Dr Space's Wicked Sonic Bulls - S/T

 Self-released (DSWSB001)

This improvisational, instrumental space rock jam album was recorded in a couple of hours before lunch time on Saturday, January the 10th this year, when drummer  Darren Butler (Sonic Trip Project) and his son, guitarist Tom Arhurst (ex-Hawklords, Here & Now etc.) visited Dr Space in Portugal. Scott's usual musical partner Martin Weaver, who lives close by, delivers the bass for the recordings.

Like seems to happen too often, Scott Heller has again fucked up the track order, since the cover says first track is "Late for Lunch" at 10:58, but in reality we get a 18:23 long piece that has a riff from Hawkwind's "You Should'n Do That", so in reality the album must begin with the track "Shouldn't You Do It?"... Well, sounds great, anyway. A bit straighter, bluesy rock than ØSC, but Scott's synths, Hammond and Mellotron give it a spacey edge. Great playing by all and the sound is excellent. The recordings could have benefited from some overdubs but in the spirit of on-the-spot improvisation there are none. The longest of the four tracks is "The Underside of Your Tongue" at almost 30 minutes, where the guys start to rock out some more. Cool, pretty mostly laid-back stuff, if not anything totally spectacular. The CD is limited to 100 copies.

drspace1.bandcamp.com 

 

Øresund Space Collective - 20th Anniversary Space Flight 3CD

 Self-released (OSC2026-LS025)

This marvelous and gorgeous looking 3CD set was recorded at the 20th Anniversary party of this international improvisational space rock band. I was very close going to the event since I've been a friend and fan of the band since their beginning. So it's a real pleasure to be hearing the music they played there from CD's, at least! The party happened on April 11-12th, 2025 at Stengade in Copenhagen, Denmark. Band leader Scott Heller aka Dr Space got together lots of people who had played in the band during the years and various line ups jammed away during the weekend. Sadly the recordings from the second night were faulty, so we just have three hours from the first night, but that is plenty of music for sure!

Apparently Scott fucked up the titles on the CD cover somehow so I'm not really even trying to identify what piece is what, but let's just say that we get a varied, colourful set of instrumental, trippy and spacey jams some even almost 40 minute in length. The band members are flying high for sure and the fans must have had a lot of fun. This is a very enjoyable live album to hear at home too, and I love watching the four-panel cover with lots of pics from the happening and amazing artwork by the usual art designer David Graham. Looks like this set is already sold-out on the band's Bandcamp site but try if you can find a copy someplace, you won't be disappointed.

oresundspacecollective.bandcamp.com 

 

 

Kosmos - Käärmesormus

 Self-released (Kosmos 006)

Kosmos is a progressive folk/rock band from Turku, Finland. This is their sixth album since the debut Tarinoita voimasta released in 2005. You can check my reviews of their Ajanpeili (2019) and Salattu maailma (2013). In addition to the traditional Finnish folk elements the band also always have some Indian vibes (shruti box) and starts to rock out at some, usually longer tracks and can get quite spaced out too. The female vocals and male spoken word parts are in Finnish as always, but the inserts also have translations in English which I think is a nice gesture.

Starting out with the always moody bird-song, "Ikimetsän sydänmaa" is a peaceful, magical-sounding piece about an ancient forest and fairies. Mellotron appears later on magnificently. Very nice and relaxing. "Kuka muistaa voi", "Vanha karma" and "Deja Vu" are shorter folk/prog pieces, still pretty easy going, although we also get some jazzy sax impro in the first one. Side A is finished with a pretty Finnish version of the traditional tune "The Wind Is Blowing Through Me". No drums yet.

On side B there is first a short, oppressive spoken-word/Mellotron piece "Korppi" ("The Raven") with words by famous Finnish writer Mika Waltari. Then the album's heavy, hypnotic title track takes you in a trance. Heavy psych, almost, at times. Best track on the album in my opinion. Cool to have some fuzz guitars and drums for a change. The end is more ethereal stuff with clean guitars, Mellotron and violin. The heavier, dark pounding continues with "Kielletyn hedelmän tarha" ("The Garden of Forbidden Fruit"). Very cool stuff. The album is finished with the eight-minute "Kellokoski" that is about a famous, old mental institute in Finland. Lots of male and female spoken word on this one. There is a long, heavy and repetitive guitar/sax solo part in the end. So it's safe to say that the first part (side A of the LP) is lighter, folky stuff and the rest pretty heavy, dark and gloomy material. All in all, a very enjoyable, interesting album by this great band once again. The album is also out on CD in Italy, if you prefer that format. The LP is out on green and black vinyl editions, both very limited. Warmly recommended!

kosmos-finland.bandcamp.com 

kosmosband.net 

  

Bridget Wishart - Ekolu to be released on 31.10.2026

 

I am very happy to announce that the debut solo album by ex-Hawkwind singer Bridget Wishart will be released next week! So what do I have to do with that, you might ask? Well, since the Astral Magic feat. Bridget Wishart album Ad Infinitum released on CD in 2023 and on ultra-limited LP in 2024 was rather successful we decided to make another album. This time we were also able to get Steve Bemand, Bridget's long-time band-member and also occasional Hawkwind tour guitarist to join in. During the album process we were both contacted by Dan from Savant Guarde Records (US), and after discussions we agreed to continue the album project as a Bridget Wishart solo album rather that yet another Astral Magic album. All the music was written by me (Santtu Laakso), but Bridget wrote all the lyrics and vocal melodies and also played some EWI while Steve arranged and played all the guitars. Santtu's final mix was then mastered by Paul Gobbold and the artwork was done by Alan Arthurs. Both are of course famous for their work with Hawkwind, among others.

At the end of this month, the album will be released on jewel case CD, a limited vinyl release will  be out sometime later. You can already preorder the album from the label in the US, but the album will also be available from Skidmark Multimedia Productions in the UK and Astral Magic Bandcamp site in the EU.

 Tracklist:

1. Seasons

2. Anchor

3. No Shadow

4. Bits of Blue

5. Guardian

6. One by One

7. Separate the Dream

8. Hare and Hounds

   9. When the Wind Calls Your Name (CD Bonus Track) 

 

Check out the video lyric singles below:

 

Sendelica - Nirmata II, Journey to the Stars

 Fruits de Mer Records (Friends of the Fish 101)

Nirmata II, Journey to the Stars seems to be the last album by Welsh psych/space/impro/ambient rock band Sendelica. It was recorded earlier this year before the sad passing of the band leader, guitarist Peter Bingham, who was a good friend of mine and also played on a few Astral Magic albums. I really miss him, so it feels pretty hard and emotional to even listen to this album. I'm still very glad that the remaining band members Colin Consterdine, Glenda Pescado and Lee Relfe decided to finish the album in loving memory of Pete.

The totally instrumental album starts with "Severing the Tether" that is a bit heavier and more rocking, great piece. Lee delivers excellent saxophone like always. According to the promo sheet, this is about the "breathtaking moment of release: the breaking of gravity, the bittersweet unmooring that allows soul  to rise, and begin its true voyage". Deep stuff. "Beyond the Shallows of the Sun" is very ambient in nature and is about the journey of human consciousness to the starlit oceans of the wider cosmos. On side B we also have just two long tracks. "The Expanse of Sunyata" has a programmed, groovy drum beat at the beginning, but gets spacey, ambient and experimental after a couple of minutes until the rocking starts again. The track ends with some pretty Nik Turner styled freaky sax and space sounds. Very cool stuff! The last piece "Di Ankh Djet Neneh" is an invocation from ancient Egyptian cosmology and very beautiful, melancholic and peaceful stuff. A wonderful ending for a marvelous album, and possibly, 25 years of stellar music career. 

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/nirmata2

sendelica.bandcamp.com

  

Marianne Segal featuring Circulus - The Gathering

 Fruits de Mer Records (crustacean 105)

 

I had somehow missed this album when it first came out on limited edition CD in 2007, so this LP version was definitely a nice surprise for me. I love both Circulus AND Marianne Segal of Jade so both of them together would be just wonderful...and it is! If you are a fan of UK folk and folk rock this is a real must-have. There are also other musicians involved: Root Cartwright (Principal Edward's Magic Theatre), Bill Steer (Firebird, Carcass & Napalm Death!).

Some of songs are closer to traditional, acoustic folk music (like opener "September Song"), but we also get for example groovy, jazzy stuff like "Circle Round the Sun" but all of it is very well produced and pleasant to the ear and mind. One of my favourites is the dreamy and beautiful "Saints on Tapestry" that ends side A. "Root People" is a heavier, hypnotic rocker that reminds me of "Whole Lotta Love"... The final song "Dreamers" is really beautiful and magical. Just wonderful stuff, do not miss this.

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/gathering 

 

Various Artists - Making Waves, New Music from Fruits de Mer Records 2CD-R

 Fruits de Mer Records (Promo CD 30)

This will be the next freebie CD-R for all those who have ordered the next patch of releases from Fruits de Mer (Marianne Segal, Pinhdar and Man & Machine). As has often been the case, you'll get a double album packed with great and often rare or previously unreleased stuff.

There are 22 tracks in total, but The Owl Service has three tracks included for some reason or the other, so 20 artists in total. I think a vast majority of them is new to me, so lots to investigate! The first disc starts off with many nice, pretty radio-friendly tracks by artists like La Nouvelle Music, Riatto & The Dog & Alain Pire Experience. The Highest Primzahl on Mars piece is the first one clicking in over 10 minutes and things have gone more spaced out by then... It's cool to have an exclusive number by Man & Machine since that project really sounds promising. A big piece of disc two is filled by the half-an-hour "Colossus Consumers" by Quasars of Destiny (Scott Heller and his cousin) that ends the compilation. Another loooong one is "Expansion" by Jay Tausig at 20 minutes. Anyway, lots of cool stuff here to get mesmerized by, so you'd better order the latest releases to score this as well!

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/makingwaves