Alain Eckert Quartet ~ France

Alain Eckert Quartet (1981)

---March 2006

When I think of terms like "avant progressive", the music of the Alain Eckert Quartet is exactly what I expect. Like an earlier version of Forgas Band Phenomena, or a more playful and less serious Univers Zero. Compositionally strong, with a penchant for jazz, though a bit academic, without a strong sense of a groove. A good one for the brain, but perhaps lacking a bit in excitement.

---12/15/13

The 31 minutes of live material as found on the Soleil Zeuhl CD absolutely destroys the studio material. Here The Alain Eckert Quartet is on fire, in the same zone as you might find Magma on their Live album - with killer Zeuhl bass, wild fuzz guitar soloing, insane drumming, and staccato piano. Stunning really.

Ownership:

2013 Soleil Zeuhl (CD). Liner notes and the key bonus tracks as noted above. Acquired in 2013.

1981 L'Amanite (LP). Acquired in 2006. Reacquired in 2026.

3//06 (review); 12/15/13 (update); 8/6/19

Les Goths - Reve de Silence. 1968 France (archival)

Here we have an insane psychedelic blues archival album from France, not a country normally known for such things - at least not in the late 60s. There's not a whole lot in the way of song craft here, but who cares really when you have this kind of insane fuzz guitar coupled with the frenetic drumming. Not to mention the spaced out vocals in English, French, and Mitterrand's personal burden: Franglais. Had Chico Magnetic Band released their album in 1968 rather than 1971, then this would have been a reasonable facsimile of such a fantasy. Quite an incredible find from the good folks at Shadoks. Highly recommended.

CD: 2011 Shadoks (Germany)

This fine archival package was released on both vinyl and CD by Shadoks. Features full liner notes regarding the history, and plenty of photos.

Psicomagia. 2013 USA-California

As with another modern US group - Ampledeed - Psicomagia pay homage to one of my personal favorite styles of music. Not Canterbury this time, but rather the freaked out - yet still highly melodic - early 1970s European jazz rock scene. There were many bands operating in Continental Europe that had been influenced by Frank Zappa's landmark 1969 Hot Rats  masterpiece. Perhaps that's why San Diego based Psicomagia chose a Danish label to release their album? Ha! Not really of course, since El Paraiso is responsible for similar retro artists coming from contemporary Denmark like Causa Sui and Papir. And Psicomagia are no strangers to the retro play either, as saxophonist Brian Ellis also plays in Astra (on lead guitar) - a band that I personally adore.

There are only 4 tracks on Psicomagia's debut, and the centerpiece is the two part 27 minute 'El Congreso'. The Spanish titles are not insouciant additions, but rather foreshadow the Spanish poetry interlaced throughout (in very small doses, so don't worry instrumental fans). But the delivery is  deliciously psychotic, yet another reverent memento to the early 70s masters. There are some truly sublime moments interspersed throughout, that achieve supreme peak moments. Sudden shifts in meter is intersected by tight wind charts and insane synthesizer soloing, which are seriously head turning material. Worth noting there isn't any guitar here, but the keyboard tones are such that you won't miss it. At times I was reminded of Larry Young's organ sound on Love Cry Want.

There's only a couple of grumps here from my side: 1) The bass is way too high in the mix and tends to drown out the other instruments. If it were played in the crisp pulsating Zeuhl style, then OK, it would be warranted. But it really sounds muddy - which is a shame since Trevor Mast seems to be putting in a very fine performance. 2) There's no sense of editing, which is a problem for many modern bands. It's straight heroin. Some of the solos could have been trimmed a bit, and a little more subtlety applied on these instrumentals would have been much welcomed. Going full blast / screaming loud all the time is not a virtue, except perhaps in certain fields of metal, punk, and electronica. Regarding 2), this is where I would think a studied listen to an album like Moving Gelatine Plates' The World of Genius Hans or National Health's Of Queues and Cures would pay enormous dividends. I think fixing both of these issues would produce a modern masterpiece. They're close as it is - despite these flaws. Highly recommended.

Ownership: CD: 2013 El Paraiso (Denmark)

12/13/13 (new entry)

After All - s/t. 1969 USA

Put me in the contingent that claims After All's sole album to be unheralded. I also have to agree with those that say this sounds more like what was coming out of England during this time, rather than the capital of Florida. A superb example of psychedelic rock within a jazzy framework. Fantastic Hammond and guitar leads. Side 1 is particularly excellent, and the opener 'Intangible She' has to rank amongst the best tracks I've heard in the genre. Side 2 drops off a bit, but there's some fine songwriting throughout.

CD: 2000 Gear Fab

This is an album that I somehow missed entirely until a couple of months ago, so I just picked up the Gear Fab CD, which is pretty scarce nowadays. The CD is typical barebones Gear Fab fodder, with a single tray card. But at least they utilize that one slip with unique liner notes. And it's legit, and sounds great.

Major Surgery - The First Cut. 1977 England

From my point of view, there is a big difference between fusion and jazz rock. Fusion, as typified by bands like Return to Forever or Weather Report, is instrumental rock music played by jazz guys. It would almost seem the perfect marriage of the two genres: Virtuoso players tackling the meatier rock angst and sounds. But like any genre, there are some albums with depth and others that are pretty transparent. Jazz rock, on the other hand, is usually a jazz album with rock instrumentation sprinkled throughout. Fusion was more of a mid to late 1970s thing. Jazz rock was more typical at the turn of the 1970 decade, when the creativity of rock was capturing the imagination of jazzers tiring of the same ole, same ole. Major Surgery is a great example of jazz rock, and very much a sound out of vogue for 1977.

CD adds one bonus track 'Calypso Reg'. As the title suggests the track is incongruous with the album proper, and isn't a necessary addition.

Ownership: LP: 1977 Next. Single sleeve. Acquired from a friend (2012).

The AC sums up: "Jazz-rock rarity from this largely unknown unit, led by saxophonist Don Weller. He and drummer Tony Marsh would go on to become fairly well-known figures in the UK jazz scene, but of perhaps greater interest to prog fans is that the guitar here is handled by Jimmy Roche, who once played with the great East of Eden. His playing here is in a sort of jumpy, Larry Coryell-esque style that I find highly appealing. This stuff is definitely coming from the jazzier end of the jazz-rock spectrum, and being sax-fronted and lacking any sort of keyboard presence..."

3/5/12 (first listen / review); 12/11/13 (update / new entry); 2/12/24

Caillou ~ France

Caillou (2013)

Caillou are an all instrumental group from France that is firmly within the confines of the jazz rock wing of the Zeuhl factory. Fender Rhodes and electric guitar lead the solo parade (and both will occasionally fuzz out, much to my glee). Drumming is scattered in the jazz tradition, while the bass rumbles along, trying to hold it all together. Analog synthesizer definitely adds much needed color. Comparisons I've read to One Shot are spot on. Caillou are their best when they attempt songwriting, and throw in a memorable melody or two (such as on 'Victor F.' and '200 Toiles'). It stands as a fine debut, though they can certainly improve in the composition department, while adding a bit more complexity and trimming off the solo excess. It can seem a bit monolithic over the course of the 55 minutes on display. I look forward to where they go from here.

---9/20/24

Well... they didn't go anywhere obviously, but they have reformed as reported on Under the Radar. So we still have a chance for a follow-up. In hearing this album tonight for the first time since that initial experience, I find myself enjoying the sloppy jazz rock aspect of the album. I mean sloppy in a positive way, not one of incompetence. The music has a layer of rawness that was prevalent in early 70s jazz rock, especially within Germany and some of the private recordings here in America. The label - Soleil Mutant - indicates it wasn't intended to be a pure Zeuhl album. And that would be correct, even though there are certainly elements of the genre, namely the bass work. 'Les Carpates' is one example that brings the heavy Magma intensity. So with that... I look forward to where they go from here. :-)

Ownership: 2013 Soleil Zeuhl (CD). Digipak with recording info. Acquired in 2013.

12/10/13 (review); 9/20/24 (update)

12/10/13 (new entry)

Gringo. 1971 England

Gringo on their sole album present a very intriguing mix of UK styled proto progressive with female vocals, and American harmonized pop-psych. With the progressive opener 'Cry the Beloved Country', Gringo can easily be placed with contemporaries like Room or Goliath for example. But Gringo also look back in time to fellow countrymen The Animals and their edgy psychedelic work. And then there's the pop psych angle, and the female lead harmony work recall The Mamas & The Papas, as well as The Association at times. Gringo is worth seeking out for serious progressive rock archivists.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Gonzo. Jewel case. Features unique liner notes written from each member of the band + many photos. Also two short bonus tracks. I love the Art Deco styled painting that adorns the cover. 

11/04 (first listen); 12/10/13 (review / new entry)

Cosmic Circus Music - Wiesbaden 1973. Germany (archival)

Cosmic Circus Music is a fantastic find. It possesses that unique cosmic Krautrock blend that recalls luminaries such as Agitation Free, The Cosmic Jokers, Dom, and Yatha Sidhra. Cosmic Circus Music is essentially a jam band, but is absolutely dripping with atmosphere that was typical of early 70s Germany. If you're a fan of this style, then you won't want to miss this CD.

CD: 2013 Garden of Delights

It's hard to discern if the cassette was ever available for purchase. I had been lead to believe you could obtain it via mailorder back in the 70s. The GoD liner notes mention the cassette, but mainly as the private property of the one who recorded it (see the bottom of this section for more explanation). Apparently the tape is filled with 90 minutes of music, and they had to shorten it for the CD to 82 minutes. (As as aside, I learned that they now have CDs that can go as long as 90 minutes, but not many of the players can replay that much back. I'm not familiar enough with the technology to understand that aspect). As well, we learned the concert was longer than 90 minutes, and some of the missing time was between "Side 1" and "Side 2" when they had to flip the cassette over. Ah, the good old days...  Anyway, the CD is fantastic, filled with informative liner notes and photos. And most certainly the best sound possible, though it will never be perfect. It wasn't meant for release in the first place.

UMR's friend Achim from Germany further clarifies the situation above: "I just picked up the Cosmic Circus CD. As I understand from the German booklet notes, there are (or were) two tapes. Or, that is the most logical explanation of the text. One was recorded at "some festival" in 1972 (featuring a 45 minute version of Sternenmaskerade) was supposed to be released as tape by Andromeda Press (and mentioned in the article by German magazine Sounds). This got never officially released, but apparently some copies exist, maybe privately distributed by the band members. Another one was recorded in July 1973 by Muck Krieger and was not meant to be released back then. This was rediscovered some time ago, now shortened to 80 minutes and released  by Gardens of Delights." Then it must have been the "Andromeda Press" album that I believe I first heard. Which explains the difference between the 1972 and 1973 dates. And would seem to indicate they are different albums! I will leave everything here in any case. I don't think I have the energy to update RYM and Gnosis :-)

Space Debris - She's a Temple. 2013 Germany

Space Debris also have at least four live albums not included above. It would appear that Breitklang is the house label for the band.

Space Debris are a German band that have been releasing albums for over a decade, and if the debut title is an indicator, have been recording for close to two decades. Their albums have never been for sale here in America, or if they had, only from a specialist mail order house and for a short time. Which is surprising really, as I think they'd sell pretty well here - relatively speaking of course. Since I was already ordering from Green Brain in Germany for the Cosmic Circus Music (see UMR site), I decided to throw this one in to save on postage.  Besides it was co-released by Green Brain, and the European write-ups I'd seen gave this one a big thumbs up. As you can probably tell by my album cover display protocol, "She's a Temple" is the only album I own by them - though I do still have a CD-R copy of "Three" which was my introduction to the band. I found both albums to be similar which gives me no reason to believe the remaining albums are any more different than the other. Though I'm sure each album has their peaks and valleys. I would certainly enjoy hearing them all at some point to see for myself.

I would consider Space Debris a Jam Band first and Krautrock band second. Their approach to music is based on the long form improvisational jam centered around the soloists for guitar and organ. On "She's a Temple" there are eight tracks of which only two are less than 8 minutes. Melody and composition are non existent, except if they accidentally stumble into one. The guitarist plays in a fairly heavy style, fortunately just short of the stoner fuzz standard, and certainly not metal. The keyboardist lives for his Hammond organ and 70s era synthesizers and it is he, more than anyone else in the band, that gives Space Debris their Krautrock undertone. While not exactly Orange Peel and Eiliff, one could potentially see those bands playing in a similar style 40 years later. The rhythm section keeps things moving along, and it's clear they have a background in rock rather than jazz. I found myself enjoying the album most when they locked into a solid organ groove. Perhaps it's just not something I hear as much nowadays, compared to the dozens of guitar-centered bands out there. I would say for comparison sakes that Electric Orange, another contemporary German band, is just the flip of Space Debris - that is Krautrock first / Jam Band second. The brooding and hazy atmosphere of the classic German underground is mostly missing here. Perhaps the biggest giveaway was the English spelling of "Temple". Haha - well maybe?

I think by now you can tell if Space Debris are for you or not. Maybe not my favorite type of band, but certainly I found this album enjoyable.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Beitklang

12/8/13 (new entry)

The Worm Ouroboros ~ Belarus

Of Things That Never Were (2013)

The Worm Ouroboros are a band from Belarus, a country that up until now has yet to make an appearance into my collection. No doubt they came as a reference from Rational Diet, a popular Belarusian chamber rock group, also settled within the AltRock canon.

The Worm Ouroboros are clearly informed by the classic Canterbury scene, and it's most apparent with regards to the fuzzy keyboard tones, copious use of flute, complex meters, kinetic electric guitar, and a melodic disposition.  All of which automatically elevates the album to top tier status in my world. Certainly other classic early 70s progressive influences come to the fore where one can easily spot Steve Hackett, Pink Floyd, Camel, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and even Magma! Some of the acoustic guitar and flute duo's reminded me of Solaris. The Worm Ouroboros should only improve from here, as they start to shed the obvious influences, and their own identity commences to emerge. They're off to an excellent beginning!

Ownership: 2013 Fading (CD). Acquired in 2013.

12/5/13 (review / new entry)

Kikagaku Moyo ~ Japan

Kikagaku Moyo (2013)

Kikagaku Moyo is Japanese for Geometric Patterns, and is a perfectly fitting name for this promising up and coming psychedelic space rock group from Tokyo. Fantastic artwork adorns the cover and is appropriate for the music within. According to the label, Kikagaku Moyo set out to recreate the magic sounds of the early 1970s Japanese underground. From this listener's perspective there cannot possibly be enough bands to attempt that! Kikagaku Moyo have done an admirable job of creating that unique Asian atmosphere (by way of Eastern scales, Japanese wind instruments, and sitar), while adding layers of strummed acoustic guitar, anguished wah wah guitar solos, echoed female narration, pounding drums, and theremin. And while the goal may have been to recreate the music of four decades ago, there is no mistaking this to be a modern recording - especially when you consider the slabs of fuzz distortion that come blasting from the speakers. Have no fear, Kikagaku Moyo are a million miles away from Stoner Metal. As well, there are no unhinged solos ala Acid Mothers Temple that would have you screaming STOP! and running from the room in seconds. This is indeed the underground of the 70s, the world of bands like Far Out, Far East Family Band, Love Live Life + One, and Genshi Kyodotai. Time is taken to create the hazy atmosphere, but musical climaxes are delivered at just the right time - similar to the 70s masters. Probably the 90s Japanese band Ghost is a good guidepost, but I feel Kikagaku Moyo has already surpassed them in quality. This is an exciting new band that I hope we will hear more from soon.

Ownership: 2013 Cosmic Eye (LP)

12/4/13 (acquired / review); 9/1/25

Kikagaku Moyo went on to release many more albums, but I haven't heard any of them.

12/4/13 (new entry)

Beyond-O-Matic - Relations at the Borders Between. 2013 USA-California

San Francisco based Beyond-O-Matic (though leader Fuhry now resides in Austin, Texas) were one of many US space rock bands to emerge on the scene in the 1990s, only to disappear into the ether without a trace. So I was quite surprised to see they have re-emerged, and on America's preeminent space rock label Trail Records no less. This isn't my first experience with Beyond-O-Matic, as I once did own Sonic Reclaimator, but I recall little about it sadly, and it seemed to blur with other bands from that era (ergo Farflung, F/i, Escapade, Salamander, etc...) - many of which I sold back in the 1999/2000 era.

While fully admitting that Sonic Reclaimator isn't on top of mind, I can say with some certainty that Relations at the Borders Between demonstrates growth for the band. It's clear the band is operating with album creation in mind, rather than releasing whatever-we-record, which was in vogue in the 90s (and still is in some circles). So that allows for some judicious editing, and the addition of overdubs allows for much need color. In particular, front man Peter Fuhry's flute is much welcomed. At their core, Beyond-O-Matic remains a jam band, and aren't going to win any conservatory awards for composition anytime soon. But that's not what they're about. As such, the order of the day is long, rambling space rock tracks with guitar, synthesizer, and drums carrying the instrumental load. There are vocals, performed with a hazy high pitched sound to presumably achieve a psychedelic effect.  The music moves forward with a constant slow and relaxed pace. Five of the seven tracks are between 10 and 16 minutes, so I think it's safe to assume that concise meters and sharp breaks are not in the cards. Early 70s Pink Floyd is the blueprint here, but stretched considerably beyond - perhaps to the point of endgame.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Trail

12/4/13 (new entry)

Ampledeed - A is for Ampledeed. 2013 USA-California

Ampledeed is a new group from the Los Angeles area, who clearly have an affinity for the classic early 70s Canterbury scene - unwittingly it may appear. The genre itself has always been a favorite of the UTR, due to its highly appealing combination of melody and complexity. Other characteristics include fuzzy psychedelic tones and a jazzy rhythmic base. And the well studied Ampledeed succeed on all 4 accounts. Of course, much of the "analog" keyboard tones are derived from samples, but that's a small thing. It's the sound itself that counts, right? What's interesting to me is that the band themselves do not indicate that they know Caravan, Soft Machine, National Health, but rather the usual suspects of Pink Floyd, Yes, and King Crimson. So perhaps they came to the same conclusion of Dave Stewart and company, rather than as a direct influence. Even better as far as I'm concerned. I found myself, predictably I realize, enjoying the instrumental work as some of the vocal oriented songs can drag a bit. Really curious where the band goes from here.

Ownership: CD: 2013 private

11/30/13 (new entry)

Tripwave: A Retrospective Collection of Russian Psychedelic Progressive Music. 1989-2010 Russia

Starting from the beginning, which the label conveniently placed in chronological order:

Eastern Syndrome – Celt. 1989. A mix of unhinged psychedelia and 1980s New Wave songcraft and associated production qualities. Vocalist sounds like David Byrne, while the reckless psychedelic guitar abandon could be from an old F/I album circa “Space Mantra”. Some fine spacey sax as well. A little bit like the Saqqara Dogs overall here. It appears this track comes from an unreleased album called “Studio 13”. Fascinating stuff, and perfect for a compilation.

The Moon Pierrot – Moon Dream. 1990. Thick bass, happy rhythm guitar, danceable beats, sonorous vocals. Sounds like 1985 New Wave to me! But… I thought this was a psych prog collection? No, the  Moon Pierrot belongs somewhere else, despite some fine electric guitar about half way through. I like it anyway.

Do Major – To Rake Your Fingers Through the Grass. 1992. More slap bass, canned drums, and synthesized vocals. Guess we’re still in the New Wave “neo psych” section of the album? I should state that I find music like this quite good, even if not necessarily what I associate with terms like “psychedelic progressive”.  The guitar work here, in particular, is exemplary. As are the female vocals. I should investigate this band further.

Decadence – Dream #5: Love. 1999. Seven years on, and we’re still in 1980’s territory. Hmmm.  This is from an album that was released by Musea. I can hear influences from bands such as Porcupine Tree here. Apparently the album has a prog metal slant, though this track eschews the distorted muscle. Pig squealing guitar, however, is not omitted. Not bad though.

Disen Gage – Solaris. 2004. Moving along quickly from a chronological perspective. This track comes from their debut “The Screw-Loose Entertainment”, and musically sounds like a modern interpretation of the motorik side of the Krautrock house like Harmonia with some post rock heaviness applied. Excellent stuff. Gotta love a Russian band that utilizes, as their band name, a play on words with English.

Rada & Ternovnik – Interlude. 2004. Well here’s a band with a dozen albums and a gazillion musicians. Could be a commune band, or a professional troupe? I have no idea. The music treads within the confines of the cold and clinical King Crimson cookbook, yet with some splendid acid guitar leads. And then the wordless female vocals takes this to the exotic – the sublime.  Who are these guys? Jeez…. Spent most of my life tracking interesting obscure progressive rock down, and here’s a band with a ton of albums that no one knows about. Gnosis lists ELEVEN of them with exactly zero ratings between them.  My goodness.

Krtl – Soda. 2006. First group here that it doesn’t appear released anything prior.  Also the first band here that is giving me that Gong influenced space rock sound. Danceable psychedelic guitar driven space rock with synthesizer “splooshes”…. right…. Ozric Tentacles. I thought I was getting a whole CD of it. Well… fortunately I received something else. This track is good. So is the whole CD so far. Damn….

Deti Picasso – Happy End is Inevitable. 2006. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m a Russophile? This doesn’t fit a single bucket of music that I would normally enjoy…  yet, I’m loving this track! Missing Persons singing in Russian with heavy psych guitars, via… hell I have no idea what. Need to learn more….

Vespero – Inna Burst Into Tears. 2007. Now this is one I knew of prior. And those dogs at Trail know exactly what they’re doing!  I’m pretty much a Vespero fan boy, and yet they somehow found the absolute BEST track in the entire Vespero canon (from their debut CD “Rito”). When I think of exotic space rock with female vocals, this is the track that comes to mind. OMG. Brilliant in every way.

Kafedra.org – Entrance to Invisibility. 2009. Another band that is totally unknown. Despite the captures-the-imagination track title name, this one is a rather straightforward rock tune with spacey synths and female vocals. Maybe my least favorite song from this album.

Liompa – Thee. 2010. The last track from the comp also features a band without a recording history. Yet another band that propagates the space rock instrumental (guitar-bass-drums-percussion) with soft female vocals. Would really like to hear more from these guys!

Absolutely love the industrial apartment block photo that adorns the CD package.

Overall, a CD that comes highly recommended. I certainly learned a few things here.

My good friend Lev, who is from Russia, had the following insights about two of the bands mentioned above: "Rada & Ternovnik is a cult band led by the idiosyncratic singer Rada Anchevskaya, a good acquaintance of mine and a really talented lady. Basically you can never guess what you might find on their albums - the only constants in the lineup have been Rada herself and her husband Vladimir Anchevsky, and they are known for shifting styles and musical moods effortlessly. If I were asked to describe their music in one word, I'd go with psych - purely on the basis of Rada's shamanic vocals and loose improvisational structures of many pieces. However, in fact they often merge it with many other genres, from traditional folk to so-called "dark folk" with a lot of mysticism, from postpunk to atonal avant-garde jazz. Oddly enough, their latest lineup is the proggiest, featuring keyboards for the first time (played by Fedor Amirov).

Another band which I can heartily recommend is Deti Picasso - once again, led by my old acquaintance, brilliant singer Gaya Arutyunyan (together with her brother Karen - yes, it's a male name in Armenia where they hail from!). Sadly they disbanded a couple of years ago (although Gaya and Karen are now members of the equally excellent Budapest-based Wattican Punk Ballet), but up to that point they were basically acting as two different bands within one. The first one focused on their Armenian heritage - folk songs with a unique Deti Picasso twist, as well as self-penned tracks in a similar style. "Ethnic Experiments" and "Turbo Mairik" are albums that showcase this side of the band, and I'd very much recommend them as it might be easier for a foreigner to get into their Armenian repertoire (it essentially got them famous in Europe which led to their moving to Hungary on a permanent basis). However, I like their Russian side even more - epitomized on the albums "Glubina" and "Gerda". This is a truly genre-mixing, style-bending experience, from alternative rock to prog to avant to theater music and everything in between, with great lyrics and fantastic vocal and instrumental performances... Totally unique too, I'm struggling to think of any comparisons."

Ownership: CD: 2011 Trail

11/28/13 (new entry)

Phase ~ USA ~ New Jersey

Midnight Madness (1979)

Phase is smoking fusion first, instrumental progressive rock second. A great mix of instrumental dexterity, with complex compositions and ferocious playing. Return to Forever meets Kenso. Or Iceberg meets Transit Express for a more obscure reference.

So let's get Ken's (Laser's Edge) quick summary of the background first: "Phase was keyboardist's Regan Ryzuk's band and they were based out of Montville, NJ. Two years later Regan released it under the Fusion Quartet "Comprovisations" title. It's a very good album that I think will floor a lot of people and it deserves to be more widely known."

Now let's get some impressions of the music. Midwest Mike says: "Instrumental progressive jazz rock of the highest caliber. From the very start this album explodes out and doesn't leave you with much room to catch your breath! Top notch musicianship with fiery solos of bass, piano, Moog and electric guitar. Odd and complicated time meters with killer trade-offs as well as incredible unison sections. This sometimes reminds me of Iceberg, a bit of Return to Forever and the Italian band Nova (at their peak). As mesmerizing at it is amazing! I believe once this gets known it will become a future rarity. Highly recommended to jazz rock, fusion and progressive rock fans."

The AC was brought into the action as well. He picked one up immediately and had this response: "Killer album! Really complex and edgy for a private fusion LP of this sort, almost getting avant-progish at times. I think the fact that the keys player uses a regular piano rather than a Rhodes also lends to this impression. Guitar gets quite ferocious at times, too. Love the ultra-technical music geek notes on the back of the sleeve! Wonder whatever happened to these guys? They really were top-notch players."

Phase's one album pretty much escaped everyone's radar until Midwest Mike discovered it a couple of years ago. His discovery lead directly to the CD reissue, as well as our entry into the CDRWL. The 1981 second press has a different cover, band name, and title (Fusion Quartet - Comprovisations). Ken reissued the CD with the preferable original cover, in exact detail similar to how the Japanese do it. 

Ownership: 

1979 Red Mark (LP). Acquired in 2012.

2013 Modulus (CD). Papersleeve. Booklet with full liner notes, including track by track, and recording details. Acquired in 2013.

2/6/12 (review); 11/27/13 (update / new entry); 4/2/26

Siddhartha ~ Turkey

Trip to Innerself (1998)

I've often thought that Turkey is a country that could - perhaps should - produce amazing psychedelic space rock albums. The indigenous music culture alone, outside of any rock influence, speaks to the exotic and... well... the psychedelic. But it really hasn't happened that way, even if you consider the more known stars of the 1970s like Baris Manco and Erkin Koray. Siddhartha at least made a sincere attempt at mixing the music of East and West. Though unfortunately it weighs too much towards the latter, and ultimately sounds like any number of bands from Europe emulating the various stages of instrumental Pink Floyd and the like. Still, there's much to admire here, in particular the title track, 'The Explorer', and especially 'Nervous Breakdown'.

For Middle Eastern psychedelic cosmic rock, it's hard to beat Agitation Free's Malesch (Germany 1972). And for modern bands, Astrakhan's Vespero is the gold standard for such a sound. But there's never too much of this type of music as far as I'm concerned, and I do hope Siddhartha do consider reforming in some form or fashion. Though it appears that one of the key contributors - namely Özgür Kurcan - sadly passed away in 2011.

Ownership: 2009 Trail (CD). Acquired in 2013

11/27/13 (review / new entry)

Yuji Imamura & Air ~ Japan

Yuji Imamura & Air (1977)

Air's sole album features two side long tracks clearly influenced by the deep funk groove of mid 70s Miles Davis albums like Dark Magus, Agharta, and Pangaea. No trumpet, but the saxophone is instead treated to sound similar. Much more flute and spaced out than classic Miles, but still plenty of wah wah guitar and dual percussion to get down with. A few jazzers from Japan were highly influenced by Miles Davis, and percussionist Imamura is one of the finest emulators I've heard to date. 

Former ownership: 2013 Sony / Three Blind Mice (CD). Papersleeve. Acquired in 2013. Downsized in 2026.

1//09; 11/23/13 (review); 11/20/24

Twink ~ England

Think Pink (1970)

Think Pink arrived at that most exciting time in 1970 when psychedelic bands were stretching the boundaries of their sound, tiring of the confining popular music norm, while not willing to immerse themselves into the upcoming progressive rock movement. So what you have here is a highly imaginative album, filled with true psychedelic sounds. The fuzz guitar is divine throughout. Albums like this would normally be found in Sweden or Germany at this time, rather than England, and constitutes one of my favorite styles of music. It's chaotic, but never out of control. And there are actual songs here, adding to the allure.

I inexplicably missed this album in my initial discovery phase of the 1980s and early 90s. And continued that blissful ignorance until now, with the new Sunbeam reissue. The bonus CD also has copious and relevant bonus tracks.

Ownership: 2013 Sunbeam (LP+CD). Gatefold. Thick booklet filled with a well written history and photos.

11/16/13 (acquired / review / new entry); 10/6/25

Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited ~ Japan

Sounds of Sound L.T.D. (1970)

Nice bit of psych exploitation from Japanese jazz group. Beautiful flute / Hammond driven soundtrack styled pieces like 'Theme-Mustache', 'Monster', and 'Lullaby for Yuh' (haha, yea that's the spelling) are offset unexpectedly by the one seven minute freakout on here: 'Scotland Scene', with its massive fuzz bass and psychotic electric guitar leads. Not near as insane, or as sublime, as the 1971 follow up Innocent Canon, but this album is a heck of a lot of fun. 

---7/29/26

I didn't note this originally but the flute is provided by none other than Toshiaki Yokota.

Ownership: 2013 P-Vine (CD). Papersleeve. Acquired in 2013.

2010; 11/3/13 (review); 7/29/26

Innocent Canon (1971)

If the movie Lost in Translation had been made in 1971 instead of 2003, then Innocent Canon would most certainly have been its soundtrack. Forget the fictional Sausalito with their hipster lounge covers of forgotten Mary Butterworth tunes, and cozy-up with Sound Limited and their groovy late 60s Beat Club smackdown! This is the psychedelic soundtrack of your imagination, but never actually witnessed. One complete acid drenched freakout by a deranged Japanese jazz big band, where the action takes place in a carnival funhouse rather than the video arcade. They even lift the phased-drum-with-narration-bit from no less a luminary than Group 1850's Agemo's Trip From Mother Earth. Damn, this is awesome.

Innocent Canon is another one of those hopelessly obscure Japanese underground albums that few know about. Inomata himself is a known jazzer, but like many of his contemporaries, he went out of his mind with psychedelic music between 1970-1972.

Ownership: 2012 King (CD). The artwork throughout features some very weird erotic sketches. Acquired in 2013.

3/22/13 (review)

3/22/13 (new entry)

Il Tempio delle Clessidre - AlieNatura. 2013 Italy

Three years later, we have Il Tempio delle Clessidre's second album AlieNatura. Gone is Galifi, who left to help restart Museo Rosenbach (and what a reformation it is!), and in his place is the also talented Francesco Ciapica. It's apparent, to me anyway, that Mr. Ciapica studied Mr. Galifi pretty intently, as the delivery is very similar, though a different tone to be certain. Musically, Il Tempio delle Clessidre continue very much in the same vein as the debut. Since they had to grind through their debut to find their own style, I'd say the followup is far more consistent.  But I also found that it didn't possess the same amount of peak moments either. Not sure if the "reckless abandonment of amateurs" aspect has been dulled somewhat, and Il Tempio delle Clessidre see themselves as being more professional. It's been my experience that bands who take the approach Il Tempio delle Clessidre has, have actually garnered more support, and I tend to be in the minority regarding this phenomena. Make no mistake, composers Fabio Grema and Ms. Montaldo still know how to compose an intense (or melodic) break like the best of the early 70s Italian masters would. I felt this album was a slight step down, but nevertheless still comes highly recommended. Like any great progressive rock album, Il Tempio delle Clessidre's sophomore album will require many listens to digest. Yet another winner from the landmark 2013 year for Italy!

Ownership: CD: 2013 Black Widow

10/12/13 (new entry)