On their second release “A Scar is Born,” the group A Beautiful Curse melds front porch blues with some incredibly challenging electronic and reggae inspired beats. During their fairly large hiatus between their debut release and this latest one, the album was conceived and written over and beyond a year-long habitation in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Written like a diary, from the departure from home, to the mental breakdowns and ultimate soul re-birth that led to the travel back home. Place yourself in the shoes of a person being sent far from home for a long period of time and "A Scar Is Born" just might be your appropriate soundtrack. The physical media edition contains 4 discs, including a… Continue Reading

Continuing their reissue campaign featuring all new surround sound mixes, the Alan Parsons Project has released their seventh album Ammonia Avenue as a remastered super deluxe 3 CD, 1 Blu-ray and 2x12” vinyl edition with 53 bonus tracks and 2019 5.1 and stereo mixes. Also, a standalone single Blu-ray edition containing the 2019 5.1 and stereo mixes was made available at the same time. Parson notes that the inspiration for the album title came from Eric Woolfson’s visit to the ICI Chemical plant in Billingham, England after meeting ICI chairman Sir John Harvey-Jones on a return flight from New York. While visiting the plant, Woolfson saw a long street called Ammonia Avenue that was devoid of… Continue Reading

Garry Havrillay has been prolific this year as he responds to a chaotic world suddenly calmed by the global crisis. On his fifth solo album “Gravity,” the third Blu-ray edition of his work to be released this year, he considers the title in all of its meanings. This instrumental release ranges stylistically from rock to Turkish mash-ups, bubbling with electronic grooves, all while diving into the vast world of the ambient genre. Across the album Havrillay employs samplers, synthesizers, electric guitars, and zither. Guest musician Chris Basile adds e-bow guitar solos on the title track. For hi-res enthusiasts and surround aficionados the album has been released on Blu-ray featuring 5.1 PCM… Continue Reading

Stepping into the atmospheric wetlands that cross between the improvised and avant-garde genres, two brilliant musicians come together making a unique mark with their timeless effort. On this 2020 album “Music of Our Times,” Pianist Gary Husband renders a discrete sonic experience alongside touch guitarist Markus Reuter as they take an impromptu journey that is both uplifting and relaxing. Fans of Brian Eno’s “Thursday Afternoon” and the various Frippertronics releases will easily fall into the spell of this multi-phase superb sounding release Produced by Markus Reuter and Leonardo Pavkovic Born out of their temporary stranding after performing only one show in Japan, with the remainder of… Continue Reading