A beautiful, otherworldly set from Greek violinist, improviser, sound artist and composer, Dimos Vryzas. Recorded at OTO in January 2023, Vryzas weaves a beguiling web of sonic textures from his violin, blurring the boundaries between the acoustic and electronic parts of his set-up from the off. Intimate in detail yet at times epic in scope, Vryzas's playing spans a head-swimmingly broad range, from pin-drop level finger movements to grand, sweepingly lyrical layers of strings. Never letting the listener get too comfortable before reconfiguring the landscape, Vryzas covers an impressive amount of ground from a deceptively minimal set-up, making it easy to forget the source material of the sounds produced in the tumbling clicks and scratches of the opening sections, before the more melodic side of his playing reasserts itself once again. By turns timorous and strident, unsettling and soaring, Vryzas crafts a yearning, string-drenched world to get lost in. -- Recorded by Rory SalterMixed and mastered by Oli Barrett

Thrilled to present a vital catharsis of a set from London-based Chinese duo, Oishi! The release follows hot on the heels of 'ale… plane' on nagrania records and ‘once upon a time there was a mountain’ on the Bezirk label, at whose label showcase night this set was recorded. Blurring the lines between analogue and digital, human and machine, the pair draw on a range of noise sources whose balance is seemingly always in flux. At times a caustic barrage of sound, at others pin-drop intimate, the set spans a dizzying range from dense noise-wall to tentative acapella vocalisations. Over the course of nearly half an hour Oishi walk a landscape all their own. From the start we’re out into unknown terrain but Oishi seem to proceed with their ears wide open and alert, with no sense of a specific destination to aim for or markers to hit, the duo instead manage to stay fully in the moment in a way which is thrillingly, vitally alive. You can hear each incremental decision being made; a pathway being carved out in real-time. In heavier hands this might end up being overly cautious or methodical, but there is a lightness of touch here which combines a genuinely experimental, experiential approach with just the right amount of humour and surreality thrown in. No po-faces here, just a joyful sonic lustration. -- Recorded by Luciano Maggiore Mixed and mastered by Oli Barrett Cover painting by Ren Shang

Phil Minton and Maggie Nicols have been performing together for close to half a century, with their first recorded collaboration being 1977's landmark "Voice" release on Ogun Records, which documented a 1976 London performance alongside Brian Eley and Julie Tippetts. Despite appearing together on numerous recordings since then however, this is remarkably their first ever duo release. This set, recorded at OTO in October 2022 on the first event of a three-day residency with Maggie, finds the duo in customary, playful, curious and generous form. Over 20 packed minutes, the pair craft a dizzying interplay whose seeming effortlessness belies the sheer amount of craft on display. Weaving astonishing virtuosity with an easy intimacy, this is an unmissable performance from two improvised music greats. "In describing how we can find meaning in unconventional vocal sounds, Nicols and Minton also criticize ideologies that dismiss these sounds as worthless or dangerous. Their devotion to these sounds, despite such pervasive denigration, should inspire us to do more to help make marginalized sounds, voices, and people heard." – Social Virtuosity and the Improvising Voice; Phil Minton & Maggie Nicols Interviewed by Chris Tonelli -- Recorded by Billy SteigerMixed and mastered by Oli BarrettCover photograph by Phil Minton

Wonderful, lyrical set from bass-clarinetist Yoni Silver, captured at OTO in January this year.  Packing more into under 20 minutes than many manage in twice that time, Silver deftly weaves a breathtaking range of techniques and textures on the instrument, spanning frenetic highs to lows of bracing physicality. From dizzying clusters of notes to multilayered melodicism, ethereal whispers to ragged, splintered breaths, Silver gives a visceral, bodily performance. The result is a restless, mercurial and wholly present solo set that doesn't let the focus slip for even a minute. -- Recorded by Luciano Maggiore Mixed and mastered by James Dunn Cover illustration by Emanuel Silver-Schendar and Yoni Silver

Beautiful, entrancing set from highland bagpiper, composer and improviser, Erwan Keravec. In seeking out the more unusual sounds, and ways of playing and listening to his instrument, far from its original cultural setting, Keravec explores improvised music, free and ‘noise’ jazz. With an interest in movement and in settings associated with reinvention, he also writes, plays and improvises for dance. In this performance, recorded in October 2022, Keravec lets the breath ebb and flow over 40 hypnotic minutes. Dense tones buzz and drone, woozily circling the room, occasionally breaking into brief peels of light before building up into rapturous hamonic clusters and almost-giddy uliulations. With a sound that seems to perfectly fill the room - and make full use of its own sonic idiosyncrasies - Keravec utilises a dizzying range of techniques that makes this solo instrumental set one to savour. -- Recorded by Billy SteigerMixed and mastered by James DunnCover photograph by Nicolas Godin

Riding four to a single quad bike for the first and possibly last time, Steve Noble (drums), Otto Willberg (bass guitar), Alex Paxton (trombone), and Gabriel Wonck (trumpet) attempted a musical wheelie in celebration of the ending of the ever-terrible month of January. Recorded at a Monday night gig, the music captures the spirit of Saint Monday—the habit of extending weekend revelry to the detriment of work, a practice widespread well into the nineteenth century. The playful dissonance that results rails dangerously against the prevailing weather—a wheelie in a blizzard. -- Recored at Cafe OTO, 31st January 2022 by Shaun Crook Mixed by Otto Willberg Mastered by Oli Barrett

Stunning duo from France's Julie Normal and Olivier Demeaux (Cheveu, Heimat). At the centre of their sound is one of the last remaining ondes Martenot's - an instrument loved by Messiaen and Varese, and carefully packed up and shipped across the channel to OTO last year by a worried Julie. Beautifully paced, the pair create a sort of precarious evensong for an alternate universe. Includes previously unreleased tracks "La Reine", "Lycaon" and "Txwo". --- Julie Normal / ondes martenot Olivier Demeaux / harmonium + pedals --- Tracklisting: 1. Ouverture all'inglese - 6:59 2. Txwo - 5:47 3. Merluzo - 3:13 4. Le Noir Pays - 6:08 5. Lycaon - 2:56 6. La Reine - 8:14 7. Encore - 5:20 --- Recorded live at Cafe OTO by Adam Matschulat on Thursday 29th September 2016. Mixed by Olivier Demeaux. Mastered by James Dunn.

Recorded over their two day residency, 9.9.16 spans the pastoral, the brooding, and the free-form progg moments of Trad Gras in one oozing zip folder. Their seemingly endless, bucolic bass lines and humble DIY approach create an ever expanding atmosphere of good will - these are surely the nicest guys in rock? The opening 'track' is a 25 minute wigged out version of Harvester's 'När Lingonen Mognar', and 'Stina' is a never before recorded folk-rock track written by the band's close friend Mats G Bengtsson. Spread the word my friends.  --- Reine Fiske / guitar, vocals   Sigge Krantz / bass, vocals   Tom Watts / drums   Jakob Sjöholm / guitar, vocal --- Tracklisting: 1. När Lingonen Mognar - 24:18 2. Kaffe med Tårta - 12:52 3. Down in the Basement - 11:07  4. Stina - 7:12 5. Sommarlåten - 13:54  6. Silverffloden - 11:39 --- Recorded live at Cafe OTO on the 9th and 10th of September, 2016 by Simon Holliday and Shaun Crook. Mixed & Mastered by James Dunn. Photo by Dawid Laskowski. Many thanks to Jakob.

While Haino theatrically sweeps between bleak and uninhibited paranoia, deep-level zoning and bluesy contemplation, Noble's huge set up and graceful approach brings space, light and shade - so much so that at one point Haino unplugs his guitar and picks up a small wooden flute. Dynamic, dramatic and surprisingly uplifting.   --- Keiji Haino / electric guitar, feedback, flute Steve Noble / a lot of percussion --- Recorded by John Chantler on Tuesday 28th February 2012. Mixed by John Chantler. Mastered by James Dunn. Photo by Dawid Laskowski. --- Filmed by Andy Newcombe.

Sequel to Sean McCann's heavy reggae/dancehall mix of 2020 which bedded the late Jean-Marie Massou's cave recordings under the likes The Summertaires, Barrington Levy and Freddie McKay. Vol 2 marries Caetano Veloso's sound poetry with the Jack Ruby Soundsystem, Horace Andy and The Wailers. Very much what we need to drag us into 2022 - thanks Sean. Sean McCann is a Los Angeles-based composer, sound artist, curator, and audio engineer. He concurrently operates Recital, a label dedicated to sound poetry, new music, and Fluxus archival recordings. In 2022 Recital will celebrate it's 10 year anniversary - congrats to Sean and all the artists who make it such a special label. We should say that we initially wrote to Sean asking him to contribute to our festive mailout with a mix, and we were a little slow with the idea - Silk House shared a brilliant choral / sound poetry mix he made in December. Definitely worth checking out after this. --- Barrington Levy - Mine Yuh MouthWailing Souls - Old BroomAugusto de Campos & Caetano Veloso - Dias Dias DiasFreddie McGreggor - BanduloIcho Candy - Selassie IAugusto de Campos & Caetano Veloso - QuazarCornell Cambell - Broken Hearted GirlDon Carlos - Infra Red DubAugusto de Campos & Caetano Veloso - PulsarTenor Saw - Roll CallSugar Minott & John Wayne - Jamming In The StreetLenox Miller - Better Must ComeCarlton Livingston - 100 Weight of Collie WeedHorace Andy - ElementaryHubert Lee - Pressure & SlideAngus MacLise - Humming In The Night SkullThe Wailers - I Need YouToots & the Maytals - Oh YeahThe Martinis - Second That EmotionIcho Candy - Where Do They PlayNoel Ellis - Marcus GarveyBarry Brown & Brigadier Jerry - ChaliceJack Ruby Soundsystem

Dream rhythm section John Edwards and Steve Noble bring lush colour and shade to Kjær's imaginative compositions. Playful on the surface but subtly introspective, the trio lead you to an otherworldly landscape full of familiar hooks and lilting rhythms, but tinged with an air of the uncanny. Four compositions springboard the set  - 'Out of Sight', 'Crescent', 'Face', and the as-yet-not-on-record 'Peripatopsis'.  --- Julie Kjær / alto saxophone John Edwards / double bass Steve Noble / drums --- Recorded live at Cafe OTO on the 12th January 2015 by James Dunn. Mixed by John Chantler. Mastered by James Dunn. Photo by Dawid Laskowski.

Legendary soul-folk musician Tomokawa Kazuki's first ever show in the UK. With his wild lashing on an acoustic guitar and devastating vocals, Tomokawa is a troubadour from hell. Beginning his career as poet and peddling on the streets of Kawasaki in the early 70's, his personal universe is detailed, dark and vicious. Whether you speak Japanese or not, his bugged-out and torn-up delivery will both comfort you and keep you awake at night.  --- Kazuki Tomokawa / vocals, acoustic guitar --- Recorded on Wednesday 10th April 2012 by John Chantler. Mixed by John Chantler. Mastered by James Dunn. With thanks to Naohito and Naoki.  --- Tracklisting: 1. Runaway Lad (5:23) 2. My Big Brother’s Record (5:20) 3. Look at the Sky, it's like the Ocean (3:50) 4. Pistol (3:29) 5. Sonny Boy (5:58) 6. Flower Trumps (5:18) 7. A Lonely Man Becomes a Painter (4:36) 8. Ask For Jean Genet (4:36) 9. Can’t Comprehend the Meaning Behind these Emotions (3:41) 10. Senko issha (4:17) 11. Good Fellows (3:52)  12. The God is Crying in The Well (3:40) 13. Fat in the Morning Light (3:49) 14. A Don-Pan Bushi Carousa (2:51) 15. Waltz (3:40) 16. Kara Bran (3:27) 17. A Classroom at Night (2:27) 18. Say that You Are Alive (4:50)

Two duos - one new and one perhaps having always existed - each at opposite ends of contemporary improvisation.  On the first night, Wright’s alto weaves through Parker’s dizzying melodies, unravelling the lyrical with textural shadow play. Wright maps Parker's circular breathing, triple-tonguing, false fingering with physicality - gasps, dry-lipped blasts. Recorded just a week later, amidst the seabed of Nakajima’s ticking and clicking objects, Wright uses motors too, scrapes the windows, sucks a single reed, spits down steel tubing, and pushes feedback to awkward thresholds. In the mp3 version of a very visual show, individual sounds lose their identity to fill and measure the dimensions of OTO. Somewhere between chance, the inanimate and extraordinary technical ability, Wright's approach prods at the limits of control and command, and physicality and presence. Fresh and radical - a double whammy. --- 23.2.16 Seymour Wright / alto saxophone Evan Parker / tenor saxophone Recorded on Tuesday 23rd February 2016 by James Dunn. Mixed and mastered by James Dunn.  --- 1.3.16 Seymour Wright / alto saxophone Rie Nakajima / objects Recorded on Monday 1st March 2016 by Shaun Crook. Mixed and mastered by James Dunn.  ---

Istanbul-based free music ensemble Konstrukt perform alongside special guest Alexander Hawkins. Having played with the likes of Joe McPhee, Peter Brötzmann, William Parker and Marshall Allen, Konstrukt have carved a niche for themselves at the very forefront of Turkish free music. Their heady mix of electronics and traditional instrumentation sets Hawkins swinging, and the group get an irresistible groove going in the sweaty OTO summer. --- Korhan Futacı / alto & tenor saxophones, gralla, flutes, voice, loops Umut Çağlar / electric guitar, zurna, gralla, flutes, tape echo, rythymbox Barlas Tan Özemek / electric bass Berke Can Özcan / drums, electric drum module Alexander Hawkins / acoustic piano, melodica --- Recorded on August 10th 2015 by Luca Consonni. Mixed & Mastered by Barlas Tan Özemek in Istanbul. Photograph by Dawid Laskowski

A powerfully lyrical improvisor, Akira Sakata returns to OTO with Italian pianist Giovanni di Domenico and London favourites Roger Turner and John Edwards. Based on a traditional folk song, 'Kaigara-Bushi' is both meditative and theatrical - Sakata-san's cracked vocals complementing Domenico's classical-style piano. The quartet swell and prickle, open the room up with melodic clarity, and then tear it down with 'Tornado' - a screaming sax-led five minute freak out.  Recorded by James Dunn on Wednesday 15th January 2014. Mixed by John Chantler. Mastered by Adam Matschulat. Original photo by Fabio Lugaro.

Strange storyteller and prop master Cameron Stallones meets chief London vibes player Orphy Robinson. Together they welcome you to ORPHEUM Theatre - a shimmering rhythmic underworld, where Miles Davis' 'Another Unity' is sat down sipping on a hot chocolate. If you enjoyed the far-out excursions of Stallones' Belomancie then this one is for you. Hella chill.  --- Cameron Stallones / electronics, guitar Orphy Robinson / electronics, vibes Alex Gray / computer synthesis, bamboo saxophone Jon Leland / congas, percussion  --- Recorded by Tom Mudd on Monday 21st September 2015. Mixed by Cameron Stallones. Mastered by James Dunn. Photo by Andy Newcombe. ---

Astor’s ‘live’ set from October 2014 is a strange melange of voice, field recordings, electronics, the concrete and the uncanny.

One of the most inventive and eclectic figures in contemporary music, guitarist and composer Fred Frith made a welcome return to OTO in 2015. Recorded on the first night of his residency with collaborators Theresa Wong and John Butcher, Quintillions Green is an improvised epic with titles inspired by Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Visual Artist Heike Liss energized the evening - trailing delicate threads of color across textured film sequences to mirror the expansive, unspooling free verse of the trio. --- John Butcher / saxophones, feedback Theresa Wong / cello, voice Fred Frith / guitar, voice --- Recorded live at Cafe OTO on 29 May 2015 by James Dunn. Mixed by James Dunn. Mastered by Rupert Clerveaux. Original image by Heike Liss.