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Taken from El Idioma De Las Luciérnagas (Pathway007)

Federico Durand - El Idioma De Las Luciérnagas

From the <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/se-asia/">Longing for the Past: The 78 rpm Era in Southeast Asia</a> box set:

Tjikadjangan (pelog) 
Song in the Style of Cikajangan City
Performed by Oman, Doeleh and K.O.E. Sabri
Recorded in 1939

Tembang Sunda, which features sung poetry accompanied by kecapi (zither) instruments and suling (bamboo flute), is a classical vocal style originating from the Sunda kingdom of highland West Java. Developed in the court of the regent Kebupaten Cianjur in the late 19th century, the tembang Sunda is one of the most serene of Indonesian ensembles. The style began as an entertainment in which aristocrats would sing in poetic meters derived from West Javanese or Central Javanese vocal forms. A variant, kecapi suling, which arose in the 1970s and omits the vocals, is performed in restaurants and hotels in many parts of Indonesia due to its soft and mellifluous sound.

There are normally two kecapi: the lower-pitched kecapi indung and the higher-pitched and kecapi rincik or anak. Functioning respectively as mother (slower, outlining bridges and interludes) and child (faster, filling in parts), the indung has 18–20 strings and the rincik (which often plays at twice the density of the indung) normally has 15 strings. One to eight vocalists might participate in performances of tembang Sunda. Musicians traditionally hold performances in the evenings and are not paid for their services. Pieces begin with free meter and heavily ornamented songs (mamaos), followed by fixed-meter songs (panambih).

This piece, like most, features a vocalist singing poetry (tembang) in the Sundanese language. The tuning is pelog. The male vocalist sings in meter (panambih), and the kecapi players follow the vocal melody. The suling player, who opens the piece, intersperses melodies in between verses of poetry, thus never overlapping with the vocalist. Tembang Sunda serves as a sonic link to the past for aristocrats.

"Tjikadjangan (pelog)" by Oman, Doeleh and K.O.E. Sabri

From the <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/se-asia/">Longing for the Past: The 78 rpm Era in Southeast Asia</a> box set:

Văn Bà Đệ Tứ 
Literature of the 4th Lady
Performed by Bà Cả Chung
Recorded in 1931

This is an example of hát chầu văn, a form of spirit mediumship music from northern Vietnam. Known for its bright sound and lively tempos, ethnomusicologist Barley Norton has described this musical form as “vibrant earthy music with popular appeal.” When a medium experiences possession she (and sometimes he) will manifest the spirit of a succession of spirits who all have their own characteristics and personalities. In this recording the medium is representing the 4th lady of the temple’s pantheon.

Hát chầu văn and spirit mediumship has historically had its strongest presence in the Nam Định region, but was ubiquitous throughout the north of Vietnam. This form of ritual practice incorporates aspects of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism and is often associated with fortune telling. The ensemble consists of a đàn nguyệt player and two percussionists playing bamboo clappers (phách), small cymbal (cảnh) and a small barrel-shaped drum with two heads (trống cái).

Bà Cả Chung—Mrs. Eldest Chung—is listed as the singer and is also the medium. All we know of her is that she lived in Hà Nội. The other musicians are unattributed.

"Văn Bà Đệ Tứ" by Bà Cả Chung

From the <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/se-asia/">Longing for the Past: The 78 rpm Era in Southeast Asia</a> box set:

Pleng Sen Lao, Na 1
Offering of Alcohol to the Gods, Part 1
Performed by the Thewaprasit Ensemble
Recorded ca. 1950

“Phleng Sen Lao, Na 1” (“Offering Alcohol to the Gods, Part 1”) is a phleng naphat (action tune) from the highest class of repertory played by the piphat ensemble. Normally played during a wai khru (teacher greeting) ritual, the composition is here played in the context of “reading” or “preaching” the epic story of Prince Wetsandawn, the penultimate life of the Buddha just before enlightenment. As such the story is a Jataka (Chadok in Thai). The reading of the story once a year throughout much of Thailand is an important marker during the Buddhist calendar, but in central Thailand, where it is called thet mahachat (preaching the great Jataka), it occurs during the middle of the year. In the northeast, where it is called Boun Prawet and remains very popular, it occurs early in the year, around February. In Laos such chanting is also prominent, enough so to have been among the early recordings from Laos featured elsewhere in this collection (see track B9).

The “reading” requires either a Buddhist monk, or a former monk, to recite the story from traditional palm leaf manuscripts, though in the northeast it is more usual now for monks or laymen to “preach” in a form of heightened speech called thet lae that resembles singing (Buddhist monks are not permitted to sing, they “preach,” however much it sounds like singing to laymen). Northeastern Boun Prawet involves no music but central Thai performance, at least in the past, required a piphat ensemble to play naphat compositions between sections of the story. In this case, the story comes from Part 5, “Chuchok.” It refers to an old man encountered by Prince Wetsandawn who requests the prince give his children to the beggar. This he does to show his utter generosity and obedience. Consequently, this is also considered the saddest section of the story, and the chants are sometimes given added emotional weight with elaborate melismas. The track included here, however, includes only the piphat ensemble, this being a “hard mallet” ensemble with both taphon horizontal drum and a pair of klawng that barrel drums. 

(Part 2 of this record can be heard on Dust-to-Digital’s <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/black-mirror/">Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics</a>.)

"Pleng Sen Lao, Na 1" by the Thewaprasit Ensemble

From the <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/se-asia/">Longing for the Past: The 78 rpm Era in Southeast Asia</a> box set:

Miss Whiskey
Performed by Myat Lay
Recorded in the 1930s

U Myat Lay, known as a charismatic actor in the 1930s, recorded “Miss Whiskey,” which was also the title of a movie in which he starred, produced by the British Burma Film Company. In the Burmese period of silent film, the wide distribution of 78 rpm records with their hit tunes were excellent promotional tools to bring in new audiences to the movies to see singers act. Frequently, the musicians who recorded a song would also perform when the movie was shown in the big city theaters of Rangoon and Mandalay. 

As for the intent of the song “Miss Whiskey,” Myat Lay’s character says, “Whether you’re pining after old things or looking for the new, kindness doesn’t show itself in this world where love is scarce. Miss Whiskey will show you kindness.” A trumpet, hne, pat waing, and sandaya spin into chromatic slides toward the end of this section (notably experimental and emblematic of Western music to the Burmese) of the song as U Myat Lay laughs in a pose of drunken stupor.

"Miss Whiskey" by Myat Lay

Podcast #5 with Klaus features new and upcoming Autumn releases. 

Tracklist:

Noveller- "The Fright"
Stefan Wesolowski- "HAND IM HAAR"
Steve Gunn & Mike Gangloff- "Worry past worry"
Alessandro Cortini- "Luna"
Pitreleh- "Vibration: Sine Pools (excerpt)"
Emily Jane White- "The Wolves"
Duane Pitre- "Feel Free Live at Cafe OTO (excerpt)"

IMPREC Podcast#5: "Autumn Releases 2013"

Track taken from El idioma de las luciérnagas LP (Pathway007)
"The Language of Fireflies"

Federico Durand - El espejo de mil años

PITRELEH is the collaboration of Duane Pitre & ELEH.

"Enclosure: Wave Ramp" is side B of their debut LP, available on Important Records. Buy here: http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec384

Pitreleh use high resolution analog and digital tools to create music utilizing natural vibrations and harmonics as rhythm and melody. Inspiration is drawn directly from vibrational waves (sound, gravity, water).

The electronics, of which both pieces are constructed, are tuned using pure intonation which utilizes the prime numbers: 1-3-5-7.


PITRELEH - ENCLOSURE: WAVE RAMP (excerpt)

http://www.flau.jp/releases/r17.html
https://flau.bandcamp.com/album/tokyo-remixes

featuring artists are Hear Hums, Olan Mill, Les Halles, Origamibiro, Black Eagle Child, Me:Mo, Wim, Ghost And Tape, Africa Pseudobruitismus, Tuluum Shimmering, Jeremy Dower, Novisad, Hakobune, The Green Kingdom, Padna, F.S.Blumm, Machinone, Lee Noble, M.Sage & Patrick Ellis

01 bell guitar (Hear Hums)
02 ruoho (Olan Mill)
03 tokyo (Les Halles)
04 siksy (Origamibiro)
05 harutsugedori (Black Eagle Child)
06 driftwood (me:mo)
07 flower stamp (wim)
08 windwijzer (Ghost And Tape)
09 haimidori (Africa Pseudobruitismus)
10 michiyuki (Tuluum Shimmering)
11 vihrea (Jeremy Dower)
12 swallow song (Novisad)
13 giddy (Hakobune)
14 tears of kivi (The Green Kingdom)
15 tegami (Nat Hawks)
16 miston (F.S.Blumm)
17 gossamer (Machinone)
18 aerosol (Lee Noble)
19 juha (M.Sage)
20 blue purple (Patrick Ellis) - bonus track 

Buy/Free DL

Machinone - Tokyo Remixes (album preview)

Taken from the new album from Josephine Foster & The Victor Herrero Band, 'Perlas'. The follow up to 2010's critically acclaimed 'Anda Jaleo', this second collection of Spanish folk songs is as magical and enchanting as the first.

Available on CD / LP / Digital Download from May 2012 on Fire Records.

Josephine Foster & The Victor Herrero Band - Sangre Colorada

A sneak preview track from the wonderful new album from Josephine Foster And The Victor Herrero Band, "Anda Jaleo", available now on Fire Records


Josephine Foster & The Victor Herrero Band - Los Cuatro Muleros (2010)

IMPREC Podcast Number 2 features new, fresh, and upcoming releases from the Important Records catalog. Most of the artists featured have upcoming releases this spring and/or early summer. Enjoy!

Artists featured include:

Sal Mineo (Xiu Xiu & Eugene S Robinson), Gaspar Claus, Holy Sons, Gunter Schickert, Duane Pitre, Total Life, Lawrence English, Deceh, James Blackshaw & Lubomyr Melnyk, and Overhang Party.  
  

IMPREC Podcast Number 2

Podcast #4 with Klaus features new and upcoming Summer releases. This podcast also debuts the "Three Questions..." segment, providing artists a space to discuss their work in further detail. This weeks guest is Duane Pitre and he will be discussing his new album 'Bridges'.  

Tracklist:

Jozef Van Wissem- "Where You Lived And What You Lived For"
Alessandro Cortini- "Resta"
Master Musicians Of Bukkake- "Circular Ruins"

Three Questions with Duane Pitre

Duane Pitre- "Bridges: Earth/Ember/Serpent (excerpt)"
Else Marie Pade & Jakob Kirkegaard- "Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Stratus (excerpt)"
TOTAL LIFE- "Radiator I (excerpt)"
Nadja & Vampillia- "Aurora"
Acid Mothers Temple- "Babe, I'm Gonna Reave You"
PITRELEH- (excerpt from side A)

*Background music throughout podcast is an excerpt from the forthcoming album "Feel Free Live At Cafe OTO" by Duane Pitre

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