Now Shipping: Franco Battiato's Clic May 11 2018
Shipping this week, a longtime fan favorite by electronic music pioneer Franco Battiato.
In the 1970s, Battiato made several groundbreaking records. Clic is at the center of the cycle, featuring the maestro on VCS3 synthesizer and piano. Battiato's beautiful and expansive tour of the cosmos stands on the precipice between avant-garde and pop stardom – an essential entry in the Italian experimental canon.
This first-time domestic release reproduces the original gatefold jacket and 8-page booklet.
More Reissues by Alice Coltrane and Spacemen 3 May 04 2018
Coming out this June, we have Alice Coltrane's Lord Of Lords and Spacemen 3's For All The Fucked-Up Children. Rarely do records as astonishing and singular as these appear in the same breath.
Now Shipping: Spacemen 3's Playing With Fire and Recurring April 27 2018
Now shipping two classic records by Spacemen 3.
Originally released in 1988, Playing With Fire finds the band at the freest, most confident point in their career – cementing their rightful place on the vanguard of otherworldly rock 'n' roll. While 1990's Recurring surely reveals a deep divide within the S3 camp, their final studio album maintains a cohesive, dreamy feel with chief sonic officers Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce backed by fellow travelers Will Carruthers, Mark Refoy and Jon Mattock.
Both LPs come with notes by Marc Masters and extra photos. It doesn't get much better than this.
Just Announced: Franco Battiato's Clic April 09 2018
We're excited to announce the next title in our Franco Battiato archival series.
Originally released in 1974, Clic is a gorgeous and seminal work of the Italian avant-garde. Bold melodies, kosmische textures and meditative compositions foreshadow the uncompromising experimentalism that would dominate much of Battiato's mid-1970s oeuvre.
For fans of Harold Budd, Gavin Bryars and Lovisoni / Messina's Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo.
Photo by Roberto Masotti
Now Shipping: The Mekons Singles April 06 2018
Shipping next week, we have The Mekons' first two 7-inches – both originally released in 1978 and featuring songs that never appeared on any of their albums. While Never Been In A Riot is a sardonic response to The Clash's White Riot, Where Were You? is the perfect anthem for every taciturn punk, young or old.
Recommended for fans of Stiff Little Fingers, Gang of Four and The Ex.
Limited edition color vinyl.
Just Announced: Steve Reich's Drumming March 30 2018
Steve Reich's Drumming is regarded as one of the most important musical works of the last century. Distilled through his studies of African percussion in Ghana during 1970 and Balinese gamelan music, Reich revolutionized our understanding of polyrhythms, sculpting a new sonic territory to illuminate the radical potential of Minimalism.
Divided into four sections, performed without pause, Drumming is written for eight small tuned drums, three marimbas, three glockenspiels, piccolo and voice. The singers recite melodic patterns that mimic the sounds of the instruments, gradually rising to the surface and then fading out. The overall effect can be transfixing – pulling listeners into the rhythm and possessing a raw immediacy, directness and energy.
The premier performances of Drumming took place in December 1971 in New York City – first at The Museum of Modern Art, then at Brooklyn Academy of Music and finally at Town Hall where this recording was made – and featured the composer along with a cast of longtime collaborators including Art Murphy, Steve Chambers, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Jon Gibson, Joan La Barbara, Judy Sherman, Jay Clayton, Ben Harms, Gary Burke, Frank Maefsky and James Ogden.
Originally released in 1972 by gallerist John Gibson in a small private edition, Drumming represents the culmination of Reich's investigation into rhythmic phase relationships and its early realization captures a remarkably organic feel, especially compared to the more widely known version on Deutsche Grammophon from 1974.
Photo by Peter Moore
Now Shipping: États-Unis II March 23 2018
Shipping next week, the second set on SV's limited edition imprint États-Unis.
Featuring the debut releases by Jean Dubuffet, Warner Jepson, Remko Scha, John Duncan and Annea Lockwood, these first-time vinyl reissues come with original album sleeve designs and new inserts.
We have very few copies left, so now is your chance to get them all in our special-priced vinyl bundle.
Just Announced: Spacemen 3's Taking Drugs March 21 2018
Excited to offer out another thunderous title in our Spacemen 3 reissue series.
Originally released on Father Yod in 1990, Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To features the legendary Northampton demos. These primal versions of "Sound Of Confusion" and "Losing Touch With My Mind" roar at the nexus point between the band's garage beginnings and expansionist future.
Double LP includes notes by Byron Coley and eight additional tracks not on the original release.
Now Shipping: Spacemen 3's Dreamweapon March 09 2018
Shipping this week, the first title in our Spacemen 3 reissue series.
Billed as "An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music" (although consciously omitting the sitar), Dreamweapon remains the "Sweet Sister Ray" of '80s Britain. First time available on vinyl domestically.
Just Announced: The Mekons March 02 2018
No band captures the DIY punk ethos better than The Mekons. Like fellow Leeds misfits Gang of Four and Delta 5, The Mekons form a rowdy and illuminating piece of the UK post-punk puzzle, fusing everyday political concerns with a no-holds-barred approach to performance.
Their debut Never Been In A Riot first appeared on Fast Product in 1978 and delivers three startlingly original tracks that never appeared on any of their albums, while Where Were You? remains one of the most epic songs written with just two chords, a lasting monument to the punk era.
Limited edition color vinyl.
Now Shipping: Cindy Lee's Act Of Tenderness February 21 2018
Shipping this week, the debut album by Cindy Lee on our W.25TH imprint.
Act Of Tenderness is "an eerie fever dream of fleeting, utterly heartbreaking classic girl-group melodies, sometimes obscured by abrasive noise and buried under a heavy layer of murk" (Gorilla vs. Bear).
Everyone in our record shop has a different favorite tune, so we decided to stream the entire album and let you decide for yourself. Recommended for fans of Deerhunter, This Mortal Coil and Epic Soundtracks.
SV Catalogue Bundle 2018 February 16 2018
We have some great titles coming out in the next few months and even more to be announced real soon.
In the meantime, now is your chance to get your hands on this special-priced bundle that shows the diversity of our catalogue – including The Fall, Arnold Dreyblatt, DNA, Ornette Coleman, Brigitte Fontaine, Glenn Branca, The Flesh Eaters, MX-80 Sound, 100 Flowers and Martin Rev.
Offer ends Monday February 19th at midnight, Pacific Time.
Just Announced: Spacemen 3's Playing With Fire and Recurring February 02 2018
We're excited to finally announce a couple more Spacemen 3 reissues.
Playing With Fire, originally released in 1988, is easily the band's crowning studio achievement, complete with stuttering tremolo guitars, wistful melodies and Stooges-level blowouts. 1990's Recurring lays bare the essence of Spacemen 3's sound, rooted equally in aural expansion and phenomenal songwriting.
Now Shipping: This Kind Of Punishment LPs January 31 2018
Shipping this week, the first two albums by New Zealand legends This Kind Of Punishment.
Originally released in 1983 on Flying Nun, TKP's self-titled debut is a contemplative, inventive collection of ideas corralled via 4-track recordings, minimal instrumentation and an austere performance style entirely of the Jefferies brothers' own making. 1984's A Beard Of Bees proffers a grey, near-Mancunian influence with earthy baritone vocals, shimmering guitars, melancholic piano and VU-inspired noise.
Now Shipping: EXEK's Ahead Of Two Thoughts January 18 2018
Shipping this week, the sophomore album by EXEK. Conjuring the ghosts of PiL, This Heat and Swell Maps, Ahead Of Two Thoughts was produced by Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring).
"A modern Australian band who sound like 4AD enigmas Dif Juz and painter Jean-Michel Basquiat's group, Gray? Yes, please! Melbourne's EXEK execute a stark, dour DIY strain of dub that sounds like grimmest 1981 post-punk, and in 2018, that's paradoxically fresh." – Dave Segal, The Stranger
Just Announced: Cindy Lee's Act Of Tenderness January 16 2018
As Cindy Lee's first long-form statement, Act Of Tenderness makes use of antipodal themes to create a living sound: static with grace, distortion and sugar, all masterfully arranged with crooked nods toward pop classicism. These snowy pieces give the album a decidedly cinematic feel, albeit one bent more towards Eraserhead.
Just Announced: Spacemen 3's Dreamweapon January 05 2018
August 1988, Spacemen 3 embark on one of the strangest events in the band's already strange history. Billed as "An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music" (although consciously omitting the sitar), the group would play in the foyer of Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, Middlesex to a largely unsuspecting and unsympathetic audience waiting to take their seats for Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire.
Spacemen 3's proceeding set, forty-five minutes of repetitive drone-like guitar riffs, could be seen as the "Sweet Sister Ray" of '80s Britain. Their signature sound is at once recognizable and disorienting – pointing as much to the hypnotic minimalism of La Monte Young as to a future shoegaze constituency.
Just Announced: États-Unis II December 15 2017
Eariler this year, we released the first set in our États-Unis series, and they sold out in a flash.
We're excited to announce the second set which includes early '60s recordings of Jean Dubuffet, the sole LP release by San Francisco Tape Music Center affiliated composer Warner Jepson, fierce electric guitar works from Remko Scha, the first record by LAFMS-related performance artist John Duncan and (last but not least) the transcendent glass compositions of Annea Lockwood.
Each album pressed in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies on clear vinyl.
Pre-order individual titles right here or get them all in our special-priced vinyl bundle.
Just Announced: This Kind Of Punishment and EXEK December 08 2017
2017 is not over yet, but we can't wait to tell you what's cooking for next year.
This Kind Of Punishment has long been one of our favorite NZ bands, so it's a huge honor to be reissuing their first two albums – self-titled and A Beard Of Bees. Simply put, TKP is some of the best music to come out on Flying Nun, Xpressway or elsewhere.
Also coming in January, we have EXEK's Ahead Of Two Thoughts, a never-ending loop of dub-infected textures and anxious lyrics. It's so good; we can't stop spinning this one at SV headquarters.
Now Shipping: Basil Kirchin's Worlds Within Worlds December 04 2017
Shipping this week, 1974 masterpiece Worlds Within Worlds by pioneering British composer Basil Kirchin.
Originally released on Island Records, a lost classic in sonic abstraction that blurs the lines between genres.
First-time reissue reproduces the original cover design that includes liner notes by Brian Eno.
Holiday Gift Bundles December 01 2017
December is here, and we want to wish you Happy Holidays from all of us here at Superior Viaduct.
If you're looking for stocking-stuffer ideas, we made gift bundles with some of our best artists.
Offer ends Sunday December 3rd at midnight (Pacific), so jump to it.
Cyber Monday 2017 November 26 2017
We have 20% off all Superior Viaduct releases. (Sorry, discount does not apply to pre-orders.)
Apply discount code CyberMonday2017 during check-out. Offer ends November 27th at midnight, Pacific.
Now Shipping: Suicide's First Rehearsal Tapes November 17 2017
Shipping this week, the first-time standalone release of Suicide's First Rehearsal Tapes, recorded in 1975.
"There are at least three versions of Suicide. The band as performance art confrontationalists, for whom the audience was a necessary element, there to be pulverized. The band in the studio, a cornered animal having to adhere to the expectation of a 'take.' And the band in rehearsal room creation mode. It is this third form that is the most under-documented and vital to understanding the other two versions of Suicide."
– Henry Rollins (excerpt from the liner notes)
Now Shipping: Henry Flynt's You Are My Everlovin' November 13 2017
Shipping this week, Henry Flynt's You Are My Everlovin'. Solo electric violin with drone that elegantly brings together disparate vernaculars – Southern blues, modal jazz, Appalachian fiddle and North Indian raga.
This CD reissue features extensive liner notes by the composer.
Now Shipping: Sun Ra And His Arkestra November 03 2017
Shipping this week, Sun Ra And His Arkestra Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold.
Recorded live in December 1964, this is an exceptionally rare item in the El Saturn discography.
First-time vinyl reissue includes bonus track "Conversation With Saturn" and liner notes by jazz historian John Corbett.
Now Shipping: John Frusciante's Niandra LaDes October 16 2017
We are excited to finally release John Frusciante's solo debut, Niandra LaDes And Usually Just A T-Shirt. This album is a personal favorite of ours, so it is truly an honor to present its first-time vinyl release.
Shipping this week, the black vinyl standard version – includes double LP, gatefold jacket and printed inner sleeves. We threw in a lil something extra for those who pre-ordered from our web site (while supplies last).
Sorry, the deluxe version sold out right away and was strictly limited. For those who bought the deluxe edition, we should start shipping those in a week or two. Thanks for your patience. You won't be disappointed.
Now Shipping: Battiato October 13 2017
Shipping this week, three classic albums by Franco Battiato – available for the first time on vinyl in the US.
Fetus, his captivating 1971 debut, skirts effortlessly into the territories of avant-pop, musique concrète, folk and psychedelic. While Pollution's hypnotic grooves and cinematic flourishes suggest a futuristic meeting point between Stereolab and Ennio Morricone, Sulle Corde Di Aries blooms in a polyphony of organic pulses reminiscent of the vibrant keyboard minimalism of Terry Riley.
"There is no figure in Italian music, nor within the country's shimmering, expansive avant-garde, who demands the respect and awe offered to Franco Battiato. He is the beginning and the end. An artist whose output, stretching across six decades, is so diverse and singular, that it defies any concrete definition." – Soundohm
"Sometimes Battiato gets likened to Brian Eno, on account of his string of 1970s art-pop albums ... A better analogy might be with Brazil's Tom Zé or France's Serge Gainsbourg – charismatic individualists operating on the cusp between the avant-garde and mainstream entertainment." – Simon Reynolds (4Columns)
Just Announced: Autumn 2017 Releases October 06 2017
We're thrilled to announce a new batch of reissues by Suicide, Sun Ra And His Arkestra, Basil Kirchin and Henry Flynt.
These will be our last releases for 2017, which came to 29 titles in the end.
We say it every year, but next year is shaping up to be truly monumental. Stay tuned.
Now Shipping: Nazoranai September 20 2017
Nazoranai is the supergroup of Keiji Haino, Oren Ambarchi and Stephen O'Malley.
W.25TH / Superior Viaduct presents Nazoranai's third album, the cryptically named Beginning To Fall In Line Before Me, So Decorously, The Nature Of All That Must Be Transformed. Collectively, Nazoranai operates as a live collaboration for spontaneous composition. Here, the trio explores two side-long tracks of superb abstraction recorded at SuperDeluxe in Toyko. Ambarchi and O'Malley provide the perfect brute-rock rhythm section to Haino's wrecklessly pure expression through instrument and voice.
Comes with gorgeous spot UV, tip-on gatefold jacket.
Get it here
Just Announced: Nazoranai August 28 2017
Keiji Haino, Oren Ambarchi and Stephen O'Malley should not need any introductions nor should their supergroup Nazoranai – a live recorded collaboration through noise, abstraction and dynamics.
W.25TH / Superior Viaduct presents Nazoranai's third album, Beginning To Fall In Line Before Me, So Decorously, The Nature Of All That Must Be Transformed, which marks the band's first release on an American label.
Just Announced: John Frusciante August 25 2017
We're excited to finally announce our reissue of John Frusciante's Niandra LaDes And Usually Just A T-Shirt, which was originally released on Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in 1994.
Mail-order exclusive, deluxe edition includes 2xLP on translucent red vinyl, bonus 7" of two extra tracks from the original cassette release and a black-and-white photograph of the artist. Strictly limited to 1,000 copies.
The black vinyl version does not come with 7" and photo.
Just Announced: Franco Battiato July 28 2017
We are excited to announce SV's reissue campaign of electronic music pioneer Franco Battiato. Often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with perfectly oblique vocals, infectious melodies, analog electronics and his unique, forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll.
Three classic albums – Fetus (1971), Pollution (1972) and Sulle Corde Di Aries (1973) – are scheduled to be released this September, with more coming later in the year!
First time available on vinyl in the US.
Photo by Roberto Masotti
Now Shipping: Perverted By Language July 07 2017
The Fall's shining catalogue continues with their sixth proper studio album.
Originally released in 1983, Perverted By Language marks not only Brix Smith's debut, but also the band's shift towards a distinctly pop approach. Retaining the force and panic of their initial Rough Trade recordings, this is The Fall both as they were and as they would become.
First time available on vinyl in the US.
July 4th Weekend - SV Catalogue Bundles June 30 2017
And here we are again ... Halfway through the year and another 20 releases under the SV banner. Thanks everyone for your support! We can't wait to tell you about what's coming in the next few months.
To show our gratitude, we created three vinyl bundles that highlight the diverse artists in our catalogue.
Offer ends Tuesday July 4th at midnight, Pacific Time (while supplies last).
Just In: Die Tödliche Doris LP June 09 2017
For those who missed our États-Unis series, we just received a limited black vinyl repress of the Die Tödliche Doris LP as well as a warehouse find of clear vinyl for Highlights Of Vortex, Le Forte Four and Joe Jones.
Die Tödliche Doris' debut, originally released on Zickzack in 1982 and produced by Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld, transfixes listeners with disquieting lullabies of profound anxiety and manic lacerations of punk minimalism.
This first-time vinyl reissue includes a reproduction of the original 24-page booklet.
Now Shipping: Tony Conrad's Ten Years 2xLP May 26 2017
Now shipping 2xLP version of Tony Conrad's Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain, previously unreleased breathtaking performance from 1972 featuring Conrad, Rhys Chatham and Laurie Spiegel.
"Ten Years began with image before sound, a row of quadruple projections arranged side-by-side, all the shuffling stripes cascading into each other. Over the next two hours the music throbbed and the projectors incrementally shifted inwards, their beams gradually uniting to form one pulsating, overlapping picture." – Andrew Lampert
