Psych /
II
Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany's nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called "a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome." Originally released in …
Renoir Of The Toys
Renoir Of The Toys is a deep dive into the world of Youri Kun, the nom de plume of Japanese guitarist, singer and songwriter Hiroshi Nar. It follows a similar compilation, Unheld Ball, released in 2022 on Japanese label Inundow; like that album, Renoir Of The Toys draws from the rich catalogue of outsider psych-garage and rock recorded by Youri Kun over the past two decades. Deeply wired into the history of Japanese underground music, Nar was a founding member of legendary ‘70s outfit Datetenryu…
Seasons – The Island Albums 1972-1976
"A cult name in prog rock, jazz fusion and modern classical circles in the 1970s, Japanese percussionist and composer Stomu Yamashta is probably best known for featuring on the soundtrack to the Bowie-starring film The Man Who Fell To Earth, and on the non-rock front he has also collaborated with Peter Maxwell Davies, Robert Altman, the Royal Ballet and many more.
Spanning Yamashta’s fertile early years in Europe, this first ever box set of his work maps a kaleidoscopic musical cosmos, from Mil…
Atabal Yemal
*Limited edition of 300* An all-time classic from the vast fields of eclectic prog that most probably will never grow old for as long as there are demanding listeners. Atabal Yemal, recorded in 1979, is a gigantic clockwork formation of perfectly synchronized small parts that melt into surreal supple space. At times, symphonically weeping woodwinds in dialogue with zeuhl at its darkest, as the surface antithesis is resolved by a strange attractor that swallows them and then leaves a trombone pon…
Estructura
*Limited edition of 300* Estructura is one of the first prog outfits that formed in Venezuela, with a pure symphonic pedigree. Both of their albums feature stellar musicianship, an explosive co-existence of neo-classical with hard-prog, punctuated by celestial keyboards and interspersed with ethereal vocals, a hyperreal space where moog twists anchor mood swings and provide syntactic orientation to a passionate trajectory in constant flux. At the same time contemplative and dynamic, slippery and…
Kazmor El Prisionero
*Limited edition of 300* Equilibrio Vital spawned 2 remarkable albums of equal gravitas that are on top of prog collectors’ lists. Kazmor El Prisionero is a concept album that not only appeals to prog and psychedelia aficionados, but will also surprise fans of prog and folk metal. Although this is a concept album, each track is marked by its own character, with at least three dominant sub-genres harmoniously co-inhabiting its grooves, namely, hard-rock, progressive, and psychedelia. In fact, as …
A Traves De La Ventana
*Limited edition of 300* Previously self-released in 1977, the debut album by Aditus is a case of non-stop high-energy crossover, the progeny of 4 outstanding musicians who were versed in equal measure in prog-rock and jazz fusion. In the same manner that Vytas Brenner popularized local folk music by transmuting it through electronics, prog and jazz, Aditus bring high-energy jazz-fusion overladen with prog keyboards, with a fair share of latin percussion and juicy rhythm sections. Most notably, …
Unfinished Picture
Recorded in 1973 at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Paddington, London, Unfinished Picture is Rupert Hine's second LP. The songs where all composed by Hine with lyrics by David McIver and Simon Jeffries. On its sessions, Hine was surrounded by a host of outstanding musicians that included Simon Jeffes (Penguin Cafe Orchestra), Mike Giles (Giles, Giles & Fripp / King Crimson), Mick Waller (Cyril Davis, The Steampacket, Jeff Beck Group), Ray Cooper (Eric Clapton, Elton John) among others.
Ru…
Dedicated To Markos III
*In process of stocking* Nirvana's third LP is a masterpiece of late UK sixties popsike turning into symphonic pop, but not having received proper promotion despite being equally good as, if not better than their previous releases, it also marked the end of the collaborations between Patrick Campbel-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos back in 1969.
Nirvana presented it to Island boss Chris Blackwell under the title of Black Flower. Blackwell, however, decided to turn it down for release, but gave the mas…
Local Anaesthetic
*In process of stocking* After Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos dissolved their partnership, they both went separate ways in the music scene. Campbell-Lyons began work on the Local Anaesthetic songs while going through a series of personal matters which ended up being reflected in the tone of the album. He did release it under the Nirvana name in 1971, but what we have here is a totally different thing. He decided to break with what had been doing up to that moment, and came up with a…
Songs Of Love And Praise
*In process of stocking* Once again a work by Patrick Campbell-Lyons without Alex Spyropoulos, this time Songs Of Love And Praise showed a return to a more classic Nirvana sound. Campbell-Lyons revisited two of the most loved songs by the band, Pentecost Hotel from their debut LP and Rainbow Chaser from their second one. The album opens precisely with the amazing uptempo beat of Rainbow Chaser, which while sounding faithful to the original recording, it comes with a totally different approach on…
climax golden twins
Big Tip! The first new Climax Golden Twins record in too many years. This new double LP features contributions by friends from Seattle’s vibrant music scene and beyond including Alan and Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls), Ko Ishikawa (master Japanese sho player), Greg Kelley (extended trumpet technique specialist), Porest (Sublime Frequencies’ Mark Gergis), Jeph Jerman, Dave Knott, members of Kinski, Diminished Men, the A Frames, Dreamsalon, Monktail Creative Music Concern, and more. The first new…
Bread Love And Dreams
"The debut album by this two-woman, one-man trio presented contemporary British folk with the slightest of pop and folk-rock edges. The most prominent pop embroidery was found in the occasional sweeping, haunting string arrangements; there were also dabs of organ, harp, and percussion here and there. It was pretty but somewhat bland music on the border of late-'60s British folk-rock, the songs faintly echoing those of U.K. peers such as Donovan and Bert Jansch.
Bread, Love and Dreams had a sligh…
Faintly Blowing
"Faintly Blowing contains music that openly cites the influences of the day, from the Beatles to the Bee Gees to Pink Floyd. However, what sets Kaleidoscope apart is how they are able to take what may sound familiar yet make it all their own. There are also happen to be some really great tracks on the album such as "Faintly Blowing", "A Love Song for Annie", "If You So Wish", "Snapdragon", and "Bless the Executioner". The quality writing of Peter Daltrey is apparent, and his gift of melody is co…
Four Letter Monday Afternoon
*2023 stock* "Four Letter Monday' was the third album by Out Of Focus and in sharp contrast to their previous two, expanded to an 11-piece group, adding an extra guitarist as well as a full brass section. This double album features the 2 side long epic track Huchen 55 (parts a, b and c) which is an amazing track and worth the admission alone. The rest of the album plays out covering quite a range (at times I hear early Chicago and sounds of Blood, Sweat & Tears). This wild album really hits all …
Out Of Focus
*2023 stock* "With an unchanged line-up, OOF progressed immensely from their psyched-out prog rock by adding a jazz dimension that will make itself present through Moran's newly developed sax playing. This added dimension will give OOF such a wider spectrum that their excellent debut album will be dwarfed by this monster follow-up. Strangely enough their jazzy impulses show in the Tull (This Was) or TYA (Ten Years After) mode, rather than a complete jazz-rock ala Mahavishnu or brassy rock ala C…
Made In Japan
*Back in print! In process of stocking* Made In Japan is the third album by Japanese rock band Flower Travellin' Band, released in 1972. After meeting Lighthouse at the Expo '70 festival in Osaka, Flower Travellin' Band were invited to visit Canada. While there, the group recorded Made in Japan with Lighthouse keyboardist Paul Hoffert helping produce. Due to George Wada becoming ill with tuberculosis, Canadian drummer Paul DeLong plays on some tracks on this album. The lyrics were written by Yok…
The Farm Band
*Warehouse find! In process of stocking* The Farm Band was unbelievably not the only band that sprung from a hippie farm community in the 70s. Between 1972 and 1977 the band released four albums including this self titled double LP featuring 8 tracks highly influenced by the Grateful Dead-esque psychedelic trips, like in the 17 minute "I Believe It".
St. Radigunds
*Warehouse found! In process of stocking* "The quartet of singer/guitarist/songwriter Martin Cockerham, singer Barbara Gaskin, violinist/keyboardist Julian Cusack, and bassist Steve Borrill were obviously short a member, with future Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks coming on board for the recording of St. Radigunds, the group's debut album. The group's sound was unusual, with Cockerham's brittle, almost adenoidal vocals counterpointed by Gaskin's crystalline tones. Musically, too, the b…
En Vivo Desde El Centro de la Tierra
*300 copies limited edition* Monterrey, México, based psych/doom band Los Mundos is releasing its first ever “live” album, on bone white vinyl. The artwork comes in a dye cut cover with interchangeable covers and photos of the live session. Recorded in an abandon mine in Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, “En Vivo Desde El Centro de la Tierra” celebrates the band’s 12 year run as one of the most important and celebrated bands currently in Latin America. A powerful, raw, and intimate show, that plays with the …