INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER - SOV GOTT ROSE-MARIE

Love Records 1968


01. Dies Irae
02. I Villande Skogen (In The Boundless Wood)
03. There Is No Other Place
04. The Runcorn Report On Western Progress
05. Statsministern (The Prime Minister)
06. Ho Chi Minh
07. It's Only Love
08. Klockan Är Mycket Nu (It's Getting Late Now)
09. Ut Till Vänster (Out To The Left)
10. Sommarlåten (The Summer Song)
11. Sov Gott Rose-Marie (Sleep Tight Rose-Marie)
12. I Mourn You
13. How To Survive

Bonus Track:

14. Skördetider (Harvest Times)


I have to admit I thought I had already posted this record; it's one of my favourites and I thought I had done it years ago. Never mind, I do love the Swedish psych scene and this avant garde, folk, psych, jam commune rock album pretty much exemplifies it. Formed from the splintered Pärson Sound, the reduced members stretch out and play anything at hand, although the jam heavy sounds of their parent group can be heard on the amazing 'I Mourn You'.

The bonus track 'Skördetider' is from the Silence Records re-press and is also reminiscent of Pärson Sound.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME 1: THE ISLE IS FULL OF NOISES

01. Peter Bellamy - Oak, Ash and Thorn
02. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Diamond Dew
03. Heaven and Earth - Feel the Spirit
04. Broadcast & The Focus Group - The Be Colony
05. The Magic Carpet - The Dream
06. Dave & Toni Arthur - The Barley Grain For Me
07. Traffic - John Barleycorn (Must Die)
08. The Eccentronic Research Group - Autobahn 666 (Travelogue #1)
09. Tudor Lodge - The Willow Tree
10. Jane and Barton - It's a Fine Day
11. Trees - Glasgerion
12. Archie fisher - Reynardine
13. Julian Cope - Reynard the Fox
14. Comus - Diana
15. Pye Corner Audio - The Black Mill Video Tape
16. Ivor Cutler - Go and Sit and Sit Upon the Grass
17. Benjamin Britten - Cuckoo!
18. Virginia Astley - Morning- A Summer Long Since Passed
19. The Increidble String Band - October Song
20. Belbury Poly - Cantalus
21. The Bonzo Dog Band - 11 Mustachioed Daughters

As regular readers will know, last month saw the last volume of Lammas Night Laments posted. In it's place is a multi volume series entitled 'Esoterica Britannica'. Curator David Thompson explains the concept:

"I have, for a long time, been fascinated with the idea of a common thread that might run through British art, and specifically music, connecting different artists and styles but somehow constituting a national consciousness that flows like an underground stream through the art and culture of this country. After all, the term ‘Americana’ exists and is a vibrant, if perhaps sometimes contentious, category under which certain types of American music are filed, marketed and reviewed. This can be traced back to old folk tunes and cowboy songs and include the artists and songs collected in Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music; country music from Jimmy Rodgers, the Carter Family and Hank Williams onwards; folk artists like Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly; blues, Cajun and Creole; Dylan, The Band, the Grateful Dead and onwards to contemporary artists like Daniel Johnston, Ryan Adams and Joanna Newsom and more cosmic variations like the music of Sun Ra, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and Animal Collective. The links between these artists might be stylistic or thematic or even an attitude, a way of looking at things – the connections might not always be obvious but they are nevertheless there. They might concern the existential concerns of a race, notions of identity, everyday challenges or historical changes or events or they may even try to identify or personify some kind of mystical quality or tradition(s).

Folk music would, then, seem to be the obvious place to start and I found a great deal of inspiration in Rob Young’s book “Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music”, which is an excellent study of British art and culture, looking at the themes, ideas and obsessions that run through the artistic history of these isles, but specifically folk music - from Cecil Sharp and classical artists such as Vaughan Williams, Warlock and Delius through the left-wing folk of Ewan McColl and A.L. Lloyd and British folk-rock and psychedelia of the 60s and 70s. What particularly fascinated me, though, was the latter part of the book, which identified other artists, working from the early 80s up to the present, who seemed less obviously connected to the folk tradition but who Young argues are still exploring the same themes – British history, the idea of Arcadia, the power and pull of the landscape, political and religious dissent and repression, paganism and Celtic mysticism, the occult, folklore and the ghosts and legends of the past. These artists included Kate Bush, Julian Cope, Brian Eno, Talk Talk, Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada and, once this connection had been established in my mind, other artists seemed to me to fit into this tradition of British ‘visionary music’, such as the Jam (and Paul Weller’s solo work), XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Wire, Robyn Hitchcock, the Cocteau Twins, Damon Albarn, PJ Harvey, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the spectral artists of the Ghost Box label.

Taking some of these artists, I set out to make a compilation that might hopefully capture what could be termed ‘Brittinicarna’. My process of considering, selecting and, in some cases, de-selecting artists and songs was highly individual and pretty instinctive – I soon developed a sense of what belonged and what didn’t. I suppose the only rough criteria that I can articulate is that the artist had to be British, that there was a distinctive voice or spirit to the track (and that this was also somehow intrinsically British), that it embodied the national psyche – its concerns and obsessions, its longings, wounds and idiosyncrasies – and that, despite whatever style of music it might normally be said to belong to, it could still be considered, at least in my mind, as ‘folk music’.

The usual definition of ‘folk music’ would be music that originates in traditional popular culture or that is written in such a style and that this would be typically music of simple character, often of unknown authorship, and would be transmitted orally by the common people from generation to generation. In my looser definition, I saw the kind of visionary strain in British music and culture I was looking for as being an expression of the national psyche which is passed on in many ways, manifesting itself in different styles but still recognisable as the common – though sometimes downright eccentric – people communicating to their fellows in a language which they will recognise, a code which they will be able to decipher. It is the sound of a nation talking to itself, the ghosts of our past haunting us still – communing with us, imparting ancient and mysterious wisdom, warning and inspiring us in equal measure. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one CD was not enough – there were so many artists to include as well as others I discovered on the way - and so it grew to four volumes, while another collection of Ghost Box recordings was later added as a fifth instalment. These were meant initially for friends and were also intended to be the start of a conversation rather than the last word on the subject. Everyone will have their own ideas as to what music might be included – indeed these friends have already compiled their own volumes of “Esoterica Britannica” and I hope that there will be many of you out there, reading these words and listening to these collections, that will do the same. These islands are still full of voices which speak to each and every one of us in different and often esoteric ways. Listen,  enjoy, absorb and, most importantly, pass it on."

- David Thompson

LOUISE HUEBNER'S SEDUCTION THROUGH WITCHCRAFT

Warner Brothers 1969

01. Introduction - Gods
02. The Self Fascination Ritual For Increased Power
03. The Isis Full Moon Ring For Magical Protection
04. The Demon Spell For Energy
05. Orgies - A Tool Of Witchcraft
06. Sun Sign Amulets For Spiritual Protection
07. The Coleopterous Charm For Romantic Adventure
08. The Turkish Bean Spell For Tender Love
09. Seduction Spells From Around The World
10. The Emotional Bondage Spell
11. The Earthquake Spell For Unwanted Lovers
12. Witches And Wizzards

Louise Huebner was the self appointed 'official' witch of L.A. This L.P. has her reading excerpts from her book "Seduction Through Witchcraft".

Beneath the purring and ahh-ing are some really nice synth moments. These were provided by Louis and Bebe Barron, who created the 'Forbidden Planet' soundtrack.

Hitting total zeitgeist in 1969, Warner Brothers originally released this spoken word record. It saw a C.D. re-issue on Infinite Zero in 1996 and a nice vinyl repress on WB in 2007.

ARTHUR - IN SEARCH OF

Bootleg 1969

01. Armstrong Tourist Resthome
02. Tea Gardens
03. Sunspots
04. Dimensions/Plain Talk
05. Tea Gardens
06. Plain Talk
07. Warm Traitor's Breath
08. Armstrong Tourist Resthome
09. Mille Tragedy
10. Untitled
11. Confessions

I've been meaning to post this one for a long time.

Arthur is Arthur Gee, a singer songwriter from Canada. In 1969, he recorded a one sided demo L.P. for the Two:Dot label, which sadly never got a release. Those demos were collected together with other tracks from various sessions, plus a rare 45 rpm.

This is excellent downer acid folk. Don't be put off by the 'singer/songwriter' tag, these stoner poems are lonely, out there and slot right in next to your (more mournful) Donovan, Perry Leopold et al.

VARIOUS ARTIST - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 14

01. Unknown - Blood of the Curious
02. Bill Fay - Garden Song
03. Mary Hopkin - Lord of the Reedy River
04. Michael Chapman - Rabbit Hills
05. Foggy - She's Far Away
06. Keith Christmas - The Fawn
07. Roy Harper - Forget Me Not
08. Jackson C Frank - Milk & Honey
09. John Martyn - Road To Ruin (Part 1)
10. Mick Stevens - Burning
11. Kathy Smith - The Blackbird & The Pearl
12. Hedgehog Pie - The Green Lady
13. Famous Jug Band - A Taste of Salt
14. Lazy Farmer - Love Song
15. Faraway Folk - Coming Home To Brixham
16. The Move - No Time
17. Queens Nectarine Machine - Gypsy Lady
18. The Five Reivers - Summer's End
19. Jim Alan - Everlasting Song
20. Nico - Frozen Warnings
21. Chrysalis - Lacewing
22. Tea and SymphonyDangling (Introduction)

Well, here it is; the final Lammas Night Laments. Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog for this series, I hope you can find more to keep you returning.

Enjoy.

DRAGONFLY - 4 CELESTIAL SONGS E.P.

Phillips 1968

01. Celestial Dreams
02. Desert of Almond
03. Celestial Empire
04. Prince of Amboyna

This E.P. collects the two Phillips singles released by Dragonfly in 1968, it's also their entire recorded output. Heavily influenced by Hendrix and The Doors etc. This band doesn't really sound like the other Scandinavian psych releases available here. It is dead good though, a little bit of fuzzy, bummed out psych.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - HALLOWEEN 2015 - THE MARK OF SATAN

01. The Ritual Chamber (Inside the Church of Satan) - Joshua P. Warren
02. Halloween III (Main Theme) -  John Carpenter
03. The Witch - Mark Fry
04. Lullaby - Paul Giovanni & Magnet
05. Be Forewarned - Macarbre
06. Requiem Pour Satan - Camille Sauvage
07. Season of the Witch - Donovan
08. The Fairy Dance - Ash Ra Tempel
09. The Devil Always Shits in the Same Graves Part 1 - Sylvester Anfang II
10. Witch - The Sonics
11. Poet and The Witch - Mellow Candle
12. The Litanies of Satan - Ruth White
13. Great Divine Rectors Call - Elizebeth Clair

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 10

01. Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Gently Johnny
02. Oriental Sunshine - Mother Nature
03. Saffron - All your Ambition
04. Natural Acoustic Band - Someday Cinderella
05. Dando Shaft - River Boat
06. The Spikedrivers - Portland Town
07. Wendy & Bonnie - By the Sea
08. Sally Angie - Love in Ice Crystals
09. Dr Strangely Strange - Jove Was at Home
10. Darius - Warm
11. Changes - Sweet Eve
12. Gallery - The Wind That Shakes the Barley
13. Silver Birch - Flower and Young Man
14. Mountain Ash Band - Who Knows
15. Magna Carter - Widwinter
16. Marcus - The Colour Song
17. Simon Finn - Patrice
18. The Folklords - Jennifer Lee

Thanks to Al, I'm finally posting the missing Lammas Night Laments. Next month I shall post Volume 14, which is the last LNL to date (although it's unlikely there will be anymore).

December and 2016 will see a new various artists series posted every month; 'Esoterica Britanica', more news on that to follow.

VOICE OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS

Tchantinler Recordings 2010

01. Open Lighted Doorway
02. Kommune
03. Out of the Smoke
04. Third Transition
05. The Burning Mountain
06. Dry Leaves
07. Dalälven
08. Cylinders
09. Set Fire To The Forest
10. Disappearances

Here, as promised, is another record of psych, Eastern tunings and general air of heaviness from Rick Tomlinson. I do like a slight name change for specific releases (Spiritualized Electric Mainline). Voice of the Seven Woods was changed to Voice of the Seven Thunders. I don't know why, but it's ace.

RAGTIME RALPH - VOLUME 4

Bootleg 1983/Empty Square Records 2009

01. Badlands Blake
02. Texas Tomatoes
03. Desert Rat Blues
04. Cast Your Fate to the Wind
05. Cloudburst
06. White Christmas
07. Travis McGee on the Ice Road
08. The Serpentine/Nico Meki Rivers Flood Plain Blues
09. Ragtime Piece in G
10. Walk on the Tracks
11. Radiation from the Station
12. The Going Away Song

Ragtime Ralph is Ralph Johnston, and 'Volume 4' would of been the title assigned had it been released as originally intended; on Takoma. That would place it after 'The Dance Of Death & Other Plantation Favorites' and before 'The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party And Other Excursions'.

I'm not sure why it was unreleased at the time, I suspect however, that like the message on the inside of the L.P. reads, that if John Fahey could of (released this record), he would of.

It's a shame, this is some top class finger pickin' and slide American primitive.

A bootleg saw it's way out in 1983 and Empty Square records in Canada put out a limited edition in 2009.

Essential for Takoma, Fahey and primitive guitar fans.

VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS

Twisted Nerve 2007

01. Sand And Flames
02. Sayat Nova
03. The Fire In My Head
04. Silver Morning Branches
05. Second Transition
06. Valley Of The Rocks
07. Underwater Journey
08. Return From Byzantium
09. The Smoking Furnace
10. Dusk Cloud

Voice of the Seven Woods is Rick Tomlinson, and I haven't heard much from him in a while.

Prior to the release of this album, there were several self released E.P.'s and miscellaneous releases (and after, there was a slight change in moniker 'Woods' was changed to 'Thunders', more next month).

Fucking awesome string music; psych, Eastern, primitive...if you generally like the music on this blog, you will like this.

SUBWAY

Epic 1971

01. I Am a Child
02. Song for Sinking Shelters
03. Warm You Are
04. All the Good Things
05. Enturbulation/Free Form
06. Arizona Sands
07. Rosanna of the Roses
08. Can I Trade With You My Mind?


Haven't had any ultra rare psych folk in a while, so here's Subway and their eponymous L.P.

The duo consists of singer songwriter Irv Mowrey and multi instrumentalist Malcolm Watson. The Brit and the American released their only album on Epic in France. 200 copies were pressed and what didn't sell was destroyed.

It's a shame the band didn't get more recognition, there is a lot of good stuff here. It's psych folk, but it's the interesting composition and arrangements, plus the instrumentation that make it worth seeking out.

The L.P. grows more elaborate as it goes on, adding percussion and synth to the guitar/violin/vocal based songs. By the time we're at 'Enturbulation/Free Form', things are really starting to psych out, there's even a touch of prog.

If you like ISB, Spirogyra, Vashti Bunyan etc. it's worth checking out.

ROBBIE BASHO

When I started this blog, the records of Robbie Basho were still only available as iffy MP3 rips or, if you could afford and find them, the original pressings.

Since then, there has been a lot of activity on the re-issue front, which is exactly what I was calling for in those early posts.

Grass Tops Recordings (see the Smeraldina-Rima label for 'Twilight Peaks) have been doing some wonderful re-mastering for a few of Robbie's later records. I can vouch for the sound quality of these pressings, they are beautiful.

Of course, the work involved in tracking down masters, producers and the production of physical artifact costs money!

The albums that have part of this re-issue program so far have had their links removed, and I urge you to seek out these new versions.

















Visions of the Country

Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12

Rainbow Thunder (Songs of the American West)

Twilight Peaks

Also, last year saw the C.D. re-issue of Basho's two Vanguard albums:

The Voice of the Eagle

Zarthus

C.A. QUINTET - TRIP THRU HELL

Candy Floss Records 1969/Sundazed Music 1995

01. Trip Thru Hell (Part I)
02. Colorado Mourning
03. Cold Spider
04. Underground Music
05. Sleepy Hollow Lane
06. Smooth As Silk
07. Trip Thru Hell (Part II)

Bonus Tracks:

08. Dr of Philosophy
09. Blow My Soul
10. Ain't No Doubt About It
11. Mickey's Monkey
12. I Put a Spell On You
13. I Shot the King
14. Fortune Teller's Lie
15. Sadie Lavone
16. Bury Me in a Marijuana Field
17. Colorado Mourning
18. Underground Music
19. Smooth as Silk

Well, not many psychedelic bands come from Minnesota. C.A. Quintet went through many line ups from 1965 until 1968, releasing a couple of singles on obscure labels along the way. By the time they recorded this album for Candy Floss in 1968, they had their sound: Mysterious, swirling psychedelia, from out of nowhere. The real treasure here is the two versions of the title track. Organ, Mariachi trumpets, death cult vocals...wonderful.

The Sundazed re-issue collects together those early singles, acetates and alternate versions. The early stuff doesn't match up to the album material but 'Bury Me in a Marijuana Field' does have a charm, and I'm surprised it hasn't became a stoner classic.

MOOLAH - WOE YE DEMONS POSSESSED

Atman Music & Recordings 1974

01. Crystal Waters
02. Terror is Real
03. Courage
04. The Hard Hit
05. Mirror's
06. Redemption

Alright, straight out of Texas we've got this experimental, Krautrock rock inspired L.P. Horrifyingly rare, this album is full of left field compositions, electronics and wonky beats.

I've also included the rad cassette art, also from 1974.

MIRRORRING - FOREIGN BODY

Kranky 2012

01. Fell Sound
02. Silent from Above
03. Cliffs
04. Drowning the Call
05. Mine
06. Mirror of Our Sleeping

'Foreign Body' is the result of a one off project (it seems) between Liz Harris of Grouper and Jesy Fortino of Tiny Vipers (and self).

Released on Kranky a few years back, it was one of my favourite albums of 2012.

The tracks seem to lean more to one artist or the other (not a problem) but they hit collabrative gold on the incredible 'Mine'. One of my favourite pieces of music, ever.

Echo, delay, reverb, voices...wonderful.

GENE ESTRIBOU & JEAN-PAUL PICKENS - INTENSIFICATIONS

MEA 1965

Side 1: Gene Estribou

01. You know, the One You Played Saturday Night
02. Amalgam
03. Metathanks
04. Eeeee Minor

Side 2: Jean-Paul Pickens

01. Coo Coo Bird
02. Shady Grows
03. G.R.


Well, I have been wanting to post this since the inception of this blog, never got round to it until now.

This split L.P. from '65 has two lesser known 'American Primitive' artists nicely complementing each other with six steel string guitar on the A side and banjo on the B.

Gene Estribou has a nice Fahey/Perry Leopold feel. A little Eastern, a little bluesy.

Jean-Paul Pickens, from San Franciso's Serpent Power, delivers three tracks of wonderful droning Americana.

Dead Good.

WE ARE THE WOODEN HOUSES - KONTAKTE

WE ARE THE WOODEN HOUSES - KONTAKTE

TOR49. Released June 2015.


Side A:

1. Skeleton Lake
2. The Stain
3. The Ghost of the Wooden Moon
4. Oberon

Side B:
1. Three Card Spread
2, Cottonskin
3. Empty World
4. Sitar Skull Support
5. The Shadow Over Santa Susana


The latest Wooden Houses went from conception to completion very quickly. A vague concept crossed paths with a revision of recently recorded material (and later, a look through the archives).

I wished to make another cassette, and unsure of what I wanted to be on the tape, I recorded two improvised long wave radio compositions. Making each 15 minutes in length, having a c30 in mind.

I gave these recordings to Al, and we discussed the potential of building music into the radio.

'Skeleton Lake' had been recorded a month earlier and was based around a single vocal sample.

'The Stain' and 'Oberon' are the oldest tracks here. Already old tracks in 2011 when excluded from a proposed two disc Stone Tape Theory release that ultimately became "Fussy Pussy", they have been remixed and had samples renewed.

'The Ghost of the Wooden Moon' was a 15 minute improvised raga, then edited and overdubbed for this release.

'Three Card Spread' was another improvisation revisited with editing and further overdubs.


'Cottonskin' and 'Empty World' come from the same improvised session. Al and I recorded hours of material; drones, electronics, effects. As well as the two tracks, parts of the improvisations can be heard throughout the cassette.


'Sitar Skull Support' began when I required something to support a skull from a light fixture for a photograph. As I had recently broken a string on my sitar, I grabbed some pliers in order to remove it and use it as the skull suspension.


The noise as I tried to cut through the string was terrible, so I immediately recorded it. I sent the recording to Al, who replied with a basic track within an hour.


Al also performed a radio improvisation towards the end of the sessions, it provides the introduction to the cassette, as well as being scattered throughout.

The title of 'The Shadow Over Santa Susana' comes from a book concerning the Manson family. The track itself is made from parts of the 'Cottonskin'/'Empty World' improvisation, but ends with the two original radio recordings playing simultaneously.

During the recordings, I remembered some book artwork I liked that may suit the recordings.

Kontakte 1, was a combined television and radio course for beginners in German. It was a BBC production, and this is the cover of the accompanying book. I like the way the art suggested information, but what if the cassette it applied to had music instead of instruction?


The radio suggests a form of contact, or communication, but from where and what may be lost in translation (or noise)? Al reworked the cover art in this style as we edited our tape to two 30 minute sides of improvised and experimental noise.


A free download, and the extremely limited cassette are both avaiable from Bandcamp.

ATTILIO MINEO - MAN IN SPACE WITH SOUND

World's Fair Records 1962

01. Welcome To Tomorrow
02. Gateway To Heaven
03. Soaring Science
04. Mile-A-Minute Monorail
05. Around The World
06. Century 21
07. Man In Art
08. The Queen City
09. Man Sees The Future
10. Boeing Spacearium
11. Science Of Tomorrow
12. Space Age World's Fair

The 1962 Seattle World's Fair commissioned obscure composer Attilio Mineo to score their vision of the future. The extremely limited L.P. was available as a souvenir from the fair.

From the notes:

"The Bubbleator was Washington State's official exhibit in the Coliseum, which housed a 'World of Tomorrow' exhibit. A 150-passenger spherical clear plastic elevator, the Bubbleator moved 2.5 million people through displays promising an easier life ahead. The operator wore a silver shiny space suit right out of a Buck Rogers comic strip and the music of Man in Space with Sounds was being played through the sound system."

Early space age electronica, it's far out.

ROBBIE BASHO - SONGS OF GOD

01. Twilight Peaks
02. Lost Lagoon Suite
03. Rocky Mountain Raga
04. Blue Crystal Fire
05. Golden Dragon
06. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
07. Chung Mei - The Chinese Orchid
08. The Long Lullaby

Tracks 1 & 5 from 'Twilight Peaks'
Track 2 from 'The Falconer's Arm I'
Tracks 3 & 4 from 'Visions of the Country'
Tracks 6 & 8 from 'Rainbow Thunder'
Track 7 from 'The Grail and the Lotus'


I got this quite by accident. I thought I was downloading something else, and was surprised when I opened the file to find a Robbie Basho album with a title I recognised as a track from 'The Falconer's Arm II'.

It is a compilation of already released material, mainly from Basho's later period.  I can't find any information on this album, and I assume it's a fan made compilation.

Whoever did put this together deserves kudos; it's an excellent introduction to the artist and flows like an original album. Whoever you are, well done.

So, if you're intrigued by Robbie Basho and want a place to start, or you're already a fan but want to hear familiar songs in a new context, get it!

Note: There was no cover, so I designed my own Basho-tastic one.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 13

01. Third Ear Band - The Phoenix
02. Synanthesia - Shifting Sands (Live)
03. Comus - Winter Is a Coloured Bird
04. Bobby Brown - Becoming One with the Forest
05. Rex Holman - Copper Kettles
06. Tim Hollier - Evening Song
07. Mick Softley - Ship
08. Sunforest - Magician In the Mountain
09. Marc Brierly - Flaxan Hair
10. Shawn Phillips - Ballad of Casey Deiss
11. Greenwood, Curlee &Thompson - Little Willie
12. Bridget St John - Back to Stay
13. Mary-Anne - Love Has Gone
14. Saffron - Vision Is a Lonely Word
15. Amber - Swan In the Evening
16. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Wind Cheetah
17. Jethro Tull - Jack In the Green
18. Bob Pegg & Nick Strutt - Jesus Christ Sitting On a Hill In the Lake District

BETWEEN - AND THE WATERS OPENED

Vertigo 1973

01. And the Waters Opened
02. Uroboros
03. Syn
04. Devotion
05. Happy Stage
06. Samum

A recent conversation with friends prompted this post; a couple of weekends ago, we were discussing Julian Cope's wonderful 'Krautrocksampler'. A while ago I got together some albums that Cope hadn't included in his 100 list. I assume his list wasn't exhaustive. there are some great omissions (Future Days?!?!), but it still remains the best starting point for anyone wanting to explore the genre.

'And the Waters Opened' by Between is one of those omissions. Psychedelic jamming, eastern instruments, instrumental, heavy German drug funk, it's fucking great.

Think Agitation Free with a touch of Popol Vuh.

SPACEMEN 3 - SOUNDS LIKE ECSTASY

Self made compilation 1987/2015


01. Take Me to the Other Side
02. Walkin' with Jesus
03. Ode to Street Hassle
04. Things'll Never Be the Same
05. Ecstasy Symphony
06. Transparent Radiation
07. Starship
08. Soul 1
09. Come Down Easy
10. Feel So Good
11. Call the Doctor
12. I Want You Right Now


Purists be still! First of all, I love Spacemen 3. I bought my first album (Recurring) at the age of 12, and I've been listening to them ever since,

I love that their recorded output is so messy. Only four original studio albums, but many more re-issues, live albums, demos...not to mention the non album singles, B-Sides and E.P.'s.

I wanted to re-imagine 'Perfect Prescription', and fashion an alternate second album from 1987.

So it goes like this:

01. Take Me to the Other Side - Single version.

02. Walkin' with Jesus
03. Ode to Street Hassle - 'Perfect Prescription' album versions.

04. Things'll Never Be the Same - Alternate version from 'Forged Prescriptions'.

05. Ecstasy Symphony
06. Transparent Radiation - It has to be the extended E.P. versions.

07. Starship - A live staple not included on 'Perfect Prescription', this demo beats the                          'Transparent Radiation' version.

08. Soul 1 - B-Side from 'Take Me to the Other Side' single.

09. Come Down Easy - Demo version from 'Forged Prescriptions'.

10. Feel So Good - B-Side from 'Take Me to the Other Side' single.

11. Call the Doctor - 'Perfect Prescription' album version.

12. I Want You Right Now - This instrumental jam comes from 'Forged Prescriptions'.

So, if you're familiar, you already know it's good. If you're not, give it a go, it could change your life.

EAST BIONIC SYMPHONIA

L.A.M. Records 1976

01. 7:30 pm - 7:47 pm
02. 8:15 pm - 8:43 pm


Been listening to this ALL week. Improvised drones, wails, fiddle...hardcore Japanese avant garde. For drone and experimental lovers. Tracks edited by Takehisa Kosugi.

PINK FLOYD - VEGETABLE MAN/SCREAM THY LAST SCREAM

Unreleased Single, EMI 1967.

1. Vegetable Man
2. Scream Thy Last Scream

As a bonus for those of you who enjoyed the recent Syd Barrett posts, here is the unreleased 1967 Pink Floyd single. The record label didn't want it released, the band (other than Syd) didn't want it released. Too mad, too weird, too strange...which is why it's wonderful. Totally out there psychedelic noise, full of humour and ideas.

If these tracks are put together with the Apples and Oranges/Paintbox single and Jugband Blues, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun and Remember a Day from 'A Saucerful of Secrets', you have the material for what would of been the second Barrett led Floyd album.

I might knock that up and see how it sounds.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - GAIN YOUR INDEPENDENCE: HOT ROCKETS AND BARBED WIRE KISSES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTH WEST

Mixtape 2015

01. The Microphones - I Want the Wind to Blow
02. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
03. D+ - Super 8
04. Beat Happening - Bewitched
05. Bratmobile - Girlfriends Don't Keep
06. Love As Laughter - Stay Out of Jail
07. Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
08. Modest Mouse - Teeth Like God's Sunshine
09. Unwound - Honourosis
10. Green River - Hanging Tree
11. Earth - An inquest Concerning Teeth
12. Mount Eerie - The Place I Live
13. Neko Case - Things That Scare Me
14. Old Time Relijun - Siren
15. Dub Narcotic Sound System - Dub Narcotic Selector Pt.1
16. The Blow - Fists Up
17. Lois -  Darvey
18. Mudhoney - Hate the Police
19. Panties - Rule This Town (You Don't)
20. Sunn O))) - Big Church

This is the first in a series of compilations made especially for It's Lost it's Found.

Here's the compiler:

"In my recurring dream one hot summer, I was ten minutes from Olympia, driving a bluebird with Calvin Johnson gazing up at the Pacific Northwest stars. We were on our way to hear some basement noise by the good guys and girls of the Evergreen state College in Olympia. We never made it, so I made this compilation instead.

Olympia is the home of K records and its founder Calvin Johnson has provided a blueprint in how to nourish, maintain and provide a network for a musical independence, which allows artists to work and communicate with the world on terms that best suits them.

Many of the bands on this compilation are K bands – The Microphones and Beat Happening being the best known.  K stands for knowledge, integrity and teenage rebellion. The shield around K has burned brightly now for over 30 years, providing a home to hundreds artists and lost souls that are connected by a D.I.Y. attitude that has had a big effect on how I and countless others view art and music and how it shapes our lives.

Other artists on this comp (all from Washington state) take in proto grunge (Green River), riot grrrl (Bikini Kill), drone metal (Earth) and ‘alternative rock’ (Modest Mouse). The music is diverse, creating many genres and sub genres that are still mutating nicely today, it is all linked by a sense of wonder at bigger things, and an urgency to take nothing for granted, to never accept the status quo. One day I hope to make it to Olympia, I hope you get there too."

- Marc Gillen.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 12

01. John Cameron - Judd Walks To the Mine
02. Karen Beth - Come December
03. Karen Dalton - How Did The Feeling Feel To You
04. Chuck & Mary Perrin - Run Away with Me
05. Lesley Duncan - Love Song
06. Haizea - Argizagi Ederra
07. Jan Dukes de Gray - Wonder Child
08. The Trees - Psalm 45
09. Barry Dransfield - The Werewolf
10. John and Chris Leslie - The New St George
11. Graham and Eileen Pratt - Lark In The Clear Air
12. Brandywine Bridge - Three Loves
13. Magenta - Gipsy
14. Pentangle - Rain & Snow
15. Nigel Mazlyn Jones - Reality
16. Mushroom - Early One Morning
17. Chris Harwood - Mama
18. Terry Reid - Dream
19. Pink Floyd - Julia Dream
20. Arthur - Eleanor
21. Jade - Raven
22. John Cameron with Harvey Andrews - Riding Free

SYD BARRETT - MISCELLANIA

Bootleg, recorded 1970-74

01. Terrapin
02. Gigolo Aunt
03. Baby Lemonade
04. Effervescing Elephant
05. Two of a Kind
06. Terrapin
07. Gigolo Aunt
08. Effervescing Elephant
09. Octopus
10. Baby Lemonade
11. Dominoes
12. Love Song
13. Birdie Hop
14. Slow Boogie
15. John Lee Hooker
16. Fast Boogie
17. Boogie #2
18. Boogie
19. If You Go, Don't Be Slow
20. Ballad
21. Fragment
22. Was That O.K.?


The third and final of my own Syd Barrett boots.

Tracks 1-5 are from a Peel Session recorded on the 24th of February 1970. Includes the unreleased song 'Two of a Kind'.

Tracks 6-9 are from the first and only live solo show, recorded at the Olympia Exhibition House, 6th of June 1970. After four songs, Syd unplugs his guitar and walks off stage, leaving the band.

Tracks 10-13 are from the second and final Peel Session. Recorded 16th February 1971.

Tracks 14-22 represent the final recordings Syd Barrett made.

SYD BARRETT - BARRETT OUTTAKES

Bootleg 1970.

01. Baby Lemonade - Take 1
02. Waving My Arms in the Air - Take 1
03. Maisie - Take 1
04. Maisie - Take 2
05. Bob Dylan Blues
06. Gigolo Aunt - Take 6
07. I Never Lied to You - Take 1
08. Rats - Demo
09. Wined and Dined - Demo
10. Birdie Hop - Demo
11. Rats - Take 1
12. Wined and Dined - Takes 1 & 2
13. Milky Way - Take 5
14. Dolly Rocker - Take 1
15. Let's Split - Take 1
16. Effervescing Elephant - Take 2
17. Dominoes - Take 1
18. Dominoes - Take 2
19. Word Song - Take 1
20. It is Obvious - Take 2
21. It is Obvious - Take 3
22. It is Obvious - Take 5
23. Love Song - Take 1

The second of my personal Syd Barrett bootlegs, all tracks are taken from the sessions for the second L.P. 'Barrett'. Includes two takes of 'Dominoes', one of Syd's best songs and inexplicably left off the album.

WE ARE THE WOODEN HOUSES - THE HEADLAND OF THE DEMON HAUNTED CASTLE

TOR48 Released March 2015.

Al and I were interested in making music in several different ways, but where the music would be bound by feeling and esoteric relationship; contrast and exposure. The selections on this recording fall into several categories:

Field recordings – throughout 2014 I made many field recordings: cathedrals, nature, street bands... I thought these could be used to make several collages; a running theme and interesting sonically with various effects applied.

Thematic variations – there are several versions of the main theme of a soundtrack that has no movie.

To venture less explored emotions and feelings in music - fear, paranoia, mental health, calmness, the esoteric, the occult, death, desolation, isolation, contrasted with the more recognisable hope, warmth, calm and stillness.

To try and further pinpoint the source of such inspiration, its relationship with its environment.

Focus and distraction through drone – both Al and I love drone and ambient music. So we decided to go all out on some of the tracks. Again, instinctively knowing they would fit with the others.

There was also the instinctual decision to make this instrumental. There are human voices on there, but they’re as murky and confused and as misunderstood as the emotions they’re trying to convey.

The Recordings

01. Last chance to advance beyond human... – Essentially a guitar experiment. A short drone. The name comes from the header of a flyer posted by the Branch Davidians in their final weeks.

02. The Black Square – The first theme variation, performed on nylon string guitar.

03. Perception is a reflection of existential self-knowledge – Electric guitar drone with field recordings, and a vocal sample of Jordan Maxwell.

04. The Power of the Witch – The title comes from a recently re-discovered BBC documentary from the seventies about witchcraft in modern society. The music was spontaneously composed.

05. Spire – Composed, improvised and re-composed piano version of the main theme.

06. Mirror Mountain – Manipulated field recordings and improvised melodica. Inspired by the German various artists album ‘Vor Der Flut (Hommage An Einen Wasserspeicher).’ Also has a snippet of a slide guitar demo.

07. Priest Hand License – Primitive guitar blues.

08. Lateral exclusion field along a path of least resistance – This piece is made exclusively from manipulated field recordings. At the end, dogs in a valley, their barking swept up by the wind from the top of Blencathra.

09. Spiral – The final and most elaborate version of the main theme. The variations on the main theme run from the most vague to most complete order. This was to give the listener the effect that something was becoming clearer, and to realise that something had always been there.

10. Just After Now – An exploration of tone and rhythm within sound. Purely sonic adventure.

11. The Smiling Chair – The most explicit and visceral of the recordings; horror ambient? The title was inspired by the picture ‘The Singing Chair’ by Arthur Tress.

12. Kielder – A direct sonic representation and homage to the woods and water of Kielder in 12-string and bowed bass.

‘The Headland of the Demon Haunted Castle’ is an approximate translation of ‘Skinburness’, the name of the road I grew up on.


- Stephen.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 11

01. Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Ruined Church
02. Madde Harris - The Wind at Eve
03. Hedgehog Pie - Fishing Song
04. Maddy Prior & Tim Hart - Dancing at Whitsun
05. Lal & Mike Waterson - Fine Horseman
06. Etchingham Steam Band - Horn Fair
07. Bob & Carol Anne Pegg - A Glass of Water
08. Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick - Prince Heathen
09. Albion Country Band - I Was a Young Man
10. Green Man - Salisbury Plain
11. Spriguns of Toigus - Curragh of Kildare
12. John Renbourn - The Cuckoo
13. Meic Stevens - Yorric
14. Mr. Fox - Mendle
15. Celebrated Ratliffe Stout Band - The Yellow Peg
16. Toni & Davy Arthur - Hey John Barleycorn
17. Dransfield - The Blacksmith Part One

Note: Yes, I am aware that Volume 10 was due to be posted next. I can't find it, but when I do, it will be posted. Don't fret psych-folksters!

ALICE COLTRANE & TURIYASANGITANANDA - DIVINE SONGS

Avatar Book Institute 1987

01. Rama Rama
02. Keshava Murahara
03. Er Ra
04. Madhura Manohara Giridhari
05. Deva Deva
06. Chandra Shekara
07. Om Shanti
08. Rama Guru
09. Hari Narayan

My friend Marc turned me on to Alice Coltrane. I was grateful (as I always am when he recommends, impeccable taste). I wanted an Alice Coltrane album that was my own, one I could give back to him and say I discovered.

I went for pot luck and got this cassette rip from the late eighties. I did not expect the ethereal beauty of this new age piece of ambient synth. Wonderful.

Ten dollars says Hudson Gardner loves this.