Author Archives: John Lithium

Ø – Sysivalo (Sahko Recordings)

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Label Description:

label: Sähkö Recordings
Cat No: SAHKO-037
format: 2lp+cd in one package, download & stream
release date: 15.9.2025
Barcode: 5050580857285

Mika Vainio started making a new Ø album in 2014. He almost finalized the record before his too early passing in 2017. The album Sysivalo is the 9th out of 8 full scale albums, released under the Ø alias by Vainio. Ø was his longest running project from 1993 to 2017. Sysivalo was recorded during 2014-2017 and is 60 min long album with 20 tracks, produced by Vainio. He described the record as a distinct Ø album that was going to include several shorter tracks, etudes. The title, Sysivalo, is invented by Vainio by combining the Finnish words sysi (dark or sinister) and valo (light).

Like life itself, the album carries a quiet darkness – honest and full of hidden light. The many of the tracks are beatless subtle soundtracks of eclipsed emotions. Like an incapacitated creature waiting for something to happen.

The closing track Loputon (Endless) is maybe the most beautiful tracks Vainio has ever written, Vainio’s last word.
credits
released September 15, 2025

Written, produced and performaed by Mika Vainio (1963-2017)
in Berlin and Oslo in 2014-2017

Compiled post mortem by Rikke Lundgreen
and Tommi Grönlund according to Mika Vainio’s notes
Digital mastering by Denis Blackham
Vinyl mastering by Rashad Becker

Front photo and print by Mika Vainio
Sleeve by Tommi Grönlund

Sir Richard Bishop – Hillbilly Ragas (Drag City)

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Label Description: Our favorite six-string shaman is waving that axe around again! Sir Richard Bishop wrenches forth fresh damnable truth and beauty from a musical kamikaze run through histories both known and unknown. Turning a gimlet eye to the American Primitive guitar style, Sir Rick applies his own bloodthirsty interpretive methods on a self-described “excursion into the dark woods,” to locate – and play along with – the Primitive’s moonshine-fed inner savage.

Pulse Emitter – Tide Pools (Hausu Mountain)

Posted by John Lithium on

Label Description:

HAUSMO150 – LP / CD / DIG
credits
released September 26, 2025

Music by Daryl Groetsch,
Portland, Oregon.

Main synthesizers:
Spectrasonics Omnisphere, AAS Chromaphone, Korg Wavestate, Korg Gadget, VirSyn Addictive Pro. Plus a variety of sequencers and arpeggiators. No Al.

“All the busy little creatures
Chasing out their destinies
Living in their pools
They soon forget about the sea”
-Neil Peart, “Natural Science”

Mastered by Angel Marcloid at Angel Hair Audio. Art by Max.

xlmxkhfi – In The Threat Of Evening (Waxing Crescent Records)

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Label Description: Waxing Crescent is very happy to announce the new project from xlmxkhfi (al-makhfi, which translates to the hidden one). Based in Beirut, Sarah Huneidi is an editor and audio visual artist, and is co-founder of Shatr, a collective that aims to excite, nurture and showcase experimental modes of poetry and literature. I discovered Sarah thanks to Clair (HotGem), and listened to her EP ‘afterthought’ on VV-VA, which showcases ambient, dream pop sounds, produced through processing textures, vocals, and melodies on both hardware and software.