Hidden Waters, the recent vinyl compilation of new Brazilian music by Sounds & Colours, offers a dreamscape view of the alternative music scene that has recently bloomed around the Audio Rebel studio in Rio de Janeiro. From established icons of ‘nova MPB’ like Kassin and Letrux to up-and-coming artists like Raquel Dimantas and Os Ritmistas, and from the serene soul pop of Jonas Sá and Marcello Callado to the abrasive noise experimentalism of Cadu Tenório & Juçara Marçal and Ava Rocha.
Category: Compilation
Venezuela 70: Cosmic Visions Of A Latin American Earth
Released in 2016, and followed with a second volume in 2018, Soul Jazz’s Venezuela 70: (Cosmic Visions of a Latin American Earth: Venezuelan Experimental Rock in the 1970’s) is a heady brew and one hot stew of a melting pot, blending Latin rhythms and Venezuelan roots with krautrock, baroque pop, intergalactic jazz, spaced-out garage rock, exotica lounge, and technicolor psych-pop.
Various Artists :: Belong To The Wind
The newly formed Los Angeles based label Forager Records lifts off with aplomb with its inaugural release, Belong To The Wind, a 10 track set compiling psychedelic tinged folk and soul. Culled from American 45s from the ’70s, its a languid ride highlighting a set of underknown artists at work, ranging from homegrown recordings to full studio treatments.
Elsewhere Junior I: A Collection of Cosmic Children’s Songs (Comp)
A weird beast twisted in the very best sense, the hypnagogic assemblage finds its curator (Belgian dj, soFa) mining a disparate trove of curios from around the globe. Aesthetically eclectic, the set maintains a loosely connected through-line, one that equally embraces a German children’s choir, dumpster synths, nascent drum machines, and 8-bit madness.
Between and Beyond :: Japan’s Mutant Pop Underground
Over the past five years, Light in the Attic have offered wanderlusting listeners a series of primers with reissue compilations featuring music not yet released officially outside of Japan.
The label’s latest collection is called Somewhere Between. Subtitled Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980–1988, this compilation attempts to connect the dots between various fringe figures operating outside of the country’s monolithic commercial music industry.
Kreaturen Der Nacht: Deutsche Post-Punk Subkultur 1980-1985
Released at the tail end of last year, the double lp Kreaturen Der Nacht compiles rarities and oddities from Germany’s post-punk and independent underground spanning the years 1980-85.
Fragments du Monde Flottant
A spiritual successor to Golden Apples of the Sun, the recent compilation Fragments du Monde Flottant proves Devendra Banhart’s ears fully intact. Released by the Genève, Switzerland based Bongo Joe Records, Fragments again finds the singer-songwriter in a curatorial role, culling demo recordings from his labyrinth of friends, acquaintances and musical compatriots.
Sky Girl :: A Compilation
Originally a handmade mix CD compiled by French collectors Julien Dechery and DJ Sundae and sold at a Parisian boutique, Australia’s Efficient Space label brought Sky Girl to the masses […]
Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973
The best compilations peel back the curtain, offering a glimpse at obscured musical traditions, and leave the listener wanting more. No matter what kept American ears from hearing the varied […]