Pizzicato Five - Playboy & Playgirl. 1999 Japan

1999 was our very own Fin de siècle. It was a time of irrational optimism, buoyed by disposable incomes, crazy hopes, utopian dreams, and... lots of parties - celebrating... something. Anything.

Playboy and Playgirl is the soundtrack to that place and time. It's a mashup of the Y2K/Dot Com software craze; The ever intriguing Japanese fascination with Western culture; And the recognition of a one Burt Bacharach, arguably the most sophisticated pop songwriter of our time.

And perhaps the icing on the cake - and believe me Pizzicato Five can only be described as icing - the whole album is sung in Japanese. What? Except the title track where our key female protagonist dogmatically states over and over PRAYBROY PRAYGRR - do dadoodoo do - PRAYBROY PRAYGRR.

It appears everyone takes away a different favorite from here. My two are 'La Règle du Jeu' and 'The Great Invitations'. But every track here is very good to excellent.

Pizzicato Five, on Playboy & Playgirl, was about immortalizing Swinging London and Carnaby Street. Images of Jean Shrimpton and Bond. James Bond. Shaken not stirred. And yet the album perfectly represents a time exactly 30 years later. Good memories.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Matador. The CD is housed in an excellent tri-fold digipak, with plenty of fun photos of our duo acting-out in a late 60s English way. Online acquisition (2004)

12//04; 11/9/18 (new entry)

The Seventh Seal ~ Japan

The Seventh Seal (1997)

So it pretty much starts here for Makoto Kawabata, mastermind behind the Acid Mothers Temple franchise (though technically Kawabata was in Toho Sara and Musica Transonic prior to this). To be honest, I wish I was a big fan of his work, as he is involved with scores of albums - all in a style that I happen to love. Except he has no sense of restraint. Everything goes through the wringer so that there isn't one drop left for the imagination. Guitar feedback overload for 40 minutes makes one nauseous after while. It's like those bad SNL skits, where the first 30 seconds are funny and the next 5 minutes are painful. Good thing Kawabata didn't jam with Terry Brooks in the mid 70s. Ay-chee-wah-wah. Of course, it would be a false statement for me to say I've heard all of the albums he's been involved with. Only a small fraction truthfully, and there are a couple of albums by AMT that are pretty decent. And as a guest musician, his hit rate is even better (most recently with the French group Aquaserge). Essentially he's a good guitarist when parameters are set.

All of this to say that his stint here with Seventh Seal was most promising indeed. His chance encounter with Gary Ramon (Sun Dial, Quad, owner of Acme Records) must have proven to be highly enlightening for Kawabata (in both sound and label activity). The side long opening 'Spiritual Springs' Slavering with Circling' does in fact sound somewhat like Quad, with wordless female vocals, which also recalls Floating Flower (yet another one of Kawabata's early era groups). The guitar soloing does get a bit excessive though. Side two features a fetching psychedelic ethnic Japanese track before launching into the closer, our first indication that Kawabata didn't have much use for an editor. Still, an overall delightful psychedelic effort.

Former ownership: 1997 Acme (LP)

1997 (first listen); 11/9/18

Dull Knife - Electric Indian. 1971 Germany

'Plastic People' is a monster track of heavy organ driven Krautrock. Sadly, it's not representative of the album as a whole. Much of the album is a mix of gospel and blues, with painfully depressing vocals, and one imagines a 70 year old lady with a bun playing the church organ through some of these snoozers. 'Tumberlin' Down' and 'Day of Wrath' hearkens back to the killer opener, offering up just enough to make it worth an attentive listen every few years.

The original Philips LP has some strange dynamics - where it gets louder and softer over large swaths of time. Weird. This was not noticeable on the Second Battle CD that I once owned.

CD: 1994 Second Battle

Lumerians - Call of the Void. 2018 USA-California

I concluded the review of the Lumerians last album The High Frontier with "While none of the songs are what one would call deep, the overall portrait remains excellent". And really, Call of the Void isn't that much different, even though 5 years have passed. They maintain their patented early 70s Motorik meets late 60s psychedelic style, while clearly being a product of the 2010s. As with any Lumerians album, it would be easy to state this is nothing more than superficial hipster music, and is more icing than cake. But there's some actual songwriting going on here, and Call of the Void finishes stronger than it starts, especially on the superb 'Ghost Notes', a direction I'd like to see them pursue further. Overall the album is much more than background music, though if they did decide to add more twists and turns, the results would likely be mind blowing.

I had to laugh at the opening track. That's a West Texas phrase right there. As I've mentioned in a few places, I spent my college years in Lubbock. Now Texas Tech was one of those universities Playboy would hang out at looking for beauties, as the region is well known - and deservedly so - for having an abundance of gorgeous ladies. Many from the farms and ranches nearby. So way back in 1984 or so, we were at the dorm cafeteria, enjoying the company of one such beautiful lass. Being the dorks I'm sure we were, we all had to say something (likely very stupid) to try to gain her attention. At some point we crossed the threshold (of course we did - morons). So this tall, beautiful, and classy blonde stands up, and elegantly looks at us and states very politely "Fuck All Y'All'. Boom.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Fuzz Club

11/4/18 (new entry)

Bubu ~ Argentina

El Eco del Sol (2018)

Bubu's debut album Anabelas is considered by many as Argentina's finest progressive rock album. Released in 1978, it combined complex compositions with an energetic rock style, that makes the music timeless.

40 years later, they return with the followup album. Not a moment too soon. What's most interesting is that El Eco del Sol sounds every bit like a followup to the debut. So, yes, it could have been released in 1979. The first thought one might have here is, OK, then it must be a retro prog album right? Nope. And the reason for that is Anabelas is not a record that "dates" itself. What that means to my ears at least, is there isn't an overabundance of period instrumentation like Hammond organ, mellotron, or wah-wah fuzz guitar leads. Anabelas could have come out yesterday, and still sound contemporary. And so does El Eco del Sol.

What makes Bubu so special is their (or in reality chief composer and only original member Daniel Andreoli's) uncanny ability to mix complexity with melody and warmth. It's these latter two elements that is mostly missing in what is now known as "avant prog", a made up designation from the late 90s to distinguish a sound from what was more commonly known prior as RIO (Rock In Opposition, which was an event, not a movement as it were). This is not the cold, clinical, and angular sound that the style now calls for. And there are no free improvs or cartoonish bits to make it seem superficially fun.

All of this to say, there are no obvious comparisons for Anabelas, nor El Eco del Sol. But it's most certainly a breed of progressive rock. And with no less than seven full participants, some guests, and a choir, the album is chock full of various sounds, all within a familiar context. Prominent melody instruments such as violin and flute go a long way in assisting with that feeling. And make no mistake, this album is rocking hard. The rhythm section is on fire, and the electric guitar can be fierce at times. There are some vocals in Spanish, which gives it a Mediterranean flare, similar to what we experience often in Italy. Every track is excellent, and a couple are exceptional, most notably the title song and the closer.

One of the best comebacks of our time. Don't miss it.

Ownership: 2018 Viajero Inmovil (CD)

10/27/18 (review)

Also own: Anabelas

10/27/18 (new entry)

Schicke, Führs & Fröhling / SFF ~ Germany

Ticket To Everywhere (1979)

Ticket To Everywhere is the final album from the trio of Schicke Fuhrs & Frohling. It is also likely to have been the last album heard by most collectors and fans, whether they were following real time in the 70s, or tipped to the band via The Laser's Edge complete collection 2xCD set of the early 90s.

In my case, Ticket to Everywhere came first. One of those albums I found in my initial buy-every-70s-import-that-looks-interesting record collecting phase of the mid to late 1980s. It's an important sequence of events, because as a first exposure to the band, I quite liked it. I didn't think it was great mind you, but I found it to be a fine collection of instrumental progressive rock. It was only a couple of years later that I discovered their brilliant first two albums. And as such, somewhere down the line, I fell into the trap of listening to the mass opinion, and decided it wasn't very good after all. It's been over 25 years since I last heard this album, which would have been via the above CD that I bought immediately upon release. And that CD was pulled down from the shelf for this event as well.

Ticket to Everywhere has no chance of impressing if one is to listen to this album immediately after the predecessors, as the CD invites one to do. I recommend an independent listen, and without the comparison. Think of it as a one-off album. Now going in with that mindset, Ticket to Everywhere has really aged well in my case. The instrumentals tend to be more atmospheric, even majestic at times. The drums can be a bit over synthesized, and the compositions do not possess a ton of depth, but it's still far from throwaway background music. I find all the songs have nice melodies, and one could also view this as an electronic album, but rocked out with real drums and electric guitars. I find all the tracks to be excellent, save perhaps the middling 'Song From India', though none are extraordinary either. 

I even enjoy the album cover, as I've come to appreciate more and more  "real time" art. An airline ticket drawer with a Pan Am voucher is a view into our past, one that has disappeared without warning.

Ownership: 

1979 Brain (LP). Acquired in 1988.

1993 The Laser's Edge (CD) as part of The Collected Works Of Schicke • Führs • Fröhling. Acquired in 1993

1988; 1993; 10/26/18 (review)

Sunburst (1977)

SFF's sophomore release represents a mix of three different aspects of the band: Symphonic progressive, jazz fusion, and electronic. The former is shown via 'Troja', a track that is as great as anything on Symphonic Pictures. 'Wizzard' opens the album in fusion fashion, with a catchy synth line, and a mad rhythm section. 'Artificial Energy' recalls Jade Warrior at a similar time. And so it goes. 'Explorer' plagiarizes Yes a bit, and is the only demerit of an otherwise great album. One that is often overlooked by collectors of 70s progressive rock.

 
Ownership:

1977 Brain (LP). Acquired in 1990.

1993 Laser's Edge (2xCD) with Symphonic Pictures and Ticket to Everywhere. Acquired in 1993.

1990; 1993; 1996; 3/11/10; 11/1/15 (review)

Also own: Symphonic Pictures

7/13/16 (new entry)

Scherzoo - Scherzoo 04. 2018 France

When it was announced that Scherzoo 04 was to be a departure from their recent avant prog past, and rather more toward a traditional Canterbury sound, I pounced on the new album first chance. With a quartet that consists of two musicians focused solely on electric piano, organ, and mellotron, I had envisioned a Soft Machine II meets 'Nine Feet Underground' Caravan meets In The Court of the Crimson King. Fuzz organ, gymnastic meters, and lush mellotron. Bzzt. Nope. OK, time to get another beer and try this again...

So what do we have here then? Is it Canterbury at all? Yes, yes it is. The electric piano is the dominant instrument (both keyboardists are credited with it as primary), and the organ plays a key role in the melody lines. Mellotron is definitely relegated to cameo status. The music is quite pleasant, with excellent songwriting, and fine melodies. Most of the tones are played straight, so there's no raucous fuzz solos, or crazy time changes, though it's far from static. Every track is excellent in its own right, though there are no standouts either. It does take a couple of listens to penetrate through, so it takes patience to appreciate for certain. Something akin to Gilgamesh, but more exciting than that may imply.

Scherzoo - and band leader Francois Thollot - are tough to figure out. Thollot has a history that includes Heldon like fierce guitar/electronics, Zeuhl, avant prog, and now Canterbury. Would be most interesting to hear a combination of all the above. And I'm more than fine leaving the squonking sax of album #2 out of the picture, as they have done here.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Soleil Zeuhl

10/26/18 (new entry)

Malo. 1972 USA-California

In late 1997, while still a "road warrior" consultant, I had a 2 month gig at California State University Los Angeles (CSULA). Go to Google Maps and check out where that fine institution resides. Exactly. The only "motel" nearby (at the time) that was remotely safe, was an ancient Quality Inn in Alhambra that still sported their trademarked 1960's sunburst logo. A nice motel - if this were the Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice era. I had been transported back 25 years in time. It was a most surreal experience.

As I was cruising the streets of East Los Angeles in my 1972 El Camino Super Sport (no silly, it was a 1997 Chevy Shitty from Hertz, but I have good story cooking here...), there was a radio station, which I now forget the call letters, that basically played "Lowrider Classics", and yes that was their tagline. Its signal didn't seem to last past the immediate area. 'Suavecito' received regular airplay. For us traditional males who love women, and like to woo them, this song is ground zero for that emotion (note album cover). For the modern emasculated man who cannot get his nose out of his smart phone, and doesn't even notice Miss America standing next to you, you will not understand (most of my nieces are beauty queens, and I've witnessed this over and over - it's ridiculous!). For this track alone, Malo is worth the money. But there's so much more.

You can skip over the opening 'Pana' which is banal Mexican Rock (no, not the generic Latin, I mean Mexico proper). This is the worst track and an inauspicious start IMO (worth noting that I see this and 'Cafe' more highly rated among those who enjoy this album - so there you have it). 'Cafe' is similar, but does possess some nice guitar work from Jorge Santana. 'Peace' is the closer, a bizarre mix of hard and soft rock, and is excellent on the whole.

That leaves the album's two big winners other than 'Suavecito'. We'll start with 'Nena', which has the most killer horn charts combined with machismo singing, pounding percussion, jamming Hammond, and molten guitar solos. A must hear.

And then we get to 'Just Say Goodbye', one of God's gifts to music. Now you're in the car with me cruising down Whittier Blvd. It starts off mellow, setting the mood for... no not that.... out comes the Santana guitar heritage, mixed with a Chango like intensity. Screaming guitars which then leads into a... WAR CALL. The hair goes right up on the back of the neck at this moment. What an amazing sequence. Then the music just inexplicably shuts down. We're now transported to a bar with a name like The Silver Dollar, and out comes the Beach Boys mixed with the 5th Dimension. This harmonic lounge 60's soft psych thing. It's placement within the song is stunning. And then... back to raucous heavy Santana styled rock to close the song. What a masterpiece.

Ownership: 1972 Warner Bros. (LP); 1995 Warner Bros. (CD)

Jody Grind - Far Canal. 1970 England

Far Canal is Jody Grind's second album, and is an excellent example of the kind of innovative trios that were coming from the UK in 1970. Starting out with a Baroque medley, it doesn't take long to hear the main theme, sounding every bit like something that would come from a band like Caravan or Web during this time. 'Bath Sister' continues though more in the blues rock vein. What comes across on both tracks is the quality of the band's songwriting, which is definitely a cut above. 'Jump Bed Jed' is the highlight of the album, and it's one true masterpiece. A lengthy track, it combines both the band's songwriting acumen with a keen sense of hard rock jamming containing energetic guitar and Hammond solos, with many peak moments throughout. 'O Paradiso' continues in a similar manner, even recalling Santana and appears to be yet another home run. But it contains the album's one misstep, a lengthy mid-section percussion/drum solo that is entirely boring and ruins the overall flow. Pity. 'Plastic Shit' demonstrates that Jody Grind could have competed on the world stage as one of the hard blues rock arena headliners. The swaggering vocals and guitar riffs would not have been out of place on either of the first 2 Led Zeppelin albums. From here, the band shuts their trap and goes instrumental with varying styles, all excellent. 'Red Worms & Lice' seemingly picks up where 'Jump Bed Jed' left off. And 'Ballad for Bridget' is a very fine jazzy piano/guitar piece, and a perfect closer to an overall excellent album.

Personal collection
LP: 1970 Transatlantic
CD: 1988 Line (Germany)

My first exposure to Far Canal was the Line CD that I picked up not long after release. A very basic reissue, like all on the label, the album has never been treated to a specialist release. Many years later I picked up the original LP, as I tend to do for favorite albums.

Lumerians - The High Frontier. 2013 USA-California

The High Frontier is essentially the Lumerians' second album, and is largely a continuation of Transmalinnia. The band continue to straddle the line between early 70s motorik styled Krautrock combined with a songcraft and vocal style that sounds every bit like the 1968 American psychedelic scene. There's even the odd Zeuhl bass riff, which is probably unintentional. The production is modern, though the sound is decidedly analog. Fat and fuzzy keyboards remain the centerpiece, with inventive but rigid rhythms and wailing guitar providing the perfect trimming. While none of the songs are what one would call deep, the overall portrait remains excellent.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Partisan

10/26/18 (new entry)

Blå Lotus - Tube Alloys. 2018 Sweden

Blå Lotus are a new trio from Sweden who play music in a decidedly retro prog style. There are no guitars, so it's the Hammond organ that does all the heavy lifting. Blå Lotus have successfully tapped into the 1970 UK mindset that produced bands like Atomic Rooster, Aardvark, and of course first album ELP. I also detect a distinct Swedish take on the sound ala Bo Hansson or even the debut by Solar Plexus. If looking for modern references, probably Italy's Areknames comes the closest. I quite like the progressions here, and as such hear unique sounds within a familiar context. This contains some of the best old school organ based prog I've heard in years.

The full album is available on Bandcamp as I write this. I suspect it's a bit lo-fi compared to the official release. The band has been signed to Melodic Revolution Records (USA), but no word of them releasing this on CD. The vinyl - as mentioned in a few places - actually didn't get released as the band couldn't raise enough money via crowd-funding to support. Better they release it on CD anyway...

Of Petra - So Onto Itself. 2018 England

Of Petra is currently an unsigned band from London, England and So Onto Itself is their second album. The band themselves list Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock as influences, so its something of the "usual suspects". However, as is usually the case, a band like Of Petra finds their own voice within these parameters. The music is instrumental, slight jazzy - even funky - but with a strong psychedelic streak. This is most notable with guitarist Cyril Meleiro's decidedly acidic tone. I feel he does a fantastic job throughout the album, giving it the rough-hewn sound the band needs. There's a distinct UK festival styled neo psych here, though not near as slick and synthesized as say Ozric Tentacles, but more toward some rundown club in East London. The heavy use of samples recalls the 90s UK group Ship of Fools. The instrumental psychedelic nature of the music also points me to fellow countrymen Lunar Dunes. Of the big name artists the band lists, I would say Led Zeppelin is the least influential, and Pink Floyd and early 70s Miles (minus the trumpet of course) is the most.

Bandcamp

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Loose Enz - The Black Door / Easy Rider. 1968 USA-Pennsylvania

Right in the heart of Amish country Pennsylvania, The Loose Enz recorded one of the most electric (oh the irony) 60s psych singles. And I mean electric both literally and figuratively.

The Loose Enz had me already by second number 3, with its gothic chorus. On 'The Black Door' these guys absolutely nail the Doors sound - especially the variation that closed their first 2 albums, which is of course my favorite aspect of Morrison and Co.

'Easy Rider' is heavy fuzz guitar, snarling vocals (what happened to the Morrison imitation?), and carnival organ. Great guitar solo toward the end too. This track sounds more like early 70s hard rock, than late 60s psych.

Someone needs to start rummaging through the farms near York to see if there are more tapes... What an archival release that would make!

The Black Door' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

'Easy Rider' is part of the 1997 compilation above titled An Overdose of Heavy Psych

10/18/18

The Sound Sandwich - Apothecary Dream / Zig Zag News (single). 1967 USA-California

You gotta like a band with a name such as The Sound Sandwich! The Los Angeles based band, however, hated the moniker (they were originally known as The Chosen Few). Apparently they started as a horn rock band, but the producers didn't want anything to do with them, stating they don't belong on rock albums (ha! I know a lot of people who still feel that way). I would have loved to hear that version myself. In any case, The Sound Sandwich fell apart like so many bands, due to Vietnam, and their guitarist was killed 3 weeks into duty. The others were always going to do a comeback, but it never came together.

'Apothecary Dream' is just simply great. The organ, harmony vocals, and fuzz guitar effects are awesome. There's a bit of The Electric Prunes sound here. A seriously great melody too. Apparently the band spent 2 weeks working on this track, and it was meant to be played on American Bandstand, but the druggy references knocked it out of contention. Apparently they didn't know what 'Zig Zag' meant then... (lol)

And it was the flip side that indeed did the get the exposure. They only spent one day on this track. 'Zig Zag News' starts off in jangly mid-paced garage form. Then it picks up the pace considerably, before slowing down... and picking back up for the finale. Despite this, there's not much of a song here to grab onto. It's a decent track, but the other side is far better and it's too bad it didn't get the radio airplay.

'Apothecary Dream' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Brain Train - Me / Black Roses. 1967 USA-California

The Brain Train were from Los Angeles, and later renamed themselves to the more known band Clear Light (I prefer the former honestly). 'Me' is one of the most forward thinking of the psych singles I've heard (hence, the appropriate band name I think). The driving organ and guitar with raspy vocals are fairly typical, and then the chorus goes gothic, while furious drum rolls create a racket in the background (they had two drummers which becomes apparent). Sounds like something from 1973 Italy!

'Black Roses' isn't near as inventive as the predecessor, but certainly is quality 1967 era psych. There's a couple of mid section breaks, though the guitar soloing is more avant garde than intense.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Big Beat (UK). Both tracks are bonus' on this fine reissue of the Clear Light album.

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Looking Glasses - Visions / Migada Bus. 1967 USA-California

The Looking Glasses were a band from Los Angeles that time has forgot. They also used the name The Clouds as well. 'Visions' is an extraordinary psych single, capturing the exotic nature of the times, with incredibly tripped out harmony male voices, and fuzz guitar shards everywhere cutting right through the wall. The haunting organ only adds to the vibe. If looking for that perfect "opium den" 1967 soundtrack, then hear you go. Brilliant in every way. One hopes that out of the blue, a canister full of tapes shows from this session!

Despite having a cool name like 'Migada Bus', the flip side can only be considered a disappointment when compared to the tripped out front. It's mostly an acoustic guitar lead instrumental rock song, with some harpsichord and a bit of fuzz toward the end.

'Visions' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

10/18/18 (new entry)

Haymarket Riot - Trip on Out / Something Else (single). 1968 USA-Oklahoma

Wow. Going through these obscure psych era US singles can be revelatory. So it turns out Haymarket Riot are from Enid, Oklahoma. Now there's the center of the psychedelic universe eh? My old man was in the laundry business, and one of his top clients was in Enid, so I went there a lot more than your average big city kid. I'll just put it this way - psychedelic is not the first thing one thinks of when in Enid. 'Trip on Out' is great - very much in the spirit of the era. There's a killer fuzz riff, followed by a great solo. 'Something Else' kind of blows honestly. Apparently they only had one song when it was time to record, so they put this together in 15 minutes. And it sounds it too. Lost opportunity.

'Trip On Out' is part of the above compilation called 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Running Man. 1972 England

The Running Man features jazz guitarist Ray Russell, and was originally released on the progressive oriented UK based Neon label. Overall their sole album is a progressive rock affair in the understated UK style that I find highly appealing. Given its jazz heritage, The Running Man have more in common with Tonton Macoute or Catapilla than say... Spring. Truth be told, there really isn't any other album quite like it. There are some rather plain rockers (usually short), mixed with longer jazzier pieces, and then onto some radical screaming Hendrix styled fuzz inspired numbers. Russell goes Sonny Sharrock on the 8 minute 'Spirit' - essentially psychedelic free rock. The Angel Air / Air Mail CDs add an 11+ minute version of 'Spirit', with further improvisational guitar stacked up front.

Ownership: CD: 2005 Air Mail (Japan). Comes in a fine gatefold mini-LP jacket with no extras.

Removed from collection (2022)

2005; 10/18/18 (new entry); 7/17/22

ARC ~ England

Fleet (2017)

Fleet is the 8th proper album from ARC, the English duo of Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve who specialize in the Berlin School of progressive electronic music. During the 2000's, ARC often explored other avenues such as adding real drums, or even trying their hand at abstract electronics. For those who like the traditional Berlin School sound, then Fleet will delight. The setup is very similar to their last two CD releases: Church and Umbra. That is to say this is an improvised concert recorded and released for the masses. Fleet was recorded on May 13, 2017 at the E-Scape festival. The album is remarkably consistent, with some fantastic and innovative Moog sequences as provided by the master of the instrument (Shreeve). Other than the relatively dull, yet majestic opening title track (even the crowd applause seemed perfunctory at this point), the remainder of the album could only be considered excellent, with no obvious high points. Easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

Ownership: 2017 DiN (CD). Digipak. Acquired in 2018.

10/18/18 (review)

Umbra (2014)

Umbra is the 7th ARC album, this one also a live recording - coming from the E-Live festival in The Netherlands on the date of October 19, 2013. Again we are treated to a CD packed to the very brim at 78+ minutes of sequencer filled goodness. While ARC have been known to surprise in the studio - such as the drummer fueled Blaze or the moody Fracture - in a live setting they are all about letting the sequencers blast away, while adding all sorts of textures, melody lines, and synthesizer solos on top. At this point in their career, Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve know exactly what their audience wants, and how to make it happen. And so Umbra goes, with some of the fattest and most dynamic Moog Modular sequences in the business, while setting the table for the various synthesized sounds layered as icing on the cake (including faux choir Mellotron). Berlin School music at its most professional. Some music never goes out of style, and this is one of them. Can't miss item here for fans of the genre.

Ownership: 2014 DiN (CD). Digipak. Acquired in 2014.

8/31/14 (review)

 

Church (2010)

Church was recorded live on November 14, 2009 at Old St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia. Hence the title. You can pretty much presume how this album came about. Mark Shreeve and Ian Boddy arrive in Philadelphia and setup their massive equipment, including the Big Moog (mostly donated by local musicians for the cause - it would seem a bit cumbersome to put a large Moog in the airplane's overhead bins wouldn't it?). They then ask the concert organizer Chuck van Zyl (an accomplished and respected electronic musician in his own right) what they should play. "Oh, whatever you want, I wouldn't dare suggest..." "Well, what would your audience prefer then you guess?" "Well, you know, probably the sequencer oriented material" "Yes, the sequencer stuff. Right. Of course." So if Fracture was ARC's most outside-the-lines album, then Church is smack dab in the middle of the field, giving the title a double metaphor to work with - if one sees a church as traditional that is. So what you get is two long-time masters at the art of the synthesizer, performing 74+ minutes of Berlin School sequencer driven electronic music, played in a church built in 1763. Not sure one could draft a better idea if they tried. Immaculate.

Ownership: 2010 DiN (CD). Acquired in 2012.

9/20/12; 8/30/14 (review)

 

Fracture (2007)

Perhaps ARC should have named Fracture something like Departure instead (and, as luck would have it, the second track is titled 'Departed'). As other reviewers have noted, this ARC album is indeed quite a bit different from its predecessors. The music can be defined as haunting and atmospheric - darkly shaded - with copious amounts of throbbing deep-bass Moog 'beats' (for a lack of a better term). This isn't a classic Berlin School sequencer fest, though one can hardly blame Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve for trying something a bit different. Shreeve in particular has already proven himself as the king of the Modular Moog sequences with his group Redshift. Perhaps they feel at times an obligation to do nothing but shredding sequencers and synthesizer solos, but then the music is no longer fun when it becomes a job, right? The music on Fracture could easily be background music at a hipster club in Brooklyn or San Francisco. The final track 'Rapture' does finally get down to some serious sequencer business, but only after ten minutes of creepy atmospherics - Sigillum S style (and it closes in a similar manner). I appreciate the effort here to be distinctive, but it remains my least favorite ARC album to date. I know, I know - some people never really evolve. I write that as my knuckles scrape the ground.

Ownership: 2007 DiN (CD). Acquired in 2012. Downsized in 2026.

9/16/12; 8/29/14 (review); 2/24/24

Arcturus (2005)

Arcturus is ARC's 4th album, and represents their live concert as performed at the Hampshire Jam 3 festival on October 23, 2004. They're back to a duo, with an impressive array of analog synthesizers, most notably Mark Shreeve's big ole honkin' Moog Modular. Ian Boddy brings along most of the more modern equipment to make it much easier to accomplish what they need to accomplish. On Arcturus, ARC are square-on mid 1970s Tangerine Dream style. If you're the type who can't be fed enough of Phaedra and Rubycon - and apparently I would fit in this category - then Arcturus is going to satisfy your hunger. Incredible sequences provide the foundation for the layered atmospheric synthesizers that sound like Mellotron, echoed Rhodes piano, and sundry other vintage sounds (many of which are sampled, but honestly, the effect is the same). And nobody does the throbbing fat sequences of the "Big" Moog like Mark Shreeve. He's second to none in that field for the modern era.

Ownership: 2005 DiN (CD). Acquired in 2007.

2/2/07; 8/28/14 (review)

 

Blaze (2005)

Blaze, ARC's 3rd album starts with Rhodes piano and... could it be? Yes, a real drummer (provided by Carl Brooker). It seems the duo of ARC are paying homage to the late 70s pioneers who mixed their Berlin School electronics with real drums ala Klaus Krueger (Tangerine Dream / Edgar Froese) and Harold Grosskopf (Klaus Schulze / Ashra). Sequencers and Mellotron follow, and yee-haw, we're in Force Majeure territory in mere seconds. Half the tracks are sans drums, and all of these are atmospheric and pulsating, somewhat similar to the first half of Radio Sputnik. These tracks setup the more dynamic and rhythmic drum plus sequencer compositions that are devastating when presented in this manner. In particular 'Klangwand' and 'Pulse Train' deliver a powerful collection of analog synthesizers along with driving percussion. Another essential album from ARC.

Ownership: 2003 DiN (CD). Acquired in 2005.

2005; 8/27/14 (review)

 

Radio Sputnik (2000)

ARC's second album, Radio Sputnik, is a live outing from the Alfa Centauri Festival in The Netherlands (recorded March 21, 1998). It is also their debut release on Ian Boddy's own DiN label. The concert features, as one would expect, songs from their first studio album Octane including 'Steam', 'Who Walks Behind You', 'Octane', and 'Relay'. Only 'Turn and Face Me' from the debut is omitted, but they add four other tracks including their landmark 'Arc-Angel' track.

ARC's music continues to be squarely in the electronic Berlin School tradition. No surprise there given that Mark Shreeve heads up what I consider one of the finest bands in the style with Redshift. The first half of Radio Sputnik is more atmospheric with pulsating sequences, while the latter half is more heavily geared towards the classic Redshift sound. The concert is entirely improvised, so there are many shifts and changes throughout each composition – not just the usual static monotone sequences. 'Arc-Angel' is one of their finest pieces ever, with incredible rapid fire sequencing all over, and choral mellotron layered on top which creates an extraordinary listening experience. Closing with 'Relay', arguably the finest track on Octane, puts this album in the indispensable category. 

Ownership: 2000 DiN (CD). Acquired in 2005.

2005; 8/26/14 (review)

Octane (1998)

The ARC legacy starts with Octane, the debut studio album from this fruitful Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve collaboration. This is an album for those who like the classic Berlin School scene similar to other like-minded bands such as AirSculpture, Radio Massacre International, and Redshift (a band, incidentally, which Shreeve leads). Heavy on the analog keyboards, especially sequencers, and mellotron (sampled according to Planet Mellotron). The best cuts are, not surprisingly, the more heavily sequenced ones - and those would be the title track and 'Relay'.

Ownership: 1998 Something Else (CD). Acquired in 2005.

2005; 8/25/14 (review) 

8/25/14 (new entry)

Cargo. 1972 Netherlands

I think the key to totally appreciating the sole album by Cargo is to start with the last track, an absolute barnstormer of a song: The 15+ minute 'Summerfair'. It’s just relentless, like the very best of the Allman Brothers, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush rolled into one ball of fire. I’m not sure exactly why this track works so much better than others in the genre, though I suspect it has something to do with the soft vocals, hyperactive drumming, gymnastic bass, and blazing wah-wah rhythm guitar. And, of course, the frantic and ferocious lead guitar that leaves me in a sweat every time. By itself, this composition is absolute perfection. Working backwards, there's 'Finding Out', which starts out in 'Tobacco Road' territory before busting out of the gates for yet another intense jam. Then it's on to track number 2, the fascinating 'Cross Talking', which is a neat instrumental concept of wah-wah guitars "talking" back and forth with a cool funky rhythm. And finally, we hit the opener, 'Sail Away'. The first 4 to 5 minutes are fairly off-putting straight ahead rock (recalling their past when known as September), before it too finds its sea legs and gets the album going in the right direction.

The bonus tracks on the CD release demonstrate that the pre-Cargo group September were a simpler and more straightforward rock band. There are 2 demo tracks in addition, and both see September heading into the hard rock direction that would become Cargo.

In conclusion, Cargo is one of my all-time favorite albums.

Personal collection
CD: 1993 Pseudonym
LP: 1999 Pseudonym

This was one of the very first albums I learned of stratospheric prices for my (then) newly chosen hobby. Even in the late 1980s this album was a multi-hundred dollar rarity in the catalogs of the day. As such, I never had a chance to hear it until the Pseudonym CD came along a few years later. Pseudonym is a great label, and they do an excellent job with discography details and bonus tracks (no liner notes on this version though). Most of the bonus tracks were from an earlier incarnation when they were known as September. Later in the decade, I dutifully picked up the LP reissue, because I had an irrational desire to own it on vinyl ever since I knew of the exorbitant price of the original. Cargo has recently resurfaced on the market again via the Pseudonym imprint. The CD version adds demo versions of the original Cargo album plus many of the same bonus tracks as found on the '93 issue - as well as extensive liner notes this time around. I doubt it's worth upgrading for - though if you don't have it - I must say the album is essential to own! Vinyl hounds will be happy to know that another LP is on the market as well - with some demos added for the second LP of the set.

Originally reviewed: January 2005 (and updated significantly since)