of 12 very strong and personal compositions. It bounces between rock and pop. It is both accessible and innovative yet open and defiant. Bright and multi-layered sounds fill the 50-minute album, created during an exceptionally intense period for the artist.

Halatchev has charmed Canadian and international audiences for over two decades following his defection from communist Bulgaria with the band The Clouds.

From 1996 to 2012, he was a core member of the Montreal-based band Chiwawa - a group that had some success touring as well as collaborating on various film and video projects.

While Theorems marks his second solo release, Halatchev's team spirit has closely tied him together with Florida based poet Joel Jenkins who wrote lyrics for some of the songs. The merging of the cultural and expressive styles has brought forward a work that is both unique yet familiar. "On And On", the album's second single, is a perfect example for their remarkable collaboration.


name: 6
sku: idlemine-6
upc: 847646006283
description:
Experience a fresh taste of experimental instrumental rock!

This album, entitled "6", contains the newest release of material from Idlemine and is structured around straight ahead rock and metal. Using their power house of drums, in your face throttling bass, and exquisite guitar, this album was designed to give you a solid taste of a real 3 piece group of musicians without overdubs and samples.

The songs on this album are heavy hitting and in your face telling a story from beginning to end of every track and leaving you on edge with heart wrenching instrumentation and a colossal sound.

Idlemine quote;
"It was an awesome journey recording this latest album, a definite soul grabber".


name: Idlemine
sku: idlemine-idlemine
upc: 847646006177
description:
Experience a new style and sound of Hard Rock Instrumental Music.

This album was put together not knowing if any of the riffs and melodies would ever make it on our next album, we were coming off the road and preparing to write our next album we started experimenting with our riffs, melodies, structures, sounds, and what is to be on this album.

As it would end up this Journey opened the door for what is Idlemine music today.

This music is a power house of drums, bass, and guitar, with a fresh twist of riffs and melodies, A solid taste of a real 3 piece group of musicians without the overdubs and samples.

"Not realizing once these songs started coming together they would be as they are, nothing arranged, nor planned, just music recorded straight from the soul, presenting something we feel is new and refreshing in the music world today".


name: In Life
sku: idlemine-inlife
upc: 847646007136
description:
With epic riffs, dark undertones, and an enticing blend of spoken poetry the music in general is classic to the roots Idlemine always produces, but the vocals generate a whole new aspect to the norm.

This album is a straight shot to the thinker, the music is made to arouse thought and foster change.

Idlemine quotes: "Teaming up with a vocalist is always fun for us because we do write around being Instrumental, Rick Noble, (AKA) Rick Threat was phenomenal to work with. Most of the lyrics you hear in this album were recorded in one take, shot straight from the hip.

A few of the songs on this album were recorded together as a pre-pro but ended up so good we re-recorded them and put them on the album.

Although there are some EXPLICIT LYRICS in this album we feel you will still enjoy the point at hand when thought through after listening."


name: Immune
sku: immune-immune
upc: 847646005132
description:
Anthemic modern rock with classic roots and a powerful message.

Immune has crafted a brand new set of songs which combine the sonic elements of classic rock with the production flourishes, raw power and lyrical potency of modern rock. Each song stands alone in its message yet works in conjunction with the other tracks to form a cohesive musical whole. Roaring guitars and soaring vocals are the engine driving the well oiled machine of hooks found in abundance throughout.


name: Immune Instrumental
sku: immune-instrumental
upc: 847646005309
description:
Anthemic modern rock with classic roots and a powerful message. This is the instrumental version of the self titled album by "Immune".

Immune has crafted a brand new set of songs which combine the sonic elements of classic rock with the production flourishes, raw power and lyrical potency of modern rock. Each song stands alone in its message yet works in conjunction with the other tracks to form a cohesive musical whole. Roaring guitars and soaring vocals are the engine driving the well oiled machine of hooks found in abundance throughout.


name: demonstrate (from where to Now - volume 2)
sku: in_giro-demonstrate
upc: 847646011140
description:
Our first release, demonstrate, volume 2 of the from where to Now cycle, is an abstract protest rock opera. A "dram rock" concept album with gaplessly flowing tracks, the suite follows "characters" with both lyrical and musical descriptions that repeat and evolve. We're playing our parts in relation to each other in hopes of waking up, balancing, and breaking out together; singing to set down our baggage long enough to catch a glimpse of something more, something pure. An examination of society, culture, and privilege, demonstrate is a critique turned meditation turned struggle for freedom, both personal and collective.


name: Medieval and Traditional Carols, Chansons and Festive Dances
sku: innovat-tradcarols
upc: 847646002902
description:
Each Hausmusik concert featured a different theme, spanning the late Middle Ages through the 18th century. In Nova Cantica celebrates the music of Christmastide, with medieval and traditional carols, Chansons and festive dances from the 13th to 17th centuries.

Possibly the first recording for Eileen Hadidian, it was originally recorded in Belvedere, California and then remixed and released as a CD on the Healing Muses label in 2003.


name: Align
sku: indidginus-align
upc: 876809000288
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/align/id266020708
description:
Align is a downtempo excursion beyond time and space. Featuring several collaborative tracks with Ishq, the album draws on a wide spectrum of influences ranging from world music to IDM which are incorporated in unique and refreshing ways.


name: Circa Diem
sku: indidginus-circadiem
upc: 876809009656
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/circa-diem/id423034895
description:
Circa Diem contains ambient soundscapes that echo the phases of day and night and evoke the passage of time. Ethereal, haunting atmospheres fuse and evolve with organic, soothing, and contemplative textures to create a beautiful collection of spacious instrumental music.


name: Feast or Famine
sku: indidginus-feast
upc: 876809000240
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/feast-or-famine/id369478321
description:
Focussed on the funkier, groovier, slower side of psychedelic trance, Feast or Famine takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey through time and space, which will make your booty move and keep you coming back for more!

The album exhibits a diverse array of influences and includes a masterful collaboration with Colin Angus (The Shamen, Pablo Sandoz). Sure to be a winner on dancefloors the world over....


name: Kaleidoscope
sku: indidginus-kaleid
upc: 876809000028
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kaleidoscope/id346368255
description:
Open, spacious and relaxed Kaleidoscope presents the listener with ethnic atmospheres, emotive soundscapes and ambient vistas. The intricate and evolving nature of the album keeps the ears open and the eyes wide.

Michael Martin of Indidginus has grown leaps and bounds musically over the past few years. As part of that, he felt that much of his older material no longer represented where he now is. His music was previously simpler and more beat oriented, and it's now much more nuanced and takes in many more influences and genres. As such, he rerecorded many of his older songs and along with much new material, decided to replace his previous 2 Magnatune albums (and one "singles" EP) with 3 new albums: "Kaleidoscope", "Align" and "Feast or Famine".


name: Sofa Surfer
sku: indidginus-sofasurfer
upc: 847646001561
description:
In the latest album Sofa Surfer from Indidginus you'll find dubstep, dub, dancehall, world-fusion, electronica and dance drawing on a diverse array of influences. Featuring collaborations with Teba Shumba, EJ Von Lyrik, Steve Newman, Fletcher, Francesca Krnjak, Riccardo Moretti, Colin Angus, High Frequency Bandwidth, Seb Taylor, Tripswitch, Suns of Arqa, Raggasouljah, 7Ft Soundsystem and OOOD.

The album has been well received worldwide and has garnered early support from Adrian Sherwood, The Orb, DJ Fresh, Liquid Stranger, ill Gates, DimmSummer, Greg Hunter, Red Bull Studios and Unity Radio amongst others.


name: Make Your Choice
sku: indchoice-makechoice
upc: 847646000717
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/make-your-choice/id440931649
description:
Inspired by Miles Davis' fusion of jazz and rock, "Individual Choice" have created music that follows the basic format of jazz (melody-improvisation-melody), but uses sonorities and rhythms belonging to the sphere of rock and progressive music.

Make Your Choice is the natural expression of the experiences and artistic inclinations of four musicians, with different musical backgrounds, revealed in an original, personal and creative manner.


name: Easy Sixes
sku: insoba-easysixes
upc: 847646006184
description:
Easy Sixes represents an evolutionary step forward for Industrial Sound Bank. Taking roughly a year to assemble, this album started as a few melodies strung together in a few free minutes during a bachelor party weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Initially slated to be one long song, the melodies and hooks each began to take on a life of their own; when all the composition and mixing was completed, that one song had grown into nine individual tracks.

Filled with cinematic moments and a fury of blended genres, Easy Sixes is an album that's meant to be listened to over and over again.


name: Light and Science
sku: insoba-lightscience
upc: 847646003602
description:
Light and Science is an evolutionary leap in electronic sound and style; it was written over the course of a few months and recorded / mixed / mastered in the same studio. With a more modern edge and cohesive sound this album is meant to be left on repeat while you drive, work, dance, or lay on the sofa... Just listen.


name: The Disk Platter Spins
sku: insoba-platterspins
upc: 847646000861
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-disk-platter-spins/id440901761
description:
The Disk Platter Spins is a musical journey; a gapless, seamless blending of dance, trance and noise. The album has been inspired by years of living and listening. There's a strong "dance-ability" factor, but even for those who choose to just listen, this album provides great material. The songs were written over the course of the last 15 years in various studios and environments, and were finally compiled and mixed in the comfort of home. These songs have been floating around in disconnect since 1996. Some on CD, some on Floppy disk, some just melodies scribbled on fading sheet music.


name: CD1-JS Bach-Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord
sku: ingridmatthews-sixsonatas1
upc: 876809006778
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/js-bach-six-sonatas-for-violin-and/id272431149
description:
Music for brain and soul, this is the last collaboration between two of the most stunning players on the American early music scene.

Ingrid Matthews and Byron Schenkman have long been regarded as well-established stars of the American early music scene. Their collaboration began in the 1980s, when the two were graduate students at Indiana University's Early Music Institute under Stanley Ritchie and Elisabeth Wright. Since that time, Matthews and Schenkman have performed and recorded together extensively, as a duo, with the chamber ensemble La Luna, and as directors of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, which they founded in 1994. Matthews won first prize in the Erwin Bodky International Competition for Early Music in 1989, and Schenkman was awarded the Bodky Prize in 1999. In addition to their extensive joint discography, Schenkman has produced dozens of solo harpsichord CDs, to international critical acclaim, and Matthews has recorded the complete Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin of Johann Sebastian Bach, of which the American Record Guide writes: "this superb recording...is my top recommendation for this music, on either period or modern instruments."

Byron Schenkman is now working as a modern pianist based in New York. This album is the last project the two undertook together before Byron's musical metamorphosis was complete, and as such stands as a significant memento of a wonderful and rare musical collaboration.


name: Into the Void
sku: intersonicsub-intotheovid
upc: 847646007471
description:
Deep space travels where sights, sounds and illusions reflect onto human emotions. The extra-terrestrial vistas one encounters here are created out of organic elements mixed with micro noises, seamlessly fused into lush soundscapes. Images projected by these textures and melodies bring about both, melancholy and a sense of wonder, sometimes looking deep into the future, other times revealing ancient and primeval past.


name: Out of Thin Air
sku: intersonicsub-thinair
upc: 847646011409
description:
This album is a musical exploration of various imaginary landscapes, a collection of snapshots of nature's both, static and dynamic states.

At the same time, it is a meditation on human condition, and an insight into one's emotions in relationship to those landscapes and nature's events.

Slow moving and constantly evolving, these ambient pieces invite a listener to look at the presented sights and vistas through a unique sonic prism - as if painted with various shades of greys, blues and off-white brush strokes.

We invite you to emerge yourself in this convergence of sound and sight, and flow gently through the chapters of this musical novel.


name: iDEOLOGY
sku: introspekt-ideology
upc: 876809002176
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257905422&s=143444
description:
Intelligent, varied, beat-driven electronica.

iNTROSPEKT (aka Benny Sanches) is a decade-long producer of electronic music, with remixes for Depeche Mode and Meat Beat Manifesto among his portfolio.

Frequently called on for production music, iNTROSPEKT's credits include a Sony/Tomb Raider III TV commercial, work for MTV's "Making the Video", and multiple independent films.

As a producer and musician, iNTROSPEKT has worked with Ahou Yazmeen (vocalist, guitarist, aka ISYSS); David Pulfinger (percussionist, Cabaret Voltaire/Cocteau Twins); Jorge Bermudez (The Bermudez Triangle); Ammie Moore (Chicago-based Lounge/Trip Hop vocalist); Lisa Talev (Austin-based Poet, vocalist, guitarist); Christophe Royer (San Francisco-based House and Funk producer); Rasa N' Rice (Los Angeles-based Electro producer); Shemp (Bass guitarist for Schloss); and many others.

In addition to his own production efforts, Benny works for the celebrated digital-recording company Digidesign.

Benny is the co-collaborator on Magnatune artist "Version".


name: Future Forever
sku: ion-future
upc: 876809006099
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=278050840&s=143444
description:
Ever seen pictures of the ice hotels they build in Norway and Sweden every year? Well this sublimely wintery ambient album by David Hughes' side project, Ion, may just may be the perfect soundtrack for staying in one. Firmly rooted in the Berlin school, it's incredibly clean and crystalline and we love the modern utopias it conjures up with its frosty sequencing and big serene arcs of sound. Standout tracks include "Future Forever" and "The Silent Scream."


name: Synchronicity
sku: ion-synchronicity
upc: 876809009311
description:
Synchronicity is the second full length collection from Ion, and follows on directly from their highly successful debut album, Future Forever.

The songs on this album were composed between 2007 and 2014. Some were recorded during the original Future Forever sessions but were not included in the final release because they didn't fit the style or direction of that album. Several of these tracks came out of rehearsal sessions for various concerts although the majority are studio compositions.

Updated for 2018, all of these pieces have been given a fresh coat of paint in the form of additional sounds, improved mastering and updated arrangements.


name: One Life Left
sku: iordache-onelifeleft
upc: 847646005507
description:
Drawing upon elements of cool jazz, nu jazz, exotica and lounge funk, Iordache's tone colors can sound like Herbie's "Speak Like a Child", Jagga Jazzist, Snarky Puppy, Henry Mancini, Gil Evans or Dolphy's "Hot Cool and Latin". "One Life Left" is new cool jazz for the 21st, with lots of odd quirky eccentricities to boot.

Iordache leads a seven piece band on here including himself and Lucian Nagy on woodwinds, plus trumpet, bass, drums and two guitars. Guitarist Toni Kuhn also doubles on a very funky analog sounding synthesizer too. The three horns, and sometimes flute, combine with the electronic guitars and keyboards to create instrumental textures that work perfectly with the music they play.

Some album highlights include "Peace" with its classic mid-90s trip-hop down tempo beat and lush vibratoed chords on the electric piano, and "Suriname" which opens with smooth horn orchestrations backing an exotic synth melody that recalls the old Don Ellis experimental big band. This is a very creative and well executed album. To the serious post bop fan this album may seem a little light, but these players are not light weight at all, they just prefer to keep their cool, with their tongues planted in cheek.
(A review of One Life Left from the Jazz Music Archives website).


name: Contemplations
sku: ithomas-contemplations
upc: 847646003725
description:
How did it all begin.... probably in a long cherished wish to play Erik Satie's Gymnopedies and Gnossiennes (originally written for the piano) on the lute. Having fulfilled that wish and thinking of recording Satie, I asked myself which lute composer could stand next to Erik Satie? The answer came quickly in the form of Robert Ballard, Musicien Ordinaire du Roy. Ballard's music is quintessentially French: as with Satie, his compositions are exquisitely refined and 'courteous'. Perhaps because of this shared quality of serenity, when one hears their music side by side the distance of 300 years which divides these two Parisians quickly fades away. However, when one returns to earth, Paris, as one of the greatest cultural centers of Europe, also took many foreign composers to her heart. Among these was Fernando Sor. His intense and romantic Fantaisie Elegiaque for guitar, with its highly concentrated emotional content, forms a most 'earthy' contrast with the more ethereal and transparent tones of Ballard and Satie.

Contemplations
Being descended from a family of music publishers and lutenists Robert Ballard (ca 1572 - after 1650) possessed all the genetic material required to grow into one of the more prominent lutenists of his time. His father, Robert Ballard senior, founded, together with his cousin Adrian le Roy, the famous music publishing house 'Le Roy et Ballard'. When Maria de Medici, the French regent, was looking for a lute teacher for the Dauphin Louis XIII, she chose Ballard's son Robert. Ballard junior wrote two books of lute music: Premier Livre de tablature de luth (1611) and Diverses Pieces mises sur le luth (1614). From 1618 onward he was allowed to bear the title Musicien Ordinaire du Roi. The Entree's, Courantes and Ballets, which are here performed on a 10-course gut-strung lute (after Gerle, Brian Cohen 1979), are from the first lute book. In addition to having certainly played them, Louis XIII probably used them as a subtle accompaniment to his dance.

Born in Spain, the composer and guitar virtuoso Fernando Sor (1778-1839) received his music education from the Benedictine monks of Montserrat. With the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte he left Spain for Paris, where he soon became well known. Sor is especially famous for his large oeuvre for guitar, but he also wrote operas, symphonies and ballets. Most of these are lost. As a performing guitarist he traveled widely throughout Europe. In addition to his many concerts in Paris, where he remained for most of his life, he gave performances in other large cultural centers such as London, Berlin, Warsaw and Moscow. Sor composed the Fantaisie Elegiaque (1836) after the death in childbirth of a dear friend and pupil. Its melodies, which are moving as well as charming are grouped into sharply contrasting phrases which follow each other in quick succession, a characteristic which might well have pleased his fellow Parisian Frederique Chopin.

On this album Sor is being played on a Stauffer guitar (1830) copied by Martin de Witte in 2011. Its strings are of gut and silk.

For the 'self-made' composer and Rosicrucian (a secret philosophical society) the music of Erik Satie (1866-1925) was conceived in a very architectural manner: as if assembling a construction kit, he formed his compositions from audible building blocks, not shrinking from seemingly interminable repetitions. Today Satie is mostly famous for his Trois Gymnopedies (1888) and his Trois Gnossiennes (1890) which, because of their long drawn-out melodies and their repeated chord patterns, can easily put Satie's listeners into a trance-like state. To fit them into the range of the 14 course liuto attiorbato the Gnossiennes and Gymnopedies have been transposed down a fourth and a fifth respectively. To preserve Satie's harmonies virtually unaltered it was necessary to develop a new right hand technique. Satie's often soft and mysterious sound combinations translate surprisingly well onto the gut-strung liuto attiorbato (De Witte 2007, after Choc 1630).


name: Indian Summer of the Lute
sku: ithomas-indiansummer
upc: 876809008451
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/indian-summer-of-the-lute/id400991079
description:
The album "Indian Summer of the Lute" presents the fairly unknown repertory for baroque lute from the time of the sons of Johann Sebastian Bach and of the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. These compositions in a pre-classical style bring out a surprisingly expressive aspect of the lute.

Johann Friedrich Daube, Rudolf Straube and Ferdinand Seidel composed their music in a period during which the expression of individual feelings was paramount. Whereas before, the religious and worldly majesty were the major source of inspiration for composers, in this period the individual stood at the center. Because the melody was considered to be the carrier of feelings, composers thought of polyphony as an unnecessary distraction. As a consequence of this swing in musical language new instruments, such as the Forte-piano, were developed and concert life shifted from the courts increasingly to places open for the public. Because of these changes the lute lost its function and came to be thought of as old-fashioned.

In spite of these developments German composers kept writing for the lute until as late as the 1790s. Typical for this Indian Summer of the lute is the respectable number of solo sonatas written for it. Also in chamber music the lute played an important role in the works of composers such as Johann Ludwig Krebs, Bernhard Joachim Hagen, Carl Joseph Toeschi and Joseph Haydn. Though declining in most European countries, in the German speaking ones the lute was given a new language. In a word the lute had to become 'outspoken' and through this transformation it experienced a beautiful Indian Summer.


name: The Gates of Dawn
sku: ishwish-gates
upc: 876809007737
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-gates-dawn/id336048531
description:
ishwish utilizes sound, art and technology to communicate universal knowledge purely on a vibrational level. Being in harmony with the universe will evolve our consciousness.

With this new album, ishwish has created a vast sonic universe for the listener to explore. Christopher Currell, utilizing new audio technologies, has created a tapestry of sound and music which becomes a unique and personal experience to each listener. An important factor in ishwish music is improvisation. When music is created in "present time", a special energy happens. That energy is unique because it remains long after the actual performance is finished, still influencing the people and the environment.

"Sound is a vibration. Like sound, the universe is also vibration. If we look closer, there is information in the vibration. All knowledge we seek resides there. All we have to do is listen."

Christopher Currell


name: Meditations
sku: ishwish-meditations
upc: 876809008314
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/meditations/id383195747
description:
Meditations is the third CD by Ishwish. With Meditations, Christopher Currell (composer, musician and producer) has gone much deeper with his concept of using sound vibrations to raise human consciousness. Meditations are five musical/sound collages that are designed to resonate specifically with the human spirit and the universe. The harmonious interaction of spirit and sound sets free information that is contained within the vibration. This information holds the key to elevating consciousness. Each person resonates differently, much like a radio tuner, and therefore has his own unique experience. Each person receives only information that they are ready to receive based on their own current awareness and life experiences.

Christopher says this about the powerful harmonious interaction of music and meditation:

"Light is the creative source. The universe is an echo of the creative source...fundamentally a vibration. Everything is a result of a creative thought. The spiritual essence of man is interested in trying to understand the nature of the creative source. Science is about analyzing its results. Meditation stills the vibration long enough to perceive its source. Music is a process that resonates directly with the creative source. Meditations are pathways to consciousness. Sound illuminates the way. May your travels be guided from the darkness into the light."


name: Remember
sku: ishwish-remember
upc: 876809006242
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=277102664&s=143444
description:
ishwish is communication from the universe, using vibration in the auditory and visual frequency spectrum to transmit a message of peace, harmony and universal knowledge for all people of planet Earth.

Multi-instrumentalist and sound designer Christopher Currell has worked with diverse artists such as Quincy Jones, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder. His pioneering work with the Synclavier (a sophisticated digital synthesis computer) culminated in his contribution to the multi-platinum album "Bad" by Michael Jackson.

Christopher's current work with ishwish is a reflection of new knowledge of reality discovered in quantum physics...that EVERYTHING in the universe is connected.

On this first ishwish venture, Cirque du Soleil vocalist Beth Quist joins Christopher to explore and unleash latent memory stored in our DNA via sound vibrations. Christopher's sonic textures along with Quist's angelic voice combine with the influence of the listener and environment to open our hearts and memories of our distant past.

"The sound vibrations of ishwish are intended to be a journey through the universe, different times and dimensions. The journey ultimately begins and ends with you. Please enjoy!"

Christopher Currell


name: Fugitive Visions - Piano Masterworks by Chopin and Liszt
sku: ilic-fugitive
upc: 876809007041
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fugitive-visions-piano-masterworks/id339074510
description:
John writes: it's a pleasure for me to work with a musician who really "gets" the world of Internet music, and very unusual for a classical musician. He's been peppering me with questions about Creative Commons and sharing his music via Wikipedia, and has focussed on making stunning Internet-only releases through Magnatune. Check out the intense album covers I've made with him! If you watch the video on his home page, you'll see that he can really play: a thousand edits aren't needed.


name: Godowsky and Ecstasy
sku: ilic-godowsky
upc: 847646002506
description:
22 Chopin Studies by Leopold Godowsky - American pianist Ivan Ilic has recorded his 7th album for Magnatune, entitled Godowsky and Ecstasy, 22 Chopin Studies. Godowsky was a celebrity in his day: Artur Rubinstein said that "it would take him 500 years" to acquire Godowsky's technique. Rachmaninoff wrote that "Godowsky is the only musician of this age who has given a real, lasting contribution to the development of the piano".

But following Godowsky's death in 1938, his compositions were largely ignored until the year 2000, when super-virtuoso pianists such as Marc-Andre Hamelin and Boris Berezovsky began to record and perform his works in concert.

Ivan Ilic is the latest pianist to rise to the formidable challenge. His album focuses on the 22 Studies for the left hand alone, considered among the most difficult pieces ever written for the instrument.

But there is a poetry in Ilic 's interpretations which makes one forget the difficulty, and allows the listener to bask in Godowsky's rich, dark re-working of Chopin's masterpieces.

This album is a tour de force of virtuosity and musicianship.

- Daily Telegraph Classical CD of the Week
- Classique News Top 5 CD of the Month

"A major achievement"
BBC Radio 3


name: Sparkling - The Complete Preludes by Claude Debussy
sku: ilic-sparkling
upc: 847646002100
description:
Pianist Ivan Ilic 's award winning recording of the 24 Debussy Preludes is finally available on Magnatune, in its entirety. Originally released in 2008, it is his 6th Magnatune album.

Described as 'masterful' by Gramophone, the recording won prestigious awards from:
- Mezzo Television (France)
- Fanfare Magazine (US)
- ClassiqueNews.com (France)

It was a hit with critics worldwide, and continues to be broadcast across 6 continents.

"The rich humanity of these priceless miniatures is joyfully relished."
- International Piano, London

"His playing is characterized by clarity, vivacity and his intuitive feel. The pianist has real personality and his name is one to remember."
- Le Monde de la Musique, Paris

"Fidelity to what the score says is impeccable." Four stars
- Classical Music Magazine, London

This is the first Magnatune album dedicated to Claude Debussy's piano music. Enjoy masterpieces such as 'The Girl with the Flaxen Hair', 'The Sunken Cathedral' and 'Fireworks'.


name: Transcendental - Transcriptions by Brahms and Godowsky
sku: ilic-transcendental
upc: 876809007997
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/transcendental-transcriptions/id348776641
description:
Renowned for their technical difficulty, Ivan Ilic presents Leopold Godowsky's Studies on Frederic Chopin's etudes. Critic Harold C. Schonberg called them "the most impossibly difficult things ever written for the piano." Ilic also presents Johann Sebastian Bach's D minor Chaconne, transcribed to the left hand by Johannes Brahms. An interesting set of left-hand piano pieces from the greats (Bach and Chopin), as interpeted for a more contemporary setting.


name: Terean
sku: ivilion-terean
upc: 876809003562
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257788793&s=143444
description:
Imagine a peace-filled primitive world where the atmosphere is painted with swirling ambience, where intense tapestries of sound envelope and enrich every aspect of life. A world in which the air breathes and the wind has a mind and life of its own. A world where meditation is common and spiritual response is immediate and uplifting. This is a world of fantasy, a world of mystery, and a world of beauty. You can keep imagining this world, or you can pick up the new Ivilion release, Terean, and experience it for yourself in surround sound.

Terean is the culmination of Michael Weeks' previous works with Ivilion, pulling in and adding to the structures started in his first release, Sartinal, and making use of the darkly melodic concepts from his unofficial release, What I see in the dark. I recently had the pleasure to review his other project, The Wretch, and I cannot enforce the difference between these two projects enough. While The Wretch takes listeners on a fast-paced trip through a schizotypal, A.D.H.D. crazed mind, Ivilion serves to take listeners on an intrinsic journey through their own psyche.

Terean is characterized by perpetual, evolving tribal beats, crafted on a base of dark, drifting ambience, and given life by the beautiful melodies throughout. Delicate, haunting string and piano arrangements visit songs, adding strength and body to the overall value of this work of art. While some ambient works are sparsely layered, change little, and drone into nothingness, Terean weaves its way into the listener's mind, taking over the subconscious and inspiring 44 minutes and 44 seconds of thought and meditation.

If you don't like tribal drums and ambience, I don't have to tell you that you probably won't enjoy this album. But if you have even a passing interest, I can promise Ivilion's Terean is for you. The production on this release is impossibly flawless; the sound is amazing and inspiring. With Terean Michael Weeks shows an absolute command over his resources, turning what can be a dull and stale genre into a living masterpiece. I fully intend to dwell on this release for quite some time, and will be strongly suggesting it to anyone I meet.
Review by: Shaun Phelps


name: 8hr Session (8 hours)
sku: jnilssonproj-eighthrsession
upc: 847646001790
description:
J. NILSSON PROJECT - 8hr SESSION

This is a new lineup, consisting of some of the finest musicians in Sweden. Except for one: the composer and guitarist Johan Nilsson (also the guitar player in EJP and Burnshee Thornside). What he did though, was to initiate one day in the studio. One day with 8 compositions. Lunch and coffe-breaks were served. Music were played. Unedited. Unrehearsed. No strings, no rules. Just "go with the flow".

A long life dream, for me, just to have these guys in the same room and play together and see what came out. Well, the "8hr session" is what came out. And the guys stretched. The first track is ten minutes long! Which is crazy and a bit brave and bold. But as the title suggests, "Blues for Monk", it's a tribute to a brave and bold person. Then right after that comes a beautiful ballad, titled "Half Goodbye", and the tenor saxophone will make you cry...

Join the J. Nilsson project and be amazed.

Tomas Bergquist: Bass.
Andre Ferrari: Drums.
Jonas Lindeborg: Trumpet/Flugelhorn.
Joakim Milder: Saxophone.
Johan Nilsson: Electric guitar.
Martin ostergren: Grand Piano, Rhodes, Prophet 5.


name: The Cathedral and the Bazaar
sku: jackal-cathedral
upc: 876809002947
description:
With influences that range from the classic sounds of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to the metal power of Metallica and the informed vitriol of Rage Against the Machine, punters can expect potently raw riffage and a groove-oriented sound.

Commerce versus art; capital greed or creative freedom; the cathedral and the bazaar? Inspired as much by philosophy as the need to make very loud noise. This new power-trio are intent on creating great, hard-hitting tunes and playing them live. The title of their debut album, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" is a tribute to the free music philosophy that inspires them.


name: Jacksploitation
sku: jackalopes-jacksploit
upc: 876809002152
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257788918&s=143444
description:
Horror Punk similar to The Misfits, Samhain, The Damned as well as influences ranging from 50's Rockabilly to 60's and 70's Psych and modern punk and hardcore.

Founded in 1999 in the back of a Tattoo shop owned by lead singer, Rev. Chad A. Wells, The Jackalopes have continually strived to carve their very own X into the foreheads of music listeners everywhere.

Dealing in imagery ranging from sacred to profane, violent and sexy to downright silly, The Jackalopes are here to entertain you and provoke you and they push all the right buttons on their now classic first full length, "Jacksploitation!". The Jackalopes combine the dark and brooding elements of acts like Samhain, The Misfits, The Doors, The Damned and Christian Death with the revved up fury of Motorhead, Electric Frankenstein and early Metallica while combining lethal doses of Beach Boys, Beatles and Monkees inspired sing-along with the stage antics of early Kiss, Alice Cooper and Motley Crue! Throw in a heapin' helpin' of Social Distortion, Fear and Black Flag and top with copious amounts of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charles Manson and Anton LaVey and we're getting very near to the heart of the Beast! Coat the whole package in the world renowned, Lowbrow Art of the band's own Rev. Wells and we have the making of one HELL of a party!


name: The Art of the Lute Player
sku: heringman-artlute
upc: 876809002091
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=160454141&s=143444
description:
The Art of the Lute Player, was released in October 2002. This disc is a compilation of material from the first three solo CDs, plus solo tracks from the ASV Milan and Mudarra albums made with the singer Catherine King

"The supple expressivity of the performances reflects Heringman's love of the music. What more is there to be said, other than to urge anyone with an interest in this small but very lush musical pasture to buy it without delay."
Gramophone


name: Black Cow
sku: heringman-blackcow
upc: 876809002244
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257786831&s=143444
description:
Consists mainly of works by the great 16th-century Transylvanian lutenist and composer, Valentin (Balint) Bakfark, interspersed with Polish dances by his Prussian contemporary, Matthaeus Waissel. Full of variety, contrasting moods and breathtaking virtuosity, this CD shows that lute music has the power to move a modern audience as much as it could a renaissance one.

Recorded 15-16 December 1998 in Wiltshire, UK
Recording engineer: David Singleton
Assistant engineer: Alex Mundy
Post-production by Adrian Hunter

Lute made in New York in 1997 by Andrew Rutherford, after Gerle (c1580).


name: Blame Not My Lute
sku: heringman-blamenot
upc: 876809004705
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
Recorded and engineered by Magnatune founder John Buckman, Blame Not My Lute perfectly captures the warm, natural tones and relaxed yet elegant playing of world-renowned lutenist Jacob Heringman. Fifty eight instrumental tracks are exceptionally soothing and are perfect for any time you'd like to bring a little peace into your day.


name: Holburns Passion
sku: heringman-holburns
upc: 876809002237
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257925469&s=143444
description:
As a soloist, Jacob released his first CD, Holburns Passion: music for lute, cittern and bandora by Anthony Holborne, on the ASV label in 1998. This disc was chosen by Gramophone Magazine as one of the best CDs of 1999, and given a rosette and three stars in the Penguin CD guide.

Early Music: "an unusual disc combining sparkling virtuosity with carefully paced musicianship".


name: Josquin des Prez Lute Settings
sku: heringman-josquin
upc: 876809002220
itunes_buy_url: NONE
description:
The stature of Josquin des Prez (c.1450-1521) is without question, indeed he is credited with being the mastermind behind the transition of music from of the Middle Ages into the renaissance. His output is for the most part vocal music, masses and motets, so this recording is unusual in as much as it is made up of settings of vocal music in a purely instrumental context, that being the solo lute. This process known as intabulation was undertaken by a number of 16th century lutenists and vihuelaistas (the vihuela being the Spanish equivalent of the lute) that obviously held Josquin des Prez in high regard. Surprisingly enough we are told by Jacob Heringman, in the inlay notes, that intabulation represents the largest proportion of all the known lute literature and this disc being the first to be made up entirely of intabulations.

Some of the composers who took Josquin des Prez' music as inspiration are familiar to me such as Valentin Bakfark (c.1526-1576) from Transylvania, Hans Newsidler (c. 1509-1563) from Germany and the Spaniards Miguel Fuenllana (early 16th century) and Alonso Mudarra (c. 1510-1580). Probably the best known work contained here is Luys de Narvaez' (fl.1530-1550) 'La cancion del Emperador' taken from his collection 'El Delphin de Musica' published in Valladolid, in 1538, this being a setting of Josquin de Prez' 'Mille regretz' said to have been a favourite song of Charles V of Spain.

Jacob Heringmans authentic sound and playing style suits this music perfectly, although it does take repeated listening to reap the rewards. For the most part though I do feel that this disc is more of a historical document for early music enthusiasts and scholars rather than a purely entertaining experience.
Andy Daly

This is a disc of arrangements: sixteenth-century arrangements for lute (and its Spanish counterpart, the vihuela) of vocal music by the greatest of renaissance composers, Josquin Desprez. The arrangements, from Italy, Spain, Germany and France, are by the leading lutenists of the early and mid sixteenth century; the earliest is by Spinacino (1507) from the first surviving published book of lute music; the latest is by the Transylvanian virtuoso Valentine Bakfark, from the Cracow Lute Book of 1565 (which also includes Bakfark's setting of the splendid four-part motet "Qui habitat in adjutorio" -- see my previous DGM CD, Black Cow).

Intabulation is the "official" name for an instrumental arrangement of a vocal piece. The sixteenth-century solo lute and vihuela repertoire can be divided into three categories:

1) fantasias and other freely composed pieces
2) dances
3) intabulations of vocal originals

A cursory survey of sixteenth-century lute music, both in manuscripts and in printed books, shows that intabulations form the largest category. And yet this category is largely unrepresented in performance and in recordings today.

Over a period of several years, with the help of leading scholars of lute music, I have assembled and played through as complete a list as possible of the hundreds of surviving sixteenth-century lute settings of Josquin Desprez's vocal music. After a long process of studying the intabulations and the vocal originals, I compiled this programme of some of the finest settings, and, during 1999, I toured with the programme, giving concerts in London, Turin, Vancouver and Norwich.

This is not only the first CD/concert programme ever to be devoted entirely to intabulations, it is also the first lute project ever devoted entirely to the great Josquin Desprez and to the legacy of Josquin instrumental arrangements, and much of the music has not been recorded or performed in modern times.

Why have we avoided intabulations until now? They are, after all, the meat and potatoes of the sixteenth-century lutenist's activity. Probably it is because: 1) they are difficult technically; 2) they have, in our culture of "originality", perhaps been thought of as somehow derivative (not unlike piano reductions of orchestral scores in the nineteenth century); and 3) the vocal originals are less well-known among lutenists and audiences today, which removes the music from its original context.

I believe that none of these reasons is particularly convincing: the technical difficulty has not proven an obstacle; it's simply a matter of giving the music one's time and commitment. The musical rewards are rich. Regarding the derivative quality of intabulations and the fact that, generally, people are unfamiliar with the vocal originals, I am convinced (and audiences have confirmed) that the best Josquin lute settings are fine instrumental pieces in their own right. I like to think of these pieces as transformations of vocal music rather than as reductions. Of course a knowledge of the vocal originals greatly enhances one's appreciation of these lute pieces, but Josquin's music is of such high quality, and the best settings so skilful, that his genius shines through them. Quite simply, this is great music which needs no apology.

Josquin des Prez and intabulations
Sometimes it feels as though Josquin will disappear in a whiff of smoke. Since Helmuth Osthoff's great biography of the composer (1962-5) it has become clear that a very large part of his details actually concerned other musicians -- Josquin de Kessalia at the court of Milan (d.1498), Josquin Steelant at the court of Burgundy, Josquin Doro at the court of Ferrara, Johannes Stokem (called Jo. de Pratis) at the Papal chapel, and so on. Fortunately some new documents have also been found, but our picture of his life is a lot more tentative than it once looked.

The present view is like this. He was born around the present French-Belgian border, probably in the mid-1450s, some 15 years later than once thought. His early career was not in Milan but probably at the chapel of 'Good' King Rene of Anjou (d.1480) at Aix-en-Provence and then in the Sainte-Chapelle of King Louis XI of France. After Louis died in 1483 Josquin seems to have been in Milan for a few years before joining the Papal chapel in 1489 (three years later than once thought). In 1496 he again disappears from trace, possibly returning to France; but he was certainly at the court of Ferrara for the year 1503-4, after which he moved north to Conde, where he was provost of the collegiate church until his death in 1521. What is abundantly clear, however, is that from the time when Ottaviano de' Petrucci published his first book of Josquin masses in 1502 Josquin stood as incomparably the most famous composer of the day.

An even more serious disappearing act has happened with his music. Josquin's fame in the 16th century seems to have led copyists and particularly printers to add his name to pieces of all kinds. Just over 300 works exist with his name on them in some 1000 early sources. The complete Josquin edition of Albert Smijers (finished in 1969) printed only two-thirds of these: some were unknown at the time, but in most cases their omission from the Smijers edition was already a judgment that they could not be authentic. Jeremy Noble's worklist for The New Grove Dictionary (1980) gave only 176 as being probably by Josquin. Since then the number of accepted works has continued to fall. Every few months there is another article arguing that a particular work is not really by him.

So today many Josquin scholars prefer to take a different tack, beginning from the other end. They look for works that present an overwhelming documentary case for being indeed by Josquin des Prez. Often that case includes ascriptions in several sources of independent authority, survival in sources from Josquin's lifetime or from editors who could be expected to have good information (Senfl and Glareanus, for example), and perhaps a passing reference by some writer or theorist. That approach obviously raises questions: it excludes the broader picture of what Josquin meant to hundreds of musicians in the later 16th century; and it seriously risks losing dimensions of Josquin's creativity that may just happen to be less well supported by documentary evidence. But it yields a small body of music that is of a stunningly high quality: 12 masses, some 40 motets and around a dozen songs.

But it turns out that this fairly small repertory, the hard-core Josquin, is the music that made by far the greatest impact in the 16th century. These are the works that appear in the largest number of sources (a whiff of circular argument here, but let it pass); by and large, they are the pieces that formed the basis of parody works down to the time of Lassus and Palestrina; and they are also the ones overwhelmingly preferred by the musicians who arranged his music for lute or vihuela. Among them, on this disc, are the three great six-voice motets Praeter rerum seriem, Benedicta es and Pater noster. All had a huge impact on later composers. Pater noster may be one of his last and most serene works; Josquin chose it to be sung annually in his memory at Conde. The other two may date from around 1500, and stand at the very root of the six-voice motet tradition in the 16th century. Despite the difficulties of reducing six voices to lute tablature, there are no fewer than 24 tablature sources for Benedicta es and 15 for Pater noster.

Similarly with the masses. The mass Pange lingua -- the only Josquin mass that was not printed by Petrucci, and therefore possibly his last surviving mass -- was excerpted and recopied throughout the century. And in many ways the mass La sol fa re mi, perhaps from the mid-1490s, is the most perfect of all his works. Although the vihuelist Diego Pisador famously intabulated eight entire masses of Josquin in 1552, the general pattern was to select shorter sections, which is what we find in the Spanish printed tablatures of Mudarra and Fuenllana as well as in the Venetian manuscript of Capirola (one of the earliest sources for any music of the Pange lingua mass).

Of the solidly documented songs, "Adieu mes amours" must be one of the earliest, composed before 1480; and it was also to be one of his most successful -- known from nine tablature sources, alongside 16 staff-notation sources. And the latest may well be "Mille regretz", with a similar spread of sources: this work has in fact been informally doubted by some, partly because only one (much later) source supports the ascription to Josquin in Narvaez's tablature; but I have recently convinced myself that a closer examination of the evidence not only shows it to be by Josquin but also suggests that it is one of his very last works, perhaps from 1520.

The five-voice chanson "Faulte d'argent" (perhaps from soon after 1500) has been questioned on stylistic grounds; but the documentary case for its being by Josquin seems hard to shake, and with the shifting picture of Josquin's output it seems wise for the moment to resist stylistic judgments. The six-voice "Nimphes, nappes" -- a work widely distributed with the Latin text "Circumdederunt me" (following the borrowed chant presented in canon within the texture) -- is also among his most solidly ascribed works: it surely dates from his last years in Conde.

"Comment peut avoir joye" (4vv) and "En l'ombre d'ung buysonnet" (3vv) remain hard to place within Josquin's output, though again they are among the most securely ascribed of his songs. As an intriguing teaser, this recording also includes the anonymous three-voice "Scaramella" setting that seems to be the basis of the more famous settings by Josquin and Compere as well as the mass by Obrecht. The anonymous piece is known from four sources (all tablatures), which is more than any of the other Scaramella settings.

For the rest, though, these later arrangements for plucked instruments give an astonishingly direct report of Josquin's most influential and loved works. In many cases one is hearing them through the medium of another musician's creativity, hearing them as they were heard in the generations after the composer's death, when he stood as the unassailable model for fine and refined music. But paradoxically it is through the eyes and ears of these later musicians that we can begin reassembling a plausible picture of Josquin des Prez.
David Fallows


name: Hans Neusidler, Ein newes Lautenbuechlein
sku: heringman-neusidler
upc: 847646004791
description:
Born in Pressburg (modern-day Bratislava) in 1508 or 1509, Hans Neusidler (often spelled "Newsidler") spent the majority of his life in Nuremberg, where he was active as a lute teacher and lute maker. He died in 1563.

Between 1536 and 1549, Neusidler published eight books of lute music, which are of great importance to the history of the lute, partly because of the fine music which they contain (arrangements of German, French and Italian songs and motets; dances; preludes), ranging from music for beginners to highly ornate and virtuosic intablulations, and partly also because his books contain valuable and rare instructional material for beginning lute players.

In this recording, I present a small selection of pieces from Neusidler's published books, with the intention of showing something of the variety of his musical output. His first work (Ein newgeordent kunstlich Lautenbuch, 1536) is represented by tracks 2, 8, 9, 14, 17, and 25. His second (Part 2 of the previous book, also 1536) is represented by tracks 1, 10, and 23. From Ein newes Lautenbuchlein (1540), I have included "Passa mesa" (Passamezzo), track 24. The remaining pieces are taken from Das erst Buch (1544).

Recorded by John Buckman for ToneGnome Early Music Recordings


name: Jane Pickeringes Lute Book
sku: heringman-pickering
upc: 876809002114
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=159209718&s=143444
description:
Jane Pickeringe's lute book, technically known as British Library manuscript Egerton 2046, is one of the finest sources of the English lute repertory, but it is also an intensely personal and poignantly evocative document. We know nothing of the life of its original owner: indeed it is pure serendipity that we know her name, for the first section of the manuscript has been lost, the damage narrowly missing the folio containing her signature and a date (1616). However, Jane's manuscript still conveys a vivid impression of her musical taste, technical attainment, and even the type of instrument she owned.

If 1616 marked the beginning of Jane's copying, both her musical tastes and her lute were quite conservative. Much of her chosen repertory is late Elizabethan or early Jacobean, and most of it requires a lute with only 6 courses: some 20 pieces require a 7-course lute, and a single piece requires a fashionable 9-course instrument. Her precise and elegant hand fills the first 36 folios, beginning with a selection of duets. This is a characteristic of many didactic anthologies compiled under the guidance of a teacher, but if Jane was learning to play the lute as she filled her book she was precocious indeed, for the very first pieces reveal the hand of a practised scribe, and require some considerable technique in performance. However such a situation could explain the conservative repertory, which would then be largely that of her teacher's generation. Demonstrable musical accomplishment was a skill much prized in young unmarried women, and it is likely that Jane would have been expected to play for her family, friends and potential suitors, as well as, one hopes, for her own enjoyment.

It appears that Jane worked on her collection fairly intensively, stopped for a period, then returned to it briefly some time later, for her distinctive tablature hand is remarkably uniform until folio 35, whereupon it changes abruptly. Only 3 pieces are added in this later writing style, one of them a duplicate of an earlier entry. Did Jane give up her lute playing, perhaps upon marriage, and return to it later in life? We shall probably never know. Most of the great English lute composers of the day - Dowland, Rosseter, Bacheler, Johnson - are represented in this collection, but Jane did not scorn simple, artless trifles, which are sprinkled liberally throughout the manuscript. She copied them into the tiny gaps remaining at the foot of several pages, after more substantial pieces had claimed most of the space, and we are indebted to her for this endearing habit. If Jane and scribes like her had not seized the opportunity offered by a few inches of blank stave, many of these appealing little tunes, drawn from a largely oral tradition, would have been lost for ever. These simple, melodious titbits serve admirably to warm up the fingers, test the tuning, and gently ease the listener into the subtle and intimate soundworld of the lute.

Philip Rosseter is best known today for his beautifully wrought lute songs, but a number of his lute solos survive. The Pavin is a highly individual work: its poignantly turned melody is faintly reminiscent of Dowland's famous "Lachrymae", and its divisions, tumbling through the lute's entire compass, explore unusual textures to a quite unprecedented degree. The reassuringly straightforward galliard serves as a welcome anchor for the Pavin's flights of fancy, and allows free rein to Rosseter's superb melodic gift.

Lute transcriptions from keyboard originals are uncommon, simply because most keyboard solos have too wide a compass and are too complex to transfer idiomatically to the lute. William Byrd's set of variations on "My lord willoughbies welcom home" is a rare exception, and the lute version is probably the work of Francis Cutting, who made expert transcriptions of other keyboard works by Byrd, as well as Morley. The keyboard original survives in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book: here it is transposed down a fourth, the better to fit the compass of the lute, but the figurations are preserved surprisingly exactly. The tune appears in many continental sources as "Roland": its English title commemorates the successful return of the commander of the English troops in the Netherlands, Peregrine Bertie, eleventh Baron Willoughby de Eresby.

"Mall Symes" is a set of variations upon a ballad tune. This particularly extended and virtuosic setting is anonymous in the manuscript, but is strongly reminiscent of other variation sets by Daniel Bacheler, such as "Monsieur's Almain" and "Une Jeune Fillette", especially in its exploitation of the extremes of the lute's register, and its use of rapid arpeggiated figures and quasi-tremolo effects.

Jane Pickeringe was not the only lutenist to leave a legacy in Egerton 2046; after the manuscript left her hands it was used by three other musicians, two of whom added several pieces. These all wrote for lutes with 10 or more courses, mostly using a variety of new French tunings which became popular during the 1620s and 1630s. These are characterized by narrow intervals between courses - (mostly major and minor thirds instead of the fourths of the old Renaissance lute tuning used by Jane), and thus a narrower compass overall. However they enable a few chords to be produced using mostly open strings. This gives unparalleled resonance, but a very limited range of convenient keys, hence the plethora of slightly different tunings, each lending its particular sound to one or two keys.

The next pieces jump a generation, and are part of this second layer of copying. The Coranto uses the old Renaissance tuning. In two sources it is attributed to the Parisian Charles de Lespine, who was in England in 1610-11, and its form and texture are certainly typical of French taste. Tracks 13-17 use two of the French "accords nouveaux": the "Allemande" uses "Harpe way" tuning, the following four require what the scribe called "Guateir" tuning, probably named after the volatile French lutenist Jacques Gautier, who was in England from 1617 until about 1640. "Harpe way" is an unusually resonant minor key tuning, with the top five courses tuned to one minor chord; it was also known as "flat tuning" or "Lawrence" tuning. "Gautier" tuning is almost its major key equivalent, though with the top course lowered a further semitone. It is sometimes called "sharp tuning". Both tunings lend a conspicuously different timbre to the lute, which is further enhanced by the open, "brise" texture of the writing. Initially these tunings were used for a repertory which was wholly French in origin, including new French dance forms such as the Sarabande and the Courante. However their characteristic timbres were peculiarly well suited to English folk tunes, such as we hear in tracks 15-17. Tracks 18 and 19 use yet different tunings, which illustrate the extremes of this confusing period in the lute's history. The former uses a tuning unique to this manuscript, indeed to this piece; the latter uses "flat French" tuning, the commonest and longest used of the accords nouveaux, which for several decades challenged the "D minor" tuning which we now perceive as the standard baroque lute tuning. With John Johnson's Pavin we return to Jane Pickeringe's work. Johnson was one of Queen Elizabeth's "musicians for the three lutes" from 1579-1594. He was held in high esteem by his contemporaries, with both his solos and his duets being widely copied. Geoffrey Whitney's A Choice of Emblemes and other devices (Leiden, 1586) includes the following tribute:

When that Apollo harde the musicque of theise daies, And knewe howe manie for theire skill, deserved iustlie praise, He left his chaire of state, and laide his lute away, As one abash'd in English courte, his auncient stuffe to plaie. And hyed unto the skyes somme fyner pointes to frame: And in the meane, for cunninge stoppes, gave Johnsonne all the fame.

This Pavin, in the remote key of F minor, certainly has more than its share of "cunning stops".

Daniel Bacheler was apprenticed in the household of Sir Francis Walsingham, and later appointed a Groom of the Privy Chamber to Queen Anne in 1603. He was a noted composer of music for the broken consort, and many of his works for this medium are dedicated to members of the Walsingham / Sidney circle. His numerous lute solos are widely disseminated amongst surviving sources, and in 1610 two were printed in Robert Dowland's Varietie of Lute Lessons, wherein Bacheler was described as "the right perfect Musition".

The following "Fantasia" is anonymous in Jane's manuscript, but survives in Johann Daniel Mylius's Thesaurus Gratiarum (Frankfurt am Main, 1622), where it is attributed to "Rosideri Angli generosi". On the basis of its similarity to some of John Dowland's chromatic fantasias, it was included in the Poulton and Lam edition of Dowland's lute works, and has long been regarded as part of his oeuvre, but there is no reason to doubt Mylius's attribution.

Rosseter, as we have seen, was fully capable of writing such intricate, challenging works. The anonymous "Madlay" is a curious work, called the "new Medly" in the Trumbull lute book (Cambridge University Library, Add.8844). A similar work, called the "Old Medley", exists, and is variously attributed to John and Edward Johnson. The different sections of the present work have the flavour of popular tunes, though no specific ones can be identified; they are here provided with divisions on the repeats, in the style of an embellished pavan or galliard. The result is an exhilarating tour de force resembling a dance suite in miniature. The piece was printed, though without its divisions, as a "Padoana", in Matthaus Waissel's Tabulatura (Frankfurt an der Oder, 1591). It is not known which version came first, though the melodies have a distinctly English flavour.

John Dowland needs no introduction. "Sweet Robyne" is a set of variations on the tune from which Ophelia sings a fragment in Hamlet IV, v, 182: "For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy". By the standards of the day Dowland's variations are quite restrained, complementing the poignant melody with effective counterpoint, but adding few divisions which might obscure it. This marriage of a simple ballad tune and masterly handling of the lute's sonority, encapsulates the very quintessence of the Jacobean lute repertory.

In an age when printed lute music was the exception rather than the rule, and personal anthologies were compiled from pieces circulating on individual sheets, there was little standardization, and no "authorized" text. Some scribes copied the divisions from their exemplar, some wrote their own into their manuscripts, others copied only the plain unadorned pieces and probably improvised embellishments afresh with each performance. The pieces performed here are as Jane Pickeringe (or her successors) copied them, with only obvious errors corrected. Where no divisions are included, Jacob Heringman has improvised his own, rather than import them from another source. The individual nuances of Jane's versions are thus preserved, a grateful tribute to a woman who unwittingly left us this priceless musical legacy and a window into her long-vanished world.

Recorded February 6-8, 2001 at the National Centre for Early Music, St. Margaret's Church, York, England.

Instruments used: eight-course lute after Venere, Martin Haycock, 1997, and ten-course lute by Michael Lowe, 1991.


name: Siena Lute Book
sku: heringman-siena
upc: 876809002107
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=160177792&s=143444
description:
The works on the present recording have been selected from the contents of two manuscripts produced in Tuscany during the late sixteenth century. The sources are largely the work of a single scribe whose name has been lost to us. While originating from the same hand, they are different from one another in important ways.

The "Siena Lute Book" (The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, MS 28.B.39) is a lengthy anthology of over 150 items that was compiled in Siena. Its highly organized layout suggests careful planning and that it may have been assembled as a preservation copy, a repository for tablatures that could be recopied into other manuscripts. It begins with fantasias and ricercars grouped according to mode and intabulations of French chansons, all for six-course lute. There follows a section of fantasias, toccatas, contrapunti upon "La spagna," and untitled dances, some of which require a lute with a seventh course.

Because of the wide range and high quality of its contents as well as its careful copying, the "Siena Lute Book" is an outstanding source of lute music. It dates from c. 1590, but the time period of composition for its contents spans much of the 1500s. There are a number of pieces by some of the most famous lutenists of the early sixteenth-century: Francesco da Milano, Albert de Rippe, and Perino Fiorentino. The source also has arrangements of ensemble ricercars by the organist Giulio [da Modena] Segni, whose works enjoyed some popularity as lute intabulations in mid sixteenth-century publications. The chanson intabulations include those of music by Clement Janequin, Thomas Crecquillon, and Pierre Sandrin, composers whose songs were popular with lutenists and other instrumentalists from the middle to the end of the sixteenth century. Pieces more contemporary with the copying of the manuscript are those by the Neapolitans Fabritio Dentice and Giulio Severino as well as those by the Sienese composer Andrea Feliciani. Some of the works in the source are found nowhere else, which makes it an invaluable collection of sixteenth-century lute music.

Four pieces in the manuscript are contrapunti (highly ornate melodies) composed upon the famous dance tune "La spagna." For the present recording Jacob Heringman has reconstructed tenors (accompaniments incorporating "La spagna") for two of these contrapunti to create lute duets; this is likely to have been their intended manner of performance.

The other source for the works on the present recording is a manuscript preserved at the Dolmetsch Library in Haslemere (MS II C23). In its present state-some pages are missing-it is a modest collection of less than two dozen pieces for lute and guitar. Most of the compositions are for six-course lute, and they are in the handwriting of the "Siena Lute Book" scribe. A different hand was responsible for two pieces for seven-course lute, and a third hand copied a guitar tablature (with alfabeto notation) into the source.

Haslemere contains fantasias, ricercars, dance pieces, solo intabulations of vocal music, and arrangements for voice and lute. While the casual arrangement and eclectic nature of the manuscript's tablatures indicate that it may have belonged to an amateur rather than a professional musician, the technical demands of its music suggest that the owner was a very proficient lutenist. Perhaps the "Siena Lute Book" scribe copied pieces into Haslemere for a highly gifted student or friend. The manuscript may have been the lute book of a member of the Medici family or household, since the Medici insignia appears in the upper left corner of the first page of tablature.

One of the ways Haslemere differs from the "Siena Lute Book" is that its intabulated vocal works include Italian pieces rather than French chansons. Among them are "Nasce la pena mia" by Alessandro Striggio, "Vivo sol di speranza" by Giovane Domenico da Nola (it is incorrectly attributed to Orlando di Lasso in Haslemere), and "Vestiva i colli" by Palestrina. These mid sixteenth-century madrigals were favorites with lutenists as solo intabulations and in arrangements for voice and lute throughout the second half of the century.

The program of the present recording features works that represent the breadth of the repertory in the manuscripts they are drawn from. They include "classics" by Francesco da Milano and Perino Fiorentino, later works by Fabritio Dentice and Giulio Severino, chanson intabulations, and dance pieces. Thus, the program gives us an idea of the richness of lute practice in Tuscany at the end of the sixteenth century.
Richard K Falkenstein

Notes from the lute player
1. This piece is attributed in the manuscript to Francesco da Parigi, whose identity is a mystery. Five pieces are attributed to him in this source, but some of these are known to be by Francesco da Milano or Albert de Rippe. This Fantasia, actually not much like the work of either Francesco or De Rippe, is a fine piece, with a marvellous balance of rhapsodic passagework, and sophisticated counterpoint and dissonance.

2. Next is an anonymous Fantasia which seems related to another Fantasia (21) in the Siena manuscript, attributed to Perino Fiorentino.

5. This fantasia is anonymous, but strongly reminiscent of Francesco da Milano's style.

7. This remarkable four-part Fantasia from the Medici Lute Book is written in strict and somewhat dense four-part counterpoint. Either it was written by a lutenist/composer with an unusually strong commitment to contrapuntal principles, or it is an intabulation of a pre-existing four-part instrumental piece. To test these ideas, I (re)arranged the piece for four instruments, and can report that it is also highly effective performed in this way.

8. The "Passemezo del giorgio" (or "Zorzi") was a well-known chord progression (or ground) at the time. It survives in many versions for ensemble, for keyboard, for cittern and for lute.

10. Fantasia 23 shares its first few bars with those of a Fantasia in the Barbarino Manuscript (Cracow, Mus. Ms. 40032), there attributed to Dentice. This has led to the assumption that Fantasia 23 is by Dentice. However, because only the first few bars are the same, and because there are other instances of sections of Fantasias by one composer migrating into Fantasias by another, I don't believe we can necessarily assume that this piece is by Dentice. But the extremely high quality, and the stylistic similarity to other works by Dentice, suggest that it may indeed be a case in which Dentice wrote two different Fantasias which share their opening material.

13 + 14. The two lute duets are settings of La Spagna. The manuscript includes only the top line for each of these (and for two more like them), but clearly these top lines are "contrapunti" or trebles on the famous and extraordinarily long-lived La Spagna ground, and, like the countless other Spagna settings that survive (including the one for two lutes by Francesco da Milano), are meant to be accompanied by the Spagna tenor in some form. I have here reconstructed lute accompaniments on that basis, choosing to place the Spagna tenor at the bottom of the second lute parts as a bass line, rather than embedding it in the texture. Interestingly, some of the very last surviving settings of La Spagna (from the early 17th century) are Neapolitan. As the Siena Lute Book has a strong Neapolitan connection (through the presence of music by Severino and Dentice), it is tempting to speculate that these anonymous lute Spagnas might have a Neapolitan link.

20. Although this piece is labelled in the manuscript as a Fantasia, it sounds suspiciously like an intabulation of an as yet unidentified three-part vocal original, in the light style of a villanescha or villanella or chanson rustique. The piece bears a passing resemblance to Passereau's "Il est bel et bon", and an even stronger relation to Certon's "Je ne fus jamais si ayse".

21. For me, Severino's Fantasia (42) is the high point of the programme. It sums up perfectly the emotional profundity, sophistication and sweetness to be found in the late renaissance Italian lute Fantasia.

22. This delightful Fantasia occurs twice in the manuscript (40 and 132). Strangely, it is attributed to Francesco da Parigi the first time it appears, and to Francesco da Milano the second time. Interestingly, the version attributed to Parigi has no bar lines. This may be significant: of the five pieces in Siena attributed to Parigi, three have no bar lines. This is a high proportion when one looks at the total number of pieces in Siena which are without bar lines, which is very small--there are only two others (discounting the later seven-course pieces at the end of the manuscript): 22 and 64.

23. This piece survives in many versions from various parts of Europe. John Dowland seems to have appropriated it for his famous almain "Lady Hunsdon's Puffe".

25. Again, many versions survive of this galliard, in manuscripts from all over Europe. These three pieces (tracks 23-25) are the last items in the Siena Lute Book, and, together with the four settings of La Spagna which precede them, are the only dance music in the manuscript.

26. I conclude with another Dentice Fantasia (73). This splendid piece, with its triple-time dance-like middle section, its nearly three-octave range, and its technical demands, must surely be one of the finest pieces in the manuscript, and, indeed, one of the most memorable Fantasias of the period.
Jacob Heringman

Dedication
While I was preparing, performing and recording this music, the West was planning and executing its war in Iraq. This has served to remind me that the lute was brought to the West more than a thousand years ago, from Eastern centres of high culture - notably Baghdad; European lutenists learned their art from Eastern masters, whose influence formed part of the basis of a renaissance lute tradition (and a modern guitar tradition). Thus the lute and its music powerfully symbolize a harmonious and fruitful meeting of East and West. I dedicate this recording to the memory of Ziryab (c790-852) and other lutenists of the distant past who brought us the lute, and to the cause of East/West harmony.

This disc was recorded at the Church of St. Michael and all Angels, Great Tew, Oxfordshire, on 19-20 September 2003 (tracks 1-3, 8-9, 13-14, 18-20), 7 November 2003 (tracks 4-7, 15-17, 23-25), and 15 December 2003 (tracks 10-12, 21-22, 26).

Tracks 1-3, 8-9, 13-14, 18-20: six-course lute in g' by Grant Tomlinson, Vancouver, 2002, after early sixteenth-century models
Tracks 4-6, 15-17: six-course lute in e' by Michael Lowe, Oxfordshire, 1999, after Frei (early sixteenth century)
Tracks 7, 23-25: seven-course lute in g' by Martin Haycock, East Sussex, 2001, after Gerle (c. 1580)
Tracks 10-12, 21-22, 26: six-course lute in g' by Andrew Rutherford, New York, 1997, after Gerle (c. 1580)

All four lutes were strung entirely in gut from Gamut Strings (http://www.gamutstrings.com/)
Produced, engineered, edited and mastered by Adrian Hunter.
Lute duet arrangements (tracks 13 and 14) copyright Jacob Heringman.
Design and art direction by Hugh O'Donnell. Cover photograph by Susanna Pell.


name: I Would Call It Fair Play
sku: jakebradford-fairplay
upc: 847646010624
description:
A blend of electro swing, dubstep and electronica. Exploring the darker side of electro swing, heavy textures and atmospherics fused with upbeat electro swing samples and electronica grooves.


name: The Nu-Jazz Experiments
sku: jakebradford-nujazzexperiments
upc: 847646009963
description:
Prepare to be blown away as Jake Bradford-Sharp takes off in this absolutely exhilarating experimental jam that cannot be classified or categorized. Shaping a breadth of genres into a high-charged and pumping collection of Jazz-based grooves that work so well with cinematic energy.


name: Remix The Orchestra
sku: jakebradford-remixorchestra
upc: 847646010648
description:
Jake Bradford-Sharp's new album Remix The Orchestra delves into a world of orchestral and electronic samples, twisting and turning the very natural sounds of orchestral music, manipulating them alongside electronic textures and beats. Remix The Orchestra is an exploration; taking and changing something familiar and comfortable to create something unfamiliar, new and interesting, and at times, uncomfortable.


name: Sharp With No E
sku: jakebradford-sharpnoe
upc: 847646010150
description:
This album takes you on a Jazzy EDM Joyride. Inspired by everything from the groovy swinging sixties, to the intense in-your-face attitude of modern day EDM. Sharp With No E's catchy bass lines, hooky melodies and tongue in cheek groovy-ness make it stand out from the crowd, all the while making sure your crowd are still dancing at 3am.


name: SIX
sku: jakebradford-six
upc: 847646010600
description:
Blending modern electronica of the 90's and 00's with gypsy jazz (jazz manouche) of the 30's and 40's, Jake Bradford-Sharp's 'SIX' takes you on a journey through time and space leaving you wanting nothing more than to hit play again and keep the party swinging!


name: The Network
sku: jakebradford-thenetwork
upc: 847646010631
description:
"A bit of a departure from my recent releases, The Network is a dark and brooding album written with the contrast of light and dark in mind. I spent some time exploring dark and heavy beats, blended with light and floaty melodies. A lot of the album was written whilst in transit so the majority of the sounds were recorded using various apps and programs on my old iPhone 4, then transferred to computer(s) for mixing. Over the years I've kept it with me, knowing I'll eventually find the right time to release it.

I've been sat with this album for a while - a good few years - but it's great to be happy with the results, and to find some time to perfect the tracks ready for commercial release." - Jake

Inspired by electronic artists such as Four Tet, Caribou, Thom Yorke (solo albums), Modeselektor and Moderat, amongst many others. All sounds heard were recorded on various apps & programs on iPhone 4, iPhone 5C, then transferred to Logic Express 7 & later, Logic Pro X to mix and master.


name: Triangle Marks The Spot
sku: jakebradford-triangle
upc: 847646010167
description:
The 4th full album in the Electro Swing series, Jake takes you on a modern-meets-old-school ride through the swing, big band and gypsy jazz of the 30's, 40's and 50's all the way to modern day electronica and EDM (with a little bit of funk in there for good measure). There's a perfect time to play this album - and that's all the time.


name: Trigger Warning
sku: jakebradford-triggerwarning
upc: 847646010655
description:
From the dark and ominous to the light and atmospherical, disturbing and heavy to whimsical and light-hearted. A mix of cinematic tracks perfect for any situation.


name: Balance_
sku: jambedaem-balance
upc: 847646000809
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/balance/id440752903
description:
Balance is the first album of this young Austrian Jazz formation. The lyric melodies and subtile Grooves in various meters are very positive and unobtrusive. It sounds happy, elegant, emotional and is fun to listen to.

You can hear the joy and passion! Apart from the Jazz tradition, this work is inspired by Austrian folk music and the music of the world. It is quite simply structured and has a relaxed mood. The blending, musicianship and instrumentation produces a charming atmosphere.


name: Thesaurus Harmonicus
sku: jamesakers-thesaurusharmonicus
upc: 847646007235
description:
Jean-Baptiste Besard (c.1567-c.1620) published the Thesaurus Harmonicus in Cologne in 1603. It is an almost encyclopaedic collation of early 17th century lute music containing pieces by twenty-one credited composers from throughout Europe, along with many un-credited and anonymous works. These are organised into ten books, according to genre, and there is also a manual on lute playing, suggesting the publication had a didactic purpose. Most of the music is for solo lute, though there are also pieces for lute and voice and lute ensemble.

Although he composed roughly one tenth of the pieces in the Thesaurus Harmonicus, Besard was not a professional musician. Educated in law and medicine at the Universities of Dole and Heidelberg, by around 1600 he had established himself as a lute teacher in Cologne, while continuing to practice as a lawyer and doctor. It has been suggested that he paid for the publication of the Thesaurus by working as an editor of legal texts for his publisher Grevenbruch. Besard later moved to Augsburg where in 1617 he published a second book of lute music, Novus partus, and an expanded edition of his lute tutor in German. Nothing further is known of Besard after this date.

Attempting to condense a collection of music as vast as the Thesaurus Harmonicus into a one hour length recording is a seemingly quixotic endeavour and this in no way claims to be a comprehensive survey of the text. The pieces were chosen for purely personal reasons as being the most interesting, moving and outstanding works I discovered while exploring the book. Much more has been left out than is included in this collection, my intention being to create an expressive musical programme rather than an academic overview.

The Thesaurus Harmonicus contains some of the best-known lute music along with some of the most obscure. Both are presented here. The pieces by Dowland are probably the most famous works for lute, though they contain subtle variations that should make them interesting to even the most experienced listener. Many of the pieces in the collection are extremely short, especially the dance tunes. Tracks 2 and 14 are both formed of three shorter pieces put together to create a longer structure, using one of the dances as the theme in a rondo-esque structure.


name: Le Tresor dOrphee by Antoine Francisque
sku: edwards-tresor
upc: 876809002022
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257906665&s=143444
description:
Antoine Francisque 1570-1605
Francisque's book of solo lute music "Le Tresor D'Orphee" was published in 1600. His music has one foot in the 'renaissance', and the other pointing to new styles that became associated with the 'baroque' era. I find it a fascinating blend of the old and the new. His was the first lute book published that had music for the instrument in a non-traditional tuning. These are the pieces he calls a cordes avalees. The surprising harmonic twists and engaging dance rhythms throughout the book are particularly delightful.

O, glory and prize of Phoebus
By whom of old the Thracian Orpheus
Made the winds halt
And the gathering trees run,
I hail thee, o harmonius lute
Who rakest from me all spiteful care
And from my piercing love
The pains, if thou sing!
from - A son luc by Ronsard, 1542


name: Hidden Sky
sku: sieber-hidden
upc: 876809002015
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=258045385&s=143444
description:
If you're in the mood to relax or reflect, you've found the right album. Characterized by an impeccably clear recording and spaciously produced arrangements, Hidden Sky is electric cellist Jami Sieber's deep and seamless musical meditation on her meeting with the elephants of Thailand, and like those animals, is both large in scope, yet profoundly tender and wise. Strings Magazine described the album as being full of "slowly unfolding romantic melodies voiced with the dense, dark timbre of Sieber's masterfully wielded instrument," and there's also quietly exotic quality to Hidden Sky?a perfect meeting of Western and Eastern sensibilities in Sieber's sophisticated interplay between major and minor chords. It's this this deft reciprocity that makes Sieber's music so poignant and resonant?it's the clear-eyed acceptance of humanity's oneness with nature as well as our eternal separation from it. "Sukhotai Rain" and "A Common Music" tracks include sounds made by the Elephant Orchestra from Thai Elephant Conservation Center.


name: Lush Mechanique
sku: sieber-lush
upc: 876809002008
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=258045204&s=143444
description:
The incredible Jami Sieber creates sounds never before associated with the cello, expertly exploring the breadth and depth of her instrument on this highly atmospheric best-selling debut solo recording, Lush Mechanique?a world of her own creation that manages to capture both the pattern and poetry of music. Multiple layers of cello are accompanied by imperceptably subtle percussion, with occasional ripples of Sieber's rich, evocative voice added to the mix. Standout tracks include "All She Can Carry" and "Dancing at the Temple Gate," but really this is one of those rare albums that you'll want to play from start to finish, because it's as perfectly suited to reading and relaxing as it is activity and conversation. the In 1997, Lush Mechanique gained distinction by being one of LadySlipper's top ten best-selling recordings by female artists, placing Sieber among the ranks of the Indigo Girls, K.D. Lang, and Ani DiFranco. On this recording Sieber is joined by Will Dowd (percussion), Louis Peralta (percussion), and Kim Scanlon (vocals).


name: Second Sight
sku: sieber-second
upc: 876809001995
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257907833&s=143444
description:
"Incredible listening pleasure," says one fan of this gorgeously rich sonic, spiritual journey that weaves all the warmth and passion of Jami Sieber's cello together with subtle horns piano, accordion, vocals and acoustic guitar. This is work that is subtly spiced by various world music influences, yet still represents a highly original world of Jamie Sieber's own creation. Standout tracks include the moody, vaguely Parisian "Dancing Backward" as well as the perfectly articulated "Tree of Love," which reveals Siebers voice to be as crystalline and captivating as that of Laurie Anderson or Annie Lennox. Also features guest vocalist Rhiannon on the darkly evocative track "I Carry You;" as well as pianist Julie Wolf on two tracks. A delicious variety in arrangements ranges from full, rich layered sounds to the poignant simplicity of solo cello.


name: Timeless_
sku: sieber-timeless
upc: 847646005378
description:
Timeless, the latest album by visionary cellist Jami Sieber, is a transmission of pure stillness, sacredness and prayer. Layer upon layer of cello transport the listener into a world without clocks or calendars, where stress and striving dissolve, the heart melts open, and the walls that separate us from each other, nature, and our own self-love magically crumble.

Timeless conveys a powerful presence that goes beyond the haunting melodies and velvety striations of cello and voice. It invokes a realm where inner experience - be it meditation, massage, movement, or stillness - is deepened and intensified. This is powerful musical medicine.

This quote speaks to the nature of Timeless:
"There's a world behind the world we see that is the same world but more open, more transparent, without blocks. Like inside a big mind, the animals and humans all can talk, and those who pass through here get power to heal and help."
- Gary Snyder

May this music take you to this world and bring peace to your heart, to your life, and to those you touch.


name: Unspoken
sku: sieber-unspoken
upc: 876809006563
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/unspoken-music-only-breath/id305003667
description:
From trance-dance rhythms to prayerful stillness, Unspoken dissolves boundaries of musical genre, melding indigenous chants and rhythms with visionary compositions that quiet the mind and set the body dancing. Beginning with Sieber's pulsing, ambient cello and vocals in "Opening", a current of multi-layered sound carries the listener seamlessly from the contemplative depths of "Benediction", through the rushing torrent of percussion, flute, bass, vocals and cello in "The River Between" to Ulali's primal cries at the close of "Night Song". In the center of the journey, Benjy Wertheimer's esraj and Jami's electric cello weave an lush interior world that gives birth to the irresistible grooves of the two worldbeat dance tracks, "Broken Open" and "Unspoken," which fuse Native American chanting with layers upon layers of exotic instrumentation. The CD closes with the heart-opening track, "Returning," set in a quartet of cellos with guitars, percussion and organ.


name: Evolutions
sku: janover-evolutions
upc: 876809001971
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257792860&s=143444
description:
Hammered dulcimer takes a road less traveled. From the wellspring of creativity that is 2002 national hammered dulcimer champion Jamie Janover's recording "Evolutions".

Evolutions is a digital recording of solo hammered dulcimer improvisations. Jamie recorded four days worth of improvisations and chose his favorites after weeks of listening to all the material. He played a custom 4+ octave, fully-chromatic, hammered dulcimer with a custom dual-damper pedal system made by the respected builders Sam Rizzetta and Nicholas Blanton. Evolutions has 12 pieces that flow through a range moods. This has been a popular title over the years with thousands sold since it was released in 1993. It has been featured on NPR, massage videos, and on documentary soundtracks.


name: Now Center of Time
sku: janover-nowcenter
upc: 876809001964
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257929403&s=143444
description:
From rhythmically expressive tapestries of sound to contemplative trance grooves, these solo hammered dulcimer compositions fuse an improvisational jazz sensibility with classical, new age, jam - groove and world music influences.


name: All Strings Considered
sku: masley-allstrings
upc: 876809001988
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257928509&s=143444
description:
Symbiotic musical conversations between two hammered dulcimer masters, utilizing, among other things, Masley's invention called bowhammers, "All Strings Considered" reaches far into uncharted realms of the timbral universe."

Michael Masley (MAZE-lee) invented "bowhammers" - his own technique for playing the hammered dulcimer using small bows as a striking surface, enabling him to pluck, bow and strike (PBS) the strings simultaneously. He has recorded with artists as diverse as Ry Cooder, Butch Vig, Tom Waits and Zakir Hussain. He is included in "Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians -8th edition".

Jamie Janover is a self-taught musician and photographer. He has been playing the drums since an early age, and has developed his own unique style of playing the hammered dulcimer based on his percussive techniques. He performs solo on hammered dulcimer at numerous festivals including The Telluride Bluegrass Festival and he has appeared on stage with a wide range of artists, from Stanley Jordan and Bela Fleck to The String Cheese Incident and Phish. This recording captures musical conversations between these two innovative hammered dulcimer players. The combination of their diverse and unique techniques reaches far into new realms of the timbral universe, from cascading symphonies of sound to spacious ethereal ambience.


name: JS Bach Works For Harpsichord
sku: jjohnson-bach
upc: 876809004859
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257931146&s=143444
description:
A visual artist who adorns world class harpsichords with intricate artwork, the multitalented Janine Johnson is also a gifted musician and is known for her elegant yet extremely agile style of playing. This album of Johann Sebastian Bach by Johnson was recorded on an instrument commissioned specifically for the performance of his work; her selections were chosen to show off the unusual "organ-like colors" of this remarkable harpsichord.


name: Chopin Recital
sku: jjohnson-chopin
upc: 876809004668
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257930051&s=143444
description:
Recorded on a 1890 Broadwood grand piano, Janine Johnson's Chopin interpretations of Frederic Chopin show off her elegant, agile style of playing as well as this Romantic-era composer's full range of poetic expression. The waltzes are charming, the preludes delicate, and the nocturnes-rich.


name: Selections from JS Bach ClavierUbung III
sku: jjohnson-clavierubung
upc: 847646003770
description:
One of my favorite works for organ is the great Praeludium in E flat from Bach's Clavier ubung III, which is usually followed in recital by the Fugue in E flat, called "St. Anne's", though in Johann Sebastian Bach's manuscript the two are separated by the entire remainder of the work, 27 pieces in all. As a harpsichordist, the temptation was too great to not adapt these and other works to my own instrument. The Praeludium especially reminds me of the French Ouverture in Clavierubung II and the Ouverture of Partita #4 in Clavierubung I, both harpsichord works. I also have a great fondness for Bach's Chorale Preludes, as well as his Fugues. Clavierubung III being organ music, often has pedal parts, though much is also for manuals alone, including the Duetti which are often performed on the harpsichord.

I chose for this album pieces that both touch me musically and are playable on the harpsichord. Those with pedal parts sometimes required octave transpositions but mostly demanded I get my not so large hands to stretch more than usual. These large reaches were in part facilitated by the keyboard of the Grabner harpsichord with it's narrow key span. The piece in this set that required the most rewriting was "Vater unser im Himelreich" (two manuals + pedal), but being one of the most complex and moving of the entire book, I could not leave it out.

For this album I worked from the facsimile of the original publication (1739) and found some of the text to be different from "corrected" modern versions. Of particular note is the hair raising cross relations in the "Fuga super Jesus Christus unser Heiland ". Bach is very specific in his notation and in order to retain an extensive canonic imitation between the bass and alto there can be no other option than what he has written (this section appears in the backdrop on the album cover). The other unfortunate "correction" is in Duetto IV. To my ear Bach's sometimes strange harmony is part of what makes his music so fascinating. I also love some of his allusions to the texts of the Chorales he has chosen to set, such as the great flowing river in "Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam".

The harpsichord, built in 2008 by John Phillips, Berkeley, is modeled after the 1722 Johann Heinrich Grabner preserved in the Villa Bertramka in Prague; the earliest of four surviving Grabner harpsichords. Although now much modified, it is a very good example of the large middle German harpsichord with which Bach would have been intimately familiar. It is even likely that Bach knew J. H. Grabner, as the latter held the position of official tuner at the Electoral Saxon court in Dresden. One of Grabner's sons, Christian Heinrich, studied organ with Bach in Leipzig. Typical of the largest German instruments of the 1720s; it has a range of FF-d3, two manuals with a sliding coupler, and a registration of two unisons and an octave. Special thanks to the owner for the use of this harpsichord and to John Phillips for his assistance, and allowing me the use of his shop for recording.


name: German Keyboard Masters
sku: jjohnson-german
upc: 876809004842
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257793470&s=143444
description:
Known for the intricate artwork with which she adorns world-class harpsichords, the multitalented Janine Johnson's style of playing is elegant yet extremely agile. Her German Keyboard Masters album highlights the splendid work of Dietrich Buxtehude, whom Johann Sebastian Bach walked for miles to hear and study, and Johann Pachelbel, who was Bach's brother's teacher--the brother who in turn taught Bach. This album makes a great pairing with her recordings of J.S. Bach's, as these two composers had a profound effect on his work.


name: Bach Goldberg Variations
sku: jjohnson-goldberg
upc: 876809004651
itunes_buy_url: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=257796793&s=143444
description:
Known for her intricate artwork that adorns the creations of renowned harpsichord builder John Phillips, the multi-talented Janine Johnson is also a gifted musician in her own right. Her beautiful recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations on harpsichord as well as the Chopin recital that she gave on her 1890 Broadwood grand piano show off her elegant yet agile style of playing.


