Aural Innovations Issue #8 — Album Reviews, Part 2

Orange Goblin — Frequencies From Planet Ten

(Rise Above/Music For Nations 1997, CDRISE 15)

Christian Mumford

When I saw this UK band open for Cathedral last February, I couldn't help but groove harder to them than the main act, as Cathedral are doomier and less 60's influenced, and Orange Goblin triggered more of a spacerock chord in me. So finally I stumble across this two year old release and I'm very pleasantly surprised. Just the cover is enough to get me to notice, a cosmic painting of a cracked amp on a distant planet in fantasy style, and with song titles like The Astral Project or Song Of The Purple Mushroom Fish, it thrust me further into purchase.

Opening with the former mentioned track, a heavy psychedelic "stoner"-ish piece with heavy organ and swirling synths, the album is a cosmic Tour de Force few of their ilk seem to pull off quite as psychedelically. Magic Carpet is a more traditional piece which reminds me a bit of Spiritual Beggars' Monster Astronauts for some reason.

Song of The Purple Mushroom Fish is a short instrumental of mellow distorted guitars with echoey fx and more swirly synth noises, only more subdued, giving a feel of a vast psychedelic ocean, which continues into Aquatic Fanatic which has more of a psychedelic progmetal feel with more melty guitars. This is followed by the short acoustic instrumental Lothlorien, with what sounds like an epic mellotron in the best Hall of The Mountain Grill style, a definite reminder of the 70's technology this band seems to embrace, doing it more than well.

Eventually the CD closes with the ultra trippy Star Shaped Cloud, a psychedelic organ-loaded spaceprog epic with more spacey guitars and cosmic lyrics, the tune varies between going into overdrive and mellow spacey parts. The band has two guitarists, bass, drums and organ/keyboard/sampler. For those who enjoy trippy lyrics, this album is loaded with enough to get any head a ponderin' and comes thusly highly recommended!

Trial Balloon — Fool One Another

(thebigtimelabel, 1998, CD)

Jerry Kranitz

Trial Balloon is a Dayton, Ohio-based band whose music is a mixture of blues, dreamy Pink Floyd acoustic tunes, and Hendrix influenced acid rock. The core of the band is Alex Sator who plays guitar and wrote all the songs, and Layne Loxley on drums, keyboards, and vocals, with guests on vocals and bass.

So I've pointed out a bit of a mixture, but after several listens I've determined that coherence reigns and stylistically the songs do flow quite well. For example, the disc opens with Party Killer, an acidic Middle Eastern guitar instrumental with a driving percussion beat. This leads into Change Happening, an acoustic vocal number that sounds like it would be very much at home on The Wall. The next track is Asymmetrical which is a short bluesy guitar bit that leads into Fool One Another, a bluesy track that really stuck in my head. It's one of those simple tunes that just stays with you. I liked the combination of bluesy licks and acoustic rhythm guitar.

These first several tracks run a gamut that gives a good feel for Trial Balloon's stylistic interests. Though the band doesn't in most cases sound like Pink Floyd, that band is a good comparison because they also often moved through acoustic tracks, blues, and aggressive psych from one track to the next.

Among the other highlight tracks is At The Bazaar which is similar to Party Killer, but the atmosphere is more laid back. The acoustic guitar/percussion combo reminded me a bit like something from Steve Tibbetts first couple albums. Danger is a 60's pop-psych number á la Syd-era Pink Floyd complete with cool backward loops and freaky guitar.

Building on the psych freakout mode is Troubled Individual, an instrumental track that I would have liked to hear the band develop a bit more. Barely two minutes, it ends a bit abruptly and just feels like it would have liked to keep going a bit. Fool Another One is something of a Fool One Another reprise, but the blues guitar here has taken a tab, tie-dyed itself, and gone into Hendrix mode. This mode climaxes on Down The Drain in which Sator brings the disc to its finale on a harsh, gorgeously acidic note.

In summary, Trial Balloon will appeal to fans of older Pink Floyd and anyone into blues-based psychedelia. The CD is only 36 minutes long, and at 4:11 Party Killer is the longest track. But the 14 songs work well as a collection that represents the varied sides of Trial Balloon.

Porcupine Tree — Piano Lessons

(Snapper/K-scope 1999, SMASCD 103)

Keith Henderson

Well, there's no mistaking that Steven Wilson likes to provide lots of limited editions and such for the avid music collectors of the world, and so there's no surprise that all PT singles feature non-album tracks. In fact, the 7" version of this single includes a different bonus track from the CD-S, (Oceans Have No Memory.)

Chances are you already know the Piano Lessons single, since it actually gained some radio airplay here in the states. Over the past several months, I've been continually warming to the Stupid Dream album, though PL is still not a favorite of mine. I simply don't care much for the underlying bouncy rhythm... it just seems too frivolous.

But I admit that the space-slide guitar bits are trés magnifique. (Oh, by the way, Christine Keeler is the Monica Lewinsky of Britain in case you were wondering.) Ambulance Chasing is a two-part instrumental piece, and is the main reason for getting yourself this item. It starts out with a strange percussion jam without much direction, but then morphs into a fantastic space-borne jam, first Richard Barbieri's synths shining brightly, and then Wilson's guitar taking off and doing barrell rolls in the sky.

Wake as Gun was originally recorded during the Signify sessions, previously released only on the Insignificance fan-club-only cassette. It's a nice little acoustic/vocal number that is not unlike Nine Cats, fairly simple but still memorable for the way it makes the few chord changes there are really stand out. Alright, I was lucky to find this cool import single on sale, but now I've got to find the new Stranger By the Minute single with yet more bonus tracks (Even Less Part 2, or Neu!s "Hallogallo on the 7"). Aggh!!

Various Artists — Turn Century Turn: SpaceRock And Psychedelia From Around The Globe

(Mother West 1999, MWR010499)

Jerry Kranitz

Turn Century Turn is an interesting new compilation featuring spacerock and psych bands from the USA and various Scandinavian countries, one British band, and one Turkish entry. The focus is heavy on bands known for their experimental and/or improvisational skills and some entries seem to be part of a spacerock avant garde. In any event, the results are quite fascinating and all tracks are non-album releases.

On the trippier psychedelic side are Chameleon and Holy River Family Band from Sweden. Chameleon features gorgeous mindbending guitar driven psychedelia from Holy River Family Band's (HRFB) Arne Jonasson. The music is similar to HRFB but this is Arne's show rather than sharing the stage with keyboardist Jens Unosson. This is a great exploratory instrumental track in which Arne's guitar travels the astral planes and kindly takes the listener along with him. HRFB's entry is among the most cosmic of spacerock.

The Chameleon tune is a treat but Arne's guitar really shines best in its marriage to Jens' organ and synths. Arne carries the main melody while Jens' organ does so in a secondary role. The song trips along for a while but then gets aggressively cosmic and slightly jazzy, reminding me of some theme to a spaced out film noir. Turkish band Zen is one I'd not heard before, but has a jamming Cream-like feel though strongly rooted in Middle Eastern sounding psych. A pleasant journey that I think a lot of psych fans will dig, but I didn't feel driven to seek out more from them.

Turn Century Turn also has its share of American spacerock veterans. Milwaukee's F/i does Space Station, which must be the first new track from them since their Helioscopium CD. Helioscopium's heavy rockin' guitars are absent with this being a totally cosmic electronic piece more reminiscent of earlier F/i. But it's still a pounding steamroller of a track with a slightly new wavish edge. The song features multiple layers of space synths which trip and soar in every direction at once against a drugged but almost danceable techno beat. Great stuff from these spacerock veterans.

Long time New York spacers, Alien Planetscapes, crank out Prince Chubbs, a tune I've heard live at the last two Strange Daze festivals. Alien Planetscapes excels at rocking very hard in space, but in a non-metallic way. Prince Chubbs is a great example of Alien Planetscapes's blazing guitars, swirling synths, and rockin' rhythm section that threaten to demolish the ozone layer once and for all. New guitarist Josh Gazes has a much more psychedelic edge than Rob Alfonso did and this was immediately apparent in the bands' Strange Daze performance in August. The song also features the jamming mid-70's King Crimson 'launched into space' influence that Alien Planetscapes does so well.

Somewhat similar to Alien Planetscapes is Norway's Tangle Edge. Aggressive guitar crunches against a cosmic flowing synth backdrop, and has what is probably the best percussion work on this whole disc. Actually it's more of an early 90's version of Alien Planetscapes that I'm thinking of with this comparison. Tangle Edge has the same jazzy improvised feel and ability for each member to jam along seemingly in his own little universe, yet all still working together to create a cohesive whole. And also like Alien Planetscape's track earlier this is somewhat like a spacerock version of mid-70's King Crimson.

New York's Escapade offers their brand of improvisational spacerock with lots of subtle synth work and atmospherics. The tune gets quietly aggressive at times with a shimmering psych guitar that sounds like it's in the early stages of a meltdown. All this is played against a very heavy bass sound with a funky edge. Best enjoyed with headphones.

Two Norwegian bands I'd been unfamiliar with are Chateau De Fleurs and Tibra Komal. Chateau De Fleurs is a dark atmospheric band that makes great use of freaky synth sounds, dissonant piano lines, and quirky rhythms. At under three minutes though it's one of the shorter tracks here but I'd be interested in hearing more from this band. Tibra Komal's Oriental Orchid Spinned Of A Silkworm is an aptly titled Eastern psych tune. Lots of varied percussion work and eerie efx'd vocals create a tripped out atmosphere, but once again this is a tune that was too short to give enough of an idea about the band but left me interested in seeking out more.

Getting into more avant experimental freakout territory is Finland's Ektroverde, an offshoot of the band Circle that has been reviewed several times in AI. Their contribution features repetitive and somewhat dissonant bass and guitar lines accompanied by more floating synth and flute to make an interesting contrast. Another band that I'd not previously been familiar with was England's Volcano The Bear. Volcano The Bear would likely appeal to Ektroverde fans though Volcano The Bear is far more aggressive and grating on the ears in a creatively sonic way. The band uses noise to its full effect producing soundscape music that seeks to unsettle rather than relax. I found an article about them on the internet in which they claim the Residents as a strong influence. This is apparent on this tune though there's far more here for spacerock fans than The Residents typically offer. Definitely a band I want to find out more about.

Even more like a spacerock version of The Residents is Iron Bong from the USA. A wild and quirky electronic band, Iron Bong takes slowly developing patterns and overlays them with mega freaky bleeps and blurps. Part floating electronica and part 'everywhere at once' electro madness, the combination produces an interesting effect and its position is well outside the Earth's atmosphere. A pleasant surprise for me was the entry by Beyondomatic who you may have read about in AI #6. Family Chi is far freakier than the Beyondos featured on last year's Your Body CD. A bit industrial, a tad out there jazzy due to the clarinet, and... Rev. Fuhry's Long Stiff Finger Of Doom! All this is encased in Stenzo's synth noodlings and some pretty twisted vocals.

In summary, this is an excellent compilation that covers the more experimental and adventurous side of spacerock and all things FREAKY!. A good chance to sample some of those bands you've read about in AI as well as discovering some new ones.

Murder In The Cathedral — Afraid of...

(Soleil de Gaïa 1999, LP 02)

Jerry Kranitz

Murder In The Cathedral is a French band that plays guitar driven acid rock that struck me as a cross between Bevis Frond, Cream, and Jefferson Airplane. The music has a great raw jamming sound that will transport you back to the Fillmore of 1968. The band is a trio (though there's lots of dual guitar) and includes Stephane Moru on guitars and vocals, Pascal Moru on bass and keyboards, and Gilles Lepron on drums. Afraid of... is a limited edition of 500 LP's and features vocal tunes and instrumentals all ranging from three to five minutes. This is the band's second album.

Both the vocal tunes and the instrumentals really work for me on this disc as many of the vocal tunes include fiery instrumental sections. Songs like Nervous Breakdown, Dead Pictures, Message From The Sun, and Lost Love have that 60's San Francisco acid rock feel that also reminds me of Bevis Frond. Stephane's guitar is fiery but in that raw style that made 60's psych sound and feel so good. Bed Of Roses is a little different, sounding very much like the Byrds. But War Games is my favorite of the vocal tracks. It has an epic quality, kind of like an anthem, and some great guitars that trip along with the music.

The band explores the paisley spectrum even further on their instrumental tracks. Acid Sea has a guitar melody that is cosmically floating but still raw. The music is like a majestic psych overture that doesn't just jam but really develops. I would have liked to see it evolve beyond its four minutes. Pagan Mass is a tripped out psych tune that will transport you to the bazaars of the ancient Middle East with guitar solos and tribal percussion that journey deep into the cosmos. Chaotic Meditations is melodic in an acid drenched way and loaded with wah-wah. Like Acid Sea this track has more thematic development than the others and is less raw bordering more on instrumental complexity, though still firmly in the psychedelic realm. In summary, Murder In the Cathedral contains some gorgeous psychedelia for those who like raw jamming psych from musicians who can actually play.

M & E Audiozine — No. 8 - Compact Disc Samper

(Music & Elsewhere 1999, M&E 455, Cassette)

Jerry Kranitz

Music & Elsewhere, noted for their cassette releases of all styles of indie rock also has a CD distribution service and this periodic cassette audiozine is a sampler of CD's they carry. Here's what we've got this on No. 8:

Fans of Hawkwind and related bands should be familiar with Sweden's Pseudo Sun, the band darXtar bassist Juba formed after he left that band. If not, this comp includes the track Signs Of Life from the Future Memoirs CD. This is a great metallic rocker with deep space synths that jams hard and is a good track choice for a sampler.

Three other tracks by bands Memetic Field, Artemiy Artemiev, and Mr. Ebu are space related but more in the electronic realm. Mimetic Field's entry is an interesting piece that begins with operatic vocals and heavy orchestra instrumentation, but soon develops into an electronic tune. The electronic music by itself isn't anything special but combined with the choral operatic vocals it's pretty interesting. Artemiy Artemiev's music is deep space electronica that has an underwater feel like traveling in a submarine. But later we hear the sound of bagpipes which throws the earlier image out the window. But this too is an interesting tune with heavy percussion sounds and lots of bleeping and blurping synths. Mr. Ebu's track is more spacey electronica consisting of multi-layered but changing sequenced patterns, accompanied by single, but also changing lead synth lines. It's actually pretty good as despite the fact that these are repetitive patterns there's an impressive amount of development.

The rest of the disc, though not space related, still has some sylistically varied and interesting bands. Scrooge's entry is one of my favorites featuring dissonant guitar, bass, and violin patterns. Maybe like a laid back version of Primus, or even Henry Cow. The performance arty female vocalist that sounds like Suzanne Lewis (Thinking Plague, Hail) fits the music well. Body Full Of Stars' track is from their Falling Angels CD reviewed last issue. Star Period Star are the guys whose Jet Propulsion Mystery Summer album I raved about last issue. I don't know this album, but this song is like Sad Road Villa, the one song on the disc I reviewed that was completely unlike the stuff that really tripped my trigger. This is a decent tune but not illustrative of the instrumental mania these guys are capable of. Re-read my review last issue then run out and get that CD. Werk's entry is a funky groovin' rock tune with heavy bass and percussion that makes it quite danceable. Into The Abyss has been reviewed by Keith in the past though it seems that the music on the CD he loaned me was much better than the melodic prog-metal of this tune which would appeal to fans of the Magna Carta label. Finally there is Blacklight Braille who play a Middle Age Renaissance folk rock with really nice female vocals. I hear what are probably a lot of traditional instruments that I wouldn't guess at without knowing what they are. Good stuff.

For more information visit the Music & Elsewhere archival website. Music & Elsewhere has been aggressively releasing cool indie music of all stripes for years.

Nucleon — Hyper Emitter

(1999, Pre-release CD-R)

Keith Henderson

Cleveland's resident space power-trio Nucleon has continued to show growth in the last year as I indicated in the review of their performance supporting Helios Creed (see AI#7). Most the new songs they cranked out on that night were a step up from the material they played at Strange Daze I thought. At this year's Strange Daze, vocalist/space-bassist Paul Resnik was on-hand to witness the festivities (unfortunately the full-contingent was not on-hand to perform), and he was nice enough to give us a sneak peek at their upcoming debut CD (due out in November). Hyper Emitter features eight all-original compositions totalling 40 minutes.

Their best known tune Green Acid makes an appearance here of course, and it no longer really stands out, as their songwriting is more consistently strong. Next, Future Rot starts out magnificently with a sampled voice declaring The space metal is the evidence. Indeed it is!! The tune itself shows off a head-boppin' rhythm and also an excellent soaring guitar solo from Rich Troha, ever climbing for the stratosphere. The synths then bring us into a free-fall back to Earth... cool effect. 50,000 Feet Tall is another of the bouncy variety, meaning you can bang your head without fear of the beat. My Life builds gradually from an ambient synth passage and Troha's spacey guitar lead into what turns out to actually be the slowest and doomiest selection on the album... perhaps the most sophisticated Nucleon composition to date. This is the kind of music I haven't heard before, spacier than doom metal and doomier than stoner rock.

As strong as the material is, I feel that the production could be much improved. If I had to guess, the band recorded the songs live in the studio, as there are a couple timing lapses here and there, and the sound is unbalanced. The mix is a heavy on the synth-bass and drums at the expense of the guitar leads and vocals. That's forgivable in my book, as the music itself is the real important issue... and if this turned out to be an actual live on-stage recording, then I'd understand completely. In any case, I'm happy to finally have a permanent archive of Nucleon's blueprint for sonic destruction.

Goddess T — Electric Shiatsu

(Pangea/Outer Music 1999, OM-2014)

Keith Henderson

Both Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth have been very busy lately with various projects, including new 'trilogy Gong' material. Goddess T sounds much like a second Mother Gong, but with other protagonists in tow, including Orlando Allen (presumably their offspring), Nick Spacetree, and Tone. Along with Daevid's gliss, recent Gong guitarist Mark Hewins also makes a guest appearance.

Perhaps Electric Shiatsu is a little less silly and pretentious than the Robot Woman stuff, but there is plenty of Gilli's eccentricity on display. For instance, Triple Helix talks of "another secret strand of DNA"... I guess the X-Files airs in the UK. The music is an equal mixture of sitar & tabla psychy trance and pure techno-tronics. So not surprisingly, my reaction is 50:50. Whereas the subtle, groovy and eerie music in Sugar Path is a pleasant backdrop for Gilli's poetry, Sirius Ma is the kind of pulsating techno music that I really hate, and the screechy violin sounds don't help matters.

And It's a Strange Place Here was ok at the beginning as 'ethnic trance,' but Part Two is basically a techno remix which makes me gag, no matter how cool Daevid's gliss is. The album ends strong though with the 20-minute Journey of the White Whale... lots of gliss and drone (and whales!), and very spacey!! Gilli whispers Remember over and over, as if planting a suggestion in our head to visit Planet Gong next summer. I'll make my reservations now for Gong 2000.

So take two or three of these pieces, and compile them with some of the better Mother Gong material, and you'd have something I could recommend. Otherwise, I'd have to suggest selective listening.

Näskören — Amputation Piece

(self-released 1998, NäSMUSIK 1001)

Fingerpaint — Primary Colors: Blue

(FNGP Records 1998, CD 98001)

Jerry Kranitz

Fingerpaint is the duo of Steev Geest and Patrick Smith who use their guitars as electronic instruments to produce interesting, often exciting, ambient journeys through mood and sound. The music is busier than most ambient soundscapes including rhythms that are quirky and playful just as often as they are soothing and meditative.

Alone, On A Beach is really the only track where the guitars blatantly sound like guitars. But it's still electronic and atmospheric. Perhaps like a new agey Fripp soundscape. Soothing but still enough happening to hold the listener's attention. Running With The Flood starts off with an industrial pattern, but develops into a busy tune including atmospherics and intense percussives. Ambient guitar electronics that highlight both mood and sound.

Deep Into The New World is a deep in space piece that, like Spacecraft, makes me feel like I'm alone in a lost drifting spaceship, surrounded by all the accompanying sounds. At 12 minutes there's plenty of room to stretch out and the track really does develop as the lost spaceship wanders out of control through the depths of outer space's astral oceans. At least that's where the tune took me, and those of you familiar with my reviews know I really dig image inducing ambient music. An excellent soundscape tune with attention grabbing atmospherics that get mucho intense. Thanks for the trip guys.

Blue Sky Darkening is another highlight track that sounds like a space version of Fripp's soundscape work. Really tripped out guitar electronics. Fingerpaint's music doesn't sit still for long, even the most atmospheric moments including multiple layers of sounds or continually shifting patterns and textures. Finally, Blues Unexpected is the longest at 14 minutes, but also the quietest and the most subtle. There's still a feeling of tension but overall it's a smooth landing after the excitement of the previous tracks.

To fully appreciate Fingerpaint you've got to keep in mind that all this is produced by guitars run through synths and various other efx and gadgets. But even that aside, this is creative stuff that for me is a cut above a lot of ambient space soundscape music. In fact, I think I like this one better than the more recent In The Loop. Busy, often quirky spacescapes that will sooth you one moment and give you the jitters the next.

Kevin Keller — Pendulum

(Lektronic Soundscapes 1999, LS-1017)

Jerry Kranitz

California based Kevin Keller plays ambient music that sometimes incorporates classical influences, but is at its best when drawing on his love for film scores. Keller's web page details his interest in film music and claims the Star Wars and Close Encounters soundtracks as the first albums he owned. Much of the music consists of slowly developing ambient pieces and the tracks flow seamlessly from one to the next making this easy to enjoy as one large work. Pianist and synthesist Keller is joined by David Darling on cello and Jeff Pearce on guitar.

Not all the album's six tracks grabbed me but the ones that did worked well. Arc Of The Pendulum features single piano notes spaced apart by several seconds... some high notes, some low. The cello plays eerie drawn out notes but eventually takes on the lead role to produce an ambient/classical concoction. Hall Of Mirrors struck me as a sort of New Age minimalist piece. I liked the use of chimes and dissonant piano notes. It's a dark world we're visiting (or trapped in?) here and I can just see our heroine making her way down a mysterious hallway, danger lurking at every turn.

I found the rest of Keller's music enjoyable and there are certainly some good ideas here. I'd be very interested in seeing a sci fi or fantasy film that he scored. But I was never able to lose myself in the music like I do with Lektronic label-mates Spacecraft, and at times Keller comes close to descending into New Age fluff. Still, ambient fans may find much to enjoy on this disc, particularly for Keller's use of instrumentation beyond the purely electronic.

Archaïa — Archaïa

(Soleil Zeuhl 1977/1998, SZ 01)

Jerry Kranitz

Soleil Zeuhl is the reissue arm of the Soleil de Gaäa label which released the Murder In The Cathedral album. Archaïa is their first release and reissues an apparently rare and much sought after French release from 1977. The CD was remastered from the original master tapes and also includes an unreleased studio track from 1978 and two live tracks from the same year.

Archaïa was formed by Magma fans and while there are clear Magma traces in Archaïa's music this is far from being a Magma clone. The intensity and vocal style of Magma is present. But the band draws more on psychedelic influences making this something of an intense cosmic Magma-esque prog-psych trip. The guitar has a wild fuzzy sound and the synths an eerie Twilight Zone quality that gives the music its psych edge. The music as a whole is more along progressive lines being characterised by varied tempos and meters and moving rapidly through a series of themes.

The band especially likes to explore more other worldly atmospheres. Sometimes a chanting Middle Eastern bazaar, at others a haunted house of screams and creaking doors accompanied by frightening but classic keyboard sounds. The songs really flow well from one to the other and I couldn't imagine not listening to this in one sitting. Possibly most exciting of all are the two live tracks from '78. The music is far more intense than anything from the studio album, due in part to the wildly swirling keyboards and deep bass and drums. These tracks are less overtly psych influenced and perhaps stray a bit into fusion territory though the fuzz guitar is still present. Great bonus tracks featuring a side of the band that never appeared on an album.

In summary, psych fans who also dig intense progressive rock will love this disc. A gem from the 70s that almost got away.

Gone — Country Dumb

(SST Records 1998, SST CD 344)

Jerry Kranitz

Gone is a heavy thrash rockin' trio consisting of ex-Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn, Steve Sharp on bass, and Gregory Moore on drums.

Though not spacerock, this isn't punk either and has some great guitar work that sometimes sounds like metallic acid guitar. The bass and drums hold down a low-end 'throbbing in your chest' beat that Ginn thrashes, bashes, and blazes over.

This is rock that occupies a middle ground between metal, punk, and hardcore. I took this to work and was jamming to it for days. The only problem with it, and why this review is so short, is that there's little to no difference among the 14 tracks on this CD. And this is their 6th release...

A solid rockin' time for the car stereo or at a party.

Pope Factory — Pope Factory

(Buffalo Fire Records 1999, CD)

Jerry Kranitz

Pope Factory's promo material states that their eye is on Canadian and US college radio and indeed this is evident in their music. But don't let that throw you because there are some extremely cosmic surprises on their self-titled debut CD. From Toronto, the band consists of Scott Warren on guitar and lead vocals, Peter Muha on bass, keyboards, and vocals, Matt Hollingshead on lead guitar and vocals, and Andre Skinner on drums.

Four of the album's six tracks fall are along college radio lines, but the band has a knack for melodic pop-psych. Underrating The Recluse opens with strumming guitars and a picking melody line. The guitars then launch into a dirtier fuller sound. Pop music with a slight dissonance that I liked. Channeling Ringo is similar but really jams out. More on the pop-psychedelic side, similar to Tom Spacey or maybe just a touch of Olivia Tremor Control. Like Underrating The Recluse it has its dissonant moments which the band seems to like. Sweet Killings is a bouncy pop-psych instrumental with a bit of a 60's feel. And Michael's Haircut is decent pop-psych with a good acidic guitar sound.

Now I liked the previous tracks but to be honest I probably would have forgot this disc after the review if that's all there was to them. But with Smug things start to take off. The tune opens with that standard slowly picking melody, but has someone commandeered a spaceship? The pick melody is accompanied by loads of intro spaceship bleeps and the tune soon launches into a rockin' full band swing. The wall-of-sound guitars are chunky but not droning as melody is clearly important to these guys. The last minute is killer space-pop as we're still swept away by a melody that leads a molten rumbling space jam.

The band's epic, and the tune that made the whole album for me is The Wait. The song begins with drifting psych guitar lines and spaceship guitars soaring in the background. Subtle but very cosmic. It then launches into a slow but aggressive cosmic crunch with freaked out astral guitars. It was like Ax Genrich was sitting in with them for this tune. The music jams on and despite the cosmic aggression maintains its sense of melody and feeling of floating in space. At ten minutes the music has plenty of time to develop and moves through a number of quieter moments. If the whole album was like this I'd call it a must have for AI readers. Recommended to the pop-psych curious who want to play it safe knowing the melt your face off stuff is there too.

Bablicon — In A Different City

(Misra 1999, MSR 001)

Jerry Kranitz

Bablicon is a Chicago trio that plays freeform jazz, classical, RIO, psych, way out there instrumental mayhem. The band includes The Diminisher on soprano sax, clarinet, fender rhodes, theremin, and voice, Marta Tennae on drums, fuzz banjo, Conn organ, Casio, Fender Rhodes, tape splices/edits, and voice, and Blue Hawaii on bass, guitar, veeena, cello, Casio, Conn organ, tape splices/edits, and vox. They are also joined by guests on vibrophone and violin. This is their first album and it was recorded in an abandoned machine shop.

The music covers some varied territory from freeform jazz freakouts to highly aggressive jams not unlike Dr Nerve. But the band has its quieter moments as well. One tune began with an intense chamber music intro and then moved into a slow lounge jazzy workout. Nothing traditional about this though. The pace may be easy but the horns are still blaring and the drums pounding away madly. I think the Rhodes is a wonderful sounding instrument and really adds to the feel of the music. The band has a playful side also as another track kicks off a bouncy Casio beat that is accompanied by banjo, bass, horns, and the occassional efx'd voice and carnival tunes. True beauty can be found in dissonance and Bablicon's idea of melody will please those whose ears thirst for the offbeat. I mentioned a chamber music intro earlier and Bablicon explores more classically influenced interests with a piece that sounds like Kronos Quartet doing their John Zorn cartoon soundtracks. In fact, the CD liner states that Bablicon is interested in doing film soundtracks.

In summary, Bablicon would appeal to fans of freeform music with both jazz and classical influences. RIO type bands like Art Bears, Aksak Maboul, Thinking Plague, Dr Nerve, and a host of others came to mind as I listened to the music. Though the psych influences are minimal it's worth noting that Bablicon was scheduled to perform at this year's Terrastock Festival.

Contact Bablicon c/o Misra; PO Box 20297; Tompkins Square Station; New York, NY.

Eureka Farm — The View

(Loosegroove Records 1999, LG0024-2)

Jerry Kranitz

From the great Pacific Northwest state of Washington, Eureka Farm returns with their second release of 1999. The band has expanded to a quartet with Arman Bohn on guitar, organ, moog, and vocals and Jason McGerr on drums being joined by newcomers Charles Keller on bass, organ, moog, and vocals, and David Rueben on organ, moog, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, and vocals.

Eureka Farm's "pop to the 10th power" is once again in evidence though the presence of organ and moog makes this is a more spaced out affair than their previous disc Analog (reviewed last issue). Rueben's sax and clarinet are also a welcome addition as they both lead and embellish the songs nicely, particularly the clarinet. The pop side of Eureka Farm is an odd one... odd in that they are not your average pop band. As on Analog the songs are melodic and catchy but far more complex than the average pop tune. XTC comes to mind. The rhythm in any given song rarely sits still or stays the same for long though the songs are at all times structured and controlled. And the vocal harmonies are absolutely gorgeous! In fact, the high register vocals are in my opinion integral to the Eureka Farm sound.

Among the highlight tracks is Colorblind, which is a primo track to illustrate my claim about the vocals. On Spare, the clarinet goes wild to a bashing drum beat and additional varied percussion. The start/stop tempo and pace alternating between aggressive and laid back provides the opportunity to introduce numerous new instrumental segments, and over the song's eight minute length there is plenty of room to stretch out. At one point the intensity builds to where the clarinet is leading the band on a manic freakout only to abruptly move into an organ lead segment. Whooaaaa! Definitely my favorite track on the disc. Quinsonnas is one of the more overtly spacey tracks on The View. The organ and moogs rule here to create a cosmically psychedelic wall of space debris that just happens to also be a catchy little ditty of a song. And Escalations is yet another astral pop tune that features interstellar overdrive guitar in addition to the space synths. A real rocker.

In summary, Eureka Farm is developing into one of the more interesting pop ensembles I've heard in a long time. Complex pop with a spacey edge and exciting well composed music to back it up. And those vocals... can't beat 'em. I suggest all those music "journalists" who are making a fuss over Olivia Tremor Control give Eureka Farm a listen.

Remora — Ambient Drones For One Guitar

(Amerse Music 1999, Cassette)

Jerry Kranitz

Remora is a solo guitar project of North Carolina based musician, writer, and publisher Brian John Mitchell. The music is quite aptly described by the album title and the song titles. The songs are all titled as Ambient Drone... Long Ambient Drone #1, Short Ambient Drone #4"... you get the idea. But Remora has two strengths that keep the music from being dime a dozen repetitive loops and noise experimentations.

First, the music is surprisingly melodic. Noise can be as aesthetically pleasing as floating electronica, but the challenge is greater in achieving this goal in the noise realm. The drones are sonic assaults, but somehow manage to be soothing at the same time. Second, it sounds like two or three people are creating this music. I've said many times in these pages I'm not a technical person, and it always amazes me when I hear so many layers of sound and realise that it's only one person creating it.

Mitchell blazes away to the "beat" of his loops, guitar wandering and exploring the corridors of the universe and the possibilities of pure sound. In fact, it's the choice and use of sound rather than any sense of musical development that makes this an enjoyable listen.

Mitchell did a good job of keeping my attention for 90 minutes and even at the most ear shattering, brain piercing moments managed to retain a sense of cosmic drift. Nails on the blackboard... but they're well manicured.

For more information you can visit the Remora web site. Explore this sight! There's a wealth of info on many related bands (Swans, Jarboe, etc). Plus the QRD zine.

Body Full Of Stars — Welcome

(Stone Premonitions 1999, SPCD012)

Jerry Kranitz

Under the Body Full Of Stars logo on the back of the CD cover it says "aka The Rhythm Methodists". No question that these folks have rhythm. That's what this music is all about. On Welcome, Body Full Of Stars returns with more of their soulful rocking songs.

The band is, once again, Tim Jones on vocals and guitar, Martin Holder on lead guitar, Terri B on backing vocals, Paddi Addison on drums, Yazuko Fukuoka on Hammond Organ, Paul Ellis on keyboards, and Mark Dunn on bass, keyboards and vocals. In fact, this appears to be a Dunn led project as he wrote most of the songs and produced the album. This is far and away from spacerock folks but if you enjoy well crafted songs with great vocals then there's plenty here for you.

The songs are very well written and most of them stuck to me upon the first listen. The strongest tunes are the soulful funky songs. Tim Jones has a distinct voice that I'm sure I'd recognize anywhere, though Mark Dunn handles much of the lead vocals this time around. And he sounds a lot like Richard Sinclair which should spark your interest if any of you spacers also happen to be Canterbury fans.

The music is well played by this tight band and Holder's guitar licks are gorgeously tasteful and sometimes shred without you even realizing he just blazed a trail of licks.

Terri~B — Wrap Me In Your Skin

(Stone Premonitions 1998, SPCD 005)

Jerry Kranitz

Vocalist Terri B takes front and center stage on her own album, Wrap Me In Your Skin. This is even further from the space realm being a collection of sultry torch styled tunes. But Terri is without question one of the best female vocalists I've heard all year. I think I'd vote her and Tombstone Valentine's Richelle Toombs as 1999's best.

The music is played by multi-instrumentalist Terri on keyboards, programming, percussion, autoharp, and flute, joined by members of the Rabbits Hat/Body Full Of Stars stable including Tim Jones on guitars, Martin Holder on guitar, Steve Ellis on keyboards, Spook on saxophone, Rob Kirtley on bass, and Norm Emerson and Steve Robson on drums and percussion.

The disc starts on the dreamy spacey side with The Spell, an intro bit that contrasts with the rest of the disc. This leads into Ephemeral Fire, which will make you feel like you're sitting back in a dark smoky lounge sipping scotch and sodas. And while I never thought I be praising the merits of someone's rendition of the classic American tune Georgia in Aural Innovations, Terri does a version that would bring tears to Ray Charles' eyes.

Much of the rest of the album consists of melodic progressive rock numbers that back Terri's vocals with equally gorgeous music. Between the Rabbit's Hat, Body Full Of Stars, solo work, and running Stone Premonitions, Terri and Tim are busy folks and are producing some good music.

Lou Maxwell Taylor — Cheshire Tree Suite

(Myshkazippy Productions 1999, 00100)

Jerry Kranitz

Cheshire Tree Suite was produced by Vermont resident Lou Maxwell Taylor who plays light melodic orchestral progressive rock that incorporates folk and classical influences. There are strong Celtic influences in spots, not surprising given the presence of mandolin, violin, and bodhran. Taylor composed all the music, sings, and plays keyboards and synths, guitar, bodhran, and many forms of percussion. He is joined by guests on even more varieties of percussion, guitar, bass, button accordion, clarinet, fiddle, cello, mandolin, and vocals.

Taylor's vocals are very close to Geoff Mann of the early 80's British progressive band Twelfth Night, though the music isn't dark and intense like that band was. He equals Mann's vocal power and passion most notably on What Life Is, a potent number with an orchestral buildup that leads into a rapid percussion heavy segment with piano and synth. The lyrics are VERY well written and well worth following along with. The music travels through a variety of styles, opening with a piano, clarinet, and mandolin instrumental, moving on to the almost show tune feel of Someone Has Stolen My Star, and on to the Celtic touch of Lost Lake. Taylor is backed by some excellent female vocalists, one of them, Lygia Ferra, who shares lead vocals with him on The Living And the Dead, a gorgeous melodic song made majestic by the mandolin, cello, and accordian. Beautiful.

In summary, Cheshire Tree Suite will appeal to fans of orchestral progressive rock that explores varied, but coherent, styles of folk and classical music accompanied by passionate vocals and lyrics. When I say orchestral though I should emphasize that the music is quiet and easy paced, though emotional and well developed.

Jade Dragon — Under Your Skin

(Jade Dragon Productions 1999, Cassette)

Jerry Kranitz

The cassette label indicates that this is part of the Sonic Hallucinogens Series. Psychoactive Music Archives. The music is the work of Terry Ryan Kok who gave me this cassette at the Strange Daze festival. I don't know if it's entirely solo but I suspect it is. Jade Dragon offers up a combination of freaky music and some pop tunes that are definitely psychoactive in nature. The music is played by what sounds like all keyboards and synths plus a nicely fuzzy guitar that oftens borders on the acidic. There are supposed to be eight tracks on the cassette but my copy doesn't start for about 15 minutes so it seems I've missed two of the songs.

On the more pop oriented side are Under Your Skin, Green Magic Spell, and Every Child Is A Star. All the songs have an uplifting feel and focus on spiritual themes, with Green Magic Spell being dedicated to the Late Great Faerie Shaman with the Blue Unicorns. The title track was my favorite of them though with its combination of electronica and soloing looped fuzz guitar. Acid electro-pop might be a good description. The song includes a cool extended instrumental section in which the guitar jams along still accompanied by the quirky keyboards.

Choral X is a bouncy upbeat electronic instrumental that the notes describe as "machine generated filler". I found Erase The Line to be an aggressive change of pace relative to the previous tunes consisting of electronic pandemonium, heavier percussion, a guitar freakout, and dark, mechanical spoken word vocals by Lady Fever. Finally, Welcome Wonder is a deep space electronic soundscape exploration. It's standard floating electronica, but much more playful and the toe tapping beat from the songs is still there. Interesting stuff. Raw, but well done homemade pop tunes and interesting musical explorations.

Erwin Stache — Harmonie Der Nicht Ganz Reellen Töne

(Rund Um Den Watzmann 1999, WATZMANN 008)

Jerry Kranitz

Erwin Stache is a pianist from Leipzig in the former East Germany (GDR). Or rather, he is, as the promo material describes, "a musician and designer and constructor of sound and musical objects". This is accurate as is his description of the music as "an improvisation with piano and machines". Stache's attempts are hit and miss for this listener. The purely mechanical moments didn't always do much for me, and, at the opposite extreme, his solo piano works, though impressive, left me wanting something more.

But Stache is indeed an accomplished pianist. The best moments on this disc are when he is alternating rapid fire avant classical piano pieces with quieter more atmospheric ones, and combining all this with the wildest of sounds both vocal and object created. The piano strings are just as game for playing as are the ivories, and I believe he's utilising other stringed instruments as well. Playing these along with his found objects produce several interesting moments, some dark and mysterious and other enjoyably playful.

Stache is also apparently an active live performer and it sounds like an Erwin Stache show would be quite an experience. The CD liner notes describe one performance in which a bucket-elevator was transporting marbles and steel balls upwards and dropping them on to two dulcimers. Interesting and perhaps fun.

The CD case housing the disc is a work in itself. You open it up and a mechanism inside causes a screeching noise. In fact, the Rund Um Den Watzmann label's stated intent is to "fully explore the wide range of possibilities of records and their product packaging". Thus each is an artistic object in itself. Well, it certainly is a novelty.

Smokin' Granny — Sirius Matter

(Metaphoric Music Productions 1999, MMP 149027-9909)

Jerry Kranitz

Phwewww.... finally these guys have got a full-length CD out. Well they've had a cassette out since '97 but too many people are afraid of cassettes so a CD has been needed. Anyway, Smokin' Granny for me were one of those bands who came out on a stage, I had no idea who they were, and they proceeded to blow my mind with their instrumental jazzy, spacey, but heavy rockin' semi-avant progressive rock. Smokin" is not just the band name... it's a description. The core of the North Carolina based Grannies is Todd Barbee on saxophones and WX7 midi wind controller ('the midi' for review purposes), Jeffery Damon Lindsey on drums & percussion, Brian Preston on bass, and David Oskardmay on guitars and effects. They are joined on a few tracks by guests John Heitzenrater on guitars and bassoon, and Steve Hatch (from Volaré) on guitars.

When I first reviewed Smokin' Granny nearly two years ago I used bands like Curlew and Dr. Nerve as comparisons and noted they would fit well with the New York Downtown sound bands. Their 1997 Live at the Bat Cave cassette tracks are included on this CD release and on those tracks in particular I suppose the comparison gives a decent frame of reference. But Smokin' Granny can really rock out in their wild jazzy way.

The band also has a knack for 'stick in yer head' riffs that form the backbone of songs and suck you in for an attentive listen to the madness. From the earlier 97 sessions, "Edible Polymers and Squid each have a main sax riff that you can't get rid of. On Polymers, Barbee's sax absolutely wails and on Squid the band really rocks out Granny style. Among the later '98 tracks, Barnacle Bob's Big Bang Bonanza has a heavy funky bass and weaves aggressive segments with more laid back moments in which more is happening at once instrumentally than on many other tunes. Moveable Feast is another memorable riff tune that starts off easy going and then rocks out with 'the midi' playing something of a keyboard role. The horn melody really soars making this one of the Granny's more emotional tunes.

Other standout tracks include Neural Pulse, a three part 9 min tune in which we travel through multiple mood changes including the Transmission, Reception, and Response phases of the tune... from heavy Granny rockin' to quieter segments in which we float along on Todd's 'the midi'. Listen close to hear all the really great guitar sounds. Crankcase is the song that reminded me of Curlew, but is a real rocker. Blistering guitar and freaked out sax join forces for a a rockin' assault. Alien Space Journey has the 'midi' again in a heavy keyboard role. This is an aptly titled tune that trips along slowly for a bit until blasting off. Lots of intricate little guitar lines trade off with the sax.

Finally, Toad Pizza and Road To The Desert are what, for Smokin' Granny, seem like more 'normal' paced rockers. Toad Pizza is almost dancable, but still distinctly Granny. The tune has some great tasteful guitar licks and Barbee embellishes the tune with midi.

In summary, Smokin' Granny is a must for fans of complex, but accessible instrumental progressive with a jazz influence. But it's NOT fusion. And it's definitely 'out there' in a way that space fans would like. In fact, after listening to them for two years and two live experiences I can detect a distinct Smokin' Granny sound. Not an easy thing to do.

Ozone Quartet — Nocturne

(Flat Five Records 1999, FFR 2002)

Jerry Kranitz

Ozone Quartet is yet another of North Carolina's fiery instrumental ensembles. My introduction to this band was at the Progscape festival in 1995 when they opened the show in their previous incarnation as Cloud Nine. Then and on the Ozone debut CD I described the music as instrumental fusion that crosses Mahavishnu Orchestra and The Dregs with the heaviness of mid-period King Crimson.

And when I reviewed their CD Fresh Blood I noted that the addition of a new guitarist gave the band a much heavier sound. Well looking at their web page it turns out that original guitarist Graham Fry was still present on that album, but on Nocturne they really recruited a new axeman, one Kenny Thompson who joins Hollis Brown on electric violin, Wayne Leechford on Chapman stick, and Francis Dyer on drums and percussion.

Throughout Nocturne's 12 tracks Hollis' violin trips the light cosmiche while Leechford keeps a steady flowing stick beat. Thompson's guitar at times has an aggressive Red-era King Crimson edge but when soloing usually has a cleaner more fusion-like sound. When the quartet cranks and the four musicians are blazing along the intensity level is well outside the ozone layer. I deliberately put this after the Smokin' Granny review as both bands are among the cream of North Carolina's exciting instrumental outfits.

Boukman Eksperyans — Live At Red Rocks

(Tuff Gong International 1999, 54336-2)

Jerry Kranitz

Originally from Haiti, Boukman Eksperyans plays highly spirited music based in African rhythms and Caribbean melodies. Live At Red Rocks was recorded at the Reggae On The Rocks festival but this is not Reggae as I've known it. In fact, the vocal style is the only part that reminds me of Reggae.

For Aural Innovations readers, I won't call this full blown psychedelia but I love the guitarist, Miguel Jean-Baptiste, who has a style that is rockin' but can be floating in a psychedelic manner, yet also jam rock bluesy. He blends very nicely with the Caribbean rhythms, but would be equally at home with a 60's Fillmore power trio or acid psych band.

The instrumentation is heavy in varied forms of percussion and when the drums are going full blown, the vocals harmonizing, and the guitar rockin' along the music is high energy, uplifting, and trippy in its own way.

The keyboards have a symphonic quality at times and at others I was searching in vain for the sax player in the credits. And vocalist Theodore (Lolo) Beaubrun Jr is a fiery lead man who is energetic and gut wrenchingly emotional. An interesting experience that psych and even prog rock fans into various forms of world music might well enjoy.

Salamander — KFJC Radio - From the Vault - 27th April, 1999

(Camera Lucinda 1999, cl-002, CD-R)

Keith Henderson

I'm really learning to enjoy the freedom that the new digital technology has brought. With seemingly little effort, the members of Minneapolis' Salamander prepared an hour-long radio show for a local indie station and then turned it over to Tony Dale, who had 100 copies burned to disc for release on his new sub-label, intended for just these purposes. It makes a nice little package of rare goodies and works-in-progress that we can look forward to hearing again in final form later on.

Included on From the Vault are a couple interviews with main protagonists Erik Wivinus and Sean Connaughty, against a backdrop of spacey ambient music. Sean's part includes some statements on the general philosophy of the band and the development of their improv style. Also included are a sampling of tracks from the spinoff bands Gentle Tasaday and Vortex Navigation Company, which I won't get into as there are full reviews of these in the regular Review section. By far the coolest aspect are the two Untitled New Songs that bracket the disc. UNS#1 is a mantric work with poetry lyrics and tabla percussion along the lines of Saddar Bazaar, only better. UNS#2 is a more folksy tune, again in a minor key, and features a neat effect that I'll call a 'space whistle.' You Think Shrinks are Nuts and You No. 9 are more dreamy and lysergic works that sound like cleaner early Hawkwind material (Text of Festival days). Space out, man.

Well, for a band that was defunct for a few years before this recent resurrection, I'm happy to say that we have some more great things to look forward to from the Twin Cities. This little community of space bands (also including Skye Klad) have really hit on something special, and I'm ready to drink it all in. Their fully-evolved works Red Mantra and Red Ampersand (both Camera Obscura) are what to initially look for of course (as these are both 'must have' items) - more easily found in the Northern Hemisphere anyway. But to the primed Salamander fan: You should definitely get your hands on one of these collectable items before they quickly vanish.

Monster Magnet — Viva Las Vegas

(A&M Records 1999)

Scott Heller

This is the limited edition live CD that came in the 2nd release of Powertrip in the US and Europe. While many feel that Monster Magnet have sold out now and become too mainstream, I would like to argue that this has all been a calculated plot by Dave Wyndorf himself. A little background... Back in 1995 I had a one - hour chat with Dave on the bus in Boston and he told me that in order for him to gain 100% control and be able to put out albums like Space Ritual with 20-minute songs he had to ride the edge of just being pop enough to sell enough records to gain this control.

Now that Powertrip has sold like 2 million worldwide, he must be smiling. This CD just shows you that the band really wants to play "Space Rock".

The CD opens with a pretty standard Temple of your Dreams. Next up Dave gives a monologue about the CD being recorded in Las Vegas and that they have been playing the same numbers for the last 6 months and how would the audience like to hear some "Space Rock"! Now the CD really gets going... you can hear the Hawkwind era 1972 space sounds in the background and the band blast into Dinosaur Vacuum. Baby Götterdämerung is next and also pretty spaced.

This is followed by an excellent very psychedelic version of Cage Around the Sun. Finally, they close the set with Bummer at 7 ½ minutes, which of course stole the guitar riff from Hawkwind's Time We Left This World today! The music is not over before a 9½ minute version of Space Lord Mutherfucker, where I can just picture Dave smiling all the way to the bank; as he has 30,000 people singing Space Lord Motherfucker and all sorts of other weird lyrics!! Excellent CD and shows that the band are still dedicated to playing some spacerock.

The Afresco Mantis — The Afresco Mantis

(self-released demo 1999, cassette)

Jerry Kranitz

Neighbours and friends of Mr. Quimby's Beard, The Afresco Mantis is yet another entry on the Sunderland spacerock scene. Flute and synth player Kidd is the tie to MQB, being of both bands, and he is joined by Chris on drums, Bert on guitar, synth, and vocals, and Fozzy on bass. On this 4-track demo cassette the band displays a heavy Hawkwind styled spacerock not unlike that played by Krel and Spacehead.

The band's magnum opus is the 27-minute The Harris Tweed EP, a deep space tune that features heavy guitar, wildly shooting synths, low thudding bass, and deadly serious vocals. The promo material explains that the song started as a 5-minute tune and developed over time to its current length through jamming. And a jam tune is exactly what this is. The track is an extended exploration that grooves along but can also be quite intense with its rolling beat, chanting vocals, and space synth madness. Kidd's flute comes in late to give a more cosmic floating feel, as it does at various points throughout the four tracks.

Arizpheric Bush opens with a plodding bass line, the rush of ocean waves and birds chirping overhead, and a trippy psychedelic flute. The music is similar to Harris Tweed but feels darker and perhaps a bit sinister. There's a dreamy segment similar to Tangerine Dream that includes heavy repetitive synth lines at the forefront with cosmic flute tripping alongside it. On The Prophets Will Go To The Fish, Afresco Mantis offer spacerock's long awaited tribute to Laurel & Hardy. As a longtime L&H fan myself it was odd but very cool hearing Stan's voice and classic whimpering on a spacerock piece. And finally, Overself is a more structured song that is at times metallic and at others cosmically floating.

I'd never heard of Sunderland before hooking up with Hardy and the clan and now there are two spacerock bands of note in this NE English town. Afresco Mantis will likewise appeal to Hawkwind fans and all those into heavier spacerock. Let's hope a properly recorded disc isn't long in coming.