Cool thread! A friend and I used to blast this record at insane levels when we got back from a night out. It's fantastic. And each side of the lp is 35 mins plus!
This really should come out on CD. Second-hand copies are outrageously expensive and the whole of this would fit neatly onto a single CD. Come on, Mr. Young!
Japan'archives mailorder Japanese LPs, CDs and other rarities for sale P.S.F. needs help Sad news from one of the most inspiring record labels of the past 25 years, posted on their website a couple of days ago. They did so much to define a Tokyo undeground aesthetic, documenting the past and the present of an amazingly fertile scene. Without PSF, how would we have learnt about Keiji Haino, Kan Mikami, Kazuki Tomokawa, High Rise, White Heaven, Motoharu Yoshizawa, Kaoru Abe, Masayuki Takayanagi, Masayoshi Urabe… If anyone is interested in helping, please get in touch. Feel free to share as widely as possible. “Some of you may have noticed that PSF has not put out any new releases for almost a year now. There are releases ready to go by Kazuo Imai, Suishou no Fune, Kyoaku no Intentions, Ai Aso, Masayoshi Urabe and others, but unfortunately over the past year it has become financially impossible for me to release anything. PSF currently deals with 30 distributors and record stores, both inside and outside Japan. Seven of those companies have failed to pay what they owe. The total amount owed to PSF by these seven companies is around £15,000 ($25,000), and this situation has continued for over a year. CD sales are falling everywhere, it seems, and everyone has problems with their cash flow. I have asked these companies to pay multiple times over the past year, but no one has the cash. Just two years ago, everyone paid their bills on time, and PSF was able to release new albums and publish G-Modern regularly. Fifteen years ago, two friends who ran a real estate business and a bookstore each invested about £12,000 ($20,000). That enabled PSF to release a string of high quality releases, even though they never sold in huge numbers. Then, five years ago, both of my friends’ companies went bust and I returned their investment money to them. If I were able to get back even half of what PSF is owed, I would still be able to put out new albums and publish the magazine. If I am unable to recover any of this money, PSF will not be able to continue. I have talked with a lawyer friend and he advised that me that I should sue these companies in the small claims courts and that way I would probably get back around half of what I am owed. But I have had long relationships with some of these companies, so I am unwilling to do that now. Instead, I have decided to try to find new investors through the PSF website. It’s pitiful, I know, but this is the only way left to me. I would like to find people who would be willing to invest at least £1500 ($2500). Just ten people investing that amount would mean that the label could continue. If I can’t find anyone, then going to court might be the only option. If anyone is willing to help, please get in touch. It will probably be difficult to pay a dividend immediately to the investors, but they will receive five copies of all new releases. When costs have been covered, then they will receive 10% of the profit as a dividend. When I started the business, PSF was supported by the profits from the Modern Music shop. In the past two years, this situation has reversed and it is now the label that supports the shop. This is no longer financially sustainable, so I have taken the difficult decision to close the shop this March and make the business internet-only. I would like to thank all the customers who have supported me over the years. Rest assured that this was not an easy decision. Please continue to support PSF.” Hideo Ikeezumi, PSF/Modern Music http://anmailorder.wordpress.com/
This would be a good "save" or affiliate for DIW and Zorn's Tzadik label. He/they have collaborated with some of the same artists and the general aesthetic would work well, distribution-wise also.
I agree but this is a delicate dance Hideo has been a great creative director but not a business man and the vendors that owe him money are not friends anyone taking on PSF as a partner would have to be the one to take care of the money(fairly) this could be a win win or a quagmire for Tzadik or any other well run small margin operation
Not really avantgarde but I've been listening to a lot of Lou Harrison recently. Also a record of free jazz I got for 50 cents some 30 years ago by someone I've never heard of or ever seen since: Phil Musra-Creator Spaces. I'll bet no one here on the forum knows of him.
FOXES FOX - Emanem CD. Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, Louis Moholo. Terrific album. Focused, intense, together. I like the way the quartet moves through varying formations: duo, trio, and full quartet, which creates variety within the tight-kit group. Epitome of British free jazz.
Love this record as well. Moholo gets Parker out of his typical Lytton/Lovens situation and gets him responding differently. Same when he plays with Mark Sanders. IMO of course.
they really can't. this problem is not limited to PSF, unfortunately. other independent record labels--many of whose recordings have shown up in this thread, tzadik included--are currently facing identical issues with distribution. nonpayment from certain distribution channels is a 'known' problem on everyone's agenda and it's getting worse. tzadik is lucky in that Zorn is both an excellent fundraiser and has used his relative popularity many times over in order to float the label's release schedule and activities. numerous other smaller labels haven't been so fortunate in the last several years. I had typed out a much longer sermon here on the plight of indies relative to the majors over the last couple years, but it started to read like a public television pledge drive, and nobody wants that. but this year, consider buying a physical recording from a label that releases the kind of music found in this thread. if you can, do it directly from them, not from amazon or a shop. you might be surprised at how many of these owners having been operating at a loss for years, second mortgaging their homes and lying awake at night hoping they'll land tiny grant subsidies, all because they believe they're doing important work. anyway, on a much more positive note, I'll take that bet. I know Musra's work well. he and his 70s inner circle (Michael Cosmic, Husein Ertunç) are minor legends in the spiritual jazz realm. they didn't record a whole lot, but it's really beautiful, powerful, honest stuff. I really like this project he and Michael Cosmic did together with a bunch of friends called the 'world's experience orchestra' that shows off their deep Pharoah influence. Phil is on soprano on this one: world's experience orchestra, 'the prayer' (from the beginning of a new birth, 1975) these recordings have finally started to be reissued just over the last couple years. (and your copy of creator spaces has appreciated in value about 80,000%, by the way.) what Lou Harrison have you been listening to? you should post some, he's great too.
If anyone cares to throw some business at a worthy independent label get a copy of either one of our Jerome Cooper albums from http://www.dustygroove.com/
For me, Parker plays superbly but within the group dynamic, two things which may be related . Interesting thought that Moholo may have influenced how Parker plays here.
I should have known SOMEBODY would have heard of Musra. I have another album of his too that was stuck inside the jacket. You don't really mean it's worth 40 grand do you? I downloaded about 12 hours of Harrison-also ordered a book of his guitar music that I've been trying to learn. I work for his music publisher and have edited a number of his manuscripts. Met Lou in 1972-he was terrific. BTW-I'm on a couple of Tzadik releases.
Can't agree more. In fact, you'd do well to post that "sermon" on some other threads as well. I'd like to think that threads like this and "Jazz Beat" contain a high percentage of folks who not only want to support micro-labels, but NEED to due to the scarcity and fringe nature of the music. I just sent a $130 check to Eremite for an order, and did the same this past month alone to Aum Fidelity, Catalytic Sound and OKKA Disk will be next. I used to subscribe to CIMP. You get the picture. Same holds true for touring musicians. It's always important to pick up what releases they are dragging around with them on tour as it very well may mean having gas money to get to the next gig. Same holds true for small shops. I feel like I keep one local shop's electric bill paid just by keeping up with all of Zorn's releases And he keeps bringing them in because of it. Speaking of small operations, currently listening to a release on Boxholder out of Woodstock VT:
North Country and Jazz Loft are both selling off their inventories at discount prices. Both attempting to go out of the business of selling LP's and CD's. But what riches there are to be had from this music have always been in the music itself and the determination of musicians to play it and listeners to seek it out.
Very much related. If "collective improvisation" is truly collective it is all about heavy listening, which invariably means that every one is continually responding to everyone else. Rhythm sections, drummers especially, should have a marked influence on how the music goes down.
