Ici Maintenants - "Space and Time"
(Fluffy Records 2003)
Ici Maintenants - "Space and Time"
(Fluffy Records 2003)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: October 2003
This is a series of 7 improvised live tracks that were recorded on Sat June 23rd, 2001, at the Assembly Rooms in Glastonbury by one the original Here and Now band members (kif from 1974!) and others who played in later lineups. They manage to capture that Here and Now freefloating sound from the live recordings I have heard from the '76-'77 era but in a much better sound here. Great spaced out synthesizers by Twink el Toes-Malone and amazing floating guitars by Steffe. The opening 11 minute number has some glissando guitar mixed with floating synths before the band kick it up! Kif Kif is on the drums and Tim is on the bass. A few tracks have spoken word type vocals by either Kif or Steffe. "Dinosaur Kebab", the second song, starts slow with some spoken words before Steffe takes off with some great guitar. "Beautiful Jam" is faded in and starts straight away with guitar soloing, skanking delay guitars, and slowly works into a reggae groove with great spacey synths like the 80’s Ozric Tentacles used to do, but Steffe plays this really great almost like Spanish guitar over the top. Cool stuff! "Fight No More" goes into reggae dub mode with great analog synths floating in the background and reggae vocals by Steffe. "Shakalayah" begins a bit like the Inner Temple Jam by GONG that slowly builds up. "Tough Jam" and then the great "Aya Shamaya" close the CD. It is the only point on the CD you can actually hear people and tell this was in front of a live audience.
This is some amazing space rock stuff and should not be missed if you are into the freeform stuff. Limited to 500 only and a good price at £10 includes shipping anywhere in the world! I just hope that they will release another CD with Joie from Ozrics-Eat Static on Synths!
For more information you can visit the Here and Now web site at: http://www.herenow.be.
Reviewed by Scott Heller