{"title":"VHF","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"mike-gangloff","title":"Mike Gangloff","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelicate and beautiful music from the combined forced of the recently ubiquitous East-Coast psychedelic combo Elkhorn and Pelt’s Mike Gangloff, laying down two epic raga-like performances captured on a 2022 collaborative tour. Gangloff—fresh from the triumph of his VHF solo fiddle album Evening Measures—has found a distinct instrumental voice, blending drone music and trad influences in way that really advances the tradition into new areas. “East Dauphin Suite” builds patiently on the interlocking acoustic guitars of the Elkhorn duo, with Gangloff’s hardanger fiddle carrying the melody over the top. The sound is a neat riff on American primitive, with just enough Appalachian-style touches via Gangloff’s careful glissandos cutting through the Vuh-type chords and patterns to create a unique and supremely melodic hybrid. “Summerfield Raga” takes things further out, with more microtonal variation in the embroidery, with assertive bowing and an increased energy level. Pressed in Chicago and housed in an amazing jacket by Jake Blanchard.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP.","offer_id":50399293014347,"sku":"2174532","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_57_c024c2a5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726504070"},{"product_id":"volume-3-9","title":"Volume 3","description":"\u003cp\u003eVolume 3 of a set of collaborations between the prolific Argentine polymaths Reynols and the inescapable Acid Mothers Temple. Recorded in Buenos Aries on AMT’s 2017 South American Tour, the music has identifiable sonic elements from both groups but ends up sounding like neither, with a surprising weightlessness that keeps things jammy and psychedelic until the final track’s blustering rock. Taking up most of side 1, “Kicking Air Bricks” has a loose Gong\/’70s Euro-classic vibe, with Satoshima Nani getting to swing on the drums in a way that isn’t always part of AMT’s steamroller, while the rest of the gang layers in abstract piano, percussion, glissando guitar, etc. “Multiverse Turtle Reflex” closes the side with a thick drone coda. Side two starts with Miguel Tomasin’s gentle vocal and organ accompaniment on “Smelling Oneiric Asado” before the group gradually gathers momentum with Wolf’s thick bass anchoring layers of clean and loose guitar interplay. “Lemurian Tsunami Inside A Hat” is a thriteen-minute heavy rock epic, with the Reynols’ guitars going head to head with Makota Kawabata’s easily recognized interjections, ramping up into a riffy crescendo.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50430062821707,"sku":"2188910","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_76_1678be7c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726843399"},{"product_id":"konsertti-i","title":"Konsertti I","description":"\u003cp\u003eThird album from Finnish group Mahti, a collaboration between three members of stalwart avant-rock legends Circle and Hannu Saha. Saha plays the Kantele, a traditional Finnish acoustic instrument which can have five, ten, fifteen, or thirty-six strings, and which is plucked like a zither or harp, producing a delicate string sound. Following their two very limited studio albums on UK label Riot Season, \u003ci\u003eKonsertti I\u003c\/i\u003e is an excellent recording of the group in live performance, capturing their understated and beautiful mix of ambient, electronic, and string music. Saha’s Kantele centers the music, sometimes plucking out melodic arpeggios, at others blending in with the burbling-but-subtle electronic and electric guitar backdrop. Doesn’t really sound like anything else, but recommended to fans of AR and Machines, Ash Ra Temple, Richter Band, Durutti Column, etc. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50442856792395,"sku":"2201121","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage-2.php_60e70795_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727005551"},{"product_id":"tomutonttu-ja-lehtisalo","title":"Tomutonttu Ja Lehtisalo","description":"\u003cp\u003eFinland has long had a uniquely progressive underground, with thriving punk, avant, jazz, and rock scenes with oversized output and impact. Jussi Lehtisalo’s (Circle, Pharaoh Overlord, Mahti, etc) label Ektro has been at the center of this activity for the last three decades, with a stream of excellent and conceptually bonkers releases covering music of all types. Here Lehtisalo joins up with Jan Anderzén (of Kemialliset Ystävät among others) for an album of absolutely fun and unusual miniature duets that sound like alien Library music beamed in from the outerlands. Tracks like “Luukku Yksi” and “Puistossa” use a charmingly retro synth-y sound palate and Cluster-like melodic sensibility to make accessible some deceptively “out” music. Some cuts (like “Kylpy”) have a vague hint of early ’80s post-punk \/ new wave vibes, bouncing along in a friendly way with odd interjections of sample debris and electronics jumping out of the mix to keep it weird. The surging “Hymy yössä” could be music for the credits of the world’s hippest newscast. Beautiful jacket by renown Helsinki-based artist Dylan Ray Arnold, bringing the die-cut techniques of their gallery pieces like “Growth of the Night Plants” to LP form.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50443008737611,"sku":"2204817","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_100_a624539a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727007302"},{"product_id":"the-apotheosis-of-vavavoom","title":"The Apotheosis of VaVaVoom","description":"\u003cp\u003eThird VHF dispatch from the mighty and prolific Ashtray Navigations, following 2020’s mega and extremely popular Imaginary Greatest Hits package. The curiously titled The Apotheosis of VaVaVoom is one of Phil Todd and Melanie O’Dubhshlaine’s most direct and rocking packages, with mucho ripping lead guitar action backed by some absolutely fun bubbling synth and drum grooves. “Irons Three” kicks off with wicked wah’d out leads, followed by the subdued ambience of “Tasteful Grey Putting” and “Appropros Tower” and a segue into the driving “Hinges on the Clapometer.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSide 2’s opening combo of “Slush Puppy Window” and “Avatar Down The Highway” sounds like a head on collision between Terje Rypdal and Tangerine Dream on a dark bender, with laser guitar over a bed of tumbling electronics and tiny noises. The closing “Crack Another Bloodcapsule” is one of Ashtray Nav’s all time best, like a lost krautrock classic jam with a driving rhythm from guest drummer Alex Neilson.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Green LP","offer_id":50453985984843,"sku":"2001417","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage-2.php_1d7fd1e1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727179459"},{"product_id":"evening-measures","title":"Evening Measures","description":"\u003cp\u003eFirst solo LP in a decade from long-time Pelt \/ Black Twigs \/ Eight Point Star leader, presenting a remarkable program of solo Hardanger and octave fiddle music. \u003ci\u003eEvening Measures\u003c\/i\u003e is a bold and unique statement, a direct and disarming individual expression of a musician’s inner thoughts and inspirations. Like some of Mike’s work in other projects, this ricochets back and forth across the line between the most traditional and the most “out” music, blending drone, melody, and the pure tactile sensation of acoustic string music into a personal sound. A set of all-original compositions (save the traditional “Wild Geese Chase”), Mike’s playing is languorous and expressive, with the sympathetic strings of the Hardanger-style instrument ringing out on some cuts like multiple players. The album touches on a variety of styles, keeping things fresh for the entire playing time. “The Other Side of Catawba” is a deeply psychedelic and immersive cloud of hovering string sound, reminiscent of some of Pelt’s more gentle explorations. “New River Suite” (some of which appeared in group versions by Eight Point Star on a PBS documentary about Appalachia’s New River) is a keening set of themes that have the memorable melodies of established traditional repertoire but are all completely new. “Wild Geese Chase” is a rugged and wild slash through a well-known fiddle standard. “Halfway From Shawsville” rounds things out with a lovely tribute to Mike’s Virginia town\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50453990605131,"sku":"2001411","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage-1.php_c95721ca_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727179481"},{"product_id":"the-red-valley","title":"The Red Valley","description":"\u003cp\u003eDebut standalone VHF album by the Elkhorn duo of Drew Gardner and Jesse Sheppard, a tight set of six studio recordings in a variety of moods and featuring a lot of new sound textures. Elkhorn’s prolific stream of releases since 2016 has highlighted their mastery of sprawling long-form, acoustic-driven hypno-jams, with an emphasis on live performance (including on their collaboration with Pelt’s Mike Gangloff on the Shackamaxon Concert album). The Red Valley is a more layered and composed-sounding set, with the duo overdubbing extensively on top of their own dual guitars. Leading off the LP, “Crystal Hummingbird” features one of their signature minor-modal vamps, with layers of fuzz bass, zither, and frame drum providing weight and psychedelic density. “Gray Salt Trail” continues the vibe, with thick fuzz vibraphone supplementing the cinematic palate, leading into the spare side-closer “Black Wind Of Kayenta,” where Sheppard plays electric 12-string and Gardner solos on acoustic guitar. Side two starts with “Road to Chaco Canyon,” a brooding duet that builds momentum with Gardner’s insistent frame drum cadence, dropping down into the quiet string pool of “Inside Spider Rock” (featuring Fern Knight’s Jesse Sparhawk on gloriously swirling lever harp) and the graceful finale “Jackrabbit Hops.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50454908010827,"sku":"2204823","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_-_2024-06-10T172611.099_6ffbf5b4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727186929"},{"product_id":"the-pastoral-machine","title":"The Pastoral Machine","description":"\u003cp\u003eFourth volume of Library Music miniatures by Daniel O’Sullivan (Ulver, Æthenor, This is Not This Heat, etc) for VHF, this time commissioned by the legendary German Music Library, Sonoton. Another sampling of O’Sullivan’s versatility and brilliance as a composer, performer, and sound designer, the focus on The Pastoral Machine is more “electronic” compared to the three previous albums O’Sullivan recorded for KPM (also issued on LP by VHF), with simpler arrangements and a focus on gentle and emotive synthesised soundworlds. Even without as many full ensemble arrangements, there’s still a wealth of diversity—“Empathogen” opens the record with latticed arpeggiating sequences recalling Japanese “environmental music” or Persian Surgery-era Terry Riley, “Fruit Of Stream Entry” burbles with gentle ripples evoking the album’s title, while “The Silversmith Of Space” mines a simple chord sequence evoking Eno’s ’70s classic short instrumentals. “Superstrings” is a series of hypnotic overlapping guitar patterns, like a lost Ash Ra or Achim Reichel track. The brief “Star Lore” is a heavy highlight with deep bass washes and grainy, tape-laminated melodies, followed immediately by Rose Keeler Schaffeler’s vocal feature on “The Oscillating Love” recalling futurist new-age pop in the vein of Enya or Virginia Astley. Housed in a jacket and heavy euro-style inner featuring collages by O’Sullivan, soon to be the subject of an art book published by Timeless Editions in mid-2024.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50454919840075,"sku":"2204818","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_-_2024-06-10T171509.924_688c445b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727186991"},{"product_id":"the-physic-garden","title":"The Physic Garden","description":"\u003cp\u003eThird in a trilogy of albums of library music miniatures from composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel O’Sullivan (Æthenor, Ulver, This Is Not This Heat, etc) following 2020’s \u003ci\u003eElectric Māyā\u003c\/i\u003e and 2021’s \u003ci\u003eFourth Density\u003c\/i\u003e. For heads, the term “library music” in 2021 might evoke dodgy Italian gray market LPs and crate-diggers hunting for “funky breaks”—but London’s venerable KPM Music is working with groundbreakers like O’Sullivan to open up new avenues for composers to experiment. The fifteen tracks on \u003ci\u003eThe Physic Garden\u003c\/i\u003e are fully-formed and orchestrated compositions, which would be highlights on anyone’s release, never mind as incidental music. Of the music, O’Sullivan says: “The Physic Garden is an album of diverse instrumentals inspired by a swathe of verdant vistas from manicured gardens and follies to urban common land, overgrown and forgotten. Convalescent memories in the shape of psychedelic auditory botanics.” Key tracks include the droning acoustic folk of the title song; the Canterbury-esque rolling horn and woodwind melody of “Return The Heart” (with expert drum kit from Frank Byng); the prog-ish odd meter interlude “Buttercup Tea”; The quiet ambience and delicate melody of “Dusty Feather:”; and the Eno-like drift of “Vapourer Larvae.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50460567437643,"sku":"2015042","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/The_Physic_Garden_c1bade4d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727234554"},{"product_id":"hypnotape","title":"Hypnotape","description":"\u003cp\u003eA genuinely sprawling collection of high-fidelity mutation music that suits the compact disc format perfectly, Hypnotape is the third consecutive Sunburned Hand Of Man album of studio assemblages following 2019’s \u003ci\u003eHeadless\u003c\/i\u003e and 2021’s \u003ci\u003ePick A Day To Die\u003c\/i\u003e. Recorded throughout 2021 and 2022, it’s an album possessed with a peculiar runaway locomotion which jump cuts feverishly between unusual atmospheres yet maintains a beguiling consistency—throbbing, twisting, undulating rhythmic blast-offs suddenly kick the door down into serene realms of nuanced acoustic privacy which are unexpectedly plunged back, face first into a miasma of shirtless, raging thuggery, ad infinitum. The album is notable in the group’s monstrous catalog for a few reasons: first, it showcases founding member Conrad Capistran stepping out from behind the keyboards and electronics to spread his smooth, buttery baritone atop the majority of the tracks. From his velvet cooing above the pulsing whirlwind of opener “People Person” to his vivid and febrile musings as a trip reporter on the frontlines of the meltdown zone on “Roger” his honeyed vocals guide the listener Virgil-like through the inferno all the way to the album’s finale where he duets with Ron Schneiderman on the old Dino Valenti \/ Quicksilver chestnut “What About Me”. Secondly, it features the recorded debut of Sunburned’s longtime friend and collaborator Mark Perretta after years of touring with the group. Some may remember Perretta from his days stomping across the primordial Boston underground of the late ’80s \/ early ’90s with the mighty Subskin Cables or his solo career as Deluxx but most, no doubt, will be familiar with his stint with Lou Barlow, John Davis and Bob Fay as Deluxx Folk Implosion, most notably when Perretta’s whimsical ode to fatherhood “Daddy Never Understood” was used in the opening sequence to Larry Clark’s beloved coming of age tale Kids in 1996. Finally, with \u003ci\u003eHypnotape\u003c\/i\u003e, Sunburned steps into the hallowed VHF arena after decades of hovering along adjacent corridors!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50460568715595,"sku":"2015041","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage.php_062de338_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727234574"},{"product_id":"greatest-imaginary-hits","title":"Greatest Imaginary Hits","description":"\u003cp\u003e27th Anniversary set for the multi-dimensional midlandscrew, led by Phil Todd and Melanie O’Dubhslaine. Nearly six hours of cosmic, psychedelic, mind-boggling sounds, featuring a newly recorded LP plus four maxlength CDs curated by AshNav connoisseurs Rob Hayler, Henry Rollins, Pete Coward, and Neil Campbell. The CDs are drawn from the band’s massive back catalog of mostly small run \/ private releases, covering activity dating back to 1994. Mining a deep well of thousand-yard stare psychedelia, Ashtray Navigations possess of one of the most exciting outré music catalogs of the contemporary era, matching the classics from any era in originality and straight-up bonkers fun. This epic release includes a full range of hypnotic jams, including sequencer-led cosmic workouts, drifty ambience, and a heavy dose of Phil Todd’s ripping, laser guitar leads. The gatefold LP also includes pithy liner notes from Matt Valentine, Henry Rollins, Jon Dale, and more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50481482432843,"sku":"1096306","price":42.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0e964db8-896d-4c67-9f81-563a2a381d61_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727540198"},{"product_id":"friends-peace","title":"Friends Peace","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing a series of records with Thrill Jockey (including the sensational Seasonal Hire with Steve Gunn), the Black Twig Pickers return to the VHF mothership to continue their charming and original take on old time and Appalachian inspired string band sounds. Together since 2001, and a\u003cbr\u003econtinuous presence in the music’s true home of Southwest Virginia, the Twigs represent the actively working evolution of the traditions - learning songs from other locals, playing dances at the Floyd Country Store, etc—without retroartifice or nostalgia. The ragged-but-right performances and recording (and Sally Ann Morgan’s perfect cover design) sit at the ideal intersection of DIY \/ “underground” and local string-sound values. On Friend’s Peace, the band travels a range of styles, from the lovely harmony on the trad-classic “Moonshiner” to the racing fiddle \/ guitar \/ banjo on the\u003cbr\u003e“Money Musk” medley. Mixed in with the traditional songs are several perfectly-placed original tunes, including Mike Gangloff’s keening “Cara’s Waltz” and Isak Howell’s solo guitar spotlight on “Barnswallow.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50483582828875,"sku":"1115633","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f3fb69b8-a36d-4f01-8a07-42eb7a731329_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727569760"},{"product_id":"eight-point-star","title":"Eight Point Star","description":"\u003cp\u003eRemarkable debut album by new Cosmic-Appalachian string band, birthed from the same Virginia firmament that has brought forth Pelt, Jack Rose, Black Twig Pickers, and Spiral Joy Band. Led by Mike Gangloff’s droning fiddle and Matt Peyton’s fingerpicked guitar, Eight Point Star mines the modal traditions of both old-time Appalachia and far-out drone music to produce beautiful tunes that are equal parts memorable and psychedelic. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50483638468939,"sku":"1128100","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f3730825-0648-4763-9918-f6849d460dfe_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727570976"},{"product_id":"pearls-from-the-river","title":"Pearls From The River","description":"\u003cp\u003eFantastic Pelt release sees the trio of Jack Rose, Mike Gangloff and Patrick Best scaling new heights of inventiveness and creativity via three extended all acoustic pieces channeling middle eastern, irish folk, indian drone, Fahey americana, lap-steel tinged psyche-scapes. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - First Time on Vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50483654885707,"sku":"1064654","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/5009c86d-b361-4c7f-8142-5bef04e9a002_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727571322"},{"product_id":"the-halcyon","title":"the Halcyon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Flower-Corsano Duo, the world’s best and only drums \/ Japan banjo duo return to VHF for their first album since 2009’s monumental \u003ci\u003eThe Four Aims\u003c\/i\u003e. Mick Flower (Vibracathedral Orchestra) and Chris Corsano (frequently seen with Bill Orcutt, Joe McPhee, and other luminaries) work an area that’s not really jazz, not really anything—a stream of endlessly mutating free sound, a unique mind-merge between Corsano’s nimble drums and percussion and Flower’s amplified Japan banjo (also known as a Shahi Baaja, a type of electric Indian zither with both fretted \/ keyed and drone strings). Flower cuts a highly original line, playing neither “leads” nor making drone-music. Less amplified here than on the more “heavy” \u003ci\u003eThe Four Aims\u003c\/i\u003e, the strings ring out with distinct clarity in short snippets of melody and a canvas of pleasing electric sound. Corsano’s bag is to charm out a flow of thoughtful percussion engagement, rolling around on his kit, continually varying his attack and approach in conversational free-jazz style. The Halcyon is a precious addition to a tiny discography, a fortunate event even in today’s world of small press overabundance. Thanks guys!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50483674775883,"sku":"1141988","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/5bccfa95-83a6-49b2-b331-461887a8dae5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727571431"},{"product_id":"april-is-passing","title":"April Is Passing","description":"\u003cp\u003eSecond VHF solo LP from the Pelt\/Black Twigs mainstay, following 2022’s acclaimed \u003ci\u003eEvening Measures\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eApril is Passing\u003c\/i\u003e builds on the striking solo Hardanger-style fiddle performances on the previous LP to take the music even further out, with deep drones and extended techniques defining a vocabulary that is Americana-adjacent, but a unique and special sound that Mike is pursuing almost alone. Joined on selected tracks by Cara Gangloff’s Sruti and Kaily Shenker’s sonorous Cello, the all-original, all-live performances are resonant with both overt melody and a cloud of thick string overtones, whether on the more upbeat tunes like “Ironto Dancer” or the epic 11+ minute LP closer “Helen’s Song.” “September Air” is a mournful slow build, the fiddle embroidering a minor-key melody over the drone of the Surti box and a low cello counter point. “A Fallen Palace of Snowville” is a solo performance where the additional sympathetic strings of the hardanger fiddle are strongly heard as a ghostly accompaniment, as Mike’s elegant melody switches back and forth from minor to major. “Helen’s Song” closes side 2 with a complex, ever-changing swirl of melodic and harmonic invention, with Mike’s keening, languorous bowing leading the way through multiple moods and sounds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51183630811467,"sku":"2242341","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_-_2025-01-30T180241.323_8d67d5cc_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1738273835"},{"product_id":"prodigal-son-4","title":"Prodigal Son","description":"\u003cp\u003eVHF debut and second widely-available LP by Liam, part of a new generation of underground “American primitive” guitar players serving the traditions and smashing them up simultaneously. Prodigal Son is a portrait of an artist on the road, changing fast, recording things as they spring from the fountain. The sound here is raw – grass and dirt instead of pre-fab; homemade\/handmade instead of high-tech, etc. There’s a visceral quality and immediacy of culture that’s being lost every day in modern life – Prodigal Son is a chance to grab some of it back. “Palmyra” has Liam on weissenborn-style lap steel, the sound fuzzed out and distorted by the guerilla recording technique. “Salmon Tails Up The River” stretches out to nearly 13 minutes, a dense meditation on 12 string that sustains a dark and heavy mood for the entire duration. On the B side, “Insult to Injury” reverses the mood, with an elegant and unhurried 12 string sequel of deep beauty. Liam’s unexpected take on Loren Conners’ “A Moment at the Door” is a perfect translation of Loren’s reverb-heavy electric drift to unadorned acoustic (and tape hiss) – a frozen moment of absolute grace. Wrapping things up is a take on “Old Country Rock,” with fiddle and banjo, just a brief taste of the barnstorming old-time sound of Liam’s touring trio.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51183632449867,"sku":"2242339","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_-_2025-01-30T175954.153_ddf55a6b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1738273864"},{"product_id":"tom-winter-tom-spring","title":"Tom Winter, Tom Spring","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eDebut LP by the duo of Gangloff and Joynes, finding novel ways to combine their accomplished takes on avant folk, American primitive, and outsider sound into a unique and beautiful jumble. Side A’s “Rapid City” is a brisk fingerpicked jaunt featuring Joynes’ unique acoustic\/electric hybrid sound, followed by “West Cavalier” where Gangloff’s sawing fiddle and Joynes’ guitar take on a straight mountain-style tune. “Two Bishops” is a languorous and atmospheric Joynes’ guitar feature that slips into an extended minor key fingerpicked tremolo. Gangloff’s “The Other Side of Catawba” is a solo fiddle staple from his recent repertoire (and heard on his VHF LP “Evening Measures”), rendered here in a haunting, reverberant version. The old-time staple “Sail Away Ladies” closes the side at a tempo made for a country store dance. Side B takes a more expansive and outré attitude, with Joynes’ nimble “An Opening” (and the brief noise interlude “Eight Sets of Inverted Commas”) setting up the lengthy “Witch Marks,” which closes proceedings with a dark and droning vibe.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":53278263738699,"sku":"R5190-3076","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a3886184763_16.jpg?v=1756494158"},{"product_id":"persian-carpets","title":"Persian Carpets","description":"\u003cp\u003eSecond LP of duets by these longtime VHF family staples, here delivering 2 side-long epics of “minimalist” bliss. Both sides feature Daniel on piano and Richard on zither, with rippling waves of sound recalling classics like Charlemagne Palestine’s “Strumming Music” (Dan is a frequent collaborator with C.P.) and Richard’s “Advent.” “Persian Carpets I” is a real-humans performance full of tiny variants in rhythm and attack, rising and falling in intensity – sometimes a rush of sound, sometimes a cloud of soft overtones and phantom notes. “Persian Carpets II” is more spare, with quiet and careful piano alongside Richard’s subdued accompaniment – a gorgeous bath of pointillist sound that rewards close listening.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":55974246744395,"sku":"R4393-5484","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0f4bea84-605e-7924-1c6d-5aa5a51201c6.jpg?v=1764069688"},{"product_id":"wave-field-1","title":"Wave Field","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you’ve been following the wanderings of prolific psychedelic magicians Elkhorn, you might be surprised that Elkhorn guitarist Drew Gardner’s solo LP Wave Field is the most out and out “rock” record on VHF in many years. Working here in a small group with excellent players Tom Malach (guitar), Andy Cush (bass), and Ryan Jewel (drums), Gardner cuts loose on a set of propulsive and swinging material that allows him to greatly expand his sound into unexpected areas. “Rhizoid” starts with a sneaky groove riding the nimble bass and drums of Cush and Jewel before a leap into the ripping Sonic Youth\/NEU! hybrid of “Space Ray.” “Shadow Casting Grass” brings things back down to end the side with some Elkhorn-adjacent gentle guitar weave backed again by the sly rhythm section. “Wave Field” kicks off side 2 with an extended buzzy guitar raga with Cush’s melodic and fat bass providing jammy counterpoint. The epic “Mayan Bees” closes the LP with an extended workout on another extremely fine drum and bass ostinato, a hypnotic minor key riff that slow builds over 10+ minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56373157036363,"sku":"R0779-3390","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_14.jpg?v=1769201341"},{"product_id":"universal-light","title":"Universal Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eDebut by a new string trio of Pelt and Elkhorn veterans with the wild card contributions of Kaily Schenker, creating a new variant of supremely pleasing acoustic-psychedelic-drone-Americana etc. “Lullaby\u0026gt;Summer Field” is an aptly named gentle rise, with Sheppard’s fingerpicked 12 string snaking through waves of elongated fiddle and cello. “Triode\u0026gt;Freedom” follows a darker minor-key ostinato with Gangloff’s keening melody over the top. “Freedom\u0026gt;Universal Blues” starts as a dirge and builds to a transition into the traditional “The Squirrel is a Pretty Thing,” with Kaily Schenker’s droning harmonium and vocal delivering a riveting, epic version of what’s usually cast as a short “kids”\/folk-tale song (e.g. Peggy Seeger’s version). Originally this album was released by the band in an instantly sold-out edition of 100 for sale at their shows. This updated version includes a new insert by Kaily, a new cut by John Golden and a thick pressing from Smashed in Chicago.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56373167030603,"sku":"R7523-0353","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/getImage_15.jpg?v=1769201595"},{"product_id":"in-a-not-c","title":"In A not C","description":"\u003cp\u003eMore than 25 years on from their first collaborations with \u003cb\u003eMakoto Kawabata\u003c\/b\u003e, including the INUI series and the classic Kawabata\/Youngs release, \u003cb\u003eAcid Mothers Temple\u003c\/b\u003e land on VHF with their first proper LP for the label. \u003ci\u003eIn A Not C\u003c\/i\u003e is part of the group’s occasional minimalism-inspired run, but this is no static drone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, it moves like a live wire, taking a small repeating cell and pushing it forward in the same spirit as the band’s 2001 take on \u003ci\u003eIn C\u003c\/i\u003e. The current lineup brings a fresh feel, with \u003cb\u003eJyonson Tsu\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eSatoshima Nani\u003c\/b\u003e adding lightness and agility to the band’s blazing guitars and bubbling synth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBoth sides build toward rich, layered crescendos, where Tsu’s gentle vocal loops meet frenetic drums, whistling electronics, and guitar that flips between trebly feedback and soft arpeggios. Cut by Golden, pressed in Chicago at Smashed, with a first pressing on clear vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VHF","offers":[{"title":"LP - Clear","offer_id":58217892675915,"sku":"R6266-4765","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7b9b512e-1260-fab6-4244-671d52ce9c45.jpg?v=1787324146"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/vhf.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}