[Music] Kruder & Dorfmeister – 1995

Have 25 years really passed so quickly? I can still remember working at Aron’s Records with some of the best music buyers in Los Angeles at that time, getting introduced to artists like Aphex Twin, μ-Ziq, and all sorts of Acid Jazz compilations. Then came Kruder & Dorfmeister’s G-Stoned EP.

My first reaction was based on the record cover, naturally. I though, “Meh, a couple of clowns aping Simon & Garfunkel.” The reaction may have been caused by actually listening to Bookends just a few days before. Thankfully, one of the buyers insisted that I hear it, and it left me blown away. It opened a world of music genres I had heretofore never had access to. Trip-hop, drum & bass, downtempo, the horribly-named electronica… All of this was new, exciting, invigorating music, and these two lads from Austria seemed to be at the forefront of these movements.

The boys never lost their touch. They would continue on remixing so many classic albums, even going mainstream for a moment working with Madonna herself on a rather fruitful track collaboration.

2020, this most weird and horrible of years, ends with a very pleasant surprise. As it turns out, a lost album managed to turn up. It is, to no one’s surprise, titled 1995, from the year the album was probably recorded and then forgotten about.

I have heard only one track from it, called Johnson. It sounds like a great continuation of that G-Stoned EP mentioned earlier. It’s rich, meaty, dark and chilled music. For those of you who pine for the days of early trip-hop, your fix has arrived.

You can enjoy a track from 1995 called Johnson below:

Consider purchasing the album here, or wherever you feel most comfortable buying your vinyl or digital downloads. For those interested in the track list, here you go:

1995 tracklist:
1. Johnson
2. Love Hope Change
3. Swallowed The Moon
4. Spring
5. Dope
6. King Size
7. Holmes
8. Don Gil Dub
9. Stop Screaming (only available on physical copy)
10. Morning
11. White Widow
12. In Bed with K&D
13. Ambiente
14. One Brake
15. Lovetalk

[Music] Web Web – Worshippers

Compost Records released an album by Web Web a few days ago which hit a sweet spot for me. The album is a magical combination of free improv (without the racket), kosmische musik, soul and fusion, laced with elements of trip-hop, hip-hop, and any other -hop which comes to mind.

Joy Denalane’s voice is sumptuous. She is at ease telling a soulful story as she is using her voice as a improvisational instrument. Roberto Di Gioia, Tony Lakato and Stefan Pintey add a lush background for the three to play in.

This album will be my go-to disc for 3 a.m. listening for the foreseeable future. It is that good.

[Music] Various Artists – V Miracle: Music for Oceans


Belarusian record label Ezhevika Records had a very impressive 2018, coming up with impressive release after impressive release of all sorts of electronic music and electropop, as they call it.

Their latest release is a compilation of indietronica, future beats and other hard-to-describe genres put together for a record whose profits will be given to SeaLegacy, a non-profit society for ocean conservation.

Learn more at www.sealegacy.org

[Video] Foltin and Nikola Kodjabashia – To Whom Do You Belong Now?

Foltin are one of the most innovative groups in the Republic of Macedonia. I’ve always wondered why those into Rock-In-Opposition music didn’t gravitate to their quirky music much sooner. Nikola Kodjabashia is a Macedonian pianist currently based in the United Kingdom who works primarily composing avant-garde music. How this pairing could produce such sumptuous, smoky trip-hop not out-of-place in any New York jazz bar is beyond me. Well worth seeking out!