Left Ear Records: Antipodean Anomalies (Australia, New Zealand 1970+80s) Vinyl LP Left Ear Records

Left Ear Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia. They release a mix of music old and new, and across a number of genres including funk, jazz, reggae, blues, synth and disco. Antipodean Anomalies is a compilation curated by Chris Bonato and Umut Turkeri, and they provided the following background – “For musicians inhabiting the Antipodean countries of Australia and New Zealand during the 70’s and 80’s, it was a geographically and culturally isolating environment. Boutique shops, community radio and mail order exchanges championed independent and contemporary music from across the globe. It was, however, this isolation that caused a number of small community-focused scenes to evolve, creating their own unique interpretation and reappropriation of outside influences. Through both these scenes and government initiatives, a vast amount of music emerged on self-released and independent labels. Yet, even among small scenes that were creating unique sounds, a number of artists seemed to be making music that was neither here nor there, often meshing together numerous genres and influences to create anomalous sounds.” Left Ear’s left-of-center aesthetic meshes neatly with these rediscovered tracks, with the A-side focusing on complex rhythms and unique vocal treatments, with more synth-driven work on the flip. Olev Muska’s “Karjapoisi Lugu (A Shepherd’s Tale)” blends traditional Ethiopian folk with cutting-edge technology, with stuttering sequenced drums and quirky keyboard rhythms that make this worthy of listening to on a loop. “Don’t Ask” by Free Radicals makes use of sampled human breathing, flute trills, and flanged bass to create a uniquely eerie vibe. “Woody” by Nic Leon is an impeccable mix of strings and electronics, neatly sequenced elements providing structure for experimental strings and chimes. The set ends with the dense, atmospheric “City Of The Sun” by Rainbow Generator, classical instrumentation meets drum machine meets spoken word poetry. This record is a truly unique take on post punk / dub sounds, each track uniquely fresh in its own way. Includes a printed insert with information about the original records these tracks were culled from and liner notes from the creators of each track.

• black vinyl pressing
• includes printed insert with liner notes
• music label: Left Ear Records 2019

reviewed by YOUNG MIKEY 07/2019