Archive for April 25, 2012

The Gray Field Recordings “Nature Desires Nature” (Reverb Worship 2012, RW 181)

The Gray Field Recordings was formed by Oklahoma musician Rebecca Loftiss. She is often joined by violist David Salim and violinist Justin Jones. This release also features Alan Trench (ex-World Serpent, Temple Music, Orchis) on guitar and vocals, Frank Suchomel (Inalonelyplace) on bass and synth, and guest vocals by Mike Seed (The Chasms) and Lisa (The Hausfrauen Experiment).

NATURE: Opens with viola and some nice spoken word by Rebecca…then the Mike Seed vocals…it gets more and more intense and then quickly backs down to quietness and drone…yes, very nice! THE MAPLE SELDOM INWARD SOUND: A door slamming then keyboard melody by Rebecca?! More spoken words from Edmund Spencer’s “The Faerie Queene”. The vocals become very effected with strange sounds coming from all directions…beautiful, artistic…all the good things…some nice bass by Frank Suchomel. WILLOW WALY: the first sung vocals by Rebecca along with ominous viola…the vocals are almost Bjork-like…the vocals stop and there is space drone with viola, quite lovely. You have to hand it to the Reverb Worship label for consistently releasing CD’s of a very high quality!! STAR BELLS: More spoken word with abstract no-tempo strange goodness. A DESCENT: Creepy drone with tripped out vocalizations along with the spoken words of Doris Lessing’s “Briefing for a Descent Into Hell”…yeah, it’s really kinda spooky! I haven’t heard the previous Gray Field Recordings so I can’t compare them but this CD is very impressive. It is very accessible; it isn’t at all unpleasant music for the sake of being experimental. SCARED OF WOLVES: Do I hear a Alan Trench spoken vocal, he reminds me of Ken Nordine…that’s a good thing…whimsical Rebecca vocals to compliment…some intensive drone rumblings behind/beneath it all…goes into big industrial buzz and drone, pretty damn cool. Very crisp clear experimental growl mixed with ethereal beauty. HONEY LOCUST: Nice locust field recordings to open the track…along with the Honey Locust poem and synth melody, then some Frank Suchomel guitar…very impressive. CHERUBIM WHEELS: Minimal experimental noise fiddlin’ then goes into a child reciting something…then some violin…yes, it all works wonderfully together. This is a re-mastered shortened version that was released on the “Lead Into Gold” compilation. A LITTLE WORLD/IN A FIELD OR FAR AWAY: The last song, quiet wispy Rebecca sung vocals…almost 1920’s sounding tune?! Then the melody is played on a synth, doesn’t sound very 1920’s now!!…and then goes completely off the deep end into sonic guitar weirdness…an electronic roar…now the space loveliness outro!…some keyboard tinklin’…mini electronic groans and it’s over! One of the nicest, original and fresh CD’s I’ve listened to in quite a while!

For more info, visit: http://reverbworship.com or e-mail: grayfieldrec@gmail.com

Reviewed by Carlton Crutcher

Stone Breath/Mike Seed with The Language of Light – “The Aetheric Lamp” (AntiClock Records 2011, AC0012 – Hand/Eye 2011, h/e049, split LP)

From Glennville Pennsylvania, Stone Breath began in 1995, they are not part of any scene but they are part of the earth. Mike Seed has been making experimental folk music for 20 years and The Language of Light is the duo of Rebecca Loftiss (of AntiClock Records) and Frank Suchomel, longtime experimental musicians from Stillwater Oklahoma.

Side A: Stone Breath
BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE: The album opens with this very short Brooke Elizabeth vocal piece. SCORPION TEARS: Spanish guitar then deep male vocal by Don Belch and some banjo by timeMOTHeye…”strange things with wings appear, so beautiful!, and though the lamps they burn the light of Time; silently we stand here below, wondering at the darkest shadows cast by wing and branch and by the passing ghost”. Sounds like a play or live theater?! Nice flute, like alternative opera. THE SKY’S RED TONGUE: Very strange music…simple strummed guitar with lyrics and flute by timeMOTHeye along with Don Belch’s very deep voice, doesn’t sound like an American accent!? Then it goes uptempo with some Brooke Elizabeth vocals!…timeMOTHeye on the drums…I can’t really compare it to anything, which is a good thing!? Nice packaging and lyric sheet with cool/interesting lyrics! Intriguing mysterious music that continues to draw you in! More like gypsy music than psych/weird folk…gets very quiet then slowly picks back up with Belch’s strange Fiddler on the Roof vocals! All of the lyrics are by timeMOTHeye and they’re pretty great, about nature and magic, all things interesting….”mortals drift while angels dream upon the sky’s red tongue…and the wingless rise like birds. The winged cross themselves in turn and the wind becomes the word.”

Side B: Mike Seed with The Language of Light
COMMIT TO WATER: sounds like a soundtrack to a movie more than a “music” album?! Sounds of horses on the street, strange lyrics and vocals about Satan and souls…weird undertow of Electric Ladyland-esqueness behind the music!? Some nice drones. GRENDEL AT LONG MYND: yes, very musical-like but in a weird interesting way! Bizarre lyrics sung/spoke by Mike Seed and some nice instrumentation by The Languare of Light!…”now I don’t believe that silence is any kind of friend, have you seen the line that makes its way across my hand, it curves just like this road and the long abandoned farmhouse on the left that could be my head”. ROUGH OLD NIGHT: I’d almost be willing to bet these songs and the Stone Breath songs were initially recorded for some kind of musical/play project?!?! Doesn’t matter, makes for a unique, very odd album! Wish I knew what instruments Frank and Rebecca were playing? ABRAHAM’S GUEST: There’s a strange religious theme running thru all the lyrics written by Mike Seed…”they looked towards the cities of the plain…we will destroy it for ten righteous men, what will the angels find there?” Emotional outbursts of music along with the detached vocal…then goes into a piano section…lovely and haunting…and it’s over!!

For more info, visit: http://www.anticlock.net/stonebreath.htm

Reviewed by Carlton Crutcher

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO – ‘The Ripper At The Heaven’s Gates Of Dark’ (Riot Season 2011, REPOSECD030)

A simply must-have current import CD title by the Acid Mothers Temple. In some ways, this title sort of reminds me of their Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky disc (’06). One reason is obvious – because both CD’s have at least five actual songs, not like (a lot of the) typical Acid Mothers CD’s – as a lot of their music have (just) two tracks per disc. Each cut here fully serves its purpose. The opener – the twelve-minute Chinese Flying Saucer appears to be the AMT’s own personal tribute to Led Zeppelin. Chakra 24 and Back Door Man Of Ghost Rails Inn are more like one’s own personal soundtrack to a most memorable acid trip – nice sitar playing – and it’s nice to hear vocals all the way through an Acid Mothers Temple cut, especially when that song’s duration clocks in at fifteen minutes. Then there’s Shine on You Crazy Dynamite that’s like your semi-typical AMT mayhem with perhaps a touch of Pink Floyd influence in there somewhere, and the total freakout, mind-scrambling epic – the nineteen-minute Electric Death Mantra. Saw on the label blog that AMT these days has a stable as well as lasting four-piece line-up – both in the studio and on tour. Personnel: Kawabata Makoto – guitar, Higashi Hiroshi – keyboards & guitar, Tsuyama Atsushi – bass, flute & vocals and Shimura Koji – drums. The overall sound, feel and vibe of The Ripper At The Heaven’s Gates Of Dark clearly achieves the excellence that Acid Mothers Temple has been known for at least fifteen years now. AMT’S work here is in no way a rip-off of psychedelia, acid rock (as some of the squares that I once knew called it) or trip rock of the ’60’s or ’70’s – but an extension of such. CD is a limited edition of 1,500 copies + the 2-lp vinyl is one of 500 copies. Definitely worth many repeated plays. Quite possibly the best Acid Mothers Temple CD I’ve heard in a while now.

For more info, visit: http://www.acidmothers.com and http://www.riotseason.com

Reviewed by Mike Reed

Black Rainbows – “Supermothafuzzalicous” (Heavy Psych Sounds/Longfellow Deeds Records 2011, B0062X9TII)

A first look at the dark fiery-eyed skull, horns and crossbones cover of Black Rainbows’ third album calls to mind visions of dark-robed and hooded figures sacrificing virgins at midnight, while the title – Supermothafuzzalicious!! – suggests George Clinton jamming with Jack Black. Pictures of the band themselves (and guitarist/vocalist Gabriele Fiori in particular) show hairy blokes bearing down on their respective instruments like your best ’70’s hard rock nightmare. A spin of the CD by this Italian three piece reveals fuzzed-out dual guitar and bass psychedelic rock, with a smattering of bluesiness reminiscent of classic power trios Grand Funk Railroad, Blue Cheer and Beck, Bogert & Appice.

One of the hardest things to endure in the whole sphere of rock music is when musicians take themselves so seriously that neither they nor their fans would ever dare crack a smile, much less look like they are enjoying themselves. Fortunately, it would be hard for anyone to imagine such a po-faced scene going on at a Black Rainbows gig. Like its title would suggest, Supermothafuzzalicious doesn’t take itself too seriously at all, but rocks out big time across its 44 minutes. Album opener Burn the Nation is not so much an invitation to start rioting in the streets, as it is to form a mosh pit, commence some furious head-banging and alternately throw the goat and wave peace signs. Mastermind adds a dash of proto-punk Stooges/MC5 stoned anarchy, plus whoosing synth (or perhaps guitar) effects that give it an early ’70’s Hawkwind twist, although nobody could really call this spacerocking music, despite song titles like Mother Of The Sun and Solar System (the latter reminiscent of Sweden’s Space Probe Taurus). The testosterone-charged Lady (with its misogynistic-blues “I just want to make love to you” lyrics) and the somewhat cheesy (and hopefully tongue-in-cheek) I Love Rock N Roll show these guys heads are firmly drawn to more down-to-earth fascinations.

No slackers, Black Rainbows are touring throughout 2012 and have already followed up Supermothafuzzalicious with Split which has them sharing vinyl/CD space with California’s Farflung, who will also be joining them for some European shows. While I wouldn’t necessarily equate these two bands in terms of musical style, Black Rainbows certainly deliver some classic heavy stoner rock on Supermothafuzzalicious. Try it out, and be prepared to be time warped back to 1970.

Check out the band’s website at http://www.theblackrainbows.com
Further label information can be found at http://www.heavypsychsounds.com and http://www.longfellowdeeds.com

Reviewed by Pat Albertson

Paradise 9 – “State Of The Nation” (Paradise 9 2011, P9CD0003)

Paradise 9 have been described by some as “Hawkwind meets Joe Strummer” or “Here And Now meets Buzzcocks”, and this 20 minute EP (only their third release since 1999) certainly gives credibility to such hybrid comparisons. Of the four tracks here, the first two showcase their spikey punk-pop side, while the remaining two have distinct spacerock aspects. One over-riding influence is that of Inner City Unit (ICU), the early eighties bizarro-punk band founded by Judge Trev Thoms and former Hawk Nik Turner. Judge Trev sadly passed away in December 2010, and State Of The Nation has been released as a tribute to him, as well as featuring his guitar playing on two tracks.

Album opener and title track State Of The Nation features Gregg McKella’s sneering punk vocals seemingly beamed directly from New York 1974/5 or London 1976/7, and some anarchic guitar mutilation from Judge Trev and Paradise 9 regular Tyrone Thomas (apparently McKella originally wrote this in the ’80’s and brought it out of retirement owing to the current UK economic and political climate). The three-minute Is This the Time even opens with the words “I see you / ICU” and has a definite blank generation vibe. By way of contrast, the instrumental Ocean Rise stretches out to more than double that length and is very close to being a cover of Hawkwind’s The Golden Void, with Gregg McKella’s clarinet echoing the honking sax of mid-’70’s Hawkwind (ubiquitous mutant sax-blower Nik Turner has been known to guest with Paradise 9). The extended coda of the acoustic hippy track Distant Dreams is likewise strongly reminiscent of Children Of The Sun and You Know You’re Only Dreaming. Mind you, this shouldn’t be taken as any kind of criticism; on the contrary, it is nice to know that the anarchic spirit of free festivals and sweaty clubs still lives on, even after some of the original protagonists have either moved on or passed away completely.

For further information go to http://www.paradise9.net or http://paradise-9.soundawesome.com
The band can be contacted at info@paradise9.net

Reviewed by Pat Albertson

Blindshore – “Hollow” (self released 2011, CD)

Blindshore is the new solo project by longtime Austin Texas musician James Adkisson. I got to know James in the late 90’s when my band ST37 was playing shows with his band 7% Solution and years later when Book of Shadows played with his band A Five and Dime Ship. He has a new band with longtime collaborator Reese Beeman called Lacuna Incorporated who played a very impressive set with ST37 recently, anyway it’s good to see the old spacerockers still kicking ass!! On to the revew:

CALLING: Yes, it’s very Robert Calvert sounding, and that’s a good thing! Very big clear sound! If it wasn’t illegal to have real music in the Top 40 all of Jame’s albums would be there. Nice bass by David Dreesen (and for all you Hawkheads who’ve never heard of Robert Calvert consider it your duty to track down his stuff with Hawkwind and his solo albums!!!). TEETH OF THE DAY: Slow creepy coolness… nice vocals by James… stays same sub-tempo for whole song. DRIVE: More creepilicious drum machine and tempo with the tripped out vocals!! And more of the Robert Calvert vibe. SOME SOMEDAY: Continued pure goodness, a bit more uptempo on this one but still an almost Cure sound. And the nice bass keyboard by Reese Beeman. GRAVITY: Backward guitar intro and then some keyboard with the big techno drum!! And the noisy/cool guitar along with the big bass and vocals from the universe next door!! The louder the better!! Nice backup vocals by James!?!? Wish there was a lyric sheet (oh, there is at www.wix.com/amjams/blindshore ). DAMAGED: Nothin’ like Blag Flag’s Damaged but that’s prolly a good thing. More Calvert-esque mid tempo cool-space pop songs for those who are plugged in. And the disjointed vocals from a broken radio. FLOWER BIRDS: The big almost metal guitar on this one and more groove drum machine… “these words are birds I cannot catch”. ANOTHER SONG: and more of the same space lovliness… “the story of my life is the story of your life”…. yes, some pretty damn cool lyrics and vocals and everythings. Gemini Suite-ALL MY NIGHTS: Still, late nite instrumental, the first track of the Gemini Suite. Kinda reminds me of Carnage Visors by the Cure. Then some weirded out female? vocals thru a spooked out 1920’s megaphone. Then the James Adkisson vocals, almost a Van der Graaf Generator sound on this one. Very other worldly. Some alien chatter and disembodied radio from the other side. Now, the Elvis “Love Me Tender” from the Outer Limits, not sure what it all means? but sounds cool. There’s some Tim Buckley in here too but I haven’t picked it out yet!?!? Was Elvis a Gemini? TOO FAR: Big heavy rawk drum and riffing, some Chrome like guitar. The hypno road music beat that can go on forever. My wife Sharon says “this is pretty superb music”. HOLLOW SONG: This has a Herbie Hancock meets ST37 feel to it. The snakey Rastaman bass… gets almost frantic. THE MYSTERIOUS BONUS TRACK: A bit of an add on track but still strangely strange and interesting… and it’s over. True treats from outer space.

For more information you can visit the Blindshore web site at: http://www.wix.com/amjams/blindshore

Reviewed by Carlton Crutcher

Darxtar – “Aged to Perfection” (Transubstans Records 2012, TRANS095, CD/LP/Download)

Darxtar have come a long way since founder K. Soren Bengtsson was inspired by the 1988 death of Robert Calvert to make the first recordings that would become Darxtar. Aged to Perfection is the seventh Darxtar album and the first since 2005’s We Came Too Late.

The title track opens the set, with lyrics that worry for Earth’s future… If we don’t care about our planet she won’t be aged to perfection. We’ve got strumming acoustic guitar plus winding psych guitar leads, violin and alien space synths. It’s a beautiful, accessible song, but Darxtar manage to keep things well within the Space Rock realm. This leads right into In Green Heat, another acoustic driven song that includes rising and falling shooting star synth lines, eerie organ leads and Bluesy guitar. Mörkret 2 is a two minute ambience and avant-soundscapes piece that serves as an introduction to Tired Nature, a nearly 9 minute Space Rock and roll song. Darxtar rock out at chunky rhythmic pace, with more Bluesy guitar, and the ever present synths keep the space groove going. There’s plenty of jamming, some of which has a nice Hawkwind sound, except Darxtar are more Bluesy. My favorite part is a synth and violin segment where Fredrik Sundkvist’s violin sounds like Simon House sitting in. Some Things is a lulling cosmic song with beautiful guitar, violin and percussion ambience. In a Time picks up where Some Things left off and is very similar, but later goes into a space Blues jam with killer Dave Gilmour-like guitar leads, and paired with the violin and synths the whole thing is cosmically uplifting. Moving Along is an accessible rocker, but again with the violin, synths and guitar taking the music to another dimension. Finally, Fiska På Gräsmattan features nearly 12 minutes of cosmic drift, with dreamy piano and a variety of effects and ambience. At first it kind of sounds like a song from the 60s, but at the same time the music is consistent with the rest of the album. There’s definitely a Pink Floyd element once it gets going, like some of the more exploratory parts of Dark Side Of The Moon. Lots going on with this track that bear up to repeated listens.

I’ve listened to this album several times now as well has having backtracked over the entire Darxtar catalog and I must say the band have steadily matured with each new release these past 20+ years. They have a real flair for song structure and melody, and at the core this is a very accessible album. But the old Darxtar Space Rock explorers have never gone away. Ambience and atmosphere are key elements throughout, and I love the way guitar, violin and synths all take cooperative lead roles on nearly every track. This is one for my favorites of 2012 list.

Transubstans will release Aged to Perfection on May 14 in CD, digital download, and strictly limited vinyl editions.

For more information visit the Transubstans Records web site at: http://www.transubstans.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Zone Six / Vespero – “The Split Thing” (Transubstans Records 212, TRANS076, CD/LP)

This new split album, which they cut to the chase by calling The Split Thing, brings together two of contemporary Space Rock’s hottest bands. From southern Russia, Vespero have released several albums on the R.A.I.G. label that keep getting better all the time. On The Split Thing they get 3 tracks, each between 7-9 minutes. Nüllus features dual psychedelic guitars and keys that build around a repeating melodic riff. It’s atmospheric, it rocks, it’s spaced out and has a Prog rock quality too. The music trips along for the first 5 minutes or so and then really rocks out for the last couple minutes, with ripping guitars, proggy keys, bubbling space electronics, and flute. Vespero demonstrate their flair for combining Rock and spaced out atmospherics on Clouds, which brings to mind a cross between Korai Orom and Ozric Tentacles. And Lifeless Pillars is a 9 minute Space-Prog excursion that takes several thematic twists and turns, including some interesting rhythmic driven segments.

From Germany, Zone Six have been around since 1998 with several lineups, all including the constant of Dave “Sula Bassana” Schmidt (who also heads up the Sulatron Records label). In the latest version of Zone Six Dave takes the drum seat, with Komet Lulu on bass (from their other current band Electric Moon), plus Rainer Neefe from the Pancakes on guitar and members of Vibravoid. The band contribute a single 24 minute instrumental – Babapapatantramanta, which is dark and doomy and totally spaced out. We’ve got classic Space Rock bleeping and gurgling synths, molten lava dripping acid drenched trip guitar, and a potent rhythm section. There’s an edge-of-your-seat sense of tension and foreboding throughout and I love the deep space Stoner vibe. File under T.F.S.R. (Total Fucking Space Rock)

An outstanding combination of bands. The album will be available sometime between now and the end of April in CD & LP editions.

For more information you can visit the Transubstans Records web site at: http://www.transubstans.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Obrero – “Mortui Vivos Docent” (Night Tripper Records 2011, NTR003, CD/LP)

Until I got a copy of this review CD, I’d never even heard of this stoner / metal band. Obrero is from Stockholm, Sweden and Mortui Vivos Docent is their first CD. Nonetheless, the band’s moniker is Spanish for ‘Worker’ and the disc’s title comes from a Latin phrase. Go figure. Total of eight well-played and well-produced tracks of good heavy stoner rock and roll to check out here. Personally, I liked the album’s opener, The Wolf’s Hook (which sort of reminds me of old school W.A.S.P. ), The Fourth Earl, Octman, the head-riveting Charles The Hammer (hmm, the title fits) and The Lost World the best. This particular style of heavy metal / hard rock may not be exactly new and some negative-minded patrons may say that it’s outdated or even stale – but I have to admit that each song on Mortui Vivos Docent manages to not only carry their own but holds up rather quite well. Their bio mentions a ten track demo the band had recorded a couple of years ago – I wouldn’t mind hearing that demo – since I occasionally find myself seeking out a band’s unreleased work. Obrero’s influences are that of Black Sabbath, Pentagram among several ’70’s doom / heavy rock collectives. Line-up: Martin Missy (formerly of Protector) – vocals, Mathias Ojermark and Fredrik Lundquist – guitars, Magnus Karkea – bass and Calle Sjostrom (formerly of Talion and Unchaste) – drums. Fans of say – Saint Vitus, Orange Goblin, Sleep, Big Elf, Electric Wizard, Kyuss and possibly Spiritual Beggars should get a lot out of this CD. Do turn this one up!!

For more info, visit: http://www.myspace.com/nighttripperrecords and http://www.myspace.com/obreroswe

Reviewed by Mike Reed

Various Artists – Head Music (Fruits de Mer Records 2012, 2-LP)

Fruits de Mer Records specialize in vinyl only releases featuring contemporary bands covering songs – many quite obscure -from the 1960s and early 1970s. Last year they released an excellent LP+7″ package – Roqueting Through Space, featuring covers of Space Rock songs from back in the day. And now, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Brain label is the 2-LP Head Music, featuring new interpretations of songs from the pioneering German “Krautrock” bands, both classic and obscure. This is an excellent collection and because it’s so completely in the groove with what Aural Innovations is about, I’m going to give you the rundown on all 18 tracks.

Side 1 opens with a brief but fun introduction by Eroc, who was the drummer in Grobschnitt, released albums of his own, and I’ve seen his name appear as producer for a number of contemporary bands. Johnny Vines rocks hard covering Jane’s Waterfall, It’s an excellent introductory song, being heavy PROG in all its bombastic glory. Earthling Society’s cover of Paramechanical World by Amon Düül I is a cool trippy Kosmiche excursion. Amon Düül II is among my favorite Krautrock bands, but I’ve always been ambivalent about the band the more talented ADII musicians split from and find their albums hard to revisit. But no matter, Earthling Society do a fine job and this could just as easily have been one of their own songs. And speaking of ADII, Jay Tausig does a nice cover of their Surrounded By The Stars. Electric Moon take Tangerine Dream’s side-long epic Madrigal Meridian and trim it down to a concise and totally space rocking 5 minutes. NICE! And Anla Courtis, an Argentinian musician I’d not heard of before, does an interesting noise-edged take on Kraftwerk’s Trans Europe Express.

Vibravoid open Side 2 covering a song by Kalacakra, one of many bands I would have never known if not for the Garden Of Delights reissue label. This is dark and spooky with searing, acidic drone guitar licks, classic cosmic keyboards, spaced out effects and killer demonic vocals. Palace Of Swords cover Neu!’s Lila Engel in classic motorik style. Saturn’s Ambush do a drugged, rhythmic take on Can’s I Want More. I like the combination of melodic lines and doomy bass riffs on this one. Frobisher Neck Heads South By Weaving (a collaboration between Frobisher Neck and South By Weaving) cover La Dusseldorf’s Silver Cloud. I’ve always loved this song. It’s got a simplistic melody that sticks in your head and won’t go away. Dead Sea Apes cover Kraftwerk’s Rückstob Gondoliero, a track played live on a 1971 Beat Club appearance but never released on any of their albums (but plentifully bootlegged). This definitely has that raw jamming quality the earliest Kraftwerk had, when rock guitars were part of the lineup, and that’s the spirit in which Dead Sea Apes trip along for 8 minutes. This is a luscious end to the first LP that makes me want to get the next one on QUICK.

Side 3 kicks off with Black Tempest’s take on another epic length track, doing a fine job of whittling Klaus Schulze’s Bayreuth Return, a 30 minute electronic space journey, down to under 6 minutes. Zenith: Unto The Stars faithfully recreate the haunting atmosphere of Popol Vuh’s Mantra II. Can get their second representation on the album, with Language Of Light covering Mushroom. It’s maintains the sound and spirit of the original, though it’s a little slower and uses some toy-like instrumentation and basic electronics that give it an interesting sound and feel. Neu! Is another band whose music appears twice, this time with Temple Music doing a very cool Acid-Space-Prog cover of Negativland.

Side 4 starts with Vert:x doing exactly what I would expect Vert:x to do with a cover of Harmonia’s Dino by taking the recognizable melody and rhythm of the song and turning it into heavy blistering Space Rock. NICE one Neil. Frobisher Neck make Ash Ra Tempel’s Schizo their own by turning it into a spacey electro-Prog interpretation of the tune. Electric Orange cover Arno Clauss’ Lied An Zons. Ya got me with Arno Clauss. I’ve not heard their music, but this has a kind of Amon Düül II Deutsch Nepal feel, with an Acid-Space-Kosmiche jam in the middle. Finally, Electric Sandwich’s China was a classic example of improvisational instrumental psychedelic Krautrock, and Nick Saloman gives it the Bevis Frond treatment with a KICK ASS 9-minute heavy psych jam.

WOW, what a set! At the time of this review the album isn’t out yet but I’ve got plenty of Fruits de Mer vinyl and every one of them features beautiful packaging and artwork, making them standouts in any vinyl junkies’ collection.

NOTE: Act now because Fruits de Mer releases tend to sell out QUICK!! (and then they sell on Ebay for astronomical prices).

For more information you can visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz