Various Artists - Musique Du Jouet

Label : Novel Cell Poem - NCP-010

Country : Japan

Year : 2001

Format : CD

I am still alive and I have seen the comments. Somehow I missed some Google security update wrt Google Drive download links, even had a deadline. Hopefully I can fix this without much trouble, but perhaps this early Christmas present can tide you over. Before yuletide sets in, that is.

This is one CD I've had my eyes on for awhile, never really finding the right Discogs seller or Japanese auction to snipe. Until now, that is. I've laid clear my huge interest in Toypop scene in the past, both through posts on this very blog and lists on another. This CD is a good showcase of the variety of sounds produced in this cross-continent yet seemingly tiny movement, and it makes for a good collected companion to the sort of "thrown-against-the-wall" nature of my playlist. 

As for now, "musique du jouet" still languishes in a sort of obscurity that I hope changes in the future. If only a little bit of exposure, it's a beautiful and rich assortment of sounds for anyone willing to lend an ear. At this point I oughtta write a book on it.

Click the CD

Scavenger Quartet - Whistling For Leftovers

Label : Phonetic Records - PR 0901 SQ / Snowdonia

Year : 2001

Country : US / EU

Format : CD

 

Some soundtracks for imaginary films. This rotating cast of a quartet is headed by the great Frank Pahl who uses his typical exploits (toys and whistling, mostly) to create wild if not incongruent compositions, though the latter could be attributed to this being something of a collection of commissions than a proper album.

An instrumental Only A Mother in some ways, their following album is much more focused. Maybe it will hit these almost dead hallways sometime soon? Breathe a little life into it.

(click the CD)

Only A Mother - Dusty Nuggets

Label : Apparèmment Des Notes

Year : 2014

Country : Italy

Format : CDr

I think that if I had the connections and the savoir faire required of musicmaking Only A Mother would be a sound I would aspire to. Herkyjerky jazz spasms interspersed with country folkisms led to a lot of great music from Pahl and co. Along with his solo career, Frank makes some darned good musics.

Now what we have here is a collection of unreleased recordings. As musicians are wont to do after awhile, releasing archival tidbits from here or there into a neat little package. How it got all the way to Italy is anyone's guess. As the man hisself described in the modicum of a liner sheet, it could have been a box set or something of that nature due to the surprising amount of outtakes. I wouldn't hesitate to throw my dollars down on that.

Here