POX: Forced Exposure's Catalogue

Artist: HAINO & YOSHIDA TATSUYA, KEIJI
Title: Until Water Grasps Flame
Label: NOISE ASIA (HONG KONG)
Format: CD
Price: $15.00
Catalog #: NAIM 12CD
"Keiji Haino and Tatsuya Yoshida, two pillars of the Japanese noise rock scene (the guitarist with Fushitsusha and countless other projects, the drummer mainly with the influential prog-core duo Ruins) recorded this session in April 2000. For the most part a jam with bits of pre-composed materials. They obviously had a lot of fun as they moved through pastiches & unusual settings. Witness the free-jazz improv 'A Voiceprint That Longs to Display Evidence That It is Over' where the guitarist sounds surprisingly close to Eugene Chadbourne or the peyote-rock vapors of 'Those Points of Difference' in which Yoshida's typical voice soars from behind the drums in a Magma-like incantation. The basic setting of drums and electric guitar is often adapted to include more exotic members of the string family (sarode, gyumbari, gothan and esraj) and electronic drums, the obvious anachronical qualities of each side clashing dangerously in some cases. The 12-minute 'At the Instant When One Thinks to Oneself 'No Way'' throws away pre-conceived structures and odd instruments in favor of a sulfuric, full-throttle improv bash."

Artist: WOLF EYES/SMEGMA
Title: No Face Lives
Label: DESTIJL
Format: LP
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: DESTIJL 035
"Smegma man, fucking Smegma. They started the whole damn thing. Sure there was Lee Rocky & some soundeffects 78s that set the crew in motion but screw it.. you wouldn't be blasting The Beast or any Weird Handdrawn LP with rotten ears if it wasn't for this truly motley crew. In high school my sweet momma would give me ten bones a week for lunch, come Monday by noon that shit was blown at the local rec shop. When I only had a couple of raggedy bux left from gripping Zorlac stickers, the only option was the dollar bin at the store. It was there that John Bender, Haystacks Balboa, Nik Reicnek, & Peter Catham LPs blew open my teen mind to the netherworlds. Among the giants was this homemade wreckord by Ju Suk Reet Meat. Looked amazing.. had no idea. Threw it on for nearly every day since. Mutant loops, improv from alien swamp prom & deviant horrible ideas. Changed my life. Just what a young mind needed to replace the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Found out later it was from the Smegma camp, a strange unknown mystery troupe from Portland. No photos ever... just a numbling clip on a RRR comp video Lessard gave me & Dilloway, a tunnel view into the spiritual mecca that would the Smegma klan. Before the first Wolf jaunt out west we dropped them a postcard saying it would be good to meet. Soon it mangled into a recording session. We would be so honored. The day came. The Smegma house, totally pink, queued us in to rainy green Portland. We knocked. A femme voice said through the door, 'use the bell'. Nate pushed it and out came a gargled electronic siren. The door opened, Rock 'n Roll Jackie, 5 foot tall, grinning & long beautiful grey hair. We all fell in love. Soon after we meet Ju Suk & one by one slowly met all the Smegmas in one of the strangest nights ever. Burned Mind, Meltzer, Stan, Amazon Bambi, others. All weird as hell, checking us as much as us checking them. Yep, this is who we wanted to be with the rest of our lives... the Michigan crew had never been so inspired & moved but by this unholy blending of mutant minds... So we jammed. It was fucking amazing. Here are the results. Every year we are going to see them & hang like the best friend weirdo family. A total pilgrimage. Nate & I once got so blasted from Portland cloud that we projected that Smegma has always existed, ever since the beginning of time. Someone will always carry it on... might be this dude in Ypsi who has no face. Really. No nose, barely a mouth, always has a broken arm or something.. smells like shit. Dude is totally in Smegma. Fucking life rules. -- John Olson.

Artist: WOLF EYES
Title: Slicer
Label: HANSON RECORDS
Format: CD
Price: $13.00
Catalog #: HN 101 CD
"Wolf Eyes roots are from a much hidden and very ugly world called the cassette noise underground. Here we have a proper CD issue of the most accomplished of their many cassette releases, Slicer. Unlike the heavy brutal beat vibe of last years Dread album, Slicer is a more minimal, tone heavy, and even slower recording. Deep electronic and horne generated tones stretch and separate overtop of 'glitchy' electronics, ultra crude tape manipulations, and ear-piercing scraping glass. The most 'in the zone' and stoned recording the boys have made yet."

Artist: OOIOO
Title: Feather Float
Label: BIRDMAN RECORDS
Format: CD
Price: $14.00
Catalog #: BMR 031
"Pronounced 'oh-oh-eye-oh-oh,' OOIOO follow up their debut album on Kill Rock Stars with the magnificent Feather Float. Yoshimi of Boredoms/Free Kitten on guitar and vocals, Kyoko on guitar and vocals, Maki on bass, and Yoshiko on drums recognize no one musical style but manage to touch on nearly all of them. New wave, no wave, pop, punk, electronic, trance -- it swirls organically in every direction. Like the Boredoms, there is a prevalent primal groove reccuring throughout, yet it is so melodic in parts as to be almost accessible (for a Boredoms-related project, that is)."

http://www.forcedexposure.com/product_images/4M109.JPEG
Artist: ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO
Title: Fanfare For The Warriors
Label: 4 MEN WITH BEARDS
Format: LP
Price: $15.00
Catalog #: 4M 109
"The second of 2 landmark albums originally released on the Atlantic label by the finest avant-garde jazz ensemble of the '70s. This mind-blowing studio session concluded AEC's first and most significant period. Contains new, detailed liner notes by MC5 manager John Sinclair and rare photos from the band's archives. Audiophile remastering from the original master tapes. 180 gram HQ vinyl. Original artwork. Gatefold sleeve."

Artist: NICO
Title: Desertshore
Label: 4 MEN WITH BEARDS
Format: LP
Price: $15.00
Catalog #: 4M 113
"This 1970 Reprise Records album finds Nico reunited with her Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale as producer, main instrumentalist and harmony vocalist. Co-produced by Joe Boyd (legendary producer of Nick Drake, Sandy Denny and Incredible String Band), Desertshore contains 8 songs of deep haunting beauty featuring Nico's dark voice and harmonium and is one of her very best solo albums (also used as soundtrack for the 1971 Philippe Garrel's experimental French film La Cicatrice Interieure). This reissue has new exclusive liner notes by Dawson Prater and Dean Roberts. Audiophile remastering from the original master tapes. 180 gram HQ vinyl. Original artwork. Gatefold sleeve."

Artist: DNA
Title: DNA on DNA
Label: NO MORE RECORDS
Format: CD
Price: $14.50
Catalog #: NO 12CD
"New York's seminal No Wave band, DNA, makes it's highly anticipated American CD debut with this definitive collection of studio and live recordings. Surviving two line ups over a brief four years; this highly influential, strikingly original and extremely under recorded band left a huge void in it's wake. Formed in 1978, Brazilian raised singer/guitarist Arto Lindsay hastily assembled an international trio of non-musicians. Robin Crutchfield played keyboard and Japanese-born Ikue Mori played drums. DNA played their first gig within weeks and recorded their first 7" shortly afterwards. The ear of Brian Eno was quickly caught, recording them for the infamous No New York compilation alongside James Chance, Mars, and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks. Before No New York was released, Robin left the band after a total tenure of nine months. Bassist Tim Wright had just left Pere Ubu, relocated to NY and quickly joined DNA. With a new face, a new instrument and a new sound, DNA recorded their classic nine minute EP A Taste Of DNA. DNA toured the States and Europe bringing their explosive live show to a wider audience. DNA only released 12 songs during it's lifetime, and another 3 shortly afterwards on a European compilation. Their impact was far and wide reaching. Many musicians have sited DNA as a main influence including Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and the band Blonde Redhead, who appropriated their name from a DNA song title. This CD compiles all of the studio and many choice live recordings. Of particular interest are the original lineup's 'early versions' of 'Detached,' '5:30' and 'Low' (which is closely related to 'A New Low.') The unreleased studio tracks 'Grapefruit,' 'Police Chase' and 'Young Teenagers Talk Sex' are heard here for the first time as well as live versions of the unreleased songs 'Nearing' and 'Surrender.' Exclusive liner notes from Byron Coley, Jason Gross and Glenn O'Brien pack the 16 page booklet alongside many unseen photos and flyers."

"The 'brains' formed in late 1988 deep in Danbury, CT; some college kids, some art freaks, people who felt
that time should not be passed, but slaughtered with the primitive sweet sounds of the depraved. The Brains
were never a noise band, or an art band, or particularly high brow; you could probably argue that they were
never a band at all. Over the course of ten years or so the Bunnies recorded a fairly impressive output, a great many albums,
singles and comp tracks. Their singles are by far some of their best work, and are collected here for you to finally get your hands
all over."

I wouldn't want to get into whether this is good or bad, but I

[previous message sent by my cat]

I wouldn't want to get into whether this is good or bad, but that's a kind of an irresponsible recommendation.

Realistically, it's a couple of Vassar College students with big dreams covering some none-too-accesible music in lo-fi. If that's your thing, then by all means go to town.

Barbara Manning - "Don't Let It Bring You Down"/"Haze Is Free" 7" (Forced Exposure) 1990

Artist: TO LIVE AND SHAVE IN L.A.
Title: The Wigmaker
Label: MENLO PARK
Format: 2CD
Price: $16.00
Catalog #: MPK 7020 CD
"For five years people have been asking about, talking about, and wanting to frolic in The Wigmaker; incredibly complex, and (already) steeped in musical folklore, there is no doubt you have never heard anything like this before. For five years each track was intensely labored over, mixed, splintered, and tweaked to perfection. This is unique; Tom Smith, T.L.&.S.I.L.A. founder, has an incredible array of musical knowledge, using recording and mastering techniques that span every kind of music imaginable, he took ideas from whatever flew into his ears during his years, and found a way to apply those sounds to his art form; understand that this is not noise or experimental, or avant-anything, this is the inspired journey of one man's mind, uncompromised, and to the gut.. .these songs have melody, dense structure, incredible character, and a fuji sized gamut of dynamics. This isn't post anything, this is a new beginning, this is against the grain, this is 'pre'."

come on!!!!

Artist: PRINCESS NICOTINE
Title: Folk and Pop Music of Myanmar (Burma) Vol. 1
Label: SUBLIME FREQUENCIES
Format: CD
Price: $14.00
Catalog #: SF 006CD
"How do they do it? Are they smarter? Are they better? How can it be ignored or denied? How is it possible that one of the most unique, perfectly composed and performed, intense and awe-inspiring musical legacies the world has ever known is looming north of the equator physically tucked-between world cultural giants India, China, and Thailand, without more than a whisper from ethnomusicologists or those who define themselves as 'purveyors of world music'? Not only are the roots of this music unique, but so are the results after incorporating outside instrumentation from modern colonial and (unavoidable) international influence. What the Burmese have done with a piano is so precise in its adaptation to existing form and melody that one would think they invented it. Burmese music has a very distinct sound and whatever instrument is assimilated into its core only seems to magnify its original intent without depending upon outside ideas as they relate to each component of it. This collection will immediately bring you up to speed to what you have been missing all along. I'll leave the over-analyzation to those who undoubtedly will suffocate the world music community with praise for this music in the future because the time is NOW to dig it and to put the REAL music of Myanmar on the map ONCE and for ALL. This is the first TRUE compilation of this phenomenal scene from Yangon to Mandalay and beyond. Here are some of the greatest names from the past 50 years of Burmese musical history from the original recordings featuring Mar Mar Aye, Bo Sein, and the incomparable Tonte Theintan. Listen, and be amazed."

http://www.forcedexposure.com/product_images/AKTION50CD.JPEG

Artist: NITSCH, HERMANN
Title: Musik der 80.Aktion
Label: HERMANN NITSCH ARCHIEV (AUSTRIA)
Format: 20 CDR BOX
Price: $1025.00
Catalog #: AKTION 50CD
Another incredibly art-document package that surpasses all expecations. Much more efficient hand-constructed boxing than the previous 51 CDR set. Very limited availability. "20 CDr with compete documentation in black hand-made boxset (each signed and numbered by Hermann Nitsch). Edition limited to 50 numbered copies including an original relict by Hermann Nitsch. The hand-made boxset includes 20 CDrs professionally mastered by Alga Marghen, under the supervision of Hermann Nitsch, starting from the original recordings made at Prinzendorf Castle during the 3 days of the 80th Aktion (27-30 July 1984). The 4 colour photo on the front cover of each CD, as well as the score excerpts reproduced in the inner sleeve, were specially conceived in order to fit the recordings of each different CD. If the edition of the music of the 100th Aktion (immediately sold out) documented the accomplishment of Nitsch's oeuvre, the 80th Aktion surely represent the peak as far as intensity, power and brutality are concerned.

The complete documentation of the music of the 80th Aktion includes a signed and numbered book with the integral reproduction of the score (black and white, 544 pages, size cm.21x14); a second signed and numbered book with full colour photos of the same action (colour, 200 pages, size cm.23,5x17,5); a 4 pages text on the musik of the 80th Aktion written by Hermann Nitsch in 1984; the original 1984 full colour poster, signed and numbered (size cm. 84x58).

Also included is an original relict from the 80th Aktion (size cm. 23x17), signed and numbered."

Artist: FORREST, JASON
Title: The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash
Label: SONIG (GERMANY)
Format: CD
Price: $15.00
Catalog #: SONIG 036CD
"Jason Forrest, an artist formerly known as Donna Summer, is a celebrity among electronic artists; featured by magazines all around the world, he is one one of the most brilliant Plunderphonic artists who has ever walked the Earth. He samples, deconstructs and reconstructs himself into a rage while driving audiences to the verge of madness. Forrest obviously knows his disco and his prog rock; he's a maniac who controls his machines with dreamlike competence. His knowledge of repertoires and styles seems boundless. He mixes the most trashy with the most beautiful and the most rocking elements of the disco-decade into lavish sets, which, believe it or not, are perfectly danceable. Samples sound as if they had been broken three times and patched up four. Big band-like brass sections! Wild guitar solos! And, of course, always disco, Disco, DISCO! All this is combined in such a euphoric mix."

Led by a bearded, cow-splitting, Vienna-conquering male superhero, the Aktionists are one of the most exciting art terrorism groups of the past ten years. And guess what? They’re actually getting kind of popular! Here’s the story of how three quirky Teutonic curmudgeons made it to the big time--no compromises, no sellouts, no regrets.

http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/info.php

Pharoah Sanders - Izipho Zam
James Blood Ulmer- Tales of Captain Black
Larry Coryell- Offering, Spaces & Restful Mind

The Lizzy Mercier Descloux albums are highly recommended if you want well-produced Afro-Caribbean-French mambo/funk/synth-pop with a saucy lady who sounds like a French Clare Grogan of Altered Images.

My only other purchase from there was 23 Skidoo's Seven Songs, which is music of the highest order and any intelligent being who wants to endure true paranoia (particularly when induced through your headphones at night) would be well-advised to buy it.

"This is the opening salvo in a long battle for the dancefloor,
launched by the generals of battlecamp Warp. Having long held an iron
grip over all things electronica they're now launching special
dancefloor operations under the name 'Arcola', a name soon to be feared and respected by all purveyors of mediocrity. To stamp the word Arcola
across the country's clubbing cognoscenti's cute curves they've
unleashed some old dogs of war, but taught them new tricks. On the A
side of this Trojan horse of a 12" booty bumping beats with all the
squelch of the Somme provide the backdrop to the devastating delivery
of Rakim as he places faith in the fact that he knows you've got soul.
Turn over with care and what's in sight? Could it be that diminutive
purple warrior Prince packing sticks of disco dynamite? He's uptown and
everything's alright. This record is super limited to prevent it
falling into the wrong hands. Make sure it's part of your weaponry."

I assume you mean Popol Vuh. They just got a ton of reissues in a few weeks ago: http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/popol.vuh.html

Artist: FLAHERTY/CORSANO, CHRIS, PAUL
Title: The Hated Music
Label: ECSTATIC YOD
Format: CD
Price: $12.00
Catalog #: FYP 16 CD
"Paul Flaherty and his saxophones are a subterranean legend in the kingdoms of the north. Since the "In the Midst of Chaos" LP was recorded, back in the mid '70s, Paul has been a persistent roar in the distance ?- pervading the aura of the region's improvisational underground, whilst eschewing its spotlights. His playing and spontaneous compositions have always been a trip and a half, but he seems to have risen to a whole new level on The Hated Music, combing purity of spirit w/ ferocity of lyricism in a whole new way. Chris Corsano is one of the most immensely talented drummers to have emerged from the recent past. Those who have witnessed the giganticism of his formal leaps in the jaws of post-avant-garde power surging, have been left slack w/ the wonder & hilarity of it all. On The Hated Music he offers all listeners evidence of the potency and imagination of his air-fucking vision. The Hated Music, packed as it is, in the lovely artwork of freedom-loving artist, Gary Panter, throws down the gauntlet to all other players, all other thinkers, all other worlds. If you are listening w/ all yr holes open, it may well gobble yr soul. Alright!" -- Byron Coley

Artist: VA
Title: New England
Label: RRR
Format: 5LP
Price: $42.00
Catalog #: RRR 555
"Various 5LP box, 10 artists each getting 1 full side: Brutum Fulmen, Sickness, Can't, Skin Crime, Immaculate Grotesque, Prurient, Matt Brinkman, Human Is Filth, Diagram-A, Karlheinz. Basically the 10 best noise bands from New England (that I know of) the box is ltd 500 copies, each hand-decorated by one of the artists."

Artist: BARDO POND/TOM CARTER
Title:
Label: 3LOBED
Format: CD
Price: $13.50
Catalog #: 3LOBED 012
"Early 2003 saw Tom Carter performing a string of shows on the east cost, including a stop in Philadelphia at the Tritone where he joined Bardo Pond on stage and play a quiet, subdued set. While this group of the musicians had known each other for a while, they had never formally collaborated before on the stage or in the studio. On April 23 all of the players convened at the Pond's Lemur House studio in an effort to prepare for the show. Those preparations were done with the tape running and the results stunned everyone involved -- while there were expectations that things would work out nicely, the resulting free-flowing and complex improvisations were beyond anyone's imagination. Carter's signature guitar styling acted as the perfect accompaniment to the Bardo Pond sound, together with their performances creating a fully-formed collection of songs."

SORRY NO PICTURE GUYS! another fine example of benload writing awesome descriptions. haha.

Quick Forced Exposure question: On their website, they list 219 Medford Street, Malden, MA as their address. Is this just some big warehouse where they store all the CDs they eventually ship to people who buy stuff from their website, or is this location actually a record store I can go in, browse, and buy stuff from?

Google streetview makes it look more like a warehouse district.

I hope that in the intervening 7 hours you just decided to try and go there and find out for yourself.

"Helloooo? Anybody in here? Is this a CD store?"

this looks good! http://www.forcedexposure.com/Labels/BULL.TONGUE.REVIEW.html
A Quarterly Journal of Post-Rock Cultural Pluralism. In this issue: Todd Abramson, Steve Albini, Alan Bishop, Bree, Rej T. Broth, Joe Carducci, Lisa Carver, Benoit Chaput, Sharon Cheslow, Byron Coley, Karen Constance, Nigel Cross, Chris D, Irene Dogmatic, Lili Dwight, Ray Farrell, Andrea Feldman, Tom Givan Tom Greenwood, Mats Gustafsson, Angela Jaeger, Elaine Kahn, Ira Kaplan, Maria Kozic, Matt Krefting, Ted Lee, Donna Lethal, Owen Maercks, Marc Masters, Hisham Mayet, Richard Meltzer, Thurston Moore, Dylan Nyoukis, Gary Panter, Tony Rettman, Bruce Russell, Suzy Rust, Andy Schwartz, Brian Turner, Naomi Yang Ω. 50 pages, black & white 8.5" x 11".

Random question for anyone that regularly orders from Forced Exposure - I placed my first order with them about three weeks ago and realized I hadn't seen an update, logged in and saw that my order is "on hold" due to "not sufficient quantity". I know I selected the option to have everything shipped at once, so I don't mind waiting, but I'm confused since when I search for both the items I ordered on the site, even today, it lists them both as being in stock. Is this common?

"low stock level" seems to mean not in stock for them? items listed that way aren't eligible when they have sales. could be what's hanging it up, they're trying to source those records.

you will get shipping notification when your order ships, and they'll reach out (after awhile) if they can't source something.

Thanks, yeah, one of the two does say "low stock level", that must be it. I'll wait and see what happens.

So a further month on and I still haven't heard a single word from them about my order. It's a killer catalog but I gotta say that this is not impressing me for my first time ordering from them direct. I've had other shops with sourcing issues, which is totally fine and happens sometimes, but I usually get at least an email letting me know what's up.

I know there have been issues lately with sourcing records, I had kind of a similar issue earlier this yr though I eventually got my records. Have you sent them an email? Sometimes it takes a bit for a response but I've never had a problem sorting things out with them over email.

I'm going to send them an email today to check in. Obviously I don't mind waiting (given that's it's been more than six weeks) and I get that things are screwy right now, was just hoping I'd have an update from them. Thanks for the nudge though.

Also the last six months is the only time I've ever experienced any sort of delay or long waits when ordering from FE in probably 20-ish yrs

That's good to know. I've always heard good things, just hadn't ordered until now for whatever reason.

fwiw i have also been ordering from them intermittently for over 20 years and never had a problem. they don't tend to send status updates until shipping but they do respond to email. i also find "low stock level" a confusing category and i suspect it means out of stock at FE but possibly available to order.