Hat Hill Records & Audio

Hat Hill Records & Audio Independent record and hi-fi store.

Long one incoming (but interesting, promise..)Following the release of the well received Rave ‘Till You Cry compilation ...
18/07/2025

Long one incoming (but interesting, promise..)

Following the release of the well received Rave ‘Till You Cry compilation of unreleased versions from the vaults in 2019, Disciples follow it up (a mere 5 years later!) with a new album from Rephlex alumni Bogdan Raczynski, complete with another manifesto style title: You’re Only Young Once But You Can Be Stupid Forever.

A collection of warmly melodic electronic sketches, with tracks alternately drifting beatless on the breeze or underpinned by lo-fi drums, sometimes barely held together with a delicate construction of odd synth patches and ping-pong percussion. Each piece is short and to the point, a record of perfect miniatures. Whilst this description may sound utopian, the album is conceived around themes of late stage capitalist brutality, hyper consumerism, online doom and alogorhithmic apocalypse. Beauty in the face of planetary collapse and 24/7 livestreamed genocide. The theme summed up by the front cover which just features a giant (readable) QR code, that most ubiquitous of modern symbols. We’ve asked Bogdan on several occasions for more background information on the creation of these tracks, but received a different answer each time. One of the below statements might be true, though it’s equally possible that none of them are, just like the real news.

Text cont. in comments

Bogdan Raczynski - You’re Only Young Once But You Can Be Stupid Forever, $65 (2024, Disciples DSC31)

Having first emerged onto a post-acid house 1993, Incunabula was released as part 7 of the now legendary Artificial Inte...
18/07/2025

Having first emerged onto a post-acid house 1993, Incunabula was released as part 7 of the now legendary Artificial Intelligence series of albums and compilations from Warp. A series that gave us early records from artists who went on to sculpt the electronic landscape both in and out of the club. Being lined up against such contemporaries as Black Dog Productions (Balil and Plaid) Aphex Twin under his Polygon Window guise, Richie Hawtin’s FUSE project, Speedy J, B12 & on the series’ closing compilation, artists as diverse as Seefeel, Richard H Kirk & The Higher Intelligence Agency.

Incunabula set the tone for the following landmark albums from Ae, huge caustic dissections of sound that almost resemble vast mathematical equations more than they do club fodder (though tracks like the breakbeat whip crack of Doctrine and the acidic euphoria of Maetl, which when deployed by the right DJ will go off). For those just arriving at the edge of Ae’s world and are looking for an entry point into the sprawling discography of the group, or those of you looking to delve into the pre-MaxMSP archives, this is the record for you. There is not much we can say that has not been said before, but this truly is a landmark album of UK electronica, a legendary recording that still even after twenty-six years still sounds like a future we are yet to arrive at.

Autechre - Incunabula, $62 (2016, Warp Records WARP LP17R)

The Preservation label presents Head In The Trees, Heart On the Ground, the second album from Sydney’s The Singing Skies...
17/07/2025

The Preservation label presents Head In The Trees, Heart On the Ground, the second album from Sydney’s The Singing Skies. Led by songwriter and guitarist Kell Derrig-Hall, Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground delivers on the promise of The Singing Skies’ debut Routine and War, affecting a zone between Nico and John Cale’s stark , confessional style and the warm, plaintive way of Gene Clark and ‘70s period Dylan.

On Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground, Derrig-Hall proves a gentle and knowing soul with an open-hearted lyricism where tenderness and wonder define his disarming nature. The music is similarly in tow to an earthiness in its rootsy melodic way, with the searching quality of classic country rock and ornate vintage pop folding through these intricate yet immediate and beautiful songs.

The outline for all these songs is marked by the sudden passing of Derrig-Hall’s musician father in 2015, further ghosted by Derrig-Hall’s use of his father’s guitars through recording. While not a direct tribute, Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground is a poignant casting of deeper feelings and meanings that underpin our everyday and relationships.

Text via Bandcamp (cont. in comments)

The Singing Skies - Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground, $40 (2017, Preservation PRE040LP)

WRWTFWW Records is continuing its fruitful and blissful collaboration with New York ambient / jazz / downtempo musician ...
17/07/2025

WRWTFWW Records is continuing its fruitful and blissful collaboration with New York ambient / jazz / downtempo musician Danny Scott Lane with the first ever vinyl release for his 2021 cassette album Caput. The 12-track beauty is available as a limited edition LP (500 copies worldwide) housed in a marvelously designed heavy 350gsm sleeve. The album is also available digitally.

Originally released on cassette only, Caput is desert music inspired by the city, a serene and cozy soundtrack of contemplative synth, mini pleasure-grooves, and botanical ambient jazz, sure to gently pacify the emotionally conflicted and make small moments the best moments. Scott Lane’s smooth downtempo is like a cushiony bubble of simple life, protecting the mind from noise and stress. It’s the comforting hand on the shoulder, the blanket that keeps warm, the easy Sunday morning breakfast - caring chillout music to escape from the brouhaha.

Text via WRWTFWW

For fans of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Yoshio Ojima, Interior, Eno, Jeremiah Chiu

Danny Scott Lane - Caput, $68 (2024, WRWTFWW WRWTFWW096)

Rich, deep, percussive soulful folk album from master Togolese singer, Akofa Akoussah.The album moves through uptempo af...
16/07/2025

Rich, deep, percussive soulful folk album from master Togolese singer, Akofa Akoussah.

The album moves through uptempo afro-folk-funk on ‘Tango’ to deep ballads of ‘Ramer Sans Rame’ and ‘I Tcho Tchass’ and lighter moments on ‘G Blem Di’ and ‘Mitso Aseye’. Akofas’ exceptional songs and soaring vocals are decorated with percussion, guitar lines, subtle backing vocals and horns to create a unique, rich sonic.

The album was recorded for release by French label Sonafric in 1976. Produced by Gérard Akueson; founder & owner of African record label, ‘Akue’, based in Paris.

As supported by Gilles Peterson, Hunnee, Antal Rush Hour and many more.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Sonafric/MRC.

Text via Mr Bongo

Akofa Akoussah - Self-Titled, $58 (2018, Mr Bongo MRBLP174)

Too often reduced in write ups to “Robert Plant’s first Alison Krauss”, Sandy Denny was a singular talent whose captivat...
12/07/2025

Too often reduced in write ups to “Robert Plant’s first Alison Krauss”, Sandy Denny was a singular talent whose captivating voice continued the English folk tradition with a unique strength and fragility.

Best known (outside of her Led Zep collab) for fronting Fairport Convention during their heyday, she also released four excellent solo albums throughout the 70’s. ‘Sandy’ (‘72) is probably the best of them.

A combination of original compositions, a Dylan song (Tomorrow Is A Long Time), traditional folk song reinterpretations, (inc. the stunning, layered a ca****la, ‘Quiet Joys of Brotherhood’, originally ‘My Lagaan Love’, with words by Richard Farina). Lush in its arrangements, moving throughout - the album is brilliant from start to finish.

Sure, The Battle of Evermore is a great track, but I reckon anything on ‘Sandy’ is at least as good. I bet Robert Plant was pretty chuffed to be Sandy Denny’s second Richard Thompson.

Sandy Denny - Sandy, $62 (2022, Island Records / UMC UMCLP007)

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle’s 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage...
12/07/2025

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle’s 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.

The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos’ brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who’s who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including ‘Estrelar’. To complete the album there are tracks such as ‘Fogo Do Sol’, which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.

Text via Mr Bongo

Marcos Valle - Self-Titled, $58 (2021, Mr Bongo MRBLP231)

hathillrecordsandaudio

It’s reissue release day for Genesis P-Orridge and Thee Early Worm.In the summer of 1968, an 18-year-old Genesis P-Orrid...
11/07/2025

It’s reissue release day for Genesis P-Orridge and Thee Early Worm.

In the summer of 1968, an 18-year-old Genesis P-Orridge (then Neil Andrew Megson) gathered with friends in a modest attic space to experiment with sound. The result was Early Worm, a collection of recordings that capture the nascent creativity of an artist who would later become a pivotal figure in avant-garde music. These sessions, pressed to a single acetate in 1969, showcase a fearless exploration of noise, improvisation, and tape experiments, reflecting influences from psychedelia, Fluxus, John Cage, and beatnik Bohemia. Early Worm stands as a testament to P-Orridge’s early commitment to pushing musical boundaries. The album’s raw and unfiltered soundscapes offer listeners a rare glimpse into the foundational moments that would eventually lead to the formation of COUM Transmissions, Throbbing Gristle, and Psychic TV.

Remastered and preserved in a limited vinyl pressing, with liner notes written by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge recalling the zeitgeist of the late 60′s UK underground.

“If nothing else, (Early Worm) revealed that P-Orridge’s approach to music was defiantly left-field from the start: noise, improvisations and tape experiments that sounded a little like a more chaotic version psychedelic folkies the Incredible String Band.” – The Guardian

Text via Dais Records

Genesis P-Orridge And Thee Early Worm - Early Worm, $52 (2025, Dais Records DAIS001)

hathillrecordsandaudio

On June 29th, 2023, Jeremiah Chiu walked into the Vintage Synthesizer Museum (VSM) in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with n...
11/07/2025

On June 29th, 2023, Jeremiah Chiu walked into the Vintage Synthesizer Museum (VSM) in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with no plan more specific than “let’s fire this stuff up and see what happens.” Exploring the VSM’s vast collection of classic, rare and staple synthesizers, he would sequence, trigger, and layer the machines together with help from VSM founder/curator Lance Hill.

Hill recalls: “Jeremiah arrived before the engineer showed up. We talked for maybe 5 minutes before he started programming a sound and sequence into the Gleeman Pentaphonic. By the time the engineer showed up, Jeremiah had built several other parts around the Gleeman that weren’t synced by any control method but sounded like they were just calling and responding to each other. They plugged the Tascam 388 into the patch bay, and hit record. Jeremiah played with it, and that was it. First piece written and recorded in under an hour. It felt natural, fun and free. And that’s pretty much how the rest of the session went. Constant ecstatic motion. It was the funnest non-HipHop session I’ve ever worked on.”

Text via International Anthem cont. in comments

Jeremiah Chiu - In Electric Time, $62 (2024, International Anthem IARC0074)

hathillrecordsandaudio

Die Krupps’ second album, released in 1982, is one of those lost gems which, had the band not become industrial-metal st...
10/07/2025

Die Krupps’ second album, released in 1982, is one of those lost gems which, had the band not become industrial-metal stars, would probably be better known worldwide as a proto-EBM masterpiece. That the record includes both “Wahre Arbeit, wahrer Lohn” and “Goldfinger” is enough proof of its stake as a precursor to the sounds of bands like Nitzer Ebb, who’s demo came out the year after, but with such a wide-ranging experimental, industrial, and heavy metal history, it’s easy to forget just exactly how deep Die Krupps’ roots go.

Despite its iconic and influential status, Volle Kraft Voraus has never been reissued on vinyl since its first pressing by Warner in 1982. The first CD version hit in the 90s and a deluxe 2CD reissue came out 10 years ago, but the all-important vinyl reissue never saw the light of day, until, of course, now.

For fans of D.A.F, Grauzone, Su***de.

Die Krupps - Volle Kraft Voraus!, $48 (2018, Artoffact Records AOF284)

hathillrecordsandaudio

One of the most influential compilations from the king of city pop himself. Yamash*ta might have played a major role in ...
09/07/2025

One of the most influential compilations from the king of city pop himself. Yamash*ta might have played a major role in the revival of City Pop, but he also played a major role in its creation. One of the first groups to explore this sound in the mid 70s was a band called Sugar Babe, whose sole album, 1975’s Songs, became one of the blueprints for the genre. This group, led by none other than Tatsuro Yamash*ta himself, never achieved popularity in a musical landscape still dominated by the folk-rock and hard rock of the early 1970s, breaking up one year later in 1976. Sugar Babe’s jazzy, Steely Dan-inspired, melodic soft-rock seemed to be just a hair too ahead of domestic tastes. However, RCA records apparently saw something in the young Yamash*ta, signing him to a multi-album deal as a solo artist.

Yamash*ta would go on to record six studio albums for RCA, with his 5th album Ride on Time becoming the runaway smash hit of 1980, topping the charts and saving a musical career he reportedly almost abandoned. This compilation album consists of Yamash*ta’s songs mostly included on his previous six albums ranging from Circus Town to For You. The only song not included in any album is Amaku Kiken na Kaori which is only released as a single and a re-recording of Funky Flushin’. According to Yamash*ta, “Greatest Hits” is just a mundane joke that I thought of as a western music lover.” 

Tatsuro Yamash*ta - Greatest Hits!, $40 (1982 Japan, EX+/EX+, Air Records RAL-8803)

hathillrecordsandaudio

Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, first released on 11 May 1981 by Island Records....
07/07/2025

Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, first released on 11 May 1981 by Island Records.

Recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Island Records’ president Chris Blackwell, as well as a team of session musicians rooted by rhythm section Sly and Robbie, the album marked her second foray into a new wave style that blends a variety of genres, including reggae, R&B, dub and funk. The album has cover versions of songs by Bill Withers, Iggy Pop, Astor Piazzolla, and others, and original songs, three of which were co-written by Jones.

The album received positive reviews upon its release, including being voted best album of the year by writers of the UK music magazine NME, and has continued to be praised by critics over time, with some reviewers commending the singer’s unique sound and organic fusion of genres. The album entered in the top 10 in five countries, and became Jones’ highest-ranking record on the US Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Six singles were released from the album, including the hits “Pull Up to the Bumper” and “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)”.

Critics and scholars have noted the album’s influence on popular music, citing its unique sound that has been emulated by both pop and alternative acts, and how the persona Jones adopted – deeply inspired by art and fashion – has had an enduring influence on modern female pop singers. Around the time of the album’s release, she adopted her characteristic androgynous look which would become popular in fashion. Nightclubbing is now widely considered Jones’ magnum opus and the record that cemented her pop icon status.

Grace Jones - Nightclubbing, $65 (2020, Island Records 0042284236812)

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Our Story

Hat Hill Gallery is a destination record store. We specialise in new and collectable vinyl from the 1950s onwards, covering all genres.

Located in an original 1920’s printing factory in Blackheath within the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, we are an easy two-hours' drive from Sydney's CBD.

We offer an old-school, physical retail experience where you can actually touch and hear our products, appreciate the album's artwork, discuss your interests with our staff and other customers, see what others are buying and "try before you buy" on used LPs. All used collectable records over $20 are cleaned ultrasonically and re-sleeved in new MoFi anti-static inner sleeves before going on the floor or listing on our website.

We buy vinyl collections and are happy to do trades on vinyl, CDs, books and posters. Our website is regularly updated with our latest acquisitions and we ship world-wide.