Cuneiform Records AUGUST 2023 Newsletter

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CUNEIFORM RECORDS   AUGUST 2023  NEWSLETTER: New Releases & Concerts    view this email online – on laptop/computer:  click menu links & jump – on mobile: scroll down ~~~~~~ NEW DIGITAL RELEASES COMING OUT AUGUST 25, 2023: CUNEIFORM RELEASES THE ENTIRE HERETIC CATALOG FROM JAPAN – ' KYOTO'S ANSWER TO HELDON' – REMASTERED AND WITH BONUS TRACKS: HERETIC, HIRO KAWAHARA'S UNDERGROUND ELECTRONIC BAND FROM THE 1980'S-1990'S  See list of 9 ALBUMS & option to purchase COLLECTED WORKS ~~~~~ OUT NOW ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS A JAW-DROPPING ARRAY OF WILDLY DIVERSE AVANT PROGRESSIVE MUSIC released July 28, 2023 A LIGHT SLEEPER  –  EQUAEVRERPOISE New recordings by Chicago avant progressive rockers A Light Sleeper (Maria Elena Hernandez/ Traci Huff / Matthew Jung / Dheeru Pennepalli) [USA] MILLER TWINS  – EARLY COMPOSITIONS 1973-1976 Recent recordings of the early post-classical/chamber rock compositions by Michigan's Miller Twins (Lawrence & Ben Miller), multi-instrumentalists & composers of Fourth World Quartet and Destroy All Monsters [USA] PICCHIO DAL POZZO  –  IN CAMPORELLA A  live recording of improvisational rock / post-jazz music by Italian progressive rock legends Picchio Dal Pozzo [ITALY] RASCAL REPORTERS  – THE STRAINGE CASE OF STEVE Avant progressive/ post-rock duo Rascal Reporters (Steve Kretzmer & James Strain) release new tunes for their 1st Cuneiform release, & invite global guests such as Guy Segers, Dave Newhouse, Dario D’Allessandro, Kimara Sajn on a few tracks  [USA+beyond] ~~~~~ released June 30, 2023 LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION – DAMAGED GOODS New studio recording by Michael Formanek (bass), Anthony Pirog (guitar) and Mike Pride (drums) ~~~~~ SNEAK PEEKS  – COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS: I.P.A. – GRIMSTA (Scandinavian jazz quintet release a 3rd album for Cuneiform)  [NORWAY]    – COMING OUT LATE 2023 AND IN 2024 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS ~~~~~ CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR: LIVE CONCERTS & TOURS   ~~~~~ ENJOY A WORLD OF MUSICAL ADVENTURE with  CUNEIFORM RECORDS ONLINE:   • EXPLORE Cuneiform Records'  SOCIAL MEDIA // BANDCAMP PAGE // YOUTUBE CHANNEL //  SOUNDCLOUD PAGE • Purchase music from100s of labels at WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store estab. in 1980 • Missed seeing a CUNEIFORM NEWSLETTER? Access prior issues at cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/   ~~~~~ – view this email online –   mark your calendar: 2024 is CUNEIFORM RECORDS' 40TH ANNIVERSARY!!! return to top COMING OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 IN DIGITAL FORMAT ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS: THE COMPLETE CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE ELECTRONIC MUSIC PIONEER HIRO KAWAHARA'S HERETIC 1980s–1990s Japan's ingenious response to France's Heldon and other cutting-edge electronic music from the West, Heretic fused synthesizers and electronics with guitars, cello, bass and drums to create electronic music that was strikingly original, uncommonly organic, and sonically rich, with evocative compositions and emotional depth Multi-instrumentalist Hiro Kawahara's synthesis of synthesizers and guitars, and experimental electronics with mysticism was unique in late 20th century Japan. His creative, Eastern twist on electronic music brought fresh energy and inspiration to the global electronic music scene. In late August, Cuneiform releases the entire catalogue (nine albums) by Hiro Kawahara's band Heretic – a 1980s and 1990s underground Japanese electronic band featuring synths and guitar – as well as a "digital box" that has all nine albums bundled together.  All of these albums (including one by Kawahara & German electronic musician Peter Frohmader) are either previously unreleased or have bonus tracks. All are released by Cuneiform in digital format (various digital file formats and streaming) via BandCamp, and include notes by Kawahara. HERETIC / HIRO KAWAHARA   COMPLETE WORKS    (2023) 9 works by Hiro Kawahara + 2 bonus tracks, (Total time 13h 36min 27sec)  ORDER Heretic's COMPLETE WORKS on BANDCAMP: "During the golden era of the late 1970s-1980s Japan had many provocative artists and bands experimenting with electronic, symphonic, and new wave music. Hiro Kawahara was one of the original pioneers of the genre, fusing synthesizer with celestial guitar excursions. He produced his first LP as Osiris in 1980. Then in 1985, he formed Heretic with Tohru Ohta, Suguru Mori and Robbin Lloyd (joining for the second album) and his musical conception grew to explore dimensions that were even more expansive. Over the next 20 years he released some of the most deeply beautiful, diverse and powerfully strange music on the Japanese indie scene. Heretic's music was relatively unknown during its creative period. Now with the reevaluation of all that came before musically in full swing, upon a second listening it more than stands up to the test of time. Some artists gained more recognition back then, but little of the music made displayed the vast range of sonic diversity and creative imagination contained in Hiro's extensive catalog."  – Archie Patterson, liner notes for The Golden Age (Eurock: 2000) WATCH a 3min 09sec introductory VIDEO from HERETIC's Live - Kyoto '85 and Tokyo '88' (Longer audio samples from this and other Heretic albums are available on Cuneiform's Soundcloud site under Tracks: https://soundcloud.com/cuneiformrecords/tracks HERETIC ALBUMS RELEASED/ REISSUED/ REMASTERED  ARE OUT ON CUNEIFORM AUGUST 25, 2023: Heretic – 1984-1988 (Cuneiform Rune 3373) Heretic – Yayoi Dream (Cuneiform Rune 3374) Heretic – Interface (Cuneiform Rune 3375) Heretic – Drugging For M (Cuneiform Rune 3376) Heretic – Past In Future (Cuneiform Rune 3377) Heretic – Escape Sequence (Cuneiform Rune 3378) Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader – 1998 (Cuneiform Rune 3379) Hiro Kawahara / Heretic – Requiem (Cuneiform Rune 3380) Heretic – Live Kyoto '85 and Tokyo '88 (Cuneiform Rune 3381) Hiro Kawahara – Complete Works (Cuneiform Rune 3382) Videos for each of these Albums are available on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel/Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/@CuneiformRecords/videos   HERETIC  INTERFACE OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "Kyoto, Japan's answer to Heldon. Dense synth/guitar sonic excursions. The first album, originally released in 1985." – Hiro Kawahara pre-order on Bandcamp: Hiro Kawahara's notes on Track 1, "Interface": " 'Interface' was originally composed in 1982, some parts as a work of OSIRIS which was my solo project before Heretic. Since I got to know Ohta in June of that year it was recorded...our project partnership had started and continued for many years from this... Heretic's 1st was a self-released, private press lp. Moriyama was a classmate of mine in high school, and I forced him to participate because I really wanted to incorporate the cello sound. At that time, I also took in many of his opinions/advice regarding the direction of the music. He later became a famous university professor. In addition to the composing and recording experience I had in OSIRIS, I tried to study about hardware technology (there was no MIDI specification at the time) and conceptualized musical direction/idea such as what sound is and what would happen if different cultures coexisted at the same time. Heretic also had the 'conceptual art' idea; for example, I was using an analog synthesizers at the time, I have also practiced 'time art' that changes the timbre (synth's sound color) from moment to moment from this work. In addition to the synthesizer's sound, I also partially processed for the hi-hat sound of the drum machine....not usually done at the time. Except for the improvisation, I was in charge of the basic composition, and Ohta was in charge of arranging and rhythm's arrangement." Read Hiro's extensive notes for each track, and view track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/interface-2 listen to "Excerpts from Interface" from Heretic's Interface Lineup: Tohru Ohta (elec-guitar, synthesizers, elec-per) Hiro Kawahara ( synthesizers, keyboards, elec-Vil, elec-guitar, elec-per, ac-per, tape effects, devices) Takurou Moriyama (cello on 1, 2) with Tomoko Nozaki (organ and synthesizer on 1) Yumiko Inoue (synthesizer on 1) Akiko Yuki (voice on 2) Recorded and mixed at Sound of Poppy studio, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan, August 1984 Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022 Includes: Heretic - Interface (1985) 1 Interface (34:29) 2 El Rayo De Luna (11:37) plus Bonus Tracks: 3 Interface (Symphonic Version) (13:02) 4 Interface (Rehearsal 1984-07-24) (11:56) return to top HERETIC ESCAPE SEQUENCE OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS   "Heretic's second album, released in 1988 with the participation of many guests. Think of it as Kyoto, Japan's answer to King Crimson, Heldon." – Hiro Kawatara   pre-order on Bandcamp: "At this point, I set up my personal recording studio. Many friends and acquaintances participated for this 2nd release, and we were able to release it on the Belle Antique (Marquee) label." INCLUDES all 4 tracks from Heretic - Escape Sequence (LP: Belle Antique (Marquee): 1988) plus 3 Bonus Tracks; "Do Heretick Original Version" (1985-11-01) (38:44) "Do Heretick Sound Idea" (1987-10-11) (4:49) "Do Heretick Session" (with Taiqui Tomiie, 1987-10-18 at ZipGunn Studio, Kyoto) (18:32) Excerpt from Kawahara's notes for Escape Sequence Track 2, "Fail Safe Error": "2) Tohru Ohta composed this music, and was created as a original, alternative soundtrack for the US movie, 'Fail Safe' (1964). As of 2023, I think there is more and more recognition of the nuclear danger from a certain country. Since those days, we had such a sense of crisis, so if you are interested, please listen to it."   See Hiro Kawahara's notes for each track; track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/escape-sequence    listen to "Excerpts from Escape Sequence" from Heretic's Escape Sequence Lineup: Tohru Ohta (syn, elc-g, elc-perc, noise, sequencer) Takurou Moriyama (cello, syn, ac-perc on 1, 2, 4, 5) Robbin Lloyd (ac-per, syn-bass on 1, 4) Minako Urasawa (voice on (1, 4, 5) Hiro Kawahara (elc-g,elc-violinl, guitar-synthsizer, voice, noise, ac-perc, tapes, devices, treatment) with Yozox (elc-g on 4) from Ain Soph Taiqui Tomiie (drums, elec-perc on 1, 8) from Ain Soph Kazuya Takeuchi (ac-g, elc-g on 3) from Anonymous, Nagoya Ikuo Masuyama (vocals on 3) from Anonymous, Nagoya Hiroshi Kanai (elc-g on 1) from Rose Band Mizue Ikeuchi (voice on 2) from Duppi Jun Moriyama (ac-p on 5) Recorded April 1986 to February 1988 Recorded at Sound of Poppy studio, Arashiyama, Kyoto, and aterie Infortecture, Katura, Kyoto Mixed at aterie Infortecture, Katura, Kyoto Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022-2023 return to top   HERETIC  KYOTO '85 AND TOKYO '88 OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "This album is taken from Heretic's few live and rehearsal performances, all of which are previously unreleased. ...this live work is a rare recording" – Hiro Kawahara pre-order on Bandcamp: Includes 3 tracks: (1) Recorded live at Ritsumeikan University, November, 4, 1985 (2) Rehearsal at Aterie Infortecture, Katura, Kyoto, March 13, 1988 (3) Recorded live at Meguro Live Station,Tokyo. March 19, 1988 Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022-2023 "Heretic has performed live only 5 times in total. Therefore, I think that this live work is a rare recording. 1985-03-03: Doushisya University, Kyoto 1985-11-04: Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto 1986-06-22: Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto 1987-09-14: Egg Plant, Osaka as backing band of DUPPI 1988-03-19: Meguro Live Station,Tokyo – Hiro Kawahara, 2023 See Hiro Kawahara's notes for each track, track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-kyoto-85-and-tokyo-88 listen to "Excerpts from Live Kyoto '85 and Tokyo '88" from Heretic's Live Kyoto '85 and Tokyo '88 Lineup: Tohru Ohta (syn, elc-g, guitar-sysnthezer, elc-per) Robbin Lloyd (various ac-per, shakuhachi, keyboard) Hiro Kawahara (elc-g, elc-vil, guitar-synthsizer, synthesizer, sampler, computer) with Kazuya Takeuchi (sampler, elc-g on 2, 3) Chihiro S. (b on 3)   return to top HERETIC    PAST IN FUTURE OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "...the music straddles the line between electronic rock and ambient, hovering somewhere between the random soundscapes of Biota, the aggressive imagery of Richard Pinhas, and the ambient driftiness of Forrest Fang's Migration, but in fact is like none of these. This is completely original."  – Peter Thelen, Expose, 1996-08-01 "There is so much electronic music today that shows no imagination, 'Past In Future' literally overflows with creative ideas." – Archie Patterson / EUROCK pre-order on Bandcamp: " ...I envisioned 3 works as the theme of the new work: past, present, and future. (1) is the theme of 'the past'. (2) is the theme of 'the future'. (3) At that time, I couldn't make music as 'the present' theme. But now (2022/2023), this music is dedicated to Peter Frohmader, who passed away in May 2022, and this 3D remix music, positioned as 'present', was added as a bonus track."                     – Hiro Kawahara, 2023         See Kawahara's notes and track list on Past in Future on Bandcamp: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/past-in-future   listen to "Excerpts from Past in Future" from Heretic's Past in Future CREDITS:  Hiro Kawahara (Computers, Korg DSS1*2, DSM-1, M3R, Roland U-110, R-8M, Emu VintageKeys Plus, Oberheim Matrix-1000, DPX-1, elec-guitar, bouzouki, devices on 1, 2), guitar, synthesizer, sound effect and 3D processing on 3) Peter Frohmader (bass, synthesize on 3) (1) and (2) are demo & studio live tracks released on limited CD-R in 1996. (3) composed and remixed by Hiro Kawahara 2022 Read Expose's 1997 Interview with Heretic:  www.expose.org/index.php/articles/display/osiris-is-dead-long-live-heretic-the-heretic-interview-1997.html return to top HERETIC  YAYOI DREAM OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "New technology brings new opportunities, yet few musicians have the imagination to make the most of it. Hiro Kawahara is, I feel, one of those at the cutting edge exploiting it to the full." – Nigel Harris pre-order on Bandcamp: "Hiro Kawahara and his group Heretic are one of the most neglected and underated of 80's Japanese Progressives. Unlike many of their peers, they were not a cute symphonic rock clone. Their two LP's take as their starting point the prime territory of Euro-Rock: King Crimson, Heldon, Ashra, on which to build their own strangely familair compositions. Heretic are an example of how the Japanese learn from the West and then attempt to adapt, and if possible, improve it. ... At around 35 minutes, 'Yayoi Dream' is his biggest creative leap. A vast, restless sound tapestry of sampled, ethnic and synthetic components, that evoke, as Peter Thelen, of the American prog journal Expose pointed out, 'open doors into the subconscious realm.' Each door takes us to a different musical environment; Gamelan-like dreamscapes; forests of near abstract electronic patters; quirky, sparkling interludes reminiscent of Vangelis on Beaubourg or Invisible Connections, but thanks to excellent percussive and flute samples, and a tight reign on the use automation, manages a to produce a unique Asian perspective to music tech. ... With 'Yayoi Dream', Hiro is breaking free of his progressive rock influences. His term, Infortecture, not only implies building musical structures via info-tech, it also hints at the monolithic size and complexity of these new compositions, while the word 'Yayoi' hints at Japan's remote past before the 10th century where history merges with legend. New technology brings new opportunities, yet few musicians have the imagination to make the most of it. Hiro Kawahara is, I feel, one of those at the cutting edge exploiting it to the full. But despite all this emphasis on technology in music, it is essential to recall as Hiro says, 'that technology is the tool, not the purpose,' and that the 'exploration of new sound is dependent on one's creativity, not technology.'" – Nigel Harris in 1996 CD liner notes. See Hiro Kawahara's notes, track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yayoi-dream  listen to "Excerpts from Yayoi Dream" from Heretic's Yayoi Dream Lineup: Tohru Ohta (syns, bouzouki on 1) Robbin Lloyd (electric percussion on 1) Hiro Kawahara (syns, samplers, electronics, devices, computer programming) Composed and MIDI recorded at Atelier Infortecture between 1990 and 1996. Mix down : August 1996 Heretic - Yayoi Dream (CD:1996) Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022 Bonus Tracks: "For Peter Frohmader" (0:51) WATCH a VIDEO from HERETIC's Yayoi Dream (Audio samples from this and other Heretic albums are available on Cuneiform's Soundcloud site under Tracks: https://soundcloud.com/cuneiformrecords/tracks For more Heretic videos, see:  https://www.youtube.com/@CuneiformRecords/videos return to top   HERETIC  DRUGGING FOR M OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "A post-apocalyptic future using a couple of interactive control MIDI softwares."  – Hiro Kawahara "Overall, I think this music was one of Heretic's final goals for me. ...at that time, the performance of composing in real time/interactively using Macintosh computer was a very interesting experience for me. Furthermore, in the liner notes of the CD at the time [Belle Antique 1997], Nigel Harris wrote, "Their paradoxical fusion of clinical detachment and emotive unbalance makes Drugging For M stand apart from the mediocre, soporific mainstream of generic synth music. Drugging For M is not nihilistic like 'Japanoise', but is more profound. Drugging For M seems to reflect the disquiet of a post-cold-war world fearful of an uncertain future filled with unknown dangers, real and imagined." I would like to modestly add that the total image of this work, including the jacket design, was a premonition of the COVID-19 global pandemic that began several years ago." –Hiro Kawahara, 2023 See Hiro Kawahara's notes for each track, the track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/drugging-for-m   listen to "Excerpts from Drugging For M" from Heretic's Drugging For M Lineup: Kohzi Ishii : Chapman Stick Masahiro Noda : Electric Guitar Robbin Lloyd : Electric Percussion Hiro Kawahara : Electric Guitar, Theremin, Synthesizer, Sampler, Electronics, Effects, Computer Programming Recorded at Atelier Infortecture between December 29, 1996 and January 2nd 1997. Mix down : January 3rd 1997 Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022     Heretic - Drugging For M (Belle Antique:1997, remastered 2022) Includes: 1 Drugging For M 2022 Remaster (34:05) plus bonus track: 2 TD-7 with Robbin Lloyd (elc-per) (1997) (2:25) return to top HIRO KAWAHARA & PETER FROHMADER  1998 OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "Dedicated to the late Peter Frohmader." – Hiro Kawahara   "I liked Peter's first solo work, Musik Aus Dem Schattenreich (1979)' I also liked some of his other works, so if the opportunity arose, I hoped to collaborate with him. In 1997, the Internet was not yet widespread, so my first contact (November 1997) was by letter, and after that we used FAX. When I first contacted him, I also sent him my CDs, and he liked them, so this collaboration was decided. At that time he had just finished his collaboration work with Richard Pinhas, Fossil Culture [Cuneiform Records: 1999]. At that time, he didn't use Apple computers yet, he was making music with Atari computer and ADAT multi-track recorder. As for our collaboration method, I used the basic tracks from his CDRs that he sent to me. I copied each track to an analog 16track tape machine, then over-dubbed my guitar and synthesizer sounds on another track, and mixed down in my studio. .... His feedback about the rough mix of some tracks on the original 1998 version: 'I really like this version - will be a strong CD, I think.' ...I moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1999. After that, I was so overwhelmed with work that my musical activities practically stopped. ...last year (2022) I began to remaster all of my past music, and took time to complete the remastering of all works. Among them was this collaboration with Peter, so when I tried to contact him last year (after 24 years), I was stunned to learn that he died suddenly on May 2, 2022. Of course he didn't get listen to this 2022 remaster version.... Although I never met him in person, I would like to dedicate these works to him in mourning for his death." – Hiro Kawahara 2023 Read Hiro's extensive notes for each track, and view track list & credits at:  https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hiro-kawahara-and-peter-frohmader listen to "Excerpts from 1998" from Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader's 1998 Lineup: Peter Frohmader (bass, synthesizer) Hiro Kawahara (guitar, synthesizer, sound effect and 3D processing) Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader (1998: Remaster 2022) 1) composed and remixed by Hiro Kawahara 2-5) composed by Peter Frohmader 1998 2-5) overdubbed by Hiro Kawahara, 1998 in Kyoto.   WATCH an introductory VIDEO from Hiro Kawahara and Peter Frohmader's 1998 (Longer audio samples from this and other Hiro Kawahara & Heretic albums are available on Cuneiform's Soundcloud site under Tracks: https://soundcloud.com/cuneiformrecords/tracks For more Heretic videos, see:  https://www.youtube.com/@CuneiformRecords/videos return to top HERETIC  REQUIEM OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "Dedicated to my friend Manuel Gottsching, and also to the many affected Japanese people in the big Tsunami on March 11, 2011." – Hiro Kawahara, 2023 pre-order on Bandcamp: "As a basic stance of this remastering work, all tracks emphasize the bass sound. In addition, a reverb effect is also partially added. If you can feel the rumbling of the ground in the first track, 'Spiral', you will understand my basic style of sound creation. With this release, we can travel back in time, allowing us to relive my musical journey all the way back to my first project in 1980, OSIRIS and the live group, Astral Tempel. ... From 7 onwards, I added my pre-Heretic projects (OSIRIS, Astral Tempel). ... If you listen to these recordings, you can understand the transition of my music. The year after this original 'Requiem' CD [2010] was released, the big earthquake in Japan caused a tsunami that killed many people, as well as a nuclear power plant meltdown in Fukushima..... The meaning of the title when it was released was my music memoir, but after that terrible March 11, 2011, the meaning of the title changed....." – Hiro Kawahara 2023   See Kawahara's complete notes and see full track list for Requiem on Bandcamp: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/requiem-extended-version   listen to "Excerpts from Requiem" from Heretic's Requiem Lineup: Hiro Kawahara (Electric-Guitar, Guitar-Synthesizer, Acoustic-Guitar, Synthesizers, Samplers, Violin, Various Percussion, Computer programming, Effect Devices on all tracks) Tohru Ohta (elc-guitar on 5, elec-per on 5, synths on 3) Robbin Lloyd (electric percussion on 3) Takurou Moriyama (cello on 5, 6) with Aki Kawahara (synthesizer on 1) Tomoko Nozaki (organ and synthesizer on 5) Yumiko Inoue (synthesizer on 5) Akiko Yuki (voice on 6, 14, 15, 16) Kojima (drum on 10, 12) Okabe (bass on 11) Maeda (drums on 11) Ohtsuki (bass on 12) GOA (drums on 17) Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022   Read Hiro Kawahara's 2010 Interview with Eurock: www.eurock.com/Display.aspx?Content=HiroKawaharaInterview.aspx   return to top HERETIC  1984-88 OUT AUGUST 25, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS "Kyoto, Japan's answer to Heldon. Dense synth/guitar sonic excursions. This compilation has material from the 1st and 2nd albums + improvisation session, and bonus tracks." – Hiro Kawahara, 2023   Hiro Kawahara's notes on track 9, the 9" "Resource": "(9) Heretic's only studio session held the day after Tokyo live. At that time, I always had the 8-track recorder running and had a lengthy jam session. Ohta, Robert and me, Takeuchi of Anonymous, Chihiro. S (Golden Avant Garde, Lacrymosa) and Takeshi Naganuma (ds of Lacrymosa), [and] Robert's friend, Victor Wells who has played for Akina Nakamori (famous female vocalist). So, just before the end of this Jam recording, Mr. Takesako of Noa (a Bill Bruford style drummer) came and we had a session with him for this recording. I met with him the first time, so just say 'Hello', then started improvisation. Without discussion among parties. Chihiro.S kindly joined to play in the previous day's work as a bassist. He is currently playing as solo musician. Mr. Takesako is the leader of Noa and a former member of Aquapolis. Noa is now back in CD release and live act." Read Hiro's extensive notes for each track, and view track list & credits at: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/1984-1988 listen to "Excerpts from 1984-1988" from Heretic's 1984-1988 Lineup: Tohru Ohta (syn, elec-g, elec-per, noise, sequencer) Takurou Moriyama (cello, syn, ac-perc on 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) Robbin Lloyd (ac-perc, syn-b on 4, 7) Minako Urasawa (voice on 4, 7, 8) Hiro Kawahara (elec-g, elec-vil, guitar-synthesizer, voice, noise, ac-perc, tapes, devices, treatment) with Yozox (elec-g on 7) from Ain Soph Taiqui Tomiie (drums, elec-perc on 4) from Ain Soph Kazuya Takeuchi (ac-g, elec-g on 6) from Anonymous, Nagoya Ikuo Masuyama (vocals on 6) from Anonymous, Nagoya Hiroshi Kanai (elec-g) on (4) from Rose Band Mizue Ikeuchi (voice on 5) from Duppi Jun Moriyama (ac-p on 8) Chihiro S. (b on (9) Ichirou Takesako (drums on 9) Compilation 1984 to 1988 11 tracks, including different remaster versions of various tracks from Interface, Escape Sequence, & Requiem; the 9" previously unreleased "Resource", and two bonus tracks.  Remastered by Hiro Kawahara, 2022 return to top scroll below for CUNEIFORM RELEASES THAT ARE OUT NOW!!!!!!!!!! RELEASED JUNE & JULY, 2023 OUT NOW!   A LIGHT SLEEPER EQUAVERPOISE   Bio information: A LIGHT SLEEPER Title: : EQUAEVERPOISE  (Cuneiform Rune 3366) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: JULY 28, 2023 FILE UNDER: CHAMBER ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE /  POST ROCK   “Over the years our sound has evolved from loop-based improvisations and dreamy, layered soundscapes to more tightly constructed and focused compositions. And now we’re trying to find a balance between the two approaches... the goal being...music that the listener can enjoy on a casual level...but it also reveals... layers of complexity through more focused, active listening."   Chicago’s A Light Sleeper initially emerged in the summer of 2005 as a duo consisting of Matthew Jung (drums, keyboard) and Dheeru Pennepalli (guitar, vocals). Having come up in the DIY post-punk/hardcore/noise scene, they were both eager to do something drastically different — a quieter band, exploring minimalism and improvisation built around Pennepalli’s experiments live-looping his atypically tuned guitar and voice.   The duo prepared a 20-minute set, and made their decidedly inauspicious debut at The Mutiny, a now defunct dive bar known for showcasing hard rock and metal bands (as well as for being home to the largest urinal in Chicago). Many of those in attendance didn’t realize the band was actually performing and assumed Pennepalli was still sound checking or troubleshooting a faulty amp. Despite such early hiccups, the band soon began gigging regularly in the city, with notable early performances opening for Jeff Parker’s Cushicle Trio, Azita, and Geoff Farina.   In 2007, Pennepalli met Maria Elena Hernandez (alto/tenor sax, voice) and invited her to sit in on a rehearsal. A recent transplant from Indiana, Hernandez had studied music education and the classical saxophone repertoire at Indiana University South Bend. Having little formal training themselves, Jung and Pennepalli were quite impressed with her smooth and polished sound. Hernandez agreed to join the band, and as she composed sax parts for the duo’s existing songs, she began influencing the writing process overall — giving more structure and form to the compositions while still leaving plenty of space for improvisation. The new trio released their first EP Amicability on Another New Calligraphy, an independent art/music/literature imprint, in 2009.   From 2010 to 2011, multi-instrumentalist Chandler Evans (bass, guitar, percussion) joined the trio during his brief time living in Chicago. Though his tenure was short, Evans had become an integral part of the band, contributing to their followup EP Brevity (recorded in early 2011 but not released until the following year), as well as the band’s original score for Life as Lincoln, a feature-length documentary about an annual convention for Abraham Lincoln impersonators.   Following Evans’ departure, the band recruited David Keller (cello) after Pennepalli saw him performing with a jazz-pop group. A busy working musician juggling several projects, it took some convincing for him to finally attend a rehearsal. But within minutes, Keller was hooked. He immediately invited close friend and frequent collaborator Traci Huff (viola), an idiosyncratic player known in Chicago’s classical and new music communities for her unique phrasing and use of extended techniques.   With Keller and Huff on board, 2011 would prove to be a momentous year for the band. They began functioning more like a true composers collective, with Keller and Huff favoring a more structured approach to songwriting. For the first time, the band was charting out sections on a whiteboard and notating music. This more rigorous process quickly yielded the band’s first EP as a quintet, Concision, their final release for Another New Calligraphy. listen to the track "Chrysanthemums" on Soundcloud: On another note, 2011 also marked the beginning of Hernandez and Pennepalli’s romantic involvement — much to their bandmates’ relief, who by then had endured months of sitcom-ish ‘will they/won’t they’ melodrama from the two. “Jung sat us down and made us both promise we wouldn’t let it impact the band, and that if things went bad we’d handle it like adults,” recalls Hernandez. Fortunately, things didn’t go bad, and the couple were married in 2018. Finally hitting their stride as an ensemble, the band began writing their most ambitious album to date, Distinction (a Ballet in Six Parts). “That was our attempt at creating something in the tradition of the classic prog-rock concept album,” Pennepalli recalls. “Dheeru and I had become obsessed with this Pina Bausch documentary, which inspired a lot of discussion between us about the creative process and how an artist is forced to confront their ego and insecurities. So, the lyrics and music were written to convey cyclical and interweaving emotions experienced during a creative process,” adds Hernandez.  Shortly after recording the album, the band embarked on a short tour in the fall of 2016 with dates in New York, Washington D.C. and Boston. Shortly after returning, Keller informed the band he’d be stepping down. Soon to become a father, Keller made the difficult decision to scale back his creative pursuits to focus on teaching. The band would eventually self-release Distinction in 2019. Keller’s departure left the remaining four members in a bit of a predicament. Attempts to rearrange the songs on Distinction for quartet were unsatisfactory, as were attempts to find a suitable fifth member. They soon decided to start fresh, and took the next couple of years off from performing to focus on writing an entirely new set of songs as a quartet. In November 2018 they debuted the new material to an enthralled audience at an art gallery in Chicago. The new songs were leaner, tighter, and had a more buoyant energy — almost as if it were an entirely new band. Looking back, Pennepalli marvels at the band’s growth from that scrappy little duo opening a metal show at a dive bar. “Over the years our sound has evolved from loop-based improvisations and dreamy, layered soundscapes to more tightly constructed and focused compositions. And now we’re trying to find a balance between the two approaches,” Pennepalli says of the band’s music. He continues, “what we’re trying to do is write just a bit beyond our technical capabilities — the goal being to challenge ourselves with difficult music, but presenting it in a way that’s accessible and flexible. By ‘flexible’, I mean music that the listener can enjoy on a casual level — like background music at a social gathering, or passively listening on headphones while working — but it also reveals subtleties and layers of complexity through more focused, active listening. So in other words, music that’s both easy and difficult at the same time.” listen/buy on Bandcamp: CREDITS: Maria Elena Hernandez - alto and tenor saxophones Traci Huff - viola Matthew Jung - drums, keyboard Dheeru Pennepalli - guitar “…an exhilarating tension and momentum through the interplay of jazz-like theses and curving post-rock ramparts.” — chirpradio.org “...strangely melodic, though not in any traditional sense.” — progarchives.com “…not quite rock, not quite jazz, not quite worth labeling, but most certainly worth hearing.” — smilepolitely.com return to top OUT NOW! MILLER TWINS EARLY COMPOSITIONS 1973-1976 Bio information: MILLER TWINS Title: : EARLY COMPOSITIONS (Cuneiform Rune 3368) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: JULY 28, 2023 FILE UNDER: CHAMBER ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE /  POST CLASSICAL   New recordings of previously unrecorded and unheard early compositions by Michigan twins Ben and Laurence Miller,   the multi-instrumentalists and composers of Fourth World Quartet and Destroy All Monsters. The Miller Twins recall their early musical travels: British Invasion and Psychedelic Rock unwound itself in a tizzy as The Beatles began to break up. Hendrix and others died and Syd Barrett evaporated quickly. Local inspirations MC-5, SRC, and other promising bands were also coming to an end. Rock as ‘new music’ became progressive at best, leaving little left but Classic Rock to soon melt into the coming dread of Disco. The tail end of Don Van Vliet was still percolating, but most of our attention now turned towards Bitches Brew, Out to Lunch, Escalator Over the Hill, Erik Satie, Charles Ives, Waiting For Godot, Henry Cow, Sun Ra, Ayler, Ornette, and various expressions of aleatory music. MARSH CRABBITTS and his CLAPFORD PLATUNE was a horn-based band Laurence Miller formed in late summer 1972 with a focus on clarinets and saxophones. Its cock-eyed marching band sensibilities took hold rapidly. Homemade compositions were drawn up with hallucinogenic free-form notation applied. The Miller twins - Laurence and Ben - were 18 at the time with no training as to how one should go about composing. Although some band members were schooled in music, none were particularly proficient on their instruments. They were known to exclude ‘learned’ musicians, choosing to play with best friends instead. They may not have had the ‘chops’ but were clearly willing to openly explore. Good friend David Swain had formed his own free form jazz collective ‘The Cruzonics’ earlier that year which amazingly managed to make the 2nd round at Saline Battle of the Bands. Though David’s entourage and The Clapfold did intermingle from time to time, The Cruzonics as a separate entity was loose and always had a rhythm section, where as The Clapfold Platune focused solely on original compositions written out on staff paper with pockets of ‘illustrated’ free-form areas. The Clapfold Platune managed a few gigs at Earthworks Pioneer II Free School and a couple random outdoor performances on Ann Arbor’s Diag. They were also part of a pack that lead Ann Arbor’s 1st Ozone Parade with David Swain with their photograph making the front page on The Michigan Daily. Best of all was a triple bill show at Ann Arbor’s The People’s Ballroom (along with The Cruzonics) and finally Ann Arbor Community Television’s first ever video production ever, converging with The Cruzonics renamed for the occasion as The Psychic Research Jazz Ensemble - ESP through Drugs – in August of 1973. Laurence & Ben then moved to Boston (with David Swain) where the two attended The School of Contemporary Music in the fall of 1973. They continued composing, rehearsing with open-eared musical friends they met, soon discovering the school experience was not what they had hoped it would be. Contemporary? Nope. ~ ~ ~ THE CRUZONIC MUSIC ENSEMBLE slowly formed and in February 1974 performed at Berklee College of Music. Disbanding shortly thereafter, Laurence and Ben formed THE NOVA MOB with Donnie Davis and Johnny Ellis – yet another group named after one of William S. Burroughs’ novels.   As Donnie Davis recalls:  "I was a student at the Berklee College of Music 1972-74. While learning a lot there I found myself gravitating towards some extracurricular, off-campus musical activities which led me to find the Miller brothers. (perhaps at the encouragement of David Swain?) This homegrown music hit the sweet spot for me. I loved Laurence’s and Ben’s unique writing / playing style within their naturally derived musical system. We spent many hours working on these wonderful melodies and outlines, hence “The NOVA MOB”. Also, we listened to many recordings of past and forward sounding jazz styles along with modern classical/electronic music. This inspired me to later move to Woodstock NY to study at the Creative Music Studio and then NYC to keep discovering new sounds and eventually be a part of the Microscopic Septet playing alto sax. Happy to be included here on a couple tunes that we covered back then and now NOW. Note: Michael Hashim has been with the Microscopic Septet for many years, and was in fact involved jamming with us some back then!” – Donnie Davis – 2023   THE NOVA MOB’s drummer – the late Johnny Ellis – later performed, recorded, and arranged for THE WIDESPREAD DEPRESSION ORCHESTRA. He also formed his own band, the NYC-based sextet PLANET JAZZ, which released In Orbit. Tower Records praised Ellis' writing in a CD review, noting that "Ellis' tunes, while reflective of his dark humor, combine true originality with plenty of swing and provide a rich harmonic underpinning for the band's tremendous soloists to stretch out...”     THE NOVA MOB did manage one bar gig. The group walked down to the bar wearing funny clothes all set to perform. The club owner took one look at us and shook his head. We were not allowed to play. Such were the times.   We did manage to record a fair amount of casual sessions over the summer, which may find the light of day, someday. Note: Some of the compositions in this Cuneiform collection were composed at that time. listen to the track "Looking Down at the Ground at This and That" on Soundcloud: Moving back to Michigan in fall 1974, we attended Thomas Jefferson College; a part of the Grand Valley State Colleges in the Grand Rapids area. There we formed the short-lived FOURTH WORLD QUARTET with brother Roger Miller in 1975. Compositions began to take on a more sophisticated tone. Roger soon left and was replaced by composition teacher Denman Maroney.   As Denman Maroney recalls: “Fresh from getting an MFA at Cal. Inst. of the Arts, I spent the academic year 1974-75 teaching at Thomas Jefferson College in Allendale MI. Among my students were Roger, Ben, and Laurence Miller. We made a lot of music together, especially after Roger quit the Fourth World Quartet, and I took his place. We even went to New York together for a week to see the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez celebrate Charles Ives' hundredth birthday. Cushion concerts, they were called, because the first twenty or so rows of seats had been replaced with cushions in an effort to attract young people to classical music concerts. I haven't seen Laurence since then, but have worked with Ben several times in New York, most notably on our duo album Exophilia – available on both our Bandcamp sites.” – Denman Maroney – 2023   CD collections from both incarnations of THE FOURTH WORLD QUARTET were released nearly five decades later on Cuneiform Records in 2021/22 respectively, meeting rave reviews. ~ ~ ~   Laurence continued school on his own in the fall of 1975 with hopes of forming yet another creative music band but nothing substantial came of it. By early 1976 Laurence threw in the towel and moved back home to Ann Arbor. There he hooked up with his two brothers again, this time on a creative journey with musical friends forming the dada-noise-rock of EMPOOL. This mad concoction dissolved spring 1977 into Cary & Niagara’s DESTROY ALL MONSTERS and the rest is history.     Always pushing the envelope, the music of our youth veered far from the mainstream. The last echoing cries of the '60's Revolution had long since died, and what little counter culture was left had now became nothing short of a disturbing fashion. The Bee Gees soon took center stage, now as the Kings of Disco, and even Hillbillies were smoking pot and dropping acid.     We Miller brothers wrote, recorded, and performed original music, regardless of what the future may hold. No one put a gun to our head nor were these class projects or commissioned works. The priority was to document and catalog on analogue tape, with fingers always hovering just above the record button begging to be pushed. “Is it on....?" was our catch phrase of the 70's.     Many of these compositions were written out and can still be performed today. Others are comprised simply of ‘heads’, short bits of angular melody with areas of improvisation illustrated only with hallucinogenic pictographs to help the player along in their interpretation.   This year Laurence and Ben have both formed new groups. THE 11th HOUR QUARTET and SENSORIUM SAXOPHONE ORCHESTRA with Ben at the helm for both, and Laurence’s TINN PARROW and his CLAPFOLD PLATUNE sporting many of his compositions on this collection.  listen / buy at Bandcamp: CREDITS: Ben Miller: alto saxophone, C-tenor saxophone, archtop guitar, bass, voice, maracas Laurence Miller: Bb clarinet, drums Mike List: tablas 1 thru 12 composed by Ben Miller 13 thru 30 composed by Laurence Miller ______________________________________________ Recorded at Midvale Musique, Ypsilanti, Michigan, December 2022 thru April 2023. return to top OUT NOW!   PICCHIO DAL POZZO IN CAMPORELLA Bio information: PICCHIO DAL POZZO Title: : IN CAMPORELLA (Cuneiform Rune 3365) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: JULY 28, 2023 FILE UNDER: IMPROVISATIONAL ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE /  POST JAZZ   Live improvised recordings from Italian progressive rock legends, Picchio dal Pozzo.  listen to “Pugni Chiusi" from In Camporella on Soundcloud: Picchio dal Pozzo's Paolo Griguolo relays the origins of this release, In Camporella: "A few months before the COVID-19 2020 lockdown I received a CD labelled ‘Valdapozzo 05/30/2004’, from an unknown sender. Thinking it over, it came to me..., yes! On that day we had performed a unique gig at Valdapozzo, the location where we had recorded the [studio] CD ‘Pic_nic@Valdapozzo’ just two years before. My first impression had been that of a great performance, though, actually, it sounded like a total mess. The rules of engagement for this gig were total improvisation based on the audio samples of Demetrio Stratos’ voice and some sequences of the album. For musicians, and not only for them, two years of lockdown meant the smoke of hundreds of cigarettes blown inside empty pockets. So, instead of playing Tetris, I resolved to edit the sound of the stereo tracks by fragmenting them into frequency bands, and remixing the whole lot to a new sound. This is the result, perhaps not a masterpiece, but passionately reworked." – Paolo Griguolo, 2023 listen / buy on Bandcamp: CREDITS: Aldo de Scalzi: keyboards - sampler - programming Aldo di Marco: drums - sampler - ‘tools’ Paolo Griguolo: guitars - synthguitar Claudio Lugo: curved soprano sax - sampler recorded live on May 30, 2004 at Valdapozzo, Italy. return to top OUT NOW! RASCAL REPORTERS THE STRAINGE CASE OF STEVE Bio information: RASCAL REPORTERS Title: : THE STRAINGE CASE OF STEVE (Cuneiform Rune 3367) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: JULY 28, 2023 FILE UNDER: AVANT PROGRESSIVE /  POST ROCK   The StraInge Case of Steve is the eighth recording - and first Cuneiform Records release - from the avant-garde progressive rock group Rascal Reporters. The album's title is a play on the names of the two musicians now behind the Rascal Reporters: Steve Kretzmer and James Strain  listen to the track “I Cry Crimes” on Soundcloud: The Strainge Case of Steve is the latest offering from the avant-garde progressive rock duo Rascal Reporters, currently comprised of Steve Kretzmer and James Strain. The album features 16 tracks of eclectic, inventive and adventurous music that showcases the Reporters’ compositional dexterity and idiosyncratic creativity. The album heralds a new chapter of the Rascal Reporters' long and prolific career, which spans over four decades and (now) eight studio albums. The band was founded in 1974 by high-school friends Steve Gore and Steve Kretzmer in Oak Park, Michigan. Inspired by progressive rock giants like Frank Zappa, Gentle Giant, Henry Cow and King Crimson - along with the then-burgeoning Rock-In-Opposition & Canterbury scenes in prog - they recorded hundreds of songs in their basement studio throughout the 70s and 80s using an array of instruments, tape recorders and synthesizers. The Rascal Reporters developed a unique style that combined complex compositions, quirky melodies, odd time signatures, humorous lyrics and experimental sounds. They gained a cult following among deep-diving crate-digging progressive rock fans around the world for their originality and eccentricity. The Strainge Case of Steve is their eighth studio album and heralds the full return of group founder Steve Kretzmer who had taken a step back from composition after 1995’s Purple Entrapment. It is also their first to feature James Strain as a full-time member. Strain joined the band in 2019 and completed the group’s first new release in some years: Redux Vol. 1, followed by Vol. 2 in 2021, a semi-archival series which featured up-cycled versions of lost compositions with new arrangements and overdubs from Strain. The album was well-received by critics and fans alike for its fresh spin on the classic Reporters DNA. Strain shares writing, performing and production duties with Kretzmer on this new album. The album was recorded between 2017 and 2023 at Kretzmer & Strain's home studios in Michigan, USA & Carlow, Ireland respectively. It features guest appearances from returning favourites and members of classic avant prog groups such as long time collaborator Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, Manna/Mirage) and Guy Segers (Univers Zero), along with members of some of today’s most exciting new groups such as Jessica Martin Maresco (Pili Coit, Le Grand Sbam) and Dario D'Allessando (Homunculus Res).  listen / buy on Bandcamp: CREDITS: Steve Kretzmer: organ Guy Segers: bass Dave Newhouse: horns, woodwinds Dario D’Allessandro: guitars, synths Kimara Sajn: additional bass James Strain: drums return to top  OUT NOW !!! LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION DAMAGED GOODS Bio information: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION Title: : DAMAGED GOODS (Cuneiform Rune 518) Format: CD / DIGITAL Release Date: June 30, 2023 Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS FILE UNDER: JAZZ Listening to Location Location Location’s debut, “Damaged Goods”, it would be so easy to get the wrong impression of where Anthony Pirog, Michael Formanek and Mike Pride's session was born ... listen/share on Soundcloud: "Verdigris" from LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION'S DAMAGED GOODS But that’s not how it went down at all.   Recorded during the darkest days of Covid-19, Damaged Goods is actually the ultimate pandemic project. Not only were guitarist Anthony Pirog, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Mike Pride safely socially distant during the recording project, two of them have not yet met in the flesh.    Nonetheless, Location, Location, Location is a band.  Read more:  https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/damaged-goods listen / buy DAMAGED GOODS on Bandcamp CREDITS: ANTHONY PIROG: guitar, guitar synth, synthesizers MICHAEL FORMANEK: bass and electric bass MIKE PRIDE: drums, marimba, dub Michael Formanek recorded at Outlier Sound, West Orange, NJ by Michael Formanek. Mike Pride recorded at Farming Studios, Chester, NY by Mike Pride. Anthony Pirog recorded at Anthony's Room Studio, Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Silver Spring, MD by Anthony Pirog. return to top ! SNEAK PEEKS ! COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS: I.P.A. – GRIMSTA (Scandinavian jazz quintet release a 3rd album for Cuneiform)  [NORWAY] return to top SNEAK PEEKS OF DISTANT TREASURES   COMING OUT IN LATE 2023 AND 2024 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS (Listed in alphabetical order. Sound samples to come out in future newsletters)   ~~~~~ AHLEUCHATISTAS – LIVE 2006  (live recordings by fiery Southern avant-rock/ post-punk guitar/drums/bass trio) [USA] ~~~~~ CURLEW  (three digital releases of previously unreleased live recordings by Downtown-NY-Sound legends) [USA] ~~~~~ FRENCH TV – FTV: 15 - A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS (new studio release by Mike Sary's longstanding fusion/avant-progressive band from Louisville, KY) [USA] ~~~~~ GHOST RHYTHMS – MISSING TIMES  (new studio album by young French avant progressive ensemble [FRANCE] ~~~~~ JANEL & ANTHONY – EVIL AGE  (new studio album by reknowned DC/Silver Spring-based cello/guitar/electronics beyond-genre duo, Janel Leppin & Anthony Pirog) [USA] ~~~~~ PRESENT – THIS IS NOT THE END  (studio recordings made by Present, composer Roger Trigaux's longstanding band, of music the legendary chamber rock/ avant progressive composer was making for Cuneiform at the time of his 2021 death  [BELGIUM]   ~~~~~~  RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL – GALACTIC FURNACE  (new double album by longstanding prolific UK electronic trio) [UK] ~~~~~ TOMEKA REID QUARTET  (new studio album by composer/cellist Reid's jazz all-star quartet with guitarist Mary Halvorson/ drummer Tomas Fujiwara/ bassist Jason Roebke) [USA]   return to top CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR 2023 CALENDAR IMPORTANT COVID REMINDER: In an evolving (and now endemic) COVID-19 world, these dates are ALL tentative. Please check with venues, close to the concert date, to confirm. We're ecstatic that live concerts are happening worldwide, but we remain aware that emergent variants - as well as severe weather - can unexpectedly affect schedules. See also the Tours Page at Cuneiform Records.   A LIGHT SLEEPER “…not quite rock, not quite jazz, not quite worth labeling, but most certainly worth hearing.” — smilepolitely.com _______________________________ August 15 - ChiCityLive Que4 Radio - This is a live-streamed concert that will start at 9:00 pm CST and you can watch it on YouTube here! August 28 - The Brass Rail - 1121 Broadway - Fort Wayne, IN August 29 - The Lodge - 231 6th Avenue - Dayton, KY August 30 - The Government Center - 715 East Street - Pittsburgh, PA August 31 - The Crown - 1910 North Charles St - Baltimore, MD September 1 - Gallery 5 - 200 W Marshall St - Richmond, VA September 3 - ProgDay - Chapel Hill, NC   Listen to & Buy:  Equaiverpoise      BLUE CRANES "The first time I saw Portland's Blue Cranes live, I walked away trying to compare what I'd seen to anything I'd encountered before. I couldn't do it, and I still can't - the band is a force of nature.... Call it "creative music" or "post-jazz" or whatever you like, but the Blue Cranes sound is steeped in the ideas and concepts of jazz....a beautifully improvised sonic experience." - NPR/A Blog Supreme August 17 - Mississippi Studios - 3939 North Mississippi Avenue - Portland, OR     Listen to & buy: Swim CHEER–ACCIDENT "...one of the most impressive concerts I saw was the Dragon Drop/Cheer Accident/Free Salamander Exhibit show in Indianapolis. ...Cheer Accident blew me away... The music was innovative and powerful and brave and everything I’d hoped it would be."- Proglodytes "Cheer-Accident are the quintessential Chicago post-rock band... They've been exploring head-scratching, creatively fucked-up time signatures and sideways guitar shenanigans for 20 years now, leaving a pronounced influence on the Windy City's art-rock scene. Their playful musical approach is a ripe aesthetic of absurdist humor." – Pitchfork _______________________________ March 13 - tba - Chicago, IL [opening for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum]   Listen to & buy  Chicago XX, Putting Off Death,          No Ifs, Ands or Dogs, Fear Draws Misfortune      "Tons of weird rock records have streamed out of Chicago over the past two decades, but none have blended pop smarts and avant-garde impulses as skillfully as this marvelous brainteaser..." – Time Out New York THE FOURTH WORLD QUARTET "The resulting...sessions, collected here for the first time, reveal how the amalgam of volatile styles the brothers ingested during their varous sonic encounters fused together and caught fire...Although The Fourth World Quartet was a short-lived project, this remarkable discovery reveals a group who were knocking over some serious creative barriers." – Edwin Pouncey / Jazzwise  _______________________________ THE FOURTH WORLD QUARTET'S FIRST SHOWS IN NEARLY 50 YEARS!!!!!!!!! September 29 - Zal Gaz Grotto No. 34 - 2070 W Stadium Blvd - Ann Arbor, MI 48103 September 30 - Trisophenes - 1464 Gratiot Ave - Detroit, MI   Listen to & buy:  1975  //  GRAND BLAND VAPID RAPIDS          GHOST RHYTHMS "The music here walks a wide loop around Soft Machine and Magma, Univers Zero and Henry Cow, Miles Davis and Miriodor, Van Der Graaf Generator and Art Zoyd. It's impeccably assembled and played, while freely indulging the more insane aspects of progressive rock, avant-garde chamber music, and electric jazz....Despite the musical sophistication and adventure on Live at Yoshiwara, this music is extremely accessible to a wide swathe of listeners. Its release signals the magnificent arrival of Ghost Rhythms on American shores. Get it now." – AllMusic _______________________________ September 7 - La Dame de Canton - Porte de la Gare - Paris, France   Listen to & buy:  Spectral Music  //  Live at Yoshiwara      JANEL LEPPIN A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, Janel Leppin is one of DC's leading avant-music stars. Besides performing as half of the experimental duo Janel and Anthony, which she co-leads with her husband guitarist Anthony Pirog, she leads the seven-piece chamber-jazz Ensemble Volcanic Ash, as well as performing and recording with other jazz, rock, and experimental  groups.  "An Absolute Virtuoso - 4 Stars" - Downbeat Magazine "Leppin is a rarity..ahhh-vant garde at its finest." - Capital Bop August 11 - Rhizome DC - 6950 Maple St. NW - Washington, DC   Listen to & buy: Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash Janel & Anthony, Where Is Home   HENRY KAISER Grammy winner Henry Kaiser is widely recognized as one of the most creative and innovative guitarists, improvisers, and producers in the fields of rock, jazz, world, and contemporary experimental musics. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– THE HENRY KAISER MONTHLY SOLO SERIES, presented exclusively on the CUNEIFORM RECORDS YouTube Channel  When Covid pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, Henry Kaiser began curating & presenting a weekly series of pre-recorded music videos exclusively on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel for music lovers isolating at home. These "live" concerts are taped beforehand and not streamed - Henry discusses the process in a Guitar Moderne interview, "The New "Live"".  Many videos in the series depict duets and larger bands, despite the program being called the "Henry Kaiser Weekly Solo Series".  While many depict new or recent performances, other videos in this series are vintage footage of performances not available elsewhere (The Valentines' 1994 concert in the Fukuoka Dome). Over time, the series converted to monthly and currently, a quarterly release schedule.  All 52 videos from the Henry Kaiser's Weekly Series, the entire two year Monthly Series and all current quarterly videos are archived & available on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel.  We invite you to visit and follow Cuneiform Record's YouTube Channel to see the videos that Henry regularly presents. A must see: the SUMMER 2023 video is HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY #2, featuring Henry's awesome guitar work along with performances with friends. In addition to his video series, Kaiser occasionally presents special videos:  some focusing on current events and guitar legends, and some providing free guitar lessons, focusing on tunes associated with legendary guitarists. His September 2022 guitar lesson video, focusing on the whole tone scale and Sonny Sharrock, is titled The Whole Tone Scale! Sonny Sharrock’s DICK DOGS lesson with Henry Kaiser. Besides his work as a musician, Kaiser is also a scientific diver and underwater videographer in the U.S. Antarctic program. Several of his Solo Series videos on the Cuneiform channel feature Henry's stunning underwater videography in addition to his guitar playing, as in this stunning video from May 2020:  HENRY KAISER : Cuneiform Weekly Solo #2 : Under The Ice Again . Because all videos are archived on the Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel, you can watch anything in the series at any time.   Listen to & buy: Albums by Henry Kaiser & Friends  on Cuneiform A Love Supreme Electric [Vinny Golia / John Hanrahan / Henry Kaiser / Wayne Peet / Mike Watt]: A Love Supreme Electric: A Love Supreme and Meditations  Yo Miles!: Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith: Sky Garden & Upriver     Five Times Surprise [Henry Kaiser / Anthony Pirog / Tracy Silverman / Jeff Sipe / Andy West]:  Five Times Surprise Henry Kaiser & Ray Russell:  The Celestial Squid Henry Kaiser: Lemon Fish Tweezer; Fred Frith & Henry Kaiser: Friends & Enemies     Healing Force [Vinny Golia • Aurora Josephson • Henry Kaiser • Mike Keneally • Joe Morris • Damon Smith • Weasel Walter]: Healing Force:  The Songs of Albert Ayler                       V.A.: 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists ROGER CLARK MILLER Roger Clark Miller is a guitarist, pianist, bassist, composer, singer, percussionist and occasional cornet player. His career officially began in 1979 when he co-founded the influential post-punk band Mission of Burma on guitar and vocals. He formed Birdsongs of the Mesozoic on piano in 1981, and from 1983-1989 he began his Maximum Electric Piano work. Miller joined the Alloy Orchestra in 1998 - "the best [orchestra] in the world at accompanying silent film" says Roger Ebert – which continues today as The Anvil Orchestra. He recently released new solo looping-based music on Cuneiform - Dream Interpretations for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble.. Boston Globe: "Less a recital than a musical minefield... Miller is a man in constant motion, a one-man symphony."   Roger C. Miller solo: August 19 - Solo Silent Film Accompaniment to “The Signal Tower”-  Knoxville, TN. August 20- a solo “Unplugged” show associated with the Aug.19 event - Knoxville, TN ~ ~ ~ Roger C. Miller featured with The Anvil Orchestra: August 22 - [featured with THE ANVIL ORCHESTRA] -  Somerville Theater - Somerville, MA September 6 - [featured with THE ANVIL ORCHESTRA]  - Coolidge Corner Theater - Brookline, MA Listen to & buy: Roger Clark Miller, Eight Dream Interpretations for Electric Guitar Ensemble      Birdsongs of the Mesozoic Dawn of the Cycads, The Fossil Record       The Fourth World Quartet, 1975 THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND "Twenty-first century big-band music doesn’t get more exciting and impressive than this." – Jazz Times An astounding 18 piece jazz ensemble of five woodwind players, four trumpeters, three trombonists, two keyboardists, guitar, violin, bass and drums, led by arranger, composer & saxophonist Ed Palermo, one of America's most singular arrangers who draws on jazz, pop and rock tunes for his top-notch band. There are a number of ensembles performing the music of Frank Zappa, one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century, but no one does it with the ease, skill and originality that Ed and his band do! –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Don't miss seeing the ED PALERMO BIG BAND live!  Their shows often sell out, so buy your tickets in advance. ~~~~ August 26 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 October 28 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 December 23 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542   Listen to & buy Ed Palermo Big Band albums on Cuneiform: The Adventures of Zoyd Zundgren // The Great Un-American Songbook Vols. 1&2  // One Child Left Behind // Oh No! Not Jazz!!  // Eddy Loves Frank. //  Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance                   RICHARD PINHAS One of France's major experimental musicians and a key figure in the development of electronic rock via his group Heldon and solo projects, guitarist and electronic musician Richard Pinhas tours Mexico in Fall 2023. Check back for venue updates. __________________________ September 30 - FestivAlterNativo 2023 - Corral de Comedias - Venustiano Carranza 39 - Centro Historico, Mexico October 5 - Casa del Lago - Bosque de Chapultepec, Ciudad de Mexico - Mexico City, Mexico Listen to & buy releases by Richard Pinhas & friends on Cuneiform: Richard Pinhas: Process and Reality, Desolation Row, Metatron, Metal/Crystal, Tranzition, Event & Repetitions                      Richard Pinhas & Barry Cleveland: Mu  Richard Pinhas & Oren Ambarchi: Tikkun    Richard Pinhas & Merzbow:  Keio Line, Rhizome, Paris 2008            Richard Pinhas & Yoshida Tatsuya: Welcome in the Void    Schizotrope (Richard Pinhas & Maurice Dantec): The Life & Death of Marie Zorn   ANTHONY PIROG "[Palo Colorado Dream] covers a sprawling musical terrain–avant jazz, atmospheric soundscapes, earthy Americana, math-rock...with an arsenal of effects hardware and studio production techniques..." – JazzTimes "One of jazz’s most reliable conduits to a living, breathing audience is electric-guitar heroism, and Anthony Pirog, from Washington...seems poised to become a hero of the instrument." – The New York Times ________________________________ Anthony Pirog [featured with THE MESSTHETICS]: September 8 - Black Cat - 1811 14th St, NW - Washington, DC   Listen to & buy: Anthony Pirog: Pocket Poem; Palo Colorado Dream .       Janel & Anthony, Where Is Home      in other groupings: Five Times Surprise The Spellcasters, Music from the Anacostia Delta   Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL UK electronic ensemble Radio Massacre International bring "Berlin School electronics" into the 21st  century and onto the live stage. The longstanding improvisational synth & electronics trio has released dozens of recordings - including 3 on Cuneiform – and mesmerized festival audiences worldwide.   October 21 - Awakenings Festival - Lea Hall Pavillion - Sandy Lane, Rugely, Staffs - WS15 2LB, UK   Listen to & buy: Time & Motion, Rain Falls in Grey, Emissaries         TOMEKA REID QUARTET 2022 MacArthur Award winning cellist Tomeka Reid's all-star Quartet  (Jason Roebke-bass,Tomas Fujiwara-drums, 2019 MacArthur Award recipient Mary Halvorson-guitar, Reid-cello) plays new material while also celebrating Old New, its second release and first on Cuneiform Records. Both accessible and adventurous, Old New became a critically acclaimed 2019 jazz favorite, reviewed in numerous publications and featured on Best of Year lists worldwide! August 19 - The Stone - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY   Listen to & buy: Old New To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact: promo@cuneiformrecords.com return to top   IT'S SUMMER TIME! WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT MUSIC & VIDEOS ONLINE !   CUNEIFORM RECORDS has a treasure chest of interesting music to serve as soundtrack, inspiration and solace during these evolving and challenging times. Our mammoth catalogue of over 500 releases by artists from around the world includes many of avant music's most esteemed icons as well as young rising stars, and is available for purchase in digital and physical formats at the CUNEIFORM RECORDS BANDCAMP store, and in physical formats at one of our sister companies, WAYSIDE MUSIC as well as in RECORD SHOPS worldwide (see our DISTRIBUTORS).  Your purchases of our CDs, LPs, and digital downloads supports or indie musicians, indie labels, and small businesses.    • VISIT the official CUNEIFORM RECORDS WEBSITE  for extensive information on the artists and recordings on our label,  upcoming concerts & much more.   • WATCH VIDEOS on Cuneiform Records' YOUTUBE CHANNEL Cuneiform Records has an extremely active YouTube Channel which you should bookmark as a favorite:  free music videos, videos of live shows, & samples from 500+ adventurous releases!   And we began expanding our video content during the pandemic, most notably with an ongoing video series curated  and produced by guitarist Henry Kaiser.  • PURCHASE & LISTEN to releases on CUNEIFORM RECORDS BANDCAMP PAGE  Discover new music on our Bandcamp Page, and support artists & our indie label by purchasing music.   • PURCHASE music from100s of LABELS from around the world at  WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store.  At our internet store, WaysideMusic.com (established in 1980!), you can purchase hard-to-find CDs and LPs from ALL your favorite labels!  • ENJOY and SHARE SAMPLES of music by releases of countless Cuneiform artists on the Cuneiform Records' SoundCloud Site. • VISIT, LIKE & FOLLOW  Cuneiform Records' Official FACEBOOK PAGE.  • JOIN the Cuneiform Records FACEBOOK GROUP:  FANS Of Cuneiform Records.  • FOLLOW @CuneiformRecord onTWITTER • LICENSE music from Cuneiform for movies, ads etc via our sister site TheMusicOutpost.com. • SIGN UP for the CUNEIFORM RECORDS NEWSLETTER if you're not already one of our subscribers, and  get BOTH this monthly newsletter in your email box AND receive notices for Cuneiform's weekly "$5 Friday" offers – Cuneiform selects a special album from its archive each weekend,  to be sold in download format via Bandcamp, that weekend only,  for half price. • VISIT our TOURS PAGE for upcoming concerts WORLDWIDE by our artists.   • ACCESS PRIOR ISSUES of the CUNEIFORM RECORDS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER at cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/     Cuneiform Records' Monthly Newsletter announces and gives in-depth info on ALL of the label's NEW RELEASES - both physical and digital formats - and also provides TOUR / CONCERT info from its artists.   return to top CUNEIFORM RECORDS SOCIAL ONLINE Cuneiform YouTube Cuneiform Website Facebook FanGroup Facebook Page Cuneiform Twitter Cuneiform SoundCloud Cuneiform Bandcamp Instagram Email Cuneiform return to top Cuneiform Records' Monthly Newsletter is compiled by Joyce [Nalewajk] Feigenbaum, DIRECTOR OF THE MUSIC OUTPOST – PUBLICITY FACEBOOK PAGE: MusicOutpostPublicityAndLicensing TWITTER: @TheMusicOutpost Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* Cuneiform Records, All rights reserved.   Washington, DC // Silver Spring, MD Our mailing address is: Cuneiform Records P.O. Box 8427 Silver Spring, MD 20907 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe to the Cuneiform Records Newsletter. Read this email online   return to top