MOM - Habitat

Finally.

Another HTCIS exclusive.

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Two to go.

i ‎– Wide Road EP (2005)

Been a while, still here, lingering, busy with life, remembering the days of freewheel blogging and currently stuck in 1994 as that pivotal before and after year when everything changed. The death of grunge. Counting Crows. Cranberries. Mazzy Star. Morphine. Moby. Raving. The progression was real.

One of the earliest references to 'Echospace' in a track list, it is here for your pleasure to trace the roots of one of the few artists who can claim to have taken sound in a new direction post-Basic Channel.

Another exclusive to HTCIS.

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The Yammouni Files (1992)

Many, many moons ago I began the pursuit of this cassette only release from what remains one of my favorite, though now retired, labels. I did not know of nor would have known of its existence prior to the advent of the Web but immersed myself fully once I stumbled across it. Electronic, dark, even dangerous, it spoke to me.

However, some of its earlier releases were released on tape based formats only. The I+T=R VHS containing the visual work of Richard Grant remains a collection in need of reissue/remaster on DVD or other similar format. I have the VHS and an audio rip of the music but it sounds like it was ripped from VHS. 

And then there was this one. A fantastic assortment of Australian artists who represent a lesser known side of the sound of electronic based music in the early 90s, this remains a hidden gem. Several of the groups/artists moved on to other projects but most of these artists remain encapsulated within that time frame and within this cassette.

I am still looking for the physical cassette to add to my collection but the format here is a one of a kind, direct from 'the original masters' you might say, and is available here, and only here, on HTCIS.

Sometimes you just gotta ask and the kindness and generosity of people will surprise you.

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Jacob's Ladder (2008)

Well, went ahead and tracked this down from Japan.  Found a great seller through Amazon Japan. Great communication and had it to me after payment in three days. That's better than a lot of the shipping I've had from here in the States.

And for some reason, Japanese releases are often far superior in content than their U.S. versions (probably so they can hold out and release a "deluxe" version in the future, one that was already available in Japan...).

Find it odd that amazons from around the world (paypal and ebay too for that matter...) aren't better linked. Love the online translation though.

It's a nice compilation of some jazzy, hop-hop kind of tracks.  Nice vibe.

The CD is now listed in the discogs database.  Here is some info on the EP version if you're feeling generous.

Another exclusive that can only be found at HTCIS.

Enjoy

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Living In The Ice Age Vols. 1 and 2

Two really good collections of downtempo tunes, some familiar, some not.

Guaranteed to help you chill

The first one can be found easily on the web, the second, while certainly not rare, is exclusive to HTCIS.

Living In The Ice Age - An Introduction To The Psychedelic Beat (1997)

Enjoy

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Living In The Ice Age Vol. 2 - Stamps, Headphone Music & Lazy Penpals (2000)

Enjoy

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The Art Of War: Who Dares Wins (2000)

For some reason, not many people really know about this compilation.

Over time, it's turned in to one of my favorites of the Mo' Wax era as it really encapsulates that sound that made the label so fresh.

Toy's Factory out of Japan had an early association with Mo' Wax and brought out some early gems along with some tracks exclusive to their releases (e.g. Urban Tribe's Collapse of Culture).

And, for some reason, there has only been a 256 kbps and/or a v0 floating around the web for years.

So, for your listening pleasure, another HTCIS exclusive: FLAC.

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Capt. Kowatchi ‎– The Conference Of The Birds (1997)

Been after this one for a while...finally broke down and got it.

Stumbled across his name on several of the Land of Baboon compilations and was always intrigued.

The title was intriguing as well because I went through a long period of interest in Sufism and The Conference of the Birds is a well known book by Farid al-Din Attar (thus the mystical vibe).

Scratched that itch...

Part1//Part2

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Ya Ji (2008)

Some experimental music from Anders Peterson under various guises along with some other lesser known artists to introduce you to the Kwan Yin label.

Not exactly rare but certainly not mainstream.

Try

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Saite An Saite (A String Based Compilation) (2009)

Not really "classical" but it has "strings" in the title so close enough...

Found this one because of the track by Relapxych.0 (aka Anders Peterson). It was his music that first captured my interest but over time I have come to realize how often his production/mastering work graces recent releases. If you see his name, you know the caliber of the release is high.

Here's the details on this one:

"Guitar-based CD with long tracks from Aidan Baker (Nadja), Relapxych.0 and M. Sandbleistift (Licht-Ung). Sandbleistift's gauzy drones hover above a thick amplifier hum, coupled with metal-on-metal scrapes, electrical interference directed into the pick-ups, and spidery textures that wiggle into the mix as he plucks away at the bridge of his guitar...

Aidan Baker steals the show on this album. Even with his esteemed catalogue of ethereal ambience and doomdronedirge excursions, "One Step Ahead, One Step Behind" is pretty exceptional. A desolate guitar melody repeats throughout the entire track, alluding to the doom of Nadja had he kicked on the distortion pedals. But without, there's a sadness which permeates the track, accompanied by ghostly flickers of complimentary drones, bursts of static, and a slow-burning roar of distant distortion that eventually consumes the entire piece.

Relapxych.0 holds his own in creating a series of guitar-meets-the-laptop abstractions that looks to Fennesz and Tim Hecker for inspiration, and does a pretty good job in the way of an homage." (Aquarius).

Limited to 300 copies.

Try

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