ORGANIZATION-ANTHOLOGY 1988-1995, CD, 1999, JAPAN

Discovered via their incredible and screwily cartoonish avant synth pop contribution to "The Lost Vow" compilation CD that I posted at the beginning of my tenure on Mutant Sounds, this obscure compendium of this Japanese electronic unit's doings is far from solid (from '93 on, it gets a bit generically techno-ish), but the first half of this offers a distinctly pleasurable foray into eccentric synthy stratagems that blip and bonk (and occasionally pound) along in somewhat Pyrolator-like fashion and render this semi-essential for anyone enamored by lost Japanese underground anomalies.
Get part one Here

Get part two Here

Jukka Hauru -Information,1972+Episode,1975,LPs,Finnland

Jukka Hauru is a forgotten figure in Finnish 70s rock, an artist long lost in the waves of Wigwam, Piirpauke and Pekka Pohjola albums that generally get the lion's share of attention. One of Hauru's albums was even released on the stalwart label of Finland, Love records. It's time to set the record straight. Hauru's debut, Information, was his prize moment. It's a guitar fan's paradise, a psychedelic rock album with some slight jazzy touches that includes wave after wave of Hendrix inspired soloing. Hauru is just absolutely brilliant, sort of the long lost brother of guitar sensation Jukka Tolonen. Riffing drums and bass set down tremendously dexterous performances over which Hauru wails like a madman, pushing the songs, from short to long, to tremendous heights. There is also a sense of humor prevalent on the album, as if Hauru didn't take himself so seriously - read titles like "Jam Session The Finnish Yes Federation's Skinheaded Board" and "Waltz for the Straight Relatives" (a piece heavily reminiscent of Flying Teapot-period Gong). But Information is not all about trio jams, although there are plenty here. Strings are brought in at times and there are also sax leads which help to break up the potential monotony of a guitar, bass and drums type of sound, interesting moments that add to the dynamic flow of the release, such as the piano piece on side 2. The way Hauru juxtaposes rather complicated ensemble sections with the free form, rocking jams works well to give the entirety a diverse flow. But in the end, it's Hauru's guitar show (as well as the less prevalent violin and sax solos), and he was just such a magnificent player, riffing at light speed over anything his backups throw at him. If you love good playing, this album is a no-brainer. Never was the intense riffing style of the earliest Mahavishnu so matched in energy.
Episode was a completely different beast. Eradicating any sense of the Hendrix inspired psychedelic nature of the first album, Hauru did what many early 70s artists did in the fusion era by slicking up his sound into a unit where complicated unison lines are practiced into sterility and virtuosity becomes prominent. Fortunately Hauru brought with him from Information his skill at balancing aggressive pieces with those more low key, although by now all focus is on fusion and jazz to the detriment of those zany, wild-flying pieces that made his debut such a joy. It's not to say the playing isn't any good, if anything it's certainly more mature, yet the restraint and lack of raw power takes the edge off in ways that adds to the loss of distinction. Information was a psych rock ensemble verging fusion, while Episode is after the arrival to the latter. There are still plenty of solo moments from guitar, sax and even an increase in the synthesizer/keyboard prominence, but the atmosphere here seems subdued. I suppose I'd have been more impressed had I heard this album first; it even has a smaller song line up. But overall, it's difficult to see this as anything but "yet another fusion album," particularly disappointing after such an amazing debut.
Undoubtedly Hauru went onto other things, but left no other solo albums under his name after these two. Certainly Information is highly recommended and fans of fusion should probably check out Episode as well. Hauru was truly one of the better unknown guitar players from Europe.

As reviewed for Gnosis2000.net by Mike McLatchey.

Not much more to say,except that these are 2 of the most representative LPs of acid/psych fusion sound in Finnland in the early/mid 70s.

get them here and here

La Chifonnie -St,1977+Au Dessus Du Pont,1979,LPs,France

2 more Hexagone label records here by the French folk band La Chifonnie.Great mixture of traditional and electric instruments creating a mystic celtic atmosphere.Much more rockier than Le Grande Rouge ,i consider ,especially the 1st LP one of the best olk records ever came from France ,along with Folkdove,Book of Am ,etc.

get them both here

Le Grande Rouge -st,LP,1976,France

Here's a great folk recording released in 1976 by Hexagone label.Not much to do with rock music in fact,but this is great traditional celtic folk music.All organs used are traditional.I really love this record...some of you may love it some of you may not...but it's absolutely worth giving it a try. Also released in 1979 in Spain through Guimbarda label with linear notes in spanish.

get it here

Amphyrite-st,LP,1973/2002,France

Great lost French psychedelic acid fuzz gem.Totally instrumental includes strange complex compositions with great guitarwork and the much recognisable "basement sound" of fuzzy acidic guitar in the vein of Freidhof and Grave. In some parts reminds me of Silberbart or the heaviest moments of Guru Guru. Released in 1973 in 200 copies and reissued in 2002 in 500 copies. Of course both releases are long deleted.

get it here

0720 Aleacion-st,CD re,1986/??,Mexico

This group had an album out in 1986 on which he developed a kind of Progressive rock situated between the Mexican school (CHAC MOOL, DELIRIUM) but also PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI (Jazz-rock period) and the European avant-garde style. Those pieces are complex and full of changes in the rhythm. Moreover, the jazz inspired violin, the distorsed guitar, the keyboards, the roaring bass guitar as well as the voice evoke COS, NATIONAL HEALTH, ZAO and DECIBEL (also from Mexico) in less free.

Get it here

Ton Vlasman - White Rooms with Disintegrating Walls ,1970/2002(re),LP,Netherlands

This is a real Dutch space folk monster from 1970. The title alone tells you where it's coming from! A wildly drug induced album full of dark psychedelia with folky overtones and exotic instrumentation.One of the best acid/space folk LPs ever. Great stoner hippie folk on the cosmic mystical level; full of weird urban folk and indian effects!! Great cover of Velvet's "Pale Blue Eyes" in a spaced out Dylanesque mood!In some parts reminding of the great German band DOM .The 2002 reissue seems to be lonk sold out.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

Get it here  

Coma-Financial Tycoon,1977,Denmark

Great and very rare (fetching up prices higher than 100 EUROS) Danish prog rock,with obvious Zappa -esque style jazzy influences .“Financial Tycoon” is like a direct cross between two of Denmark’s finest bands: Dr. Dopo Jam and Secret Oyster. From Dr. Dopo Jam they inherit the obvious Zappa influence, including humorous bits and complex composition style. From Secret Oyster they get the fusion tendencies and instrumental dexterity. Some splendid sax and ripping guitar solos really add spice to the album.

Here's a review of Mike McLatchey for Gnosis2000.net:

"The treasure trove of innnovative Danish rock is still opening up to the world thanks to some recent reissues of bands like Ache, Burnin' Red Ivanhoe and Day of Phoenix, but generally such events are too far and few between. One band still unreleased on CD format is that of the late 70s group Coma. Creating similar music to that of country-mates Dr. Dopo Jam, Coma recorded their debut album, Financial Tycoon, with a sound that seemed a few years too late, bringing in jazz and Zappa influences to create a music both humorous and agile, leaping from style to style and instrumental to vocal section with abandon. Instrumentally, Coma rely on a line up similar to that of Kraan's early years with their horns/winds, guitar, bass and drums formation, while being larger personnel wise. There are several vocal sections throughout, all in a quite acceptable English, allowing us to hear some bizarre lyrics that might not go over so well in today's overly politically correct society. However, while these are quite amusing, Coma's instrumental work is their strength and there are just loads of long, warm instrumental sections with plenty of solos, and these are where the Zappa influences come in, especially in both structure and the occasional addition of tuned percussion. Of course, there must have been an influence on the lyrics as well, as song titles like "One of Them Crazy Gurues in Love" and "Hard Banana" attest. This is a genuinely interesting jazzy inflected progressive rock oddity that is long overdue for reissue."

get this gem here

PS:This one was posted along with their 2nd LP by Mystery Poster blog but now it seems links are dead.

GUYER'S CONNECTION-S/T, LP, 2005 (RECORDED: 1985), SWITZERLAND

Archival release of top notch stripped 'n' bleeping minimal synth quirkiness. The sound palate here distinctly smacks of 80's childrens TV jingles at times, but that's a principal part of the idiotic pleasure of Guyer's Connection, a sensibility that reaches critical mass on three purely killer cuts on side B where the bent smurfiness factor is in pure overdrive: "Laugh About", "Red Light" and "Les Loupes" a 13 minutes mainline of pure minimal synth joy aimed straight at your NOTE: LINKS REMOVED AS THIS IS SHORTLY DUE FOR REISSUE ON MEDICAL RECORDS (www.medical-records.org)

P-MODEL-LANDSALE, LP, 1980, JAPAN

Following my post of their debut "In A Model Room" a short while back, here's the second missive from these Japanese new wave nutters. Pretty much everything I stated for their debut applies here, though the frantic pace of the blippy and hiccupy new wave zaniness of their debut has perhaps slackened a smidge and a slightly more rock-ist posture is occasionally adopted. Essential shit if giddy new wave floats your boat and textbook "zolo" for the handful of you who know what that term implies.

Get it Here

LASK-S/T, LP, 1982, GERMANY/UK

Anomalous R.I.O.-ish exploits (especially anomalous as it's on ECM) from a trio featuring the ever-so-endearing queen of Brit improv vocal kookiness, Maggie Nicols (in surprisingly songform mode here) and two German cats I know bupkis about: Ulrich P. Lask on alto sax and synth and Meinolf Bauschulte on drums. I can hear Downtown NY bippity boop moves ala Curlew, arch art song maneuvers ala Greaves & Blegvad's Kew Rhone and the sorta perky and synthified R.I.O. that The Blech specialize in. Super nice.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

Get it here 

GLENN PHILLIPS-SWIM IN THE WIND, LP, 1977, USA

Not quite the mindbomb his solo debut "Lost At Sea" was (posted here a few months back), this second solo album from ex-Hampton Grease Band axeman Phillps is still a pretty sharp set of power trio prog jams. The best bits here touch on a sorta Phil Manzanera/801 vibe and, on "Vanity" even glance off Hugh Hopper "Hoppertunity Box" territory, though the limpid and dewy pastoralism present in passing on "Lost At Sea" takes a more central role here, as do the occasional (gulp) good time-y moves. Don't let that put you off, though. There's some decidedly choice bits tucked away in these grooves.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

Get it here 

AN INTERLUDE OF WHACKED OUT SINGLES FROM THE BRAD LANER ARCHIVE

The selection of singles that follow come courtesy of blog friend and Steaming Coils/Medicine/Electric Company mastermind Brad Laner, though the commentary is my own (Eric's). As most all of these are as new to me as they are to you, my comments on 'em represent provisional first passes. Tons of great shit here...Dig!




BRENT WILCOX-LEISURE WITH DIGNITY, 1981, USA
You can pretty much thank Wilcox for my share of the content of this blog, as his 80's L.A. radio show FRGK (Funny Rock, God Knows...) was singularly responsible for shaping my sensibility back in my early teens. Turns out that his one-off single ain't too shabby either. The way half melodic improv ramble collides with spluttery, spastic yet spare rock fragmentation here calls to mind entirely French points of reference for me, from the art brut whimsy of DDAA, to 70's underground mutants like Barricade, Heratius & Mahogany Brain.




EAZY TEETH-CAR NOISE/HER BLADE. 1980, USA
Half cartoonish electronic boink 'n' doink between Der Plan, Akira Sakata and Morgan Fisher, half gritty lo-fi post punk instrumental churn of a vaguely Dark Day-ish disposition. All entirely winning.




GOG-THE BEATLESS E.P., SWEDEN, 1979
Mysterious and fried in the extreme, L.A. Free Music Society seems as likely a touchstone as any for the combination of Geiger counter click and splutter, lobotomized guitar and sax duals of walkman recording fidelity, transistor radio opera broadcasts and mouth-full-of-porridge mumbling found here. The Bananafish crowd oughta flip their wigs over this...




HOLGER HILLER-S/T E.P., 1980, GERMANY
Pretty far from the refined Residential vision displayed on his classic LP "Ein Bundel Faulnis In Der Grube", this debut single by Palais Schaumburg's Hiller is every bit as smurfily screwy as you'd anticipate, but it's also very spare and minimal in approach. Bedroom retardation full of naif charm.





JOHN DUNCAN-CREED, 1981, USA
For those expecting the shortwave austerity of his more well known experimental electronic work, this collection of obsessive vignettes should comes as a bit of a surprise. Recordings from this era of Duncan's work ran hand in hand with his notoriously twisted performance actions of the era. Housed in a sleeve spattered with real blood, this first single of his (following his Organic LP) finds festering pools of tape/vinyl mulch coexisting with poetic recitations, pots and pans percussion, backward tapes and extended phone calls to to Dr. Tony Grant's psychological help line. Curious stuff....




KI DI ME-MOTHER IS/ISLAMATIC, 1981, USA
Murky and bare bones, this minimal synth curiousity has a hard to finger appeal. A side is a bit Algebra Suicide-like, albeit graced with somewhat awkward vocalizing, B side sounds like pre-Human League material by The Future heard through ears full of maple syrup.




PLEBS-A COLLECTION OF QUESTION MARKS E.P., 1982, USA
Weedy and fidgety jazz punk scribble-scrabble maneuvers over plinking rhythm boxes issued on The Minutemen's New Alliance label, which sorta makes sense.




SLIVERS-RESTRAINT FOR STYLE, 1981, USA
Another punk jazz curio, this one with Will Shatter-like vocal spew dukeing it out with sax squall, rickity farfisa, and a relentless fixation on a particular scrabbly little above-the-bridge guitar noise. Nice.




THE LAUGHING SOUP DISH-TEENAGE LIMA BEAN/RAINY DAY SPONGE, 1985, USA
Primitive acid psych with a beautifully corrosive guitar tone and enough structural wobbliness and latent acid weirdity to vestigially tie this in with The Dukes Of Stratosphear and their fallout, ala Aussie psych poppers Tyrnaround. A real discovery and a helluva lot more fried than anything I woulda anticipated from the Voxx Records camp.



WILD KINGDOM-ROMA-DESTINY, FLEXI, 1981, USA
Wow! What the hell is this? Wildly elaborate and head-spinning art pop genius. Exceptionally unique, I can hear traces of Song Of The Bailing Man-era Pere Ubu, Fibonaccis and Human Hands here. You could knock me over with a feather after hearing this one! Anyone know if these cats recorded anything else?

Get part one Here

Get part two Here