4.04.2009

Recent news.............

.......... "Disastro Mix Tapes are dead! Long live Disastro Mix Tapes!!!!" You folks should feel embarrassed & ashamed if you did not DL any of his offerings! I know about all of the hard work & effort he had put into them..............& it is not right it went all for nought!

.......... The latest 13th Floor Elevators offering is the previously mentioned box set "Sign Of The 3 Eyed Man". Unfortunately the MONO mix of "The Psychedelic Sounds Of...." could not be located.............. so they are using (get this) .......... a rip of a clean LP! So ....... you mean to tell me that a "Mother" or a "Stamper" could not be located either? Let alone the master tapes? Lelan is rolling in his grave right now at your shenanigans.......... this is no better the the Texas Psyche Trade Group offers on their pirates......... & now you expect me to pay for it when I can trade it for free? (Or damn real close to free?) Preferable order would have been Master Tape -> Mother -> Stamper -> LP. As you can see a Mother is made from the Master Tape. A Stamper is made from the Mother & a Stamper is what is sent to the pressing plants to make the LP's from. This is no better then what Charley Records has done to The Red Crayola in the past. Not to mention what EVA did to Bubble Puppy............. (Sorry......said I wouldn't mention it...........)

House Of Blues Artist Of The Month Kevin Rudolf sucks sweaty monkey balls after a vigorous workout in a tropical forest. His music reminds me of little balls of carrot laden bunny poo rolling downhill never to reach the end.......... (eat your heart out Sisyphus!)

"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted" - Jim Carroll via Hassan-i Sabbah. (or was that Brion Gysin......... I always get the 2 mixed up..........silly me.)

3.29.2009

Massive Musical Musings...........

This is the biggest score in a long, long, LONG time! Local record store (not saying who or where as that would blow it for me.....find your own goldmines!!!!), uninformed staff (lucky if any of them are over 21), all in the budget section & all for $1! HA HA HA HA!!!!!! C'mon now........ they disregarded the golden rule here when pricing things they do not know.......... "Start it a $6.00 & if it does not sell move it down in price slowly........ $5.00, $2.50 then $1.00 so they had it comming to them. As I was checking out w/ my Klaus Schulze 3 x's 2 CD box set La vie electronique for $10.00 (another major screw up on their part as it is new for $46.00 for both) someone in front of me had just brought these titles in for trade. While the clerk was taking them out of the bag I deceided that since they f*cked this box set up I'll stick around until the trade is over & see what they get priced for. That decision paid off in SPADES!!!! Not only did I get a chance to talk to the person trading in the discs (I learned ALOT about some of the bands he was trading in that I did not know........... & some bands I did not know at all!!!!) but I scored 22 CD's for $22.00. The downside to this was watching the chap take $7.50 cash for all of them w/ the explaination of "Based on popularity........" (Had the clerk looked up the artists online she would have known that some of these are HUGE in popularity........ they just happen to be specialty items.........) Since they were duplicates in his collection he didn't mind so much I guess as he took the offer & left. I waited for them to price them up & followed the clerk around while he filed them. I about pissed myself when he stopped in front of the $1.00 case & just shoved the whole handful in! Greedily, I lunged in after them & managed to procur the entire trade intact. I swiftly took them up to the counter, paid for them ($32.00 + tax) & made my way out as quickly as possible. I felt like I was stealing them as I got to the car but realized that if they do not know what they have then it is not my job to educate them, now is it.

First up in our massive selection is 2066 (Twenty Sixty Six) & Then "Reflections On The Future".

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This is their only release. (1972) In the Krautrock meets Zappa style that permeates this release Butterking is the stand out favorite. Although it made me giggle at first listen it definitely has some likable musical qualities to it. Just check out the vocals alone to know what I mean.........
There are 3 different versions of this release floating around"Reflections On The Future" is the actual LP. "Reflections On The Past" is a disc of unreleased/different mixes from the sessions & "Reflections" is a compilation of both discs.

2066 & Then - Butterking.mp3

Achim Reichel "Echo"

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Starting his career in 1963 as part of The Rattles (know for opening for The Beatles on tour) Achim left & started his own band Wonderland in 1966. When that went nowhere he went solo. "Echo" is his second solo release on Polydor & a killer to boot! Check out Einleitung (Invitation) to see what I mean.

Achim Reichel - Einleitung (Invitation).mp3

Alcatraz "Vampire State Building"

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I was always under the pretense that this was a lame LP. I was wrong. Billed by some as a blues/rock fusion I found out that this is the farthest thing from the truth. Recorded at Wumme Studios (Faust anyone?) If you have doubts check out Piss Off below.......... this is their only release. (Which is a shame.)

Alcatraz - Piss Off.mp3

Amon Duul II "Wolf City"

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Starting out as a political commune in the 60's Amon Duul was a vehicle to deliver their anachronistic views to a musically charged audience. Unfortunately due to a difference in views along the way Amon Duul Split into A.M. I & A.M. II. Amon Duul I was more freeform & chaotic while Amon Duul II was more tuneful in their delivery. Not to say they weren't freeform & chaotic.......... just that they were less so then A.M. I. This is my fave off of this release. It is called Green Bubble Raincoated Men............. it will not disappoint.

Amon Duul II - Green Bubble Raincoated Man.mp3

Annexus Quam "Osmose"

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Reminding me of early Ash Ra Temple this was their first proper release. (Other then a track on the V/A release Ohrenschmaus on the Ohr label.) Mixing international & jazz instruments in w/ a kraut/psyche music should not have worked but boy does it on this LP. I hate jazz. Absolutely abhor is pretentious, snotty, holier then thou attitude. Here, it works well w/ it's heavy rock leanings. I find myself playing Osmose II over & over again..........

Annexus Quam - Osmose II.mp3

Can "Soundtracks"

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If you do not know who Can is by now then why are you reading this? One of THEE names in this genre of music. It is exactly what the title says. A collection of soundtrack recordings that was made by friends of the band back in the art house days of Colonge, Germany. I'll have to dig out my Holger Czukay & Damo Suzuki autographs to post later.......

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GET ANYTHING & EVERYTHING YOU CAN BY THESE GUYS!!!!!

Here's Mother Sky to hold you over in the meantime though......

Can - Mother Sky.mp3

Cosmic Jokers Sci-Fi Party

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A supergroup that never was. Klaus Schulze (Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Temple), Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Temple), Jurgen Dollase (Ash Ra Temple, Wallenstein), Harald Grosskopf (Ash Ra Temple, Klaus Schulze solo) & Dieter Dirks. (Known more for his production of krautrock then for his playing. He has helped make some of the finest LP's out there. "Knobtwidler" for Orange Peel, Walpurgis, Rufus Zuphall & much, much more........) These fine musicians were lured into a studio one night w/ the promise of little money & lots of drugs....... Rolf-Urlich Kaiser then released the recordings chopped up & remixed............. some even had overdubbed vocals by his then girlfriend Gille (Jill). Klaus sued & Rolf disappeared.......... now legally available on CD through Spalax. Here's Planten Sit-in. (Julian Cope wants to be these guys!)

Cosmic Jokers - Planeten Sit in.mp3

Dorian Gray "Idahaho Transfer".

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Absolutely nothing is known about this group. Even the liner notes are blank. My copies of "The Crack In The Cosmic Egg" & "Cosmic Dreams At Play" (reference tomes) offer no entries. Oh well....... still very good stuff............here's The Mole to mull over..........

Dorian Gray - The Mole.mp3

GAA "Auf Der Bahn Zum Uranus"

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Here is one of the groups I knew nothing of.............. seems they were on the Kerston label along w/ Epidermis - Genius Of Original Force & are just as hard to come by. (I sold a copy on EBAY for $200.00 so I have a tendency to agree.) Sounding a lot like Mythos (Cosmic Couriers label) though heavier on the keyboards. I found no substantial information.

Here's Uranus to help you form your own opinions...........

Gaa - Uranus.mp3

Gila "Free Electric Sound"

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A friend of mine named Ray use to tell me that he knew of only one other person who had a better record collection then my own. Her name was Terry & she dated Cricket Death Manson (A.K.A. Paul Browning) back once upon ago. Ray use to say that the reason for this was that I didn't own Gila "Free Electric Sound" & she did. Other then that our record tastes were identical but her collection was better. (At least in his eyes.) Things have changed since then. Terry overdosed YEARS ago (Heroin)......... Cricket has lost the use of the right side of his body (fell 4 stories while scaling a vine terrace) ......... Ray can not remember things too well (mental illness)...... & I own a copy of "Free Electric Sound". (Which pales in comparison to the others but what could I do? Do I REALLY want to compete on THOSE levels? HELL NO!!!! I'll settle for the LP any day.) Thing of it all is.......... is that it's not all that good. Promised to me by Ray to sound like a more chaotic Pink Floyd this does not live up to that. This is too organ driven to be on the same page as Pink Floyd. If held in it's own light though it is a good first effort which holds a lot of promise. In my opinion Aggression is the best of the bunch. Rhythmic organ & classic krautrock guitar noodling makes this track most memorable.

Gila - Aggression.mp3

Golem "Orion Awakes"

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Supposedly a "Long Lost Krautrock Classic!!!" reissued on the Psi-Fi label in '98 - '99 along with The Astral Army, Baal, Chronos, Feuerrote, Pyramid, Spirulina, Ten To Zen, Temple, Cozmic Corridors & The Nazgul. Unfortunately these are not what they seem to be. The source to all of these releases is a certain Toby Robinson, engineer in Dieter Dierk's studio. What is looking to shape up to be is in the mid-nineties he has/had a bunch of musician friends (no names have ever been revealed) record several long "krautrock-like" jams a-la "Cosmic Jokers", cut & edit said recordings & then issue them as fake krautrock classics. W/ his reputation of working w/ Dieter Dierk's heavily in tow he issued these on the Psi-Fi lable & even sold the rights to use some of his tapes to Virgin to use in their Unknown Deutschland Vol. 1 - 3 collections. To find out that is was recorded in the '90's is very disappointing. When I worked in Amoeba in Berkeley I scored several Psi-Fi recordings & all 3 Unknown Deutschland collections for around $7.95 each. (Unknown Deutschland was $11.95 each as they were imports.) Every recording I have heard on this label is truely great & a very convincing copy of krautrock. I would not be surprised in the least if the musicians behind all this turns out to be Ozric Tentacles. (That's what the recordings sound like to me.) When I bought this CD I knew what I was getting this time around but really wish I knew back then as I now feel betrayed. I will not review the track I chose to post here as it is not in the spirit of the entire post but still include it as it is part of the purchase & thought you folks may still like to hear what they sound like...... (As of 2007 The Krautrock Compendium still reviews these releases as being geniune..........oops.........)

Golem - Stellar Launch.mp3

Kraftwerk "Kraftwerk"

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Their first release & many years before "Autobahn" Ralf & Florian are fresh out of Organization. They ditched Basil Hammoudi, Butch Hauf & Alfred Mönicks & picked up Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger along the way for recordings & sporatic live gigs. (Who left to form NEU!) Their name means "Power Plant" in german & is a perfect description of just what they can do. There really is not much I can say that will convey what Kraftwerk is or does. They define what this genre represents & has to offer as far as originality & musicianship. Truely wonderful music. Here's Ruckzuck to convince you of their deserving title as one of the greats.........

Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck.mp3

La Dusseldorf "La Dusseldorf"

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Another Klaus Dinger project this one relies heavily on light etherial pieces of music that project you to the prettier side of his musical offerings. Yet another of the giants (as you see this trade is chock full of the best) Klaus does not let the listener down w/ what I consider his opus. At almost 14 minutes in length this has all the staples that make a Klaus Dinger recording. Repetitive drums, spacey keyboards, whispered vocals............ it's all in there. Fans of Hawkwind & heavy drugs should look for this!!!! Put this on & go for a nod.

La Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf.mp3

My Solid Ground "My Solid Ground"

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I knew nothing of this band & have come to find out that not to many people do........... they were on the same label as Nektar (Bacillus). Sounding like typical hard rock for it's time The Executioner is the odd man out. Vocally creepy.......... very creepy & in the same vein musically as Guru Guru this is getting repetitive plays on my sound system.

My Solid Ground - The Executioner.mp3

NEU! "NEU!"

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& yet even more Klaus Dinger for your enjoyment! This time around he is w/ an equal in the form of Michael Rother who has done many great solo recordings as well as collaborations. If you have ever heard "Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening To NEU!" by Sonic Youth side project Ciccone Youth then you have already heard Hallogallo. It is the track playing in the background as Kim Gordon & Susanne Sasic (SY's lighting director) discuss managing a band only referred to as "Dinosaur" & that they call for someone on the phone named only "J". Knowing that J. Mascis is featured on this track one can assertain that "J" is J. Mascis & Dinosaur in in fact "Dinosaur Jr." (They added the "Jr." part after learnig of an old hippie band named Dinosaur still owned the title.........) Long out of print at the time of the SY release but thankfully that error has been rectified by Astralwerks who has reissued all 3 legitamate releases onto CD. (I have an original UK press on LP.) Cali avants Negitiveland also named themselves after a NEU! track. Hallogallo is not my fave.......... Negitiveland is......... but then again........... I prefer Negitiveland over Ciccone Youth/Sonic Youth anytime. Here's Hallogallo just the same...........

NEU! - Hallogallo.mp3

Sand "Golem"

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Originally issued in early '74 titled Golem on the Delta-Acustic label & saved from obscurity by Davit Tibet (Current 93, Nurse With Wound, Death In June) in '96 titled Ultrasonic Seraphim on his own label United Durtro this is one monster of a recording. Story has it that 4 young german country bumkins move from their quaint rural hometown to the big bad city of Colonge invited by Can's manager Manfred Schmidt after opening for them where promptly 2 of them freak the fuck out & head straight back home. Leaving the brothers Papenburg w/out a bassist & drummer. They enlist a keyboard player & pick up where they left off moving to Berlin in the interim. Now while in Berlin the new keyboardist meets a little known lad who goes by the name of KLAUS SCHULZE & he offers to produce this, their only recording, ever released. Recorded in the "Artificial Head Sound System" you know this sounds killer w/ headphones on. (Just think "5.1" & you'll be along the correct lines of thought.) Dark, rich atmospheres permeate this release & you can almost feel Klaus' hand move through the music as he leaves his fingerprints all over the place. The song I am posting "Sarah" feels like it could fit in any given Dario Argento movie. (That is, if Goblin couldn't get the day off..........)

Sand - Sarah.mp3

Tomorrow's Gift "Tomorrow's Gift"

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"The best song ever to open w/ the sounds of a casket!" (The only other one I can think of is The Monster Mash by Bobby "Borris" Picket.) It ranks right up there w/ Come To The Sabbat by Black Widow & everything Black Sabbath has ever done. (As Black Sabbath is redundant musically this is not a hard feat to accomplish.) Prayin' To Satan is best served on a chilly fall night walking alone in a cemetary miles away from home. The rest of this CD is boring hard rock w/ female vocals along the lines of what Renaissance would become after Keith Relf & Jim McCarty left.

Tomorrow's Gift - Prayin` To Satan.mp3

Wallenstein "Blitzkreig"

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I absolutely love what sounds like a synclavier running rampant in the begining of this song! I know it is some kind of clavier but as to the specific nature of it I am not aware of. Jurgen Dollase & Harald Grosskopf (both Cosmic Joker's) wanted to name the band Blitzkreig & The LP Wallenstein but settled for the reverse when discovering a Blitzkreig was already performing in Britian. Released on the PILZ label (One of the most reverend along side Brain, Bellephon, Bacillus, Sky, OHR, Kosmische Musik, Kuckuck, Metronome & Egg) re-issued on ZYX (known for it's dance/club/techno releases). This is their first effort & the effort is well worth finding it!!!
Here's Lunatic for your pleasure......

Wallenstein - Lunetic.mp3


Xhol (Caravan) "Electrip"

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Another Zappa sounding band. Only this time "Make A Jazz Noise Here" period. Not much is known except they got their start as a soul band called Soul Caravan. Then moved onto a Deep Purple sound as Xhol Caravan. They shortened their name to just Xhol shortly after this release.
Here is Pop Games of their first release. I have also pitch controlled the beginning down to where you can make out what they are saying. It is not clean enough to put into print here.

Xhol Caravan - Pop Games.mp3
Xtol Caravan - Speed Reduced Intro - Pop Games.mp3

Yatha Sidhra "A Meditation Mass"

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Unfortunately this is thier only release. A pure cosmic Krautrock masterpiece. The LP cuts the continuous recording into 2 tracks as the CD cuts it into 4 but no matter in either case as the tacks flow into each other as intended originally. Not well recorded but does not overtly effect the music in a negitive way. In fact, it enhances it quite well............ remastering might do a small bit of justice here but I severely doubt it. Along the lines of Tangerine Dream's Fly & Collision Of Coma Sola in recording quality. (You know.........when the drums kick in frantically & you can no longer tell what sound is being made by what instrument & when as it is all drenched in a heavy echo & reverb sauce & served piping hot?) Only this would be the other side of that coin. Controlled, rhythmic, stunningly beautiful........... definately meditation material.

Yatha Sidhra - Part 1.mp3

& finally....... after 2 Saturdays of working on this one post we have come to the end.

Zweistein "Trip/Flipout/Meditation"

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If 2066 is the Krautrock Frank Zappa then this is Krautrock's Wild Man Fisher. Unorganized, noisy, amaturish, an excessive mess really. Just one big ingenious mess. Like The ESP label The Godz first efforts this has that same chaotic childlike simplistic quality to it. Zweinstein was Jacques Dorian, his wife & children. W/ obviously no recording experience (or real musical talent) they produced one of the weirdest Krautrock LP's ever made. Think The Shaggs & you know what I mean............ no tracks are named & on this CD re-issue they are only referred to is Track 1, Track 2 (Etc.). Check it out in it's entirity if you can............

Zweistein - Track 4.mp3

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