Palto Flats Vinyl & CDs

Review: The first ever reissue of Dorothy Carter's 1978 folk/psych/drone masterpiece. A truly unique album in Dorothy's catalog, Waillee Waillee's essence sits in Dorothy's mastery of the dulcimer; its shimmering notes fully enmeshed with the cavernous drones of Bob Rutman's bowed steel cello. The core of this album, Dorothy's only with a full band, lies in the contradiction of traditional psych-folk idioms and the minimal avant-garde, referencing Laraaji and Henry Flynt as much as Karen Dalton.

Review: Palto Flats and Putojefe Records present the first ever reissue of a truly mysterious record from the experimental extreme of folk, drone and experimental dulcimer. Dorothy Carter only released a small handful of records, but Waillee Waillee has since attained a mythical status amongst those in the know. It's not hard to understand why from just one listen, as the lilting bed of zither and dulcimer forms a dense blanket of harmonious drone upon which Carter's voice soars with a choral serenity. It's stirring and spiritual, calling to mind the powerful effect of Laraaji's music but tipping more towards a folk tonality which makes the music entirely unique.

Review: Since slipping out in 1983, Midori Takada's debut album, Through The Looking Glass, has become something of a sought-after item amongst ambient enthusiasts (with hugely inflated online prices to match). Happily, Palto Flats has decided to reissue it, allowing those without overblown record buying budgets to wallow in its gentle, humid majesty. Remarkably, Takada not only composed and produced it, but also played every instrument, including marimbas, recorder, vibraphone, harmonium, and all manner of things you can hit and shake. The resulting tracks remain hugely beguiling, sitting somewhere between a dreamy take on traditional Japanese music, the classic ambient albums of Brian Eno, and the gentle, sweat-soaked explorations of The Chi Factory.