Keep weird music alive in 2024....

Friends, it's been a long 'sabbatical'... a lengthy dose of radio silence and I'm happy to break that silence and say that I'm really excited about what the label and mail-order has in store for 2024.

Thank you all for your support in 2023 - it was an incredibly tough year for independent labels and with the cost of living affecting us all, just paying bills and rent was a challenge. From the label's perspective, increased shipping costs, increased vinyl production costs, diminished sales has meant tougher times.

In 2023 we released a tonne of music: more than 50 releases with a fair swag of those completely ignored by press, radio, blogs and punters. This is obviously a big disappointment and mentally takes it's toll, so unfortunately the reality is, I won't be able to to continue releasing records in that capacity going forward.

When you have high expectations in people and your plans, accepting your failures and limitations can be crushing and demoralising and while there are plenty of folks that have been supportive...you know who you are; these folks championing underground music and arts, free thought and so on but for the 'bystanders', now is the time to reciprocate. If you can't afford to purchase physical, digital is an option; if you can't afford digital please share a post and tell folks all about why you enjoyed a particular release...it's free. Doesn't cost you a cent. A like is fine but a share to your network, helps a great deal!

I've been studying the data from our listens, sales, and downloads for some time including how many press/radio codes are downloaded and tracks listened to etc. Some releases have been completely ignored, overlooked and never listened to - this breaks my heart. Maybe the sheer volume of releases the label puts out is overwhelming? So to give these overlooked recordings the love they deserve and to put them into the ether again and let their beauty shine, I'm going to release a regular playlist / podcast categorised into genres highlighting these forgotten gems. You can subscribe / follow here: https://hearthis.at/ramblerecordsplaylist/

I'd like to thank all of the inspirational labels we have co-released with: Weird Beard Records,  We, Here And Now,  WV Sorcerer Productions, Echodelick Records, Worst Bassist Records, Cardinal Fuzz/Centripetal Force, Torto Editons, Tall Grass Records, tour de bras, Acid Test Records, Radio Khiyaban, Centripetal Force, and Feeding Tube. We will continue our relationship with this wonderful simpatico community in 2024 and have several exciting releases to announce including a follow up to Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian's Songs of Horaman.

Tours / Live Music / New Releases

Last night I witnessed another transcendental performance in Melbourne from the trio the Necks. What a privilege! If they are floating in your orbit, i highly recommend checking them out.

Last week i was fortunate enough to experience a stunning performance in Melbourne by French guitarist Guillaume Gargaud. Some of that show can be seen here https://www.instagram.com/p/C3AIQ5Fy2p5/ and Syyspimee, his latest release with Finnish trumpet player Eero Savela.can be heard here https://ramblerecords.bandcamp.com/album/syyspimee

Some of you in Australia may have attended Manish Pingle's wonderful live shows in 2023 will be excited to hear that we will be releasing a live recording from several of these performances and a new studio recording later in the year. I'm also working on another Manish tour for early 2025, as well as working on obtaining some grant funding to tour some of the Ramble stable.

The pre-order is up for underground Chinese artist Li Jianhong's tour de force Soul Solitary. https://ramblerecords.bandcamp.com/album/soul-solitary.

In March/April/May we will be releasing another recording by NYC free improv guitarist Kevin Miller, a behemoth free improv recording by Catherine Sikora (saxophone), Colin Fisher (drums) & Brad Rose (synth) called 'Recherché', solo experimental guitar recordings by North Carolina free improv virtuoso Kris Kruda, and Milarepa Dorji (son of Tashi) and wonderful guitarist in his own right.

In April Shiroishi, Prymek, Nguyen will release 'Eventually the River Rises Here Too, Same as it Always Has' - two long tracks of sonic bliss. Those unfamiliar with Patrick Shiroishi (sax https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/patrick-shiroishi-i-was-too-young-to-hear-silence/), Chaz Prymek guitar: Lake Mary), Thom Nguyen: drums (MANAS w/Tashi Dorji, Wasting, We Bow To No Masters, Nest Egg).

Also on April 5 Belgium avant-garde experimental jazz guitarist Julien Tassin and drummer percussionist Nicolas Chkifi will be releasing the spacious and lush 'Song Offerings'.

Mailorder

On the mailorder side of things, we'll have a shipment of 70s dub landing soon and the usual selection of experimental and avant-garde releases from our small selection of boutique labels.

For fans of Fahey/Basho inspired guitar, we are distributing Norwegian picker Hans Martin Storrøstenl's 'Primitiv Gitar' - a solid and inspiring solo guitar and banjo record in the American Primitive idiom with a Norwegian folk influence with 4 arrangements of old Norwegian folk music from Hans' home town Folldal.

https://ramblerecords.com/collections/american-primitive-fingerpicking-pastoral-folk/products/hans-martin-storrostenl-primitiv-gitar-lp

We also have a number of recent ear splitting heavy psych experimental releases from UK label Riot Season, including: Acid Mothers Temple, Artifacts & Uranium, Falling Floors, Modiki (Mitsuru Tabata and Mike Vest), Mienakunaru (featuring Junzo Susuki, Mike Vest and Dave Sneddon), and Bruxa Maria.

Be kind to one another and keep weird music alive in 2024. MCS.