To celebrate 13 years of Crash Ensemble’s Free State initiative which showcased a vast range of composers over its lifetime, we are delighted to launch our new Free State compilation album. This eclectic mix of music represents the essence of Free State and is released today on Crash Records.

The uniquely influential Russian musical and theatrical dynasty of the Liadov, Antipov and Pomazansky families supplied Russian culture with nearly 20 musical and theatrical performers, conductors, composers, and ballet dancers over the course of 150 years. Including numerous world première recordings, these wonderful pièces de salon are gems of Russian dance music, full of charming grace, melodic delicacy and nobility. A quote from Anatoly Liadov can stand as representative for all: "such is my character: do everything so that every bar gratifies". This recording was made on a Steinway D piano.

Rarely has there been a better album opener than Fun n’ Frenzy, a shimmering yet abrasive mix of Subway Sect dustbin lid guitar, No Wave twitchiness, a hint of psychedelia and a crooning vocalist intoning poetic, abstract lyrics that conveyed existential menace.

Melting Pot from Booker T. & The M.G.’s marked a turning point for the influential instrumental group. Released in 1971, it was the final studio album to include the original lineup of the longtime Stax house band (Booker T. Jones on keyboards, Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass guitar, and Al Jackson Jr. on drums). Comprised entirely of original material, Melting Pot finds the four-piece digging deep into some expansive Memphis soul jams.

In February 1964, Eric Dolphy assembled a formidable quintet of modern jazz visionaries with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Richard Davis on bass, and Tony Williams on drums, and headed into Rudy Van Gelder’s studio to record what would stand as his masterwork: Out to Lunch!

Soon after he arrived in Los Angeles in 1950, Howard Roberts became one of the most in-demand jazz guitarists in the citys clubs and studios. He spent six years as a sideman before Verves Norman Granz gave him the chance to record his first album as a leader (tracks 1-10).

Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge, January 8, 1903 – March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was an American Chicago blues musician.

The music in this programme covers a spectrum of genres that have flourished in Greece in recent years, from jazz to contemporary avant-garde. These have all had a strong impact on guitarist Dimitris Soukaras’s development as an artist, and in making this recording he took the opportunity to invite some of Greece’s leading composers to write for his instrument for the first time. All works are world premiere recordings.

Wilds, a surprise new album that offers a peek into Andy Shauf’s creative process and how the multi-instrumentalist first begins building his songs into more ornately arranged final products.

Kinkajous return with their highly anticipated album, Being Waves. Stretching genre and medium boundaries, Being Waves travels through multiple realities and touches on ideas of certainty, belief and identity. With alluring couplings between electronic and instrumental sounds, Kinkajous portray fascinating scenes with unique finesse and energy, making the band truly unmatched.

The well trodden path of the Silk Road unveils new secrets to David Shea, who turns years of research into a masterfully absorbing trip for his latest opus with Lawrence English’s Room40.

Here’s the long-awaited digital release of David Grisman’s Dawg Jazz / Dawg Grass, the critically acclaimed 1983 Warner Brothers LP, out of print for over three decades.

The Asymptotical World EP is Yves Tumor’s successor to 2020’s lauded Heaven To A Tortured Mind, featuring some of their most anthemic rock moments to date. A bold outfit of variegated styles across EP highlights, from the progressive climaxes of “Crushed Velvet” to the breakneck pace of “Secrecy Is Incredibly Important To The Both of Them” and the new standard of contemporary stadium music heard on “Jackie”.

Billy Strings live at Mempho Music Festival, Memphis, 01 October 2021.

As a home for collective listening moments, the 9128.live label encourages artists to push their own creative boundaries by presenting new, experimental approaches. This ethos has been encapsulated perfectly by Dennis Huddleston with his latest album as 36 and the third release for 9128.live. Weaponised Serenity was originally performed as part of the 9128 2-year anniversary show, as 36 reflects on his rave upbringing, creating what can only be described as an ambient take on the early 90's UK hardcore/jungle sound.