Recorded during twelve separate performances of John Zorn's "Cobra" during 1992, "John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory" presents an extraordinary mix of performances, with different stagings by different groups and an absolutely stunning array of performers and environments.
Stereolab took an unprecedented two years between 1997's Dots & Loops and 1999's Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night, as they tended to personal matters. During those two years, Stereolab's brand of sophisticated, experimental post-rock didn't evolve too much, even as colleagues like Tortoise, Jim O'Rourke, and the High Llamas tried other things. Since each Stereolab album offered a significant progression from the next, it would have been fair to assume that when they returned, it would be with a leap forward, especially since Tortoise's John McEntire and O'Rourke were co-producers. Perhaps that's the reason that the album feels slightly disappointing. The group has absorbed McEntire's jazz-fusion leanings – "Fuses" kicks off the album in compelling, free-jazz style – and the music continually bears O'Rourke's attention to detail, but it winds up sounding like O'Hagan's increasing tendency of making music that's simply sound for sound's sake.
Over a nearly 35 year-long career, Miriodor have continuously produced music that is intricate, melodic, challenging and filled with both humour and fire. Cobra Fakir is the group's eighth studio album and, like all their releases, is a captivating new-music gem filled with great musicianship, terrific tunes and a distinctive and personal sound. A cobra fakir is a snake charmer, who uses carefully concocted melodies to put the mighty reptile under a sort of sonic spell. That’s an apt analogy for what will happen to even the hardiest ears upon introduction to Miriodor’s newest eccentric-but-bewitching batch of tunes.
Petter Kraft and Per Borten were asked to do work on commission for Jazzfest Trondheim in 2022. Already long-time friends, they gathered yet others to form Cobra Kraft consisting of Petter Kraft (Tenor sax), Per Borten (Guitars), Vegard Bjerkan (Keyboards), Eirik Øien (Bass) and Kenneth Kapstad (Drums).
Swedish death metal veterans THE CROWN release their new album, "Cobra Speed Venom", on March 16 through Metal Blade Records. Produced with Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, the record promises to be one of the biggest surprises of the year — a return to death metal speed and darkness in full glory!
May 3, 2019 sees the start of Stereolab's seven album reissue campaign via Warp Records and Duophonic UHF Disks, as expanded and re-mastered editions on vinyl and compact disc. Each album has been re-mastered from the original 1/2'' tapes by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering and overseen by Tim Gane. Bonus material will include alternate takes, demos and unreleased mixes. Stereolab have attracted one of the most loyal audiences in modern pop, with every album outselling it's predecessor. On their new Elektra album, Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night, Stereolab expand upon the music explorations that have made them one of modern music's most influential bands.