Dj Astro's playlist 26.10.2017, Tavastia, Helsinki (Magma & Circle)

Amazing gigs by two of the best bands in the world: Magma and Circle! I was honored to be the dj for this sold-out event, and this is (pretty much) what I played and about in this order as well:

Ash Ra Tempel - Jenseits
Steve Hillage - Not Fade Away (Glid Forever)
Morgen - Of Dreams
The Illusion - Did You See Her Eyes
Cream - Swlabr
Atomic Rooster -  The Rock
Can - Spoon
Flowers Must Die - Psykjunta
Hallogalo 2010 - Blinkgürtel
Silver Apples - Lovefingers
Fifty Foot Hose - Red the Sign Post
The Open Mind - Magic Potion
Faust - So Far
Wooden Shjips - Vampire Blues
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Black Tempest - Rubycon Part 1
Aphrodite's Child - Break
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Pink Floyd - See Emily Play
Arzachel - Garden of Earthly Delights
Gong - Flying Teapot
Brainticket - Palace of Light
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Meetings of the Spirit
Superfjord - Love Supreme
Silver Apples - Oscillations
Can - Vitamin C
Steve Hillage - Saucer Surfing
The Chemistry Set - Legend of a Mind
Fever Tree - San Francisco Girls
Hawkwind - Hassan I Sahba
Gun - Race with the Devil
Tomorrow - My White Bicycle
Eric Burdon and the Animals - Sky Pilot
Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer
The Byrds - Eight Miles High
Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Center of Your Mind
The Electric Prunes - I had too Much to Dream (Last Night)
Focus - Hocus Pocus
The Who - I Can See for Miles
The Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hanging On
Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Strawberry Alarm Clock - Good Morning Sunshine

Stay - Always Here 7" EP

Regal Crabomophone (winkle 29)

Stay is a Spanish (or should I say Catalonian?) psychedelic indie rock/pop band from Barcelona. They have been around for over ten years now and released several albums and singles. This is their fourth 7" for Fruits de Mer / Regal Crabomophone. This new 7" EP includes five tracks starting off with the excellent title track from their latest album The Mean Solar Times that I reviewed last year. "Always Here" was produced by the Britpop guru Owen Morris (Oasis, The Verve) and it sure sounds great.

The other tracks are a superb version of "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" by The Bee Gees, rocking "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" by the Kinks and a remix of their original "You Know It's Right". The original version of this melodic, very Byrdsian track was first released on The Mean Solar Times album, but this version benefits form the added guitard from Andy Bell (Oasis, Ride). All in all, Stay is an excellent band that puts together influences form the original 60s psych pop and 90s Britpop to a great effect. This 7" also comes with a 50-minute DVD about the recording sessions of their latest album, a nice bonus touch.

www.facebook.com/staysongs

Strobe - Bunker Sessions

Sulatron Records (st1707 st1707-2)

This album just released on Sulatron Records is every Strobe fan's dream come true: a previously unreleased studio album from 1994! Formed in 1990 Strobe was one of the best UK based indie/neo-psych/space rock bands and influenced by bands like Loop and Spacemen 3. The three-guitars/bass/drums lineup created a full, hypnotic, swirly and psychedelic wall of sound that appealed to psych heads, but somehow the band pretty much remained in the underground until their demise in 2001 and never really made it big. Especially their three first albums, See Beyond the Sun, Maya and The Circle Never Ends were true masterpieces and highly appreciated by the psych rock afficiendos. The original vinyl copies are also rather rare these days. Later on their sound shifted closer to mainstream and I lost interest. Anyway, in 1994, after recording the magnificent classic The Circle Never Ends, the band got an idea to record a studio album with a live feel and no overdubs. They went into Bunker Studios in Bedford and recorded six songs, but these recordings were somehow left unreleased until now. Two of the tracks ("Chameleaon Earth" & "Opium Dreams") were, however, re-recorded after a few years and released on their later CD releases.

The album starts off with the over-ten-minute, hazy "Sun Birth". It's a pretty laid-back and dreamy, repetative instrumental piece that grows very slowy towards the end. "Into Your Skin" is a shorter, more aggressive, Loop/post-punk-inspired track with vocals. More chord changes on this one than usual... "Obsession" is one of those two-chord miracles that keep you interested with their tension. Some cool guitar stuff on this one, and yet again I'm reminded of some of the post-punk or even Goth rock bands. These guys must have listened to Joy Division? Probably my favourite is "Chameleon Earth" that has a dark, hypnotic vibe and this time I'm even reminded of The Cure when they rock out more. I wonder why I never got this feeling listening to Strobe before? Maybe it's because these sessions are rawer and without the most mind-expanding soundeffects. In any case, I really enjoy what I'm hearing here. The eight-minute "Opium Dreams" has a female quest singer with wonderful voice and begins in a very beautiful, soft way. This track gets you in a hazy trance and is another highlight for sure with a more heady vibe. "Sun Death" closes this great album in hypnotic, mesmering manner including some very powerful triple guitar work. Cool! This album is now out on limited vinyl and CD and has cover art by Lulu, the bass player in Electric Moon and Zone Six. Get it now!

www.sulatron.com

Nathan Hall And The Sinister Locals ‎– The Volga Sturgeon Face E​.​P.

The Hip Replacement Label (Hip 014)

Happy news for all those who have been wondering what ever happened to the Soft Hearted Scientists. After releasing seven albums they are just taking a year off. In the meantime, their front man Nathan Hall has of course not been able to just lay back and rest. Amazing songs just seem to pour out of his mind so he formed a new "band" called Nathan Hall And The Sinister Locals. This is actually more or less Nathan's solo project with various, changing characters on drums, bass, string arrangements etc. This first release is a four track CD EP and if you were fast enough, you might have scored it with an accompanying two-track 5" lathe cut limited to just 100 copies. This version also included a facsimile lyric sheet for the track "Everyone's Burning Effigies" and a postcard, both signed. I'm still kicking myself for not being fast enough in May... But since the CD EP itself is still available, let's go on.

Musically Nathan Hall And The Sinister Locals sounds very close to baroque, gentle psychedelia of Soft Hearted Scientists. The vibe is perhaps (even) a bit more home-grown and intimate. This debut EP includes five tracks and I love them all. The opener "Everybody's Burning Effigies" starts off with some psychy space sounds and then a melodic, uplifting going takes you away. Like always, Nathan is capable to get you hooked with his simple yet very catchy melodies and ideas. I really like the instrumentation/orchestration as well. A perfect three-minute pop rock piece. "Song for the Flowers" is a bit more melancholic and even a bit eerie but totally wonderful song that makes you close your eyes and hum along with the harmonies. One of those two-chord wonders that hount you in your dreams. "Like a Setting Sun" has great finger-picked acoustic guitar, beautiful vocals, celestial orchestration and a hypnotic beat. Amazing! The EP is finished with the pretty, folky and baroque "Catacomes of Camden Town". I like the sort of philosophical, nostalgic/realistic lyrics on this one. I got to say I enjoy this brilliant EP really much and can only hope that these tracks will see a vinyl release soon. A full-lenght Nathan Hall And The Sinister Locals album seems to be just released as well, I noticed a minute ago!

www.facebook.com/Nathan-Hall-And-The-Sinister-Locals-407647262904741/

Zone Six - S/T

Sulatron Records (st1708/st1708-2)

German psych/kraut/space/impro rock band Zone Six was formed almost by accident when Liquid Visions couldn't play a gig they were asked to play and bass player Dave Schmidt (later also known as Sula Bassana) formed a new band for the gig. The idea was to play long, trance-inducing space rock jams and that's what they did. Hans-Peter from Liquid Visions was playing guitar, Dave bass and ex-Liquid Visions drummer Claus the drums. The first Zone Six album was recorded at rehearsal place on 8-track and later Dave added some overdubs at his home studio. A very limited tape edition was released at the first show in September 1997. Next year female vocals were added to the recordings and the first Zone Six CD was released on Early Birds. This album was in my opinion one of the most psychedelic released in the 90s and has gained cult status ever since. To celebrate 20 years of Zone Six Dave decided to reissue the album this year. Rather than re-releasing the CD he has put out the original instrumental version that has so far been unavailable to the big public!

The album is divided into 13 individual tracks, some of which are only short interludes. My promo CD-R copy is just two, side-long tracks, so I won't even try to tell what part is going on at what time. All the music just flows continuosly for the whole one-hour-trip, so that won't be really necessary either... All you need to know is that this album will take you on a journey to some strange, multi-coloured psychedelic world and you just might never want to come back. Just close your eyes and let your mind wander in these wonderful, strange, alien soundscapes. I must say that even as I really liked the Early Birds CD version, the music does work better without the vocals. I also like the occasional dub influences and very experimental parts, so this is not only rock music. The sound quality is also just superb, especially for a 20-year-old rehearseal recording. Wonderful! What's perhaps the best thing here still is that the album is now available on vinyl for the first time ever, so vinyl freaks get you copies fast before they're sold-out! Also available on CD.

www.facebook.com/zonesixz6

Siinai - Sykli

Svart Records (SVART115)

Siinai is a Finnish electronic/ambient/space/trance/post/krautrock band that has previously released four albums, two of which in collaboration with Canadian Moonface. I wrote a review of the excellent Supermarket album three years ago. I have also been enjoying their rare live performances a lot (check out my live video at the end). Sykli is, once again, a sort of a theme album. It deals with the various cycles of life on Earth and in Space. It has a bit melancholic mood, probably due to the difficulties in life that the members have been experiencing. But I still feel it celebrates life itself with its subtle, gorgeous melodies, repetitive, hypnotic patterns and psychedelic vibes.

There are five long, instrumental pieces on the album. "Temppeli" starts off the ritual with smooth, pleasant sequencers and celestial synthesizers. Very ambient and uplifting, like Tangerine Dream for example. The melancholic "Mestari" brings in soft percussion and some ethnic vibe as well. I'm reminded of Popol Vuh and the like. The title track "Sykli" is based on Manuel Göttsching styled delay guitar work that I always love and the band has utilized before. Little by little the track grows into interstellar proportions, wow! The ultra hypnotic"Ananda" is the longest track on the album at 11:25 and the first one that really rocks out. It has a mechanic, hypnotic kraut beat á la NEU! or La Düsseldorf and pretty much stays exactly the same for the whole duration. Get entranced! The last track "Europa" begins with a bit noisy drone and slowly a motorik beat rises from the ashes. Later on the NEU! vibe gets even stronger, when we also get a simple chord progression. It really feels like it's '72-'75 in West-Germany and I'm loving it! What a great album as a whole. You can now pre-order the CD and two different, limited vinyl editions and that's what you should. The album will be out next week, and the release party will be celebrated at Kuudes Linja, Helsinki, on the 24th of November.

siinai.tumblr.com

Various ‎Artists – Kopf Musik

Fruits de Mer Records (crustacean 79)

This massive 3-CD-set is a dream come true for all krautrock fans with no vinyl playing option! Kopf Musik compiles together most (but not all) krautrock tracks covered by modern bands and released on vinyl by Fruits de Mer. The first CD is filled with tracks from the 2LP+7" Head Music (crustacean 36), so there are classics by Neu!, Kraftwerk, Amon Düül I, Can, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream etc. performed by the cream of the psych bands of today like Vibravoid,  Earthling Society, Vert:x, Dead Sea Apes etc. Frobischer Nick's Ash Ra Temple cover "Schizo" is a new mix and all the tracks sound awesome. No fillers here, I can tell you! Also loving the funny intro by krautrock legend Eroc.

 Head Music continues for the first four tracks on CD 2 with Jau Tausig's Amon Düül II cover "Surrounded By The Stars", Electric Moon's Madrigal Meridian (Tangerine Dream), Frobisher Neck Heads South By Weaving's "Silver Cloud ( La Düsseldorf) and Electric Orange's "Lied An Zons" (Arno Clauss). All very cool! The next tracks originate from the Shrunken Head Music (crustacean 43) 2 x 7" compilation that was released in 2013. Black Tempest plays TD's "Rubycon Part 1", Vespero does Faust with "J`Ai Mal Aux Dents" and Frobisher Neck performs "To Another World" by Brainticket (not exactly kraut but close). Vibravoid does wonders on Can's "Mother Sky" (new mix of a track originating from their Krautrock Sensation 7" EP) and the last three tracks are from Roqueting Through Space and DfM Annual 2013 compilations (Cranium Pie's Research Baking Station, Helicon, Frobisher Neck and Vespero doing Brainticket, Neu! x 2 and Faust). Amazing!

 The third CD here includes just three tracks but they are very long. Brainticket's "Brainticket" is perfect material for ambient/trance legend Astralasia and this version even makes you want to dance. This is also around nine minutes longer than the version previously released on Postcards from the Deep 10 x flexi 7" compilation... Ax Genrich helped out by Sunhair offers an live version of his own "Spaceship Memory" only previously available on The 14th Dream of Dr. Sardonus promo CD-R. The Bevis Frond jams for 24 minutes along with Electric Sandwich's "China". This was originally released as part of the Side Effects box set that had eight bands to perform one side-long cover each. Personallyl I never get tired of hearing Nick Saloman play solo guitar, so a lovely ending to a brilliant triple compilation. A must have for all those krautheads who missed the original releases and also a very nice (and handy) item to have even if you didn't. This was initially sold only at the Fruits de Mer gigs and festivals this Summer and Autumn but if you're lucky you can get one of the last ever copies on sale online (for non-UK customers, check out Heyday Mailorder.

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/kopfmusik.html