Welcome to ISC HiFi. Explore our growing collection of classics and rarities from around the world. Discover the stories behind the records. Experience the ISC listening space from home through our (( ROOM RECORDING )) audio player below.
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A big favorite here at ISC and to all who were present during the hundreds of times we played it at the bar. It’s one of our most asked about albums, and for good reason. Anadol is the psychedelic synth folk project by Berlin based Turkish sound artist Gözen Atila. After studying electronic composition and […]
Go Hirano’s 2004 Corridor of Daylights sees a first time vinyl reissue thanks to Los Angeles label Black Editions. An outlier in Tokyo’s P.S.F. catalogue, a label known for its acid folk, free jazz and experimental rock, Hirano’s music sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. Corridor along with his previous release Reflection of […]
A costly vinyl rarity until 2018 when Frederiksberg Records released a reissue, Goodbyes and Beginnings is a cult classic that sounds like the lovechild of 60’s folk and 80’s new age. A few songs in and you might think you are listening to a Celtic folk obscurity from the 60’s – then suddenly the use […]
A brilliant, slightly under the radar, new compilation of Urugauyan 80’s new wave pop, fusion, ambient folk and electronics, compiled by Spanish DJ and collector Javi Bayo. Similar in approach to Music from Memory’s critically-acclaimed Outro Tempo, América Invertida explores the more experimental side of Uruguay’s underground music scene in the 80’s where traditional Candombe […]
Picture the delight of meeting one of the most interesting people you’ve ever encountered, spending an impromptu afternoon with them over a long cup of coffee, picking their brain and exploring the intricacies of their mind. That’s what the first listen of Priscilla Ermel’s Origens Da Luz feels like — but if the coffee is […]
Italian multi-instrumentalist and composer Pepe Maina describes his music as “ambient & prog rock music for dreams and illusion.” His debut album Il Canto Dell’Arpa e Del Flauto which translates to The Song of the Harp and the Flute matches that description perfectly – a beautifully diverse mix of ethnic rhythms, delicate harp, psychedelic guitar, […]
Bobby Brown’s debut is a difficult to classify outsider opus that has become a sort of grail for rare psych collectors (it’s featured in the highly renowned Acid Archives guide to underground psych, folk, and outsider sounds). A manifestation of a singular star child, Brown built and plays all 50 homemade instruments, which he combined […]
Tim Buckley’s third album represented many important changes for the young songwriter. He stopped working with the lyricist of his first two albums and began to write his own. In addition, Buckley’s newfound appreciation for jazz gave him more of an expansive approach to songwriting. He started to use his voice more like an instrument […]
Linda Cohen was a mostly self taught musician from Philadelphia who along with being a fixture in the local avant-garde music scene, worked diligently as a classical guitar teacher for over 35 years. Her solo debut Leda is a perfectly minimal blend of gentle, fingerpicked acoustic guitar with baroque, blues, and classical stylings. Cohen is […]
An In Sheep’s Clothing nighttime favorite, Barbara & Ernie’s only release is a complex combination of soul, folk rock, and late 60’s psychedelia. At first listen, it doesn’t seem too different from the commercial music of the time, but then you start to notice the electric sitars, the funk leaning bass, multi-layered vocals, and the […]
Cited as being an entry point to genres such as trip hop and ambient, Solid Air is undoubtedly John Martyn’s magnum opus. A true balance of dark and light, the album name and title track serve as a dedication to his friend and label mate Nick Drake whose noticeable depression was of deep concern to […]
The New Folk Sound Of Terry Callier released in 1966 on Prestige is exactly what its title suggests – a fresh take on American folk from the then-newcomer Callier. Drawing inspiration from jazz, blues, and soul, Callier re-interprets traditional folk standards bringing a uniquely African American perspective to classics like “Cotton Eyed Joe” and “900 […]
A timeless masterpiece by Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra. PCO’s sound is difficult to categorize but perhaps best summed up as a mishmash of Jeffes’ eclectic influences – jazz, world music, classical, ambient, folk, and pop. It’s innocently simple and approachable music, with the minimal arrangements and uplifting melodies bringing a sense of childlike wonder and […]
