Brand new tribute set of cover versions and punk extrapolations based around the phenomenal body of work birthed by Mr Jojo Hiroshige aka Alchemy label boss and Hijokaidan mainman. Features a totally disobedient Beefheart-style rave-up from the Oshiri PenPenz, microphone-gobbling action from Masonna (first new recording in years), great psych/pop stylings from Doodles, monstrously deformed guitar/noise from Solmania, GaramonKakinoki +AOL and a whole bunch of other punk Kansai Industrialists. Think of it as a particularly focussed Night Gallery instalment. Highly recommended.

Excellent new Incapacitants live disc on Lasse Marhaug’s new label. Recorded at the All Ears Festival in Norway in 2007, this one features two hysterical tracks. The first is the classic duo of T. Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai, working out of control circuitry and convulsive vocal blurt into some beautifully adrenalised shapes, from huge standing waves of all-devouring technicolour through gurgling, strangulated bombs and doofs. Second track adds collaborator Tommi Keranen of Testicle Hazard for a more pugilistic evisceration of everyday electronics. Another monster from Pica. Recommended.

Original edition of one of the key Japanese noise LPs, Hijokiadan's 1983 Viva Angel LP, their second official album. Viva Angel is a classic primitive noise/rock rite from an early trio line-up featuring Jojo Hiroshige, T.Mikawa and Naoto Hayashi. Hysterical vocals ala Sun City Girls/Oshiri Pen Penz, totally squelchy levels of feedback destruction, formless rock gush at its most ecstatically overdriven, heavy psychedelic rock and moments of almost Lynchian body-horror sonics. Comes with the elusive insert. Vinyl: EX+/Sleeve EX +.

Irresistible new compilation CD from the reactivated Alchemy Records, an all-female psych set curated by Jojo Hiroshige of Hijokaidan. Features fragile, breathless song stylings from a bunch of upcoming femmes including Akiko Hodaka (formerly of Maher Shalal Hash Baz), Mai Mishio of Uzumibi, Hirachin of Oninko! and Totsuzen Danboru, Shiho of Ten-No.5 and Yuka Fujita of the excellent Chozu. “Produced by Jojo Hiroshige of Hijokaidan (The King Of Noise), the godfather of Japanese noise music and the owner of Alchemy Records. He realized the strength, fragileness, delicateness and other elements that only women could have are the keyword for this decade. This album contains 11 tunes from emerging female musicians that Hiroshige picked out from the Japanese underground music scene.” – Alchemy. 

“Combining CD player demonstration test signals, 24 bit digitally recorded improvised freeform analog pedal/electronic nO!se, direct to HD computer generated and recorded nO!se, flashbacks from the 1980s of 303 and 909 nO!se assaults including free-style repeat and reverse editing, a frog call editing experiment, finishing off the second disc is a unedited long-form radio de-tuning session! VALUE + BONUS is the sixth solo album release by Russell Haswell. It comes in deluxe no fun gatefold jacket and is limited to 1000.” – No Fun.

Excellent split set from Family Battlesnake and Japanese psych/noise legends Astro on Bill Kouligas’s (Family Battlesnake) suave new vinyl-only imprint:”Delving into the realm of deep listening, transported by way of analog synthesizers, Family Battlesnake weaves an electronic web that cocoons the listener in warm cascading frequencies. Calls to mind classic electronic composers such as Charles Dodge, Eliane Radigue and even a hint of NWW. Family Battlesnake is Bill Kouligas, a London-based Greek who also performs and records with Sudden Infant. Astro is Hiroshi Hasegawa of the legendary and now defunct Japanese noise unit C.C.C.C. Sonic waves of squealing feedback and oscillating waveforms meld with biting distortion in the appropriately titled “Lunatic Luminescence”. Enveloped by haywire electronics and burbling loops & skree, Astro has constructed an impressive piece of modern electronic music of devastating magnitude. A fine document of pure Japanese sonic nihilism and fresh deconstucted electronic frequencies. The Lp is mastered and cut by Rashad Becker in a limited edition of 330 hand-numbered copies, pressed on 140g vinyl and comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve. It is packaged in a pro-press jacket which itself is housed in a two-tone silk screened pvc sleeve with interweaving geometric designs.” – Pan.