Strata- A Young Person’s Guide To Experimental Music (SAA1125)

An ambitious compilation of noise, electronic, hip-hop, free jazz, prog and experimental music, Strata- A Young Person’s Guide To Experimental Music is a primer for those of any age. Featuring rare, new and unreleased tracks from: Create (!), Bizzart, Melk The G6-49, Lafcadio, Soul-Junk, MakeShift:Shelter, Manners For Husbands, Receptor Sight, Electric iLL and others. Collected from the Sounds Are Active and Joyful Noise record labels, Strata- A Young Person’s Guide To Experimental Music, presents both previously unreleased and downloadable tracks with album cuts.

Sounds Are Active/Asthmatic Kitty Sampler (AS001)

Sounds Are Active and sister label Asthmatic Kitty have pooled their collective talents to put something beautiful into the world: the 2004 Sampler. Over over 74 minutes of music from these two unceasingly original record labels. The Asthmatic Kitty “Side” features songs from Sufjan Stevens’ first three albums, as well as three tracks from the unrelentingly joyous Half-Handed Cloud. Songs by Liz Janes, Castanets and Viva Voce round out the 11 tracks- 3 heretofore unreleased. The Sounds Are Active “Side” teems with spastic new work from Melk The G6-49, Bizzart and Deneir. New and unreleased tracks from Soul-Junk, Vla Hemia and Create (!). Softer pieces contributed by Xn. (featuring a slick remix from hip-hop producer supreme Omid) and the brooding “Two Planes for Elliott Smith” by the Constantine/Levin/Phillips/Schlarb/Shadduck quintet.

Xn.- ideas without numbers (SAA1118)

A collection of five short ambient guitar pieces from Chris Schlarb recorded in 1999 and released as a limited edition album totaling less than 10 minutes. Built around the unorthodox but simple sounds coaxed out of the electric guitar the original album was meant to be listened to repeatedly. After the limited release sold out, Schlarb contacted a number of different experimental, electronic and hip-hop artists to gauge interest in remixes and reinterpretations.

Patagonian- 6 Lonely Tales of One Lonely Riot Grrrl (SAA1114)

Charcoal hewn ambient hip-hop experiments. These are not hollow hip-hop instrumentals, Patagonian’s tracks are cinematic rivers of avant-garde piano, dirty, mutating beats and time-stretched/pitch-shifted drones. Minimalist orchestrations of stings, electronics, and jazz drumming. With fans from Soul-Junk to underground hip-hop producer Omid, Patagonian twists old things into new. In his time-stretched hands words and tones invite re-examination.