Astral Spirits

12/06/2024

Also on this bandcamp Friday, let's celebrate the fact that أحمد [Ahmed]'s "Wood Blues" 2xLP we released earlier in 2024 landed at #43 on @'s Best Albums of 2024!!

We still have copies of this beautiful double LP that you can hold in your hands, along with reading the brilliant 8 page insert/essay from Edward George!

And don't forget that أحمد [Ahmed] will be heading to the US for the first time in March for Big Ears Festival and more!

12/06/2024

Ka Baird's recently released "Ictum Exercises (Polyrhythmic Studies)" LP was originally conceived as a multi-media composition with artist Camilla Padgitt-Coles for Phill Niblock's legendary Experimental Intermedia series in 2021. Due to the COVID pandemic that years December concert series was hosted entirely online, but offered the artists involved an outlet during such a rough time and is now a tribute to the late great Phill Niblock, as well as a testament to Ka Baird's singular sounds and art.

We're thrilled to share the entire unedited video of the performance that you can watch below on YouTube. An incredible piece of music and an incredible piece of art.

Ictum Exercises (Polyrhythmic Exercises)" is available everywhere digitally now! The vinyl LP's are a bit delayed but should land at HQ in early/mid January and we'll ship them out to all ASAP! Don't miss out on this beautiful record, only 300 copies, grab one now!

The full video piece from Ka Baird's "Ictum Exercises (Polyrhythmic Studies)" written with multimedia artist Camilla Padgitt-Coles for Phill Niblock's Experi...

11/29/2024

Happy release day to the Dennis Gonzalez Legacy Band, "LIve at the Texas Theatre" - spearheaded by sons Stefan & Aaron Gonzalez, they built an allstar group to celebrate the incredible music of their late great father. Feat. Rob Mazurek, Gaika James, Drew Phelps, Lily Taylor, Danny Kamins, Joshua Cañate & Jawwaad Taylor.

If you are in Texas don't miss the Dennis Gonzalez Legacy Band this weekend! Starting tonight in Dallas, Saturday in Austin & Monday in Houston!

Fri Nov 29 - Bath House Cultural Center, 521 East Lawther Drive, Dallas TX 75218
Sat Nov 30 - Dadalab, 2008 Alexander Ave, Austin, TX 78722
Mon Dec 2 - Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main St, Houston, TX 77002

10/27/2024

Tonight at Dadalab!! Don’t miss this one, doors at 6:30, show at 7!

10/16/2024

Up for pre-order now and out officially in early 2025...the third LP from Hearts & Minds - the trio of Jason Stein, Paul Giallorenzo & Edward Taylor!

On "Illuminescence" the music distills the electro-acoustic textures of 1970s fusion to frame improvisational flights informed by Chicago’s rich avant-garde history. It’s an approach that subtly echoes that of onetime Chicagoan Sun Ra, whose 2024 centennial reawakened listeners to his pioneering fusion of electronics, avant-garde improvisation, and Afrocentric beats. On Illuminescence, the band continues (in Giallorenzo’s words) “to explore the fertile ground between grooves and noise/energy.” But here the tracks are shorter, and the compositions even catchier, as the band polish and hone their concept to, says Giallorenzo, “create a more concise statement amid rhythmic motion and simultaneous interplay.”

Grab a copy of the LP now!!

Hearts & Minds are currently on tour in Europe, so go catch them if you can:

Tue Oct 15 Fylkingen, Stockholm, SE feat Gerry Hemingway
Wed Oct 16 AB Club, Brussels, BE feat Gerry Hemingway
Thu Oct 17 Health Café, Amsterdam, NL feat Frank Rosaly
Fri Oct 18 Christiania Jazz Club, Copenhagen, DK feat Matt Carroll
Sat Oct 19 Sowieso, Berlin, DE feat Tony Buck
Mon Oct 21 Richten25, Berlin, DE (Stein/Giallorenzo/Borghini/Takara)
Tue Oct 22 Blow Out, Oslo, NO feat Ståle Liavik Solberg

09/17/2024

New on Astral Editions...stoked to announce a new cassette release from Tim Kinsella & Jenny Pulse! "Broken Aquarium / The Viscosity" - some of the most mind-expanding music we've heard from Tim Kinsella & Jenny Pulse as a duo. Mesmerizing and intense. Only 150 copies of this cassette will be available and we only have half of those so don't hesitate!

From Tim Kinsella:

We are happy to announce that “Broken Aquarium / The Viscosity” will be released by Astral Editions on cassette limited to 150 copies. It’s a pretty different kind of thing for us—both pieces are side-long continuously-shifting abstract instrumentals.

Side A was composed for Broken Aquarium, a performance by Every house has a door & Essi Kausalainen. Recorded Live at The Humboldt Park Boat House, Chicago 9/11/22. It was performed in quad, recorded & mixed down to stereo by Neil Strauch.

Side B was made to be Broken Aquarium’s companion piece w/ a like-minded scale & approach, but intended to stand on its own as a piece of music w/out the other performance elements. It was recorded at our good friend’s beautiful home in Michigan & mixed by Cooper Crain at Electrical Audio.

Come see Broken Aquarium live in all its splendiferous drychedelia Sept 28 & 29th at The MCA Chicago as part of their Chicago Performs 2024 Festival.

09/13/2024

Tulpas - Atsibo is officially out today!! A stunning new Mexico City-based quartet with the legend Germán Bringas, alongside saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore, bassist Arturo Báez & percussionist Gibrán Andrade. This record is 🔥 music at it's best. A beautiful free jazz blowing session.

LP's landed at our HQ this week and we'll get all the orders packed up and in the mail this weekend! If you're on the fence, get over it. Only 200 copies of this one, do not delay.

Also - a very happy birthday to Jarrett Gilgore today! Celebrate by giving this beauty a listen.

09/10/2024

Amazing lineup announced today for and very stoked to see a handful of astral related friends and groups especially [Ahmed] on US soil, and Mike Reed’s Separatist Party and (shameless self plug) my group Water Damage.

Other Astral friends include Wendy Eisenberg, Macie Stewart, Luke Stewart, Susan Alcorn and more!!

08/30/2024

Happy release day to C6Fe2RN6! The self-titled debut record from Rob Mazurek & Nick Terry! The Marfa-based duo's music sprouted from a mutual admiration for each other's visual art (Nick Terry primarily being known for his visual art, but get ready to hear more of his musical work) and eventually turned into regular get togethers to chat and play music. What you hear in C6Fe2RN6 is what happened in Mazurek's Marfa Experimental Studio, haunting and ephemeral sounds punctuated with Mazurek's signature trumpet playing and Terry's guitar. Sounds floating and twisting around each other.

We tend to lean into the more experimental side of Mazurek's recordings and C6Fe2RN6 pushes even further out into the cosmos. Grab a copy of the LP today, only 300 copies so they won't last long. Don't you like beauty?

07/16/2024

Also up for pre-order today is another debut release from a new Mexico City-based quartet Tulpas. "Atisbo" is a 2021 live recording of Mexico City legend Germán Bringas with Jarrett Gilgore (Heart of the Ghost, Phét, Phét, Phét, etc) and the dynamic rhythm section of Arturo Báez & Gibrán Andrade.

We're beyond thrilled to have both Bringas & Gilgore on Astral Spirits, let alone on the same record. Mind bending and searching group improvisation at it's best. Only 200 copies of this debut are hitting the street September 13th. Don't sleep on this one.

07/16/2024

Happy to announce the debut release from the Marfa, TX based duo C6Fe2RN6, a new duo of artists Nick Terry & Rob Mazurek. The self-titled debut LP will be out August 30th in a first pressing of 300 copies with cover art by Nick Terry himself.

Absolutely stunning and otherworldly sounds emanate from Mazurek's Marfa Experimental Studio when Terry & Mazurek get together regularly to converse and play together. C6Fe2RN6 was born of this ongoing collaboration and friendship and features the two live in a room together. Grab your copy now!

05/24/2024

Tomorrow is legendary saxophonist Marshall Allen's 100th Birthday, and in light of that we've beyond thrilled to announce the upcoming LP "Deep Space" from the John Blum Quartet feat. Marshall Allen!

"Deep Space" is the latest album from the amazing NYC-based pianist John Blum, this time with Marshall Allen, Elliot Levin & Chad Taylor! This record goes hard and is another excellent addition to John Blum's growing discography.

Don't miss this one, only 300 copies for the first pressing...grip now, officially out August 23, 2024. An absolute stunner of a record.