Utomlyonnye Solntsem (утомлённые Солнцем) Nikita Mikhalkov (1994)

Pianist Nikita Mndoyants devotes this recording to Prokofiev, whose music has accompanied him since his early days. Here he brings together the Fourth Sonata 'From Old Notebooks' and the Eighth, an integral part of the so-called 'War Sonatas', as well as an arrangement of the scherzo from the Fifth Symphony.

I think Karl Böhm's live performances of Strauss operas represent some of his best work; this is a companion piece to his live Daphne which has yet to be bettered despite being another elderly, live recording, albeit in narrow stereo. It is in comparatively restricted mono but one soon forgets that, given the quality of the performance.

Alligator continues its Trumpet reissue series with an excellent 15-cut anthology covering early Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) material, some of it also including guitarist Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and guitarist Bobo "Slim" Thomas. Miller was honing the uncanny technique that made him a harmonica legend, playing long overtones, spitting lines, droning and angular phrases that are now part of blues lore. His voice was gaining strength and stature, and he repeatedly demonstrated the kind of vocal character and instrumental acumen later immortalized on his Chess sessions. Alligator has found a genuine treasure chest with this series.

"Regeneration Mode" is an album by the duo Chuck van Zyl and Peter D. Gulch (both known from the project The Nightcrawlers) filled with vintage, but most of all adventurous and future electronic music. It’s cosmic music pur sang, now and then briefly tapping in the heritage of the Berliner School style of the early '70’s while taking the listener out on a 60-minute atmospheric trip through the vast unknown. The highly cinematic outcome though is less traditional. A deep sense of mystery already announces itself on the strong, almost 30-minute album opener "Sector Zero Zero One". It’s a beautifully moulded sonic sci-fi story through dense soundscapes with quite some turns and twists along the ride.
The album continues with four shorter pieces that keep immersing in darkening, dense atmospheric moods…