Naevus – Truffles Of Love Label: Old Europa Cafe – OECD 105 Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Digipak Country: Italy Released: Apr 2008 Style: Abstract, Neofolk
Inspired by seminal punk and new wave innovators (The Stooges, The Buzzcocks, Public Image Limited, The Birthday Party, Joy Division, Magazine, The Slits) Naevus was formed in London in 1998 by Lloyd James and Joanne Owen.
Naevus’ playful self-released debut, «Truffles of Love» came out in 1999. Unavailable for several years, and much sought after by collectors, Naevus’ debut album is now reissued by Old Europa Cafe in newly re-mastered form, with significant sonic improvement on the original 1999 release. This re-issue also includes six bonus tracks dating from the same period. These tracks were previously only available on obscure compilations which were released in very limited quantities and are long-since deleted. The inclusion of this bonus material brings the running time of the CD to over 74 minutes and gives a complete picture of the early development of Naevus. The original artwork has been extensively overhauled and this edition is presented in digipak format and includes a 16 page booklet with lyrics to all tracks plus an essay on the band’s beginnings.
“Nzinga Mbande” is the new album by the African Imperial Wizard collective. It is the soundtrack of the armed liberation from the imperialistic oppression that our continent has endured for far too long.
The “Nzinga Mbande” manifesto consists of eight martial symphonies. They all been have composed enduring pain and suffering and serve the purpose of giving our countries, which have been lacerated and battered by centuries of colonialism, the epic military ceremonies they deserve.
Our main goal with this new musical opus is to hand out orders to our troops and to maintain our military cohesion, the culmination of which will translate to Pan-Africanism and the profound intimidation of our enemies. If you do not sense any danger coming, this could be the first sign of you losing your mind and if you listen carefully, you may already be able to hear the wailing of your dead haunting the battlefields devastated by our armed forces.
Because today more than ever, enough is enough. We won’t stop arming our warlords and their rebel battalions. We won’t stop arming our bloodthirsty mercenaries. We will continue to rely on our proud women warriors, who will follow in the footsteps of our ancestral queens Nzinga Mbande and Sarraounia and will reduce to ashes all those who dare show them and their devastating bastions any resistance. Make no mistake, we will not hesitate to resort to rearming our children. Our child soldiers helped us before, and they will do so again without a moment’s hesitation in the face of what we have had to put up with. We would rather see them die by our side in excruciating pain than letting them fall to your Machiavellian enslaving doctrines.
Nothing has been forgotten of the painful wounds that colonisation inflicted upon Africa. We counted every hand you cut off, every rape, every slave raid, every looting, every torture session, every poisoned watering hole, every crime, every assassination, every mass murder, every massacre, every genocide, every mass grave and every hour of forced labour which you imposed on us. Mark our words: our dead have slowly but surely been counted.
The toll is outrageous, and the abominable numbers speak for themselves and the horror we have been through. But believe us, we are more determined than ever and, may our gods be our witnesses, our vengeance will be all the bloodier. Barbaric invaders, look around you, we are already here, ready to draw our old Kalashnikovs and don’t worry, they do still work, and we can assure you they won’t jam.
Finally, African Imperial Wizard will come to play their most glorious laments in your cemeteries. Our sorcerers will make sacrifices on your graves to the memory of Soundiata. We will glorify the spirits of our great forefathers who fell in battle. The same fate awaits you.
Jarboe – Sacrificial Cake Label: The Circle Music – TCM019LP Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Lavender, Gatefold, Tip On Sleeve Country: Greece Released: 2022 Style: Abstract, Goth Rock, Avantgarde
1995. Four years since the solo album ‘Thirteen Masks’, Jarboe who is at the same time working in Swans, created the album ‘Sacrificial Cake’ which was recorded in New York’s East Village at the studio of multi instrumentalist Lary Seven. Swans founder, Michael Gira simultaneously releases his album, ‘Drainland’.
In the 16 songs on ‘Sacrificial Cake’, even more sides of Jarboe’s creativity are revealed. A mysterious and magical atmosphere surrounds the entire album of fantasy tales in spooky sounds such as “The Body Lover” and “Troll” and at times with dark tribal rhythms as in “Ode To V”.
The mystagogy begins with the “Lavender Girl” of smoke and desire followed by the undulating “Ode to V”. The journey through Jarboe’s dreams and nightmares has begun.
“Troll Lullaby” (a terrifying childhood vision), “My Buried Child” (a live recording accompanied by Michael Gira on acoustic guitar), “Surgical Saviour” (perversity in an industrial style ), “Deflowered” (a deliberately ironic rock song spoofing the music industry).
“Troll” the ending track extends an invitation to experience it in low light or with headphones while next to a camp fire in the woods.
‘Sacrificial Cake’ is alive. We are proud to release this legendary album for first time on vinyl -on it’s own- and with new mastering, new lay out, luxurious packaging and of course in the color of lavender dedicated to the “Lavender Girl”.
