Akineton Retard - Cadencia Urmana (2006)

This excellent Chilian ensemble once again deliver, on this there fourth release, a highly complex and totally amazing album which incorporates elements of jazz rock, psychedelia, avant garde and RIO ( with touches of Zeuhl) all served up into a very challenging and awesome brew. There's also more than a hint of the "Samla's" with some tongue in cheek humour.

Another outstanding album from this outstanding band whose musicianship is, to say the least, exemplary.

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Cadencia Urmana (4:57)
2. Levitando (5:46)
3. Piel Estática (6:09)
4. Caldopatías (3:31)
5. Mujer de Otoño (3:20)
6. Ansiedade (2:40)
7. Ron Pimiento (5:27)
8. Roces Matutinos (3:21)
9. Flagelo (3:58)
10. Sei Blok (6:12)

Total Time: 45:21

Line-up / Musicians - Estratos Akrias / Soprano E Tenor saxophone
- Bolshek Tradib / drums
- Tanderal Anfurness / electric guitar
- Lectra Celdrëj / electric & acoustic bass
- Edén / Alto E Tenor saxophone, Dr. Sample

Guest musicians:
- Minjaveh Ve / trumpet
- Fuentes del César / trombone
- Dj Vaskular / scratch

Akinetòn Retard en Teatro Oriente, Santiago 2009

Ensemble Nimbus - Scapegoat (1998)

For the lovers of the Swedish "Samla Mammas Manna" type RIO sound this is sure to delight. In fact you'll notice the drummer is from that same band.

 What we have here is a very lively intricate multi instrumental fusion which twists and turns in a multitude of ways. Colored with challenging progressive avant sections galore.

An excellent album!



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Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Burning Arrows (8:48)
2. Three Figures (5:30)
3. Empty Chairs (2:39)
4. Algebra Of Needs (3:43)
5. Useless Passion (3:43)
6. Offering (7:22)
7. The Cross Of Infamy (1:55)
8. Trial By Error (4:42)
9. Middle Of The Moment (1:59)
10. Wooden Tuxedo (5:17)
11. Epigram (3:26)

Total Time: 49:14

Line-up / Musicians
- Hasse Bruniusson / percussion, drums
- Hakan Almkvist / guitar, bass, keyboard, tapes, loops, voice
- Lars Bjork / clarinets, loops
- Kirk Chilton / viola, violin, voice

Present - No 6 (1999)

A fast and furiously energetic complex zeuhl come chamber rock in typical "Present" style.

 If you love a more highly charged "Univers Zero" and "King Crimson" then this is sure to please.

 Innovative and demanding stuff by this great band who's lead guitarist composes some of the best off the wall pseudo zeuhl chamber Rock music there is. You'll find some hints of there classic "Triskaidekaphobie" in here! 


Very abrasive and Excellent!

As a point of interest there is no track six?........ it's just a few seconds of complete silence!

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Songs / Tracks Listing

1-4. The Limping Little Girl (16:53)
Part 1: (3:07)
Part 2: (3:38)
Part 3: (5:18)
Part 4: (4:50)
5. Le Rôdeur (1:58)
7-12. Ceux D'en Bas (Suite) (19:30)
Part 1 Le Martin: (4:30)
Part 2 Le reve de la muit: (2:03)
Part 3 La realite: (1:36)
Part 4 Vers le cauchemar: (1:58)
Part 5 Le cauchemar Yo: (3:08)
Part 6 Le combat: (6:15)
13. Sworlf (8:31)

Total Time: 47:02

Line-up / Musicians - Roger Trigaux / composition, vocals, musical direction, guitar on "Le Rôdeur"
- Reginald Trigaux / guitars, vocals
- Dave Kerman / drums, percussion, vocals
- Pierre Chevalier / pianos, mellotron, vocals
- Keith Macksoud / bass
- David Davister / drums & percussion on "Sworlf"

Bo Hansson - Attic Thoughts (1975)

Make no mistake every track on this album is an absolute delight.

An essential swedish progressive by any standards which has the unique "Bo Hansson" sound. A near perfect atmpspheric mix of light and darker instrumentals which has numerous splendid complexities for further countless listens. A Classic!

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Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Attic Thoughts (5:30):
a) March
b) Repose
c) Wandering
2. Time and space (1:37)
3. Waiting... (7:34)
4. Waltz for interbeings (3:21)
5. Time for great achievements (3:11)
6. The hybrills (1:28)
7. Rabbit music (6:23):
a) General Woundwort
b) Fiver
8. Day and night (4:30)
9. A happy prank (3:15)

Total Time: 36:49

Line-up / Musicians

- Bo Hansson / organ, guitars, bass, piano, synthesizers, Mellotron, special f/x

Guest musicians:
- Gunnar Bergsten / saxophone
- Rune Carlsson / drums
- Mats Glenngård / violin
- Kenny Håkansson / electric guitar
- Göran Lagerberg / bass, acoustic guitar
- Thomas Netzler / bass
- Rolf Scherrer / acoustic guitar

- Finn Sjöberg / electric guitar

Bo Hansson Attic thoughts 08 Day and Night

Bo Hansson Attic thoughts 07 rabbit music

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Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun (2000)

Another great album by "Porcupine Tree" although a tad more rock/ metal styled, and also with more acoustic based sections / songs than heard previously.

One could say this is aimed at a more mainstream market.

I personally do not listen to this album ( or for that matter most of there newer works ) as much as there earlier ones, which for me are far more progressive and less rock oriented. Nevertheless it's still top notch stuff in it's own way.


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Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Lightbulb Sun (5:30)
2. How Is Your Life Today ? (2:46)
3. Four Chords That Made A Million (3:36)
4. Shesmovedon (5:14)
5. Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled (4:48)
6. The Rest Will Flow (3:15)
7. Hatesong (8:26)
8. Where We Would Be (4:12)
9. Russia On Ice (13:04)
10. Feel So Low (5:18)

Total Time: 54:49

Line-up / Musicians

- Richard Barbieri / analogue synthesizers, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes
- Colin Edwin / bass, sax, giumbri
- Chris Maitland / drums, percussion
- Steven Wilson / vocals, guitars, piano, samples, banjo, hammered dulcimer

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun

Ozric Tentacles - The Yumyum Tree (2009)

No dissapointments here for the faithfull "Ozric Tentacle" fan, in fact this is very much a return to form, hearkening back to there better more recent albums such as "Waterfall Cities".

It's all here with spaced grooves, cosmic textures and psychedelic rock excursions flying into the ether.

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Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Magick Valley (6:42)
2. Oddweird (6:14)
3. Mooncalf (7:41)
4. Oolong, Oolong (5:54)
5. Yum Yum Tree (9:08)
6. Plant Music (5:28)
7. Nakuru (5:38)
8. San Pedro (6:21)

Total Time: 53:06

Line-up / Musicians - Ed Wynne / guitars, synthesizers, programming
- Brandi Wynne / keyboards, airy areas
- Vinny Shillito / bass
- Roy / drums

Ozric Tentacles Oddweird

Ozric Tentacles - Oolong Oolong

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Ozric Tentacles - Sunrise Festival (2008)

The "Ozrics" live albums are usually there best.......no less so here which has great live versions, if not better than the originals and the production and performances are really top notch!


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Line-up / Musicians

- Ed Wynne / guitar, keyboards
- Merv Pepler / drums
- Brandi Wynne / bass
- Joie Hinton / synthesizers

Songs / Tracks Listing 1. ...Blimey!
2. 0-I
3. Vita Voom
4. Jurassic Shift
5. Sunrise Jam
6. Erpland
7. The Throbbe
8. Snakepit
9. Eternal Wheel
10. White Rhino Tea
11. Tidal Convergence

Ozric Tentacles - Sunrise Jam

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Akineton Retard - Akineton Retard (1999)

Extraordinary and extrememly impressive bang up to date progressive band from Chile which consists of bass, drums, guitar and dual sax players.

This there debut album is largely King Crimson influenced.

Superb mostly aggressive progressive which also has elements of zeuhl , jazz and avant garde madness blended into a most fascinating concoction. This is definitely a band to watch out for!!!!!

I love it!

Akineton Retard

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Copenhagen Schtorba (4:15)
2. Primogenia Satiria (8:16)
3. Viaje e Erlebnis (3:43)
4. Blues en Re (7:03)
5. Gansos Patos y Gallinas (8:09)
6. Mamut y Milodones (2:51)
7. Aquelarre Satiri Sarnaz (8:24)

Total Time: 42:41

Line-up / Musicians - Estratos Akrias / high saxophone, clarinet and vocals
- Leras Tutas / bass
- Petras Das Petren / Tenor, high & baritone saxophone and vocals
- Bolshek Tradib / drums and vocals
- Tanderal Anfurness / guitar and vocals

Eloy - Visionary (2009)

The latest album in a decade by "Eloy" sees them retreading the same sounds as on previous albums.

The opener "The Refuge" could almost be a track from there "Metromania" album with a more hard edged metal / rock type sound.

Elsewhere there's plenty of trademark bass lines from " Matziol" but far less in the spacey keyboards and guitars which the earlier albums had in abundance and unfortunately as with all there recent albums the vocals are not so good with too many repetetive moments and less inventive progressiveness for my tastes.

Not a bad album but far removed from the classic "Eloy" of old as we know and love.

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Songs / Tracks Listing

1. The Refuge (4:54)
2. The Secret (7:45)
3. Age of Insanity (7:56)
4. The Challenge (Time to Turn, Part 2) (6:44)
5. Summernight Symphony (4:22)
6. Mystery (The Secret, Part 2) (9:00)
7. Thoughts (1:22)

Total Time 42:03

Line-up / Musicians - Frank Bornemann / lead and backing vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
- Klaus-Peter Matziol / bass
- Michael Gerlach / keyboards
- Bodo Schopf / drums, percussion

- Hannes Folberth / additional keyboards (2, 3, 4 & 6)

Eloy - Age of Insanity

ELOY 2009 - Age of Insanity (HQ) - Song 3 of 7

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Eloy - Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes (1979)

Ah yes! The album my blog is named after. Definitely the Eloys most "Pink Floyd" inspired album. The highlight being the longest song " The Apocolaypse"

The vocals and guitars are particularly outstanding on this release and it certainly ranks as one of there finest.

Although "Ocean" is widely considered there finest i personally prefer this one which has less vocal parts and is more spacey progressive.

Excellent!

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Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Astral Entrance (3:03)
2. Master Of Sensation (6:00)
3. The Apocalypse (14:54)
a) Silent Cries Divide The Night
b) The Vision Burning
c) Force Majeure
4. Pilot To Paradise (7:01)
5. De Labore Solis (5:12)
6. Mighty Echoes (7:16)
Bonus tracks on remastered edition:
7. Child Migration (4:05)
8. Let the Sun Rise in my Brain (3:29)

Total Time: 51:00

Line-up / Musicians - Frank Bornemann / guitars, vocals
- Klaus-Peter Matziol / bass, pedals, chorus
- Jürgen Rosenthal / drums, percussion
- Detlev Schmidtchen / keyboards, chorus
- Brigitte Witt / vocals

Astral Entration/Master of Sensations - Eloy

Eloy - Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes 1979 - Pilot To Paradise

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Out Of Focus - Out Of Focus (1971)

First album i heard from these top flight krautrockers and still my favourite.

This second album features the same line up as the first and has everything from the driving "What Can a poor Man Do" to the progressive jazz rock jam of the lengthy "Wisperings" and "Television Program"

Utterly superb progressive jazz /rock Krautrock fusion from a band who deserved wider recognition as every member does there thing from subtle flute to wild sax blowing and the searingly melodic guitar of "Dreschler" to the rock solid bass, and special mention to the terrific drumwork throughout. Definite teamwork here!

An essential krautrock masterpiece!

Songs / Tracks Listing 1. What Can a Poor Boy Do (5:52) 

2. It's Your Life (4:31)

3. Whispering (13:34)

4. Blue Sunday Morning (8:20)

5. Fly Bird Fly (5:09)

6. Television Program (11:45)

Total Time: 49:11

Line-up / Musicians

- Remingius Drechsler / guitars, stylophone, tenor saxophone, flutes, voice 

- Hennes Hering / organ, piano

- Moran Neumüller / soprano saxophone, vocals

- Klaus Spöri / drums

- Stephen Wishen / bass

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Art Zoyd - La Chute De La Maison Usher (2008)

Art Zoyd's latest album is very avant garde ........ so much so though that i find it all really unmemorable to be honest, as much as say, there "Metropolis" was.

 This is yet another soundtrack album and i feel suffers ( as all there newer albums do, for me anyway ) of the absence of "Thierry Zaboitzeff" which only goes to show what a major part of this bands sound he was. Sadly this album just comes across to me as a meandering intense unfocused onslaught of FX which i don't think too many would actually give a second listen.

To sum up ...dissapointing. You'll do much better to check out any of "Thierry Zaboitzeffs" albums which are really outstanding and have more of the "Art Zoyd" sound than this album unfortunately only hints at.

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Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Orée (5:41)
i) Lisière
ii) Dog Tricks
iii) Wit
iv) Les Verchons Fourgus
v) Chemins

2. Madeline (3:02)
i) Au-dedans
ii) Dog Tricks
iii) La mare aux Larmes

3. Le Manoir (5:06)
i) Ombres
ii) Dog tricks
iii) Wit
iv) Éclat
v) Wit
vi) Dog Tricks
vii) Vibrations

4. Traces (2:51)
i) Wit
ii) Au-dedans
iii) Danse de fantomes
iv) Verchons fourgus
v) Wit

5. Le Tableau Vivant (14:07)
i) Froz #4
ii) Versons fourgus
iii) Au-dedans
iv) Jabber´s skin
v) Empeintes

6. Cérémonie (5:26)
i) Lisière
ii) Rayon des vetements obscurs
iii) Lézarbouches limacieuses
iv) Dog tricks
v) Menacant
vi) Écla

7. Marche au Cercueil (10:01)
i) Au-dedans
ii) Rayon des vetements obscurs
iii) Vertical
iv) Jabber´s skin

8. Paysage Griffé (7:21)
i) Au-dedans
ii) Wit
iii) Verchons fourgus
iv) Fragments

9. Láppel de la Nuit (3:59)
i) Régénération
ii) Lézarbouches limacieuses

10. Le retour de Madeleine (5:08)
i) Verchons fourgus
ii) La mare aux larmes
iii) Dévasté
iv) Résurrection

11. Le Brasier (3:30)
i) Péroraison
ii) Lisiére

Total Time: 66:12

Line-up / Musicians - Patricia Dallio / piano, sampler
- Yukari Hamada-Bertocchi / keyboard, sampler, electronics
- Gérard Hourbette / pads, percussion, sampler
- Daniel Koskowitz / pads, percussion
- Jérome Soudan / pads, percussion
- Laurent Dailleau / theremin, electronics

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Jannick Top - Infernal Machine (2008)

The legendary "Magma" bassman returns with an album of epic proportions.

Split into 12 parts this is pretty powerfull and dense stuff. One immediately thinks of some "Dead Can Dance" especially with the female vocals , in fact a good proportion of the  album  has a very similar sound and style crossed with say, the experimentalism of "Shub Niggurath", pounding and pulsing with mediaevil and far eastern flourishes awash in a mire of zeuhl and on occasion metal guitars are thrown into the mix.

Parts V and VI has that infectious "J Top" bass line from "Udu Wudu's" "De Futura" rumbling along with blasts of fuzzed guitars and throaty vocals which gradually picks up speed and nails you by the ears and tosses you into it's maelstrom of pure insanity.Stunning tracks these two and  my favourites on the album which are more of a Janik Top showcase and definitely pure ZEUHL.

Elsewhere you will find some "Magma" themes from "MDK" etc.

For ZEUHL fans INDESPENSABLE!!

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Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Part I (7:24)
2. Part II (4:29)
3. Part III (4:12)
4. Part IV (4:15)
5. Part V (5:09)
6. Part VI (5:52)
7. Part VII (4:22)
8. Part VIII (3:49)
9. Part IX (4:42)
10. Part X (3:13)
11. Part XI (4:27)
12. Resolutio (5:36)


Total Time 55:30
Line-up / Musicians - Jannick Top / bass, cello, cellobass, percussion, voices
- Christian Vander / drums
- Damien Schmitt / drums
- Marc Chantereau / percussion
- James McGaw / guitar
- François Delfin / guitar
- Thibault Abrial / guitar
- Jim Grandcamp / guitar
- Fabien Colella / keyboards, computing
- Mathias Lecomte / grand piano
- Klaus Blasquiz / voice
- Natalia Ermilova / voice
- Veronika Boulytcheva / voice
- Stella Vander / backing vocals
- Himiko Paganotti / backing vocals
- Antoine Paganotti / backing vocals

Jannick Top MACHINA

Jannick Top MACHINA

Tarantula - Tarantula (1976)

A wonderful Spanish prog rock album from the seventies which sounds more italian actually.
 Awesome vocals with excellent symphonic/ rock passages with touches of "Moody Blues" "Osanna" "Arachnoid" and "Pink Floyd".

 This is really tightly played with superb guitars and keys and it's a real must for italian prog rock fans.

A little known gem and really worth seeking out!

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