Digitalis was started in early 2003 by Brad Rose and Eden Hemming Rose. Soon after, the limited cd-r offshoot called Foxglove was birthed (and later killed in late 2007). In mid-2007 Digitalis launched the Arts & Crafts Editions (ACE), and in January 2008 Digitalis ltd became Foxglove reincarnated and started releasing tapes. In late 2008, they will be doing their first vinyl release(s). In addition to all this, Digitalis also publishes the Foxy Digitalis Webzine and updates with new reviews, features, podcasts, & blog posts every week.
(VxPxC)
In the past two years, (VxPxC) has grown from a Golden State oddity to a Los Angeles institution. The trio of Grant Capes, Tim Goodwillie, and Justin McInteer have churned out an entire catalog of blissed-out improvisations that range from the organic and melodic to overblown chaos. There's never
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Acre
This album has been a long, long time coming but the wait has most certainly been worth it. Aaron Davis has been firing missile after missile as ACRE for some years now, but nothing else stands out as his defining moment quite like "Sacrifice." This opus was in the pipeline for years, being etched
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Ben Reynolds
Ben Reynolds has emerged as one of the most prolific contributors to the UK ecstatic-drone scene over the past year. He has released numerous solo CD-Rs and last year saw his first CD on the Finnish Ikuisuus imprint. "Outmosphere" was originally intended to add to the list of CD-R releases, but
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Birdsong for Sewers
Birdsong for Sewers are Uton and Peter Wright. Recorded on location in Christchurch, London, and Tampere between December 2002 and March 2004 and compiled by
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Black To Comm
Marc Richter's new Black to Comm offering "Charlemagne & Pippin" churns out a slowly, methodically building single-tone battleship, that somehow manages to become more powerful, hopeful, and grandiose as it oscillates. Richter's characteristic organ noise is rounded off beautifully with various
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Braspyreet
The chaotic free jazz skronk of helsinki's braspyreet comes to a head on "maamme laulu." aquatic visions of spacetime bending, this quartet chants its way through the fanciful forested heavens of the north. "maamme laulu" is the culmination of months of preparation and practice. bathed in
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Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood
As far as the Southern Hemisphere goes, Australia's budding underground has often played second fiddle to that of it's island neighbor, New Zealand. But a new crop of Aussies is levelling the playing field. Leading the way is the brother/sister duo of Michael and Kristina Donnelly AKA Brothers of
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Chriss Sutherland
Many people might not be directly familiar with the name Chriss Sutherland, but most know Cerberus Shoal, of which Sutherland is a founding member. "Me in a 'Field'" marks his solo debut and shows why Cerberus Shoal is so revered. He's also a current member of Fire on Fire, who will release
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Concern
Gordon Ashworth is Concern and this is his manifesto. "Truth & Distance" is a mini-epic, a minor masterpiece. Within these sonic walls lies a stunning landscape, adrift in golden tones and silver siren songs. Ashworth creates beautiful, shimmering music that defies categorization. It stands on
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Corsican Paintbrush
Tulsa, Oklahoma is probably one place you would not expect to find a bouzouki or a person who can play one. But thankfully for the spirit of international culture, husband and wife team Brad and Eden Rose live in that very city. They make music under many names (most notably the North Sea but also
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Cursillistas
"Wasp Stings the Last Bitter Flavor" marks the first widely available release from this Portland, Maine troubadour. The brains behind the project is Matt Lajoie and he is perhaps best known for his enchanted album on Time-Lag Records. His folk-inspired psychedelia reaches new heights on "Wasp
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Darwinsbitch
darwinsbitch is fluid forms of drones, doomy laments, and folk melodies fleshed out from a backbone of sine oscillators and violin. As the sky opens up and pellets of ice begin to fall, there is warmth trickling through the cracks in the walls. Darwinsbitch finally makes her incredible debut a
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Ensemble Economique
By now, just about everyone is familiar with the mighty Starving Weirdos and their otherworldly junkyard drones. Last year the world was introduced to another band of mystics from the Weirdos camp called RV Paintings. One of the constant threads from both of those bands is the inimitable Brian
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Gianluca Becuzzi & Fabio Orsi
Anything that can be said about this double CD release can also be said about the roar of a rushing stream or the sound of snow falling on a clear night. These two sound artisans have crafted so perfect an auditory environment that it is completely devoid of artifice or noticeable flaw. It is a
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Green Blossoms
It was important we get this out in the heart of summer because "Whiskey Leaves" its familiar melodies and breezy instrumentation are the perfect accompaniment to your hot, humid nights. The duo of Aiko Koga and Anthony Guerra first made their presence known on a micro-edition CDR from New
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Higuma
"January is always time for new beginnings and sewing the seeds for the year to come and I can think of no better way to start things off than with this massive, dusty blast from San Francisco duo, Higuma. Comprised of Barn Owl's Evan Caminiti and Lisa McGee. Like a phoenix from the shambles,
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Ilyas Ahmed
I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Ilyas Ahmed is incredible. Born in Pakistan and raised in New Jersey, he now plies his trade in Portland, Oregon. "Between Two Skies" and "Towards the Night" is where it all began. Released in criminally limited editions of 50 copies each, both albums
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Jeremy Kelly
I first met Jeremy Kelly at Bottled Smoke back in May and subsequently got to know him via email over the summer. Simply put, he's an incredible artist and musician. There's a few things you should know... first, he's an effects-building wizard. He makes a lot of his own stuff, giving his music
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John Clyde-Evans
It's been a monumental year for John Clyde-Evans. He recently returned from a year living in the Punjab region of India, and after a slew of releases under his Sikh name of Tirath Singh Nirmala, he's back to the good ol' JCE. That's not all that's changed, though. His latest opus, "apetal
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Keijo
Keijo hails from Jyväskylä, Finland - a small town in the north that claims to be the center of the universe. In the sprawling Finnish underground, Keijo is the wise sage who everyone admires. In his 52 years, he has travelled the world twice and seen his share of turmoil. He was nearly killed in a
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The godfather of the Finnish Underground is back with his most complete album to date. Keijo Virtanen's far-reaching hands can be felt throughout the Nordic peninsula from his home in Jyväskylä. While he often performs in numerous groups such as The Free Players and Kheta Hotem, it is in his solo
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Keijo & the Free Players
Once again, Finnish-native Keijo Virtanen unloads another dirt-stained masterpiece. Over the past few years he has assembled a group of artists that have become known as the Free Players. Their collaborative efforts are like a clinic in improvisation. The interplay and spontaneity between them is
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Kyrgyz
Kyrgyz is a name that will be unfamiliar to most, but the band's members read like an all-star team of Bay Area improvisers. This quartet consists of Tom Carter (Charalambides), Loren Chasse (The Blithe Sons, Thuja, etc), Christine Boepple (Skygreen Leopards Skyband), and Robert Horton (Broken
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Le Peuplier De Simon
Simon Belair hails from Montreal, PQ and is becoming one of the province's foremost electronic artists. "Cheers to the Seasons," his first proper CD, is dually fragile and delicate, while still remaining organic and invigorating. Belair uses a variety of sources (field recordings, old vinyl,
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Manpack Variant
Manpack Variant is the persistently intermittent commingling of electronicists Jaime Fennelly (Peeesseye, peeinmyfacewithsurgery, Phantom Limb & Bison) and Chris Peck, resulting in transcendent sound rituals and unexplainable detritus such as the recent "Flash Vault" 7" split with Gerritt on
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Mariska Baars & Wouter Van Veldhoven & Rutger Zuydervelt
"Zeeg" represents the best that the Dutch underground has to offer. Combining the talents of Rutger Zuydervelt, Mariska Baars, and Wouter Van Veldhoven, this album shows off what can happen when the stars align. This is stunning in its scope and breadth. It's a sonic magic trick.
Most ....
Maurizio Bianchi & Fhievel & Hue
This release is quite special as it has given us the opportunity to work with one of our all-time favorite artists (and one of the true all-time greats), Maurizio Bianchi. "Erimos" is the first in a series of works about the spaces "between the elements." This album contains a single, 40+
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Microblind Harvestmen
After 2 1/2 years of a seemingly endless stream of releases, Robert Horton shows no signs of slowing down. The inevitable question of "What next?" may crop up from time to time, but with the launch of Microblind Harvestmen's debut album, "Songs & Instruments From Death Bottom Slide," Horton
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Milton Cross
You might not have heard of Milton Cross, but you've certainly heard of the main band he's in (Tarentel). He's also a member of Dial Square and Party of Doom. "Light in the West" was originally self-released in a limited CDR format, but has now been remastered and reworked (some tracks
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Mudboy
Mudboy dares you to find a suitable label for his warped sonic missives. But find one way to trap him and he changes direction and weasels out under the cracks in the wall. This is music for those who like to skit the line between light and dark, because believe Mudboy himself when he says that
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Myrmyr
Myrmyr is the duo of Agnes Szelag and Marielle Jakobsons (aka Darwinsbitch). They create electroacoustic songs on many instruments such as violin, cello, voice, bass, gezhong, piano, and accordian. When those instruments aren't enough, they invite friends to play with them and write scores for
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Of
Loren Chasse is responsible for a whole host of vital albums. He was a founding member of the Jewelled Antler label and has sparked so many great moments from the likes of Thuja, The Blithe Sons, Softwar, and of course his main solo guise, Of. For years this project has evolved into something of
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Peter Wright
You can remove a Kiwi from New Zealand but you sure as hell can't remove New Zealand from a Kiwi. Such is the case with Christchurch transplant, Peter Wright. Over the course of a decade, Wright has etched his name in glass in the annals of drone-world superstardom. And while I'm not sure what
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Pocahaunted - Robedoor
There's a savage battle raging in the hallowed streets of Los Angeles, being fought by prehistoric megaliths spewing lava from their mouths. These acid-tongued shamans are interested in one thing and one thing only, and that's to raze this city to the ground. Okay, perhaps it's not so
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Pulse Emitter
"I've been a fan of Daryl Groetsch AKA Pulse Emitter's synthetic concoctions for years now. Hailing from the hotbed of Portland, Oregon, his work is almost unparalleled when it comes to modular synthesizer excursions. "Oppressive Nature" is a 40 minute journey into cities that will soon be
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Robert Horton
Robert Horton made a monumental splash into the scene of free music in 2005. With nearly 30 years of experience under his belt, the catalog of recordings he's accumulated is enough to make even the most prolific artists blush. After taking a hiatus from releasing music from the mid 90s until now,
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Scott Tuma
To me, Scott Tuma is a bit of a legend. From his days with the seminal Souled American to performing with Boxhead Ensemble his two incredible solo records, "Hard Again" and "The River 1 2 3 4," there are few musicians with such a quality discography. I kept waiting for him to drop another solo
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Seht
New Zealand's seht (AKA Stephen Clover) has spawned a musical monster around one consistent idea: that simplicity can be the most mind-expanding drug around. Over the course of a dozen releases on labels like Last Visible Dog and Celebrate Psi-Phenomenon, Clover has perfected this artform. Using a
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Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek
This is not your grandfather's Machinefabriek album. Not even close. Rutger Zuydervelt has joined forces with soccer Committee's Mariska Baars on a multitude of previous albums and EPs, but nothing has come close to the sheer force of "Drawn." Baars' bare-bones songs of lament and longing are
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Softwar
What could these musicians do after collectively playing on a million records, releasing a million more, and nurturing a scene that is both international and inner-visionary? Why not release a record that is so stunning in its scope and so well executed in its manner that it defies simple
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Steve Gunn
Steve Gunn is probably best known as a key component to the mighty GHQ with Marcia Bassett (Double Leopards) and Pete Nolan (Magik Markers), but his solo efforts have been even more impressive. With a couple limited & hard-to-find CDRs under his belt and a few offerings under the moniker Moongang,
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Steven R. Smith
Steven R. Smith's name has become more commonplace over the last half-decade, and that's a very good thing. From his monumental works as Hala Strana to being a prominent contributor to many Jewelled Antler projects, his sound is distinct.
This is the first brand new solo album from Steven ....
Super Minerals
There are a lot of good times happening in SoCal these days and the Stunned Records/Magic Lantern crew is responsible for a whole hell of a lot of it. Well, Super Minerals are an important cog in that machine and this duo's intentions are blaring loud and clear on their first proper CD,
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Tarentel
Over the course of numerous dates in Italy, Tarentel (a trio on this tour of Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Danny Grody, & Jim Redd) improvised every set they played with often stunning results. This is not your grandfather's Tarentel. "Live Edits: Italy/Switzerland" is full of pounding tribal drums and
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The Lost Domain
The Lost Domain are an avant-folk/drone/jazz/improv ensemble out of brisbane, australia that has been at it since the late ’80s, but due to virtually no promotion has remained in obscurity. with no labels even vaguely compatible in brisbane, and none until recently in the rest of australia, and no
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Brisbane's improvisor extraordinaires, The Lost Domain, have been launching sonic missives into the stratosphere for almost 20 years now. These guys were blitzing the path well-traveled by Jackie-O Motherfucker and No Neck Blues Band, before either group even existed. In Australia, they know how
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Theo Angell
What can I say about Theo Angell? He's an artist, a musician, a filmmaker, a shaman. He lives and works in New York City, but plies his trade all over the country. Angell is perhaps best known for his work in Hall of Fame (with Samara Lubelski) and Jackie-O Motherfucker.. But with the release of
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Tirath Singh Nirmala
Not too long ago, John Clyde-Evans made a huge splash with his phenomenal solo LP on England's Fisheye imprint. He also performed as an collaborator with the seminal UK group, Hood. After taking a seven year hiatus and committing to the path of Sikhism, he returned as Tirath Singh Nirmala. His
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Tom Carter & Robert Horton
Charalambides' Tom Carter and Robert Horton have become close collaborators over the past few years, appearing in a handful of projects together from Kyrgyz (w/ Jewelled Antler-ites Loren Chasse and Christine Boepple) to Mudsuckers (w/ D. Yellow Swans). But when they are stripped back to a duo,
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Turner Cody
‘Buds of May’ was originally self-released on cdr back in 2004 but has now been lovingly re-mastered and re-packaged by Digitalis so those of you who didn’t manage to track down the original issue will finally get to hear this exemplary work. Turner Cody may not yet be a name familiar to many, but
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Uton
Tampere, Finland has become quite the musical hotbed over the past few years. Staples like Avarus and Kemialliset Ystävät make there beds in the gnome-infested waters throughout the city. Uton is perhaps the country's best kept secret.
"Mystery Revolution" is a sonic excursion through the ....
For the past five plus years, Uton has been one of the most consistent projects to come out of the snowy confines of his native Finland. His output has been constant, but the quality is always great. His drones have always been underscored with a sense of melody and a keen utilization of the space
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Valerio Cosi
Valerio Cosi may be young at only 22, but his talent is undeniable. He may be mostly known for his exquisite saxophone playing, but this Italian wunderkind doesn’t stop there. Cosi composes strings of magic using all sorts of instrumentation and production tricks. "Heavy Electronic Pacific Rock"
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Various Artists
Volcano the Bear
Certain things just need to be seen and heard to be believed. One of these things is to experience England, Leicester combo Volcano the Bear in the live setting. Nothing I ever say will accurately describe that evening last year when I made the trip down to the unlikely setting of their first
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Warmth
Warmth has undergrone plastic surgery since this album was originally released as a criminally limited CDR on Belgium's best scuzz label, Audiobot. Back then Warmth was known as Roxanne Jean Polise. The name may have changed, but the sounds are still the same dense electronic forest fog that set
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With Throats As Fine As Needles
Deep inside an abandoned bunker on New Zealand's north island, With Throats as Fine as Needles have perfected their craft. On this, their debut CD release, the group has expanded to a quartet. Birchville Cat Motel's Campell Kneale and Pseudoarcana chief, Antony Milton, have joined forces with
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Wolfmangler
Where there are wolves, there is the digger Smolken. Left for dead two years ago when he left the murderous heat of Central Texas for the place of his birth, Poland, WOLFMANGLER has now been recast in rusted iron for its latest incarnation. Once a revolving door of different lineups, WOLFMANGLER is
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Zelienople
Hailing from Chicago, Zelienople have been etching out a place for themselves in the Windy City for the past five years. Constant collaborators with Souled American's Scott Tuma, this quartet mixes ghostly song structures with ambient drones better than just about anyone. With recent releases on
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