| Psi Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Evan Parker |
| Distributor(s) | Emanem Records |
| Genre | Free improvisation, jazz |
| Country of origin | England |
| Location | London |
| Official website | evanparker |
Psi Records is an independent record label that was founded by saxophonist Evan Parker, and that focuses on free improvisation.
Parker founded Psi in 2001 with the assistance of Martin Davidson of Emanem Records. [1] [2] Parker had previously co-founded Incus Records in 1970, but left the label in 1986, after which he recorded for Leo, FMP, Emanem, and ECM. [3] According to Parker, he started the label because he "missed the feeling of overseeing a project from start to finish," [3] and chose the name Psi "for all the associations with irrational numbers, golden ratios etc. but above all for the Psi phenomena which I am convinced are at the heart of improvised music making." [1]
From 2001 to 2012, Psi released nearly 90 CDs, [4] [5] after which Parker "decided that it's time to pause and think again." [6]
Parker stated that the goal of the label was "to represent my own music in the way I like to see it done and to draw people's attention to the work of other musicians who I feel are not given the prominence they deserve." According to writer Richard Williams, Psi "developed its own identity, visual and tactile as well as musical," with releases that featured a "unified (rather than uniform) design." [6] Critic Stuart Broomer described the label as having "the feeling of an expanded musical family," given the fact that many of the musicians had played with Parker prior to recording with Psi. [3]
| Catalog # | Release year | Recording year | Album name | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| psi 01.01 | 2001 | 2001 | Lines Burnt in Light | Evan Parker |
| psi 02.01 | 2002 | 1998 | 'Smatter | Gerd Dudek |
| psi 02.02 | 2002 | 2000 | The Grass is Greener | Han Bennink and Evan Parker |
| psi 02.03 | 2002 | 1980 | Six of One | Evan Parker |
| psi 02.04 | 2002 | 1980 | From Saxophone & Trombone | Evan Parker and George Lewis |
| psi 02.05 | 2002 | 1972 | Collective Calls (Urban) (Two Microphones) | Evan Parker and Paul Lytton |
| psi 02.06 | 2002 | 1997 | At Les Instants Chavirés | Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton |
| psi 03.01 | 2003 | 1975 | At the Unity Theatre | Evan Parker and Paul Lytton |
| psi 03.02–3 | 2003 | 2002 | Free Zone Appleby 2002 (2 CDs) | Various Artists |
| psi 03.04 | 2003 | 1995–2003 | Dream Sequence | Kenny Wheeler |
| psi 03.05 | 2003 | 2002 | Broomriding | Alexander von Schlippenbach |
| psi 03.06 | 2003 | 1986 | The Snake Decides | Evan Parker |
| psi 04.01 | 2004 | 1973 | Song for Someone | Kenny Wheeler |
| psi 04.02 | 2004 | 2003 | Suspensions and Anticipations | Stan Tracey and Evan Parker |
| psi 04.03–4 | 2004 | 1980 | Pisa 1980 Improvisors Symposium (2 CDs) | Various Artists |
| psi 04.05 | 2004 | 2003 | Free Zone Appleby 2003 | Various Artists |
| psi 04.06–7 | 2004 | 2003 | America 2003 (2 CDs) | Evan Parker, Alexander von Schlippenbach, and Paul Lytton |
| psi 04.08 | 2004 | 2004 | Or Air | Joel Ryan |
| psi 04.09 | 2004 | 2002/4 | Dead or Alive | FURT |
| psi 04.10 | 2004 | 2004 | Gubbröra | Sten Sandell and David Stackenäs with Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton |
| psi 05.01 | 2005 | 1975 | The London Concert | Derek Bailey and Evan Parker |
| psi 05.02 | 2005 | 2004 | Iskra³ | Paul Rutherford |
| psi 05.03 | 2005 | 2003 | LDP - Cologne | Urs Leimgruber, Jacques Demierre, and Barre Phillips |
| psi 05.04 | 2005 | 2004 | Crevulations | Stan Tracey and Evan Parker |
| psi 05.05 | 2005 | 2004 | Free Zone Appleby 2004 | Various Artists |
| psi 05.06 | 2005 | 2004 | Critical Mass | Agustí Fernández and Mats Gustafsson |
| psi 05.07 | 2005 | 2004 | Naan Tso | Foxes Fox (Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, and Louis Moholo) |
| psi 06.01 | 2006 | 2005 | Solo | Rudi Mahall |
| psi 06.02 | 2006 | 2005 | Crossing the River | Evan Parker Octet |
| psi 06.03 | 2006 | 1997 | Tarantella | Aki Takase Piano Quintet |
| psi 06.04 | 2006 | 2006 | Cut and Continuum | Adam Linson |
| psi 06.05 | 2006 | 1970 | The Topography of the Lungs | Evan Parker |
| psi 06.06 | 2006 | 2005 | Free Zone Appleby 2005 | Various Artists |
| psi 06.07 | 2006 | 1977 | Biosystem | Spontaneous Music Ensemble |
| psi 06.08 | 2006 | 2005 | More is More | Peter Evans |
| psi 06.09 | 2006 | 2004/6 | Omnivm | FURT |
| psi 06.10 | 2006 | 2004/5 | Winterreise | Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio |
| psi 07.01 | 2007 | 2006 | Music from ColourDome | Lawrence Casserley and Simon Desorgher |
| psi 07.02 | 2007 | 2005 | La Lumière de Pierres | François Houle, Evan Parker, and Benoît Delbecq |
| psi 07.03 | 2007 | 2004 | Contraption | Bark! |
| psi 07.04 | 2007 | 2006 | Free Zone Appleby 2006 | Various Artists |
| psi 07.05–6 | 2007 | 2005 | spin networks (2 CDs) | fORCH |
| psi 07.07 | 2007 | 1983 | Hook, Drift & Shuffle | Evan Parker |
| psi 08.01 | 2008 | 1989 | Conic Sections | Evan Parker |
| psi 08.02 | 2008 | 2005 | FURT plus "equals" | FURT |
| psi 08.03 | 2008 | 2007 | Journey | Fred Van Hove |
| psi 08.04 | 2008 | 2007 | Free Zone Appleby 2007 | Various Artists |
| psi 08.05 | 2008 | 2007 | Xylobiont | John Eckhardt |
| psi 08.06 | 2008 | 2003/7 | Improvisations for George Riste | London Improvisers Orchestra |
| psi 08.07 | 2008 | 2008 | Friulian Sketches | Alexander von Schlippenbach |
| psi 08.08 | 2008 | 2004 | Rue Victor Massé | Ray Warleigh |
| psi 08.09 | 2008 | 2008 | Volume | John Edwards |
| psi 09.01 | 2009 | 1975 | Saxophone Solos | Evan Parker |
| psi 09.02 | 2009 | 2007 | Beam Stone | Per Anders Nilsson, Sten Sandell, and Raymond Strid |
| psi 09.03 | 2009 | 2007 | Integument | Lawrence Casserley and Adam Linson |
| psi 09.04 | 2009 | 2007 | Un llamp que no s'acaba mai | Agustí Fernández |
| psi 09.05–6 | 2009 | 2008 | Nature/Culture (2 CDs) | Peter Evans |
| psi 09.07 | 2009 | 2006–8 | Essex Foam Party | Grutronic |
| psi 09.08 | 2009 | 2008/9 | Sense | FURT |
| psi 09.09 | 2009 | 2003 | SET | Evan Parker |
| psi 09.10 | 2009 | 2007/8 | Adrift | Richard Barrett |
| psi 10.01 | 2010 | 2008 | Whitstable Solo | Evan Parker |
| psi 10.02 | 2010 | 2009 | Creak Above 33 | Nate Wooley and Paul Lytton |
| psi 10.03 | 2010 | 2008 | A week went by | Aki Takase |
| psi 10.04 | 2010 | 2009 | Wazifa | Pat Thomas, Raymond Strid, and Clayton Thomas |
| psi 10.05 | 2010 | 2009 | Psalms | Evan Parker and Sten Sandell |
| psi 10.06 | 2010 | 2009 | Hyste | John Russell |
| psi 10.07 | 2010 | 2009 | Stops | Tony Marsh |
| psi 10.08 | 2010 | 2009 | Cry, Want | Hans Koller with Bill Frisell |
| psi 11.01 | 2011 | 2009/10 | Vents | Agustí Fernández and Joan Saura |
| psi 11.02 | 2011 | 2011 | EP | DJ Sniff |
| psi 11.03 | 2011 | 2008–11 | Trance Map | Evan Parker and Matthew Wright |
| psi 11.04 | 2011 | 2010 | Lio Leo Leon | London Improvisers Orchestra |
| psi 11.05 | 2011 | 2008 | Figures and Grounds | Adam Linson Systems Quartet |
| psi 11.06 | 2011 | 2010 | Quartet Improvisations | Tony Marsh |
| psi 11.07 | 2011 | 2006 | It won't be called broken chair | Misha Mengelberg and Evan Parker |
| psi 11.08 | 2011 | 2009 | Squall Line | Aleks Kolkowski and Ute Wassermann |
| psi 11.09 | 2011 | 2009 | Together in Zero Space | Grutronic and Evan Parker |
| psi 11.10 | 2011 | 2010 | The Bleeding Edge | Evan Parker, Okkyung Lee, and Peter Evans |
| psi 12.01 | 2012 | 2006 | Live at the Vortex | Foxes Fox |
| psi 12.02 | 2012 | 2011 | Courants des Vents | Toma Gouband |
| psi 12.03 | 2012 | 2010 | Hasselt | Evan Parker Electroacoustic Ensemble |
| psi 12.04 | 2012 | 2009 | Fume of Sighs | Bark! |
| psi 12.05 | 2012 | 2012 | Day and Night | Gerd Dudek |
| psi 15.01 | 2015 | 1978 | Monoceros | Evan Parker |
| psi 16.01 | 2016 | 2012 | as the wind | Evan Parker |
Derek Bailey was an English avant-garde guitarist and an important figure in the free improvisation movement. Bailey abandoned conventional performance techniques found in jazz, exploring atonality, noise, and whatever unusual sounds he could produce with the guitar. Much of his work was released on his own label Incus Records. In addition to solo work, Bailey collaborated frequently with other musicians and recorded with collectives such as Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Company.
The Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) was a loose collection of free improvising musicians, convened in 1965 by the now late South London-based jazz drummer/trumpeter John Stevens and alto and soprano saxophonist Trevor Watts. SME performances and recordings could range from Stevens–Watts duos to gatherings of more than a dozen players.
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Steve Beresford is a British musician who graduated from the University of York He has played a variety of instruments, including piano, electronics, trumpet, euphonium, bass guitar and a wide variety of toy instruments, such as the toy piano. He has also played a wide range of music. He is probably best known for free improvisation, but has also written music for film and television and has been involved with a number of pop music groups.
Evan Shaw Parker is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation.
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The Topography of the Lungs is an album by saxophonist Evan Parker, guitarist Derek Bailey and percussionist Han Bennink recorded in London on 13 July, 1970 and became the first release on the Incus label. It is considered a milestone of the free improvisation genre.
Paul Lytton is an English free jazz and free improvising percussionist.
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John Russell was an acoustic guitarist who worked in free improvisation beginning in the 1970s. He promoted concerts and appeared on more than 50 recordings.
Iskra 1903 is the debut album by the group of the same name, featuring trombonist Paul Rutherford, guitarist Derek Bailey and bassist Barry Guy which was recorded at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1970 and in a studio in 1972 and first released as a double album on the Incus label then as a triple CD box set entitled Chapter One 1970-1972 on Emanem in 2000 with additional material.
Naan Tso is an album by the free improvisation ensemble known as Foxes Fox, featuring saxophonist Evan Parker, pianist Steve Beresford, double bassist John Edwards, and drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo. It was recorded on October 27, 2004, at Gateway Studios in London, and was released in 2005 by Psi Records. The album was recorded five years after the group's debut album, and roughly a year prior to the departure of Moholo-Moholo, who moved back to his native South Africa in September 2005 after years of exile in England.
'Smatter is an album by saxophonist Gerd Dudek. It was recorded on February 20, 1998, at Gateway Studios in London, and was issued in 2002 by Psi Records as the label's second release. On the album, Dudek is joined by guitarist John Parricelli, double bassist Chris Laurence, and drummer Tony Levin. The album features three compositions by Kenny Wheeler, including the title track, plus three jazz standards.
Six of One is a live solo soprano saxophone album by Evan Parker. It was recorded on June 18, 1980, at St Jude-on-the-Hill in London, and was initially released on vinyl in 1982 by Incus Records. In 2002, it was reissued on CD by Parker's Psi label with an additional track from the same session, and in 2021, it was reissued on vinyl in remastered form but with the original six track format by Cafe Oto's Otoroku label.
From Saxophone & Trombone is a live album by saxophonist Evan Parker and trombonist George Lewis. It was recorded on May 18, 1980, at the Art Workers' Guild in London, and was initially released on vinyl later that year by Incus Records. In 2002, it was reissued on CD by Parker's Psi label, and in 2023, it was reissued on vinyl in remastered form by Cafe Oto's Otoroku label.
The London Concert is a live album by guitarist Derek Bailey and saxophonist Evan Parker. It was recorded on February 14, 1975, at Wigmore Hall in London, and was initially released on vinyl later that year by Incus Records. In 2005, it was reissued on CD by Parker's Psi label with additional tracks, and in 2018, it was reissued on vinyl in remastered form but with the original four track format by Cafe Oto's Otoroku label.
The Bleeding Edge is a live album by saxophonist Evan Parker, cellist Okkyung Lee, and trumpeter Peter Evans, three musicians from different continents, playing instruments of different families. Featuring five improvised duos and six trios, it was recorded on 4 May 2010 at St. Peter's Church in Whitstable, England, and was released on CD in 2011 by Psi Records.
Conic Sections is a solo soprano saxophone album by Evan Parker. It was recorded on June 21, 1989, at Holywell Music Room in Oxford, England, and was released on CD in 1993 by Ah Um Records. In 2008, it was reissued by Parker's Psi label. The album is dedicated to the memory of Parker's friend Kunio Nakamura.