Massive limited edition LP on NNCK’s imprint documenting a series of recordings from this ambitious American/European big band that unites Dave Nuss of The No-Neck Blues Band with Spencer Clark and James Ferraro of The Skaters alongside Jan Anderzen of Kemialliset Ystavat, Jonna from Kuupuu, Stellar Om Source, Mik Quantius from Embryo and Tiitus Petajaniemi and Jari Koho of Uton/Keijo. The whole entourage toured through Europe in the spring of 2007 and this LP collects the best of the jams. Three long tracks and one fragment, including two pieces recorded at VPRO Radio. The sound takes off from the kind of free goof blueprint of The Godz, with a lots of percussion and odd rhythmic dunting while The Skaters work lush keyboard parts and a wall of ululating vocal drone deep into the backdrop. Quantius supplies vocals that are somewhere between Don Van Vliet and Alan Bishop and the whole thing proceeds into this kind of weird ethno-zone where fragmented world rhythms and sounds are twisted to dark, psychotropic ends. But the real gravy is the side long fourth track, the most convincing update of the monochord bass/drum confusion of Skip Spence’s “Grey/Afro” ever improvised in real time, combining sublime vocal highs with a hypnotic bottom end. Highly recommended.

Numbered edition of 120 copies CD-R documenting a live performance by Finnish folk spirit Jonna Karanka aka Kuupuu in Germany. More punk primitive than her studio recordings, this still succeeds in transporting you to the heart of the wood with toy instruments, bells, phased vocals and uncanny loops. At points it sounds like Jonna is channeling Eastern European volk music – waltzes, social music, hypnotic ethnic melodies – and slowly reducing them to flat-lined drones, at others like the she’s fantasising a future-prefect take on classic acid folk. Jonna makes some of the most bewitching small instrument psychedelia of any of the Finnish experimentalists. Packaged in a full-colour gatefold sleeve.

First saw this all-female trio that features Lau Nau, Islaja and Kuupuu back in the day when they toured the UK with Taurpis Tula and Virgin Eye Blood Brothers but this is the first official document of their existence. Hertta Lussu Assa feel like the central transmission point for a bunch of diverse Finnish modes, using toy instruments and keyboards that are as surreal as anything from Tomuttontu but cut with an eerie nocturnal aspect that comes out of the deep forest folk of Kuupuu or even Paivansade. At points the three voices combine in choral wraiths that float above bubbling microtonally-detailed drone in a way that is deeply narcotic. Melancholy music box melodies are situated in the middle-distance above small percussion sounds and subtly bent strings. If you like your femme-fronted folk cut w/dilated drones, broken down piano and wheezing loops then this is pretty much your dream trip.