Cuneiform Records MARCH 2026 Newsletter

CUNEIFORM RECORDS MARCH 2026 NEWSLETTER New Releases & Concerts read this newsletter online    LAPTOP/ COMPUTER: navigate email via colored links or scroll down  MOBILE:  scroll email or read online if images don't open ~~~~~~   2 NEW RELEASES COMING OUT MARCH 27, 2026: JANEL LEPPIN  – SLOWLY MELTING CINEMATIC INSTRUMENTAL / POST-GENRE / CONTEMPORY COMPOSITION / POST-ROCK / POST-JAZZ / INDIE ART / FUZZTONE Cellist & composer Janel Leppin's 2nd solo album of genre-defying music [USA] – Additional Cuneiform Records releases w/ Janel Leppin, + Janel & Anthony at Big Ears Festival 2026 ~~~ JANEL LEPPIN / ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH – PLUTO IN AQUARIUS AVANT JAZZ / CONEMPORARY COMPOSITION / IMPROVISATION Third release by composer / cellist Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash, a jazz ensemble featuring Washington DC avant jazz stars Brian Settles, Anthony Pirog, Luke Stewart, Larry Ferguson [USA] – Additional releases by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash on Cuneiform Records ~~~~~   OUT NOW!  RELEASED FEBRUARY 27, 2026: B.MEZ – UNDER CIRCUITOUS SKIES ELECTRONIC / AMBIENT / POST-GENRE / IMPROVISATION / Boston-based, genre-defying improvising project developed by members of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic: Michael Bierylo, Ken Field, Rick Scott, and for this recording, Roger Miller, the original co-founder of Birdsongs. [USA] – Birdsongs of the Mesozoic albums on Cuneiform ~~~~ FRÉDÉRIC L'EPÉE – CONTRE COURANT INSTRUMENTAL / AMBIENT / POST GENRE / ART ROCK Composer and guitarist Frédéric L'Epée, founder of French bands Yang, Philharmonie and Shylock, releases a new album of solo electric guitar music that emphasizing the instrument's exquisitely sensitive sonic range. [GERMANY/ FRANCE] – Yang & Philharmonie albums on Cuneiform ~~~~ DENMAN MARONEY – MEAN TIMES AVANT JAZZ Previously unreleased 1995 Knitting Factory concert by "hyperpianist" and composer Denman Maroney with Mark Dresser, Ellery Eskelin, Phil Haynes and Herb Robertson. [USA] ~~~~ NATHAN MOORE / EDDIE PREVOST / RAY RUSSELL – STACKED IMPROVISATION / FREE ROCK / FREE JAZZ  Two legends from the earliest days of British free music – drummer Eddie Prévost and guitarist Ray Russell –  join up with a guitarist from another generation – Nathan Moore – to perform a set of exuberant, exploratory music [UK] – Additional releases with Ray Russell on Cuneiform Records ~~~~ NEBELNEST – SAALFELDEN 2007 AVANT PROGRESSIVE / POST-ROCK Live recordings made by this hard-hitting, French instrumental beyond-genre, dark symphonic rock ensemble at Austria's 2007 Jazzfestival Saalfelden.  [FRANCE]  – Additional Nebelnest releases on Cuneiform Records  ~~~~ OUT NOW! RELEASED JANUARY 30, 2026 MIKE JOHNSON – THE GARDENS OF LOSS AVANT PROGRESSIVE / R.I.O. / POST-CLASSICAL / POST-ROCK  Composer, guitarist & lyricist Mike Johnson, co-founder of Thinking Plague, releases an album under his own name featuring classical orchestration – strings, brass, reeds, etc – and rock instrumentation, performed by 19 musicians from around the globe [USA] – Thinking Plague releases on Cuneiform Records ~~~ SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS COMING OUT APRIL 24, 2026: FRENCH TV  – THE SPANISH CAPER PROGRESSIVE ROCK A new double album by the prolific American progressive rock group French TV [USA] ~~~~~ SNEAK PEEKS  OF WHAT'S COMING OUT LATER IN 2026 & BEYOND: A LIST OF UPCOMING JAZZ , ROCK, & EXPERIMENTAL/ ELECTRONIC 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/   ~~~~~~                                                                                    read this newsletter online ~~~~~~   return to top TWO NEW RELEASES by JANEL LEPPIN                                 JANEL LEPPIN : SLOWLY MELTING                                              JANEL LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH :   PLUTO IN AQUARIUS    ON  CUNEIFORM RECORDS                       "Janel Leppin is one of the most restlessly creative forces                                           in 21st century jazz and rock." – AllMusic                Cellist-Composer JANEL LEPPIN  Presents Two Stunning New Projects That Reflect Her Expansive Vision — Both Out March 27th, 2026 on CUNEIFORM RECORDS. Bio information: JANEL LEPPIN Title: SLOWLY MELTING  (Cuneiform Rune 559) Format: CD  / VINYL / DIGITAL  File Under:  CINEMATIC INSTRUMENTAL / POST-GENRE / POST-ROCK / POST-JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION / FUZZTONE / Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS www.cuneiformrecords.com   Fuzztone and melody collide on the solo release SLOWLY MELTING, while PLUTO IN AQUARIUS, by her long-running avant-jazz unit ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH, speaks to this precarious political moment.                  Bio information: JANEL LEPPIN / ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH Title: PLUTO IN AQUARIUS (Cuneiform Rune 558) Format: CD  / VINYL / DIGITAL File Under: JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION / IMPROVISATION Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS www.cuneiformrecords.com   Over the past two decades, the cellist and multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin has worked steadily to become one of the most compelling composers and improvisers of her generation. With her beloved Washington, D.C. scene as her home base, she has earned renown among fans of new and experimental music worldwide. Her astonishing range of projects includes Janel and Anthony, the duo she shares with her spouse, Messthetics guitarist Anthony Pirog; the extraordinary pop-tinged singer-songwriter music she makes as Mellow Diamond; and music with Marissa Nadler, PRIESTS, Rose Windows and many others.   Now at the peak of her powers as both a bandleader and a solo performer, she’s released two new projects of staggering beauty as well as vast personal and political insight. Pluto in Aquarius features her longstanding avant-jazz chamber unit, Ensemble Volcanic Ash, with a lineup of her most trusted collaborators including Pirog, bassist Luke Stewart, saxophonist Brian Settles and drummer Larry Ferguson. Slowly Melting  is a riveting solo program that puts Leppin’s fuzz-saturated cello at the fore. She also contributes her accompaniment, crafting expansive soundscapes through guitar, bass, piano and Prophet-5 synthesizer.    Taken together, these Cuneiform Records releases highlight the duality at the core of her life as an artist, and as a person. In Ensemble Volcanic Ash, she’s once again an orchestra kid, relishing the camaraderie of making music with her friends. As a solo performer, especially onstage, she continues to marvel at how affecting the sound of her cello can be — how her centuries-old instrument, when thoughtfully filtered through analog technology, can bring a contemporary audience to tears.    These two albums also represent a triumph over adversity for Leppin, namely the physical hurdles she’s battled since college, when she severely injured her upper body and had to refrain from playing her instrument for more than a year. In the decades that followed, both setbacks and progress ensued, in addition to plenty of physical therapy.    Along the way, she learned to fulfill her musical passions by discovering new traditions, learning additional instruments that wouldn’t cause her pain, and delving into composition and arranging. As Pluto in Aquarius and Slowly Melting attest, today she’s a far more interesting musical personality than she would’ve become by staying put in a practice room. “Physically I cannot practice the way that classical cellists practice,” she explains. “So I knew I needed to expand. If I was going to stay in music, I needed to expand. And that’s what I’ve done.”    Moreover, both albums underscore Leppin’s vision as a composer — an aesthetic that balances her great gift for moving, ear-catching melody with a penchant for fearless improvisation. It’s a concept that comes into crystalline focus whenever Leppin discusses her favorite musicians, from the stalwarts of free jazz to a colleague Eyvind Kang to Dungen. “Tchaikovsky is another favorite,” she says, “he writes so many gorgeous melodies especially for the cello. I think that’s what I like about pop music; you have to write something strong that will resonate with an audience.     Gorgeous melodies, and equally gorgeous improvisations spun out from those melodies, define Slowly Melting.  But alongside those lyrical themes, the project’s major breakthrough is sonic and textural. Or, as Leppin puts it, “This is my love letter to fuzz.” That’s fuzz as in fuzzbox, the compact analog devices that Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Kevin Parker and other voyagers have used to innovate the sound of rock ’n’ roll. “Adding fuzz really changes everything on my instrument, in terms of its capabilities, the sustain, the richness of certain notes,” Leppin says. “There’s a lot of surprising moments that happen that you could never plan for — and I love that, especially live. I’ve been playing with electronics for 20-plus years, but I’d never really gone down that rabbit hole — and it is a rabbit hole.”    listen to/ share "ZONK" on Soundcloud, from JANEL LEPPIN's SLOWLY MELTING   Today, Leppin explains, “There’s a whole culture around fuzz, in terms of people who make and design the pedals, and the people who collect them.” Like any self-respecting fuzzhead, Leppin is cagey about the DIY builders she works with to fill out her pedalboard. But Slowly Melting is in part a testament to their circuitry prowess, and fuzz devotees will recognize totems of their culture in the track titles: “Zonk,” “Dizzy,” “Mk1,” “Germanium.”    Other tracks reference Leppin’s life in music. “Kaffa House,” an unaccompanied, fuzz-free solo piece, pays homage to the now-defunct D.C. venue where Leppin checked out punk and hardcore shows in high school. Another sans-fuzz performance, “L.A. Land,” reflects on a particularly inspired bill Leppin appeared on at Zebulon, with Pirog and harpist Mary Lattimore. “The Brink Is Home” celebrates engineer/producer Mike Reina and his Virginia studio, the Brink. Reina’s in-studio guidance, both technical and creative, has been invaluable to Leppin throughout her career. (Leppin’s previous solo album, which reveled more in the pure, unaffected timbre of the cello, was titled simply The Brink.)   Alongside “The Brink Is Home,” another of the album’s boldest performances is “Slowly Melting,” which Leppin performed as her nightly closer when she opened for the brilliant West African guitarist Mdou Moctar on tour. In concert, as on record, the track filled the room with robust overtones that underscored the poignant melody and created a physical, tangible presence. “Slowly Melting,” like most of the album it names, has the interpretive appeal of summer clouds: You’ll hear a lot of your favorite music in its oozing, morphing sonics — searing free jazz, My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sonny Sharrock, the list goes on. “Everyone was asking about this piece after the sets, asking me where they could buy it,” she recalls. Now they have a document to return to, and Leppin has a thrilling new solo concept to tour. “I can’t wait to perform this music for people,” she says. “I was completely amazed by how much the cello connected with people on that Mdou tour.”    Listen to/ share "Pluto In Aquarius" on Soundcloud, from PLUTO IN AQUARIOUS by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash Pluto in Aquarius, from Leppin’s long-running avant-chamber-jazz unit Ensemble Volcanic Ash, finds the cellist further exploring new sonic terrain, in a program of 13 relatively compact tracks ranging from collective free improvisation to rocking, tightly composed earworms. While Pluto in Aquarius is, like all of Leppin’s music, a deeply personal work, it’s also intensely political. Leppin wrote about half of the music in the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, and the remaining half after the inauguration that followed.    “So you’ll hear a lot of hopefulness here,” Leppin says, “as well as, of course, a lot of tension.” The album title signifies a momentous astrological transition, believed to bring radical change by reshaping power dynamics, technology, inequality and more. The music amplifies this inspiring message of optimistic struggle and resolve, and celebrates artists who’ve lived that fight. Shot through with Herrmann-esque anxiety, “We See Dark Money” is an appreciation for the transparency we’ve gained in our era of media omnipresence. “When politicians offer a word salad and can’t answer a question, it’s because they got a bunch of money from somebody,” Leppin says — and we’re all able to witness the chicanery in real time. It also nods to Shostakovich, a favorite composer of Leppin’s whose boundary-breaking art made him a constant target of the Russian secret police.    Equally sweet and aching, “Susan Was a Warrior” is named for the pedal-steel visionary Susan Alcorn, who died in January 2025. She was a dear friend, mentor and collaborator to Leppin, who arranged Alcorn’s music at album length for the 2020 release The Heart Sutra. “It’s a mournful piece,” Leppin says, “because I’m still processing this loss.” The post-punk-tinged “Jazz Is Resistance” borrows its title from a phrase associated with the D.C.-based arts non-profit CapitalBop. “Cruel Motherfuckers” is a noisy free-improv offensive against ICE. “Deerhoof Is God,” built around a bristly, hard-angled riff that evokes the art-punk institution, is a paean to a band Leppin calls “one of the most fearless in the world.”  “I just really respect them,” she adds. “I love that they say what they mean, in both politics and music.”    Throughout Pluto in Aquarius, the group’s language and interplay might seem leaner, meaner and grittier to veteran Ensemble Volcanic Ash fans. Longtime EVA saxophonist Sarah Hughes is absent here, simply because she relocated during the album’s writing and production. But in that absence Leppin found a new pared-back feel for the ensemble — often less like a midsize chamber ensemble and more like a scrappy, skronky free-jazz combo. “It’s a really raw sound and I love that,” Leppin says. “We had played some shows in this format and it was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole other thing now.’”   Hughes last appeared with Ensemble Volcanic Ash on To March Is to Love, a protest-themed work released just a few months before the ’24 election. Unfortunately, the thematic mission of that project is even more urgent today. “The most important thing then was that people were marching and making their voices heard,” Leppin says. “And now this is the follow-up, the marathon. That’s why one of the tracks is called ‘Hope Marathon.’ This is it. This is where we listen to each other. This is where we start forgiving each other because we need each other. This is where we remember our humanity.” ~ ~ ~  PRE-ORDER / LISTEN to Janel Leppin's SLOWLY MELTING  via BANDCAMP CD / LP / Digital formats     ALBUM CREDITS: Janel Leppin - Cello, guitar, bass, Prophet-5, piano Compositions: Janel Leppin Album art & Photography: Janel Leppin Cover photo: Shervin Lainez Engineering, mixing, mastering & production by Mike Reina Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA "Kaffa House" recorded at Janel's Room Studio PRE-ORDER / LISTEN to PLUTO IN AQUARIUS by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash via BANDCAMP CD / LP / Digital formats   ALBUM CREDITS Larry Ferguson - drums Janel Leppin - cello, CP-70 Anthony Pirog - guitar Brian Settles - tenor saxophone Luke Stewart - bass Composed by Janel Leppin Engineered by Mike Reina & Curtis Fye Mixed & mastered by Janel Leppin Produced by Mike Reina Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA Cover photo by Dennine Knox Album art &photos by Janel Leppin return to top Additional releases featuring JANEL LEPPIN on Cuneiform Records click on album art / name to BUY / LISTEN via BANDCAMP   JANEL & ANTHONY "Most musicians spend a lifetime mastering one or two styles, but apparently when these two work together, their talent knows no bounds." – Todd Manning, Burning Ambulance     Janel & Anthony perform at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville TN on March 27, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church NEW MOON IN THE EVIL AGE "New Moon in the Evil Age is a sprawling, ambitious work. Leppin's cello and Pirog's guitar form the core, their interplay a well-oiled machine after years of collaboration. ... In a world full of noise, this album stands out as a symphony of thoughtful rebellion and heartfelt soul-searching—truly, a soundtrack for both the revolution and the reflection." – Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz "On the first half of New Moon, the pair engage in a series of cinematic, predominantly cello-guitar duets whose cloudy atmospheres evoke Mogwai's soundtrack for...Les Revenants. Wistful expressions are drawn from folk, post-rock and ambient music... The second half turns the tables dramatically, featuring...sensuous pop pieces led by Leppin's yearning voice awash in drum machines and humming synths. ..a complimentary aesthetic and shared soul - an indivisibe whole formed by the album's two sides." – Antonio Poscic, The Wire   "#3 in THE TOP 5 D.C. JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2024 ...Their double-album possesses a distinct dichotomy. Its first half comprises gorgeous, cinematic instrumental work that variously echoes psych-folk (“New Moon”), post-rock (“Rain Falls in San Francisco”), chamber music (“Pacific Grove Monarch”)  and ‘80s sci-fi films (“Crystal Wish”). The second disc holds a collection of catchy, electronica-drenched indie-pop songs." – CapitalBop   WHERE IS HOME "The result is a marvelous surprise at every turn, as the duo...two absolute virtuosos...create atmospheres that at times evoke the music of Steve Tibbetts, Brian Eno, even soundtrack music. ...Exquisite...4 stars" - DownBeat "Best Albums of 2013: 4 stars – New Albums" – DownBeat   "Leppin and Pirog, who play a broad range of stringed, percussion and electronic instruments, have studied and played in numerous, widely varied genres... But whatever heading you try and file Where Is Home under proves inadequate. The opening track, ‘Big Sur’, evokes the jazz-rock Mahavishnu Orchestra, before we are taken into ‘The Clearing’, surrounded by electroacoustic sounds harking back to musique concrète, conjuring the spirit of French composer Pierre Schaeffer. ...a beguiling and thoughtfully crafted album... Our rating: 4/5 stars " – Barry Witherden,  BBC Music Magazine – Classical Music  Where Is Home received the 2012 WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Association) Award for Best Modern Rock Recording   JANEL LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH     TO MARCH IS TO LOVE "4/5 stars. ... To March Is to Love reveals what's possible when top-shelf players communicate in carefully articulated compositions; they allow for individual freedoms that add weight and dimension to the EVA's utterly original sound." – Thom Jurek, Allmusic "....Leppin is a cellist creating music you must hear. The sextet here plays gritty, super-smart New Jazz that features guitarist Anthony Pirog (...Messthetics...), two saxophonists (Brian Settles on tenor and Sarah Hughes on alto), plus bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Larry Ferguson. The band’s sound is rubbery and danceable, making it 21st-century jazz that is both “free” and remarkably accessible. ....The band has a wide range of gears, from ominous balladry that can move into sustained chaos to wide open spaces of shivering impressionism." — Will Layman, The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024, Popmatters   ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH "Leppin leans into a jazz-centric vision on the majestic and occasionally abrasive Ensemble Volcanic Ash, which affirms her place as a boundless musician who constantly leaves the listener intrigued. ...jazz, chamber music, contemporary classical, and punk seamlessly coalesce with bracing results.  Ensemble Volcanic Ash, comprising Leppin, bassist Luke Stewart, harpist Kim Sator, guitarist Anthony Pirog, alto saxophonist Sarah Hughes, tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, and drummer Larry Ferguson, exquisitely captures strings-driven melody, harmony, and noise at a furious clip. They both tug at the heartstrings and bust ears." – Brad Cohan, Jazz Times   SKULLCAP SNAKES OF ALBUQUERQUE "4/5 Stars. ...Cellist Janel Leppin and guitarist Anthony Pirog...in Washington...Baltimore-based drummer/percussionist Mike Kuhl   i.e. Skullcap... Their music is born from basic ideas, introduced with only minimal information and completed collectively. On Snakes of Albuquerque, that process sounds and feels organic and holistic. ...Snakes of Albuquerque offers top-shelf creativity and serious musical skill by the canny Skullcap. So much so, in fact, that their multivalent musical approach exists on its own plain."  – Thom Jurek, AllMusic return to top Janel Leppin opening solo performances on Mdou Moctar Tour; photo by Jared William Bowers return to top !! OUT NOW !! 5 ALBUMS RELEASED FEBRUARY 27, 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS RELEASE INFO: click album cover on list below or scroll down b.mez – UNDER CIRCUITOUS SKIES FREDERIC L'EPEE – CONTRE COURANT     DENMAN MARONEY – MEAN TIMES     NATHAN MOORE / EDDIE PREVOST / RAY RUSSELL – STACKED     NEBELNEST – SAALFELDEN 2007 return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED FEBRUARY 27 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS b.mez UNDER CIRCUITOUS SKIES Bio information: b.mez: MICHAEL BIERYLO, KEN FIELD, ROGER MILLER, RICK SCOTT Title: UNDER CIRCUITUS SKIES (Cuneiform Rune 3411) Format: DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records www.cuneiformrecords.com Release date: February 27, 2026 FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC / POST-GENRE / AMBIENT / IMPROVISATION / b.mez is a post-genre improvising project developed by members of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic: Michael Bierylo, Ken Field, Rick Scott, and for this recording, Roger Miller, the original co-founder of Birdsongs.   listen to/ share "LEDGE" on Soundcloud, by B. MEZ from UNDER CIRCUITOUS SKIES Since its founding in 1980, part of the ethos of the longstanding Boston-based art rock ensemble Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is to provide members with the opportunity to develop a compositional voice within the context of the group. While there were glimmers of improvisation in the music, several members – Michael Bierylo, Ken Field, and Rick Scott – felt the need to develop an improvisational voice, exploring the opportunities of spontaneous composition.   Starting in October 2007, the trio began a residency at Outpost 186, a gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was an artistic home for adventurous musicians in the Boston area. For each of these sessions, the trio invited a fourth player to join them for two sets of music that was completely improvised. The additional players included a wide range of instrumentalists, each with their own improvisational language. The music was always different, with the core members adapting to the voice their guest brought to the musical conversation. The group adopted the name b.mez as a nod to their roots, and they continued their Outpost sonic explorations at various times, developing new sounds and musical strategies distinct from their work in Birdsongs.   In May 2019, the group had the opportunity to record for three days at Hearstudios in Camden, Maine. For these sessions, they were joined by Roger Clark Miller, who is perhaps best known for his work with Mission of Burma and who co-founded Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. Through his many varied solo projects, Miller has developed a wide range of unique musical perspectives that he brought to this project, along with a strong personal and aesthetic connection with the group.   The music in this album is completely improvised, and each piece takes the listener on a journey, sometimes calm, other times aggressive, a balance of consonance and dissonance where nothing is gratuitous. While electronics play a big part in the sound, it doesn’t come across as electronic. Looping and effect processing are a part of each player’s voice, extending their inherent musical sensibility without sublimating it.   The music here represents a coherent musical statement, true to the players’ instincts as they manifested themselves over these three days. The ephemeral nature of improvisation can provide a compelling experience for the listener, and the music here will reward the curious ear. ~ ~ ~ ALBUM CREDITS Michael Bierylo : guitar, modular synthesizer, loops Ken Field : alto & sopranino saxophones, concert & alto flutes, percussion, loops Roger Miller : guitar, Rogue lap-steel guitars,electric piano, piano, prepared piano, loops Rick Scott : synthesizers, loops ~ ~ ~ buy / listen to b.mez's Under Circuitous Skies on Bandcamp:   return to top BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC ALBUMS  ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS ''Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic has found a common ground amoung garage band rock, classical, minimalism, UK progressive rock, and it's own favorite noises.''  – The New York Times ''...fantastically innovative music.'' -– Exposé  click on album art or name to BUY and/or LISTEN on BANDCAMP THE IRIDIUM CONTROVERSY "...musicianship of the highest calibre, married with an extremely high level of compositional craft...seasoned with a subtle, witty approach...  ...this disc is choc full of invention....“New Music” in a very real sense, as Birdsongs... blend Neo-classicism, chamber music, and minimalism with the tension and excitement of the post-punk era, finding room to squeeze in influences from Rock, Jazz and Pop... ...The whole thing is just delightful. ...a tremendous CD. ...that could well be a future classic.  Conclusion: 9 out of 10" – Dave Sissons, DPRP   2001 LIVE BIRDS "Since the moment I first heard Magnetic Flip around twenty years ago, I’ve been a fan... To me, they’ve always represented the best of what “progressive” music can be, actually creating something new and unique. ...The set list for this live recording reads pretty much exactly like what I’d put on a single CD best-of to introduce a newbie to the band, down to including their whimsical takes on the themes from Rocky & Bullwinkle and The Simpsons. " – Jon Davis, Exposé PETROPHONICS "...“Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic” have perhaps achieved the pinnacle of mastery with this truly superb newly released effort. ... ...while many of these compositions boast multilayered passages, dynamic rhythms and poignant soloing, the band captures one’s imagination with memorable melodies, crunching ensemble work and truly spirited interplay as the strong writing often spawns wonderment. Ultimately, Petrophonics contains all the earmarks of a timeless classic and one that might rejuvenate the musical spirits from within, as this is one of those rare recordings that imparts a lasting impression." – Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz DANCING ON A'A "Dancing on A'a is another outstanding release from this unique, eclectic, and virtually-impossible-to-describe ensemble. The music of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is a bizarre and quirky mixture of avant-garde, 20th Century classical, electronic, and progressive elements. ...For anyone into the more experimental and avant-garde realms of prog, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic present some fantastically innovative and complex music, and Dancing on A'a is their best album yet. If you've never heard these guys before, what are you waiting for?" – Rob Walker, Exposé   PYROCLASTICS   "Birdsongs of the Mesozoic is an unusual band. While they practice an adventurous form of progressive instrumental rock - at times closer to jazz or classical - they still manage to come across as playful and catchy. It is a true testament to their compositional skill... Like Frank Zappa...they also manage to combine an incredibly high level of musical expertise and instrumental precision with a sense of humor. These elements all make Birdsongs a force to be reckoned with."  – Gary Hill, Music Street Journal FAULTLINE "Faultline was the first Birdsongs of the Mesozoic album to be released following the departure of founding member and painist Roger Miller. ... The revised line up gave BOTM a more varied sonic pallette, although their characteristic influences (minimalism, chamber rock, contemporary avant garde and ambient) remain essentially the same. ... Faultline is a well written and executed album with some exemplary playing.." –Syzygy, Progarchives    BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC (with ROGER MILLER)                                                                  THE FOSSIL RECORD 1980-1987                                                       "4/5 STARS. "The Fossil Record" is a collection of rarities of BOTM first years. You can hear not only the beginning of their sound, but also a change in the conception of progressive music, avoiding the influence of...the 70´s and redirecting the concept of innovative music. ...its sound is very in the 80´s mood, not in the sense of Neo Prog style, but in the vein of the new keyboards and technologies. In this sense, a lot in the avantgarde."  – Progarchives                                                                                                                                       DAWN OF THE CYCADS     “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.” So yeah, thank you. Because who could resist the stately and surprisingly plump pieces on this comprehensive Ace of Hearts anthology with superadded bonus outtakes and live tracks? " – The Noise   BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC WITH ORAL MOSES                            EXTREME SPIRITUALS "Extreme Spirituals is a unique recording that transcends all of the genres it contains within its smorgasbord of jazz and electronic infused traditional African-American spirituals. Birdsongs of the Mesozoic are an avant-garde experimental new music group...acclaimed for their fusion of classical/traditional forms with more modern influences such as punk, garage, pop and rock. Here they are joined by bass baritone Oral Moses, a scholar and interpreter of African-American spirituals. Moses' vocal ability is affecting, to say the least; he can sound both terrifyingly powerful and vulnerable, yearning and exposed." –  Exclaim return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED FEBRUARY 27 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS FREDERIC L'EPEE CONTRE COURANT Bio information: FRÉDÉRIC L’EPÉE Title: CONTRE COURANT (Cuneiform Rune 3408) Format: DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records  www.cuneiformrecords.com Release date: February 27, 2026 FILE UNDER: INSTRUMENTAL / AMBIENT /  POST-GENRE / ART ROCK / MINIMALIST   Composer and guitarist FRÉDÉRIC L'EPÉE. leader of French guitar-centric groups Yang, Philharmonie, and Shylock, releases CONTRE COURANT, a melodic, mesmerizing and minimalist-infused album of solo electric guitar music that explores the instrument's delicate side, the electric guitar's natural richness and exquisite range of sounds listen to/ share "FESTINA LENTE" on Soundcloud, by FRÉDÉRIC L'EPÉE from CONTRE COURANT For many, electric guitar brings to mind rock music, distortion, dramatic poses, and frenzied solos. But some guitarists develop different, sometimes even opposite styles. Frédéric L'Epée is one of them. In this album of solo electric guitar, the guitar sounds mostly natural with the exception of a few sound effects here and there. There is nothing complicated or flashy, no guitar solo or spectacular licks.   The emphasis is on the delicacy, the richness and the variety of sound.   Frédéric L'Epée's goal with Contre courant, his first solo release on Cuneiform Records, as with his previous self-released solo, 12 Pieces for Solo Electric Guitar, is to give the instrument a solo repertoire similar to that found for classical guitar and classical instruments in general. A true solo recital where the electric guitar stands on its own. Compared to Yang, his band consisting of two guitars, bass and drums, Frédéric L'Epée's solo music is intimate, introspective, and secretive, and Frédéric delivers it to us as if unveiling a personal collection of precious stones. In his own words:   “In the Tao Te Jing, Yang is the principle of openness and brightness, of active, solar force. Yin is the principle of internalization, conservation and depth, like a source from which we draw, a valley, a solace. My solo music is the Yin facet of my musical personality, an expression of my most intimate and secret emotions, which I share with restraint.”   His music was born out of a wide variety of influences: classical music with a violinist father, discovery of rock music in the 1960s, progressive rock, contemporary and experimental music in the 1970s. At the same time he also discoverd French classical music, especially that of the early 20th century. One of his great frustrations is that his favorite French composers, Claude Debussy, Eric Satie, Maurice Ravel and Gabriel Fauré, never composed anything for guitar. Some of the pieces in Contre Courant, such as "Sarabande", "Les Sonneurs", and "Trois Miniatures", are like nods to these composers and transport us to impressionistic and colorful atmospheres. Contre courant offers us subtle music which, if we take the time to let ourselves be carried away, is both soothing and invigorating.   Refusing to choose between his self-taught rock background and his classical training as a contemporary composer, Frédéric L'Epée assembles a repertoire, both with Yang and as a solo artist, that builds bridges between the two genres, drawing on jazz and world music along the way.   ~ ~ ~ "As we have all experienced, music has healing properties. Without thinking about it or seeking it out, the music I have created in recent years has very often taken the form of a therapeutic act, like a musical cure aimed at bringing peace and serenity. Most of us are aware of the decline of the Western world. Although it has long been presented to us as the best possible, the inevitability of its collapse, dragging all of humanity down with it, is now becoming increasingly clear. Some people are still standing up to fight against this meltdown, and their humanitarian, social, or political actions help us to maintain hope. Some others strive to ease suffering and tensions, more like caregivers. Unconsciously, my musical work has gradually shifted toward—and then identified with— a kind of treatment, an act of abstract care." –  Frédéric L'Epée ~ ~ ~ ALBUM CREDITS:  Frédéric L'Epée: guitars, baritone guitar Cover art: Tobias Reber                                                               photo above left: Frédéric L'Epée with Les Paul guitar  photo on right: Frédéric L'Epée with Parker guitar ~ ~ ~ buy / listen to FRÉDÉRIC L’EPÉE's Contre courant on Bandcamp:     return to top          Listen to & buy albums by Fréderic Le'Epée's  Yang and Philharmonie ensembles on Cuneiform Records click on album art to buy and/or listen YANG REJOICE! "Known for their meticulous guitar work and dynamic shifts, YANG's music takes listeners on an emotional and cerebral journey.... The production, typical of Cuneiform Records' high standards, is flawless, allowing each layer of the music—from the subtlest guitar harmonics to the towering crescendos—to shine. Listening to YANG is like riding a rollercoaster through sound—full of thrilling twists, breathtaking drops, and moments of unexpected beauty." – Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz   DESIGNED FOR DISASTER                                                                                                          "Fréderic L’Épée, the sole composer for Yang,...has an interest in minimalism, Chinese language and culture, the guitar (Robert Fripp is his guru) and his favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach. Stick those influences in a blender and what you get is the latest album from Yang, Designed for Disaster. ... ...Despite Origins, an ingenious track...starts out as a guitar fugue with a nod to Bach, developing into a more traditional guitar workout, then moving quite suddenly into a Gothic closing piece which has to be inspired by Carl Orff, its operatic but dark and dramatic vocalisations giving way to guitar.... It’s an extraordinary and dark ending to a great album, and proves L’Épée to be a fine composer. I’ve never heard anything quite like it before, and I will certainly be exploring earlier work from Yang on the strength of this." – Graham Thomas, The Progressive Aspect  A  COMPLEX NATURE   " 4 STARS. With a heavy and throbbing drone, Yang kicks this CD off with a bang and weaves their way inside your eardrums without letting go. ... "Impatience" has that slightly funky up-tempo style epitomized so well by legendary greats of the Metheny camp...This piece alone showcases how clever Frederic's songwriting skills are.. He certainly is the master of style, compositional difficulty and originality. ...sonic originality that will please a wide variety of fans." – Greg Cummins, Sea of Tranquility            PHILHARMONIE "...a trio of top-flight guitarists with a sharp sense of melody and impeccable stylistic influences"- i/e   THE LAST WORD / LE DERNIER MOT             This is the real deal, and without a doubt Philharmonie’s best release ever. ...The opening track, “Rondo Argentin,” ... merging that ethereal moodiness so prevalent on their first album with a new spirited energy... But even that won’t prepare the listener for the very Crimson-like ."Metamorphose” – this sucker flat-out screams: this is the kind of music King Crimson should be making instead of wasting their time on all these half-powered Projekcts. .... Seven tracks total, and all are outstanding. For Philharmonie, their last word is definitely their finest. My highest recommendation." – Peter Thelen, Exposé  RAGE "...the most immediately noticeable change is in drummer Jean-Louis Boutin — he's..adding a whole new dimension to the group-written material....the music still reaches those wonderful intricate heights where multi-guitars weave a complex tapesty of interlocking arpeggios that will leave you breathless, but there's a lot more to their sound... For any readers that have never heard Philharmonie before,..check them out. Highly recommended." – Peter Thelen, Exposé NORD    "Their trademark style is fluid, subtle, and uniquely French — energetic yet not busy, and unlike Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists, to which comparisons might likely be made, though Philharmonie's approach to composition seems far more natural and effervescent, not so academic and rigid... The addition of drums...is never overbearing, always yielding priority to the guitar and Stick work, essentially following the natural percussive attack of those instruments. Those who enjoyed the previous Philharmonie albums are sure to enjoy this one, as well as all fans of spirited guitarwork everywhere."– Peter Thelen, Exposé LES ELEPHANTS CARRIONNEURS / THE ELEPHANT BELL-RINGERS   LES ELEPHANTS CARRIONNEURS has received airplay globally since its 1993 release to the present day: BBC Late Junction with Verity Sharp, Oct. 8, 2009 NPR Weekend Edition (USA), January 4, 2026 [and previous dates] WNYC New Sounds, 2007 "Global Guitars" WFMU 1993 , WUVT 2008 and other stations worldwide return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED FEBRUARY 27 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS DENMAN MARONEY MEAN TIMES Bio information: DENMAN MARONEY Title: MEAN TIMES (Cuneiform Rune 3409) Format: DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records  www.cuneiformrecords.com Release date: February 27, 2026 FILE UNDER: AVANT JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION Previously unreleased 1995 concert at NYC's Knitting Factory by composer / hyperpianist DENMAN MARONEY with four of the top players on New York's avant jazz scene: HERB ROBERTSON on trumpet, ELLERY ESKELIN on tenor saxophone, MARL DRESSER on bass and  PHIL HAYNES on drums   listen to/ share "MEAN TIMES" on Soundcloud, by DENMAN MARONEY from MEAN TIMES ALBUM CREDITS: Herb Robertson – trumpet  Ellery Eskelin – tenor saxophone  Denman Maroney – composition and sampled hyperpiano  Mark Dresser – bass  Phil Haynes – drums   Recorded April 11, 1995 live in concert at the Knitting Factory, New York NY.  DENMAN MARONEY tells us the genesis of the 1995 concert and the resulting album Mean Times: "I formed the band on this album in order to play along with digital samples of hyperpiano, which I had made because I feared the acoustic piano was an endangered species.   I met trumpeter Herb Robertson in the 1970s through multi-instrumentalist David Simons, who invited him to join our band Iota Jot Yod with vocalist Shelley Hirsch and bassist Skip LaPlante, Ed Schuller, or Arthur Kell.  I met drummer Phil Haynes in the early 1990s when we both played in bassist Mark Dresser’s quintet with trumpeter Dave Douglas and vocalist Theo Bleckmann.  I met saxophonist Ellery Eskelin at around the same time at Phil’s Corner Store studio in Brooklyn. I called the piece Mean Times, not because times were mean, but because I was (and still am) interested in temporal harmony. Thus here mean means intermediary not nasty.   Now times are indeed mean meaning nasty, and Herb Robertson has died, so it feels right to release this recording despite the low fidelity.   Oscar Wilde said all art is quite useless. I disagree."                                     – Denman Maroney, 2026   Amplified about DENMAN MARONEY: “Conlon Nancarrow meets Thelonious Monk – a mathematical master with groove. Maroney manages to keep jazz in motion without demystifying it. Instead of displaying virtuosity, a collective consciousness unfolds that questions space, time, and sound...  ...a composer who approaches jazz as if he's remeasured the universe.” - Alexander Moell, Amplified ~ ~ ~   buy / listen to Denman Maroney's MEAN TIMES on Bandcamp: ~ ~ ~   ADDITIONAL DENMAN MARONEY RELEASES ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS (click cover image to buy / hear on Bandcamp)   NITS MUSICA   "Maroney views himself as a “hyperpianist", which involves bowing and sliding the strings with bars, cylinders, bowls, blocks, and cases which really does make him sound like no-one else. ... Not for the fainthearted, this is for those who want to hear music and musical instruments being pushed past their limits. "     – Kev Rowland, Kev's World, Gonzo Weeklyish return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED FEBRUARY 27 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS NATHAN MOORE / EDDIE PREVOST / RAY RUSSELL STACKED Bio information: NATHAN MOORE / EDDIE PRÉVOST / RAY RUSSELL Title: STACKED (Cuneiform Rune 3407) Format: DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records  www.cuneiformrecords.com Release date: February 27, 2026 FILE UNDER: IMPROVISATION / FREE ROCK / FREE JAZZ Two legends from the earliest beginning of British free music – percussionist EDDIE PREVOST (founder of AMM) and guitarist RAY RUSSELL – join up in London in 2025 with a next-generation guitarist, NATHAN MOORE, to perform a set of exuberant, exploratory music more informed by rock music than one might expect.    listen to/ share "RAISE" on Soundcloud, by PREVOST/ RAY RUSSELL from STACKED CREDITS: Nathan Moore : electric guitar (right) Eddie Prévost : drums Ray Russell : electric guitar (left) Recorded at The Crypt Studio, London, April 24, 2025 Eddie Prevost, Ray Russell and Nathan Moore share thoughts on their 2025 session at The Crypt, released on Cuneiform Records as Stacked: “On my way to the studio, I was thinking that it been a long while since I had played ‘blind’ on a session. A true spontaneous event.  And, no bass player. This intrigued me. The magic of improvised music is just that, your unconscious takes over and you are reacting to each other in the room (which was open without screens).  We sat - our dynamics as a group which is another part of the cognitive experience. This session stayed in my head as I tried to remember more than my ‘RAM’ could hold. I know this - the music that was made had a unique Sonic Signature. I’m so pleased that it’s going to be available to others.” - Ray Russell “Back around 2000 a couple of Ray Russell's albums were released on CD for the first time: Dragon Hill and Rites and Rituals.  That was the first time I heard Ray and was immediately smitten.  Then I got Live at the I.C.A., and it was game over.  Being in the studio with Eddie Prevost and Ray was a bit surreal, I had to pinch myself.  Then I wondered, ‘will this work’?  And of course, it was even better than I’d hoped.  I haven’t heard music quite like this before – improvised, focused, exuberant, exploratory, but also close to a rock vocabulary while staying free with it.  A different thing, for which I am grateful.” - Nathan Moore   “Making this recording with Ray and Nathan was both interesting and challenging. Not in an academic, or a laborious manner. Quite the reverse. I liked the way we each played our own game, but lent an ear, and (as it were) offered an helping-hand to enable a collaboration. We all come from slightly different schools of music-making outside of the stricter regime of the classical world, so I guess there is a common scepticism about ‘the proper way of doing things’. Long live a tolerant counter-culture.” - Eddie Prévost     L-R: Ray Russell  - Eddie Prevost -   Nathan Moore BIO INFORMATION:          EDDIE PREVOST Drummer Eddie Prevost  was born on June 22, 1942 in England. As a teenager he played drums in Skiffle and trad jazz bands before showing signs of the creative musician that was forming. After his initial exposure to two of his greatest influences Max Roach and Ed Blackwell, Prévost became fascinated with the endless possibilities of improvisation and, in 1965, he co-founded the English improv ensemble AMM with saxophonist Lou Gare and guitarist Keith Rowe, who were subsequently joined by Cornelius Cardew and, later, John Tilbury. Their debut recording was released by Elektra, but they went on to form one of the earliest UK independent labels so as to better control their own destiny. Since then, Prévost has formed lasting relationships with musicians from across the globe, including Marilyn Crispell and Sachiko M. In addition to his performance activities, Prévost started a free improvisation workshop in London in 1999.  The workshop continues to this day and has had over 600 attendees.   RAY RUSSELL A professional musician for more than 6 decades, guitarist Ray Russell has worked as a performer, bandleader, composer and producer, touring and recording with countless musicians and  composing and playing on movie, TV and theatre soundtracks; he won an ASCAP award for the most played music on American TV in one year. He has been a contractor, musician or musical director for artists such as Tina Turner, George Harrison, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and more. In recent years, Russell’s avant-garde leaning solo work from the early 1970s has been discovered by a new generation of admirers, led by the international noise-scene vanguard.   NATHAN MOORE Nathan Moore is an electric guitarist informed by improvisation, rock, jazz, and modern classical and electronic music. Notable collaborators, live and on record, include Sue Lynch, Eddie Prevost, Henry Kaiser, John Butcher, Caroline Kraabel, Roger Turner, Dominic Lash, Rachel Musson, Steve Noble, Alan Wilkinson, Phil Durrant, Jason Yarde.  He has played at UK venues such as Iklectik, The Vortex, Café OTO, Hundred Years Gallery, and the Huddersfield Festival of Contemporary Music.             ‘Moore shifts fluidly from argumentatively fractured jazz licks to spacey atmospherics to mad cat hisses; the appositeness of his contributions belies the sparseness of his recorded discography’ - The Wire    ~ ~ ~ buy / listen to STACKED by NATHAN MOORE / EDDIE PRÉVOST / RAY RUSSELL on Bandcamp: CREDITS: Nathan Moore : electric guitar (right) Eddie Prévost : drums Ray Russell : electric guitar (left) Recorded at The Crypt Studio, London, April 24, 2025. Recording Engineer: David Simpson Producer: Ed Pettersen Mixing and mastering: Rupert Clervaux Stacked image: Stuart Wilding return to top ADDITIONAL RAY RUSSELL RELEASES ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS click on album art or name to BUY and/or LISTEN on BANDCAMP RAY RUSSELL   SECRET ASYLUM CREDITS: Harry Beckett – trumpet and flugel horn Gary Windo – tenor sax and flute Darryl Runswick – bass Alan Rushton – drums Ray Russell – electric and acoustic guitars, and piano FLUID ARCHITECTURE CREDITS: Ray Russell : guitars - with - Eric Baldwin: found sounds, sequential creativity (1) George Baldwin: bass, Chapman Stick (2/5/8) Chris Biscoe: tenor clarinet & soprano saxophone (2/8/9) Mo Foster: bass (9) Nic France: drums (5) Simon Phillips: drums (2/4/8) Ralph Salmins: drums (9) Jim Watson: keyboards (2/5/8) GOODBYE SVENGALI CREDITS: Robin Aspland - Fender Rhodes piano and Hammond B3 organ [1/8] Amy Baldwin - double bass [1/3/8] Gil Evans - keyboards [4] Miles Evans - trumpet [3] Mo Foster - bass guitar [6] Gary Husband - drums and keyboards [3/6/9] Tony Hymas - keyboards [10] Anthony Jackson - double bass [10] Phil Peskett - keyboards [2] Simon Phillips - drums [10] Ray Russell - electric and acoustic guitars [all tracks] Ralph Salmins - drums [1/8]   HENRY KAISER & RAY RUSSELL HENRY KAISER & RAY RUSSELL CREDITS: guitars: Henry Kaiser, Ray Russell saxophones: Steve Adams, Joshua Allen, Phillip Greenlief, Aram Shelton electric bass: Michael Manring acoustic bass: Damon Smith drums: Weasel Walter, William Winant recorded live by Adam Munoz at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA on April 12, 2014 "The Celestial Squid pairs guitarist/improviser Henry Kaiser with one of his earliest idols, British guitarist...Ray Russell.... Not only is the guitar playing inventive and intuitive but the interaction between horns and the rhythm section is muscular and supportive. ...It is a welcome return to the athletic fringes for Russell and one of the most inspired and striking of Kaiser's two-guitar encounters to date." – Thom Jurek, All Music "Russell is in particularly fine form, harking back to the McLaughlin-esque shapes he was making in 1971 on Rites & Rituals. Kaiser is equally inventive as he lets loose from his guitar electrified psychedelic mantras coupled with Derek Bailey styled meditations that merge with Russell's more jazz oriented bluster and roar. ...this sounds like a lot of fun was had by all involved – and hearing Ray Russell play like a demon again is certainly worth the price of admission alone." – Edwin Pouncey, Jazzwise return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED FEBRUARY 27, 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS NEBELNEST SAALFELDEN 2007 Bio information: NEBELNEST Title: SAALFELDEN 2007 (Cuneiform Rune 3389) Format: DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records  www.cuneiformrecords.com Release date: February 27, 2026 FILE UNDER: AVANT-PROGRESSIVE / POST-ROCK / ROCK IN OPPOSITION NEBELNEST'S concert at the world-reknowned 2007 Saalfelden Jazzfestival was the pinnacle of the band's live performances, introducing the 10-year-old  band to new avant music audiences. It would also be the band's last show. SAALFELDEN 2007 features live recordings made by this hard-hitting, French instrumental ensemble whose uniquely post-punk take on zeuhl music / dark symphonic rock incorporated found-sound, noise, improvisation and dissonance. listen to/ share "Pillars of Birth" on Soundcloud, by NEBELNEST from SAALFELDEN 2007 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 quartet 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.   NeBeLNeST was founded in 1997. Following the departure of founding guitarist Cyril Malderez in 2003, the band enters a turbulent period. Sébastien Carmona steps in for several live performances and countless rehearsals, helping bring to completion, through much struggle, the group’s highly acclaimed third album, ZePTO, whose influences included electric Miles. This chaotic phase eventually leads to Carmona's departure, and he is swiftly replaced by Mathieu Sassier, ensuring that the band can honor its live commitments for 2007.   With strong support from Cuneiform Records, NeBeLNeST is invited to perform at the prestigious NEARFest International Festival in the United States – the premier North American festival for Art Rock and progressive musics, sharing the stage with legendary acts such as Hawkwind and Magma. Yet, as has often been the case for NeBeLNeST, nothing comes easily. Sassier initially declines the U.S. invitation, his academic commitments take priority. The band then turns to Julien Wack, a guitarist/saxophonist long connected to the NeBeLNeST circle, to fill the position.   Rehearsals for the live dates begin in quintet form, and it is ultimately as a five-piece that NeBeLNeST goes on to perform three landmark shows in its history:   The Rock in Opposition Festival in Carmaux, France NEARFest in the United States The Saalfelden Jazz Festival in Austria   NeBeLNeST 2007: Gregory TeJeDOR, Olivier TeJeDOR, Matthieu SASSIER, Julien WACK, Michael ANSeLMI. The Rock in Opposition performance remains a bitter memory. Since the band stood firm in refusing to give up the recording rights, no festival sound engineers stepped in to assist with the mix. That lack of technical support and the quiet tension it created inevitably left its mark on the show, resulting in a performance that fell sonically short of expectations.   But this setback acts as a wake-up call for their future live dates. Intense rehearsals follow, and NeBeLNeST departs for the U.S. more determined than ever, eight years after their first American tour built around ProgDay 1999. At NEARFest, they hit it off quickly with the members of Magma and enjoy time with old friends of Orion Studios (Baltimore). Despite recurring technical issues throughout the festival, the performance becomes one of the band’s finest memories. Olivier Tejedor also had the great pleasure of performing at NEARfest with the band's friends from the 5uu’s, Bob Drake and Dave Kerman. He literally arrived on stage just three seconds before the start of the set; delayed at Nebelnest’s NEARfest post-concert autograph session by hundreds of fans, he had completely lost track of time! This last-minute, improvisational vibe perfectly matched the spirit of the show, with Dave Kerman arriving on stage in pajamas, a bathrobe, and a shower cap, complete with a pillow he placed on the drums, ready to snooze through the set in perfect drummer style.   Nebelnest also had the pleasure at NEARfest of meeting Gary Green, the legendary guitarist of Gentle Giant. To top it all off, during the festival’s unforgettable closing night, Nebelnest member Michael Anselmi crossed paths with one of his childhood idols, Jello Biafra, who had come to catch one of his favorite bands, Magma. What a rush !   Upon returning from the U.S., the band receives an invitation to perform at the Saalfelden Jazz Festival in Austria, along with a fee higher than they had ever received before. Ironically, this success forces NeBeLNeST to file an official tax declaration in France, a first for a band that had never earned profits; in fact, the band members had personally funded 15 years of rehearsal space in Paris. This tax story would continue to haunt the band long after its dissolution…  By the end of the summer of 2007, the quintet’s lineup is firmly established. With their own sound engineer on board, the difference is unmistakable. Olivier TeJeDOR: Keyboards Michael ANSeLMI : Drums Gregory TeJeDOR : Bass Matthieu SaSSLeR : Guitar Julien WACK : Sax, Flute, Guitar   Saalfelden 2007 is an excerpt from NeBeLNeST’s 2007 performance at the esteemed jazz/avant music festival in Austria, Jazzfestival Saalfelden, which marked the band's final live appearance. Shortly after returning from Austria, the band enters the studio to begin work on a fourth album. The process lasts four years… until NeBeLNeST quietly disappears, leaving no trace, LoST in its own labyrinth of sound.   But that is another story… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ buy / listen to SAALFELDEN 2007 by NeBeLNeST   on Bandcamp: CREDITS:  Olivier TeJeDOR: Keyboards Michael ANSeLMI : Drums Gregory TeJeDOR : Bass Matthieu SaSSLeR : Guitar Julien WACK : Sax, Flute, Guitar Recorded 8/23/2007 at Nexus Kunsthaus Café, Saalfelden, Austria Live sound engineer: Benoit Houdard Drawing by Frederic Avignon / Design by J.H. Management: Nicolas Puchot return to top ADDITIONAL NEBELNEST RELEASES ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS click on album art or name to BUY and/or LISTEN on BANDCAMP   ZEPTO "AllMusic 4.5/5 stars.  ...the French trio has finally nailed their sound with Zepto. ...everything simply coalesces to push NeBeLNeST's fierce and creative music in your face.  ...a unique take on avant-prog, with shades of electric Miles ("De Thriumpho Naturae"), a noisier and grittier attitude (think Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, perhaps), and free improvisations that feel much freer... ...Zepto is a stellar set of ballsy, thought-provoking avant-prog with a vintage touch, thanks to Tejedor's keyboard sounds. ...the most unadulterated incarnation of the band's vision. Zepto is what NeBeLNeST always tried to be, but had not quite achieved yet. Highly recommended." – Francois Couture, AllMusic   NOVA EXPRESS  "This young quartet evoke the spirit of legendary Euroean Rock In Opposition bands such as Magma, Heldon and Univers Zero. Central to the sound is the continuous rolling boil of Michael Anselmi's drumming and the throbbing, groaning, all-over-the-fretboard bass work of Gregory Tejedor. The two often double up, playing rhythmic figures in unison, for a classic zeuhl bottom end that is absolutely relentless. Guitarist Cyril Malderrez and keyboardist Olivier Tejedor do their own riffing over the top, weaving long, intricate lines and motifs that are nimble and texturally rich... This is instrumental prog rock at its very best." - Bill Tilland, Alternative Press return to top !! OUT NOW !! RELEASED JANUARY 30, 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS MIKE JOHNSON THE GARDENS OF LOSS Bio information: MIKE JOHNSON Title:  THE GARDENS OF LOSS (Cuneiform Rune 521) Format: CD / DIGITAL Release date: January 30, 2026 www.cuneiformrecords.com FILE UNDER: AVANT ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE / POST-CLASSICAL    Composer and Guitarist MIKE JOHNSON, co-founder of the legendary, longstanding American experimental / Rock In Opposition band THINKING PLAGUE, unleashes his formidable compositional skills to create his first 'solo' album, THE GARDENS OF LOSS, an unflinchingly original, post-genre, orchestral work  steeped equally in  rock and classical tradition, and performed by a global orchestra Destined to be one of 2026’s most ambitious, adventurous, and relevant releases, The Gardens of Loss features performances by 19 musicians currently based in the USA (Johnson, several Thinking Plague alumni, and others); Canada (Kimara Sajn); Portugal (Nuno Mourão); Spain (Pau Sola Masafrets);  Sweden (Simon Steensland, Morgan Ågren), and  The Netherlands (Oene van Geel, Pablo Rodriguez, César Puente Sandoval, George Dumitriu)   listen to/ share "The Lords of Creation" on Soundcloud, from Mike Johnson's The Garden of Loss "...the aesthetic is generally more orchestral in the 2Oth century sense, while still incorporating some intensely "rock" elements. It's not "classical" orchestration pasted onto rock band tracks, rather, it's integrated to sound like a big electro-acoustic ensemble with many voices....very organic... ....All the tracks deal explicitly or implicitly with some kind of regret, loss or threat of loss..." – Mike Johnson, on The Gardens of Loss In 1982, Mike Johnson cofounded Thinking Plague, a storied band whose forty-five year history has seen it cleave consistently to the extreme limits of what is possible to do within rock music. Much of the music it released has owed more to traditions external to rock, such as folk, chamber music, and particularly, the avant-garde tradition of twentieth-century classical music. Its thread has always been twisted into a thicker yarn, variously labeled with terms such as ‘art rock’, ‘avant-rock’, ‘avant-progressive’ and also ‘Rock in Opposition’(RIO), a term associated with European outfits such as Henry Cow, Univers Zero, Art Zoyd and Present who fused elements and instruments from rock and 20th century classical music with compositional rigour and DIY aesthetics. Thinking Plague have often been cited cited as the leading light of the American arm of the ‘Rock In Opposition’ movement. Genre-defying and, above all, unique, Thinking Plague’s music can be described equally as post-rock and/or post-classical.   Leader and writer Johnson is influenced by harmonically adventurous twentieth-century classical music, as can be heard in the ambiguous tonality of the music, and the rigour of his dense, complex compositions. Johnson, like most rock musicians, is self-taught, but very knowledgeable, and his fusion of rock and classical music is as seamless as it is compelling. His electric guitar, whose hard-edged, mordant timbres cut deeper and more savagely than anything available to the classical arranger, doesn’t dominate the band’s sound, but takes its place as one voice among many. And for the first time ever amongst his 8 albums as leader of Thinking Plague, he has had the opportunity to use orchestral instrumentation as one of the pillars of this work! Perhaps this is the reason why this is a Mike Johnson album and not a Thinking Plague album?   Mike Johnson photo by Sal DeVincenzo Johnson steps in to explain and help guide our journey through The Gardens of Loss: “As some will know, most Thinking Plague music and lyrics over the years were written by me, and the band has essentially been my project since the mid-nineties. But for this album, I was hoping to be free of the some of the expectations and assumptions that come with the name Thinking Plague. I wanted to try some different things, and take full credit or blame for the outcome. One of my main objectives was to make an album incorporating an orchestra, of sorts at least, which required me to employ a lot of new people, such as a string quintet, a new flutist, an oboist, bassoonist, trumpeter, trombonist, etc. And I wanted some different musicians in key roles - like Simon Steensland on bass and Morgan Ågren and Kimara Sajn on drums, and Jeremy Kurn on piano.  In my mind, it wasn't Thinking Plague. I know that some people will say it sounds like Thinking Plague, but what they should realize is that it sounds like me. Not to say that it's literally more of the same. I don't think it is.   There's a lot more, and more varied, orchestral instrumentation - real players; not samples. Sometimes, thanks to the "magic" of overdubbing, it will sound like a large orchestra. Other times you can hear various winds, reeds, brass and/or string ensembles of different sizes. Also, I think the eight song-pieces on the album have more varied styles and character - some quite a bit more accessible than typical THINKING PLAGUE music, and some at least as complex and advanced as THINKING PLAGUE. But the aesthetic is generally more orchestral in the 2Oth century sense, while still incorporating some intensely "rock" elements. It's not "classical" orchestration pasted onto rock band tracks, rather, it's integrated to sound like a big electro-acoustic ensemble with many voices. It's very organic, I think.    Anyone who has followed Thinking Plague will know that my subjects have mostly always been pretty dark. That's because I feel it is my duty, sort of, to call out and respond to the injustices and environmental harms that seem to be so much of humanity's legacy on planet earth. And in the current circumstances I think it's more important than ever, although as a musical artist I don't want to create mere protest songs or ideological "anthems." Rather, I strive to express human emotions in response to what has happened or is happening - where things seem to be going.   For example, the first track "Dies Irae," which is Latin for Day of Wrath, expresses the fear of what might happen if the political situation develops a certain way in America - which it seems to be doing. I think it's pretty obvious what I mean. Another example is the title track "The Gardens of Loss," which deals with the bittersweet experience of nature's beauty and the bereavement and regret one feels when they perceive that it is fading, dying as a result of human stupidity and greed. All the tracks deal explicitly or implicitly with some kind of regret, loss or threat of loss, etc., although the track "Boys with Toys" takes a more facetious approach.    I realize that the obvious question posed by my releasing this as a Mike Johnson album will be about the likelihood of another Thinking Plague record and honestly, I can't say for sure at present. I’m not sure where things are going from here. I intend to keep writing music, but I'm not sure yet for whom or under what circumstances. Although I do still have hankerings to do it.”   – Mike Johnson, December 2025 ~ ~ ~   BUY/ listen to The Gardens of Loss                                 BUY/ listen to Gardens of Loss in HD          on Bandcamp                                                                                  on Bandcamp       ~ ~ ~   ALBUM CREDITS: THE GARDENS OF LOSS Mike Johnson – guitars, lap steels, fiddle, fretless banjo, sampler-synthesizer programming & "pencil guitars" (7) Simon Steensland – bass (except 7) Morgan Ågren – drums and percussion (3–6) Kimara Sajn – drums and percussion (1, 2, 8) Jeremy Kurn – piano Elaine diFalco – vocals Dave Willey – bass, drums (7) Bill Pohl – guitars (8) Elise Roy – flutes Caitlin Hilzer – oboe, English horn Nuno Mourão – bassoons (3) Mark Harris – clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone Shane Endsley – trumpets Jon Stubbs – trombones Oene van Geel – violins, "concertmaster" Pablo Rodriguez – violins George Dumitriu – violas Pau Sola Masafrets – cellos César Puente Sandoval – double basses All music composed and orchestrated by Mike Johnson. Lyrics by Mike Johnson except for “Transience” by Elaine diFalco. Strings and bassoons recorded by Björn Warning at Warning Studios, Amsterdam, Netherlands. warningstudios.nl Woodwinds and reeds recorded by Loren Dorland at Mighty Fine Studios, Denver, Colorado. Vocals, drums, basses, guitars, piano, trumpets, trombones, oboes and English horn recorded “at home.” Mixed and mastered by Colin Bricker and Mike Johnson at Mighty Fine Studios, Denver, Colorado. mfpcolorado.com Produced by Mike Johnson.   return to top MIKE JOHNSON on THINKING PLAGUE  albums released by CUNEIFORM RECORDS [click each album cover or title to listen / buy] Thinking Plague photo by Sal DeVincenzo "Denver's Thinking Plague stand out in bas-relief" stated  Alternative Press,  "Among the vanguard of groups riding the crest of a largely unheralded avant-progressive tsunami... an idiom responsible for some of the 20th century’s most significant musical achievements." – Alternative Press   HOPING AGAINST HOPE DECLINE AND FALL "Thinking Plague lays down some of the most rhythmically complex, texturally inventive, and melodically challenging popular music of the last 30 years, and somehow makes it all sound easy and natural."– All Music Guide "...the manner in which Thinking Plague…have condensed only the most fertile (and often the most pulverizing) aspect of he last 30 years of progressive exploration into an nth-degree endgame is nothing short of awe-inspiring." – Eric Lubleau, Alternative Press A HISTORY OF MADNESS UPON BOTH YOUR HOUSES "...it's hard to pin down Thinking Plague, especially when it comes to what bin the record belongs in. Just as well. Mike Johnson may be deadly serious, but his music has enough layers to bypass classification." – All About Jazz    “If this is prog-rock, it’s progressive music with sharp teeth, making serious demands on most listeners.” – Jason Gross and Steve Smith, “American Contraband: Alternative Rock and American Experimental Music,” New Music Box "… a masterly blending of avant-garde musical resources with rock, and some exceptional playing from everyone involved. “ – John Covach. Progression                              IN EXTREMIS “Rating: Aces/ hands down classic / Head-spinningly complex prog-rock of the highest order. ... On In Extremis… these unsung geniuses have channeled the crushing fury of King Crimson, the existential angst of the Art Bears, the dense contrapuntal irregularity of Henry Cow and the pitch-black angularity of Present into a disquieting concoction whose ceaseless paroxysms of unabated intensity are tempered only by “Les Etudes D’Organism"’s disturbed diversion into perversely cheerful and structurally perverse circus music.… a relentless tide of head-spinning complexity…wildly shifting plates of sound. …the feverish surfeit of spellbind[ing] ideas investigated here are almost without precedent.” – Eric Lumbleau, Alternative Press   “I can safely say that this album wins my #1 slot for best new releases of 1998, and may very well occupy that slot for the entire decade. Yes, it is THAT good. A perfect “10”. Johnson has created an emotionally charged Maelstrom of progressive rock sounds, the statistical density of which is still hard to fathom. ..... no two measures of music on this album are alike, yet the album has a very logical, linear flow and is surprisingly easy to listen to… Johnson’s guitar is the star of the show, incorporating the styles of Fred Frith and Robert Fripp, along with the brief speedy outbursts of Steve Howe circa “Topographic Oceans” and “Relayer”. ...All of the songs are uniformly fantastic, and there is not a single weak moment... Truly a jaw-dropping album, and the best album I have heard in a very long time..” – Steve Robey, Roundtable review, Exposé Thinking Plague photo by Andy Watson, c.1990   "Acid Rock and art rock influences abound, as do, avant-jazz and modern classical styles. Their remix of a previous title track, “Moonsongs,” is unearthly…” –Neil Strauss, Ear Magazine EARLY PLAGUE YEARS IN THIS LIFE “Perhaps the finest attempt so far by an American band to add to the pantheon of classic Rock-In-Opposition records… Mike Johnson’s composition are astonishing and – the clincher – beautiful, and Susanne Lewis’ vocals are…eerily enigmatic and…more accessible… Fred Frith guests on one track…” – MM, New Sonic Architecture   “It is a rare pleasure to discover brave, peculiar music which combines intellectual stimulation with sensual reward – music so thoroughly satisfying that it immediately becomes a permanent part of the listener’s context for appreciating all other music. Thinking Plague is…a phenomenon: a genre of music unto itself, eclectically derivative in a bold new way and spectacularly innovative in the old fashion sense of genuine originality.” – Andy Watson, Journal Wired, 1990   Mike Johnson photo by Leslie Jordan       Mike Johnson photo by Andy Watson return to top ! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS! COMING OUT APRIL 24, 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS FRENCH TV THE SPANISH CAPER A double album by prolific American progressive rock group French TV: one album of new compositions, and one of covers of '60s and '70s "deep-cuts" that had influenced the band. This double feature will be the band's 16th & 17th album(s)!  [USA] listen to/ share "The Spanish Caper" on Soundcloud, from FRENCH TV's THE SPANISH CAPER CREDITS: Mike Sary: bass Katsumi Yoneda: guitar Jeff Gard: drums Nico Fabre: keyboards Ludo Fabre: violin Karl Ledus: sax, weirdophone return to top SNEAK PEEKS OF DISTANT TREASURES   COMING OUT LATER IN 2026 & BEYOND ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS (Listed in alphabetical order. Sound samples to come out in future newsletters) ~~~~~ JAZZ ~~~~~ A LOVE SUPREME ELECTRIC – The Terror and the Beauty : A Love Supreme Electric Play Sonny Sharrock (Studio album by 6-piece San Francisco based jazz ensemble) [USA] ~~~~~ GHOST RHYTHMS – MISSING TIMES  (New studio album by young French avant progressive ensemble) [FRANCE] ~~~~~~ SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER – 6 (6th studio album by Swiss experimental-avant-psych-minimal / post-jazz/ rock trio) [SWITZERLAND]   ROCK ~~~~~~ ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI – TBC (A new studio album by the acclaimed Italian avant -progressive ensemble) [ITALY] ~~~~~~ BOUD DEUN – LIVE ORION APRIL 5, 1997 (Previously unreleased live concert recordings by '90s DMV/suburban Washington DC avant progressive fusion quartet led by Sean Persinger) [USA] ~~~~~~ CHEER-ACCIDENT – YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER (Chicago's fave longstanding alt-rock / post-pop group's new studio album - their 27th! - and their first-ever DVD, featuring live performances from 2022 and 2023) [USA] ~~~~~~ HENRY KAISER / GLENN PHILLIPS  – GUITAR PARTY (Reissue of 1990 studio album featuring Henry Kaiser & Glenn Phillips, two uniquely great, American rock guitarists) [USA] ~~~~~~ NEBELNEST – THE LOST ALBUM   (Nebelnest's previously unreleased 4th album - an exciting find!) [FRANCE] ~~~~~~ SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER –  6 (6th studio album by Swiss experimental-avant-psych-minimal / post-jazz/ rock trio) [SWITZERLAND] ~~~~~~ THE LUCK PUSHERS – TBC (New studio recording by guitarist/ composer Shawn Persinger’s current, Connecticut-based band) [USA] ~~~~~~ HENRIK OLSSON’S ANTUMBRA ENESEMBLE – HENRIK OLSSON’S ANTUMBRA ENESEMBLE (7 piece avant progressive from Denmark) [DENMARK] ~~~~~~ YANG – TBC (Fifth studio album by French composer/ guitarist Frederick L'Epee's longstanding progressive ensemble) [FRANCE] ~~~~~~ return to top CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR 2026 - 2027 - 2028 CALENDAR IMPORTANT REMINDER: In an evolving (and now endemic) COVID-19 world, and with adverse weather and political "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. ANTISTATIC Danish experimental trance rock quartet Antistatic (Søren Høi - drums, Laust Moltesen Andreasen - guitar, Mads Ulrich - guitar, Janus Bagh - bass) produces powerful minimalist music.  "... the percussive style that characterizes the four musicians has its roots in the minimalist experience and also in the post-industrial soundscape....Definitely not free jazz or improvised music but creative music nonetheless and absolutely worth listening." – freejazzblog.org March 10 - Moods - Schiffbaustrasse 6 - Zürich, Switzerland Listen to & Buy   Relics 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."  – A Blog Supreme, NPR      March 8 - Portland Jazz Festival - Alberta Rose Theatre - Portland, OR [opening for Tigran Hamasyan]   Listen to & buy:   Swim     HEAT ON Chicago drummer and composer Lily Finnegan’s powerhouse, multi-generational inside-out Heat On quartet featuring legendary Chicago tenor saxophonist Ed Wilkerson Jr., Chi-town alto sax great Fred Jackson Jr., and consummately versatile Nick Macri on upright and electric bass. "Lily Finnegan isn’t just joining the story of Jazz; she’s showing us how to keep writing it." – Chain D.L.K.     April 29 - The Whistler - 2421 North Milwaukee Ave - Chicago, IL 60647   Listen to & buy:   Heat On JANEL & ANTHONY Washington DC's premier music power duo, Janel & Anthony individually are internationally acclaimed master players and composers who lead their own ensembles.    "Janel & Anthony - guitars and 'cello respectively - play a haunting and humbly virtuosic form of music wherein the elements of electronics, looping, and lo-fi timbres live both in intimacy and in majesty in the same house as acoustic instruments and folk/blues-inspired melodies. As such, it is both timely and timeless..." – Nels Cline   2026   March 23 - Rhizome DC - 6950 Maple St. NW - Washington, DC March 24 - Palisades Hub - 5200 Cathedral Avenue, NW - Washington, DC [opening for Nik Bärtsch & Ronin] March 27 - Big Ears Festival - First Presbyterian Chapel - Knoxville, TN [5:00 pm]   Listen to & buy:   New Moon In the Evil Age                                Where Is Home    "The result is a marvelous surprise at every turn, as the duo...two absolute virtuosos...create atmospheres that at times evoke the music of Steve Tibbetts, Brian Eno, even soundtrack music" – DownBeat   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 QUARTERLY SHOW is presented on a regular basis, exclusively on the CUNEIFORM RECORDS YouTube Channel  When Covid pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, Henry Kaiser began curating & presenting a series of pre-recorded music videos exclusively on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel for music lovers isolating at home. These "live" concerts – which initially were released on a WEEKLY basis – were taped beforehand and not streamed; Henry discusses the process in a Guitar Moderne interview, "The New "Live"".  Many videos in the series depicted duets and larger bands, despite the program then being called the "HENRY KAISER WEEKLY SOLO SERIES".  While many depicted 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). Kaiser continued presenting his popular video series on Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel after the pandemic, but on a new schedule; it is now THE HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW. In addition to these quarterly releases, he presents additional videos marking special events or tributes.  All 52 videos from the initial HENRY KAISER WEEKLY SERIES + the entire two year MONTHLY SERIES + the ongoing QUARTERLY SHOW videos are available on CUNEIFORM RECORD'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL.  We invite you to visit and follow Cuneiform Record's YouTube Channel to see new videos that Kaiser regularly presents, as well as to explore Kaiser's video archives. Kaiser's most recent quarterly video WINTER 2026 is HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW #12 : THE RISE AND FALL OF TREMOLO, featuring Henry firing up a variety of guitar tremolo bridges with Scott Amendola, John French, Scott Colby, Bob Weir, Bill Murray, Jimmy Ågren, Tore Elgarøy, and more. Dive into Cuneiform's YouTube archives to view previous essential shows, such as the HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY #4: BARITONE GUITAR SPECIAL, featuring Kaiser's guitar work along with special guests Luciana Bass, Jim Clark, Janet Feder, Sandy Ewen, Vanessa Gould, Sandor Nagyszalancy, Anthony Pirog, Gregory Stephen, Sid Stephen, & Carl Weingarten. Numerous Kaiser quarterly videos provide free guitar lessons, sometimes focusing on tunes associated with legendary guitarists. His video for 2025's 1st quarter, HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW #8 : THE BACKWARDS GUITAR SOLOS LESSON, is both instructional for players and highly entertaining for non-musicians. An earlier video focuses on Sonny Sharrock: The Whole Tone Scale! Sonny Sharrock’s DICK DOGS lesson with Henry Kaiser.  In addition to his Quarterly series, Kaiser occasionally presents additional, special videos. Some are memorial tributes, such as FULL MOON FAIR, HENRY KAISER'S MEMORIAL FOR ALAN SENAUKE, which features Kaiser with musicians Ed Pettersen, Danny Carnahan, Ngoc Lam, & Robin Petrie. Others are celebrations of living music legends and contemporary events, such as CURVED AIR FOR TERRY RILEY'S 90TH BIRTHDAY, a video by Kaiser and Vanessa Gould featuring both a performance by the expansive 23-member Curved Air Chorale and an interview with Terry Riley by 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 LEPPIN A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, Janel Leppin is an avant-jazz luminary. Besides performing solo on cello & electronics in various contexts - including opening on an extensive Mdou Moctar tour – she performs as half of the experimental duo Janel and Anthony, which she co-leads with her husband guitarist Anthony Pirog. In addition, she leads the chamber-jazz Ensemble Volcanic Ash, as well as performing and recording with other jazz, rock, and experimental  groups. On March 27, 2026, Cuneiform releases a new solo album by Leppin, called Slowly Melting, as well as the third Ensemble Volcanic Ash album, Pluto in Aquarius. "Leppin is a rarity..ahhh-vant garde at its finest." - Capital Bop   Janel Leppin – Slowly Melting   Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash – Pluto in Aquarius   2026 JANEL LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH April 23 - Rhizome DC - 6950 Maple St. NW - Washington, DC [Ensemble Volcanic Ash record release show] April 24 - Belmont Arts Theater - 221 Carlton Road - Charlottesville, VA [Ensemble Volcanic Ash record release show]   JANEL & ANTHONY Janel Leppin with Anthony Pirog March 27 - Big Ears Festival - First Presbyterian Chapel - Knoxville, TN [5:00 pm] SKULLCAP Janel Leppin with Anthony Pirog and Mike Kuhl March 12 - Century - 1350 South 29th St - Philadelphia, PA 19146   2027 JANEL LEPPIN RESIDENCY AT THE STONE, NYC May 19, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY May 20, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY May 21, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY May 22, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY   Listen to & buy: Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash  To March Is To Love                 Ensemble Volcanic Ash Janel & Anthony New Moon In the Evil Age,   Where Is Home       Skullcap Snakes of Albuquerque 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. In recent years, he's released two Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble albums on Cuneiform - his highly acclaimed solo project featuring live looping and electric guitar, as well as an album with his new rock group, Trinary System.  Boston Globe: "Less a recital than a musical minefield... Miller is a man in constant motion, a one-man symphony." ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––   with ANVIL ORCHESTRA  [new music for silent films]   March 14 - JxJ - Jewish Film Festival - Washington, DC [performing to Man With The Movie Camera] March 15 - JxJ - Jewish Film Festival - Washington, DC [performing to Man With The Movie Camera]      Listen to & buy Trinary System The Hard Machine --------- Roger Clark Miller's Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble     Eight Dream Interpretations for Electric Guitar Ensemble    --------- The Fourth World Quartet 1975 --------- Birdsongs of the Mesozoic Dawn of the Cycads // The Fossil Record       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 SELL OUT, so buy your tickets well in advance. ~~~~ March 23 - Iridium - NYC, NY April 25 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 June 13 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 August 29 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 October 31 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 [Halloween show!] December 19 - 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 ________________________________ ANTHONY PIROG March 13 - Don't Forget Your Guitar record release show / Alternative Guitar Summit 2026 - Nublu - 151 Avenue C (between 9/10th) - East Village NYC, NY 10009     Anthony Pirog with DAVE CHAPPELL BAND March 11 - VFW Hall  - 6420 Orchard Ave - Takoma Park, MD SKULLCAP Anthony Pirog with Janel Leppin & Mike Kuhl March 12 - Century - 1350 South 29th St - Philadelphia, PA 19146 JANEL & ANTHONY Anthony Pirog with Janel Leppin  March 23 - Rhizome DC - 6950 Maple St. NW - Washington, DC March 24 - Palisades Hub - 5200 Cathedral Avenue, NW - Washington, DC [opening for Nik Bärtsch & Ronin] March 27 - Big Ears Festival - First Presbyterian Chapel - Knoxville, TN [5:00 pm]   Anthony Pirog with THE MESSTHETICS featuring JAMES BRANDON LEWIS April 17 - Star Theater - 13 NW 6th Ave - Portland, OR April 18 - Clock-Out Lounge - 4864 Beacon Ave S - Seattle, WA 98108 April 24 - The Earl - 488 Flat Shoals Ave SE - Atlanta, GA 30316 April 26 - AyurPrana Listening Room - 312 Haywood Rd - Asheville, NC April 28 - Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts - 405 Rose St - Lexington, KY 40508 April 30 - Constellation - 3111 N Western Ave - Chicago, IL 60618 May 1 - Third Man Records Cass Corridor - 441 W Canfield St - Detroit, MI 48201 May 2 - 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education - 918 Bathurst St - Toronto, Canada May 3 - Centennial Hall - 145 W 11th St - Erie, PA 16501 May 5 - City Winery Boston - 80 Beverly St - Boston, MA 02114 May 6 - Le Poisson Rouge - 158 Bleecker St - New York, NY 10012 May 7 - Alphabet City - 40 W North Ave - Pittsburgh, PA 15212 May 8 - Solar Myth - 1131 S Broad St - Philadelphia, PA 19147 May 9 - Black Cat - Washington, NY [with Trinary System] June 26-28 - Solid Sound Festival - Mass Moca - North Adams, MA     Listen to & buy: Anthony Pirog: Pocket Poem  // Palo Colorado Dream .       Janel & Anthony    New Moon in the Evil Age //     Where Is Home            in other groupings: Skullcap: Snakes of Albuquerque Location Location Location: Damaged Goods Five Times Surprise: Five Times Surprise The Spellcasters, Music from the Anacostia Delta   Janel Leppin/ Ensemble Volcanic Ash Pluto in Aquarius To March Is to Love  //  Ensemble Volcanic Ash          SKULLCAP Snakes of Albuquerque is the debut recording from the rock and jazz, free improvising, classically informed, adventurously rhythmic, and memorably tuneful power cello trio Skullcap, consisting of Janel Leppin, Anthony Pirog and Mike Kuhl     March 12 - Century - 1350 South 29th St - Philadelphia, PA 19146   Listen to & buy: SNAKES OF ALBUQUERQUE TRINARY SYSTEM Trinary System is guitarist, composer & singer Roger Clark Miller’s (Mission of Burma) current rock band, a trio with Larry Dersch (Binary System, A.K.A.C.O.D.) and P. Andrew Willis (the Web, Crappy Nightmareville). The band plays live to celebrate The Hard Machine, its first Cuneiform Records release.   listen to & buy Trinary System The Hard Machine   March 19 - Myrtle - 134 Waterman Ave - East Providence, RI 02914 March 20 - Marigold - 84 Cottage St - Easthampton, MA March 21 - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre - 55 Davis Square - Somerville, MA 02144 May 5 - City Winery Boston - 80 Beverly St - Boston, MA 02114 [with The Messthetics] May 6 - Le Poisson Rouge - NY, NY [with The Messthetics] May 8 - Nova Arts - Keene, NH May 9 - Black Cat - 1811 14th St, NW - Washington, DC  [with The Messthetics] “Trinary System continues the elegant, abstract, agitated firestorm tradition of Miller’s Burma songs, with an unmistakable swagger…" – Dusted Magazine   To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact: promo@cuneiformrecords.com return to top SPEND 2026 WITH EXPLORE COUNTLESS HOURS OF GREAT MUSIC & VIDEOS BY SOME OF THE BEST MUSICIANS   IN THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD OF AVANT-GARDE & POST-GENRE MUSIC     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 on TWITTER (now X) • 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 EMAIL: joyce@themusicoutpost.com FACEBOOK PAGE: MusicOutpostPublicityAndLicensing TWITTER: @TheMusicOutpost     STOP WARS         Photo on left of Ceasefire Now banner unveiled 1/24/2024 by Greenpeace & Unmute Gaza at Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum. Poster image by US visual artist Shepard Fairey "Obey" based on photo by Palestinian photojournalist Belal Khaled. Museo Reina Sofia is the home of Picasso's iconic 1937 Guernica painting, photo above/right.   return to top Copyright © 2026 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