Music > traditional musics

Carrying on a string of stunning archival releases from major figures of Indian classical tradition, Black Truffle presents an unheard recording from tabla master Kamalesh Maitra (1924-2005).

Devoted to Mount Athos in Eastern Greece, FLEE's sixth project explores the musical tradition of this important Orthodox site.

Devoted to Mount Athos in Eastern Greece, FLEE's sixth project invites artists and researchers to explore and unravel the musical tradition of this important Orthodox site.

Devoted to Mount Athos in Eastern Greece, FLEE's sixth project invites artists and researchers to explore and unravel the musical tradition of this important Orthodox site.

Archival releases from the Dagar Brothers, among the most revered 20th century exponents of the ancient North Indian dhrupad tradition.

Archival releases from the Dagar Brothers, among the most revered 20th century exponents of the ancient North Indian dhrupad tradition.

Those recordings of Gongs Orchestras were made during Funeral Ceremonies in two Kung villages and one Jaraï village in Ratanakiri province, Cambodia by Laurent Jeanneau (Kink Gong) in 2003 and 2004, at a times when jungle had not been replaced by rubber plantations. Focusing on funeral's ceremonies, those hypnotics pieces are intense and haunting harmonics sonic experiments.

Ulyap is a village in the Caucasus, where one can find an enormous number of accordion and harmonica players. "Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition" represents an attempt to document ancient bards' chants and their entanglement with popular rural heritage as well as post-Soviet culture during modern times, through a critical prism.

Ulyap is a village in the Caucasus, where one can find an enormous number of accordion and harmonica players. "Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition" represents an attempt to document ancient bards' chants and their entanglement with popular rural heritage as well as post-Soviet culture during modern times, through a critical prism.

Ulyap is a village in the Caucasus, where one can find an enormous number of accordion and harmonica players. "Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition" represents an attempt to document ancient bards' chants and their entanglement with popular rural heritage as well as post-Soviet culture during modern times, through a critical prism.

A previously unheard performance by rudra veena master Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929-1990), recorded in the North Indian city of Vrindavan at the Druhpad Samaroh festival in 1982.

First vinyl edition of the record by the master of the Thai Molam mouth organ (originally released on CD in Japan in 2018).

The first published recording by Amelia Cuni, Werner Durand (fusing her Indian Raga singing in the Dhrupad style with his minimalist and experimental approach) and Uli Hohmann (joining them in a range of hand drums from the Middle East and North Africa, plus a dulcimer-sounding hammered guitar).

A new milestone in the reflection on the challenges of creation in traditional music, and its recent aesthetic renewal.

8 years almost to the day after releasing his unique re-interpretation album of his field recordings made in the late 90's in Tanzania, Kink Gong is back with another volume of bushmen madness.

This issue explores the crossroads, contacts and contrasts between two fields of musical knowledge: ethnomusicology and popular music studies.

Previously unreleased music by Otto Sidharta, pioneer of Indonesian electronic music, inspired by Indonesia's multifarious styles of traditional music.

Limited green vinyl version of the latest album by Iranian-American electronic music producer Sote is an all electronic affair, harmonically maximalist, predominantly symphonic-synthetic, requiring active listening.

Black Truffle continues its documentation of the work of Berlin-based Italian singer Amelia Cuni, one of the great contemporary exponents of dhrupad, the oldest surviving style of North Indian classical vocal music.

A vinyl compilation containing undisclosed original recordings of Portuguese fishermen's songs and contemporary compositions by artists Filipa Cordeiro, Joăo Pais Filipe, Nandele, Romain Baudoin and S1m0nc3ll0.

A volume that gives a voice to artists, writers, witnesses and experts, all invited to reflect upon the question of the Portuguese fishermen's culture and the rapid transformation it experienced, accompanied by a vinyl compilation containing undisclosed original recordings of Portuguese fishermen's songs and contemporary compositions.

This volume gives a voice to artists, writers, witnesses and experts, all invited to reflect upon the question of the Portuguese fishermen's culture and the rapid transformation it experienced.

Dewa Alit, Bali's master of contemporary Gamelan composition, returns to Black Truffle with Chasing the Phantom, presenting two recent works played by the composer's Gamelan Salukat, a large ensemble that performs on instruments specially built to his designs, using a unique tuning system that combines notes from two traditional Balinese Gamelan scales.

Sound American Publications' 27th issue, The Life Issue, proposes a reflection upon the smallness—and largeness—of living amidst a tumultuous, globally-shared moment (featuring Claire Rousay, Susan Alcorn, Jack Langdon, Lea Bertucci & Audrey Chen, Katie Porter, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Henri Pousseur, Chris Pitsiokos, Catalytic Sound collective, Ka Baird, Mazen Kerbaj...).

FLEE's new project focuses on the music of the pearl fishermen of the Persian Gulf and aims to honor the memory of the divers, their culture and their music, through a 2XLP compilation and a 240 pages long book in Arabic and English.

FLEE's new project focuses on the music of the pearl fishermen of the Persian Gulf and aims to honor the memory of the divers, their culture and their music.

FLEE's new project focuses on the music of the pearl fishermen of the Persian Gulf and aims to honor the memory of the divers, their culture and their music.

The first-time vinyl edition of CC Hennix's 2014 piece "Blues Alif Lam Mim in the Mode of Rag Infinity/Rag Cosmosis," intended to reveal the blues' origins in the eastern musical traditions of raga and makam.

The latest album by Iranian-American electronic music producer Sote is an all electronic affair, harmonically maximalist, predominantly symphonic-synthetic, requiring active listening.

This publication tells of the journey of a photographic research of the origins of cumbia music along the lower Magdalena river in Colombia.

LP plus DVD with full-length movie (125 minutes) of Balafon music of the Lobi people, recorded in and around Gaoua, Burkina Faso, on a two-week journey in June 2014, by Dirk Dresselhaus (alias Schneider TM), Julian Kamphausen and Arved Schultze. Packaged in a full-colour gatefold sleeve with DVD tray, with numerous photos and an extensive interview with Dresselhaus.

This double LP forms a tribute to Pizzica, an antique music from Southern Italy, used to heal people suffering from tarantism, a mysterious disease caused by a spider. It includes field recordings of musicians-exorcists in the 1950's in Puglia, and six reworks by contemporary electronic musicians.

Maria Beltsikova and Tatiana Dordzhieva are two Kalmyk folk musicians, named after the Mongolian descendants living in Russia. This compilation gathers traditional Kalmyks songs (about the deportation of the Kalmyks in 1943-1944) and Soviet folklore.

Solo album of the world legend bansuri master from India. The acclaimed flautist recorded it in a 16th century Church in the Netherlands. The record gathers musical improvisations on bansuri with tanpura and flute as accompanying instruments. Ajanma takes the listener into an intimate and meditative communication with Chaurasia.

This compilation features traditional songs that originate from the city of Sanaa, the sheikdom of Lahej, and the port of Aden. The term samar, which is the title of the compilation' second part, describes the delicious, luxury time when people gather for relaxation, refreshment and music. Music performed by the Kawkabani brothers and oudh player Hassan al Zabeede.

A music piece based on sound check situations and rehearsals of Amazigh music recorded by Gilles Aubry between 2013 and 2014 in Morocco. Using his microphone as a sound processing device Aubry has transformed further his field recordings in the studio through performative feedback techniques.

Ancient Light and the Blackcore was originally published in 1995 as part of Sub Rosa's “Utopian Diaries” series. It gathers 5 tracks of hallucinatory music and extraordinary recordings of shamanic ceremony from the Yanomami communauty. Includes the text Subworld by David Toop. First vinyl issue.

An overview of the fruitful long-standing collaboration between Amelia Cuni, specialist of Indian dhrupad singing, and minimalist experimental musician Werner Durand.

What is it we call “Black” music? A selection of texts from the April 2010 conference in Bordeaux based on a critical discussion of Philipp Tagg's open letter about “Black music,” “Afro-American Music” and “European Music.”

Camel Zekri (electroacoustic guitar), Thierry Madiot (bass trombone and trumpets), Daunik Lazro (baritone saxophone) and Dominique Répécaud (electric guitar) reach a rare degree of balance between softness and roughness, between lightning and harmony.

The meeting, on the Niger River, between contemporary improvised music and African musical traditions.

A field recording project initiated by Japanese sound artist Yasuhiro Morinaga, documenting traditional gong music by different Southeast Asian ethnic groups.

A field recording project initiated by Japanese sound artist Yasuhiro Morinaga, documenting traditional gong music by different Southeast Asian ethnic groups (2 CDs with a 52 page booklet).

Mesmerising 1992 performance from the Dhrupad master vocalist Amelia Cuni, accompagnied by renowded vina player Gianni Ricchizzi and Helmut Waibl on pakhawaj.

Sound American's 25th issue celebrates explores the intersections of folk and experimental music practices (edited by Sarah Hennies and Anna Roberts-Gevalt, featuring Throbbing Gristle, Henry Flynt, Suzanne Kite and Scott Benesiinaabandan, John McCowen, Meredith Monk and Peggy Seeger...).

Publication documenting a centuries-old choreo-musical ritual from Southern Italy, used to exorcise women of a mysterious evil caused by the bite of a spider. It gathers contributions by artists, sociologists, anthropologists, scientists, and priests, and features a large ensemble of photographs.