Holiday

I was about to post this beautiful summer mix of Tako with the following words:

"What do you expect from a mix when it's done by a supernice guy with an excellent taste in music and a wonderful record collection? Yeah and that's exactly what you get here. Also make sure to get a copy of the first 12" of the Sombrero Galaxy, released on Lovefingers long awaited ESP Institute. Sombrero Galaxy is the collabo between Tako and Jonny Nash and their "Journey to the center of the sun" is one of my favourite releases of the last years, cheers!"

That was yesterday. In the meantime something terrible happened. Tako's friend Petros Malevis from Athens passed away without a warning. This mix is dedicated to Petros! He will be missed. Rest in peace, Petros.

Mysticism

When I found this record I didn't know what to expect. Late Equals, aha. Listened to the 2nd side first (by chance, not out of a habit) and immediately went to ask for the price, as there was no sticker attached to it. After the shock I thought: "ok just listen to the other side before you put it back" and damn that was a mistake! Maybe not..... I heard Mystic Syster and in a flash I was completely up up an away, nodding the head like no good. It's raw and powerful ... and man those synth rhythms : ) After a couple of spins at home I understood why this is in so many wantlists, there's hardly a weak moment on the lp.

More info on discogs and a nice little link on request

Cheers!

PS. We'll have a wonderful guest-mix by one of my favourite DJs coming up very soon. Relaxed summer vibes for your precious ears!

Thing from the woods

The "Thing from the woods" now up over at Lovefingers. a mix of laid back ethno oddities, electronic new age jazz, some krautfolk, obscure disco, italian prog and even a little bit of library music. pretty much the growing bin vibe ; ) Hope you guys will enjoy it. Cheers, Basso

Sequential Echos

Überfällig is Günter Schickert's second solo lp. This one was released on the Sky label in 1979. Schickert is a guitarist and uses a looping system with echo, along the same lines as Reichel, Göttsching and Bloch. Charles M. Heuer is playing drums on a few tracks, also with an echo or delay technique. Brigitta Nabucet is providing the vocals on the second track, In Der Zeit. While this lp has similarities with other recordings in the same vein, to my ears it is still uniquely Günter Schickert.

Überfällig

Drum & Synth

Literally drum and synth; David is playing all manner of drums and percussion and Jan Hammer is playing all manner of synthesizers and drums with occasional piano and electric piano. Time is Free was David Earle Johnson's first release as leader and some of us feel, his best. David also provides great vocals and the vocal tracks are my favorites on this lp.

Time is Free

Oh No! Not Another Decerf ‽ ‽ ‽

Sorry but I just had to share this. J.P. and Marc Saclays cooked up these 11 platters full of well baked synth noodles on a bed of crispy drums with slinky guitar garnish. What? You're not hungry? Ok, we'll save it for later; midnight snack, maybe?

Sound . . . Space

Unknown Tracks

For those who have overseen it in Cesare's Thomas Almquist post -
Luis aka Acid Dragon from Mexico kindly contributed the "Unknown Tracks". If you liked Nyanser, you will enjoy them Here. If you - Dear Guest - have a picture of the cover.... Thanks in advance!

Another Oddity

I've been after this LP for a while. Well, not really after this one here. David Wescott's "Musical Evocation Of The Old Testament" originally released on french library label MTS. I was so darn happy when I found this affordable copy in the depths of the web because I only had an mp3 of "Across The Jourdan" which really blew me away. When the record finally landed on my player I was quite astonished to hear these great progressive sounds on side A. Quite different from what I knew. Then quick to Side B to finally hear Jourdan in high quality. Hmm, where is it? ........IT'S NOT THERE!
After my disappointment settled a bit I listened to the whole album again and again and I liked it! mmmmh..... maybe just another recording session or a modern version as the cover says, I thought. Recorded the whole thing and when I got to naming the tracks I realized the info given on cover and label do not match the track lenghts at all. I suppose this has nothing to do with the Wescott record but imho it's an amazing record.
The tracks are now named A1, A2, etc as I have no Idea what these are really called nor I do know who is responsible for the music. Maybe Wescott, maybe someone else. If you do know more than I do please enlighten me. If you're curious about the music - a link will appear soonish.
Cheers!

Rock the Library

Atlantic Crossing is 12 tracks of rock oriented production library jams with a full orchestra backing a 1981 style rock band. All tracks composed by Konrad Plaickner and Mike Frajria. And yes, it's all good.

Atlantic Crossing

Electro Heavy VS Acoustic Light

Balloons is a well balanced set of duets by two highly skilled keyboardsmen with a cosmic focus. Three of the compositions are full on space jazz synthesizer workouts. All instruments are keyboards; what sounds like guitar shreds on a couple tunes are in fact hard driven synths. In contrast to the electro tracks are a couple more relaxed excursions into concert grand piano space.
Jasper van't Hof is playing: Bösendorfer Imperial Acoustic Concert Grand Piano, PPG Synthesizer, PPG Wave Computer, Prepared Organ, Fender Piano
Joachim Kühn is playing: Roland Jupiter4 Synthesizer, ARP 16 voice Electric Piano, Acoustic Concert Grand Piano

Balloons

Upright Synth Jams

Jürgen Pluta's first solo lp released in 1980. This sounds a lot like some of the higher quality library lps of the same period but with longer track durations. A few of the tracks have a slow disco groove and Bayswater has a kind of manic YMO quality. All tracks feature synthesizer as the main component. Rolf Eggemann is playing drums on Montreux and Airports and Fritz Fey adds guitar to Montreux and Bayswater. Pluta plays all other instruments.

Blanche

1000 Years

Electronics and brass with solid drumming. They make for a great combination on this set of tracks composed by A. Hobson. Themes suitable for action, space and industry. 1983 so the beats lean toward disco on a few tracks. Three tracks are under a minute but the rest are over 3; not bad for a library lp and there are 14 tracks on this one. Trippy artwork on the cover by Nick Bantock, as well.

Millennium

Cosmic Love has nothing to do with the club

"Sound Painted Pictures Of Cosmic Love" doesn't that sound nice?
In fact it is.... so nice that's in my Top 10 of All Times. Ever......
Here's a bit of info from the back cover so we might get a glimpse what cosmic love is about ; ) "I really wish to be in harmony, to feel and learn the power which makes the flowers grow, the power which makes the seed sprout and break through the earth. The cosmic power from the universe called love and brotherhood, which radiates from the universe and exists everywhere, but only is realized by few. If you reach that, will you have no need for concern or doubt, because then you understand that nothing is impossible for you."
Gert Thrue plays Hammond, Moog, Fender Piano, Roland Synthesizer and Logan Stringers (??). On the title track that covers all of side A Jan Preus plays the drums. He changes sticks with Per Hoyer for Side B. The record was produced in the Netherlands. Though Gert Thrue is from Denmark. The lovely message on the back cover is in Dansk and English. Hmm... Anyway, as 95% percent of you are probably not here to read nice little stories ..... Feel some cosmic love and of course thanks to Uli for selling me this beautiful piece of music!

Cheers, Basso

Top Prog

Slovenian Girls was SBB's 15th lp, released in 1979 on Omnibus/Arcum in Germany and recorded in Praha, Czechoslowakia. Two side long tracks with excellent vocals and the keyboard wizardry of Józef Skrzek, Apostolis Antymos' fine guitar shreds and Jurek Piotrowski's spot-on drumming. Meet Julia and Anna, Slovenian Girls

Juju Jammers

It's Time for Juju Music was Dele Abiodun's first international release. King Sunny Ade and Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey were taking juju music to the world, so Dele Abiodun & His Top Hitters Band decided to take their own brand of highlife and funk inflected juju to an international audience, as well. There are 7 tracks on the lp, but you'll never notice a break until the end of the record. Both sides play as one track which is the way these bands perform live. They usually jam for hours, sometimes all night without a break. There are six vocalists in this band but they are silent for most of side 1. After 1 minute of vocal intro the talking drums, pedal steel guitars and synthesizers take over for the next 20 minutes with short breaks for the vocalists to reassert their presence (and remind us of the track title). Side 2 has more vocals but the sound is still Juju in space. And, of course, you can DANCE to this!

It's Time for Juju Music

Brasil Remodelled

With this post we are taking a side trip into the reworking of a classical composition by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Electronics are prominent in this adaptation by Egberto Gismonti but the sounds of a large orchestra are still present. Oddly there are no instrument credits for Gismonti himself. The credits for keyboardist Alexandre E Bianco are astonishing; he plays an army of synthesizers and sequencers. Trem Caipira is 25 years old this year and is still as unique and engaging as it was when I first heard it in the mid 80s.

Trem Caipira

Questions Answered

Delay Tactics was an experimental synth and guitar project from the early to mid 80s. Carl Weingarten, David Udell, and Walter Whitney recorded 2 lps, the first in '82 and this one in '84. The band name is from Weingarten's guitar delay technique which to my ears sounds a lot like Klaus Bloch's ping-pong system. Listen to 'Kites' on this record and you'll hear what I'm referring to.

Any Questions?

Zoomalala!

Gruezi Mitteinand!
Here you have a fusion LP from Switzerland. I really love it when musicians dare to show a little humour. That's why I dig Wolfgang Dauner or Guru Guru that much. These dudes here don't have to hide in the mountains.... they really rock!
This diversified Jazz LP with influences of Reaggae, Funk and "World Music" was produced by the well known Bruno Spoerri (Voice of Taurus IS available on a remastered CD, folks! Go out and buy it or stay in and order.. or here.)
It's FUN!
Cheers, Basso

Banfi Sans Baffo

Galaxy My Dear was Banfi's first solo effort and on this one he is playing all instruments including various synthesizers, sequencers and a Farfisa Rythm Machine. The lp was released in 1978 on Red Record and was dedicated to "My Master, Klaus Schulze". This was the only record he recorded under the J.B. Banfi banner. The other 3 later records would be by 'Baffo' Banfi. But as you can see on the cover he is missing his baffo, so maybe that's why he looks so distraught.

Galaxy My Dear

Golden Haired Flutterby

Back to France with Richard Vimal. Migrations was Vimal's second lp, released in 1978. All tracks are instrumentals featuring guitars and synthesizers.

Migrations