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Samohut - Transport (1997)



Samohut to oczywiście Piotr Subotkiewicz, weteran sceny Hybryd, eks-muzyk Izraela i Immanuela, klawiszowiec Falarek Band. A zatem to już druga, po Warsaw Beat - R. M. Brylewskiego, techno produkcja z tego arcyciekawego kręgu polskiego undergroundu. W przeciwienstwie do Warsaw Beat, który mocno był związany z dubową przeszłością Izraela i psychokosmiczną atmosferą Falarka, Samohut wyczyścił materiał z elementów wspólnej obu artystom tradycji. Może poza pierwiastkiem psychodelii. Tyle, że psychodelia "Transportu" niewiele ma wspólnego z tą Falarkową, przynależy tak jak i cała muzyka do estetyki techno-nowej elektroniki. A dokładniej jest to trans z nalotami ambientowych pasaży. Długie, motoryczne kompozycje, z przestrzennym, psychoaktywnym tłem, w róznych tempach, bez specjalnych ekstrawagancji. Wszystko zakręca się w jednę długą pętlę hipnotyzującą i barwą dźwięku i bitem i dramaturgią. Jeśli komuś goa wydaje się być zbyt "przeładowane", a minimal zbyt radykalny, ten znajdzie tu coś dla siebie. (serpent.pl)

Whenever I listen to record like this one, I regret it was not released a couple years earlier. But in this particular case it’s a single fault. Seven Piotr Subotkiewicz’s tracks are compelling and very interesting production of our modest polish market of ‘technic’ music. It’s hard to describe that kind of music by words, because usually on such occasions you have to compare and pigeonhole the record. ‘Transport’ it’s mostly ambient, also great chill-out CD. Additional strong point is sound editing by Piotr Majran. It’s one of the best and most intelligent record, which has been released recently in our country. Definitely worth-listening.

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Fursaxa - Lepidoptera (2005)



Fursaxa to jednoosobowy projekt Tary Burke artystki ze Stanów Zjednoczonych. Serdecznie polecam jej muzykę, która myślę, że potrafi oczarować każdego i zabrać w swoje piękne krainy.

Fursaxa is a USA-based acid folk or freak folk project led by Tara Burke (born June 28th, 1969) of Philadelphia. She began home-recording songs featuring acoustic guitar, simple Casio electronic keyboards, accordion, dulcimer and her heavily overdubbed vocals on a 4-track recorder after having casually played with friends at "drunken/stoned jams".

She has been making music since childhood. Her music has been compared to Nico's solo work and is often categorized among New Weird America artists. She has recorded with numerous bands as a guest or side-project, including Acid Mothers Temple, fellow Philadelphians Bardo Pond, Iditarod, Scorces and Six Organs of Admittance. Fursaxa is currently signed to the London based ATP Recordings label. (wikipedia)



This is the Fursaxa that people need to hear, raw and intoxicating; beautiful and perhaps still a little bit dangerous.

"Over the past couple of years, Tara Burke (aka Fursaxa) has entrenched herself as a mystical queen for the free-folk crowd, channelling the disaffected sorrow of Nico as well as the transcendent visions of 12th Century abbess Hildegard von Bingen. On her previous recordings, Burke sewed together her albums from short vignettes of narcoleptic folk songs, typically in the form of monotone lullabies in which her resonant voice radiated through stoned-and-droned acoustic guitar strum and / or farfisa arrangements. So it's very rare to finds a Fursaxa song that clocks in at anything longer than 3 minutes, which curiously is ample time for her to hypnotise her audience with her utterly compelling songs. Amulet, thus, is a bit of a detour from the collections of shortened songs as she offers four extended pieces of sprawling drones built out of delay-pedal loops. On the first couple of tracks, it's Burke's voice that takes center stage, spiralling into a hypnotic set of oscillating patterns, mossy psychedelic chants harkening back to the dark ages. She accentuates these tracks with occasional interludes for flutes and hand bells. On one of the final tracks on Amulet, Burke sets forth on a slow-motion acoustic guitar renditition of a Glenn Branca symphony, aiming for nothing more than transcendent hypnotic monotone. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!"--Aquarius Records


(photo by Rebecca Waleski)

"Everyone thinking of buying a Fursaxa album should be aware that Tara Burke has the ability to put listeners into a trance-like state. Her voice is somewhere between a tenor and an alto, and when she ventures in the lower ranges, she might as well be a hypnotist. Burke got my attention years ago because there weren't many women making weird, experimental, psychedelic music. There still aren't many, but Burke continues to put out excellent album after excellent album.... After one listen, I'm even more convinced that Tara Burke is a mystic." --Brad Rose (Foxy digitalis)



"A previous member of the band UN, Burke is now one of the epicentres and key collaborators of the North American free-folk movement, along with such luminaries as Jack Rose, Charalambides, Ben Chasny and the Jewelled Antler Collective. With her hypnotic, echo-y churchbell chanting, Burke possesses a power-filled vocal sound that harkens back not only to those other polar queens of disaffected freakout psychedelia Nico and Barbara Manning, but she is also akin to and inspired by Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th-century Benedictine mystical abbess. With the low drone of chord organ and farfisa, detuned ringing guitar, and endlessly looped, multiply-tracked vocals applied with heaps of delay, Fursaxa sounds like a tripped-out medievalist perched upon a poppy petal. Burke has an alchemical knack for turning folk into lo-fi, and then into sheer psych and back again, but more importantly, her music is pure humming narcosis" --fusetron

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Bardo Pond - Amanita (1996)



Kolejny zespół cieszący się estymą w zgniłych Stanach, u nas zatracony w etosie skrajnie 'andergrandowego'. Przecież tyle jest teraz ciekawszych zjawisk, vide Arab Strap. Prawda? Jeżeli odpowiedziałeś (-łaś) twierdząco na to pytanie to naciśnij klawisz 'Back Space' i zanurz się z powrotem w rozkosznym świecie eunuchów. W przeciwnym przypadku wybierz ten sam przycisk, a następnie sięgnij po krążek "Amanita" (ew. "Dilate") i poddaj się mistycznej dychotomii. Dychotomii sprowokowanej ekstatyczną, hałaśliwą kondensacją fal dźwiękowych wkręcających ciało w ziemię w narkotycznym tańcu i tym samym uwalniających duszę z jego okowów. Wszelkim niedowiarkom proponuję odłożyć z trudem uciułane na dwa worki trawy pieniądze i przekonać się samemu.

Bardo Pond nie dokonują zamachu stanu na utarte konwenanse co wcale nie wchodzi im w konflikt z oryginalnością. Z trzech teczek o nazwach 'post rock', 'noise rock' i 'psychodelia' można bez większych problemów uszyć jedną, która pomieści akta filadelfijskiej piątki. Rozbijając na części pierwsze ich kompozycje, prostota uzyskanych w ten sposób puzzli zdumiewa jeszcze bardziej zważywszy niezwykłość mozaiki jaką tworzą. Pasywny, udręczony wokal Isobel Sollenberger z tlącą się gdzieś na dnie nutką przerażonej i oszukanej nadziei. Leniwe kwestie gitary akustycznej oraz momentami statystujące im przygnębiająco 'suche', niedostrojone pianino. Wolne rytmy prowadzące do upojenia. I gitary elektryczne spajające te fragmenty w pasjonującą całość oraz dokonujące eskalacji wrażeń, których nie sposób opanować, a tylko ruszyć z ich prądem. Dzięki niezwykłej pracy wioślarzy w stosownym tempie nadawanym przez sekcję rytmiczną, łódka o nazwie Bardo Pond płynie dotąd nieznanymi szlakami wsłuchana w uwodzący ją zwiewny śpiew syreny.

Jeżeli dwa gramy ważą jednak dla Ciebie więcej to chociaż mamucim wysiłkiem woli poświęć jedną kulę na rzecz TP SA lub innego internetowego rzezimieszka (vel providera), i ściągnij z sieci próbkę muzyki Bardo Pond w pigułce czyli "Be a Fish". Numer chyba najodpowiedniejszy do zdefiniowania stylu grupy. Naprzemienne łkanie w ciszy i narastające do granic możliwości krzyki rozpaczy wyrwanej ze snu gitary, przeplatane poronionym tekstem. (postindustry.org)


Tantric Porno

Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label ATP Recordings. The current members are Michael Gibbons (guitar), John Gibbons (guitar), Isobel Sollenberger (flute and vocals), Clint Takeda (bass guitar), Jason Kourkonis (drums), and Aaron Igler (synth/electronics). Bardo Pond's drug-inspired music is often classified as space rock, acid rock, post-rock, dream pop, noise or psychedelic rock. Many Bardo Pond album titles have been derived from the names of esoteric psychedelic substances. Their sound has been likened to Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine amongst others.

Allmusic describes Bardo Pond as having "lengthy, deliberate sound explorations filled with all the hallmarks of modern-day space rock: droning guitars, thick distortion, feedback, reverb, and washes of white noise." Bardo Pond are a taper-friendly band who encourage fans to make recordings of their shows. Bardo Pond ups the dosage considerably on "Amanita". The Philadelphia band's third album is also its first studio-recorded production. And what a difference the studio makes! As great as the basement-tapes of Bufo Alvarius are, the shockingly brilliant "Amanita" reveals a depth and maturity at which all earlier efforts only hinte.


Destroying Angel (Live at Terrastock 6)

"Limerick," Amanita's monumental opener, has a dense, intricate arrangement that can be peeled apart to expose all the elements of the Bardo Pond sound. The knotted feedback trails of John and Michael Gibbons' guitars and tendrils of vocalist Isobel Sollenberger's phantasmal flute radiate from a nucleus of tantric bass (Clint Takeda). The quiet fury of "Rumination," the temerity of "Wank," the introspective mood of "Be a Fish," and the climactic unwindings of "RM" all stem from this atomic core. And when the Gibbons brothers weave the coils and braided filigree of "Tantric Porno," "The Tapir Song," and "Yellow Turban," they rival the lysergic majesty of such legendary forebears as Ash Ra Tempel or the transcendental gut-punch of Keiji Haino's formidable Fushitsusha.

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Wildflowers - The New York Loft Jazz Sessions (1976)



Święta świętami, ale pracować trzeba. Zaczynam od dosyć trudnej pozycji.. Nurt "loft-jazz" rozwinął się na początku lat 70-tych i był swoistym buntem wobec sytuacji afro-amerykańskiej części muzyków. Miał on bowiem bardzo polityczne zacięcie i był mocno zaangażowany ideologicznie. Czarni muzycy wynajmowali lub squatowali ogromne i opuszczone hale zakładów produkcyjnych, wykorzystując te przestrzenie jako pole swoich działań twórczych. Najciekawszym, legendarnym już zepołem nurtu loft był The World Saxpophone Quartet, a liderami "czarnej" awangardy muzycy, jak Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Jack DeJohnette oraz Arthur Blythe.

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When originally issued by Douglas, the 5-LP Wildflowers: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions stepped into a virtual void of free jazz. Impulse, the lasting champion of labels willing to risk their budgets on free jazz artists, had already given up on what was a steadily dwindling release program by 1975. Besides the then-fledgling Black Saint label, Arista's cautious dabbling (with its Novus series and Anthony Braxton's contract) and the handful of artist-run labels still in the game, free jazz had become an even scarcer commodity in the United States' post-Vietnam depression.

But the Wildflowers LPs weren't only a bucket of cold water to the free jazz economy—they also just happened to document nearly all of the important US-based players of the era. Between those still surviving in New York from the 60s (Sunny Murray, Marion Brown, Dave Burrell, Andrew Cyrille, Jimmy Lyons), recent transplants from Chicago's AACM (Braxton, Air) and St. Louis' BAG (Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill) collectives and a handful of young up-and-comers (David Murray, Ahmed Abdullah, David S. Ware), the set provided a comprehensive overview of what was currently happening in the music.

Recorded as snapshots of a festival hosted at Sam Rivers' loft Studio Rivbea in May of 1976, the LPs captured a sort of grassroots energy that, considered today, can be seen as the early roots of an artist-centered aesthetic in New York that has evolved into more frequent engagements like the Vision Festival. Yet all politics and lineage-tracing aside, the reissue of the Wildflowers set—jammed onto three very full CDs by the Knitting Factory's Knit Classics subsidiary—returns some particularly valuable music to the non-collector marketplace.

From the first disc's opening track "Jays", the notable changes that were beginning to take place in the music are apparent as Kalaparusha (Maurice McIntyre) gets his tenor mojo working over a super-funky electric bass-driven groove. As has been discussed in other assessments of this collection, "free jazz" was beginning to incorporate the more palatable elements of its otherwise sworn enemy "jazz fusion" with distinctive results—Kalaparusha's track being a prime illustration of that hybridity.

However, the rest of the disc features more classic expressions of the art form with varying degrees of structure: for example, Ken McIntyre's wily alto negotiates the angles of his "New Times" with edgy purpose, while Sunny Murray's killer Untouchable Factor group (w/Byard Lancaster and David Murray on reeds, Khan Jamal on vibes and Fred Hopkins on bass) explores "Over the Rainbow" on the strength of Lancaster's gorgeously emotive vibrato. Continuing the theme, Sam Rivers' "Rainbows" is one of his finest recordings—capturing the saxophonist blowing his trademark soprano streams over a highly sympathetic rhythm section. The rest of the disc's highlights can be found in tracks by Air ("USO Dance", which exemplifies the combination of sensitivity and fire that made them one of the finest jazz trios of the decade), Flight to Sanity ("The Need to Smile", a stunningly organic Afro-modal affair in which Sonelius Smith's piano joins with the dynamic percussion of Harold Smith and Don Moye in bluesy communion) and Marion Brown (a solo alto performance of "And Then They Danced", where his combination of lyricality and rough edges enhance the ballad's inherent sweetness).

The second disc extends the polemic between structure-oriented, fusion-tinged and free blowing pieces, with the structuralists claiming a significant majority of the space. The chamber-like obtusity of Leo Smith and New Delta Ahkri's "Locomotif No. 6", the stiff flamenco-folk convolution of Michael Jackson's "Clarity 2", the hard Chicago blues of Hamiet Bluiett's "Tranquil Beauty" and the pretty layers and sugary resolution of Julius Hemphill's "Pensive" all suffer from a tight compositional stricture that even dwarfs the moments of brilliant playing (like Bluiett's bluesy baritone abyss on "Beauty" and guitarist Bern Nix's gelling harmolodic runs on the Hemphill piece). Ahmed Abdullah's "Blue Phase" is this disc's fusion experiment—very successfully combining electric and acoustic basses in a murky bottom end, but unfortunately losing out in the mix to Mashujaa's heavily effected, watery guitar (though, interestingly enough, his tone here is actually reminiscent of the phase-shifted sound prevalent among reggae guitarists of the day). The disc's lone representative of freer boundaries, Andrew Cyrille and Maono's rather directionless "Short Short," is also a disappointment—though that may have more to do with the excerpter's scalpel than the musicians themselves.

The third disc also contains its share of what seems like research gone awry—like Oliver Lake's "Zaki" (which is inhibited by the relentless hovering of Michael Jackson's strangely synthesized guitar) and Roscoe Mitchell's "Chant" (an exercise in marathon circular breathing that walks the line between exhilarating and annoying)—but at the same time houses a couple of the collection's most outstanding selections. One of these, Jimmy Lyons' "Push Pull", builds a blocky yet intuitive marvel out of angular alto strokes, minimal percussion and Karen Borca's rich, woodsy bassoon. The other highlight of the third disc, and perhaps the entire set, is the return of Sunny Murray and the Untouchable Factor for the 17-minute "Something's Cookin'".

Beginning as a fragile web supported by Murray's cymbal whispers, the mood expands through the otherworldly plateaus spun by Jamal's vibes and a kinetic tenor/alto dialogue between Murray and Lancaster—only to finish on the spiritual edge where Hopkins' bowed levitations meet Lancaster's primordial flute.

Beyond all of this music—which, even with the few unsuccessful pieces adds up to nothing less than essential—adding to the collection's value is the set's booklet with archival photographs, poster reproductions and critic Howard Mandel's historical/contextual essay on the loft scene and its greater significance. No self-respecting listener of free jazz should go without hearing these sessions, as they document a period in the music's history that, until now, has been severely neglecte.

I found this stuff on some blog don't remember the name. Thanks.

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Merry Christmas for All



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009 for all the people who read sometimes this blog. I wish You all the best, lots of health and lots of love. Thank You for your kindness and inspiration. This blog will not be the same without You. Thank You very much.

Chciałbym złożyć najserdeczniejsze życzenia wszystkim czytającym tego skromnego bloga. Wszystkiego co najlepsze, dużo zdrowia i miłości dla Was i Waszych najbliższych. Chciałbym podziękować za inspirację i słowa otuchy jakie znajduję w Waszych komentarzach. Postaram się cieszyć Was w Nowym Roku równie interesującymi tematami.

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The Artwoods - Live in Wales (1964)



Grupa the Artwoods została utworzona w Londynie w 1964 roku. W jej składzie znaleźli się Arthur (Art) Wood (Vocals), Derek Griffiths (Guitar), Malcolm Pool (Bass), Jon Lord (Organ), Keef Hartley (Drums). Art Wood śpiewał wcześniej u Alexisa Kornera w Blues Incorporated. Keef zanim trafił do the Artwoods wcześniej grał w Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, gdzie zastąpił Ringo Starra.

The Artwoods mieli reputację najciężej pracującej R & B grupy na świecie. Grupa była bardzo popularna w klubach Londynu, ale nigdy tego nie potwierdziła - jedynym przebojem grupy został w 1966 "I Take What I Want", zresztą cover Sam'a & Dave'a. Jedyny album the Artwoods sprzedawał się fatalnie, podobnie jak promujący go singiel "I Feel Good", jedna z bardziej interesujących rzeczy jaką nagrali. Grali przede wszystkim standardy chicagowskiego bluesa, a także własny materiał. Odbyli zakończone sukcesem tourne po Europie (byli też w Polsce).

Grupa zanim się rozwiązała w 1967 roku, na krótko przyjęła nazwę St. Valentine's Day Massacre i pod tą nazw zrealizowała jeden singiel w nowej psychodelicznej konwencji. Keef Hartley dołączył do John Mayall Bluesbreakers, a później utworzył Keef Hartley Band. Jon Lord dołączył do Flowerpot Men, a później został członkiem Deep Purple. Derek Grifiiths został muzykiem sesyjnym. Art Wood sformował na krótko Quiet Melon. Tworzyli ja byli muzycy The Jeff Beck Group: młodszy brat Ron Wood i Rodem Stewart oraz byli członkowie The Small Faces: Ronni Lane, Kenney Jones i Ian McLagan. Niestety Fontana nie była zainteresowana ich projektem, więc Art ucichł jako muzyk. Pozostali zaś muzycy Quiet Melon dołączyli do Steve'a Mariotta i utworzyli the Faces. (Marcin Górski)

Chciałbym ostrzec, że płyta jest zdecydowanie skierowana dla kolekcjonerów bowiem jakość nagrań pozostawia wiele do życzenia, ale ze względu na unikalność materiału zdecydowałem się go zamieścić.

Personel on this LP:

Art Wood (voc, harm)
Derek Griffiths (g)
Jon Lord (org, p)
Malcolm Pool (bg)
Keef Hartley (dr)



The Artwoods were formed in 1963, and over the next two years became an extremely popular live attraction, rivaling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this popularity.

Singer Arthur Wood, from whom the band took their name, was the eldest brother of Ronnie Wood (who later found fame with the Faces and Rolling Stones). Art Wood had been a vocalist with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated for a short period during 1962, simultaneously fronting his own group, the Art Wood Combo.

When keyboardist Jon Lord and guitarist Derek Griffiths from Red Bludd's Bluesicians joined the Art Wood Combo, they re-christened themselves the Artwoods. Keef Hartley, formerly with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, joined on drums in December 1964 and the band turned professional, securing a residency at London's 100 Club and signing a recording contract with Decca Records.

The intended debut single - a cover of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" - was shelved in favour of a rendition of an old Leadbelly song, "Sweet Mary". Although it didn't reach the charts, it got sufficient airplay to bring the band a lot of live work, including an appearance on the first live edition of Ready Steady Go! Their second record, "Oh My Love", was another blues cover. Like its predecessor (and subsequent releases), it failed to chart.

The Artwoods were dropped by Decca at the end of 1966, and they signed a one-record deal with Parlophone, but their release "What Shall I Do" also flopped. Later in 1967, a final "one-off" single appeared on the Fontana label, with the band billing itself as St. Valentine's Day Massacre; but by the time of its release the Artwoods had effectively ceased to exist.

The Artwoods' early records today stand up well against the work of more successful groups such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds or the Birds (who included Art's younger brother Ronnie). But at the time they came out, despite appearances on programmes like Ready, Steady, Go! their singles never seemed to connect with the record-buying public. The band's forte was playing live and they had a strong fan following as a club act.

The group broke up in mid-1967. Art Wood joined his brother Ted in the graphics-art business and continued to perform music on a semi-professional basis. Keef Hartley went on to play with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Jon Lord became a founder member of Deep Purple. (wikipedia)

The show was recorded on a primitive reel to reel tape by a US airforce employee who really liked the band, after he asked permission. He later gave copies to a couple of the band, one of whom later did somebody else a copy, which is how it got out. By the time the bootleggers got it years after, the quality was even worse, so I would not recommend it. The guy now lives in Canada and was really shocked when he learnt of the bootleg twenty years later.

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Zdrój Jana - the lost Polish psychedelic band



Ten temat musiał nieuchronnie się pojawić na tym blogu. Grupa Zdrój Jana to prawdziwa legenda polskiej psychodelii i ruchu hipisowskiego. Przez lata owiana nimbem kultu w kręgach początkujących hipisów. Nie doczekała się niestety żadnej realizacji pod postacią singla czy longplaya, ale zarejestrowała kilka nagrań dla radia. Dużo miejsca na temat Zdroju Jana i innej polskiej undergroundowej "Grupy w Składzie" - poświęca Kamil Sipowicz w swojej książce "Hipisi w PRL-u". Zdjęcia oraz nagrania, które są tu prezentowane zostały udostępnione za zgodą Pana Ryszrada, który prowadzi wspaniałą witrynę poświęconą bitowym i garażowym zespołom z lat 50-tych i 60-tych www.ryszardy.jedwab.net.pl



Zdrój Jana - powstał w 1966 r. Wprowadził na scenę muzyczną muzykę psychodeliczną z różnorodnym instrumentarium. Działał przez 6 lat dokonując w tym czasie kilku nagrań radiowych. Grupa występowała w klubie "Pod Ręką". W grudniu 1970 r. zespół wystąpił w Sali Kongresowej w Warszawie razem z Niebiesko-Czarnymi i Tropicale Thaiti Granda Banda.

Skład zespołu poszerzał się w zależności od potrzeb. I tak podczas widowisk psychodelicznych, rozbudowanych udział brali także: Święcicka Krystyna - vocal, Idziak Bogna - okaryna, Łopalewski Piotr instr.strunowe, Nowakowski Jerzy, Knobloch Marian i Gubernat Zbigniew. W zespole występowali znakomici arytyści jak Jacek Ukleja - scenograf i plastyk czy brat Józefa Antoniszczaka - Ryszard Antoniszczak - również parający się animacją. Stosowali niekonwencjonalne efekty brzmieniowe i widowiskowe np. lampy stroboskopowe wykorzystane wiele lat poźniej na dyskotekach.


Żegnaj paro (reż. Ryszard Antoniszczak, 1974)

W archiwum muzycznym znajduje się osiem nagrań radiowych zespołu. Utwór p.t. Kiedy będę żałował , który przez kilka tygodni znajdował się na pierwszym miejscu listy przebojów programu III PR.

Jeśli można byłoby silić się w ogóle na jakieś porównanie to moim zdaniem grupa nawiązywała w swoich założeniach artystyczno-muzycznych do dokonań Franka Zappy i Mothers Of Invention będąc swoisty prześmiewczym undergroudowym kabaretem.

Jerzy Wójcik (1946-1989) - guitar, vocal
Jacek Ukleja - guitar, vocal, keyboards
Jerzy Kołacz/Paweł Partyka - bass, vocal
Rafał Marchewczyk - piano, vocal
Piotr Walewski - keyboards
Ryszard Antoniszczak - percussion, vocal
Marek Wilczyński - drums



Zdrój Jana is absolutely one of the greatest andd unique psychedelic Polish bands from sixties. They never released any records but some tracks were release for polish radio. It was a group of friends which play at the psychedelic cabaret like Mothers Of Invention. Lots of great Polish artists were in the personel of the band like Ryszard Antoniszczak, young brother of Jozef Antoniszczak - underground director. Strongly recommended !!!

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Knives Ov Resistance - Prisca Sapientia (2006)



This pan-European group of tape manipulators and guitar explorers have delivered something peculiarly beautiful to Aurora Borealis, an industrial folk album that harks back to the playful, pastoral era of Cosmic Couriers as well as the more recent Jewelled Antler Collective discography. Opener 'Rosicrucian' swells with spiral-picked melodies and thin electronic tides, evoking the serene cosmic folk of Witthuser and Westrupp. Elsewhere, the synth pulses and samples of 'Sovnig' shimmer amid the heat-haze of interlocked guitar mantras, grazing and unhurried. Knives Ov Resistance's gentle methods are more akin to long-lost troubadours such as Tom Rapp than Boards Of Canada; the mournful closing track 'Outremer' roars with operatic vocal cries and radio dispatches, the tendril-guitars diffused and murmuring. A precious and elegant debut. - Rocka-A-Rolla

Knives Ov Reistance are equally as enthralled by the hand of Satan and his mischievous space creatures. 'Prisca Sapientia' (True Wisdom) is the band's debut release and apparently deals with the weighty subject of End Time, you know, just something light hearted to kick off a project with? So while tinkering with Stockhausen influenced electronic decay and free - noise - folk instrumentation, somewhere amongst the abstraction is reference to the Armageddon. It's dark then, we've ascertained that much, but this isn't the dark - for - dummies stuff you'd see on the liner notes of your common-or-garden post rock double album, this is genuinely brain melting stuff punctuated with a sound that is somehow inherently evil. There are without a doubt links to black metal, but this isn't a black metal album, not by sound anyway, rather this deals with similarly haunting subject matter but the band go about it in a totally different way. The press release quote Godspeed You! Black Emperor as a comparison but I don't think that does this record justice, rather than retread old ground this feels as if it's a further step into the realms of the 'acoustic doom' explored by artists such as Wolfmangler and Svarte Greiner. A breathtaking listening experience for the darker moments in life - do you believe in Rapture?

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Dark Yoga - Breath Of Life (2006)


Czas teraz na dwie propozycje z kręgu neo-psychedelii, bo - co cieszy - młodzi muzycy chętnie sięgają do muzycznych wzorców swoich dziadków i rodziców. Coś tam starają się mącić i słusznie. Jednym wychodzi lepiej, innym gorzej. Liczą się przede wszystkim chęci.

Dark Yoga is an obscure Northwest American Psychedelic Now Vibrational Music Commune founded in early 06 by Adam Forkner, Honey Owens, Brian Thackeray, Matt McDowell, Aria Benner and Dan Barone. This is a sprawling psychedelic krautrock free fuzz jam, simple throbbing basslines, slowed down vocals, shimmering clouds of buzzing effects and swirling disembodied guitar fuzz, blown out guitar leads, simple tribal drumming, propulsive and motorik, with long stretches of tinkling effervescence and spaced out ambience. The sound is super heavy on the Can, even down to some of the very (infrequent) Damo like vocals. Dark Yoga's music is a heavy heavy weird brown fog of loose psychedelic improv in a fuzz-wah style with 70's Miles vibes, distant flutes, bongos, etc. There are some groovy stretches of fuzzy funk too, like some tarpit demonic dance jams, but even those parts are dense with fuzzy murk and spacepsych swirl.



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Yura Yura Teikoku - 3 x 3 x 3 (1998)



Wschód wciąż zaskakuje Zachód. Nie tylko pod względem rozwoju myśli filozoficznej i duchowości, ale choćby na tak zwyczajnym gruncie ludycznym jakim jest muzyka. Słuchaczom muzyki garażowej i psychodelicznej najbardziej bliski jest ten gatunek i Wschód również w tej dziedzinie ma wiele do zaoferowania. Wspominałem już na blogu o 3/3 Sanbun No San - teraz przyszła kolei na prezentację innej świetnej grupy Yura Yura Teikoku. To współczesny zespół, którego muzyczne korzenie sięgają muzyki garażowej, proto-punkowej i undergroundowej spod znaku The Stooges, Velvet Underground itp. Niektóre utwory mnie osobiście powalają i czasem żałuję, że w Polsce nie mamy takich perełek. Posłuchajcie...

Sakamoto Shintarou - guitar/vocals
Kamekawa Chiyo - bass
Shibata Ichirou - drums



In 1989, Sakamoto Shintarou formed Yura Yura Teikoku with the idea of creating original rock written in Japanese. From the beginning, Sakamoto was the leader of the band and clearly the creative driving force. He shows great proficiency with a number of styles, excelling whether he's writing pop chord progressions, cool psychedelic grooves or meandering guitar solos. Sakamoto's other great strength are his vocals, which fit well into every style that the Teikoku plays. The lyrics are ironic, biting, and nihilistic.

In 1990, Bassist Kamekawa Chiyo joined the band, which at the time was a quartet. In 1992, Yura Yura Teikoku underwent a member change and became a 3 piece with a more straightforward, poppy sound. It was also in '92 that Yura Yura Teikoku released their first self-titled album independently. Due to undeniable musical talent and charisma the band carved out a niche for itself in the Tokyo indie live scene. In 1994, the band released their second self-titled album, followed by their first live album in 1995 titled simply Live. The last album of their indie era, Are You Ra?, was released in March of 1996. Are You Ra? is actually the most straightforward of all the Yura Yura Teikoku albums that I have heard, which is an interesting counter to the more usual example of bands getting signed to a major label and being forced to churn out pop singles, losing their uniqueness. After countless drummer changes in 1997 the current drummer Shibata Ichirou joined, thrusting the band into its current form.



In April of 98, their first major label album 3x3x3 was released, receiving nearly universal rave reviews from music magazines as well as fellow musicians, a fitting reception for a band that paid its dues in the indie scene for 8 years. 3x3x3 is regarded by many fans as the band's crowning achievement, carrying over much of the style of their earlier indie releases but executing it with greater cohesion.

Since 3x3x3, they have released 4 studio albums: 3, Me no Car, Yura Yura Teikoku no Memai, and Yura Yura Teikoku no Shibire. Each consecutive release has ventured farther from the guitar pop territory into the realm of psychedelic rock. They have also released a live version of their Shibire and Memai records called na.ma.shi.bi.re.na.ma.me.mai and a best of album 1998 - 2004. Yura Yura Teikoku continues to play shows throughout Japan and has further plans to release studio albums. They recently pleased fans with an announcement that they would play two free shows in Tokyo and Osaka, April 2005.

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Fate - Sgt. Death (1968)



Chciałbym podzielić się kolejnym odkryciem, które poczyniłem kilka lat temu, a teraz sobie o nim przypomniałem przetrząsając płytotekę - jedyny album amerykańskiej grupy Fate "Sgt. Death". Pozycja jest dla mnie jedną z bardziej wybitnych z kręgu psychodelii. O samym zespole wiem niewiele. Stylistycznie kojarzy się z The Doors - a to za przyczyną klawiszy i pasaży, które wygrywa. Nie jest to zwykłe naśladownictwo, ale świadomy zabieg artystyczny. Znakomite są gitarowe popisy. Tematyka utworów przesiąknięta jest treściami antywojennymi, a szczególnie protestem przeciw wojnie w Wietnamie. Jakość nagrań pozostawia wiele do życzenia, ale w tym momencie są jedyną na dzień dzisiejszy propozycją.

Steve Dore - guitar
Skip Smith - drums
Jay Sneider (Snyder) -keyboards, vocal
Art Webster - bass
Frank Youngblood - vocal

Jay Sneider's first band The Electrons came together in Saco, Maine in 1963. They soon changed their name to The Id and would release two 45s that have become highly prized by collector's, the second as Euphoria's Id to differentiate them from several other Ids around at that time. Around 1967 Sneider (now Snyder) and drummer Skip Smith formed Fate.

The album was recorded in 1968 under the guidance of Thomas Jefferson Kaye at Studio 3 in New York, where Billy Joel's Hassles would record their debut LP. Demos were sent out and the popular DJ Roscoe (also the voice on an album by John Berberian) started playing it. It would be picked up by a couple more NYC stations, yet the only record label to show any interest was Musicor. Still the band's production company (Elephant 5) chose to pass on the offer, nothing further happened and a disillusioned band went their separate ways.

Such a shame; this is an accomplished opus and so evocative of its time. The mood is reflective, often sombre, but also confrontational (as in the overtly anti-Vietnam title track). Stylistically it varies from baroque-rock with psychy flashes to hard melodic rock, and a strong hint of The Doors on the more introspective cuts. The latter comparison used to irritate Jay Snyder but the setting, key and timbre of Frank Youngblood's vocals makes this unavoidable. Sexual Fantasy #8 is an immediate stand-out; it has a pealing George Harrison-like guitar motif that'll haunt you for months. Elsewhere they take on the blues and Bo Diddley in a hard-rock setting with searing guitar.

Jay Snyder recounts his musical odyssey and the stories behind his songs in revealing detail on both CD and LP. A very welcome and recommended release. Incidentally, the opening track on the original demo album, Prelude, was omitted from the reissues as it was not recorded by Fate, instead being put together by their producer.

An article in Billboard magazine in October 1968 reported that "Fate's demonstration discs are being played on three radio stations in New York", but the only original copy so far to turn up has a mastering date of February 1969 etched in the vinyl trail-off. It could be that there were different demo discs in circulation at different times. (orexisofdeath.blogspot.com)

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Ardo Dombec (1971)



Kolejny mało znana pozycja. Dziwna mikstura rocka progresywnego, jazzu, kratrocka - czyli taka jaką lubię najbardziej - ciekawa i stylistycznie zeróżnicowana. Niestety grupa wydała tylko jedną płytę dla zasłużonej wytwórni Pilz.

Helmut Hachmann – sax, flute
Harald Gleu – guitar and vocals
Wolfgang Spillner – drums and vocals
Michael Ufer – bass

As with every Garden of Delights release, this one has an extensive booklet with the band's history, photos, lyrics, well as a history of the Pilz label including label discography. Ardo Dombec were a Hamburg based quartet of Helmut Hachmann on sax and flute, Harald Gleu on guitar and vocals, Wolfgang Spillner on drums and vocals, and Michael Ufer on bass. Their style of progressive rock was very much of the jazz variety, where Hachmann's sax figures prominently in nearly all the band's pieces, often matched by Gleu's guitar. Recorded in August 1971, the album featured 8 tracks; this reissue adds four bonus tracks, two from a compilation album called Heavy Christmas that "was meant to make fun of the idiotic Christmas mania," the other two recorded for a never released 7" single. By the end of 1972, beginning of 1973, however, the band had split amicably.

The arrangements are upbeat and bright, even if lyrically the pieces are dark or cynical and metaphorical. "Supper Time," for example, concern a weakened animal being attacked by jackals, his remains being picked over by a vulture. The guitar work in "Spectaculum" reminded me of the rolling guitar sound in "Secret Agent Man." "Clean Up Sunday" has at its beginning a happily trilling flute giving this piece a lighter texture, an almost sappy-happy feel. That is until Hachmann lets his flute rip, shred, and slash across the solid rhythmic foundation from Spillner and Ufer, though it does so in soft tones. "108," is a light and airy flute trilling to the accompaniment of a plucked and strummed acoustic guitar; this is the sparsest and mellowest track on the album. The energetic and groovy "Unchangeable Things" brings the fat bass of Ufer up in the mix. "Open The Door, Open Your Mind" has a jumping, happy rhythm, and honking jazz comes by way of "Young And Strong," where both sax and guitar seem doubled. Though the flute elements will recall (ahem) Jethro Tull, the main arrangement however, reminds me more of early Moody Blues.

It is in the instrumental sections that Ardo Dombec truly shine, especially Gleu guitar and Hachmann's sax, all aiding complex arrangements. Well worth checking out. (progressiveworld.net)

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Sameti (1972)



Sameti to efemeryczny projekt muzyczny, który wykiełkował na gruncie różnych zmian personalnych w różnych ówczesnych grupach, a w szczególności Amon Duul II. Zresztą stylistycznie nie jest on bardzo odległy od dokonań tej grupy. Płyta zasługuje jednak na uwagę, a muzycznie jest jedną z ciekawszych pozycji z kręgu krautrocka. Polecam.

Sameti was created in Munich in 1971 after Christian "Shrat" Thiele had left Amon Duul II. Their first album consists of one side long improvisation: "Anotherwaytosee", and one side of four semi-structured works. The music itself has similarities with Amon Duul II, but is less imaginative. Their lyrics apparently dealt with their personal habits: "I'm used to smoke - slipped into my music I'm used to stumble through my stoney days Come over big fat brother joint Come touch my body A long life to that stoned hero".

Sameti is related to Embryo but more strongly to Amon Duul which is strikingly proofed by the style presented on their debut album here. The material offered here can be described roughly as highly drug-inspired free-form and hard-edged space rock that is krautrock in its real literal sense if choosing its meaning of weed. First side of the original vinyl contains four quite well-done loosely-structured tracks with great dual guitar and some occasional sax solos. The only point I can grumble about is Shrat’s vocal performance that I found already annoying on A.D. II’s stuff, quite awful I’ve to say but that’s probably a matter of taste. Side two is occupied by the 22 minute improvised piece "Anotherwaytosee" which is really remarkable and wouldn’t have been out of place on “Tanz der Lemminge” for example. I wouldn’t call this band necessarily an excellent addition to any Prog collection but anyway I’d recommend it to all Krautrock afficiados and in particular fans of Amon Düül.

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Jacek Ostaszewski - Klakwerk / Schlafwandler (theatre music)




Jacek Ostaszewski (ur. 1944 w Krakowie) – polski muzyk, kompozytor, reżyser teatralny. Współzałożyciel (wraz z Markiem Jackowskim) i lider powstałej na początku lat 70. grupy Osjan określanej prekursorem world music. Jako muzyk jazzowy współpracował m.in. z Markiem Grechutą i zespołem Anawa, Tomaszem Stańko, Adamem Makowiczem oraz Krzysztofem Komedą i Donem Cherrym. Komponuje również muzykę teatralną (m.in. do spektakli Kalkwerk oraz Lunatycy w reżyserii Krystiana Lupy w Teatrze Starym w Krakowie), baletową oraz filmową. Wykładowca Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Teatralnej w Krakowie.

Rozmowa z Jacka Ostaszewskiego z Danielem Cichym
(fragment)

DANIEL CICHY Muzyka w teatrze jest potrzebna?

JACEK OSTASZEWSKI Skoro była z nim związana od zarania – tak. Muzyka podkreśla rytualność teatru, jest jak grecka maska lub koturn, odrealnia go, przenosi na inną płaszczyznę, bardziej metaforyczną. Teatr bez muzyki jest realistyczny. Poza tym muzyka ma niezwykłą moc – stymuluje emocje, i to zarówno widza, jak i aktora. Dlatego kompozytor teatralny musi poznać potrzeby aktora, zrozumieć mechanizm muzyki w teatrze.

CICHY Jak moglibyśmy go zdefiniować?

OSTASZEWSKI Zasadą numer jeden jest „nie przeszkadzać”. Teatr jest miejscem spotkań wielu twórców i fascynujące w nim jest to, że muszą oni hamować swoje ego. A nie jest to łatwe, kiedy na scenie dochodzi do konfrontacji gwiazd teatru, znanych reżyserów i kompozytorów. Jednak kompozytorska chęć zabłyśnięcia własnym utworem muzycznym musi być ograniczona. Muzyka ma stymulować, ale i wspomagać. A żeby mogła to czynić, powinna dopełniać to, co dzieje się w słowie i obrazie. Musi być partnerem, nie solistą.

CICHY Skąd kompozytor czerpie inspirację? Z tekstu? Wizji reżysera? Działań aktorów? Przestrzeni?

OSTASZEWSKI Ważny jest każdy element, który niesie informację, jaka muzyka powinna być i czemu ma służyć. Tekst jest naturalnie szalenie istotny, podstawowy, od niego zaczynam, aczkolwiek dzisiaj często tekst jest dla reżysera tylko pretekstem. Dlatego ważne jest zrozumienie języka reżysera, próba odczytania jego intencji, znalezienie odpowiedzi na pytania, dlaczego wybrał ten tekst, jaką formę chce znaleźć dla spektaklu, jaki język muzyczny może obowiązywać w konkretnej przestrzeni scenograficznej. Trudno napisać muzykę, która będzie ignorować na przykład współczesny kostium. Bo nawet jeśli muzyka będzie nawiązywała do historyczności dzieła literackiego, musi być jednocześnie na tyle współczesna, by tłumaczyć ów współczesny kostium.(...)

CICHY Wspomina Pan sporo o wolności twórczej, szczególnie w kontekście zespołu Osjan. A przecież teatr, film czasem ograniczają – czasem, koncepcją reżysera, słowem, przestrzenią, umiejętnościami aktora.

OSTASZEWSKI Wolność bez ograniczeń nic nie znaczy. Takie też musi być podejście kompozytora. Materiał muzyczny nas ogranicza, ale jeśli czujemy się w nim swobodnie, jesteśmy wolni. Wolność jest więc bardziej stanem umysłu niż konkretnym uwarunkowaniem. Język tworzy dychotomię, ale w życiu może współistnieć jedno i drugie. Umieć znaleźć się wśród reguł bez poczucia, że jesteśmy związani gorsetem zasad, to cała sztuka. A z chwilą, gdy czujemy, że ów gorset jest zbyt ciasny, jak awangardowi twórcy, musimy coś przełamywać. Naturalnie – tworząc nowe reguły.

CICHY Jazz Darings i Osjan, free jazz, improwizacja, world music… Jak te doświadczenia muzyczne przełożyły się na Pańską twórczość teatralną?

OSTASZEWSKI Teatr jest dla mnie czymś odmiennym. To miejsce fuzji różnych sztuk, a Osjan czy nawet Anawa należą do sfery muzyki autonomicznej. Aczkolwiek był okres – zanim jeszcze zacząłem pisać muzykę do spektakli Lupy – kiedy Osjana nazywaliśmy Teatrem Naturalnego Dźwięku. (teatr-pismo.pl)

***************************

Jacek Ostaszewski was born in Kraków in 1944 into an artistic family. His father was a sculptor and a stage designer, and his mother an actor. In the Sixties, he appeared on the Polish jazz scene as a double bassist, playing with the most outstanding musicians of the times: Komeda, Trzaskowski, Kurylewicz, Stańko, and Makowicz. In 1970, he formed “Osjan” – an acoustic music group. This group, pioneers of New Age music, toured all over Europe. “Osjan” has released six vinyl albums and four compact discs. The group’s concerts, during which Ostaszewski plays recorders, are highly popular both in Poland and abroad. During the 80s, he broadened his compositional palette by writing music for the theatre. He has composed for around 80 productions (including 15 for works directed by Krystian Lupa), and ballet music arose out of his collaboration with Boston’s Beth Soll Dance Company. He has also written the music for three feature films, ten shorts, and four television plays. His own holistic method of musical training – “The Path of Sound, The Path of Silence” – and his workshops are popular both in theatrical circles (he lectures at Kraków’s State Theatre School) and among music therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and educationalists (he has ongoing collaborations with the Polish Milton H Erickson Institute and the Cultural Promotion Centre). Besides numerous workshops in Poland, he has also led intensive courses in the U.S.A., Japan and Portugal. His characteristic flute playing may be heard on Zbigniew Preisner’s film music, including Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Three Colours - Blue", in which Ostaszewski also appears onscreen in a cameo role. He has also made his directorial debut (Ionesco’s “The Chairs” at the Teatr Współczesny (Contemporary Theatre) in Szczecin).

Jacek Ostaszewski is a world-renowned composer and musician based in Krakow, Poland, whose professional career dates back to 1964. He is a featured soloist in several films and with various orchestras on flute, recorder, bass, and sansa, and the founder of the world-music ensemble Osjan, which tours Poland and Europe annually. He is an instructor at Krakow's Theater Academy, and has collaborated with Polish groups that include Gardzienice, the Grotowski Institute, and Song of the Goat. As a composer, he has eighty plays to his credit, among which fifteen were directed by Krystian Lupa and performed in Europe and the US, most recently at the American Repertory Theater and NYTW. He also created ballet music for the Beth Soll Dance Company, wrote music for three feature-length and five short films, and five television specials. In the late 1980's and early 90's, Ostaszewski adapted Double Edge's Song of Absence and composed the company's Song of Songs, and also composed the music and was the flute soloist for the legendary Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski on his Blue and Red.

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John Fahey & Cul De Sac - The Epiphany of Glenn Jones (1997)



John Fahey - acoustic & electric lap steel guitars, tapes
Glenn Jones - guitar
Chris Fujiwara - bass
Jon Proudman - drums
Robin Amos - electronics
Jon Williams - tapes

Cul de Sac is a Boston-based group of critically acclaimed practitioners of unusual instrumental music who draw inspiration from the incantatory rhythms of Indian ragas, the complexities of avant-garde folk finger-picking, the cerebral excesses of '70s prog, the bouncy reverb of surf rock, and the energy of experimental music. Their exercises are far from academic, however; unlike a hell of a lot of rock-based instrumental music, Cul de Sac is fun and interesting to listen to, as the talented quartet is able to put a different twist on the now-distinctive Cul de Sac sound with each and every new composition (and indeed, often with new renditions of the same composition).

The Epiphany of Glenn Jones is a perfect collaboration. John Fahey had just been reemerging after a period of relative inactivity, during which time his influence on a wide range of artists, including Cul de Sac's own guitarist and composer, Glenn Jones, was being recognized. Both Fahey and the band allow elements of chance and spontaneity to shape the music that rides atop a foundation colored by Fahey's loose Delta blues-based grooves and Cul de Sac's unrelenting, though subtly undulating, rhythmic propulsion. This album is truly something that could only have resulted from these two artists working together, stepping somewhat outside of their usual patterns and approaches. Cul de Sac's regular engineer and producer, Jon Williams, also deserves special mention for bringing his studio acumen to the project.

With Fahey's newfound status as an avant-gardist, along with his improving health, you'd think these sessions would be a cakewalk for Cul de Sac. But the liner notes present a different take. Album title namesake Glenn Jones isn't some mythical Fahey persona (such as Blind Joe Death), but rather Cul de Sac's frontman. In a detailed essay, Jones describes his follies of trying to work with his musical hero, Fahey: mood swings, arguments, personal and artistic differences, and more. Nevertheless, Cul de Sac and Fahey somehow worked their problems out and this resulting album turned out exceptionally well. --Jason Verlinde

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The Seeds - Bad Part Of Town (1993/2008)



Kolejny post poświęcony legendarnej garażowej grupie The Seeds. Tym razem przedstawiam bardzo ciekawe wydawnictwo, które zawiera nagrania dokonane przed powstaniem zespołu oraz po rozwiązaniu pod nazwą New Seeds. Długo jej szukałem. Oryginalnie ukazała się nakładem francuskiej wytwórni Eva, a teraz została wznowiona w limitowanymn nakładzie na kompakcie. Płyta kolekcjonerska

Sky Saxon & The Electra Fires - Do The Swim/Trouble With My Baby (1963)
Richie Marsh & The Hood - Baby Baby Baby/Half Angel (1964)
Sky Saxon & The Soul Rockers - They Say/Go Ahead & Cry (1964)
The Seeds - Bad Part of Town / Wish Me Up 1970
The Seeds - Love In A Summer Basket / Did He Die? 1970
The Seeds - Shuckin' And Jivin' / You Took Me by Surprise 1972

Pozostałe koncertowe nagrania są bonusami na CD, ale nic rewelacyjnego.




Sky is still doing the Seeds, still no "Sunlight" attached to his name, but getting increasingly concerned with the well-being of animals and vegetables, as well as astronomic phenomena. Andridge and Savage had been replaced with new members, but whether these new recruits stuck around for the MGM opening is unclear. One of the players Daryl Hooper recalls being named "Chip", while Sky has identified the other two as "Rob" (bass) and "John". Maybe some day their last names will be found on an Etruscan drinking vessel or something, for now that's what we have. Daryl Hooper recalls being on the first MGM 45 "Bad Part Of Town"/"Wish Me Up" (MGM 14163), and it appears that he's also on the second MGM 45 "Love In A Summer Basket"/"Did He Die" (MGM 14190).

Now if the Seeds had been just an ordinary 1960s band, and if Sky Saxon had been just an ordinary 1960s teen idol, then these two releases would have sucked royally, like Dick Dodd's "Guilty" or that Roy Orbison hippie-epic 45. But the incredibly strange aspects that seep into the Saxon legend like highgrade Owsley into an LA water reservoir produces something quite different: two real killer 45s, as good or better than anything the band did when they were selling out the Hollywood Bowl. The four tracks may be familiar to some of you as they made the rounds via two parallel Sky retrospectives in the early 1980s, one by AIP and one by France's Eva label; the "Bad Part Of Town" track also appeared on a couple of garage compilations. But this was all 20 years ago, and it may be time for a look at the tunes from the next millennium.

"Bad Part Of Town" is a 100% successful garage-hardrock transition number, the Saxon songwriting being instantly recognizable to the point of including rhymes on "day and night" like the band always utilized back in the charttopping days. Sky sings a blue collar coalminer's lament that could have been embarrassing but instead rings with authenticity, simply because he himself and the band as a whole sounds so damn angry! Not a whiff of burnout vibes here; they could have shared the bill with Boa or Mystic Siva at some local Detroit speedfreak club. The drummer has been put down elsewhere, but I think his frantic hardrock style improves the tune further. The flipside "Wish Me Up" is essentially a return to the teen crooner sounds that were the other side of the '66 era Seeds, apart from the two-chord punk manifestos. Daryl Hooper's electric piano is given a central place just like in the good old daze, while the lead guitarist plays it clean and simple like Jan Savage would. The lyrics are a bit more cosmic, and the overall mood is hippiesh rather than bobbysockish; the end result works pretty well.



After "Bad Part Of Town" died in the market, a few months passed before the band was allowed a second chance to compete with Three Dog Night or whatever it was that rode the charts in 1970. "Love In A Summer Basket" seems an honest attempt to make a commercial tune, except that the sentiment and sound it promotes had disappeared into a black hole between Altamont and the Tate-LaBianca residence the year before. It's not bad, especially if you enjoy the Scott McKenzie-on-PCP vibes of the "Future" LP, with a heavy guitar break in the middle aimed to lure hapless teens away from their Grand Funk and Led Zep albums and realize the genius of Sky. They didn't, which is a shame as it means they missed out on the stunning "Did He Die", which I'd rate as the best of all Sky's early 1970s tunes.

Opening with throbbing, uptempo bass we are thrown into a vicious acidfuzz variation on the old Seeds two-chord gospel, some ominous Vietnam-inspired lyrics lead the way into an unexpected good-timey interlude for a few bars, then it's whammo into a droning fuzz-fueled rant from Sky: "Did he die...Did he die... He shot him in the head... He killed his brother... torture, torture on the hill... thousand crosses mark the kill... ruuuuunnn... I'll protect you with my life..."; the whole thing plays like a haunted Viet Vet junkie flashback of the Dho Lung Bridge scenes from "Apocalypse Now". It's just amazing.

After the non-success of the 45s MGM dropped the band, and I must admit the story gets a bit hazy here. From various comments it seems that the "New Seeds" band remained more or less intact, except for the valiant Daryl Hooper who'd finally had enough. After a recording hiatus (although they probably played live) Sky & his merry men came back in 1972 with an atypical hardrock 45, released on their own Productions Unlimited label (# AJ-11/22). This one is probably too tough a pill to swallow for the average Seeds fan, but as far as local hardrock / guitarpsych 45s go it's very good. No burnout vibes audible as the band blows through a convincing interpretation of the sound that was played in a zillion suburban basements around the US at the time. Fans of things like Poobah or Ohio's Headstone are likely to nod in approval. The A-side "Shuckin' and jivin'" clocks in at almost 7 minutes and features some truly great playing, but the most puzzling aspect are the vocals, which several people have suggested isn't Sky. It really doesn't sound much like him but I can't imagine the guy abandoning his most important contribution, and think it's simply a case of a deliberate Robert Plant imitation achieved partly via the recording technique. The flipside "You Took Me By Surprise" is in the same vein but with shorter instrumental passages and a clearly recognizable Sky Saxon behind the microphone. Not bad, and proof of the man's enviable ability to identify and emulate the happening sounds of the moment. (lysergia.com)



Bad Part Of Town (2008 French pressed UK issue 'Édition Limitée' 13-track digitally remastered CD album, offering a fascinating collection of material which bookends the 'classic' Seeds material from 1966-68; featuring Sky Saxon's early 60s pre-Seeds singles [under his original name of Richard Marsh], which find him cast in an unlikely Bobby Darin-style teen heartthrob setting [although the trademark Saxon nasal whine is already in evidence!], plus, by way of anextreme contrast, the early 70s material from The Seeds, recorded for MGM [1970] and Unlimited Productions [1972] - if you can imagine classic Seeds with slightly more accomplished musicianship and a 'heavier' sound, you're there! These forgotten recordings are surprisingly good, with particular regard to 'Bad Part Of Town' and the manic 'Did He Die'; superbly packaged in a glossy mini LP-style card sleeve with 'vinyl look' disc.

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Klimt - Jesienne Odcienie Melancholii (2008)



Klimt to solowy projekt gitarzysty grupy Saluminesia, Antoniego Budzińskiego. Pierwsza płyta projektu, "Jesienne odcienie melancholii", obfituje w niezwykle przestrzenne, ambientalne pasaże, sprawiające, że człowiek zatrzymuje się w codziennej gonitwie, zwalnia swe życiowe procesy i trwa w niebycie.

Jest w "Jesiennych odcieniach melancholii" coś naprawdę magicznego, bo pomimo że zawarte tu dźwięki to sprytnie dobrane inspiracje kapelami pokroju Lali Puna, Efterklang, Explosion in the Sky, Mum, czy Four Tet, to ich poziom nie odbiega profesjonalizmem od mistrzów tego typu grania, a śmiem nawet twierdzić, że im dorównuje. Można zarzucać Budzińskiemu, że jest mało interesujący, nużący i jednostajny w budowaniu klimatu. Można też powiedzieć, iż jego solowe dzieło tak naprawdę nie jest warte większej uwagi. Jednak myli się ten, kto wypowie te oszczerstwa. (gery.pl)

Rozmowa z Antonim Budzińskim, twórcą solowego ambientowo - postrockowego projektu Klimt

Niewielu młodych polskich muzyków nagrywa solo. Czym dla Ciebie jest taki niezależny solowy debiut?

Antoni Budziński: Istotna jest tu kwestia realizacji swoich ambicji. Sam zespół to trochę za mało dla mnie. Tworzyłem muzykę już od bardzo dawna, zanim jeszcze Saluminesia - w której jestem gitarzystą - powstała, więc nagromadziło się trochę materiału. Część, która zdawała się tworzyć spójną całość, wybrałem na album i zatytułowałem "Jesienne odcienie melancholii". W Saluminesii muzyka jest kompromisem wszystkich członków, Klimt to dla mnie absolutną wolność i przestrzeń do eksperymentu. Robię tutaj wszystko, na co mam ochotę.

Jesteś rozpoznawalny przede wszystkim z rockowej Saluminesii. Co skłoniło Cię do sięgnięcia po brzmienia ambientu i post-rocka?

Ciężko mi powiedzieć, dlaczego akurat poszło to w stronę ambientową. Najważniejsze dla mnie jest wnętrze muzyki, style mnie mniej interesują. Płyta wyszła ambientowa, ale przestrzenne brzmienie w muzyce - także rockowej - jest mi bliskie w ogóle. Teraz pracuję nad materiałem bardziej dynamicznym i ostrzejszym, ale na pewno wśród moich inspiracji znajdą się takie zespoły, jak chociażby post-rockowy Sigur Ros. Dodam, że mój ulubiony zespół i kapela na której się wychowałem to Smashing Pumpkins. Ostatnio słucham także, co może być zdziwieniem dla moich słuchaczy, dużo współczesnej muzyki klasycznej, np. twórczości Maxa Richter czy Micheala Nymana.

Prace malarskie Gustawa Klimta mają dla Ciebie szczególne znaczenie?

Przyznam, że nie jestem wielkim fanem prac Klimta, ale mam podobne podejście do sztuki co on. Zarówno moim jak i jego celem jest stworzenie dzieła totalnego, czyli wolnego od wszelkich konwencji, ograniczeń narzuconych przez jakiekolwiek schematy. Uważam, że to bardzo ważne uwolnić swój umysł od wszelkich przyzwyczajeń muzycznych, które docierają do ciebie z zewnętrz przez całe życie. Był jeszcze jeden, bardziej prozaiczny powód wybrania takiej nazwy: Klimt po prostu dobrze brzmi.



Opowiedz o powstawaniu płyty.

Wszystko zostało nagrane i zmiksowane przeze mnie. Jedynie mastering został wykonany w studiu w Warszawie. Prace nad płytą trwały około pół roku, ale znalazły się na niej kawałki dużo starsze - np. utwór "hapinessless" powstał prawie sześć lat temu. Całość jest połączeniem ambientoidalnej elektroniki z muzyką gitarową.

Zbliża się Twój debiut płytowy z Saluminesią. Jak to się stało, że wcześniej udało Ci się wydać solowy materiał?

Stało się to dosyć niespodziewanie. Najpierw wytwórnia Requiem Records z Warszawy w maju zeszłego roku zaproponowała mi udział w składane „Sleep Well III”. Później pojawiła się propozycja całego albumu. Tak naprawdę nie planowałem jeszcze wydawać solowej płyty. Dodam, że wiosenny termin debiutu jest dosyć przypadkowy. Płyta miała wyjść oczywiście jesienią, ale z powodu niezależnych ode mnie spraw pojawiła się dopiero teraz.

Czy planujesz koncerty z Klimtem?

Tak, planuję za jakiś czas ruszyć z koncertami. Zebrałem już 4-osobowy skład do wykonywania mojej muzyki na żywo. Na razie jest to typowo rockowe instrumentarium. Dwie gitary, bas i perkusja, na pewno dojdą do tego jakieś sample. Już niedługo należy spodziewać się nas na scenie. (mmtrojmiasto.pl)

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Requiem Records is a label promoting electronic, ambient and postindustrial music for 12 years already. The music we release is full of subtlety and mystery, it is archaic, but created by means of modern instruments, it is indefinable. Requiem does not base on mutual admiration correlations, and often, as the only one in Poland, enables unknown artist to present and promote. It confirms that so-called "underground" involves valuable musicians who have no reason to be ashamed confronting mainstream composers

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Alan Watts - This Is It (1962)



Urodzony w Anglii w 1915 roku Alan Watts uczęszczał do King's College School w Canterbury, służył w Radzie Światowego Kongresu Wiary (1936-38) i przybył do Stanów Zjednoczonych w 1938. Tu uzyskał tytuł magistra teologii w Seabury w Zachodnim Seminarium Teologicznym oraz honorowy tytuł doktora od władz Uniwersytetu w Vermont jako wyraz uznania dla jego działań na polu religioznawstwa komparatystycznego. Stał się szeroko znany dzięki swoim pracom o zen oraz książce "The Book On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are".

Zmarł w roku 1973 we własnym domu w Kalifornii w otoczeniu drugiej żony i siedmiorga dzieci. Przez ponad czterdzieści lat zyskał reputację czołowego interpretatora wschodniej filozofii dla Zachodu. Zaczął w wieku lat szesnastu, kiedy to napisał esej dla czasopisma Buddyjskiej Loży w Londynie. Udało mu się dotrzeć w końcu do wielomilionowej publiczności bogatszej dzięki jego książkom, nagraniom oraz wykładom radiowym, telewizyjnym i publicznym. W sumie napisał Watts ponad dwadzieścia pięć książek oraz nagrał setki wykładów i seminariów, budując osobistą filozofię, którą dzielił się szczerze i radośnie ze swymi czytelnikami i słuchaczami na całym świecie. Całość jego dzieł prezentuje model indywidualizmu i autoekspresji, który osiągnęło niewielu filozofów.

Jego życie i dzieło odzwierciedlają zdumiewającą przygodę: był redaktorem, anglikańskim księdzem, dziekanem uczelni, prezenterem radiowym, autorem, wykładowcą i człowiekiem towarzyskim. Fascynowały go łucznictwo, kaligrafia, gotowanie, śpiew i taniec, ale wciąż mógł sobie pozwolić na samotne wycieczki w otoczeniu dzikiej natury.

Był członkiem Uniwersytetu Harvarda, Fundacji Bollingen, a podczas drugiej wojny światowej episkopalnym kapelanem Uniwersytetu Północno-Zachodniego. Został profesorem i dziekanem Amerykańskiej Akademii Studiów Azjatyckich w San Francisco, prowadził telewizyjny serial "Mądrość Wschodu i Nowoczesne Życie" dla Narodowej Telewizji Edukacyjnej oraz służył jako wizytujący konsultant w instytucjach psychiatrycznych i szpitalach. W połowie lat sześćdziesiątych podróżował dużo ze swymi studentami po Japonii, odwiedził także Birmę, Cejlon i Indie. (z oficjalnej polskiej strony poświęconej Wattsowi alanwatts.republika.pl)


Atheist Spirituality

"Często mówiło się, że istota ludzka jest kombinacją anioła i zwierzęcia, duchem uwięzionym w ciele, zstąpieniem boskości do cielesności, obciążaną obowiązkiem przemiany ordynarnych elementów niższego świata na obraz Boga. Nie pielęgnować tak anioła, jak i zwierzęcia, tak ducha, jak i ciała, to zrzec się całego zainteresowania i świetności bycia człowiekiem, i tragicznym jest to, że ci, w których dwie natury są równie silne, mają czuć się w konflikcie z samymi sobą. Gdyż święty-grzesznik, mistyk-sensualista jest zawsze najciekawszym rodzajem istoty ludzkiej, gdyż jest najbardziej kompletny. Kiedy te dwa aspekty są spostrzegane jako spójne ze sobą, pojawia się prawdziwe odczucie, w którym duch przekształca naturę - to znaczy, że zwierzęcość mistyka jest zawsze bogatsza, bardziej wyrafinowana i subtelniej zmysłowa niż zwierzęcość czysto zwierzęcego człowieka. Mówić, że człowiek jest zarówno bogiem jak i diabłem, NIE znaczy, że duchowo zorientowani powinni spędzać trochę czasu na rabowaniu banków i torturowaniu dzieci.

(...) co jest oddzielne w terminach i w słowach, nie jest oddzielne w rzeczywistości - w materialnym związku pomiędzy terminami. Ktokolwiek widzi, że nie ma ostatecznego wyboru pomiędzy tymi skrajnościami, ten jest nieprzystający, gdyż nie może naprawdę uczestniczyć w iluzji polityka i marketingowca, że może być "lepiej i lepiej" bez "gorzej i gorzej", i że materia może poddać się nieskończenie pragnieniom umysłu, bez stania się całkowicie nieatrakcyjną. Nie idzie o to, że są ustalone granice naszych możliwości i technologicznej mocy, tylko o to, że są granice naszej percepcji: że nie możemy widzieć figury bez tła, materii bez przestrzeni, ruchu bez czasu, akcji bez oporu, radości bez smutku" --- Alan Watts




Alan Watts - incantations
Roger Somers - drums and chanting
Leah Ananda - conga drum
Joel Andrews - falsetto and evocations
Henry Jacobs - piano and French horn
William Loughborough - bass marimba and lujon

Best known for his candlelight radio ramblings and Eastern mysticisms, Alan Watts also brought the world what can arguably be called the first on purpose psychedelic record. This Is It—Alan Watts and Friends in a Spontaneous Musical Happening — was recorded on a houseboat in Sausalitio, California in 1962 with the help of Vortex - er Henry Jacobs, Chet Baker/Harry Partch-collaborator William Loughborough, and a few other "with-it" types from around the Bay Area. Possessing an aural intensity that makes the Summer of Love hit parade sound like the Chipmunks, Watts' predilection for "the expression of completely spontaneous movement" through dancing, singing, howling, babbling, jumping, groaning, and wailing often leads him into a metal mouth maelstrom that prefigures late - 60s tribalists like the Nihilist Spasm Band, Cro Magnon, and Intersystems — lots of primal screaming, aum chanting, bongo beating, and tape effects. No doubt a direct result of Watts' recent dabbling with LSD — he had visited Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert at Harvard and written a book called The Joyous Cosmology about the experience — the recording, in the words of Watts himself, "makes no claim to be Art, Music, or even Therapy." "We are listening-in," he tells us, "To a group of friends, who had no thought at the time of performing for an audience." Which is a good thing, as it is doubtful that there was much demand in 1962 for a recording of a half dozen lit - up, bearded intellectuals banging on drums and chanting nonsensical syllables. Which, as Watts would likely explain, is exactly the point. Acceptance would only rationalize "the art of pure nonsense." Or as he so succinctly put it, "It can only be done for ITs own sake."

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Daevid Allen - Je Ne Fum' Pas Des Bananes (1993)



Znakomita kompilacja nagrań Daevida Allena, legendarnego założyciela i guru psychodelii - dokonanych w czasie realizacji projektu zatytułowanego "Banana Moon". Nagrania są odrzutami z sesji i demówkami. To moim zdaniem najciekawszy okres w jego twórczości - tuż przed zawiązaniem się najlepszego składu Gong. Banana Moon różni się jednak od Gongu - o ile w muzyce Gong jest więcej jazzowych improwizacji, Banana Moon hołduje tradycji heavy psychodelii.



Allen was born January 13, 1938, in Melbourne, Australia. He talked about his family and upbringing with Mitch Myers of Magnet in 1999. "I'm a third-generation Australian," he explained. "My great-great-grandfather was brought out from England because he had a reputable wood-cabinet business. He was a drunken maniac and would burn up all his money and then go out and make some more and burn it up again. The family never recovered, and our motto has been, 'Oh God! No money!' We're all very good at spending money, that's for sure." Though he seemingly came from an offbeat family, his father did try to steer him into a more normal way of life. When Allen was a teenager, his father placed him in a department store as a junior executive. It had a very particular effect on him, even if it was not the intended one. "All that did was show me that the whole commercial system is a complete illusion," he told Myers. "My survival kit has always been to stay away from any big-business organization. If I received all the money that I've earned according to my contracts over the years, I'd be a millionaire instead of having no house and only half a car. People say, 'Oh, you're afraid of money.' Wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing. Whenever fame comes too close, I vanish, sabotage, whatever. For this reason, I'm known in the business as a very bad bet, and this suits me fine."

Allen went to England in the early 1960s where he rented a room in Canterbury. The teenage son of the homeowners, Robert Wyatt, would team with Allen a few years later to form Soft Machine. Until then, Allen moved to London where he, Wyatt, and Hugh Hopper started the Daevid Allen Trio, concentrating on free jazz. Few were impressed with the music they created. Though they lost their gigs, they started gaining notoriety. When Allen moved on to Paris shortly afterward, he met some of the famed characters that comprised the Beat movement, and whom writer Jack Kerouac made known through his writings, including the book that was considered the gospel for the some baby boomers, On the Road. In addition to poet Allen Ginsburg, Peter Orlovsky and Brion Gysin—all a part of the Greenwich Village and San Franscisco underground literary movement—William Burroughs had been living in the Beat Hotel. When Burroughs met Allen, he told him he was looking for a jazz band to play during his dramatization of his book called The Ticket That Exploded. Burroughs hired Allen, and the performance happened. According to Allen, "We put on the show and there was the weirdest collection of people in the audience.... Terry Riley [considered one of the "founding fathers" of modern minimalism] came, and we ended up playing together outside in the street with motorscooter motors, electric guitar and poetry. It was wild," Allen told Myers



In 1964, Allen met Gilli Smyth, his life partner for many years who eventually joined him in Gong as a vocalist. In 1966, after Allen experienced a mystical vision that mapped out his life in detail—including his future musical pursuits—he formed Soft Machine with Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Mike Ratledge. Allen was part of the group for about a year, after which time Gong became his focus. When Gong was formed in 1969, the group lived communally while they made their music. Eventually they moved on to rural England, still living in the same arrangement. "Living communally was very important," Didier Malherbe, Gong saxophonist-flutist, told Matsumoto. "That creates ties on a composition level. It makes things very interesting, obviously. We don't live communally anymore. I live in Paris with my wife. But when we come back with Gong, those ties are still very vivid and lively, and it's a pleasure."

When Gong dissolved in 1980 after a slow dissipation of its momentum, the group still had not realized mainstream success. The breakup process had been gradual, and the group went out with little noise. Allen left for Majorca in 1976 and joined a local acoustic band, Euterpe, on an album called Good Morning. He followed with some solo albums, including About Time, capturing an influence of the newly-emerging punk movement in music. Smyth had left Gong and Allen in 1978 to form her own performance with "Mothergong," which she said represented the feminine side of Gong. In 1981 Allen made it home in time to see his father in Australia before he died. That same year he dropped out of professional music and drove a cab until 1989.



Though not actively creating music, Allen's fans followed him in a cult-like adulation that helped to prompt his return. By 1990, he went on to new projects using the Gong name recognition with Planet Gong and New York Gong. In 1992 the group came together for an official reunion and released Shapeshifter, the first studio album they had done in 14 years. In celebration of their 25th anniversary in 1995, they released an album recorded live at their London Forum concert. For Allen, Gong was as much a spiritual journey as a musical group. "Gong has this supernatural quality for me," he told Myers. "I've had this communication from somewhere else that's been giving me instructions. The instructions say that in the year 2032, there will be a bunch of people from the Planet Gong dimension appearing on [Earth's] physical plane. One thing about Gong is that there's a great deal of playfulness. Usually, with spiritual things, everyone is very solemn, but the whole point about Gong is that we maintain this aura of silliness to get rid of the people who are too serious. However, Planet Gong does exist and they run on the laws of music. Everything they do derives from notes, intervals, scales and octaves. It's very real for me because every day I meditate for hours, and during that period they connect with me and tell me what to do. (enotes.com)

Je N'Fume Pas Des Bananes

In the weeks following being refused re-entry to Britain in September 1967, Daevid Allen started playing gigs with various musicians and artists under the collective name Gong, at a Paris club called La Vieille Grille. Early in 1968, he met experimental film director Jérôme Laperrousaz and told him he was looking for musicians to form a band. The latter forwarded the request to a local band called Expression, whose lead guitarist had just left. The rhythm section, consisting of Patrick Fontaine (bass) and Marc Blanc (drums), was recruited and played its first gig with Allen only a few days later, still under the name of Expression. The set consisted of two Soft Machine numbers, "Why Are We Sleeping?" and "We Did It Again", mixed with spontaneous improvisations. They subsequently took the name of Bananamoon.

Then came May '68 and the student riots in Paris. Daevid Allen was forced to leave Paris with his partner Gilli Smyth. The group reunited in July at the Avignon festival, opening for the jazz group of vibraphonist Gunter Hampel. This was followed by a few gigs. Then they embarked for Mallorca, staying at Allen's house in Deya. At the end of the year they returned to France, spending the Winter at Bob Bénamou's ashram in Monteaulieu, near Nyons (Drôme). It was during this period that the trio recorded several demos for the Barclay label. This led to nothing, however, and the three members went their separate ways : Allen resurrected the Gong project, while Fontaine and Blanc went back to Paris to form Ame Son (in 1974, he opened for Gong on a French tour when playing in the band of English vibraphonist Robert Wood). Their recordings survived, however, and thanks to the efforts of longtime fan Thierry Leroy (who had financed Gong's 1992 comeback album Shapeshifter), were released on CD in 1993 under the title Je Ne Fum' Pas Des Bananes.

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