Oop, it seems I have forgotten to mention here that I have released two more ambient/electronic/experimental/cosmic Astral Magic albums since the debut! Inside the Space Cabin and In Orbit are at the moment only available on digital format but please contact me if you would like to make them available in physical form (vinyl, CD, tape)!
Fruits de Mer Records (Crustacean 94)
"See Emily Play" happens to be one of my absolute favourite Floyd/Barrett songs so I just never get too much of it. Durant's version is in just perfect balance with honoring the original and giving it a new, personal touch. Very nice! Another short but sweet Barrett treat "Bike" is on the other side and it is also excellent. I wish they would have added a couple of more Barrett songs since this just feels too short even with the extended experimental end of "Bike". Anyway, this is a must-have for all Fuchsia and Barrett fans and I am really happy to include it to my collection.
Regal Crapomophone (winkle 43)
This is a three-track 7" EP spinning in 33 1/3 rpm. On the A side we have two studio cuts: the five-minute-plus "Metamorphosis" and "Finale" just under three minutes in length. Not you usual 15 min + prog rock jams, but still they do their tricks very well. Both are mostly instrumental, but "Metamorphosis" also has some spoken word giving it a very English vibe. I'm reminded of bands like Caravan etc. Great guitar and organ work and very groovy drums! Later on some cools synths sounds as well. Also "Finale" brings to mind Caravan more than enything else, but definitely also Camel in their golden era. Great! There is also a certain amount of psychedelia in the mix to keep things interesting for us "heads"... But that's not all folks! On the B side we still have a "live" version of "Metamorphosis" that lasts closer to six minutes! Excellent vibe on this one and the live version grows a bit more towards the end. All in all, an excellent little EP that leaves me wanting to hear more of the best of by The Superstars! The EP is on sale now so get yourself a copy.
www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/superstars.html
Self-released
The new album includes three long instrumental pieces mostly played with synths, sequencers, drum machine and effects. Two of the tracks also include electric guitar. The very dreamy, hypnotic music is mostly based on repetition as layer upon layer gets added to the basic background. There is a certain classic "Berlin-School" vibe on the music but there are also more modern elements. The beats on the opener "Vertikal" are very distorted and crushed, for example. The track could almost be from some unreleased Klaus Schulze album until the modern beat joins in. I truly enjoy the music but have some problems digesting the rather extreme sounding drum machine. It does make the track sound more interesting though, even if this sounds a bit confusing. Gentle melodies caress the dreamy soundscapes, wonderful. You can just made out some treated human voice in the mix towards the end. The second journey "Tropfen" is very ambient and abstract but a slow beat is added later on. "Herbstblad" has beautiful guitar stuff making it the most easily accessible piece on the album but this is not exactly easy-listening either although very pleasant and relaxing. Just close your eyes and float away. This got to be my favourite track this time. The third part of the trilogy will possibly mostly played with a banjo so there are some changes coming... You can buy Vesa's albums from his Bandcamp site for what ever price you want. If you enjoy deep, cosmic and ambient electronic music you really should check them out.
Gare du Nord Records (BH007)
Manbird released in September is a 25-track "ambitious concept album about leaving the nest, traveling the world and finding home." So that's where the title comes from, if you were wondering... Personally, I love Anton's lyrics as well as his music since there is alsways a certain amount of humour in there even when he's talking about some serious issues. I think the stories here are rather autobiographic and the booklet includes lots of photos of Anton from and early age onwards.
Anyway, lets focus on the music now. As always, Anton knows how to build a catchy, melodic and clever pop song and we've got plenty of those here starting from the title track that starts the journey. The album was produced by Anton with some help from his friends and sounds excellent. There are lots of little mixing tricks to make the songs sound more interesting. There are also little bit more electronic elements on some songs like "Across the Drama Pond", some folky vibes and even one fast punk rock song "Featherweight". The instrumentation is varied as well as the moods and vibes. There are some beautiful acoustic ballads and more experimental pieces but most of it is still pretty easy to digest and listener friendly, even with all the clever little hooks and weird stuff in the middle. Many songs are pretty short, between one and three minutes in length, and even the longest one, the final, trippy piece "Space Force" is just over five minutes. It's just impossible for me to name any favourites from these 25 little nuggets since they all have a charm of their own. As often is the case, I'm probably most drawn to the most psychedelic moments, though (like "Underneath the Mushroom Tree" and "Auslanderbeak"). Living in Berlin must have taken its toll since there is even some krautrock influences on "Beak" and "Beak Part 2". Great! You can also tell that Anton has listened to The Beatles a lot and also some Bowie. He has a very unique, distinctive singing voice that I also really enjoy. All in all, I got to say that Manbird is one of the most enjoyable and entertaining albums I have heard this year. It's been a crappy year in general but at least there is stll some interesting music being produced and released to keep our spirits high!
White Dwarf (WHD009)
