Cuneiform Records DECEMBER 2023 Newsletter

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CUNEIFORM RECORDS   DECEMBER 2023  NEWSLETTER: New Releases & Concerts view this email online   – on laptop/computer:  click menu links & jump – on mobile: scroll down ~~~~~~ CUNEIFORM RECORDS' DECEMBER 2023 RELEASES Five digital releases: experimental, avant-progressive, rock, and jazz recordings from North America & Europe  AHLEUCHATISTAS – THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [and EAST] – LIVE 2006  Live recordings from Asheville NC's experimental rock trio  [USA]   FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA – ROUE LIBRE Reissue of 1997 debut release by composer/drummer Patrick Forgas' Forgas Band Phenomena [FRANCE] FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA – EXTRA–LUCIDE Reissue of Forgas Band Phenomena's 1999 second album [FRANCE] PASCAL GLOBENSKY – ZIGZAG Solo album by Miriodor's longtanding keyboardist & co-composer [QUEBEC, CANADA] NEBELNEST – NeBeLNeST  Remixed, remastered hi-res reissue of this French avant-progressive band's first album [FRANCE] ~~~~~ OUT NOW!  RELEASED NOVEMBER 2023 FRENCH TV – A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS   New studio recording by Mike Sary's longstanding Louisville, KY-based progressive rock group, French TV [USA] ~~~~~ OUT NOW! RELEASED OCTOBER 2023 IN DIGITAL FORMAT Four digital releases of genre-defiant, boundary-crossing music from 1986 to the present by some of the world's most progressive musicians. VOLAPUK – PUKAPOK Reissue of 1999 live album by Guigou Chenevier's Volapük trio [FRANCE] ITOKEN - KLIMPEREI - FRANK PAHL – IKP  New recordings by IKP collaborative  [JAPAN / FRANCE / USA] 5UU'S – LIVE AT A.K.W., WURZBURG, GERMANY, APRIL 8, 1995   Previously unreleased live recordings from 1995 Eastern European tour. [USA] CURLEW – CBGB NYC, NY 1987 // TAKLOS FESTIVAL, BERN, SWITZERLAND 1986 Previously unreleased live recordings by Downtown NY legends [USA] ~~~~~ A SNEAK PEEK with SOUNDS  COMING OUT JANUARY 2024 on CD & Digital ANTISTATIC – RELICS   Danish experimental / post-rock quartet celebrate minimalism in a new studio recording  [DENMARK]   MORE SNEAK PEEKS COMING OUT IN 2024 A LENGTHY LIST OF UPCOMING JAZZ, ROCK, ELECTRONIC & CLASSICAL MINIMALIST RELEASES ~~~~~ 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 from 100s of labels at WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store, estab.1980 ~~~~~ • Missed seeing a CUNEIFORM NEWSLETTER? Access prior issues at cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/   ~~~~~   mark your calendar: 2024 is CUNEIFORM RECORDS' 40TH ANNIVERSARY!!! 40 Years releasing avant-garde, edgy music - we've defied ALL odds! Let's celebrate this music business landmark. Championing cutting-edge, beyond-genre music since 1984, Cuneiform Records celebrates music that defies staid tradition to creatively push forward.   – view this email online – Our Wishes: return to top COMING OUT DECEMBER 29, 2023 IN DIGITAL FORMAT ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS:   AHLEUCHATISTAS – THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [and EAST] – LIVE 2006  FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA – ROUE LIBRE FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA – EXTRA-LUCIDE PASCAL GLOBENSKY – ZIGZAG  NEBELNEST – NeBeLNeST  EXPERIMENTAL / ROCK AHLEUCHATISTAS  THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [and EAST] – LIVE 2006    Bio information: AHLEUCHATISTAS Title: : THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [AND EAST] - LIVE 2006 (Cuneiform Rune 3372) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: DECEMBER 29, 2023 FILE UNDER: ROCK / EXPERIMENTAL      Cuneiform Record’s CEO, Steve Feigenbaum, Recalls First Seeing (Then Signing) Ahleuchatistas Live   In October, 2004, not too long after Cuneiform Records released Larval’s album Obedience, Larval did a small tour of a week's worth of dates, including a show at a Baltimore club that Simon Mertz, my long time second-in-command at Cuneiform and Wayside Music, helped set up.  Besides Cuneiform, Simon was doing a lot of booking and dj-ing in Baltimore and was getting a lot of promos from bands wanting to play there. He was handed a promo of Ahleuchatistas' second album by a label from Alexandria, VA (about one hour south of Baltimore) who had released it. When it came time to book a supporting act for Larval, Simon contacted Ahleuchatistas, thinking the band was from Alexandria, to book them for this mid-week show. Shortly before the gig Simon found out Ahleuchatistas were from ASHVILLE, NC (9 hours away), NOT Alexandria! He called them to tell them that he had no idea that they had to travel that far and that it was totally cool with him if they had to cancel for what was going to be a very poorly paid show. They said, "no, we want to play this show and we'll be there." What they didn't tell Simon and what I only found out years later was that they wanted to do this show to play in front of ME! So, it's a typical Baltimore rock-club mid-week night that goes WAY WAY too late. I don't know anything about anything other than I'm getting to see and meet Larval (who I'm putting up at my place outside DC for the night). Larval finish their set and I'm helping them get ready to leave and I have NO INTENTIONS WHATSOEVER of seeing ANY other music, as it's already something like 1:30 am on a Tuesday or Wednesday night and I'm beyond exhausted. I walk past the stage on my way to tell Bill Brovold of Larval that I am leaving and to follow me back to my place when I witness 20 seconds of Ahleuchatistas, who are in full SLAY mode in front of maybe 8 people. I couldn't believe my eyes. They were (and remain) the most amazing musical sight I had ever seen cold. I do remember sitting down next to Simon who was also watching them with his jaw dropping and saying to him, "Simon, I'm so tired. My judgement is shot. Are these guys as good as I think that they are?", and he replied, "Better!"   They were quite different than other bands I had worked with up to that point on Cuneiform, and even though around that era I was trying very hard to expand the sound of what Cuneiform was known for, I must admit that I was fascinated but unsure. A couple more performances at various long-gone dives in DC convinced me, and we signed them for their third album in July, 2005 with their album What You Will released in January 2006.     photographer unknown Things started moving very fast; their amazing shows were finally gaining them the attention they 100% deserved. And Cuneiform had a really good promo team in those days, led by Joyce (now heading The Music Outpost–Publicity), and that helped them too. Javier Diaz, who set up the 2006 WUMD show, came on board around this time, first as an intern and then as promo team staff. I don’t remember much about the tour that the poster included in this package came from, but Ahleuchatistas were definitely leaving the East coast for the first time. Was that the same tour where they played SXSW and even made it to California? I don’t remember.   The Ahleuchatistas were smart but a little bit innocent in my view; I remember Shane talking about people contacting him about free CDs for ‘promo’ (a big, big scam in those days) and my warning him that there were a lot of scammers out there and to forward any inquiries he had to our promo office, who knew how to sort the legit from the not-so-legit. One of these times, he told me that he had been contacted by the Saalfelden Jazz Festival in Austria to play a gig; they were offering all transportation costs and a good fee. I remember telling him that it had to be a fake invite and asked him who the email came from. “booking@jazzfestsaalfelden.at”, was the reply. I blinked a few times and said, “Get ON it.”   The two shows on this live album, THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [and EAST] – LIVE 2006 are by far the best recordings of this trio at their absolute peak. 20 years later, I’m thrilled to share these recordings with the world.  ­                                                                                                                           – Steve Feigenbaum   listen to "Fodder for Defamation" from Ahleuchatistas' The Summer We Went West (and East) on Soundcloud   credits: Shane Parish – guitar Derek Poteat – bass Sean Dail – drums Tracks 1-19 recorded at Saalfelden Jazz Festival, August 27, 2006. Tracks 21-34 recorded at the University of Maryland, WMUC studio, April 19, 2006. University of Maryland engineered by Javier Diaz and broadcast over WMUC, except for 20 and 21, which were recorded by Mark O. Chapman on mini-disc in the audience. Photos of the University of Maryland performance by Mark O. Chapman. Mastering by Ian Beabout, ShedSounds Media. Archival research and presentation by Steve Feigenbaum. This digital album includes a live video (scroll below) as well as photos from the University of Maryland show and the infamous bumper sticker [adhesive not included]!   Listen to / Pre-Order THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [and EAST] – LIVE 2006 on Bandcamp:  AHLEUCHATISTAS at Saalfelden Jazz Fest, Austria 2006 Listen To / Buy Other AHLEUCHATISTAS Releases on Cuneiform:  Heads Full of Poison // What You Will  // Even In the Midst                    return to top JAZZ / JAZZ--ROCK FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA ROUE LIBRE   Bio information: FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA Title: ROUE LIBRE (Cuneiform Rune 3391) Format: DIGITAL Release date: DECEMBER 29, 2023 Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS FILE UNDER: JAZZ / JAZZ-ROCK   Composer/ drummer Patrick Forgas has been hailed as “the French answer to the Canterbury scene” ever since his debut 1977 release Cocktail (recorded with members of Magma and Zao). Since the late 1990s, as leader of the Forgas Band Phenomena, he has helped ignite interest in Canterbury-infused  jazz-rock among a new generation of young French jazz musicians and fans.     Originally released only in France on the Cosmos Music imprint and out of print for over 20 years, Roue Libre is the Forgas Band Phenomena’s first album. An excellent debut, it shows that their sound was firmly in place right from the beginning. After this 1997 album, they released a second on Cosmos in 1999, Extra-Lucide. The Forgas Band Phenomena then signed with Cuneiform Records for their third album, 2005’s Soleil 12. They’ve remained on Cuneiform ever since, releasing a total of 4 albums thus far on the U.S. label.   Patrick Forgas first came to prominence when in 1977, aged 26, he released his debut album Cocktail. The album only sold moderately in the context of dwindling interest in progressive rock and jazz-rock. A band assembled for live work was dismantled after a few months of one-off engagements, leaving a composed follow-up album unrecorded when his label at the time declared bankruptcy, canceling the band’s nationwide tour. The Forgas Band soon dissolved.   Forgas mostly retired from music during the 1980s. The music released here is a twenty-year-old dream finally come true, and the result of four years of hard work. Forgas had wanted to return to the group format of his celebrated 1977 debut LP. With this aim in mind, he resumed drumming after years of not playing, and composed two lengthy suites, “Rumeurs” (later retitled “Roue Libre” as the album’s title track) and “Sérum De Vérité”. The search for suitable musicians then began; this proved the most difficult task! Literally hundreds of players came and went until, almost three years later, the line-up finally stabilised to the one assembled here. In the meantime, both pieces had been premiered at a one-off gig in Montrouge (a suburb of Paris) in March 1995. In many ways, this album Roue Libre has been a crazy endeavour for everyone involved, from the musicians to the producers and, of course, Forgas himself who spent months composing and arranging the music in his tiny home studio.   The cover art of Roue Libre celebrates the Grande Roue de Paris, the 315 ft tall Ferris wheel built in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle world exhibition at Paris, and the festival entertainments held on its grounds until its 1920 demolition. The Grand Roue would become a recurring theme in Forgas Band Phenomena releases.   Roue Libre, as well as all the work of Patrick Forgas, a unique musical figure, can be very safely recommended to fans of Jean-Luc Ponty, Ian Carr’s Nucleus, Frank Zappa’s instrumental works and Billy Cobham’s early bands, as well as British Canterbury bands like Soft Machine and National Health.   listen to  'Déclic' from Forgas Band Phenomena's Roue Libre on Soundcloud: Credits: Patrick Forgas - Drums Mathias Desmier - Guitar Frédéric Schmidely - Saxophones & Flute Stéphane Jaoui - Keyboards Philippe Talet - Bass Mirelle Bauer - Vibrophone & Marimba All compositions and arrangements by Patrick Forgas. Produced by Patrick Forgas. Engineered by Frédéric Rigouste and Etienne Gaillochet. Recorded and Mixed at Studio Cargo, Montreuil, March 12-17 & 18-20, 1997. Originally released by Cosmos Music in 1997.    “Its combination of singable themes and rock rhythms will appeal to...all fans of improvisation within a richly composed context.” – All About Jazz   Listen to / Pre-Order Forgas Band Phenomena's ROUE LIBRE on Bandcamp:  Listen To / Buy Other Forgas Band Phenomena Releases on Cuneiform:   L​’​Oreille Électrique (The Electric Ear)  //  Acte V   //                  Soleil 12  //   L​’​Axe du Fou • Axis of Madness  //           JAZZ / JAZZ--ROCK FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA EXTRA-LUCIDE   Bio information: FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA Title: EXTRA–LUCIDE (Cuneiform Rune 3392) Format: DIGITAL Release date: DECEMBER 29, 2023 Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS FILE UNDER: JAZZ / JAZZ-ROCK Composer/ drummer Patrick Forgas has been hailed as “the French answer to the Canterbury scene” ever since his debut 1977 release Cocktail (recorded with members of Magma and Zao). Since the late 1990s, as leader of the Forgas Band Phenomena, he has helped ignite interest in Canterbury-infused  jazz-rock among a new generation of young French jazz musicians and fans.   Originally released only in France on the Cosmos Music imprint and out of print for 20 years, Extra–Lucide, the 1999 sophomore release by Forgas Band Phenomena, shows that the quality of their 1997 debut, Roue Libre, was not a fluke.   Patrick first came to prominence when in 1977, aged 26, he released his debut album Cocktail. The album only sold moderately in the context of dwindling interest in progressive rock and jazz-rock. A band assembled for live work was dismantled after a few months of one-off engagements, leaving a composed follow-up album unrecorded when his then label declared bankruptcy, cancelling the band’s nationwide tour. The Forgas Band soon dissolved.   Forgas mostly retired from music during the 1980s. He later happily surprised most watchers of the jazz/rock scene by re-emerging, with all of his compositional and performance strengths still intact, to assemble Roue Libre, the Forgas Band Phenomena’s debut release on Cosmos in 1997.   In keeping with Patrick’s long-standing interest in early 20th century Paris, Extra-Lucide was inspired by the atmosphere of the fun-fairs that frequently took place at the bottom of the Grande Roue de Paris, a 315 ft tall Ferris wheel built in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle world exhibition at Paris, only a few blocks away from the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. The Grande Roue de Paris, the tallest wheel in the world at the time of its opening, was disassembled between 1920 and 1922.   Each of the five compositions on Extra-Lucide corresponds to one attraction on the fairground: Such were some of the events that contributed to the fascinating atmosphere of that time. It is long gone now, of course, yet the casual streetwalker, wandering through the capital’s 15ème arrondissement, can still catch a fleeting glimpse of this not so distant past...   Extra–Lucide, as well as all Patrick Forgas’ work, can be very safely recommended to fans of Jean-Luc Ponty, Ian Carr’s Nucleus, Frank Zappa’s instrumental works and Billy Cobham’s early bands, as well as British Canterbury bands like Soft Machine and National Health.   listen to  ''Rebirth' from Forgas Band Phenomena's Extra-Lucide n Soundcloud: Credits: Patrick Forgas - Drums Mathias Desmier - Guitar Juan-Sébastien Jimenez - Bass Gilles Pausanias - Keyboards Denis Guivarc’h - Saxophone All compositions and arrangements by Patrick Forgas. Produced by Patrick Forgas Engineered by Max Jesion Recorded at Bop-City, Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, France, January 1999. Originally released in 1999 by Cosmos Music   “Its combination of singable themes and rock rhythms will appeal to...all fans of improvisation within a richly composed context.” – All About Jazz   Listen to / Pre-Order Forgas Band Phenomena's Extra Lucide on Bandcamp:  Listen To / Buy Other Forgas Band Phenomena Releases on Cuneiform:   L​’​Oreille Électrique (The Electric Ear)  //  Acte V   //                  Soleil 12   //   L​’​Axe du Fou • Axis of Madness         return to top ROCK / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE / POST ROCK / PROGRESSIVE PASCAL GLOBENSKY ZIGZAG    First solo album by Pascal Globensky, keyboardist & co-composer of Miriodor, the legendary Quebec, Canada based avant-progressive ensemble Bio information: PASCAL GLOBENSKY Title: ZIGZAG (Cuneiform Rune 3386) Format: DIGITAL Release date: DECEMBER 29, 2023 Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE     Spanning over a period of about 10 years (2013-2023), this collection of short pieces started as sketches, demos, ideas recorded for later. Some of them were presented to Miriodor (the band I’m a member/founder of), but did not develop.               So I stuck with them, polished them, honed them over time. After letting them sleep for various periods of time, I’d get back to them to work them a bit more, a bit like working on a painting, I guess, before wishing them ‘good night’ again for a while. I was still thinking of them as sketches, but I eventually began to find a certain quaintness about them, a life of their own, in their simplistic expression.               As Brian Eno suggested (among other artists), limitations can be positive and help to be more creative. And it’s been the case for these pieces, which were created using a ultra limited set-up : a computer, a music application, a sound card and a keyboard. On 1/4 of these pieces, I used some snippets of old Miriodor jams, made loops with them, either for rhythm or atmosphere. For the rest of the pieces, I explored most possibilities of the said music application, using “royalty-free” rhythms or sounds, that I edited and treated to fit the needs of the various pieces.   listen to "Approche" from Pascal Globensky's Zigzag on Soundcloud:                         There’s an aspect of collage in a few of them, which was great fun to do. I also liked working in the limitations of the short song format, which did not happen often to me over time. Expressing an idea in a concise yet rich way in about 120 seconds is a nice challenge. And, finally, a lot of work and attention has been put towards the creation of sounds. In a single sound can reside the promise of a song. Creating the sound that you have in mind is like unlocking a code. When it’s done, it’s like a full path unveiling before your very eyes.               I have included my Miriodor compadres on some pieces (four to be exact), with indirect contributions on three of them, and with a direct contribution of Rémi Leclerc, playing drums on ‘Fourchette’ (to my request). I’m happy he obliged! Bernard Falaise and Nicolas Lessard are also there somewhere, yours to find.               – Pascal Globensky     Listen to / Pre-Order Pascal Globensky's ZigZag on Bandcamp:  credits for ZigZag: Pascal Globensky - Composition, musique et instruments +  Bernard Falaise - synthétiseur, guitar électrique, basse électrique (9,10)  Rémi Leclerc - batterie, percussions, électronique, beatbox (1,4,9,10)  Nicolas Lessard - basse électrique (1)   The longstanding Cooperative Ensemble Miriodor released numerous albums on Cuneiform. Listen / Buy Miriodor: //  Elements  // Signal 9  //  Cobra Fakir                   Avanti!  //  Parade + Live at NEARfest  // Mekano              Rencontres //  Jonglieres Élastiques               Third Warning //  Miriodor           return to top ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE / POST-ROCK NEBELNEST NeBeLNeST    Bio information: NEBELNEST Title: NeBeLNeST (Cuneiform Rune 3387) Format: DIGITAL Release date: DECEMBER 29, 2023 Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE / POST-ROCK   “Central to the sound…is the continuous rolling boil of [the rhythm section] …[the guitars and keyboards] weaving long, intricate lines and motifs that are nimble and texturally rich, with enough energy and invention to sustain interest over the long haul... (8/10)”  – Bill Tilland, Alternative Press, v. 16, No. 166, 5/02   NeBeLNeST were one of the most adventurous and energetic young bands to emerge on the international post-rock / avant-progressive scene in the late 90s. The young French band was noted for its dark symphonic rock music influenced by King Crimson, Shylock and Univers Zero/Present, laced with psychedelia and improvisation, and played with a riveting level of energy and intensity derived from the hardcore and noise scenes. In the words of the Chicago Tribune: “these French sound sculptors chisel out large-scale instrumentals that pair up the weird sonics and improvisational bent of mid-period King Crimson with a Gong-like space fusion ambience…[They] borrow bits and pieces of old school art rock and arrange them into a singular sound awash in dissonance and strangely mutated guitar/keyboard tones.”   NeBeLNeST was formed in May 1997 as an instrumental quartet consisting of brothers Olivier and Gregory Tejedor (keyboards and bass); Cyril Malderez (guitar); and Michäel Anselmi (drums). Three of the members – the Tejedors and Malderez -- had formerly played together in the hardcore band Chemistry, while the fourth, Anselmi, came from a background in the noise/rave band Ventrilock.   Recorded in 1998, the band’s first album, the self-titled NeBeLNeST, was released in 1999 by the American label Laser’s Edge. The band released two further albums, both on Cuneiform Records, in 2002 (NoVa eXPReSS) and 2006 (ZePTO). The group continued to work on recordings but released nothing further and their cessation came in 2013.   In June 2020, Cuneiform contacted them about the idea of reissuing their first album digitally. The idea was met with great enthusiasm and also with a litany of problems, as reported by Nico Puchot, the band’s long-time friend and manager:   2020: Search for tapes in Nico's very humid cellar....my fault... One of the 6 tapes is missing!   2021: The tape is found...rotten!   2021: Professional restoration to get rid of mold.   2021: After a few weeks of research, a used ADAT tape recorder is bought. A test tape is eaten during the first transfer attempt! We are very anxious about the result of the digital transfer of the six ADATs! I hope we have not spent 1000 € for some crappy unusable moldy tapes lost in a cellar since last century!   2021: The band tasked Gecko, an expert company, to digitize the tapes. The tapes are transferred at the same time as the private tapes collection of Pierre Henry.   2021: Damned! The second part of the "Absinthe" tracks is damaged...10 seconds of the drum part are lost. Olivier Tejedor digitally restores the missing part.   2022: The album is remixed and mastered by Olivier Tejedor.   2022: New artworks are designed by JH with the digitized drawings of Fred Avignon and the photos of Robert Levy (Chicago 1999).   2023: NeBeLNeST is born again and released on Cuneiform Records via BandCamp.   listen to "Pyskial Trysm Najha" from Nebelnest's NeBe4LNeST on Soundcloud: credits: Michaël ANSeLMI : drums Cyril MALDeReZ : guitar Gregory TeJeDOR : bass Olivier TeJeDOR : synth, devices Recorded 1998 Released 1999 on Laser's Edge Remixed & remastered 2022 by Olivier Tejedor 2022 Album Art by Fred Avignon (drawings) & Robert Levy (photos)   Listen to / Pre-Order NeBeLNeST on Bandcamp:  Listen To / Buy Other NEBELNEST Releases on Cuneiform: NoVa eXPReSS      //      ZePTo                 return to top OUT NOW!! Released November 17, 2023 on CUNEIFORM RECORDS FRENCH TV A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS New studio recording - their first on the Cuneiform Records label - by French TV, Mike Sary's long-standing, Louisville KY-based progressive rock group  [USA] Bio information: FRENCH TV Title: A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS (Cuneiform Rune 519) Format: CD  / DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Relase Date: November 17, 2023 FILE UNDER: FUSION / PROGRESSIVE ROCK   "French TV retain their own unique identity, finely walking the line between...classic 70s progressive rock and the more experimental stylings of the avant-garde. Truly a majestic auditory journey... They mesh both musical directions effortlessly and thus create a unique sound unlike anyone else. On top of that, the melodies and musical ideas are absolutely gorgeous, intricate and thought-provoking, tickling both the emotional and logical sides of your brain, which very few acts are able to do."  -- Rok Podgrajsek, The Rocktologist     French TV's newest CD, "A Ghastly State Of Affairs" is their 15th in their long history. It is also their first album not to be self-released. Headed up by charter member bassist/composer Mike Sary, he is joined again by guitarist Kasumi Yoneda (also from the Japanese band TEE), keyboardist Patrick Strawser (best known for his work in the 90's band Volare), and now by the original drummer from FTV's first three abums, Fenner Castner. The new album displays their ingenious knack for tricky arrangements, blazing solos, surprising left-turns, and their ability to tell a well-crafted yarn musically without words. Blending elements of progressive rock, fusion, cartoon music, and Rock-in-Opposition, the music of his group can be simultaneously hilarious and highly challenging, making it one of the most original American prog rock outfits and also one of the longest lived, having created 14 albums, toured Europe and the US a few times, and played many festivals.   French TV began in Louisville, KY as an offshoot of an early '80's art-rock band Festung Amerika. Bassist Mike Sary and keyboardist/drummer Steve Roberts (currently with R.I.O. band Ut Gret) recruited guitarist Artie Bratton and drummer Fenner Castner, and the first album was released in 1984. Steve left the band to concentrate on his mail order CD business ZNR Records and his growing family, so Mike shepherded the band through many different members, tours, phases, and recordings through the present day.   The band's current trajectory roughly began four albums ago with their 2016 release "Ambassadors Of Good Health And Clean Living", when Mike was joined by guitarist Katsumi Yoneda. Pat Strawser signed up with their following CD, "Operation: MOCKINGBIRD" and brought more of a "clarity" to Mike's slightly-less-than-coherent arrangements, as well as bringing in his own pieces (encouraged by the band!).   "A Ghastly State Of Affairs" opens with Patrick's 18-minute opus "Every Morning, I Wake Up And Take My Hat Off To All The Beauty In The World" and could be considered FTV's finest moment, with a haunting main theme, various sub-themes, powerful solos (especially the ones featuring the flute of Katsumi's TEE bandmate Kenji Imai), movements that build and build only to have the floor disappear from under you, and an ending that will find you reaching for a cigarette (even if you don't smoke). Track two, "Baby, You Fill Me With Inertia", spotlights former member/occasional contributor Warren Dale's intricate 4-part horn charts. 2 songs, "Drunkard's Train To Westchester" and "My Boys Awake At Night "Cuz They Nocturnal" include some blazing violin from another FTV alumni, Ludo Fabre of the French band Mentat Routage.    listen to French TV's "The Mayor of Ding Dong City" from A Ghastly State of Affairs on soundcloud CREDITS: Mike Sary : bass, loops, samples Katsumi Yoneda : guitars Patrick Strawser : keyboards Fenner Castner : drums with Kenji Imai : flute Warren Dale : saxes Ludo Fabre : violin Recommmended if you like: Happy The Man, National Health, Bruford, Brand X, Planeta Imaginario, Caravan, Hatfield & the North. ~~~~ "I've always had a soft spot for French TV, a very quirky American band who combine the eccentric nature of Frank Zappa with a bit of Canterbury playfulness and a whole lot of classic jazz-fusion as well as the more avant-garde stylings of RIO. Often times not music for the faint of heart, French TV's stuff is ready made for those with challenging tastes, and once you peel back the layers there's always plenty of rewards to be found on any of their albums." ---Peter Pardo, Sea Of Tranquility   If you're not familiar with this band; imagine combining jazz, prog, carnival music, and avant-garde all at the same time. Not only do they pull this off, but...they make the music sound fun and not...dissonant, creepy, disturbing, purposely complex, and unsettling... For the most part, this is instrumental music with the occasional spoken word or (aaahh!) thrown in. It is challenging but not so much that you need to study, or need a degree to understand it." ----ProgArchives  listen / buy French TV on Bandcamp:     "...if you don’t like French TV, wait a minute or two. It doesn’t take them ten minutes to change sounds. But it all mashes together and makes sense somehow. ... Mellotron-backed guitar freakouts trading fours with twittery monosynth; RIO-like woodwind parts bordering on dissonant chaos or perhaps Gentle Giant like polyphony; a spoken bit that sounds like Dalek poetry; tempo changes just when things are getting into a groove... These wonders and many more await you inside the freak show. ... It’s their willingness to persevere against the bounds of safety that makes the music thrilling to me. That and titles like “Theme from ESPN X-treme Cobalt Blue 4x4 Bathroom Tile Installation Games” – how can you resist something like that?" --Jon Davis, Expose   "It always makes me smile how French TV are listed as “RIO/Avant Prog” on prog nerds’ Bible, Prog Archives. They may be baffling, humorous, and sometimes wilfully and knowingly pretentious, but “avant” they are not. Most of all, this band is fun! Don’t let labels put you off, there is enough here to put a smile on the face of Mr & Mrs Adversity, no matter their musical preferences."  --Roger Trenwith, The Progressive Aspect return to top   OUT NOW!!! IN DIGITAL FORMAT RELEASED OCTOBER 27, 2023   CURLEW – CBGB NYC, NY 1987 // TAKLOS FESTIVAL, BERN, SWITZERLAND 1986 ITOKEN - KLIMPEREI - FRANK PAHL – IKP VOLAPUK – PUKAPOK 5UU'S – LIVE AT A.K.W., WURZBURG, GERMANY, APRIL 8, 1995 OUT NOW!!!  CURLEW CBGB NYC, NY 1987 // TAKLOS FESTIVAL, BERN, SWITZERLAND 1986 Bio information: CURLEW Title: : CBGB NYC, NY 1987 // TAKLOS FESTIVAL, BERN, SWITZERLAND 1986  (Cuneiform Rune 3370) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: OCTOBER 27, 2023 FILE UNDER: JAZZ / ROCK / POST-JAZZ   Live recordings from concerts in the USA and Switzerland by the legendary Curlew, THE best live band from the NY Downtown / Knitting Factory scene credits: George Cartwright - saxophones Wayne Horvitz - keyboard and keyboard bass Pippin Barnett - drums Tom Cora - cello Davey Williams - guitar Recorded live off the board March, 1987 at CBGB, New York City, New York [1-15] and October, 1986 at the Taklos Festival, Zurich, Switzerland [17-22]. Mastering and cleanup by Ian Beabout, ShedSounds Media.   listen on soundcloud "Curlew needed a bass player, so I asked Wayne Horvitz if he would be interested. Wayne played keyboards, and I thought a keyboard bass would be pretty darn great. And Wayne would be in the band. I knew he would be a good fit when I saw him playing the keyboard (a DX7) with his fists at Curlew's show at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. He was clearly a creative and unconventional musician. We played at CBGB and then after, opening for Chuck Berry at Queens College (Queens) (booked by the estimable Glenn Leslie of Art Rock Management (now sadly departed) the night before we left for Europe. Our first gig was at the Taklos Festival, Zurich, Switzerland, at the Rotefabric. The Curlew recording Live in Berlin came from this same tour. We did have one close call when Davey lost his passport in Nuremberg after our gig there. We couldn't get into East Germany without a passport, so Pippin and Davey went back to the bar where they had been the night before, woke up the bar owners, and found Davey's passport. They were able to find it just in time for us to transit from Western Germany through East Germany and on into West Berlin. All in all, it was a great tour with a great band. I'm so glad that I asked Wayne to join us." -– George Cartwright Listen to / Buy on Bandcamp:  Listen To / Buy Other Curlew Releases on Cuneiform: //  North America // CBGBs, NYC, 1987 // Live in Berlin                  Bee // Live at the Knitting Factory/ Live at D.C. Space // A Beautiful Western Saddle                        Paradise  // Phantasmagoria 1998 + WFMU 1997 //  Fabulous Drop          Meet the Curlews //  Mercury         return to top OUT NOW!!! ITOKEN - KLIMPEREI - FRANK PAHL IKP   Bio information: ITOKEN - KLIMPEREI - FRANK PAHL Title: : IKP  (Cuneiform Rune 3390) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: OCTOBER 27, 2023 FILE UNDER: ART ROCK / POST-ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE  New recordings by international (JAPAN / FRANCE / USA) art rock / post rock collaborative IKP credits Itoken (Kenji Ito) - all instruments Klimperei (Christophe Petchanatz)  - all instruments Frank Pahl  - all instruments   "This beautiful new release by IKP is a wonderful triangulation of sounds, cultures and seasoned musical wizards. The production on this record is impeccable, melding into a wondrous new sound that only these three musicians could make. It's the perfect filmscore, and who cares about the film!" – Friendly Rich, host, Industry Tactics podcast listen "Hannah's Dancing Lesson" from IKP on soundcloud IKP is Itoken (Kenji Ito, Harpy, etc.) Klimperei (Christophe Petchanatz, etc.) and Frank Pahl (Little Bang Theory, Scavenger Quartet, etc). Kenji answers to Itoken, Christophe answers to Klimperei and Frank answers to Frank because he’s never adopted a cool stage name. In the 1980’s Itoken, Christophe and Frank were on different continents making music shaped by rock, punk, classical, folk, art rock, film scores and electronic music but prog and the playful side of rock are the unlikely godparents of IKP. Itoken writes syncopated math rock while Klimperei embraces more of the improv side of prog. Simplifications...o well. Musically they’re brothers from another mother but in the 80s they were unaware of their brothers across the pond(s). Fortunately the world got a bit smaller with the cassette tape, which allowed anyone with a tape recorder and a mike the chance to find their community. Swapping with like minded strangers became the norm. In the 90s, Itoken was touring with his band Harpy and he stayed with Frank in the US and Klimperei in France. Harpy could have been the poster child for prog toypop. During their stay in the US Frank shared his musical toy collection with Harpy for never released jam sessions in his studio. In 1997 when Frank was in grad school he participated in an exchange trip to Japan. After 4 weeks of pretending to be a printmaker Frank headed to Tokyo to see Itoken. Itoken joined Frank along with members of Hi-Speed, Harpy and After Dinner for a live show. After the show, Watanabe, the presenter from Locus Solus, suggested Klimperei should be a collaborator. In 2014 and 2018 Klimperei toured Japan with Itoken, Madame Patate and special guests. In 2018, Frank was in Japan to support the release of his third collaboration with Klimperei. The release was titled Music for Perfect Strangers, in part because Frank and Klimperei had never been in the same room together. Collaborations were the result of long distance file sharing. Itoken joined Frank and Terri Sarris (and guests) for shows in Tokyo and Osaka. Klimperei’s tours and Frank’s tours did not overlap. They remain Perfect Strangers. When the pandemic hit, the idea of IKP was formed. Why not? It seemed like the world might be screeching to a halt so we might as well dance.    Listen to / Buy IKP on Bandcamp:     return to top OUT NOW!!!  VOLAPUK PUKAPOK Bio information: VOLAPUK Title: : PUKAPOK (Cuneiform Rune 3383) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: OCTOBER 27, 2023 FILE UNDER: AVANT PROGRESSIVE / POST-ROCK / ROCK IN OPPOSITION / POST-CLASSICAL Reissue of limited edition 1999 live album by Volapük, drummer/composer/Etron Fou Le Loublan alumnus Guigou Chenevier's art rock/ post-rock / Rock In Opposition trio [FRANCE].  This French group, whose compositionally distinctive music combines elements from folk music, rock and jazz, previously released 3 studio albums on Cuneiform Records:  Le Feu du Tigre (1995), Slang (1997), and  Polyglot (2000). credits: Guigou Chenevier : drums, sax, vocals, electronics Michel Mandel : bass clarinet, clarinets, taragot, vocals Guillaume Saurel : cello, vocal "A wonderful trio [whose] compositions are highly rhythmic and playful, full of both surprises and logical thematic development." - C.M.J.   "These guys are pros...with drummer and leader Guigou Chenevier...a Rock in Opposition veteran with numerous recordings as a member of Etron Fou Leloublan, and the two other group members, Guillaume Aurel on cello and Michel Mandel on bass clarinet, both with substantial classical training and performance experience. The name "Volapuk" references an early attempt at a universal language, actually predating Esperanto by 50 years. Just as Volapuk (the language) draws from English, German, Latin, French, and Italian sources, Volapuk (the group) integrates popular and folk music of various European cultures...Rock in Opposition...tricky time signatures, repetitive riffs, ...anchored by Chenevier's inventive and propulsive drumming." – AllMusic This album features live recordings from Volapük's May and June 1998 tour of Poland. The tour consisted of twelve concerts: Pod Jaszezurarm [Krakow], Manhattan Gallery [Lodz], Cultural Centre [Lutain], Centre for Contemporary Art - Zamek Ujacdowski [Warsaw], Pinakio [Szczecin], Chemik [Gorzaw Wielkopolski], Kameralna [Pila], Swiatowit [Eibiag], FRGS Mozg [Bydgoszcz], Katakumby [Wroctaw], Radio Lodz Studio [Lodi], St. John’s Church [Gdansk]. Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 9 recorded at Radio Lodz Concert Studio (June 7, 1998) by Michal Targowski and Wirslaw Grzelak. Tracks 3, 4, & 8 recorded in Gorzow (June 2, 1998) by Jarek Szebga. Tracks 6 & 7 recorded in Warsaw (May 31, 1998) by Arek Was. Al tracks mixed at SDN (May-October 1999) by Tadeusz Sudnik, assisted by Jean Piptotain except 6 & 7 - mixed at Grubba Rybba (February 1999) by Arek Was and re-mixed at SDN (summer 1999). Mastered (November 1999) at SDN by T. Sudnik & J. Piptotain. Re-mastered at DAMP Studio by Marcin Orlowski & J. Piplotain. This album was originally released on CD in a numbered edition of 999 copies in 1999. listen to "L'Oeuf d'Apük" from Pükapök on soundcloud   "Formed in Southern France in 1993, Volapük were initially a trio of drums, bass clarinet, and cello. The trio members used their instruments in expanded roles, creating unusual tonal colors; their music blended ensemble play, jazz, and chamber music with a solid rock underpinning. In 1973 Volapük's percussionist, Guigou Chenevier, had been a founder of Etron Fou Leloublan, a band that (along with other groups including Henry Cow, Univers Zero, Stormy Six, and Samla Mammas Manna) became a charter member of the Rock in Opposition collective in 1978.  Bass clarinetist Michel Mandel received a master's degree in music from the Grenoble Academy of Music. He has played in numerous musical and theatrical settings in Italy, France, Germany, and Hungary. Cellist Guillaume Saurel studied at the Avignon Academy of Music. He has performed in concert and on recordings, and has played music for dance and theater throughout France. After 17 years in existence, Volapük announced their breakup in March of 2010." – AllMusic   Listen to / Buy Pükapök on Bandcamp: Listen To / Buy Other Volapük Releases on Cuneiform Records via Bandcamp:  Polyglot                       //    Slang           //         Le Feu du Tigre            return to top OUT NOW!!!   5UU'S LIVE AT A.K.W., WURZBURG, GERMANY, APRIL 8, 1995 Bio information: 5UU'S Title: : LIVE AT A.K.W., WURZBURG, GERMANY, APRIL 8, 1995 (Cuneiform Rune 3385) Format: DIGITAL Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release date: OCTOBER 27, 2023 FILE UNDER: ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE / ROCK-IN-OPPOSITION The 1990s... long-shuttered international doors opened and the global world beckoned.  Two American avant garde rock musicians – Bob Drake and Dave Kerman -– leave behind comfortable lives in Los Angeles to join British sound engineer Maggie Thomas in in the south of France transforming a long vacant, semi-ruined 18th century farmhouse into a studio haven for recording the boundary-pushing international bands that they loved.  The artistic possibilities seemed infinite: an opportunity to create and record genre-defiant music - "Rock in Opposition" music without borders - in a Europe where the Soviet Union had collapsed and political and social borders were now opening.  They recorded a new 5UU's album in the bare-boned, emergent studio, and invited Californian musician friends Mike Johnson and Scott Braziel to join them in promoting it on tour throughout Eastern and parts of Western Europe.       Previously unreleased live recordings from the American avant progressive / RIO band 5UU's 1995 Tour of Eastern Europe listen to 5UU's "Well...Not Chickenshit" on soundcloud credits: Scott Brazieal - keyboards Bob Drake - bass, vocals Mike Johnson - guitar, lap steel guitar, backing vocals Dave Kerman - drums, percussion Maggie Thomas - live sound mixing (which is why this 30-year-old board cassette sounds so good!) "Maggie was the obvious choice, as well, for doing live sound. Nobody else mixes shows so well, and no one else knows us like she does, both as musicians and as friends." – Dave Kerman  Recorded live to cassette. Mastered by Bob Drake   Here are a few of the band's memories of that tour; read MORE tour tales on Bandcamp. "The Montepulciano show was a highlight for me. Many of the folks in this small Tuscan village showed up in an old church, on top of a hill, with wine and food, great happiness and energy…and they were dancing to our complex rhythms. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At least it was for me." – Scott Braziel "We had a show in what had fairly recently been East Berlin when much of it was still somewhat of a grim urban wasteland. The gig was at a type of club-restaurant...We were slated to go on at 1am... We didn't get to sound-check until 7 or 8 pm, smack in the middle of dinnertime, and the place was full of customers eating. The stage was stuck right in the big dining room, elevated about five feet above the floor, and tucked right up against the tall storefront windows. It was as if we were some kind of oversized toy store display. Really weird. Our dinnertime mini-concert did not seem to add to the diners’ enjoyment!  When we finally went on in the wee hours, we just dutifully plowed into our set. At some point a woman somewhere in the audience yelled "Scheisse!" (“crap”)." – Mike Johnson  "A gig in another squat, either Slovenia or Czech…a very dark and dingy room with low ceiling, a bare light bulb or two dangling on their wires, as were the electrical sockets on the "stage." In the dimness one could make out perhaps 30 or 40 youngish people..all standing along the walls, silently watching as we got ready to play.  We got started, and after the first song came complete silence. No one in the audience moved or made a sound. Another few songs and the same reaction; I was starting to wonder if we ought to call it a night and pack up. After the fourth or fifth song, there was again the complete silence, when someone standing along the wall near the stage spoke very softly: "You guys ruuuule." A general murmur of agreement and affirmative nodding of heads spread across the whole audience. It turned out they were all flabbergasted by what we were doing and absolutely loved it." – Dave Kerman  "In Maribor, Slovenia... The gig was OK. It was in an old fire station that had been turned into a alternative club. Our accommodation was the squat across the street, and we went there pretty early to get some sleep. At 3 or 4 am, BOOM, the doors open, and a few of the inebriated audience shook us awake: “WAKE UP AND DRINK WITH US, YOU AMERICANS!!” We politely declined, and found some floor space elsewhere in the building. Bob slept in the stairwell.  In the morning we found ourselves locked in the squat. The drunkards had left, and there was no way out, as all of the doors were padlocked, and the windows were barred. Someone found one, lone window on the second floor, that we could drop down from, with some difficulty. We had to also drop Mike’s guitar down carefully. The concert promoter was not at the club, as planned, to let us retrieve our instruments, so we drove to his apartment, and banged on the door. We could hear him inside, vomiting up a storm, poor guy. He pushed the keys to the club under the door, and we were on our way to the next gig, in Koper. " – Dave "The floor, walls and ceiling of that club were all shiny tiles that added a loud slap echo to everything! Yiihhh. The squat was a former Yugoslav army barracks, and our room was empty except for some raunchy old, stained mattresses and a little detritus from some former occupants. The accommodations on that tour ranged from basically none to excellent hotel rooms, and everything in between—organizers’ modest homes; a large, wonderful ancient farmhouse in Tuscany; various squats in old apartment buildings, etc. I couldn't begin to do that now, but it's an experience that I cherish. " – Mike "And another thing: it was winter and certainly below freezing. There were icicles on the buildings and frozen mud puddles all around. None of the windows of the (unheated) building we found ourselves padlocked into had glass, or any sort of covering at all.  In the morning we had to climb down from the second-story window onto the roof of the entryway, where it was an easy jump to the ground. Maggie had wisely spent the night in the van! " – Bob Dave: "Yours truly fell ill, some days later. The worst was in Prague, where I spent two of our three days off, backstage, rolled up in a mat, feverish, quivering, and doing the technicolor yawn into a waste can, whilst the others played tourist. On the third day we drove to Würzburg, where this very show was recorded. Though the fever had broken, I was quarantined in a friend of Charlie’s costume room, and was brought over to the A.K.W. in time for the sound check.  Mike: Ah…we had had just a few hours sleep for that. I remember sleeping on the concert organizer's floor, couches, etc., the night before in Chemnitz, because he didn't arrange any accommodations for us (Chemnitz is another story!). We got up kinda early, and drove to Würzburg, getting there like mid-afternoon and sleeping on the picnic tables in the back of the club. Started raining as I recall! The club had a big mirror ball, which is really odd considering the music. I think they played Thinking Plague on their club stereo...?.... We were not in Kansas any more....  Scott: I had a predilection for taking short naps before our performance start times. At this Würzburg recording, I happened to lie down behind the thick stage curtain and at show time no one in the band could find me. Eventually Dave shook me awake and I sleepily stumbled on stage and dove into “Equus.” I woke up FAST!  Dave: We did the show, and it was lotsa fun. Charlie Heidenreich, today still a mainstay of music in Würzburg, is/was quite a character! Nowadays he’s opt to meet you in his squash sweats. But that night, the first time we met, he was wearing a beige, 3-piece leisure suit, a big bow-tie, platform shoes, long hair, and the biggest smile one can imagine. The band played well, and the audience was great. Afterwards, things got surreal, in the best of ways, and that’s why it’s affectionately known, even today, as the “Freakshow.”  Bob: By the way, one of my fave moments is at 2:54 in “Truth, Justice and the American Way” when the sound effect tape comes in so loud. I bust up  laughing every time! The whole song shoulda been like that. Haha.  Dave: Within a few minutes of our encore, the chairs were gone, the disco ball was spotlighted, and the audience was freak-dancing to a really loud playback, and singing along, joyously, word for word, to the likes of “Supper’s Ready,” “Long Distance Runaround,” “A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers,” etc. They knew all of the words and, for the most part, could dance in time to this stuff. It was bizarre. And I shudder to imagine how Charlie could wear all of those heavy clothes, running up and down between the dance floor and the DJ booth, without breaking a sweat.  Sadly, due to the lingering fever, I can’t remember more of this particular show. I went on to play many “Freakshows” with other bands for Charlie, but that’s another set of stories. " See MORE about the  5UU's 1995 Tour, in the album's liner notes, posted on Bandcamp. listen to / Buy the 5UU's on Bandcamp:   Listen To / Buy Other 5UU's Releases on Cuneiform Records, via Bandcamp: The Quiet in Your Bones   //     Abandonship //     .  Regarding Purgatories  // Point of Views   .   return to top ! SNEAK PEEK WITH SOUNDS! COMING OUT JANUARY 2024 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS: ANTISTATIC RELICS  Exploring the Joy of Minimalism, Danish Experimental Quartet ANTISTATIC Create Hypnotic and Uncompromising Rock Music Inspired by Industrial Visions, Steve Reich’s Classical Compositions, West African Music and Meditation. “We talk about ourselves as a rock quartet turned inside out, where the stringed instruments are suddenly percussive and the drums are singing with feedback...” listen to "Angels vs Peasants" from Antistatic's RELICS on Soundcloud: credits: Søren Høi – drums Laust Moltesen Andreasen – guitar Mads Ulrich – guitar Janus Bagh – bass return to top SNEAK PEEKS OF DISTANT TREASURES   COMING OUT IN 2024 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS (Listed in alphabetical order. Sound samples to come out in future newsletters)   ~~~~~ JAZZ GHOST RHYTHMS – MISSING TIMES  (new studio album by young French avant progressive ensemble [FRANCE] ~~~~~ JANEL LEPPIN / ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH – TO MARCH IS TO LOVE COMING OUT JUNE 2024 (new studio album by composer/cellist Leppin's all-star DC jazz ensemble with guitarist Anthony Pirog/ drummer Larry Ferguson / bassist Luke Stewart / saxophonists Brian Settles & Sarah Hughes) [USA] ~~~~~  JANEL & ANTHONY – NEW MOON  COMING OUT JUNE 2024 (new studio album by reknowned DC/Silver Spring-based cello/guitar/electronics post-rock/ post-jazz / beyond-genre duo, Janel Leppin & Anthony Pirog) [USA] ~~~~~  TOMEKA REID QUARTET – 3+3 COMING OUT APRIL 2024  (new studio album by composer/cellist Reid's jazz all-star quartet with guitarist Mary Halvorson/ drummer Tomas Fujiwara/ bassist Jason Roebke) [USA] ~~~~~ LUKE STEWART / SILT REMEMBRANCE ENSEMBLE COMING OUT OCTOBER 2024  (new live jazz recording by a quintet ensemble featuring Luke Stewart, Chad Taylor, and Brian Settles – the members of Luke Stewart's Silt Trio – with Jamal Moore (sax & percusison) and Daniel Carter (sax & trumpet)) [USA]   ROCK ~~~~~ ANTISTATIC – RELICS COMING OUT JANUARY 2024 (Premier release by young Danish minimalist / post-rock quartet of two guitars, bass & drums) [DENMARK] ~~~~~ CHEER ACCIDENT – VACATE COMING OUT FEBRUARY 2024 (Chicago post-pop/ avant rock legends Cheer-Accident release a new studio recording for Cuneiform) [USA] ~~~~~  JANEL & ANTHONY  COMING OUT JUNE 2024 (new studio album by reknowned DC/Silver Spring-based cello/guitar/electronics post-rock/ post-jazz / beyond-genre duo, Janel Leppin & Anthony Pirog) [USA] ~~~~~   PRESENT – THIS IS NOT THE END  COMING OUT MARCH 2024 (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] ~~~~~ SOFT MACHINE – HØVIKODDEN 1971 (4 disc set) COMING OUT MAY 2024 (4-disc set of previously unreleased live recordings by British electric jazz/ jazz-rock legends, Soft Machine) [UK] ~~~~~ YANG – REJOICE! COMING OUT JULY 2024 (Yang, the French quartet led by guitarist & composer Frederic L'Epée, release a new disc featuring vocals by guest Carla Kihlstedt (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Tin Hat Trio) [FRANCE]   CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL  /  ELECTRONIC  MOTHER MALLARD'S PORTABLE MASTERPIECE CO. / DAVID BORDEN –  MAKE WAY FOR MOTHER MALLARD COMING OUT AUGUST 2024  (Two discs of previously unreleased music - one from 1970s, one from 2010s - by electronic music pioneer/ classical minimalist composer David Borden and his band, Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co.) [USA] ~~~~~   ELECTRONIC – ROCK   ~~~~~~  RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL – GALACTIC FURNACE  (New double album by longstanding prolific UK electronic trio) [UK]   return to top CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR 2023–2024 CALENDAR IMPORTANT COVID REMINDER: In an evolving (and now endemic) COVID-19 world, and with adverse weather "events" happening in increasing frequency, 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 _______________________________ December 10 - The Hideout - 354 West Wabansia Ave - Chicago, IL - Sunday Sessions with a Light Sleeper: Winter Edition (with Wihuba)   Listen to & Buy:  Equaiverpoise 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 - Lincoln Hall - 2424 N Lincoln Ave - Chicago, IL [opening for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum] March 14  - Irving Theater - 5505 E Washington St - Indianapolis, IN [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 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 JANEL & ANTHONY DC's premiere cello / guitar / electronics duo prepare to release a new duo recording, following up an impressive and extensive roster of solo and larger ensemble recordings over the past several years.   Janel & Anthony with drummer Mike Kuhl: December 1 - Comet Ping Pong - 5037 Conn. Ave NW - Washington DC 20008 [Janel playing a solo set to open] December 2 - 2640 Space - 2640 Saint Paul Street - Baltimore, MD 21218 [Janel playing a solo set to open] December 13 - Union Pool - 484 Union Avenue - Brooklyn, NY December 30 - The Rotunda - 4014 Walnut St - Philadelphia, PA 19104 Listen to & buy: Janel & Anthony, Where Is Home LE REX Consisting of two saxophonists, trombone, tuba and drums, the Swiss band Le Rex is street smart & road-tested, ferociously grooving & lyrically charged: a new millennium jazz brass band powered by indie rock energy & attitude.   December 21 - BeJazz - Könizstrasse 161 - Liebefeld, Switzerland February 22 - Dekadenz- Obere Schutzengelgasse 3a, Brixen, Italy Listen to & buy: Escape of the Fire Ants, Wild Man      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 CLARK MILLER / Dream Interpretations for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble January 12 - Hawks & Reed - 289 Main St - Greenfield, MA 01301, 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 well in advance. ~~~~ December 23 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 December 31 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 2024 DATES: January 22 - Iridium - 1650 Broadway (corner of 51st and Broadway) - New York, NY 10019 February 16 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 February 17 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 March 25 - Iridium - 1650 Broadway (corner of 51st and Broadway) - New York, NY 10019 April 26 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 April 27 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 May 20 - Iridium - 1650 Broadway (corner of 51st and Broadway) - New York, NY 10019 June 21 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 June 22 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 August 23 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 August 24 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 October 25 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 October 26 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 December 20 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 December 21 - 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                     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 ________________________________ March 21-24 - [featured with THE MESSTHETICS] - Big Ears 2024 - Knoxville, TN     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   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! March 21-24 - Big Ears 2024 - Knoxville, TN   Listen to & buy: Old New   SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER ""The Best Music of 2015: A Banner Year for the Bold: …here are a dozen albums released in 2015 that I savored repeatedly for their musicality, clarity of statement and courage. …“X” by Schnellertollermeier marries brutality to avant-garde rock and jazz. A classic power trio from Switzerland, the band plays with punk fury and dazzling technical dexterity to create booming, bone-rattling music that stalks, confronts and astonishes." – The Wall Street Journal Brutal-jazz power trio Schnellertollermeier doesn't compromise. Their fresh and uncompromising mix of jazz, punk, rock, sound and free improvised music, combined with great musicianship, interplay and intense energy, has awed audiences at festivals of jazz, rock, pop and experimental music worldwide.  _____________________________ December 2 - CASo - Centro de Arte Sonoro - Riobamba 985 - Buenos Aires, Argentina December 5 - Audio Rebel - R. Visc. de Silva - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 22 - Fri-Son - Fribourg, Switzerland [opening for Young Gods]   Listen to & buy: 5  // Rights //  X           STIRRUP The Chicago-based Stirrup is Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello,tenor guitar),  Nick Macri (bass), Charles Rumback (drums).  A true collective, all three write and arrange for the band. “There is lyrical exposition, exciting juxtaposition, lots of power tempered by long flowing lines and strong solos.... Macri and Rumback anchor the jazzy in-and-out rhythms and the improvisations move effortlessly, sometimes collectively, sometimes hard and fast, at other times supple and enchanting, resulting in a strong contender for Best Album of 2020. – The New York City Jazz Record   December 13 - The Whistler - 2421 N Milwaukee Ave - Chicago, IL December 14 - Audio for the Arts - 7 S Blair St - Madison, WI December 15 - The Sugar Maple - 441 E Lincoln Ave - Milwaukee, WI   Listen to & buy: Stirrup + 6's The Avondale Addition To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact: promo@cuneiformrecords.com return to top our Holiday wish: SPEND THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH 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 (Joy) [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