Aural Innovations Issue #3

Farflung — So Many Minds, So Little Time

(Purple Pyramid 1997, CLP 0009-2)

Jerry Kranitz

From Los Angeles, Farflung play a high-energy, often punkish brand of space rock that is more like a stealth bomber than an acid trip. Their influences range from early 70's Krautrock to Pink Floyd sound explorations, all on steroids and usually on the same song. On this, their third CD, the band has released a collection of singles and remixes. The band consists of Michael Esther, Tommy Grenas (How many bands is this guy in?), AG Lovejoy, and Gammaknife, with contributions from Paul Fox, Doran Shelley and others.

The disc opens with the 15 minute epic "Landing On Cydonia". The tune starts as a very trancey collage and develops into a Tangerine Dream-tinged journey with a heavy dose of sequenced electronics. All this is subtly intense and throughout much of this the music gives the feeling of a huge climactic buildup that doesn't peak. Rather, it keeps me hanging on the edge of my seat. Finally the band launches into a heavy, droning Krautrock sound with eerie chanting vocals. A great tune. Along with Cydonia my other favorite track is "Icarus/Daedalus", an 11 minute improvised instrumental freakout that comes off like Interstellar Overdrive Part II.

"The Way The Sky Is" is a heavy, rockin' cosmic piece that allows the listener to trip out and head bang at the same time. Also in this mold is "Vision Of Infinity" which the liner notes say is a tribute to the band Faust. The nod to that great Krautrock band is detectable in the rawness of the music, and close listening reveals all kinds raucous synth explorations. "See You Up There" is another heavy tune, though with a more overtly psychedelic feel than the other tracks.

Also included is a remastered version of the title track from Farflung's second CD, "The Raven That Ate The Moon". The song starts out as a trippy easy-going journey and then blasts off into space heaven, finally winding down with a repeating tribal chant. Rounding out this collection is "Future Days" which was Farflung's contribution to a Can compilation, and "Mother Orbis" which showcases the band live at Spaceland in Los Angeles.

Personally, I think all three of Farflung's CDs are essential for those who require their rock with a capital S.P.A.C.E. They seem to have perfected the marriage of explosive energy and cosmic mind expansion. Recommended.

Pressurehed — Explaining The Unexplained

(Cleopatra 1997, CLP 9910-2)

Jerry Kranitz

Formed in 1987, California's Pressurehed is not only long-lived, but has also given birth to Farflung, Zero Gravity, The Brain, Anubian Lights, and been Nik Turner's backing band. On Explaining The Unexplained the band is made up of Tommy Grenas on synths, guitars and vocals, Len Del Rio on drums, keyboards and samples, Doran Shelley on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Paul Fox on bass, guitar and synths. The CD consists of 16 tunes of spaced out electronics, danceable rock, techno, and cosmically heavy Chrome / Hawkwind adventures.

Heavy on the rock, and waist deep in space, Pressurehed has a knack for beats that make even non-dancers cut the rug. Tracks like "Altitude", "The Long Count", and "We Come In Waves" are toe tappers that are also solid rock tunes with exciting electronics excursions. And "space-techno" may well be a genre all its own judging my "Bluff Creek, And Beyond", "Oxygen Mask", "Incubus", and "Transgression". But there is nothing generic about Pressurehed's brand of accessible space rock. The music is filled with sound explorations and inventive electronics. The atmosphere can even get quite frightening at times. "Mokele-Mbembe" includes eerie vocals and "Incubus" has screams that would stop people dead on the dance floor.

Of course, the heavy rockin' Pressurehed that has backed Nik is also present. "Black Mantra" has creepy, growling vocals and cosmic acid guitar jams to a pulsating, droning synth beat. The songs lead smoothly into "One Who Has Seen" which has more great space guitar. "Berezovka" and "Valiant Thor" are the heavy, grungier rockers.

Explaining The Unexplained would be a great disc to play for the space uninitiated. Recently I played both this and Farflung's 25,000 Feet Per Second at work and while all my office mates ran screaming from Farflung they all got into Pressurehed. Personally, I find Farflung to be more to my taste for pure outer limits, never-to-return-to-Earth space rock. But Pressurehed kicks ass too and among their various band projects these musicians have covered a lot of ground while exploring spacerock's possibilities.

Huw Lloyd-Langton — On the Move

(BMA Records 1997, C-0318-S)

Keith Henderson

Following a brief stint with the UK psychedelic band Dr. Brown, the ex-Hawkwind axeman has reemerged with this newest version of the Lloyd-Langton Group. Building atop a decade-long and somewhat erratic solo career (the high point being 'Like an Arrow...Through the Heart' (1987) in this reviewer's eyes), here we see Huwy back in fine form. The songs Lloyd-Langton writes these days don't really reflect his space rock past, but his signature soaring leads are once again the main attraction, and this album is overflowing with prime examples of his fluid technique. Huw Lloyd-Langton's all-new Swedish backing musicians are credible though nothing special, leaving Huw's fretwork and gravelly vocals to run the show.

The twelve tracks constitute a mixture of new and old compositions (co-written, as always, with his wife Marion), the latter being remakes of songs from LLG albums made back in the 80's. Two of the strongest cuts from the aforementioned 'Like an Arrow...' are redone here; both the tragic 'I Could Cry' and the energetic instrumental 'On the Move' are given new life, though perhaps unnecessarily as these versions don't deviate much from the originals. Yet since the earlier album has never reappeared on CD, it's nice to have these tracks available finally on this disc, a sort of 'then-and-now' package.

The really necessary reworking here is of the title track from the very first LLG album, 'Outside the Law,' an abysmally-poor quality live recording from 1984. As it turns out, this is one really fine tune and is the most cosmic sounding track on the album, at times hearkening back to the frequent lilting lead lines and embellishing licks of his Hawkwind days, circa 'Levitation'.

The new songs from 'On the Move' (ironically) look back even farther, as I see a strong resemblance to the bluesy guitar heroes of the 70's such as Robin Trower and Tommy Bolin. This is true both on the slower ballads like 'Farewell' and bluesy rockers like 'Finally Finding,' where Huw's soloing takes center stage in a most Troweresque fashion. I don't care if I've heard this sort of thing a million times, I still find it to be a joyous listening experience. All in all, this is a pretty strong album, and proves that Huw Lloyd-Langton can still play. Hopefully, now we'll see the rest of his back catalogue show up in digital format.

For more information, visit the Huw Lloytd-Langton website.

Alan Davey — Bedouin

(EBS 1997, CD-133)

Keith Henderson

Hawkwind's second-longest surviving (but now ex-) member, bass master Alan Davey has put forth this second solo CD, amid the process of forming his own separate touring band. Presumably, 'Bedouin' the band also includes members Sean Massett (guitar) and another Hawkwind alum Danny Thompson (drums), who both appear on the album in limited fashion. In a live setting, I'd imagine this group would generally fit the power trio image, though the recurrent ambient breaks and Davey's love for the wave sequencers help give the band a second, more soothing direction. In this bipolar sense, we see that 'the proverbial apple never falls far from the tree' and since Davey was such a bit part of the Hawkwind sound over the last decade, it's not hard to point out the similarities.

The rousing instrumental 'Rock Palace' kicks off the album in fine fashion, featuring the opening chunky Rickenbacker bass from Davey and then later, dueling synth and guitar solos, Massett adeptly filling the role once held by Huw Lloyd-Langton in the parent group. With Thompson apparently not yet completely on board, Davey mostly employs drum sequencers to act as surrogate. While the electronic drums are reasonably well handled, there's no adequate substitute for a live drummer, and the rock tracks all suffer some as a result.

This becomes even more apparent by 'One Moon Circles,' where Thompson does appear and gives us one of his best performances, far superior to the linear 4/4-regimented beats of 'Black Sword' days. The 11-minute ambient piece 'Wadi Dhar' is a three-phase epic featuring more of Massett's soloing, and as the synths wash over the funky, syncopated beat, I'm reminded of the work of Chris Fournier (aka Fonya).

'Passion is an Animal' is one of only two songs with vocals, and would've fit in well with the Hawks' latest 'Distant Horizons,' though honestly, this track really doesn't grab me. However, it does feature some of Alan's most impressive lead guitar work to date. The other vocal track, 'Queen of the Night' is the far stronger tune and, along with the 'blanga' sounds of 'Space Rock Cafe,' should really benefit from a live setting.

'Bedouin' is in one sense a work-in-progress as it represents the founding of a new separate entity in its own right, with the 'Bass Assassin' No. 2 (to Lemmy, the original) now in charge. Here, Davey shows he's got the chops to effectively strike out on his own, and we should expect this to represent a mitosis of sorts, with two healthy entities emanating from one.

Despite the initial personnel deficiencies, I can recommend this album to any true space rock fan, as it is a fine companion piece to Davey's previous solo effort, 'Captured Rotation,' recorded while he was still on board the mother ship.

For more information, visit the Alan Davey Bandcamp site.

Circle — Fraten

(Metamorphos 1997, meta-011cd)

Jerry Kranitz

Circle is a six piece from Finland that plays a unique blend of space rock, psychedelia, and avant-garde progressive. The band consists of T. Elo on guitars and vocals, T. Harrivaara on bass and doublebass, J. Lehtisalo on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, T. Niemela on keyboards and stick, J. Peltomaki on drums, and V. Raitio on percussion.

I find Circle's music interesting as I wouldn't label them a space rock band per se, but there are enough clear elements of space to make them of interest to readers of this zine. I would say they occupy a middle ground between space, psychedelia, and the kind of avant-progressive that bands like Univers Zero and Henry Cow played. The common element in most of the songs on Fraten is single, repeating, and often dissonant melody lines around which the other instruments slowly develop themes or their own changing melodies. The intensity level can get high, but the music is rarely fast paced. Among the highlights:

"Paneeli" is one of the more overtly space rock tracks. Trippy, high pitched synths jam along with the music. One simple but disturbing melody line continues as some Gong-like chanting is introduced and the synths start to get a bit wilder and are drawn more into the foreground. This is one of my favorite tunes on the disc. "Hissi" features some tribal percussion at the forefront with moments of spacey guitar lines. The intensity builds very slowly as the guitars and keyboards start to add the trademark Circle repeating, but subtly changing melodies. This song reminded a lot of Holy River Family Band.

Two of the more psychedelic tunes on Fraten are "Rengastus" and "Isaak". "Rengastus" is a heavy rockin' psych tune that is made unique by the Circle penchant for repetition and dissonance. Several layers of keys and synths are introduced and the keyboards duel with the guitar for an easy-paced intensity. "Isaak" features some freaky psych guitar and chanting vocals, and the pace picks up more than heard on other tunes on Fraten. The drums maintain a steady, danceable beat while the synths gurgle, the guitars solo, and some further Fred Frith sounding guitar work comes into play. It strikes me as being like an avant Ozric Tentacles. Very interesting. And "Katolla" is another trippy Gong-like tune that sounds like something off of "You".

Two tunes that fall outside that space/psych framework but are worth mentioning are "Hiiret" and "Kentta". "Hiiret" is an even more Fred Frith sounding song that could have come straight off his "Gravity" or "Speechless" albums. "Kentta" sounds exactly like an old Univers Zero or Present song. Slow, brooding bass and drums create an extremely dark atmosphere as steadily pulsating synths provide an underlying texture. Though well done and an interesting contrast to the other tracks, Kentta would need some more development to justify its nine minute length.

In summary, if you are set in your ways as to what spacerock is supposed to be about then Circle may not be for you. But if your horizons are wide and you're in the mood for something spaced out but different than Circle is worth checking out.

For more information, visit the Circle Bandcamp site.

Tombstone Valentine — Hidden World

(Aether Records 1997, AELP-003, LP)

Doug Walker

It seems like all of a sudden the US SpaceRock scene has exploded, with more bands playing the music than this thirty-year veteran could ever imagine! Just 10 years ago one could only sight F/i, Alien Planetscapes and ArcMet as dedicated and homegrown in the genre. But new bands are coming to the attention of listeners at a rapid rate. "TOMBSTONE VALENTINE" came to my attention almost inadvertently as I was sent their LP as part of a promotional package sent to expose Alien Planetscapes members to what our prospective stablemates on Aether Records were playing.

Further examination of the presskit caused me to play their work first. So I slipped the LP onto my very battered turntable. and was immediately impressed by the best debut by a US SpaceRock band I've heard this year! Here's a band that DOESN'T SOUND LIKE HAWKWIND, something too many fall into too easily! "TV" has got that completely covered, opting for an original soundmodel woven together from elements of 1967 Pink Floyd, Amon Düül I, Third Ear Band, even a little SteelEye Span (though these folk don't play folk!).

"Hidden World" opens the LP, FuzzBass driving us into a simple droning riff, the platform on which Richelle Toombs' exquisite voice dances, her voice evoking images more reminiscent of the downstate area of the band's native state (Indiana), but she could also be alluding to the surface of a far-off planet untouched by human faults and frailties. Percussion and guitar move the track along in a very sympathetic fashion.

"Triple O Shuffle" begins in a somewhat similar manner, percussion and Bass laying it down in a more subtle manner, while Synthesizer rides over the top... this really could've fit on an LP like "Phallis Dei"! A nice smooth excursion, but this track suddenly fades, a much too short taste!

"Green Sky Night" opens with Bass, synthesizer wind, some truly fine Farfisa Chords, and Richelle's vocal gymnastics again, backing vocal by Keyboardist Diane Hancock, Greg Toombs' wha-wha guitar licks maintaining links to players like Syd, never overpowering the music with screaming solos, he maintains the unique ability to play the music with the group! Rick Wilkerson's Basswork holds the bottom together, and the lack of kit drums never hinders the rhythmic aspect. It just allows them to keep the volume down and immerse the listener.

"Elastic Reality" is the LP's centerpiece, nearly 20' minutes of improvisatory splendor! Based on what sounds like two different drones played on two different Farfisa Organs (very marvel Transistor Organs manufactured in Europe, Japan & the US 1960-1977; Farfisa still exists as a software company marketing Synthesizer/Keyboard/sampling programs!) Over this, Guitars play all sorts of arabesques, and more sound is generated by a piano frame being plucked & struck! Synthesist Randy Schwartz provides another undercurrent, rising and falling in the soundfield as the other instruments in the collective do, interacting, never dominating, performing brilliantly throughout this recording!

Bravo to one of the genre's newest bands, I myself am eagerly awaiting their next release! Fans of US SpaceRock would be foolish to miss this great unit!

Krel — Ad Astra

(Dead Earnest 1997, DERNCD 11)

Jerry Kranitz

Formed in the late 1980's, Manchester England's Krel has released several cassettes over the years and played live with such bands as Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles. Ad Astra is their first CD and it should be noted that label head Andy G. started Dead Earnest as a means to release the bands' latest recording. The lion's share of the music is played by Martin M., with original member Dave Nolan helping on guitar.

The music on Ad Astra is a cosmic blend of heavy rockin' (though non-metallic) Hawkwind, and Tangerine Dreamy space explorations. Krel like to mix trancey astral journeys and head boppin' rock in the same song to produce an ass kicking effect. And lots of Nasa/mission control voicings create a very outer limits atmosphere. Among my favorites:

The disc opens with "The Hour Of The Gate/Towers". Ambient keys, astronaut voices and shooting star synths provide a low-key intro that after about two minutes launches into a keyboard/synth heavy piece that is soon joined by wailing guitar. The vocals are pretty freaky, almost like a computer and they fit the music well.

Krel really knows how to rock out. "Transmission/Nomad" starts very dreamily and the acoustic guitar gives it a kind of Pink Floyd sound. After about four minutes mission control announces the spacecraft's position in orbit and we are thrust into Hawkrock heaven. The melodies and spaced out lyrics completely carried me away. Definitely one of the best tracks. "Time/The End Of Time", and "I Can See Starz" are similar tunes that show Krel's adeptness with combining great melodies and spacey synths with a head bobbing rock beat.

"Can anyone hear us? We are remaining on the air". This is the desperate transmission from space heard on "So Long", a short synth piece that serves as a lead in to the rocking "Star Fall". "Satellites" is probably the heaviest track on Ad Astra with a rawer sound and dirtier guitar. The synths never stop swirling and the listener is unnerved as all of a sudden the song goes into a quiet Pink Floyd cosmic moment before picking up the beat again. The aptly titled "To The Stars" is a great closing track with an intense psychedelic jam rock feel to it. Whooshing synths and slowly soloing guitar provide an easy descent to the finish.

Hawkwind fans will drool over this disc, and fans of the dreamier side of space who aren't afraid to rock out will be pleased they took the plunge also.

Magic Moments At Twilight Time — Creavolution

(Music & Elsewhere 1995, MMATTCD1)

Jerry Kranitz

MMATT has recorded what for me is probably the first space rock 'n roll, dance party, sci fi concept album I've ever heard. I mean we're talking Hawkwind on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. The music is performed by Mick Magic on guitars and various synths and electronics, with guitar help from Damien Page on three tracks. Vocal duties are handled by many including Mick, Leonie Jackson, Sammi Taylor, Inga Leru, Gary St. John, and Brain John Doran. I must emphasize that this is space as in spacerock 'n roll. I liked the varied vocals and much of them have a new wavish, and, as we'll see, sometimes humorous feel to them.

The disc opens with "Starship Psychotron", a synth gurgling dance beat tune that certainly inspired the cool back cover painting of the CD depicting a flying saucer hurtling towards Earth with space party folks dancing away. This is the starship returning to Earth and sets the stage for the story to come. The next track, "Lights Turn Blue" begins with an alien voice telling the tale of an old scientist and the nuclear holocaust that has occurred. The tune then launches into a synth spacey rocker with electronic percussion maintaining a furious dance beat and a fiery guitar solo from Damien Page. Other standout tracks include:

"Purple Eyed & Mystified" sounds like a heavier, spacier Blondie with a crunching guitar sound and freaky synths. "Spirit Electric" starts as an acoustic psychedelic piece with dreamy vocals. Then a flamenco guitar is introduced accompanied by the spaced out bubbling synths. The whole thing ends up as a real rocker though the flamenco stays along with the heavier crunch guitar. This is different folks. "The Night Fantasia" and "Love Let Thy Name Be Darkness" stand out for their haunting vocal harmonies. "The Torch", with its pounding rock beat, features Brian John Doran's humorously operatic vocals accompanied by Leonie Jackson, and a bouncy, slightly blues tinged solo from Damien Page.

A crowd screaming "Its paaaaaarty time!" leads off the closing number "Rock & Roll Lifestyle". Gary St. John carries the tune with his Elvis-like singing backed by, what I call, the party chorus. And, of course, the synths bubble away occasionally to remind us this is a sci fi adventure.

I gave MMATT a thumbs up for offering something of a twist to my conception of both space, and rock 'n roll, as well as producing music for a cosmically damn good time.

Secret Of Flight — Secret Of Flight

(Unknown Gravity Records 1997, Cassette)

Jerry Kranitz

Secret Of Flight is from Mansfield, Ohio and consists of Jamie Ferguson on guitar, Dave Kemp on bass, Dustin Yockey on drums, and Chris Hostetler on vocals. On this four song cassette, the band plays a dreamy style of psychedelic alternative rock. Typically, the guitar picks simple, but appealing melodies that float along with the vocals, and then launch into moments of aggression in which the music ranges from hard edged jam rock, to crunching acid rock. The music never stays in this mode for long though and the listener is soon eased back into dreamland.

Of the four songs my two favorites are "I've Seen Gravity" and "Spill". "Gravity" has some nicely ethereal guitar playing and it is this element that most appeals to me. The singer reminds me of a trippy, laid back Bono which I suppose is what gives the music the alternative feel. The aggressive moments have a real drugged out jam rock sound and some brief, but cool screaming guitars. "Spill" is the most aggressive of the four songs and when the band rocks out they get downright acidic.

Overall, Secret Of Flight does a good job of interspersing harder edged moments with the more predominant easy going melodic portions. However, the rockin' moments are all too brief and I'd like to hear what happens when the band goes off into an extended jam. They certainly sound like a band that needs to be heard live.

Spaceship Eyes — Kamarupa

(Noh Poetry Records 1997, NPR001)

Jerry Kranitz

Spaceship Eyes is a trance spacey, image inducing electronic project by Don Falcone (ex. Melting Euphoria and Thessalonians) on keyboards, electronic percussion, and sound manipulation. Don is also joined by Gary Parra (remember Cartoon?!!) on acoustic drums and Karen Anderson on percussion. A trademark part of the sound across these tracks is eerily laid back keyboard melodies accompanied by a banquet of sounds and effects that gurgle, pop, and burp enough to satisfy any space fan. The emphasis is on leading the listener through a journey making this very much a "mind music" recording.

I do think it must be challenging to make a recording of electronic music. I know there's lots of stuff stuck in the New Age bins of any CD store that just miss the mark in terms of producing interesting music. But Falcone's focus on incorporating various sounds into the music to accompany the keyboard textures, along with some creative theme development make the music on Kamarupa relaxing, but also challenging and worth the listener's attention.

Another plus is the addition of real drums and percussion on six of Kamarupa's twelve tracks. Parra's inventive drumming is in the background but complements the music nicely. The tracks with electronic percussion are no less enjoyable, but were certainly noticeable after getting accustomed to the real thing on the first several tracks.

In summary, Spaceship Eyes will appeal to spacers who are looking for something less heavy and more dreamy. And I give it a thumbs up for being image inducing without chemical aid. And just so you know... Kama Rupa mean "the principal of desire in man" and is taken from Alan Leo's "The Art Of Synthesis". (Thanks Karen!)

For more information you can visit the Spaceship Eyes Bandcamp site.

Various Artists — Schizoid Dimension: A Tribute To King Crimson

(Purple Pyramid 1997, CLP 0123-2)

Jerry Kranitz

I know, King Crimson isn't a space rock band. But their influence on all rock music is undeniable, and contributions by several space bands makes this collection of special interest to Aural Innovations readers.

There are two types of tribute discs. One has bands who simply cover the songs they are paying tribute to and leave the listener wondering why he/she didn't just play the original in the first place. On the other, we hear bands taking great songs and attempting to make them their own. They play the songs marked with their own signature sound, and sometimes even adventurously reinterpret the originals. Schizoid Dimension has some of both, as well as interesting tracks that fall somewhere in between. First the good stuff:

Controlled Bleeding's cover of "Talking Drum" maintains the repeating bass/drum line that is a hallmark of the original. Synth washes sound like an ocean pounding the shore while the guitar slowly solos in a not-quite-Fripp style. Chrome's "Moonchild" falls into the thumbs up category probably because this is the last song I would have expected such a hard-edged band to choose. An interesting, if not mind-blowing rendition. On Melting Euphoria's "Lark's Tongues In Aspic: Part I" the band retains the energy of the original but adds some cool spaced out guitar parts. The cosmic guitars combine with a frantic, driving percussion beat to make this more of what I expect a "cover" tune to sound like.

Anyone who has heard "Life On Earth" will agree that early jazzy King Crimson is right up Alien Planetscapes' alley. On their cover of "A Sailor's Tale", sax and guitar duel manically while the bass keeps an expresso sipping, beat generation pace. The percussion slams away madly with a gorgeous orchestral wall of synth in the background. Architectural Metaphor chose "Cirkus", a song that Deb Young's haunting vocals are perfect for. The band adds a spaced out symphonic atmosphere to the song with choral keys, and Greg Kozlowski's guitar effects providing the intensity. And Pressurehed's "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a swirling, metallic rendition of this classic tune. The madly tripping synths make this one of the spaciest on the disc, though it's also one of the most kick-ass jam rockin' contributions as well. These three were definitely my favorites.

Two others that I thought were at least good efforts were by Astralasia and Xcranium. Astralasia's "I Talk To The Wind" retains the dreaminess of the original, but is contrasted by abruptly choppy electronic percussion that was simultaneously interesting and annoying. Xcranium's "Cat Food" was a good effort at putting their own stamp on the song. The jazziness of the original is gone, but this is a steady paced rocker with some interesting keyboard work and sound, sometimes bordering on psychedelia.

Much less exciting are contributions by David Cross, Brand X, Spirits Burning, and Solid Space. Cross covers "Exiles" and listening to the version on King Crimson's recent Nightwatch release its clear that he can't even touch live 70's Crimson for dreamy darkness and intensity. Brand X and Spirits Burning both cover "Red". Why two versions? "Red" is great roof-caving metal, but is really just a riff tune. Hardly Crimson's most exciting song. And indeed both bands play it true to the original. I'm sorry but there are plenty of other great candidate songs out there.

In the final tally the good stuff outweighs the boring on this collection. I must confess I'm not one for tribute discs, but I couldn't resist checking this one out and definitely found it to be better than most. Certainly worthwhile for the contributions by some of the best of the current U.S. space bands.

Here & Now — All Over The Show

(Charley Records 1979, NOW 2)

Doug Walker

I'd assume most SpaceRock fans are familiar with Here and Now, most likely via their association with Daevid Allen, whose current Gong has contained both Bassist Keith Bailey and Guitarist Steffy Sharpstrings. On their own, these are quite creative folks as evidenced by their string of great LPS, numerous free concerts, and legendary onstage mayhem!

"All Over the Show" was recorded during one of the many free tours the band did in the late 70's. Listeners were asked to pay what they could afford to see the band, admirable attitude in the face of (then) rising UK concert Ticket prices!

So the date opens with Keith complaining about a very hot stage, which gets to inferno temps when they roll into the first number, "THINK FOR YOURSELF", a really intense rocker given great treatment by the band, ballsy upfront SpaceRock which helps pound a rather important message into the punter's brains! This version of Here and Now featured some nice Twin Guitar work by Steffy and Bernie Elliott, especially nice slide work from the latter "OPEN DOOR" is next, displaying some almost punk tempos from the band, and I'm actually partial (despite long standing antipathy to vocals in general) to the vocals on this. They've got something to say! More slide stuff over a rockin' ostinado from Mr. Missle, and ace keyboard work by Gavin da Blitz, "70S YOUTH" is a tale of caution no one seems to have heeded. Note the sympathetic band track behind the vocals, and upbeat playing from Drummer Rob Bougie. We shoulda forgot the Yippie/Punk rage and learned about how to make revolutionary change!

"SURGEON'S KNIFE" has another great vocal (kudos for not singing "da Blooze", guys!), and a jam that moves into outerspace quickly, the guitar trade offs in the tag pushing it up, and very prescient of a sound the Ozrics would explore 4 years later!

"LITTLE THINGS" is built around an oddmeter riff, and the lyrics about finding little pleasures right around us! Again lovely interaction between Missle and the Drums, and first class Synthwork!

"ONLY WAY" is a ballad, a lament about not being able to be considered commercial, and what creative players go through to work the bland middle ground of the "Pop" music mainstream. The tune reminds me of some very old STRAWBS, although the vocal is merely tolerable.

"JAM" takes us back into the heights, as the band is restrained by the confines of the studio, as they were when the tune was recorded for the first LP! Again, the interplay is fine, the Rhythm section solid and tight but loose!

"END OF THE BEGINNING" was the standard set closer in this era, unfortunate as this is a band you'd want to keep on playing! Again great vocals here, and Keith's thanks to an ecstatic audience is sincere and heartfelt, and the audience thanks the band with a tremendous ovation!

HERE AND NOW are a vital link between the 80's (Ozrics/Krel/Wooden Baby) SpaceRock, and the older brothers (Gong/Hillage/Hawkwind) of the late 60's/early 70's, and functioned at a time when the Rock media was preoccupied with "Little Johnny Wannabes", Disco, Brian Ferry imitations, and proto Fascistic dumbRock! They're still functioning in the UK, the last release was 1993 and I understand a new release is planned for 1998!

I have no idea whether this LP was ever released on CD. Even if not, find it and reward yourself with top-notch sounds, and increase your knowledge of SpaceRock lineage. Oh yes, I enjoy the cover a lot as well, a collage that communicates the band's consciousness very well!

Pseudo Sun — Future Memoirs

(Self-released 1997, PSCD9701)

Jerry Kranitz

Formed by DarXtar's Juba after his departure from that band in 1994, Pseudo Sun plays heavy spacerock that is sometimes DarXtar/Hawkwind influenced, and often heavy 70's metallic jam rock influenced. Juba contributes bass, guitars, keyboards, and vocals, on all songs. On four tracks he is joined by Bjorn Jacobson on guitar and Patric Danielson on drums, and on one track Gunnar Oberg handles guitar and Calle Thalen plays drums. Juba plays all instruments on a sixth track.

"The Future Rears Its Ugly Head" opens the disc and reminded me of a harsher DarXtar. This is easy-paced driving jam rock with lots of synths to give it that spacey edge. "Fulcrum Of Time", the one song with Oberg and Thalen, is full blown driving metal á la Judas Priest, and as a child of that era I found myself head banging away. "Secrets Of Infinity" is a Juba solo piece. A simple tune, it is a nice personal touch by Juba with its combination space synths and acoustic guitar.

The two strongest tracks, and the ones that hands down make the CD a success, are "The Time Traveller" and "Signs Of Life". "The Time Traveller" sounds very much like something off a DarXtar disc. This is cosmic spacerock that jams, explores, and develops slowly but steadily. The guitar cranks out gorgeous melody lines putting this right up there with DarXtar's "Into The Unknown" and "7". The pace picks up with a driving drum beat while the guitar continues soloing and the synths gurgle in the background. Definitely a tune that would appeal to both spacers and the heavy prog rock crowd. "Signs Of Life" is another metallic rocker, though much different from "Fulcrum Of Time". More along the lines of early Black Sabbath, the tune offers a pounding bass and the most blazing guitar on the disc. Over its 12 minute length the tune develops as a classic 70's heavy rock tune with the addition of space synth. Always a nice combination.

In summary, Pseudo Sun should appeal to the heavy rock crowd who like a good chunk of metal with their space. My only criticism is I had a tough time getting used to Juba's vocals. Chris Lunderson provided the limited vocals on "Signs Of Life" and I wouldn't have minded if he handled all the vocal duties.

There are some other albums on the Pseudo Sun Bandcamp site.

ST 37 — Spaceage

(Black Widow 1997, BWRCD 020-2)

Keith Henderson

Despite the suggestion given by the album title, 'Spaceage' is less about spacerock than it is about 'neo-psychedelia,' as from the likes of SunDial or Bevis Frond. But whereas these contemporaries tend towards a harder-edged sound, ST 37 generally sticks to a more laid back and gentle approach, although we also hear occasional noisy or dissonant passages. The songs from this five-piece Texan combo (with various guests) start with a base of understated hypnotic rhythms, and then build upon that with swirling guitars and/or electronics, echo effects, and (seemingly) half-hearted vocalizations. Many of the pieces sound distant, as if poorly miked; a risky maneuver (if intentional) that works in a bizarre way to yield a 'really out there' kind of effect.

A quick look at the track list might give the impression that this is entirely a tribute album, as there are no less than five classics covered on 'Spaceage.' Personally, I can understand the remaking of both Chrome's 'March of the Chrome Police' and Hawkwind's 'Orgone Accumulator,' as the album is dedicated to fallen comrades Damon Edge and Robert Calvert, but the other three seem really unnecessary. In fact, the original material is far stronger than these forgettable remakes, save a nice rendition of Can's 'Vitamin C,' which no doubt works here due to ST 37's proficiency with like rhythms.

That said, I can't argue that I'm being cheated here either, as the original tunes amount to a full 48 minutes of listening pleasure. Despite many of the tracks seeming to be only rough sketches of songs performed hastily, it's the spirit of this music that I find so intriguing, in the same way as some of the innovative German artists of the early days. And strange as it may seem, there are times here ('Concrete Island,' for instance) when I swear I'm listening to the latter half of Jane's Addiction's 'Ritual de lo Habitual,' the album where Perry Farrell and Co. 'experimented' with this same brand of low-key psychedelia. Whereas their alternative counterparts were perhaps stretching themselves a bit, ST 37 appears right at home in this niche. I'm really looking forward to this band's performance at this year's Strange Daze festival. They're a mood-setting band if I've ever heard one.

For more info and lots of music, visit the ST 37 website and the ST 37 Bandcamp site.

SubArachnoid Space — Almost Invisible

(Relapse Records 1997, RR6959-2)

Jerry Kranitz

Consisting of two guitars, bass, and drums, SubArachnoid Space play an improvisational blend of space and high acid psychedelia. Almost Invisible features portions from two of the band's performances from 1996. Tracks 1-4 were recorded live at Ptomaine Temple in Oakland, CA and run together as one continuous piece. Tracks 5-6 were recorded a month earlier at Spaceland in Los Angeles and also play as one tune.

The first piece lays down a low-end droning sound around which the guitars slowly improvise. Lots of sounds and busy drumming keep things interesting for a while. The guitars screech and wah-wah making for a pretty freaked out psychedelic atmosphere mixed with a crunching krautrock sound.

The music drags a bit until the drumming gets more intense, which awakens the guitarists and sends them a bit more into orbit. Drone music can often be boring, but because each instrument is distinct and relatively clear there's plenty to listen to rather than it all being one big ear-splitting stew.

The music really consists of interesting passages alternating with those that really don't go anywhere. Whenever the pace and intensity increase (invariably provoked by the drummer) the band will settle into a nice jamming groove and all the great sounds these guitarists produce will have some sense of direction. But these moments tended to end too soon. The piece ended well, though, as an intense mini psych freakout. The two guitarists do play off each other well and produce great sounds without any need for synths.

The second piece, though not different in style from the first, leaned more toward a heavy psychedelic krautrock jam sound and was much more to my liking. The tune was more consistently strong with the two guitarists dueling with each other to see who could produce the wilder sounds. The driving tribal drum beat kept the pace throughout. In fact, if someone told me this piece was a German band recorded in the early 70's I'd believe them.

I haven't heard SubArachnoid Space's previous works so I'm unable to say how representative this disc is of their sound. In terms of atmosphere and sound exploration there's a great deal of potential here. The guitarists know how to wrench sound and frenzy from their instruments and when they click the effect can be riveting. Unfortunately, these moments were not consistent throughout. Still, they've sufficiently aroused my interest that I'll probably explore their music further.

For more information, see the SubArachnoid Space Bandcamp site.

The Neapolitan Orchestra — Almost Syrup

(1996 CD)

Jerry Kranitz

Dayton Ohio's Neapolitan Orchestra plays heavy, mostly instrumental power-progressive music. The band consists of Tony Peters on guitar, Ben Burton on drums and keyboards, and Chris Matthews on bass. A review on the band's web page compares them to Pink Floyd, Rush, and Blue Oyster Cult. To my ears the Rush influences are strong, but I also detect elements of Cream, Abbey Road's heavier moments (e.g., She's So Heavy), and good ol 60's/70's jamming. The keyboards are rarely in the forefront, instead playing a background or layering role. The guitar isn't flashy. Rather, the focus is at all times on solid, tastefully developed melodies.

The disc opens with two 3-4 minute tracks. "Bwa Kwa Da Da" is an easy going, guitar dominated rockin' tune, and "On A Different Plan" has a somewhat bluesy, Cream-like feel to it. "Everything's Here...But You" is a bluesy number and the only track with vocals. Though I think the band is strongest at instrumentals, the vocals on this tune are really soulful and fit the song well. And at eight minutes the musicians have plenty of opportunity to stretch out. "Embryonic Stages" is one of my favorites. A real rockin' tune, it starts with some wailing acid-like guitar and then goes on to numerous tempo and theme changes in its six minute length. "Reality Of A Dream" is similar with great guitar work and the most up-front bass tune on the disc.

The last two songs, "Mental Discovery" and "Looking Through Two Windows" are the longest (12 and 9 minutes) and most Rush-like numbers. Its challenging for a primarily guitar, bass, percussion trio to keep instrumental music exciting and Neapolitan Orchestra does a great job. The band takes its time developing themes and there is always a great jamming feel to the music. If you enjoy heavy music that cares more about melody than flash than you will certainly like this disc.

Four X — Ballet Dancer

(American Phonograph International 1985, APK 9, LP)

Doug Walker

Yet another LP which crossed my path accidently! I have seen it referred to on various Hawkwind collector's list, but am not aware it was heard by many interested in the genre when it first appeared.

Imagine an amalgam of bands like Khan, Huw Lloyd Langton, late 70's Genesis, and Roxy Music, melded into a hard rocking brew! The tunes kick hard with a certain musical sophistication due to the very esteemed players on the date. Guitarist/keyboardist Paul Sinden was unknown to me, but he is joined here by the notorious Dave Anderson (ex of Hawkwind) Dave Earnshaw on Saxes/Flute, and former "EGG" & "GROUNDHOGS" Drummer Clive Brooks.

"Hide in the Rain" is first up, a strong riff leading into some devastating guitar solos on the choruses and in the bridge as well! "Breaker" flows in into some fine up-tempo Rhythm section stuff, all tight and deep in the groove. The horn states the line with guitar, which delivers solid gold solos at increasing energy states throughout the tune!

"Tin Soldier" is taken at a slower tempo, and features some ace Electric Piano and dashes of Flute, Acoustic Guitar, and crunchy Rhythm Guitar double-tracked to max effect! "Ballet Dancer" closes side one, the theme stated by vocal samples, and the band gives off a strong "Roxy Music" vibe (one expects Mr. Ferry to slide a vocal in here!), Earnshaw's Saxophone work being quite emotive á la Andrew MacKay...I'd have loved to hear more of this musician on this recording!

Side 2 begins with "Into the Fire", which begins with some lovely phase shifted Guitar, and some serious drum work from Clive Brooks. Not fancy, just straight-forward Time keeping! An Acoustic Guitar bridge takes the listener on an interlude which leads to "Possessed". This tune is driven by Flute leading the riff, then more Acoustic Guitar, and back into the odd-meter lick, fine pickin' from Sinden, and some gorgeous Flute by Earnshaw. (This boy should join any number of SpaceRock units, he'd really make lots of well-known names sound more interesting!) "October" is almost a rip of late 70's Genesis, not exciting but played with some skill. A Reprise of "Ballet Dancer" closes this LP in the same vein, Sinden Guitaring somewhere between Langton and Steve Hackett, with Bass provided by those great lost "Rutherford Moog Basspedals", and more Earnshaw Flute.

In all I think a very successful LP, the Rockers winning out over the slower tunes, but still relevant and quite enjoyable. I don't know if it is available on CD. Check a well stocked store that deals in used/import music, or try one of the numerous distributors of Hawkwind-related material.

Psychik Atters — Mystic Minutes

(Twink Records 1995, TWKCD4)

Jerry Kranitz

A UK band, Psychik Atters plays part psychedelic jam instrumentals and part Jefferson Airplane influenced songs. The band consists of Dani Speakman on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Barry Coombs on drums, Kozmic Andy on bass, Rob Jackson on keyboards, and guests contributing additional guitars and drums.

The two main instrumental explorations are the 18 minute "Voyager 7", and the 10 minute "Made In Sheffield". Psychik Atters' trademark seems to be jamming around a set melody or rhythmic pattern. Voyager 7's multi-layered guitars produce every psych sound in the book. Wa-wa's, fuzz, and distortion, dance, drip, and careen off the walls. "Made In Sheffield" is similar to Voyager 7, though it has more interesting rhythms and melody lines. In both cases, the atmosphere changes little, though they are both solid psych freakouts. I didn't get bored with them, but the tunes would have been stronger if they were either shorter or some more effort was put into developing them musically.

Another instrumental, "Psychik", differs from the others in that it is a more purely electronic effort. Though it's nothing amazing, it is a musical departure from the rest of the disc. Kind of like of cross between Kraftwerk and The Residents. However, like Voyager 7 and Sheffield it develops little for a 10 minute length.

"Won't Go Back", "Lightning At My Door", and "Mystic Minutes" are the vocals numbers on the disc. The first two bear a strong Jefferson Airplane influence and "Mystic Minutes" even has a bit of a pop feel to it. Good songs. Mystic Minutes is an eerie, tribal dance tune and features more varied percussion work than elsewhere on the disc. It has the most simplistic instrumentation, but the most interesting rhythms.

Overall, Psychik Atters seems to be stronger when working in a song format. They show great potential here for instrumental psych jams, but they'll need to either shorten the length of the tunes or take their explorations into more varied directions.

National Steam — National Steam

(Eternity's Jest 1998)

Jerry Kranitz

On the heels of two cassette releases, National Steam introduce their first full-length CD. A companion project to label mates Quarkspace, the band consists of Paul Williams on percussion, loads of keyboards, effects, and vocals, and Dave Wexler on guitars and effects. This self-titled debut offers up eleven tunes, six of which are improvised space journeys and sound experimentation.

The opening track, "Pennsylvania Special" is a reworking of the same song from their Steamdreams 1 cassette. At the heart of the tune is the repeated pounding piano melody and the competing keyboard and guitar work that accompanies it. A much fuller sound on this version transforms the train journey feel of the original into a galactic Siberian Railway.

"Orion" and "Ode To Death" both feature vocals by Paul Williams. "Orion" with its funky head-bopping beat and wah wah guitar also has some great mellotron-sounding work. "Ode To Death" opens with an intense orchestral sound and screaming guitar lines and then is accompanied by the most Peter Hammill vocals I've heard since Peter Hammill. A powerful tune.

"The Sutler" is somewhat different from the rest of the CD and will appeal to prog rock fans as much as space fans. Guests Pat Wise and Teresa Owsley's sharply contrasting vocal styles make for welcome variety throughout the song. Wise's vocals are dark and perhaps somewhat evil sounding while Owsley has a style that is operatic and not unlike Kate Bush. An intense, hard driving song, the music takes a turn during the last two minutes during which Dave Wexler's guitar takes front and center. His solo finale is speedy, soaring, and beautiful in a way that will make prog fans drool.

The remaining tracks are all instrumental and mostly improvised. For those who are new to the Quarkspace / National Steam camp you should know that all the Eternity's Jest musicians have been playing together for a long time and it was an affinity for improvisation that lead to Quarkspace's development. On this recording, Williams and Wexler offer space soundscapes that are subtly busy in that I could easily close my eyes and be carried away, but close listening often reveals many layers of interesting experimentation with keyboards and guitars.

One of my favorites is "Cavern Of Spacezilla", a cosmic journey that combines industrial space soundscapes and dreamy guitars and keys. This tune is followed by "Alfred's Flashback" which is much like the former but a galaxy or two to the left. Across all the improvisations on this disc I sometimes felt like I was in a small underwater craft crawling along the ocean floor, and at others felt like I was floating through space all alone.

I met with Williams and Wexler one evening and we chatted about the band and their music. Read the interview here.

For more information and to hear sound files you can visit Quarkspace Bandcamp site.

Moby Trip — NKU

(Cranium Music 1998, CRM 001)

Jerry Kranitz

The first release from prog/space/psych CD distributor Cranium Music's new label presents fellow New Zealanders Moby Trip. Consisting of Ray Stroud on bass and vocals, John Stroud on guitar and vocals (he also did the cool cover painting), and Anthony Van der Putten on drums, the band plays raw, acid-drenched, late 60's/early 70's influenced power-trio jam rock.

For their debut, the band has released a performance recorded live in November '97, and given the nature of the music, this may well have been a wise choice. Freaks for extended guitar stretch out jams, and all the accompanying effects (plenty of echo, fuzz, and wah-wah!) will drool over this disc. John Stroud's guitar style is - to my ears - a mixture of Hendrix and Roye Albrighton.

I've long argued that Nektar's "Sounds Like This" was the best jam rock album of the 70's, and "NKU" is one of the better representations of this tradition I've heard in the 90's. Just crank this up, close your eyes, and you'll be transported back to the Fillmore of days past. The directness of the Hendrix influence is most apparent on "Catch Up", "America", and "Floating", the numbers on which guitarist John handles the vocal duties. These sound like long-lost Hendrix tracks and John seems to intentionally imitate the deceased master's singing voice.

The entire disc, however, isn't relentless instrumental fury. The three-part opening track, "Hey Jonah/Vur Immer" starts and finishes with trippy synths and even has a short piano part. "Gnaw People" is one of the more overtly lysergic tracks and features an interesting blend of Santana-like bass/drum rhythms with John's guitar blasting uncontrollably into the cosmos. And the closing track, "Visitations", is a dreamy ambient piece that serves as a slow, smooth landing after an hour of rockin' bliss.

In summary, Moby Trip's "NKU" will appeal to anyone who loves raw, guitar dominated jam rock. Some may call this sound dated, but my feeling is that any improv-based music that is coherent, and feels this good, is as fresh as it ever was. Moby Trip proves that raw and primitive can be as beautiful as a symphony.