Yesterday Mackenzie and I assembled the sleeves for the Vortex CD Compilation which we'll be giving away on Satuday during Record Store Day. There are only 75 of these made. I chose the artists, the artists chose the songs, and Bud made the cover art. Some bio material follows the track listing:

1. Dirty Three - Slow Drive to Shore (Australia)
2. Electrelane - Carolina Wren (UK)
3. Glissandro 70 - You the Vandal (Canada)
4. Anduin - Chamberlayne (live) (USA)
5. Jacaszek - Ornithology (Poland)
6. Jasper TX - Antwerp (Sweden)
7. Elegi - Dårekiste (Norway)
8. Khate - Micro2 (USA)
9. Pixelord - With Kids (Russia)

Dirty Three (Website)
Dirty Three is violinist Warren Ellis, guitarist Mick Turner, and drummer Jim White. Formed in the early 90s in Melbourne, the instrumental trio is known for their exquisite live performances. Outside of Dirty Three, Ellis is known for his playing with Nick Cave, Turner for his playing with Tren and Will Oldham, and White has drummed for Smog, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, and Nina Nastasia. Though I've enjoyed all their solo outings, it's a treat every time they get back into the studio as Dirty Three. My pick for their recordings: Horse Stories (Allmusic Review). Slow Drive to Shore is their own composition.

Electrelane (Website; Too Pure Records)
A foursome of Mia Clarke, Rachel Dalley, Emma Gaze, and Verity Susman, Electrelane are now defunct, but across four full length records and a number of singles, they turned out some fantastic music. It's impossible to play one of their albums at the store without having multiple customers ask who it is. Their songs run the gamut of soft and playful to structured and kickass. Carolina Wren was initially released on the b-side of single, and on the initial Japanese CD release of No Shouts No Calls, both of which are out of print. My recommendation for a newbie to the band: The Power Out (Allmusic Review).

Glissandro 70 (Website; Constellation Records)
I've recommended Glissandro 70's self-titled debut (Allmusic Review) to customers countless times. One of my favorite albums of the decade. The exuberant and intricate playing of Sandro Perri and Craig Dunsmuir is well on display here on their cover of Moondog's You the Vandal. Sandro also has solo releases and has recorded as Polmo Polpo.

Anduin (Website; SMTG Limited)
As Anduin, Jonathan Lee creates dark, pulsating Ambient electronics soaked in layers of synths, samples and field recordings. He has collaborated with a number of other artists including Svarte Greiner, Jasper TX, Stephen Vitiello, Stefan Németh, Noah Saval, Xela, Gareth Davis and his own experimental group Souvenir’s Young America. His live shows and gallery installations include a variety of self-made sets, collected props and hidden lights. My recommendation is for his newest full lenth, Abandoned In Sleep (Boomkat Review). Note that we are giving away an Abandoned in Sleep autographed test pressing (one of a kind!) during our Record Store Day raffle.

Jacaszek (Website; Myspace; Miasmah)
Pole Michel Jacaszek combines electronic and classical music beautifully and, seemingly, effortlessly. He says, "I want to create my own, personal and recognizable musical language, in which electronic manipulation of recorded sound is going to enrich traditional acoustic instruments." Recommendation: Treny (sample; Allmusic Review)

Jasper TX (Myspace; Soundcloud; Fang Bomb; Kning Disk; SMTG Ltd)
Jasper TX is the musical moniker of Sweden’s Dag Rosenqvist. Using electric and acoustic guitar, piano, pump organ, melodica, glockenspiel, voice and various other instruments as a foundation for his compositions, Dag has managed to create his own musical universe. Elements of post rock, drone, improvisation, noise and lo-fi aesthetics are all filtered through a skewed melodic pop sensibility, often resulting in something quite unique. My recommendation: In a Cool Monsoon (Boomkat Review).

Elegi (Myspace; Miasmah)
Norway's Elegi is the musical psuedonym of Tommy Jansen. In addition to releasing two albums on Miasmah, Jansen does music and sound design for stage and screen (most recently the film, The Pink Hotel). I've heard his Badalamenti-esque recordings called unrelenting numerous times but I also find in them a unique calm. My recommendation: Sisteris (sample; Boomkat Review).

Khate (Website; SMTG Ltd)
Khate is one woman and her orchestra of odd instruments. Circuit-bent toys, vintage synths, antiquated media, field recordings, shortwave radio and other assorted electronics are used both live and in the studio. Sometimes ambient, sometimes beaty, sometimes noisy --- the operator is at the whim of the gear, not the other way around. Seasons, the supernatural, and science inform the themes. Her first vinyl collection, Pareidolia, is highly recommended.

Pixelord (Website; Miasmah)
Russian Alexey Devyanin records as both Gultskra Artikler and Pixelord and has released albums Autoplate, Nexsound, Lampse, and Miasmah. My recommendation: Kasha iz Topora (sample; Boomkat Review)