Bleak Bliss

va - Gold Leaf Branches

Digitalis Recordings, run by artists Eden and Brad Rose since 2003, is probably the second or third greatest experimental/drone/folk/free-music label ever to come out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not only has their work as publisher/curators (and producers of the Foxy Digitalis webzine, RIP) been massively prolific, they have also heroically highlighted sub-underground, zero-visibility artists from America, Finland and New Zealand, putting Digitalis in roughly the same category as fellow visionaries/travelers Last Visible Dog, Jewelled Antler, Pseudo-Arcana and Celebrate/Psi/Phenomena. In other words, if it's on Digitalis (or sub-label Foxglove) it's probably worth your time.

Intrigued? Well, then this giant compilation ought to keep you busy for a while. "Gold Leaf Branches" came out in 2005 as a triple CD, with an extra bonus CDR for people who pre-ordered directly from the label. It's a pretty good representation of what Digitalis was about, with some music by the Roses' more well-known favorites (Six Organs of Admittance, Hala Strana, Hush Arbors, Marissa Nadler, Weird Weeds) and lots by artists that might be new to you: Plat Ypus, 6majik9, The Golden Oaks, Snowfoxx, Agitated Radio Pilot, Braspyreet, Kulkija, and too many more to list. Dive in!

disc 1
disc 2
disc 3
bonus disc

Halim El-Dabh - Crossing Into The Electric Magnetic

Up until a few days ago, I was completely ignorant of this man's life and work. I won't start pretending otherwise. The liner notes are included which eloquently provide the background to this music. The majority of these recordings were made in 1959 ... with the earliest being 1944. Consider that as you listen to these absolutely astonishing recordings.

Released on Without Fear in 2000.

Thanks to Brian for requesting this ... it has made my week.

Crossing Into The Electric Magnetic

Various - Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center

This is an LP released in 1964 containing visionary works by Bülent Arel, Halim El-Dabh, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Milton Babbitt, Mario Davidovsky and Otto Luening.

Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center

Various - Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1961-1973

This wouldn't sound out of place as the soundtrack for This Island Earth (and I mean that as a compliment).

CD collection released on New world in 1998.

Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1961-1973

Various - New Sounds In Electronic Music

What more can you add to the front cover?

Great LP released on Odyssey in 1967.

New Sounds In Electronic Music

Various - New Music For Electronic And Recorded Media

Johanna Magdalena Beyer, Annea Lockwood, Pauline Oliveros, Laurie Spiegel, Megan Roberts, Ruth Anderson and Laurie Anderson.

LP released on 1750 Arch Records in 1977.

New Music For Electronic And Recorded Media

Randy Greif - It's In A Box

This is arguably the best of the bunch. Everything here is great but "Coyote!" is truly astonishing ...

Another Swinging Axe Productions C60. This time it's from 1983.

It's In A Box

Randy Greif - Lost Contact

Two tracks on two sides of tape from a man with a singular vision.

C60 released on Swinging Axe Productions in 1984.

Lost Contact

Randy Greif - Golden Joy Club

Play "A Rift In The Earth", "This Is Not The End" and "V Is For Victory" on a perpetual loop in order to completely lose the plot. If you have one to lose.

Wonderful C60 released on Swinging Axe Productions in 1986.

Golden Joy Club

Randy Greif - Live In Los Angeles 3.13.87

Wonderful live performance that acts as a perfect counterpoint to the horror induced by early Psychic TV (although I appreciate that I will be the only person to think that).

C60 released on Swinging Axe Productions in 1987.

Live In Los Angeles

Randy Greif - Bacteria And Gravity

Tribal cinematic delirium given vinyl life on RRRecords in 1987.

Bacteria And Gravity

Randy Greif - The Shadow Traders

"Sound sources were: sampler, synthesizer, tape treatments, "found" sounds, percussion & electronic devices. Word and voice contributions by Alva Svoboda, 1987."

C60 released on Randy's Swinging Axe Productions in 1988.

The Shadow Traders

va - Endless 2

More dark drone from Manifold Records, this time featuring Steve Roach, Final, Controlled Bleeding, KK Null, Voice of Eye, Robert Rich, Bill Laswell and Mandible Chatter.

va - Endless 2

va - Endless 1

One of the landmark compilations of what, in the mid-1990s, was called "isolationist" dark ambient music. It came out on Manifold Records, a wonderful American label that is worth investigating if you aren't already a fan. This disc, from 1994, features music by Paul Schutze, KK Null, P. Children, James Plotkin, Trance, Sheephead, Pointless Orchestra, and Lull.

va - Endless 1

va - Er Ist Tief Und Dein Wasser Ist Dunkler

Compilation LP of beautifully mysterious sound from 1991 on the Quiet Artworks label, with tracks by Arcane Device, Yeast Culture, PFN and C-Schulz.

va - Er Ist Tief Und Dein Wasser Ist Dunkler

Various - Schau Hör Main Herz Ist Rhein

As well as tracks from P16.D4, there's Fröhliche Eiszeit, Gerd Neumann's No Aid, Jean Gilbert and Toto Lotto. Other than P16.D4, everybody else have disappeared into relative obscurity. So it's thanks to Wahrnehmungen for releasing this LP in 1981 and allowing us to glimpse the weird and wild frontiers that were German post-punk ...

Schau Hör Main Herz Ist Rhein

va - Als die Parisanen Kamen (Berlin Underground 1979-1983)

A rare and gloriously strange compilation of prime era German post-punk industrial noise from the legendary Zensor label, released in 1991. I'm unsure whether these tracks are all otherwise unreleased or different versions from the proper releases or what. You get twisted "music" from Einstuerzende Neubauten, Mania D. (who would later become Malaria!), Thomas Vorkuba, P1/E, Frieder Butzmann, Die Zwei, Borsig/Die Sentimental Jugend (aka Alexander Hacke!), Die Haut, Mekanik Destruktiv Kommandoh, Rainy Day Women/Michael Altfeld, Die Unbekanten, Der Tobende Luftkamof, Mona Mur, Konstantin, and Django & Maria.

va - Als die Parisanen Kamen (Berlin Underground 1979-1983)

Various - Reißaus Vor Krach Und Chaos

This is really all about P.D., Permutative Distorsion and P16.D4.

You also get then current and former members of these formations as [Charles] Rogalli (aka Ralf Wehowsky), LLL (aka Joachim Pense), Kasperle Killerpilz and Ertrinken Vakuum (both the work of Thomas Memmler), Kurzschluss (Joachim Stender and Ralf Wehowsky) and Der Apathische Alptraum (Roger Schönauer). You also get the forgotten El'A and Les Crêpes but I don't know which of the assembled people were responsible for these.

C40 released on Selektion in 1982.

Reißaus Vor Krach Und Chaos

White - Tormented

C40 by Dan Johansson on Segerhuva in 2008 = no brainer.

Tormented

White / Lust For Youth - White / Lust For Youth

C30 split between Dan Johansson as White and Malthe Fischer, Hannes Norrvide and Loke Rahbek as the great LFY.

Released on Störningar I Psykologisk Utveckling in 2010.

White / Lust For Youth

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