Recent reissues and new releases shared by your friends at In Sheep’s Clothing. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As […]
Feature
Dive into a singular artist whose beautifully chaotic energy inspired us during the pandemic. Last year as the pandemic forced us all inside to isolate, the fantastic speaker […]
Rest in power Richard H. Kirk. We revisit 5 tracks from the electronic music pioneer’s multitude of projects. Richard H. Kirk, sadly, has passed at 65. Besides founding […]
Five new releases we’re extremely excited about. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As music freaks who read these missives […]
Exploring contemporary projects and shifts in a futurist utopia with releases from Arushi Jain, Brian Eno, Laurie Spiegel, and Kuniyuki Takahashi. Since its origin, ambient music has been […]
Revisiting a lost Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder collaboration recorded at George Martin’s AIR studio. Mention a Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder collaboration and most people will likely […]
New Tara Clerkin Trio, spiritual free jazz, Chinese dreamscapes, and more of that “Now Sound” selected by the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing. Each week the global listening […]
Katsumasa Kusunose, founder of the great Jazz Kissa publication, shares his fifteen favorite jazz kissas in Tokyo. Currently, about 100 jazz kissa and jazz bars are open in […]
Highly recommended vintage hi-fi reading from audiophile writer Hans Fantel. Though his name is nearly lost to time, starting in the 1950s the writer Hans Fantel was a […]
New releases selected by the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing. Each week the global listening community gets bombarded with new releases, reissues and restocks. As music freaks who […]
Amaro Freitas’ spiritual quest into the forgotten stories, philosophies and figures of Black Brazil. The Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas drew the title of his exquisite new jazz trio […]
Building a system from the ground up? Start with the speakers. Some sage advice from a 1975 essay in High Fidelity magazine. The whole thing can be overwhelming, […]
Multi-instrumentalist, drummer (CMON, Drugdealer), and NTS radio host Josh da Costa shares five gems. CMON (Confusing Mix Of Nations) is the studio project of Josh da Costa formerly […]
“Not exactly a sporting selection” from hero Chee Shimizu. For anyone looking for some musical inspiration today, here’s a perfect playlist from our friend Chee Shimizu. Selected for […]
Introducing Cell Alpha, the world’s first Triphonic speaker. I wasn’t quite sure what to think when I first saw Syng’s Cell Alpha speaker. The clear, almost droid-like design […]
Khruangbin’s new record ‘Mordechai Remixes’ is out now. Tana Yonas sits down with the band to talk about the history of remixing and how vinyl collecting shapes their […]
Smiling C shares an intimate documentary on Mexican experimental jazz artist Germán Bringas. For the past few years, the Santa Cruz-based archival project (and one of our absolute […]
A quick dive into Brian Long’s influential ‘Excursions in Ambience’ compilation CD series. In 1993, Brian Long, a New York-based music freak who’d recently left Los Angeles and […]
The industry of ready made commercial soundtracks of the ’70s and early ’80s thrived in Europe, but composers in Italy were in a world of their own. The […]
Softly psychedelic folk, soul, rare groove from the Hawaiian islands. Few labels are as committed to uncovering old and new sounds from their local scene than Honolulu-based Aloha […]
Five “fingertracks” from Andrew Hogge aka Lovefingers. It is without exaggeration to say that Andrew Hogge, aka Lovefingers, is one of our absolute favorite selectors. His pre-social media, […]
The newly formed Fresh Hold imprint teams up with fellow Melbourne-based label Efficient Space to present a long-lost jazz grail. Michael Kucyk’s always reliable Efficient Space has teamed […]
An introduction to aural therapy with two artists exploring the healing qualities of sound. Have you noticed that days without music tend to be the low-energy days? If […]
Obscure psychedelic folk, cosmic soul, and crooning AOR from the label behind Belong to the Wind. Los Angeles reissue upstart Forager Records got off to a strong start. […]
In conversation with Nishant Mittal, founder of archival Indian music page Digging in India. Better known by his Instagram handle “Digging in India,” Nishant Mittal’s unique perspective and […]
LA based music archivist and investigator Sonrisita shares iconic records from her life and collection. Melissa Dueñas aka Sonrisita joined us as a guest selector at our ongoing […]
A round up of 10 performances from the great Brazilian singer/guitarist. It was no accident that Brazilian singer and composer Gal Costa was born to enrapture audiences around […]
Abstract, experimental electronic music from one of our favorite local labels. Shimmering. Foggy. Warm. Hypnotic. These are all words that have been used to describe the abstract electronic […]
A new “electronic travelogue” full-length from Toronto-based C.R. Gillespie arrives today via Séance Centre. We’ve been closely following the introspective, highly conceptual sonic works of Colin Roy Gillespie […]
Charlotte Renaud’s incredible essay on the celebrated Swedish auteur’s devotion to classical music. ‘If I was forced to choose between losing my hearing or losing my sight, I […]
Maximalist experimental jazz from four heroes of the genre. For eight years starting in 1986, the searing free jazz quartet of Sonny Sharrock (electric guitar), Peter Brötzmann (sax), […]
Thousand-year-old Mongolian music traditions meet folk and jazz on Squama Recordings’ latest. An undeniable magic inhabits the melodies and sounds of our youth. Lullabies, folk songs, the music of […]
Music from the 12th Isle via Glasgow’s underground. Glasgow’s 12th Isle has been steadily releasing some of our favorite genre-bending electronic works since 2016. The label takes a […]
From June 23 – September 25, the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing will host a series of dedicated listening sessions four nights a week at Neuehouse. After more […]
A deep dive on our favorite dollar bin jazz man, aka the professor of cool, and a selection of essential songs from his decades-spanning career. When you’re in […]
A recent doc showcases unsung female electronic pioneers including Delia Derbyshire, Pauline Oliveros, Laurie Spiegel, Suzanne Cianni + a few of our favorites from these legends. In case […]
The jazz world mirrors the suppression of women in most areas of mid-century society. Val Wilmer made sure they would never be forgotten. When focusing on and appreciating […]
The ingenious novelty of playable vinyl stamps from the Bhutan postal agency. It’s no wonder that the so-called “happiest nation in the world” found a way to make […]
A timeless synth played by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Alessandro Cortini, and Wendy Carlos. Introduced by Bay Area synthesizer innovator Don Buchla’s company in 1973, the Buchla Music Easel […]
Ten absurdly beautiful plinth designs. The physical experience of playing vinyl helps listeners rationalize elaborate customizations, from record shelves to speaker stands. One of the most gratifying, and […]
A list of kid-friendly holy grails, including two of the most sought-after LPs of all time: Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop and The Langley Schools Music […]
Footage of Durutti Column performing in Kaivopuisto Park in their early Factory Records days and a few other rare appearances. Vini Reilly of Durutti Column was the first […]
How “Scratch” inspired John Martyn’s 1977 classic proto trip-hop recording ‘One World.’ Truly a “worlds collide” pairing, in 1976 UK folk musician and ISC patron saint John Martyn […]
A few basic concepts to get the best sound out of your listening room. With all the time, money and effort spent buying and putting together the hi-fi […]
Tracing the impact of seminal kraut rock bands like Tangerine Dream, Harmonia, Ash Ra Temple, and more. As a generation of youths of came of age in 1960’s […]
Our recent favorites from NTS, dublab, Bar Part Time, and XLR8R. Music discovery has always been a central mission of In Sheep’s Clothing. Whether among staff, patrons, or […]
ISC sits down with Condesa Electronics founder Mehdi El-Aquil to talk mixers, how Condesa came to be, and the future of rotaries. Based in Adelaide, Australia, Condesa Electronics in […]
An ISC deep dive into the leftfield, intimate, and dreamy pop sounds of one of Belgium’s finest labels and our personal highlights from their diverse catalog. Translated as […]
Ambient selections from the deep discography of influential Japanese electronic producer Susumu Yokota. Where to start with Susumu Yokota. When asked about his mission in making music, the […]
Andy Beta interviews Brazilian singer/composer Priscilla Ermel. “Dear Mr. Eno, I would like you to know about our work, we work with tapes and sounds of Nature.” So […]
The musical world of psychedelia in Brazil is so profound and prolific it often drowns out contributions from the rest of the continent. We highlight some of those […]
“The asymmetric relationship between those who give orders & those who must obey is always demonstrated by who controls access to the soundscape.” Our friends at Radio Alhara […]
Part 2 of our series highlighting low budget music videos with that perfectly endearing DIY 80’s aesthetic. At the beginning of the 1980s, music began to pursue and […]
Paintings, installations, light works from ten musicians who ventured into the visual arts. Thanks to recording technology, music has now become the most consumed art form in the […]
An intro to the surreal and funky world of “library records,” the assembly-line-produced albums designed to soundtrack film and television. It’s hard to sum up the “library record.” […]
Classic advertisements and illustrations from the cassette age. When Lou Ottens, who invented the cassette tape, died in March, a host of stories celebrated the life of a […]
Shibuya-kei. Beck. Yellow Magic Orchestra. Three decades of Keigo Oyamada aka Cornelius. One of Japan’s foremost musical ambassadors, Keigo Oyamada aka Cornelius has played a leading role in […]
Whether pitched up, down or at the wrong rpm entirely, sometimes the wrong speed on a turntable can completely transform a song — for the better. You’re well […]
Capturing the 70’s hi-fidelity craze in illustrations. If you were lucky enough to be a music freak who could also illustrate, in the 1960s and ‘70s you could […]
Was Rahsaan Roland Kirk the coolest person who ever lived? Rahsaan Roland Kirk unapologetically rode the edge of absurdity his entire life and regularly left audiences gobsmacked in […]
All hail the Thorens TD-160, an easily modified and uniquely designed classic turntable. History The famed Thorens TD-160 is pretty much unparalleled when it comes to classic vintage […]
Hidden gems, one trackers, and undervalued full listens from the world of bargain bin New Age. Considered one of the most “uncool” genres of the past few decades, […]
Beautiful Japanese designs from the golden age of record players. Portable technology has always been an essential part of humanity. Whether a stone tool or cellular phone, there’s an […]
Classic Marantz, Klipsch, JBL, and Garrard advertisements from the peak Hi-Fi era. Fifty years ago when magazines were the dominant source of information on listening and hi-fi culture, […]
Introducing Deep Listening Tips, a new series inspired by Pauline Oliveros’ deep listening guide. Shhh, listen. You hear that phrase a lot in life. Shut up, too. Be […]
Another installment of deep cuts, this time we take a look at the dearly beloved ~ Prince. His Royal Badness. The High Priest of Pop. The Artist Formerly […]
Celebrity sound systems featuring Garrard, Tannoy, McIntosh, Thorens, and custom hi-fi equipment. News alert: Celebrities are very much human like the rest of us, despite that popular culture […]
The next part in our intro to hi-fi series focuses on used marketplaces and how to find deals on vintage gear. Finding a killer vintage amp or turntable […]
Exploring the vast catalog of jazz records pressed in Japan with a selection of our favorite OBI’s. If you have records in your collection with an OBI, you […]
Sublime deep listening works from the founder of seminal electronic label Kompakt. In the early 1990s, Germany was a country undergoing a profound transition. The wall that separated […]
A brief history of compilation albums, the trajectory of this multi-artist concept, and of course, a list of some ISC favorites. The Compilation. Some purists may cringe at […]
New reissue label Naya Beat focuses on uncovering rarities and oddities from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora. Co-founder Ragz shares five picks from his collection. Raghav Mani, […]
Celebrating the great Japanese vocalist, songwriter, arranger with a retrospective on her works across city pop, disco, latin jazz, and dub. With city pop mania at an all […]
Our favorite rarities from the queen of smooth soul jazz and one of the most iconic singers from the 1980s and 1990s, Sade. Born in Ibadan, Nigeria to […]
A new series highlighting low budget music videos with that perfectly endearing DIY 80’s aesthetic. At the start of the 1980s, music began to pursue a new form: […]
In conversation with Justin Gage, founder of the long-running, eclectic audio journal Aquarium Drunkard. For the past 15 years, Aquarium Drunkard has provided a home for music heads […]
Fish scales. Video Stores. Jazz. The multi-layered world of Munich-based label Squama Recordings. Martin Brugger is a producer and bass player for the modern jazz quintet Fazer. Max […]
Background When committing to hi-fi audio gear you’re going to have a lot of choices, and among the most crucial is whether you’ll be looking for a tube […]
More “CD Age” selections from two of Japan’s most respected diggers. If you haven’t yet listened to Music from Memory’s newest release Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field […]
Punk, disco, hip hop and experimental. A look into the seminal New York City ‘No Wave’ label. New York City in 1980 was at a musical crossroads: the […]
A brief primer on Ikutaro Kakehashi, the revolutionary engineer who built the world’s most widely used electronic equipment. At 28, a young engineer named Ikutaro Kakehashi began a […]
Cats don’t seem to care much for music, but musicians certainly care about cats. Cats. They’re not only beloved fixtures of domesticity, but also have a rich history […]
A look into the most prolific years from the genre-defining dream pop label. The great British label 4AD was co-founded by Peter Kent and Ivo Watts-Russell, the latter […]
After 21 years, Beats in Space will be “taking a break.” Though it may not be the end, here’s a tribute to one of our favorite radio shows. […]
Background When Jonathan Weiss first laid eyes on the old stone Oswalds Mill building in the wilds outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania in New Tripoli, he knew it was […]
An intro to the production duo who brought jazz and funk together with artists like Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, and Marvin Gaye. Before the Mizell brothers, the cultures […]
A look into the genius singer-songwriter who explored northern soul, “new folk sounds” and jazz, while always flying just below the radar. Terry Callier seemed destined to play […]
Continuing our intro to hi-fi series with a look at one of the most important components of the sound system – the phono cartridge. When considering the sound […]
For the next piece in our Art & Design series, we’ve decided to take a slightly different approach. Instead of focusing on a particular designer, artist or style, […]
While most architects and designers were busy developing the future of everyday things, a few made the foray into hi-fi and had stunning results. Aiming to add simplicity […]
A look into the producer/engineer behind classics like Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Judee Sill’s Heart Food. We’ve touched on Henry Lewy’s work in the past, but even then […]
A list of our favorite Paul McCartney rarities and a closer look at the broad scope of one of pop music’s best. There’s no real need for any […]
Celebrating 40 years of On-U Sound with selections from the label’s catalog of groundbreaking post-punk meets dub productions. Emerging during a time in the UK when racial tensions […]
A primer on Japanese experimental masters EYE, Yoshimi, Seiichi Yamamoto and the hypnotic mess they’ve made. The Boredoms aren’t an easy group to nail down. One of the strangest-ever […]
A look into the label behind the iconic ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING. If you’ve stepped into a reputable record store or stereo dealer in the past 30 years, you’ve […]
Tana Yonas explores the 7″ format with music writer Elizabeth Owuor and former Island Records exec Danny Holloway. Many record collectors who focus on albums or 12-inch singles […]
Fresh Bread is out now on Leaving Records. Sam Gendel walks us through five records in his current rotation. If you’re not yet familiar with Sam Gendel’s work […]
Surprisingly affordable, powerful integrated receivers with warm, clear sound. Background: Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Perhaps it’s the distinctive stainless steel look, with its warm golden glow emanating from […]
Folk, blues, minimalism and beyond. Selections from John Fahey’s seminal Americana label Takoma Records. It’s difficult not to think about Takoma Records without John Fahey’s name coming up. […]
Tana Yonas speaks to Blue Note’s Joe Harley on his history with jazz and the upcoming releases in their Tone Poet hi-fi series. Blue Note’s recent Tone Poet […]
A look into New York’s longest-running sound installation created by influential minimalist La Monte Young and multi-disciplinary artist Marian Zazeela. “The daddy of us all” is a direct […]
The Lounge Lizards, Fishing with John, Stranger Than Paradise, Painting with John: ISC celebrates a singular artist. To continue the celebration of John Lurie’s new introspective HBO series, […]
A new full length-album from G.S. Schray arrives March 5th on Last Resort. We’ve been closely following Akron musician G.S. Schray ever since his album Gabriel was released […]
For the first piece in our new gear series, we take a look at one of our all time favorite speakers, the Klipsch Heresy. Background: First introduced by […]
Jocelyn Romo shares five essential selections that go beyond the preconceptions of what prog can be. The very word makes any number of music fans recoil: Prog. The […]
Post-punk and dub selections from the originator of lovers rock. The British reggae and dub producer Dennis Bovell is best known for his work producing sweet, swinging post-roots-reggae […]
Love songs from our friend Dakota Johnson. Dear Love Songs, You are my sweet companion. You break my heart. You make me fall in love with love. You […]
Hidden gems in the Don Cherry catalog including collaborations with Sun Ra, Terry Riley, and Alejandro Jodorowsky. The “organic music” of free jazz trumpet player Don Cherry has […]
This cinematic movement centered around the black experience gave legends like Roy Ayers and Barry White their first shot at scoring films. The American civil rights movement in […]
Tana Yonas speaks to the Dark Entries label boss on Patrick Cowley and the importance of archiving. Music archivists and researchers often work in the shadows. For some, […]
Early electronics and computer music, new opera, experimental vocal albums: A guide to the influential Bay Area label dedicated to the American avant-garde. Since its founding in 1978, […]
Tana Yonas speaks to Discogs’ Aub Driver and Christopher Masagatani on the company’s history and how they are adapting amid a global pandemic. The vinyl community shifted with […]
A look into the influential BBC Radiophonic Workshop composer who arranged the electronic opening theme of Doctor Who. Delia Derbyshire’s fascination with electronic music started when she was […]
Interested in vintage audio gear? The team behind ISC HiFi takes you through the basics and shares a few of their favorites. It’s a hotly debated topic when […]
Five iconic tracks from the 80’s featuring Dave Smith’s legendary Prophet-5 synthesizer. American synthesizer company Sequential Circuits recently announced a brand new compact desktop version of their iconic […]
Celebrating 50 years of Mwandishi with a retrospective on the albums beyond the group’s legendary trilogy. Herbie Hancock’s electronics-heavy free jazz group Mwandishi has in recent years attained […]
ISC HiFi releases 20 new (( ROOM RECORDINGS )). Bryan Ling reflects on the inspiration behind these sessions. The room recordings on the ISC website are meant to […]
Although some of its artists also used electronics, the American label Windham Hill pioneered new acoustic music to such an extent that during its peak years the label […]
Archival scans of the rare sci-fi graphic novel included with Haruomi Hosono’s Making of Non-Standard Music. Included with the complete package of Haruomi Hosono’s Making of Non-Standard Music […]
Jazz’s evolution over the decades has begat a series of subgenres: be-bop, post-bop, free-jazz, spiritual jazz and fusion, to name a few. But by the end of the […]
The unbelievable story of the Incan princess who made timeless exotica with Les Baxter. Yma Sumac had a supernatural hold on her audiences. When she walked on stage, […]
Phil Cho speaks to the artist behind dublab’s new Quadraphonic Universally Accessible Resource Kit (QUARK). Kamran V builds bridges between technology and artistry. He’s a producer, sound artist, […]
Next up in our Art & Design: In Focus series, Tana Yonas takes a look into the plants behind your favorite album covers. There is something endlessly fascinating […]
Essential productions from one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. To find an individual as prolific and influential as Haruomi Hosono is almost impossible in […]
Marty Sartini Garner reflects on the healing power of ambient and metal during darkened times. The first new album I fell in love with in 2020 was Leo […]
Essential lockdown viewing and the perfect gateway into “cool jazz” legend Chet Baker. Let’s Get Lost, Bruce Weber’s monochromatic masterpiece on “cool jazz” great Chet Baker, is a […]
Like many people around the world, we’ve been heavily listening to and remembering Daniel “MF DOOM” Dumile through his music over the last few days… One of the […]
Reissues. We love them. But can there be too many? Surely not, so here are 11 reissues and archival recordings that you might have missed during this tumultuous […]
The pandemic. George Floyd’s murder and the furious protests that followed. The election. The isolation and its physical and mental tolls. Brilliant creators like Harold Budd, Charley Pride, […]
One common language issue among serious listeners and the writers who pander to them has to do with the adjective heavy and the ways in which it is […]
Prolific Swedish electronic producer Tom Wolgers is a heavy favorite around ISC. The under-the-radar artist, who moonlighted as a fashion model, issued a series of records starting in […]
Introducing Soundsystems, an in-focus feature series on the Hi-Fi equipment of the past, and the notorious clubs and DJ’s that used them. An absurd amount of precision, fine-tuning […]
Here’s one of our absolute favorite documentaries. Alan Greenberg’s directorial debut Land of Look Behind is a beautifully honest and intimate look into the people and culture surrounding […]
Andy Beta reflects on the close and unknowable music of Ethiopian jazz pianist Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou. Last week, I visited my local coffee shop. Most days, the soundtrack […]
It’s no secret that In Sheep’s Clothing focuses on active listening and the depths to be explored within the grooves of great records. We sell and recommend physical […]
Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt: The core members of visionary Krautrock band CAN released timeless experimental rock music over the roughly ten years that they […]
In 1958, RCA Victor introduced to the world a new technology under the banner “Living Stereo.” Focused at first on standard repertoire classical music, the vinyl imprint went […]
ISC Staff Michael Friedman steps into Wes Katzir’s elegant, industrial Downtown Los Angeles showroom. It doesn’t get any more ‘state of the art’ than this, and one could […]
For many vinyl obsessives, not being able to dig for records in person due to pandemic restrictions can be tough… That feeling of finding a gem after hours […]
We had a discussion on which Aphex Twin album to feature first as a part of our collection at ISC HiFi, and went with Drukqs in part because […]
Collaborating with Brian Eno is like having your very own alchemist in the studio. Almost everything he touches turns to gold. In the interest of keeping the In […]
Tana Yonas dives into how one small country developed the brilliantly colorful sound of electrified “funana” music. The Cape Verdean Island of Santiago — where funana music was […]
Larger-than-life dub heroes. For our second Art & Design: In Focus feature, ISC staff Phil Cho traces the origins behind the iconic comic book style album cover in […]
If you hung out at In Sheep’s Clothing during daylight hours, before we lit the candles and weren’t primarily pouring whiskey, you may have noticed another collection. Yes, […]
Earlier in October the New York-based concern Oda unveiled a first-generation speaker and performance system that was years in the making. Though envisioned and prototyped long before the […]
Introducing a new series where we highlight the hidden gems, one trackers, and undervalued full listens found in your local record store’s dollar bin. In the record collecting […]
Jorge Ben didn’t need a hit in 1974. The Brazilian singer-songwriter’s Ben, released two years earlier, had capped a run that definitively established him as one of the […]
Pop quiz: name the famous jazz trumpeter that got his start in bop and yet continued on to greater success for decades after? Who was the trumpeter responsible […]
The decision to sell records at In Sheep’s Clothing came naturally. Music discovery has always been central to In Sheep’s Clothing’s DNA. A year after we opened the […]
Bryan Ling recounts his trip to Johannesburg record shop Afrosynth Records and revisits a few choice selections from store owner DJ Okapi. We only had a couple free […]
Music discovery has always been a central mission of In Sheep’s Clothing. Whether among staff, patrons or record fair-goers, our physical space was aimed at introducing people to […]
Here is a fun throwback to 1920 – a newspaper advertisement for the new Edison Phonograph and its proclamation of “Supreme Realism.” Like a magician showing the audience […]
It’s been almost two decades since Sun Ra, the enigmatic artist who reported Saturn as his birthplace, left our planet and yet – the cosmic jazz pioneer’s Afrofuturist […]
Interested in setting up a hi-fi audio system in your home but not sure where to start? The team behind In Sheep’s Clothing hi-fi takes you through the […]
In Sheep’s Clothing was built out of necessity. Once there was a pizzeria that was looking for a home and found one in the Art’s District of Los […]
Notice anything in the recordings in our audio player? Maybe Alice Coltrane’s World Galaxy hums differently than on vinyl or streaming platforms? Perhaps it sounds a little more […]
