No products in the cart.

Torn Light Records
Chicago, IL 60647
513-873-6995




Staff Picks

Curious what the staff at Torn Light are listening to? Check out the titles we’ve been digging lately below.


  • New Monuments – Language Is The Skin CD
    New Monuments – Language Is The Skin CD
    $13.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “The birth of NEW FREE JAZZ. A completely unhinged document of New Monuments. Fresh new quartet line-up. This is the next level, and the […]

  • Faust – Momentaufnahme I
    Faust – Momentaufnahme I
    $27.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Spaced out and/or disjointed jams from the krautrock greats. The perfect music to lose your way to. Weird sounds sound bizarre.” – Hannah Originally [...]

  • Terry Jennings – Piece for Cello and Saxophone (1960)
    Terry Jennings – Piece for Cello and Saxophone (1960)
    $35.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Great performance from Charles Curtis of Piece For Cello And Saxophone written by a long-lost associate of La Monte Young and New York’s early […]

  • Ash Ra Tempel – S/T (Transparent Vinyl)
    Ash Ra Tempel – S/T (Transparent Vinyl)
    $39.00 | , Add to cart

    Transparent vinyl version. First-ever official reissue on vinyl since 1975. Ash Ra Tempel is the eponymous debut studio album by the Krautrock band Ash Ra Tempel. It features guitarist Manuel [...]

  • Tiny Vipers – Hands Across The Void
    Tiny Vipers – Hands Across The Void
    $24.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Achingly beautiful, sparse, acoustic singer-songwriter tracks with occasional noise moments, situated somewhere in the Cat Power, Adrianne Lenker, and even [...]

  • Gun Outfit – Dream All Over
    Gun Outfit – Dream All Over
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “From the class of early 2000’s Olympia WA heroes including bands like Milk Music, Sex Vid, and Broken Water. I really love Gun Outfit. […]

  • Alex York – Black Tupelo CD
    Alex York – Black Tupelo CD
    $12.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “A completely mesmerizing, beautiful CD by Alex. His droning, minimal collages speak perfectly to how in sync folk and minimalism are.” – Hannah Alex [...]

  • Scritti Politti – Early
    Scritti Politti – Early
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Been jamming a lot of the early Rough Trade singles lately, so gotta throw on these early Scritti Politti one’s included on this comp.” […]

  • Dead C – Tusk
    Dead C – Tusk
    $33.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Ba Da Bing! dropping the heat with three Dead C reissues from their mid 90’s period, The Operation of the Sonne, White House, and […]

  • Love Cry Want – S/T
    Love Cry Want – S/T
    $30.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Wild record on many levels, recorded at an anti-war rally in DC in ’72, featuring organist Larry Young and percussionist Joe Gallivan. Organ heavy, […]

  • Suburban Lawns – S/T
    Suburban Lawns – S/T
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Everything else is irrelative.” – Cleo If your brain has a shortlist of bands that instantly evoke New Wave, Suburban Lawns deserve a slot […]

  • The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
    The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Still one of the best, haters be damned” – Cleo Vinyl LP pressing. Digitally remastered edition of this 1985 album from the legendary British […]

  • Osmo Lindeman – Electronic Works
    Osmo Lindeman – Electronic Works
    $40.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Incredible works from Finnish electronic music composer. Fits right in with the Sahko catalog.” – Alex *includes a CD featuring all tracks from the [...]

  • The Threat – Lullaby In C / High Cost Of Living
    The Threat – Lullaby In C / High Cost Of Living
    $15.00 | , Add to cart

    Legendary Dublin punk band formed in November 1978 by Maurice Foley (guitar/vocals), which had a number of iterations before disbanding in 1981. The Threat built up a following in Dublin […]

  • 75 Dollar Bill – Power Failures
    75 Dollar Bill – Power Failures
    $33.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “My first staff pick at Torn was a 75 Dollar Bill album ‘I Was Real’ and to this decision, I still agree. They are […]

  • Magnús Pálsson – Enginn Gleypir S​ó​lina CD + Book
    Magnús Pálsson – Enginn Gleypir S​ó​lina CD + Book
    $30.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Audio from a Magnus Palsson exhibit. Very Runzelstirn Gurgelstock or Hermann Nitsch energy here. Lots of of grunting, moaning and intimate human sounds. Includes [...]

  • Chlorine – Wait For The Light To Shine
    Chlorine – Wait For The Light To Shine
    $20.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “The instrumentals on this record are fantastic – super hazy synths, steady drum machine, all creating this surreal wash of sound. Perfect for lonely […]

  • Gong – Magick Brother
    Gong – Magick Brother
    $29.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Gong’s first, a previously hard to get album is back in print. Comparatively to the albums they did a few years after, this one […]

  • T.V. Star – Hallucinate Me
    T.V. Star – Hallucinate Me
    $20.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Seattle’s TV Star Hallucinate Me is a short but sweet 12″ EP. 6 songs of killer Alt Country Twangy Psych Rock.” – Dan The […]

  • Model Citizens – NYC 1978-1979 (Red Vinyl)
    Model Citizens – NYC 1978-1979 (Red Vinyl)
    $27.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Adjacent to New York’s No Wave movement, but straddling a line maybe a bit closer to new wave than a lot of the no […]

  • Sarah Davachi – Selected Works I
    Sarah Davachi – Selected Works I
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “A comprehensive collection of Sarah Davachi’s compositions from the past decade or so, featuring eerily gorgeous drone and minimal pieces.” – Hannah [...]

  • Oneohtrix Point Never – Again (Blue Vinyl)
    Oneohtrix Point Never – Again (Blue Vinyl)
    $40.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Been jamming this nonstop for a week now. It scratches all itches for those who love OPN & his refined 21st century electronic pop […]

  • Sult – Always I Gnaw
    Sult – Always I Gnaw
    $22.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “A masterpiece of texture and explorations of acoustic instruments. The photos from the album covers depict the sounds themselves. Winter’s harsh crackle. [...]

  • Non Band – S/T
    Non Band – S/T
    $29.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Great experimental / no wave leaning, violin heavy post punk from Japan, 1982. Originally released as a 10″, now available via Tal as a […]

  • Einsturzende Neubauten – 1/2 Mensch
    Einsturzende Neubauten – 1/2 Mensch
    $30.00 | , Add to cart

    2023 repress; LP version. This is the third album by Einstürzende Neubauten, also known as Halber Mensch, originally released in 1985. The album opens with the startlingly oppressive, almost [...]

  • La Monte Young / Marian Zazeela – 31 VII 69 10:26 – 10:49 PM / 23 VIII 64 2:50:45 – 3:11 AM The Volga Delta
    La Monte Young / Marian Zazeela – 31 VII 69 10:26 – 10:49 PM / 23 VIII 64 2:50:45 – 3:11 AM The Volga Delta
    $29.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “‘Composer La Monte Young Does Not Understand His Work’ – Tony Conrad, 1990” – Cleo “La Monte Young was born in Bern, Idaho in [...]

  • Jeff Parker – Slight Freedom
    Jeff Parker – Slight Freedom
    $36.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “I know I’ve picked guitar records almost five weeks in a row, but here I go again. Parker brings chilled out, looping guitar compositions […]

  • Mark Fry ‎– Dreaming With Alice
    Mark Fry ‎– Dreaming With Alice
    $28.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Total classic of the acid folk underground, finally reissued direct from the original master tapes.  Recorded in 1972, when he was only 19, this […]

  • Peter Jefferies – Closed Circuit
    Peter Jefferies – Closed Circuit
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “New Zealand’s best! Keep the Peter Jefferies reissues coming, and for the love of god someone reissue the damn Plagal Grind EP already!” – […]

  • Dead C – Operation Of The Sonne
    Dead C – Operation Of The Sonne
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “The weird, undersung cousin of Tusk & The White House. Operation Of The Sonne is the closest Dead C’s gotten to touching on the […]

  • Hayden Pedigo – The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
    Hayden Pedigo – The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Beautiful instrumental acoustic guitar for late-summer relaxing. Hayden Pedigo has a great touch for crafting melodies and setting atmospheres.” – [...]

  • Technical Space Composer’s Crew – Canaxis 5
    Technical Space Composer’s Crew – Canaxis 5
    $20.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Holger Czukay & Rolf Dammers getting so wild. Stockhausen zoned experimental. Incredibly various and musical. ‘Shook Eyes Ammunition’ is the best song title ever.” [...]

  • Twink – You Reached For The Stars: The Best Of Twink (Violet Vinyl)
    Twink – You Reached For The Stars: The Best Of Twink (Violet Vinyl)
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Wild British psych from Twink, of Pretty Things and Pink Fairies. His Think Pink record is classic, and this combines a number of tracks […]

  • Bill Nace – Through A Room
    Bill Nace – Through A Room
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Fever dream experimental guitar with an array of other instruments that are all completely abstracted. Uneasy listening.” – Hannah Using the [...]

  • John O’Brien – Leaving Las Vegas
    John O’Brien – Leaving Las Vegas
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Forget the wack and overly sentimental movie, John O’Brien’s first novel is both a disturbing descent into hell and the best thing to come […]

  • German Shepherds – Music For Sick Queers
    German Shepherds – Music For Sick Queers
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Go to weird out record. So so grimey and sick. I love it and it feels like the first time I’ve heard it every […]

  • Gene Russell – New Direction
    Gene Russell – New Direction
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “First record from the legendary imprint Black Jazz. Can’t help but be put in a great mood while listening, the opening track is truly […]

  • Jackie Mclean – Capuchin Swing
    Jackie Mclean – Capuchin Swing
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “McLean is the man. 1960 bebop chiller, and a good starting point for his vast catalog. He’s well worth diving into deeply, mid to […]

  • David Axelrod – Earth Rot
    David Axelrod – Earth Rot
    $18.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “My favorite of Axelrod’s works. The Warning Talk Pt. 1 starts the record off with a bright opening, it feels like the sun is […]

  • Magnus Jäverling – Bowdark
    Magnus Jäverling – Bowdark
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Feels and sounds like a real movie score. For fans of electronic music sounds.” – Jack Bowdark is the name of a fictitious town […]

  • Franciska – Tryghed
    Franciska – Tryghed
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Another Discreet pick for me this week. This record crafts the ultimate comfort sound, dropping you into a soundscape that feels like laying on […]

  • Equipment Pointed Ankh – Downtown! LP
    Equipment Pointed Ankh – Downtown! LP
    $22.00 | Add to cart

    Ships prior to release date of 9/29/2023. What our staff has to say: “‘Kentucky Kraut Rock’ If you are not yet familiar with EPA, please make it a point to […]

  • Juma – Selected Works 2LP
    Juma – Selected Works 2LP
    $33.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Unearthed a few copies while moving Fantastique out of here. Incredible gamut of K. Yoshimatsu material from 81-82. Varied from industrial to new wave, […]

  • Colin Andrew Sheffield – Images
    Colin Andrew Sheffield – Images
    $20.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Gorgeous ambient soundscapes through manipulated samples of jazz records. While the source material is mostly unrecognizable, completely repurposed into amorphous [...]

  • Donald Byrd – Places And Spaces
    Donald Byrd – Places And Spaces
    $30.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “One of my favorite jazz-funk records, you can’t really go wrong having this Donald Byrd on your shelf. Clocking in only a little over […]

  • Herbie Hancock – Takin’ Off (Blue Note 80th Anniversary Edition)
    Herbie Hancock – Takin’ Off (Blue Note 80th Anniversary Edition)
    $28.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Early Hancock album. His first acoustic version of Watermelon Man. A 1962 Blue note album through and through.” – Jack In honor of Blue […]

  • Sonic Youth – EVOL
    Sonic Youth – EVOL
    $20.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “‘Mystery train/three-way plane/expressway to your skull.’ Enough said.” – Cleo Released in May 1986 on SST Records and Blast First! in the UK, EVOL [...]

  • Can – Future Days (Gold Vinyl)
    Can – Future Days (Gold Vinyl)
    $29.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Future Days has always been my favorite Can record. Last one with Damo! Can’t beat it!” – Jon Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. Can […]

  • Cluster – Cluster 71
    Cluster – Cluster 71
    $26.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “My favorite Cluster. No synths used and light years ahead of contemporaries.” – Jack 2022 repress. 140-gram LP. Cluster’s self-titled debut was [...]

  • VA – Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record)
    VA – Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record)
    $24.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Originally released in 1982 and now available from Song Cycle Records, Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record) showcases 3 to 5 minute sound pieces […]

  • Faust – S/T
    Faust – S/T
    $29.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “The first Faust record still hits the hardest. The warped sample of All You Need Is Love is still just as startling. Absolute best” […]

  • Alternative TV – Vibing Up The Senile Man
    Alternative TV – Vibing Up The Senile Man
    $21.00 | , Add to cart

    Possibly one of the weirdest experiments in the post-punk realm, Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One) is the second studio album by English anti-heroes Alternative TV, originally released in […]

  • Faust – 71 Minutes
    Faust – 71 Minutes
    $36.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Great fun on this one. Faust’s last album as well as a collection of their other EPs and singles.” – Jack 2020 repress. With […]

  • Lou Reed – Words & Music, May 1965
    Lou Reed – Words & Music, May 1965
    $25.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Previously unreleased early demos of some of most beloved Velvet Underground songs, played by Lou and John with their guitars and nothing else. You […]

  • Alan Licht, Charles Curtis, & Dean Roberts – May 99
    Alan Licht, Charles Curtis, & Dean Roberts – May 99
    $24.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Live set from 1999, from Alan Licht (gtr), Charles Curtis (cello), and Dean Roberts (electronics). Great electro-acoustic drone!” – Jon In the spring [...]

  • Alan Licht and John Krausbauer – Self Titled 7″
    Alan Licht and John Krausbauer – Self Titled 7″
    $12.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Insane amplified violin shredding on top of electric guitar on A side – I’ve never heard a violin sounding like that, blending completely with […]

  • Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising Sountrack
    Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising Sountrack
    $8.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “I love Kenneth Anger’s films. Having this tape edition of the soundtrack of Lucifer Rising is a joy for us all. Check out the […]

  • Arbor Labor Union – Yonder
    Arbor Labor Union – Yonder
    $22.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “I trust Ryan’s vision of the Sophomore Lounge catalog. This one fits in nicely. Mid-era Meat Puppets, freely picking styled folk rock – but […]

  • Albert Ayler – Europe 1966 (RSD)
    Albert Ayler – Europe 1966 (RSD)
    $125.00 | , Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Lovely boxset of select dates from Ayler’s 1966 Euro tour. Live material from this tour has been dug up over the years, most notably […]

  • XV – On The Creekbeds On The Thrones
    XV – On The Creekbeds On The Thrones
    $20.00 | Add to cart

    What our staff has to say: “Psycho garage jammers XV with an incredible LP of mangled rock. 10/10 Beyond measure, it’s a perfect album. Disjointed jangle garage stoner thrift midnight […]