A bargain bin classic and underrated favorite, I Scare Myself is essentially a Compass Point All Stars record led by songwriter Barry Reynolds. The album features all members […]
1982
Guitarists Kevin McCormick and David Horridge collaborated on this wordless, dream-like album back in 1982, using only guitars and the occasional fretless bass to express themselves. The obvious […]
The inaugural release on Kunihiko Murai’s legendary Yen Records, Philharmony is a landmark electronic work by Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Haruomi Hosono. The album was recorded almost entirely by […]
The inaugural release by cult new age label Windham Hill is also the debut album by its founder, William Ackerman. In Search of the Turtle’s Naval transformed Ackerman from […]
Featured in the “Psychedelic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Melody & Menace is the self-released debut from Toronto-based progressive rock group Terraced Garden. Led by […]
Barton Smith’s gorgeous “one-person orchestra” tape compositions using a mixture of acoustic, electronic, and found instruments. While clearly experimental in approach, the music was actually composed with the […]
Melancholic keyboard works by Belgian composer Dominique Lawalrée on his Editions Walrus “non-commercial music” label. The compositions feature a range of keyboard sounds using Bösendorfer piano, Hohner and […]
Cosmic / balearic synth explorations from Danish keyboard maestro Klaus Schønning. While not as popular or deep as his debut Lydglimt, Schønning’s third studio album Nasavu is still quite […]
Leroy Hutson might not be a household name, but you might’ve heard his work through another great soul singer, Donny Hathaway. Hutson was Hathaway’s roommate at Howard University […]
Released nearly two years after their first no. 1 hit The Game, Queen’s Hot Space was a departure from the group’s typical layered arrangements and orchestral sound into […]
The underrated Bobby Caldwell album, Carry On sees the pop funk soul singer dive into deeper subjects beyond love and simple attraction. A2 “Sunny Hills” almost sounds like […]
Possibly the greatest female reggae MC of all time, Ranking Ann delivers six powerful cuts of dancehall perfection on her debut album A Slice of English Toast produced […]
Bruce Springsteen’s sixth studio album Nebraska is a DIY loner classic released long before the term “bedroom producer” was a thing. The album was recorded with the assistance […]
Music for healing from our good friends at Séance Centre… On Music of the Five Elements, electronic composer Sam McClellan applies the ancient Chinese philosophy of medicine to […]
Dubbed “one of pop music’s sneakiest masterpieces” due to its low-key but lasting popularity, Donald Fagen’s post-Steely Dan solo debut The Nightlfy is a semi-autobiographical concept album looking […]
Featured in the “Experimental” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Fluchtweg Madagaskar, which translates to “escape route to Madagascar,” is the cult classic debut album by […]
Beautiful was ironically the product of a band in complete turmoil. Multiple failed attempts at mainstream success combined with feverish internal tension within Aussie new wave band The […]
The 1982 self-titled debut by Japanese synth-pop quartet Pegmo is a little hard to place sonically. Off-kilter new wave, synthesizer doo-wop, electronic cabaret or Jacques Brel chanson meets […]
Before releasing Awakening in 1980, Hiroshi Sato was already one of the most respected keyboardists/session players in Tokyo, appearing on countless classics while also building his own indelible […]
Entering the world of 80’s Japanese synth-pop can be a little overwhelming. The amount of music seems infinite with thousands of offshoots, sub-genres, and artists. If you’re just […]
Woo is the beloved experimental UK sibling duo of Clive and Mark Ives who released a slew of dreamy introspective folk / ambient records in the 80’s and […]
Trippy, experimental dub from famed UK producer Adrian Sherwood’s On-U-Sound. “African Head Charge” was formed as a studio project inspired by Brian Eno’s “vision for a psychedelic Africa” […]
Welcome to the spirited, enchanting world of Japanese musical visionary Yasuaki Shimizu. You may know him from his work with Ryuichi Sakamoto, or as the innovative bandleader of […]
