DAVID SHEA, Satyricon (1997, electronica / ambient)

By request.
Following "The tower of mirrors", it's the other great electronic work by D.SHEA, who was better know then for his sounds collage and concept recordings such as "Prisonner". Beautiful work here, but less various and less successful than "Tower...". Nevertheless it's an essential recording, you can still buy it here, after having listened to it there.
Two different artworks seem to exist, the original being the blue one.

DAVID SHEA, The Tower of Mirrors (1996, electronic soundscapes)

One of the best albums DAVID SHEA made in my opinion. It's the typical "electronic soundscapes" SHEA, SCANNER and some others were producing between 1995 and 2000. Honestly, I have not kept on buying them, the best things seemed to have been produced in their early years, but I may be wrong.
For those who don't know him, it's an "electronic journey", with collage and sounds produced from various sources, from ethnic / fields recordings to basic electronica. This one is probably the most ambient album he produced. It can be compared to a score for an imaginary film.
Try it here (ripped at 192kbps).

PSYCHE, Tales from the darkside (1987, dark vintage electronics)

Released in 1990, this compilation CD is a collection of early songs of this rather mediocre electro new wave band from the 90s, recorded between 1982 and 1987. Actually a very good surprise, it could be described as the gap between early CABARET VOLTAIRE and (very dark side of) early JEAN-MICHEL JARRE, at least on some tracks. Sometimes it sounds distorted and really industrial with scary voices, sometimes it's just good old synth music from the 80s (sounding as if it had been recored it 79). "Another billion eyes" or "a threat" are the highlights of the album, begin with these 2 tracks. Those who, like me, are fascinated by the old japanese machinery (Korg / Roland synths and rythm box) will certainly love this.
Don't be scared and download it here (ripped at 192kbps).

SILVER APPLES, live Paris Nouveau Casino 6.3.2008

Only live performance in France by this classic "minimalist psych rock" band (actually, leader Simeon alone with his sound and wave generators) for its come-back.
A good example of "psych-pop experimentation" : it sounds like pop, it's sung and there are some melodies, but Simeon uses all this electronic trickery that could have been much more experimental and reminds me SUICIDE (but in a funny version).
Of course, there wasn't much to see : just this cool old guy with his samples and wave generators. But that was fun!
Recorded with my own mic and MiniDisc, the sound is ok for a bootleg, and ripped at 192kbps.
Download it here, and don't forget the 2 albums have been beautifully re-edited - on Amazon for instance.

CURRENT 93 (1997, drone / ambient)

Having uploaded the album, I realize that i've already posted it last year - with comments in french.
But, what an outstanding album, I love it!! In my opinion it's the best music produced by the Tibet / Stapleton team, though it sounds much more like the ambient NURSE WITH WOUND than CURRENT 93.
It consists in one long floating ambient tone / drone, divided in 4 parts - only the first one, with its low analog frequencies loop, is a little boring, you'll probably skip this track.
And from the 2nd track to the end, it's nothing less an extraordinary journey in floating sounds : you'll hear analog synths, some kind of flute, bells, voices (and some spoken words by Tibet).
I don't understand why such an album was first issued in a very limited edition of 1000 (sold with a book by Ligetti). It was re-edited in 2002 without the book, you can still buy it here (more than 100 euros on Amazon!).
Before this, download it here (192kbps).

STAPLETON / WAKEFORD (1993, industrial ambient)

Curiously not far from the TAZARTES' style, posted sooner, NURSE WITH WOUND's Steve Stapleton and SOL INVICTUS' / ex DEATH IN JUNE Tony Wakeford in their only collaboration. Actually, the album sounds much more like NWW's albums than SI' - an easy version of NWW. For this reason, it's not only a really good ambient / industrial and quite melodic album, but also a very good entry to those who don't know NWW's world or find it "cold" and hard.
I'm not sure it's been re-released since 1993. Find it here (at 192kbps).

GHEDALIA TAZARTES, Transports

Another good record by TAZARTES, "recorded in Paris, 1977 & 1997"; indeed, it seems to have been recorded from various sessions and sources, but once again a brilliant editing gives a splendid unity to the whole. More various instruments than in "Une éclipse...", and some rythmic patterns help this album to be an easier entry to TAZARTES weird and unique musical world.
Be curious and try it here.

GHEDALIA TAZARTES, Une éclipse totale de soleil (1979, experimental?)

For once, a beautiful french title - for a marvelous album. It's difficult music and in the same time, deeply poetic and easy to listen to if you are "in the thing".
Tazartes' work at the time was mostly based on voice basic manipulations, sometimes it sounds tantric, sometimes it screams, and this editing is brilliant, the whole forms a "poetic journey". Everyone should try.
Be warned that the original album consists in the 1st two tracks; the last track, not good at all in my opinion, comes as an addition for the digipack CD re-issue.
Listen to it here (at 192kbps) or buy it on ForcedExposure.com.

RYOJI IKEDA, 1000 Fragments (1995, minimal electronic / soundscapes)

Obviously one of the most convicing examples of minimalist electronic music, created almost only from digital sine waves frequencies (the sound is to be compared to its analog partners PAN SONIC). It's by far my favourite IKEDA's album. It's divided in 3 parts : "Channel X" consists in 9 short parts of sample / cut up sounds; "5 zones" is an extraordinary music soundscape you absolutely must play loud, a kind of classic to me; "Luxus" is a repetitive single tune that has no real interest in my opinion.
Released in 1995, this CD appears 13 years later as an absolute classing (remember how many followers there were in the next years!).
Find it here (192kbps).

MORSEL, Noise Floor (1994, "no-wave" / "avant-rock")

I've seen this unknown band (undistributed in France I think) in 1994, when in Dayton, Ohio. I was there to see this incredible band called CIGAREHEADS I was following in Ohio, in this bar where we were probably less than 20 people in the audience.
They played a very good performance, I bought the CD, and here it is. It's simple to describe it as a mix of SONIC YOUTH / NIRVANA / bands of the Chicago scene of the era, but it's probably more than that. Some tracks are really excellent, the last one is a moving instrumental that you may remember for a long time.
Try it here.
You can hear good tracks from other albums / EPs on their MySpace page.

Question : does anyone have any recording of CIGAREHEADS? Any 45rpm, LPs or live performance are welcome. Thanks!

ELLI & JACNO, Boomerang (pop, 1982)

At last, back again. In the next weeks I'll try to post 2 albums a week, it was impossible to do more in the lmast months, I had too much work.

I don't know if JACNO is known outside from France : he is an essential and unique composer of moving electro-pop classic tunes from the 80s (the best known is "Rectangle", anyone knows it), he had his first punk-rock band very young with his girlfriend ELLI. In 1982 they made this very intimate pop album that is typical of his style. Curiously, it doesn't seem to have been release in CD, so this is an LP-rip. Check out his last albums "French paradise" (2002) and "Tant de temps" (2006).

Download the album here. Pay a particular attention to 3 outstanding tracks : "Roulette russe", "Je t'aime tant", "Pour toi".
(LP-rip, 192 kbps - I have not found the original artwork, but it's very similar to "Je t'aime tant" SP)

DOMINIQUE PETITGAND, 10 / 11 petites compositions familiales (1995/96))

Impossible to classify. This magic musical poetry will be much appreciated by those who understand french, as D. PETITGAND records conversations in his family (mother, wife and son) and makes music with it. Often very funny and moving too.
There are 2 recordings here : "10 petites compositions familiales" and "11 petites compositions familiales". Download these masterpieces here.

BETA BODEGA COALITION, various artists (1999, electornica)

Called "Rice and Beans / Psychological Operations in Guerilla Warfare", and packaged with... rice and beans.
Not much to say as I know nothing about the label, except that it's a sort of extreme WARP / SCHEMATIC electronic label of the era, and it's mexican (or pretend to be). Some boring tracks and some outstanding too.
The artists here are : Takeshi Muto, Leekon, Atlajala, Dave Noyze, Goem, Tpm, Patcha Kutek, Needle, El Brujo Oscuro, V8& La Mano Fria.
192kbps rip. Be adventurous and try it here.
(no picture available for the CD artwork)

LATON COMPILATION (1999, electronica)

No picture available.
Usually I don't like compilations with various artists, but I admit that this CD contains some really exciting tracks.
I don't know much about the LATON, except that it's from Austria, the music here is vintage electronica, the artists share the same old sound, in an hypnotic way. Begin with track 2 by Alois Huber, a fabulous one.
The artists here : Pomassl, Alois Huber, M. Soellner, Auralbino, Fon Proof, A. Burger.
Download it at 192 kbps here.

S. TELLIER, Mr. OIZO, SEBASTIAN - Steak (2007, electro-pop)

Sorry but these days I don't have time to post all I'd like to share.
Here is a "lite" post : this soundtrack sounds like a brilliant joke, but maybe only a joke. It's vintage electro-pop music, somewhere between Moroder and french comedy soundtrack from the 80s.
As a bonus, you'll find in the file the new SEBASTIEN TELLIER's single, remixed by SEBASTIAN.
Discover here this electro-pop soundtrack from a movie that nobody (almost) has seen.

PS : someone has noticed that there's one track missing in one of the TELLIER live perfomances I've posted sooner. The reason is that this track has no interest at all, it's a short track from the 2nd album. If you really want it, please ask and I'll try to post it.

ALAIN GORAGUER, La Planète Sauvage (1973, psych pop)

One of my best posts. This is the soundtrack that strongly influenced AIR for "the virgin suicides" - some tracks sound almost the same. It's one of my favourite 70s albums, among some krautrock classics like AGITATION FREE's "Malesh" or IKARUS (sorry for my permanent references to krautrock).The film is an extraordinary and typical psychedelic object from the 70s area, that everyone interested in this culture should have seen - I've seen it maybe 40 times.
You can download the album here, but please, try to buy the soundtrack or the film ("Fantastic Planet" is the english title), it's easy to find on the web.

IMPORTANT : in addition to the CD, I've put some additional music in this file :
> 2 tracks from the film that don't appear on the CD (see excerpt below)
> 1 folk song from the weird film "A TRAVERS LA FORET", directed by Jean-Paul Civeyrac. I don't know the composer, but this song is probably my favourite folk song, though it is very short and simple. In the film, it appears in a magical moment, when the dead boyfriend deeply loved by the girl appears in a dream in her bed. See the trailer here.
> 1 excerpt from Wong Kar Wai's "ASHES OF TIME" (his best film), a moving moment where the actress explains (more or less) that the man she loves has never noticed her. Certainly cheesy but absolutely romantic.

See a clip from LA PLANETE SAUVAGE (containing one of the "additional tracks" of my post :

and here's is the clip from ASHES OF TIME where your find the sound sequence I've pickep up (on minute 7) :

RYOKI IKEDA & CARSTEN NIKOLAI, Cyclo (2001, minimal beat)

Those who know Ikeda probably know this recording too : in the Ikeda's way, it consist in sine waves treated in a rythmic way. The main difference with his previous records is the huge compression on the sound, that your sound system may not stand. Not easy to hear as a whole, the album is quite unique and is a must have for any one interested in minimal music.
CD rip at 160kbps (I admit it's probably not enough... sorry).
Try it here.

MINA, Kryptonite (1999, electro-pop)

160kbps, on MassMirror.
1st album - you are maybe one of the 43 persons who were lucky to download "A to B", available further on this blog.
Honnestly, I don't have listened much to this album, I had lost it, and have just found it out. It seems to sound more "funky" than their 2nd, same sound, but probably weaker melodies. But consider it's a "must have" in those rainy days (in France, I don't know elsewhere) to have a nice week-end.
For your pleasure, download it here.

TIMOTHY LEARY, Turn on, tune in, drop out (1967, spoken psych ambient)

Extraordinary "psych spoken words" by drug guru(?) TIMOTHY LEARY. Those who like THROBBING GRISTLE's Genesis P. Orridge may consider LEARY his ancestor - some of his most ambient / spoken albums sound almost the same!
I don't like spoken words : belive me, there is much in "Turn on...", with magic sounds from beyond, beautiful voices, wonderful textures and noises, and even a few melodies.
Discovered through a psychic blog (I don't remember which one - see in "best links" - it's my turn to share it now. "I'm drowning, I'm drowning!". Brrrrgh.....
Find it on Rapidshare or on MassMirror.

MINA, A to B (2001, synth pop)

I've seen MINA playing on stage just before STEREO TOTAL in their 2001 tour in Paris - they also share the same record label, Bungalow. Very interesting live, as their "synth pop" is actually played live, with rock instruments : drums, guitar, nass guitar, an old Roland RS2 organ, nothing more (no vocal). Please listen to the album more than once, it takes several times to appreciate it entirely. It's very well composed, with excellent melodies.
I think it's probably their 2nd album, if you want I can share their first (not so good as this one).
Please try it here (and leave a comment if you like it - I confess I'm not far from abandonning this blog - not sure anyone is interested enough).