Recorded live at Namba Hatch, Osaka, Japan, August 11, 2003. The original source: 2 CDRs with flat stereo-mix of the show. Carefully restored, enhanced and mastered by Mark Wingfield.

An unprecedented historical recording of Georgian vocal music that peels away a century of Soviet academic polish and Western classical influence to reveal a folk music of searing lyricism and breathtaking complexity. In Georgia, polyphonic vocal music, usually associated with early modern Western melody, dates back to the 4th century and is as essential to the wedding table as to the church choir. These recordings from before the Russian Revolution, culled from gramophone archives in England, include a field labor song in 4 vocal parts, a rare early example of liturgical chant, and numerous banquet toasting songs featuring masterfully controlled dissonance and free-meter improvisation. An important document of a pre-Soviet era that few Georgians themselves can remember, and of a legacy that scholars and lovers of traditional folk music will cherish.

Jon Savage follows up last year’s “1966” set with a similarly packaged 2CD anthology of hits and rarities from 1967. There is no accompanying book this time – so you’ll have to buy this to read all about it in his sleeve notes. In a nutshell: Now typified as the year of flower power, 1967 was the year the 60s divided. During those 12 months, the revenues from LP sales in Britain finally overtook those from 45s. It’s also the year when the British singles charts suddenly revealed a vacuum that, in March 1967, was filled by a Top 10 that included Englebert Humperdinck, Petula Clark, Harry Secombe, Vince Hill, the Seekers and other mums and dads records that you will not be hearing on this compilation.

From the five-hundred-year old musical history of the Sufi Fakirs of Bengal to the virtuoso musicianship of Calcutta’s guitar master Debashsish Bhattacharya and Carnatic violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, this Rough Guide explores India’s spiritual connections with its ancient musical traditions.

The Chinese province of Yunnan has long been a treasure trove for ethnomusicologists, however its totally unique musical heritage has largely remained a mystery to the wider world. This Rough Guide uncovers both the ancient and the innovative sounds from this magical land.

Amanda is now releasing her third album on the Ladybird label. Amanda once again invites the listener to her well-turned and swinging melodic jazz in Swedish, but the listener can also sense a sour self-distance in the middle of the warm and everyday considerations. Amanda Ginsburg sings about the simple in everyday life, the seemingly banal stories that make up a large part of all of our lives, and she does it with gusto.

Award-winning record producer, composer and tabla player, Kuljit Bhamra MBE, brings together celebrated Bollywood singers, lyricists and musicians for Namaste Bombay. With 38 original songs inspired by the origins and developments of 'Bollywood' music over the decades, it features lush instrumentations with traditional strings performed by the Bombay Gold Orchestra - An enthralling filmi journey designed to evoke your own imagined Bollywood fantasy!

Most likely belonging to the fourth generation of Flemish polyphonists — that of such musicians as Adrian Willaert, Nicolas Gombert, Clemens non Papa and Cipriano de Rore — Josquin (or Johannes?) Baston was one of the many mysterious figures in sixteenth-century music history. Nothing is known about when and where he was born or died, and much uncertainty exists even about his first name. Many of his compositions appeared in printed anthologies alongside those of some of the most important musicians of the first half of the sixteenth century, such as Josquin Desprez and Orlande de Lassus.

First shown in January 1984, Mr Kleks' Academy, directed by Krzysztof Gradowski, and its sequels have gained the status of cult films for many people who grew up in the gloomy 1980s and immediately after the political transformation. (…) The idea of enriching the film with songs significantly influenced the decision to create this motion picture. lts authors wove Jan Brzechwa's famous poems into his novel, creating something like a fairy-tale universe (same of the texts were written by Gradowski). The musical pieces are an integral and key part of the entire trilogy.

Delving into the deepest recesses of raï, this compilation serves as a tribute to its roaring years, but also as a rejuvenation of the genre in its sulphurous, subterranean version. It seemed like a good idea to dig into nearly untraceable cassettes, thus confirming it’s in the oldest of Oranese pots that the very best of raï is to be found. Just 50 years ago, no one would have believed even a bit in a genre seemingly bound to forever turn round and round in its native Oran, laying low in one of its many coastal road clubs.

Schumann's Op. 15 is a collection of piano pieces titled "Kinderszenen" or "Scenes from Childhood." Composed in 1838, this set of 13 short pieces reflects Robert Schumann's deep connection to childhood memories and his imaginative, introspective nature. Each piece within Op. 15 captures a distinct mood or scene, providing a glimpse into the emotional landscape of a child's world.

Einojuhani Rautavaara and Kalevi Aho, teacher and pupil, are both key figures in the Finnish music of their respective generations. Rautavaara’s musical language evolved from neoclassicism through dodecaphony and the stylistic freedom of the 1960s before he eventually allowed himself to choose his expressive idiom according to the individual requirements of his works. Towards the end of his career, his works took on a very consistent, softtoned character. For his part, Aho also began his career using a freely applied neoclassical style before gradually progressing to a more varied, at times modernist expressive and incisive approach.

Soprano Liv Elise Nordskog and pianist Signe Bakke proudly announce the release of their album Tveitt Songs, a captivating tribute to the vocal works of renowned Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. This release shines a spotlight on Tveitt's enchanting songs, bringing his lyrical and expressive compositions to life.

The vast Beethoven cycle recorded by Otto Klemperer at the baton of the Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the most valuable testimonies of the conductor’s artistry. Apart from the nine symphonies (in their stereo version), this collection notably includes the four Leonore overtures and an orchestral transcription of the Great Fugue.

Leirblaa plays Jakob Nordli’s music, which combines quirky songs with lyrics in the Trondheim dialect, improvisation, alluring acoustic instruments, and pop-influenced electronic elements. Since their formation in 2018, Leirblaa has played numerous concerts, gone on several tours, and recorded two albums.