ace003: Ilyas Ahmed "Between Two Skies/Towards the Night" 2CD $20
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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 are now fully remastered by Pete Swanson and repackaged in beautiful gatefold jackets from Stumptown Printers. Also included are extended liner notes from David Keenan. I think he sums up both these albums best:

"Call it abandon, a facility for letting go, for moving on; either way Ahmed's music is *gone*. And all we have are the recordings, scattered notes to prove that he once existed and felt it all as deeply and miraculously as any of us. And right now, from wher eI'm calling from, I wouldn't ask for anything more."

Ahmed's original voice is a welcome addition to an oversaturated aural world. He has gone on to put out numerous self-released CDRs as well as a new CD/LP on Time-Lag. But in the beginning there were these. What "Between Two Skies" and "Towards the Night" make crystal clear is that his vision and his voice were there from the very beginning. More info & pics...

ace010: scott tuma "not for nobody" CD $13
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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 record, but it never came. So when I learned that he'd been working with members of Zelienople under the moniker Good Stuff House, I jumped at the chance to make contact. A few emails were exchanged, and 18 months later after the birth of Tuma's second child, "Not For Nobody" was finally ready.

It's been nearly five years, but the wait has definitely been worth it. "Not For Nobody" hits you hard, straight in the throat. These mostly-acoustic compositions, recorded with guitar, banjo, harmonium, and percussion among other instruments, are steeped in an elegance that few artists can master. "Not For Nobody" marks the triumphant return of a musician sorely missed. It is dripping with beauty and melancholy and hope for something better. This is an album for the ages.

Housed in silkscreened gatefold jackets. More info & pics...

ace009: twinsistermoon "levels & crossings" CD $13
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Vitre, France's duo Natural Snow Buildings made a huge splash a few years ago with their self-released masterwork, "The Dance of the Moon and the Sun." It was ultra-limited and packaged in immaculate fashion. It caused quite a stir and has been talked about at length on any number of prominent websites. This was furthered last year when 1/2 of the group, Mehdi Amaziane, released his first solo album as Twinsistermoon. It was every bit as enchanting as Natural Snow Buildings. Again, the initial run was highly limited and sold-out immediately though reissue plans for that album are in the works with Time-Lag Records & Digitalis.

This year the dream continued with the release of "Levels & Crossings." With a first edition of 36 copies, those lucky to hear it were awestruck. After one listen, it was obvious that it had to be reissued and unleashed into the world. And with that in mind, we're extremely proud to offer the first widely available release from this duo with "Levels & Crossings" reissued in its full, exquisite glory.

While the packaging won't be an exact replica, it features full-color 6-panel gatefold jackets from Stumptown, showing off the genius of Solange Gularte's Mayan-inspired drawings. They are true works of art, intricate and beautiful with a close relationship to the aural ideas Amaziane expresses.

Musically, Twinsistermoon is all over the map. At times it is reminiscent of '60s folk music. Amaziane's voice will fool you into thinking he is the female half of the group. He sounds more like Vashti Bunyan than Nick Drake. His voice is beautiful. But where "Levels & Crossings" really shines is in the passages where Amaziane unleashes walls of organic, shimmering drones. The intermingling of straightforward songs and immense sheets of sound is perfect. Even with the album's extended length, the dichotomy creates such a dynamic that you never lose interest.
Twinsistermoon is a force to be reckoned with.

Strictly limited to 500 copies. More info & pics...

ace006: cursillistas "wasp stings the last bitter flavor" cd $13
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"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 Stings" as he puts together an album of lost songs, found hiding in a dank and dusty cellar. Lajoie's approach here is different. It's as if he's taken the negative space of his previous works and hashed them out and spruced them up until they've become epic, flowing songs whitewashed with a basketfull of analog hiss. The whole thing flows together like magic poured straight from the sky. It's haunting, beautiful music.

Cursillistas' music is often densely populated with a variety of instrumentation and textures. Lajoie is a master at molding sounds from a variety of sources into a cohesive, organic whole. This music, as with past efforts, sounds like an intimate secret whispered in the listener's ear. You feel as though you're being led into a world where very few lucky souls find their way. Lajoie's distinctive voice is the true weapon here, weaving hypnotic melodies over rivers of delicately strummed acoustic guitars. "Wasp Stings the Last Bitter Flavor" is his message in a bottle. It's a love letter to everyone and no one, and there's a lot to love here, that is for damn sure.

Lajoie is joined by the inimitable Nemo Bidstrup (Time-lag Records figurehead and the brains behind Drona Parva) and sometime-MV & EE collaborator, Sparrow Wildchild.

Housed in sturdy, white-on-black gatefold jackets.