Salon Kingsadore: Instant Compositions by Salon Kingsadore (Sarang Bang)

The Sarang Bang label helmed by Auckland guitarist/composer Gianmarco Liguori is a marvelous labour of love (my guess is it barely turns a profit) because it has released not just interesting albums but also some very important one.

In the latter category would be the handsome double vinyl The Way In Is The Way Out which scooped up unreleased work by the late Auckland keyboard player/composer Murray McNabb (among other McNabb albums and reissues on the label) and the vinyl album of unissued live sets by the late Australian saxophonist Bernie McGann, 1966.

Then there are excellent albums under Liguori's own name, Superturtle and Liguori's improv band Salon Kingsadore.

And most of these have come on vinyl.

Instant Compositions is as it says in the title, spontaneous pieces – numbered IC-1 through to IC-7 – and at times the ensemble of Liguori (guitars, electronics, keys), Tom Ludvigson (synths, keys) bassist/synth player Hayden Sinclair, drummer Steven Tait and guest Finn Scholes on vibes, synths and trumpet) sometimes hit a pleasing point to the left of Miles Davis' sonic adventures in jazz-funk rock.

And it should go without saying that this gets weirdly and enjoyably psychedelic in the most literal, consciousness changing definition of the word. It's brain and shapeshifting music with a cosmic intent.

Although the lengthy IC-4 which opens the second side has a more stalking, film noir quality and disturbed, aggressive trumpet from Scholes over the repeated piano figure. Imagine Davis providing the soundtrack to a Bogart film set in the backstreets of Paris. Then what follows is a short, clanking, percussive disorientation over electro-throb.

The final piece IC-& has a strange exotica quality. 

So this is evocative, digressive yet taut, and sometimes strange music which edges towards the free but has an integrated sense of mutual purpose.

It is a far easier and more enjoyable proposition than these descriptions sound.

Interesting too are the individual handmade covers on this limited edition vinyl run of 100 copies. Late last year Sarang Bang held an exhibition of these cyanotype covers which are printed on recycled record covers (mine over the gatefold Music For Ballet Class by Melissa Hayden).

Albums on Sarang Bang are never les than different and interesting in good ways, and you can check out their catalogue of vinyl and downloads at their website here.