Issue 2024-076
British independent record label Fruits de Mer specialises in psychedelic rock, space rock, krautrock, etc. We recently received a few albums from their catalog and decided to put the reviews in a little Fruits de Mer special here.
London Underground — Live At The 19th Dream Of Dr. Sardonicus Festival 2023
Additional tracks on CD and digital version: Ray Ban (4:32), Midnight Cowboy (6:03), The Jive Samba (5:42), Tropic Of Capricorn (9:55)
Italian Band London Underground were formed in late 1998 and in that time have released four albums. The founder of the band, keyboard player Gianluca Gerlini. is the only remaining original member and on this release he is joined by Stefano Gabbani on bass, Andrea Dilillo on drums and Alberto Capelli on guitar. We were sent a promo CD of the album that contains the six songs that appear on the very limited edition (600 copies) vinyl version of the release, although the CD and digital releases contains an additional four tracks.
Basing their sound on late 1960s rhythm and blues, particularly by artists that featured a dominant organ sound played by such luminaries as Brian Auger, Georgie Fame and Vincent Crane, the groups first couple of albums featured mainly original music with the odd cover version thrown in. On subsequent releases, including this one, there was a larger dependency on covers, with only three of the ten tracks on the full cd release being originals. All three of these tracks appear on the LP version alongside covers of Fanfare (The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown), Death March (from the film 13 but based on the Wes Montgomery recording) and Bumpin' On Sunset (a Wes Montgomery original).
It is a surprise that they don't have more faith in their own material as the original material is every bit as good as, if not better than the covers. Honey Drops in particular is a great slab of original R 'n' B with Capelli's guitar duelling with Gerlini's Hammond organ for dominance. The rhythm section are equally prominent and this track is the highlight of the set for me. Bumpin' On Sunset is obviously a favourite of Gerlini as it has appeared on several London Underground releases over the years. The live version is extended with lengthy organ and guitar solos, heavenly for Hammond organ fans out there. Another of the originals, What I Say has a bit more dynamism to it ending the performance on an energetic high.
Although there is a basic sameness to the tracks there is no denying that the group are tight and very accomplished in their chosen musical style.
Pinhdar — A Sparkle On The Dark Water
Third album by Italian duo Pinhdar aka Cecilia Miradoli (vocals) and Max Tarenzi (instruments). For some reason reminds a lot of 1980s indie music, particularly elements of the 4AD stable of artists. Some crossover with The Cure instrumentally with the vocals adding a more dreamy element. Not at all prog but is something I can easily listen to and worth a listen.
Love the cover painting!
Various Artists — 19th Dream Of Dr. Sardonicus Festival
As well as releasing the complete set by London Underground recorded at the 19th Dream Of Dr. Sardonicus Festival Of Psychedelia as described in this same issue, Fruits de Mer Records have also released a limited double LP of the event featuring ten of the artists that performed. As ticket sales for the festival are limited to just 150, for most the only way to hear performances from the festival are via such releases. As the festival is such a small affair then there is not the budget to spend on named artists so most of the bands included will not be familiar names to many.
Kicking off with Italian band London Underground we get a keyboard-heavy rendition of Brian Auger's Tropic Of Capricorn that is not included on the LP highlights release of the band's set. My review of that release will tell you more about what to expect. Dust Storm On Mars by Spectral Stream (full set released on Bandcamp) is a fairly ambient keyboard improvisation that reminds me of 80s-90s Hawkwind; even the title would not be out of place in catalogue of the space rock pioneers.
If any reader has not heard Maggot Brain by the imperious Funkadelic, then they should hand their head in shame and immediately proceed to a streaming site of their choice and give guitarist Eddie Hazel's finest hour (well 10 minutes) a listen. The cover by Sendelica (full set released on Bandcamp) on this release doesn't quite reach the levels of the original but comes close and the inclusion of a snippet of Hawkwind's Master Of The Universe at the end was a fitting tribute to the recently departed Nik Turner.
Hanford Flyover (their set has also been released on Bandcamp) entertain with a previously unreleased track called Space Tractor that save for the lack of guitar could be from the early days of Ozric Tentacles. A prominent groove and insistent beat takes things into a more dance area although the infuse plenty of spacey synth sounds throughout. Does go on a bit though and didn't really maintain my interest for the entire length of the track.
Next up is another improvised track, this time from Consterdine with Sepia. (Full set available on Bandcamp.) A bit of a nothing track that is rather dull and quite boring, unless a droning synth is your bag. Atoms & Dust by Pinhdar (full set available on Bandcamp) is fairly sombre and dark yet at the same time draws one in and is quite hypnotic. It also features the first appearance of vocals. McDowell & Westaway's Black Tar Acid (full set on Bandcamp) has a catchy vibe to it and is fairly full on considering that presumably it is just a duo performance. The track is marred by a too loud drum machine that obscures a lot of the music which is rather a shame.
The Dark Zen Kollectiv only played one piece at the festival, namely Ice Lock Up Stones. However, it did run for nearly 67 minutes! Obviously, running time precludes the inclusion of the entire piece on this collection so we are treated to a seven-minute edit. The full set is available on Bandcamp. There is certainly enough on this 10% cut from the composition that would warrant further exploration of the entire piece. I have never been a fan of The Velvet Underground and could never understand why they are raved over, but then again there are numerous immensely popular bands that I wouldn't waste my time on! So perhaps I am not best qualified to comment on the Cary Grace Band's rendition of Venus In Furs. It lasts four minutes longer than the original, make of that what you will. Last up is something totally different, a folky pop rock tune by Spygenius. (Their full set is available on Bandcamp as well). Cafe Emery Hill is a sprightly number that totally different from anything else on the album and is very enjoyable even if the lead vocals are rather weak.
All together an interesting collection of variable quality with a few bands worthy of further investigation
Various Artists — The Recurring Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
CD 2: Pinhdar — Toy (5:28), Sendelica — Let There Be Life (13:21), Spurious Transients — Twilight Ritual For The Successful Upload Of The Departed Spirit Of The Cyber Flower Child (5:54), Spygenius — Giving Way To Trains (3:37), The Chemistry Set — If Rome Wasn't Meant To Fall (3:54), The Fellowship Of The Hallucinatory Voyagers — Mindset (8:29), The Gold Needles — Realm Of The Black Dog (5:05), The Honey Pot — Fuschia Smiles (5:35), The Luck Of Eden Hall — She Falls Down (2:30), The Seventh Ring Of Saturn — Slip Inside This House (8:31), The Telephones — Two Byrds (3:31), Three Dimensional Tanx — Dwam (5:24), Z Machine — Big Old Hen (7:11)
All the artists featured on this compilation have appeared at one or more of the seven Dr. Sardonicus Festivals held in Cardigan each August (global pandemics permitting). It certainly is a diverse and eclectic collection drawing loosely on modern psychedelia. Considering there are 24 different bands, none of whom can be considered to be well known and most of whom are probably only familiar to a handful of people, the quality is mostly very high. Naturally, not everything hits the spot and some of the artists (Babal, Custard Flux, I Am Voyager, The Fellowship Of The Hallucinatory Voyagers, The Seventh Ring Of Saturn and Three Dimensional Tanx) didn't do a lot for me and were unfortunate recipients of the skip button on later playings of the album. But that still leaves a whole three-quarters of the featured artists piquing my attention.
Belgian Alain Pire, who holds a doctorate gained from his thesis on 60's psychedelic music, contributes Le Grand Voyage, a largely guitar based song that holds lots of intrigue. Confusingly it was released on the final album by the Michel Drucker Expérience, an odd name since none of the band members were called Michel Drucker! Pire seemed to have written most of the band's material as well as playing guitar and singing. Perhaps the lack of a Michel Drucker caused other people to be confused as subsequent released have been under the name The Alain Pire Expérience.
Anton Barbeau is a name that seems to be cropping up a lot in recent times. An American now living in Berlin has released 36 albums, worked with members of XTC, The Soft Boys, the Bevis Frond and Cake, amongst others, with a rather dubious claim to fame that Julian Cope got him stoned in Croydon once. His I Demand A Dream is adequately self-described as 'pre-apocalyptic psychedelic pop'. The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies have created their own genre of psychedelic surf rock while Consterdine completely re-arrange The Only Ones' Another Girl, Another Planet to a slowed down dreamy exploration.
Exclusive to this compilation is a writing demo of The Waves by Fuchsia, yes the very same band whose eponymous debut album was released back in 1971. And yes, it is every bit as good as material from that classic debut. London Underground have been mentioned in a couple of this round-up of recent Fruits de Mer releases and this band composed track from their 2010 album Honey Drops has plenty of classic Hammond organ so loved by band leader Gianluca Gerlini. Moon Goose get the consolation prize for the most out there song title, The Mysterious Coffins Of Arthur's Seat taken from their 2018 live EP. Quite a basic composition but the swirly synths keep things real. Finally on the first CD there is Mushroom with Fistful Of Koto! who are an offshoot or incarnation of the psychedelic trance band Astralasia. Low key, almost ambient with a gentle groove.
The second CD kicks off with Toy the song that initially drew attention to Italian dream pop/shoegaze duo Pinhdar while Sendelica provide another slow burn epic with Let There Be Life. Everything I have heard by this band has proved yo be somewhat fascinating so am up for investigating more of their extensive back catalogue. Spurious Transients provide the second exclusive track but most out there title with Twilight Ritual For The Successful Upload Of The Departed Spirit Of The Cyber Flower Child who describe themselves as 'post-psychedelic krautrock-inspired Welsh electronic music collective'. Unsure which part of that description is most apt, so will plump for 'Welsh'. As a collective they produce a nice noise. Time for a more traditional popish song with Giving Way To Trains by Spygenius who have the knack of penning decent tunes with a mild psych twist.
The Chemistry Set have more of a sixties Byrdsian vibe going on while at the other end of the spectrum The Gold Needles and synth heavy mood artists with their Realm Of The Black Dog being very cinematic. Third and final exclusive is an out take from the forthcoming album by The Honey Pot, a Devon quintet who frequent a "musical fantasy time-warp where they groove among their most revered bands, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and The Small Faces", but don't sound like any of those bands. More pop than psych but accomplished enough.
Apparently The Luck Of Eden Hall have been in existence since the early 1990s and have had fairly extensive media coverage, including in Prog Magazine. Despite that I have no recollection of ever coming across the band before and their short, poppy She Falls Down gives no inkling why Prog should be interested in featuring them. Good song though. Continuing on a more poppy level we have The Telephones who hail from Derby. Their latest release, a cheaply-priced compilation is well worth investigating even if the cover does owe a lot to The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. We end with the more jazz rock fusion sound of Z Machine, plenty of sax to keep you buzzin'
An eclectic mix that is a great introduction to a whole host of relatively obscure bands who should not be dismissed because they have failed to yet achieve mainstream recognition. Plenty here that will provide lots of scope for further explorations.
Check out the Sendelica Bandcamp page which holds a lot of releases for several of the other bands at the Dr. Sardonicus festivals as well.