Psych /
Woman
Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1972 album Woman by Michael McGear. Released by Island Records in February 1972, Woman was the first solo album by Michael McGear (Paul McCartney younger brother) and was a more “serious” record than his work with the Liverpool satirical trio Scaffold, or his work with Roger McGough on the McGough & McGear album. Recorded at Strawberry studios in Stockport and completed at Abbey Road studios, the…
Wonderwall Music
With the release of Wonderwall Music in November 1968, George Harrison was the first Beatle to step into the spotlight on his own. Recording sessions actually began a year earlier - when the Beatles were recording their annual Christmas message - with India and Swordfencing, both working titles that would be changed before release. In January 1968, Harrison traveled to EMI's studios in Bombay for a whirlwind five-day session. There, he employed various local musicians, wrapping up work on Jan. 1…
Psychotic Reaction
Most fans of garage know Count Five as the group behind the classic single Psychotic Reaction – a three minute and eight second distillation of everything that’s great about the genre, from its immediately recognizable opening fuzz riff to its last wigged-out break. Eminent garageologists all agree on the track’s importance in the canon, and its inclusion on the original Nuggets LP cemented its hall-of-fame status long ago. But make no mistake, the sum of Count Five is much more than that one si…
Live At Royal Albert Hall, London 13th August 1970
Classic Soft Machine performing live at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, right after the release of the milestone Third on CBS. Classic line up with Hugh Hopper (bass), Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Robert Wyatt (vocals / drums) and very special guest Elton Dean on alto saxophone and saxello. Canterbury goes to heaven!
The Deviants #3
**1000 copies, white and black splatter vinyl, gatefold cover!** The Deviants were the closest thing the '60s British rock scene had to The Mothers of Invention, with a Stooges-like fondness for fuzz guitar freakouts thrown in. And playing the Frank Zappa role as lyricist, singer, and provocateur was Mick Farren, one of the most intriguing figures to emerge from the UK underground. Farren actually had a much longer and distinguished career as a writer than he did as a musician - he penned a tota…
Natural Screenery
**99 copies** Black Trumpets are Alex Reed and Keijo Virtanen from Jyväskylä, Finland. Alex is best known for his work with Jukka Nousiainen and Mikko Siltanen in Räjäyttäjät. Meanwhile Keijo’s long career has seen him roam freely in the outer reaches of the musical galaxy with bands such as Rambling Boys, Vapaa and ever-changing constellations of artists, such as Pekka Airaksinen – one of the most important pioneers of experimental and electronic music in Finland. Black Trumpets is a change for…
Already You If Beyond Flying
**60 copies** Based in Jyväskylä, Finland, Keijo Virtanen is somewhat of a legend in the whole finnish psych scene (on the same level as Pekka Airaksinen - in fact the two have collaborated before). He’s been working on music for ages but his work has only been starting to get attention during the last few years. This artist’s music is unlike any other, it is often based in ambient and drone and incorporates weird traditional folk instruments from around the world just as much as electronic inst…
Meditations for Beowulf
**250 copies** "Welcome to the second solo vinyl album by Jeffrey Alexander, best known these days for the lysergic guidance he provides for SF's Dire Wolves. But Alexander has underground roots that go far beyond his work with the Wolves. Back in the '90s, when still based in Providence RI, he ran the Secret Eye label, helmed a couple of superb acid-folk units and was the person most responsible for bringing not one, but two editions of the Terrastock Festival to the city Lovecraft built. Since…
Lights in the Center of Your Head
**300 copies** Great debut album by the new trio led by Detroit / Boston guitar legend Roger Miller. Roger has been going at it since he was a tiny baby, with a recording career that stretches back to Sproton Layer in 1970. He is still probably best known for his work with Mission of Burma, but cognoscenti wallow in his work with the original Destroy All Monsters, F.U.K., Empool, the Farmers, his crazy solo stuff, and recent jamming with M2. With Trinary System, Roger manages to get wild trio ak…
Corners and Their Places
** 250 copies ** "Herewith, the first expression of the newest project helmed by Brooklyn polymath, Curtis Godino (known for his work with light shows and visual art as much as for his most excellent musical combo, Worthless). Mellotron is often Curtis' sonic weapon of choice, and his expressively modal use of the instrument makes Justin Hayward sound like, well... Justin Hayward. In Curtis' hands, this ungainly behemoth of a keyboard retains a massive sort of prog pompery that is equal parts ma…
Kshatrya (The Eye of the Bird) LP
Small repress available. LP version. Transversales Disques presents Kshatrya (The Eye Of The Bird), a never released before recording by French avant-garde electronic composer Igor Wakhevitch. Wakhevitch composed a bunch of major experimental albums in the '70s, such as Logos (1970), Docteur Faust (1971), Hathor (1972), Les Fous D'or (1975), Nagual (1977), and Let's Start (1979). During this 10-year period, Wakhevitch was close to Jean-Michel Jarre, Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, and legendary choreo…
The Aerosol Grey Machine
Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered limited edition boxed set of the classic debut album by Van Der Graaf Generator, The Aerosol Grey Machine. Van Der Graaf Generator were true pioneers of so-called Progressive rock, and their impressive career spanning five decades features many ground-breaking works. Always progressing stylistically in the true sense of the word, Van Der Graaf Generator’s music remains inspirational. Formed in Manchester University in 1967…
Flammende Herzen
Reissue of Flammende Herzen, the first studio album by the German solo artist Michael Rother. It was released in 1977 and includes the single "Flammende Herzen" b/w "Karussell". The music was used the following year to soundtrack Flaming Hearts. It was Rother's first solo venture after having recorded five albums prior as a member of Neu! with Klaus Dinger and Harmonia with Cluster. "The album was recorded between June and September 1976 in Germany at Conny's Studio. Receiving positive reviews …
Conditions of the Gas Giant
Bureau B present a reissue of Conrad Schnitzler's Conditions of the Gas Giant, originally released on cassette in 1988. The Berlin artist first released these recordings on a small American cassette label. Admirers of the seminal artist Conrad Schnitzler can be found all over the planet, including the USA, of course. Matt Howarth, illustrator and independent comic artist, is one of them. He has been following Schnitzler's music since the early 1970s whilst drawing offbeat science fiction stories…
The Magus
The Third Ear Band burst into life within the British psychedelic scene at the end of the 60s, breaking away from the initial premises a few years later when the band’s ethnic approach yielded to external influences such as oriental raga, folk and occult spirituality. The Magus is considered the band’s fourth “missing” studio album, recorded in 1972 after the acclaimed soundtrack for Roman Polanski’s film Macbeth, but released only thirty years later. The Magus marks a further change in their mu…
Paint A Lady
Temporary Super Offer! A mythical and misplaced masterpiece of lost soft rock and acidic folk funk by a one-hit wonderer lost in the wilderness for four decades. From the producer of Margo Guryan, writer behind Wool, Gerry Mulligan collaborator, Tarantino sound tracker, and Wendy & Bonnie confidant, Paint A Lady now emerges from folkloric obscurity. Within certain record collecting circles, especially those who gather under the umbrella that covers fragile niches like "acid folk" and "soft rock"…
Monster Movie - Live At Burg Nörvenich, 25th July 1969
Recorded live in July 1969 during the same sessions that gave birth to their classic debut album Monster Movie. The album contains rawer versions of classics tracks such as Yoo Doo Right and Outside My Door. This was Can at the very beginning of their career, before they would become widely known as one of the 70's Krautrock most iconic bands. A full catalogue of minimal grooves and extended song forms that would influence generations to come. Holger Czukay - bass, Jacki Liebezeit - drums, Micha…
Top Gear Live In London 1967-1969
These Soft Machine recordings for John Peel's Top Gear programme took place in December 1967 and June 1969 when the band was at the peak of their psychedelic revolution and during their first transition towards an unprecedented form of Psych Rock Jazz. These historical sessions, including a great version of Wyatt's masterpiece Moon in June, show the great potential of the band's early line ups featuring Hugh Hopper - bass, Kevin Ayers - vocals, guitar, bass, Robert Wyatt - vocals, drums and Mike…
In the Land of Grey and Pink Live at the Bbc, 1971
Recorded Live at the BBC in spring 1971, the same year of In the Land of Grey and Pink release, this is the classic Caravan line-up playing music from the same iconic studio album, a true masterpiece in the '70s Rock history. A quintessential combination between Richard Sinclair's beautiful and timeless melodies and David Sinclair's fuzz-organ improvisations. A full immersion in deep Canterbury sound featuring, among others, a fifteen minutes epic version of Nine Feet Underground.
Chelsea Girl
2019 repress. Her debut originally released in 1967 (mere months after the groundbreaking The Velvet Underground & Nico album). A masterpiece of dark orchestral folk-pop featuring playing and songwriting help from the VU's Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison (as well as the then unknown Jackson Browne who was dating Nico at the time). Features the definitive version of Browne's 'These Days,' as well as classics like the title track and Tim Hardin's 'Eulogy For Lenny Bruce."Although Chelsea…