Inside No. 9, Season 4, Episode #44: Star Rovers
Having recently moved to a city with seven record shops it’s been hard not to part with cash and increase my collection with the weird and wonderful. Big shout out to my go to places Belair Records and Disc-a-brac. If you’re ever in Lausanne look them up! This month’s mix is another crate digging extravaganza made up of nine astonishing LPs that I’ve had on repeat, including one of my AOTY courtesy of Walter Maioli & John Zandijk. Although the music crosses many continents, there is a distinctive feeling of the European avant garde here, mixing curling sounds that paint cobbled streets with sweeping futuristic noises that litter a starry night of cigarette smoke and residual summer heat.
I want to acknowledge a couple of labels here, which I feel are doing incredible work bringing lesser heard archival music back into the world. Firstly Metaphon, who have created some of the most incredible (re)collections from artists including Costin Miereanu, Nicole Lachartre, Robert Fesler; and here on this mix, Octavian Nemescu. Secondly I’d like to celebrate Black Sweat Records, who have blown me away with their recent releases. Important records like ‘La Cantata Rossa Per Tall El Zaatar’, and the recent Walter Maioli reissues have launched them into one of my favourite record labels of recent years.
In an effort to get healthy and fitter I have started hiking regularly. I managed to get my average monthly steps to 500k and in doing so I’ve seen some incredible sights and lost a few pounds as well. All of these records have been on my walking playlist and I’ve taken them with me through woods, lakesides, mountains and old towns. The Alps are the perfect backdrop to these magnificent sounds. This mix feels like a Tzadik compilation of worldly wonders. I’d recommend going for a walk in nature whilst listening or lying under the stars with your drink/smoke of choice to see you through the many sonic twists and turns.
On that note here are nine records that you should definitely own and spend a lot of time listening to. Each one is utterly brilliant and unique. There is music from Romania, Italy, United States, Sweden and Japan. Enjoy.
Secula-Seculorum
Octavian Nemescu
Passages… À Travers Le Temps
2000
3XLP Metaphon 2025
Interspecies Smalltalk
David Behrman
Music With Memory
1984
LP on Alga Marghen 2017
Quarto Racconto
Lino Capra Vaccina & Mai Mai Mai
I Racconti di Aretusa
2022
LP on Baccano Dischi 2025
Flauti
Art Of Primitive Sound
Strumenti Musicali Della Preistoria: Il Paleolitico
1991
LP on Black Sweat Records 2025
Rikka 立夏
Meitei
Shitsurai 室礼
2025
LP on white lily cut to 45rpm on Kitchen Label 2025
Arv & Miljö [edit]
Arv & Miljö
Arv & Miljö
2025
LP on Discreet Music 2025
Movement V
I-I
I-I
2024
LP on Modern Obscure Music 2024
Track 03
Walter Maioli, John Zandijk
Star Rover
1980
LP on Black Sweat Records 2025
Secret Piece
Yoko Ono, The Great Learning Orchestra
Selected Recordings From Grapefruit
1964
Double LP on Karlrecords
Inside No. 9 is an attempt to share unique narratives through the mixing of 9 songs. Every episode will showcase a new theme, opening up new tributaries of discovery. Inside No. 9 is presented by Peter Taylor, a former features writer for Foxy Digitalis from back in the late 2000s. Peter is a visual artist and musician and has been creating music as MAbH since 2008.
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