Kati Astraeir and Christopher Alvarado – Realms of Thoth (Petroglyph Music)

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Label Description: Thoth, in Egyptian religion, a god of the moon,
of reckoning, of learning and of writing.
He was held to be the inventor of writing,
the creator of languages, the scribe,
interpreter, and adviser of the gods,
and the representative of the sun god, Re.
His responsibility for writing was shared
with the goddess Seshat.

Andrew Liles – Without Wisdom (Self-Released)

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Label Description: Without Wisdom features 8 new songs based on those anxious moments of anticipation in the dreaded dental waiting room.

In the 1970s when I visited the dentist, the music they played in the waiting room was slow melancholy jazz, jazz featuring the vibraphone. I alluded to this on my recording ‘Bad Vibes Waiting Room’, which appeared on the 2007 album Black Hole.

Teeth. Teeth are not really fit for purpose are they? All my neuroses and fears manifest in my mouth. You have to work at keeping your teeth, it’s an eternal battle. Natural teeth are disjointed, irregular shapes and never brilliant white. They are not neat and shiny and all in a row like a Hollywood grin, unless you are lucky of course. There is no beauty in them, they are ugly, they fail, they rot, they don’t grow back and at some point they will cause unmitigated misery for practically everyone.

I have always had weird teeth. My incisors are Draculaesque. I was ridiculed at school for having them. In later life I have been asked several times where I have had them ‘done’, people assuming I have willingly had them cosmetically altered. I always reply that it’s a congenital deformity. What makes them even more pronounced is the fact that the neighbouring two teeth are, bizarrely, still milk teeth.

I’ve had some terrible experiences at the dentist. I have been in waiting rooms with people running out screaming. Once, the dentist came into the waiting room covered in blood, moaning about patients only coming to him when they were in pain. I have had unnecessary extractions and unnecessary fillings.

I was very much a victim of the ‘heavy metal’ generation. For those who don’t know, in the 1970s, the NHS in the UK encouraged dentists to ‘restore’ teeth, which led to many children receiving extensive and often pointless dental work. The ‘drill and fill’ abuse of the 70s meant that dentists were driven by financial gain rather than the patients’ wellbeing. This resulted in the ‘heavy metal’ generation, creating victims of the predictable and ugly consequences of when money and healthcare coalesce.

A couple of years ago I had a wisdom tooth extracted. It no longer had any socket left to keep it fixed in place and needed to be removed. I asked the dentist if I could keep it.

You can own it… if you like. I am literally selling my own body parts.

Send an email to andrew@andrewliles.com with a price you would like to pay for it.

The highest bidder will win the tooth, which comes in a presentation box with a signed Polaroid.

Images can be found here – www.andrewliles.com/discography/without-wisdom/

Final offers are due by midnight GMT 14th February.

P&P will be added to your bid.

Teeth. Teeth are not really fit for purpose are they?

JANUARY 2025: DESCEND AND DISINTEGRATE

Nordvargr – Resignation IV (Cyclic Law)

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Label Description: Nordvargr Announces the Release of Resignation 4, the Fourth Installment in the Resignation Series

Swedish dark ambient and experimental artist Nordvargr (Henrik Nordvargr Björkk) is set to release the highly anticipated Resignation 4, continuing his sonic journey through rhythmic, atmospheric, and melancholic soundscapes. Building on the foundation laid by the Resignation trilogy, Resignation 4 expands the project’s signature blend of techno-inspired beats, dark ambient textures, and hypnotic soundscapes.

A Continuation of Sonic Exploration

Resignation 4 picks up where the acclaimed 2022 Resignation box set left off, offering a deeper dive into Nordvargr’s evolving sound. The album maintains one foot firmly in the techno scene, while also embracing moments of eerie calm and reflective melancholy. It is an album where rhythmic pulses and deep atmospherics converge, presenting a sound that is at once mesmerizing and abrasive, pushing the boundaries of electronic music.

This latest chapter sees Nordvargr taking his unique grasp of genre fusion even further, blending ambient melancholia with hard-edged, rhythmic elements. Fans of both experimental electronics and the fringes of techno will find Resignation 4 to be a captivating continuation of his visionary work.

Origins and Evolution of the Resignation Series

The Resignation project began in 2008 as an exploration of rhythmic, repetitive music paired with dark ambient soundscapes. It was born from a collaboration between Nordvargr and Nils Ekholm, merging techno-inspired beats with samples from old 78 RPM records. The first album in the series was described as “techno, if invented in the late 1800s,” drawing inspiration from the ill-fated 1897 North Pole expedition by S.A. Andrée.

Over the years, the project has grown, with each album taking a distinct direction—ranging from dubby techno atmospheres to harsher, noisier electronic soundscapes—culminating in the haunting, cinematic experience that is Resignation 4. Along the way, the project has evolved from its early experimental roots into a genre-defying force, standing at the crossroads of ambient, techno, and industrial music.

A Look Back at the Trilogy

The Resignation trilogy was re-released in 2022 as a deluxe box set, remastered with unique and exclusive material, including previously unheard demo recordings and bonus tracks. This set offered listeners a complete exploration of the project’s evolution, from the early rhythmic ambient experiments to the harder, more distorted sounds of later volumes. Note that the quickly sold out 3CD has now been repressed.

Tracks like Totem Visitations, originally composed for a Polish film soundtrack, showcased Nordvargr’s ability to craft immersive sonic environments that complement the darker edges of film and narrative.

Looking Forward: Resignation 4

With Resignation 4, Nordvargr continues to refine his signature style, exploring new territories of sound and emotion. This album promises to be a highlight of his prolific career, offering a bold and dynamic listening experience for fans of experimental and rhythmic electronic music.

Release Formats and Artwork

The album will be available in multiple formats:

•Vinyl: Edition of 300 copies. 100 Special Edition on marbled brown & Black vinyl and 200 copies on black vinyl. Printed Innersleeve and matte lamination. 9 Tracks. Running Time 39:57 EAN: 3770033798171

•CD: Edition of 300 copies in 4 panel Digipak, matte lamination. 9 Tracks. Running Time 39:57 EAN: 770033798164

The stunning album artwork and photography are created by Sandrine Pelletier, capturing the stark, otherworldly aesthetic of the Resignation series.

Resignation 4 continues Nordvargr’s exploration of the balance between beauty and brutality, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in a world where atmospheric depth meets rhythmic intensity.

Scanner – The Magician’s Hat Vol.4 Studio 2024 (Self-Released)

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Label Description:

Volume 4 of my series, The Magician’s Hat, this time, offers an insight into my studio work from 2024.

Like many other creative people, there’s a significant amount of work that is never experienced, so thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few pieces sitting on the studio hard drive in 2024.

None of them are finished works as such, mere ideas with a sonic playground for experimentation. They range from works exploring different techniques, synthesisers(sic), guitar pedals and software.

Perhaps some of them might be reworked into something else, but for the moment enjoy this little voyeuristic view through the window of the studio.

Asher Levitas – Above The Pale Green (Waxing Crescent Records)

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Label Description:

Above The Pale Green, takes its name from a line in Colophon to Songs Of The Groves, a poem by Victor Neuburg. It’s vivid description of a return to nature, frames this collection of field recording collages, ambient soundscapes and outsider pop songs. File somewhere in between Hiroshi Yoshimura and Daniel Johnston.
released June 14, 2024

Written and Produced by Asher Levitas
Mastered by exm
Artwork by Megmayo

Aidan Baker / Han-earl Park / Katharina Schmidt – Thoughts Of Trio (Cruel Nature Records)

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Label Description:

Thoughts of Trio was recorded live at Morphine Raum in Berlin, Germany on February 21, 2024 by Canadian guitarist Aidan Baker, Korean-American guitarist Han-earl Park, & German drummer/percussionist Katharina Schmidt. The group brings together their respective, disparate musical backgrounds to explore the intersections of ambient music, improvisational (free) jazz, and musique-concrète.
releases December 6, 2024

Recorded live at Morphine Raum in Berlin, Germany on February 21, 2024 by Rabih Beaini.

Aidan Baker (bass / guitar)
Han-earl Park (guitar)
Katharina Schmidt (drums)

aidanbakercollaborations.bandcamp.com
katharinaschmidt.bandcamp.com
hanearlpark.bandcamp.com

Limited edition CD available at emerge.bandcamp.com/album/thoughts-of-trio

Thia Alli & Fabio Keiner – Oceans Within (Aural Films)

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Label Description:

The second collaboration between Thia (Sylvi) Alli, singer, composer, artist (Portland, Oregon) and ambient veteran Fabio Keiner (Vienna, Austria) – a soul seeking adventure crossing continents and oceans.
released November 8, 2024

Thia Alli – sylvialli1.bandcamp.com

Fabio Keiner – fabiokeiner.bandcamp.com

Aural Films is an online record label that releases high-quality soundtrack albums for movies that do not exist. We cover a wide range of music styles ranging from ambient to experimental to popular to soundtrack musics. Often on the same albums. You can find our complete catalog of releases online at AuralFilms.com

All tracks ©℗2024 Thia Alli & Fabio Keiner

Aural Films Catalog No. AF0436