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).

THE OUT CROWD, Then I say the holy city (2004, drug rock)

By ex-BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE's member Matt Hollywood. Those who've seen DIG know who he is. To be honest, this album sounds like a imitation of BJM's music, almost the same voice and same style in guitar playing and melodies. Nevertheless, some good songs in the album. But let's be honest : it's probably only for BJM's and DIG's fans.
If you want, try it here.

ROGER ROTOR, Substract 7 (1998, low analog techno?)

aka "Live at the Rohstofflager 25.6.1998", CD-R x 2. No artwork.
My english is not good enough to describe ROTOR's music. Long analog tracks that could be compared with RICHIE HAWTHIN or PAN SONIC, but warmer, less experimental. It could be descripted as a "low techno" and may remind "The Köner Experiment" by EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH to those who have downloaded it.
In one word : very exciting and "head in the wall" (my expression), but... each track is probably far too long! A reason for that is that it's recorded live with old synths (Korg SQ10, MS20, MS50 etc...) and it's long to change sounds and structures with them.
Download this live album in 2 parts : part 1 and part 2.

DIG! nostalgia & Drug Rock

As the distributor of the movie DIG! in theatres in France, true emotion when finding a blog called "Music to take drug to". This marvelous blog shares some of the bands we like here : Spacemen 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the totally underated Dandy Warhols who made so many good pop songs, Spectrum, Warlocks, Galaxy 500 etc... And, most of all, you can (or could) download DIG! there! Of course, as a hard worker for "cinema industry" I would advise to buy it, particularly in its american or australian edition (and even spanish, but certainly not the french one!!). Believe me, it's probably the best rock documentary ever, and one of the most exciting movies in the 5 last years, probably the best film I've been working on! Can you believe that is was almost impossible to show it in France, no exhibitor wanted it!?
Here are some posters / adverts we made when the film was released in France. Much better than the american poster no?
When will I have another film like this to work on..?





Please visit the designers CHECK MORRIS' website

THROBBING GRISTLE, CD1

My favourite TG recording, but unfortunatly I don't know much about it, except that it's been released in CD only, thus it was not in the official TG's discography initially.
Those who don't know the famous industrial band can begin with this release, as it's probably their most "pop ambient" effort. Rythms, dark atmospheres, I consider CD1 the most achieved recording they made.
Download it here.
And don't hesitate to purchase the album they recorded last year, when reformed, "The Endless Not", on Amazon or, better, in your records store. Personaly, I was really afraid that it might be a bad try of new electro-industrial music, and it's the contrary : vintage sounds, new spirit, and definitly TG!

EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH, Live at the Dream Palace Orleans (1997, drone)

2 tracks for this extreme drone show. I really like it, but let's confess that it may interest E.A.R fans or drone freaks firstly. Analog synths give their best.
Download it here.

EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH, Phenomena 256 (1996, analog drones)

Another classic album by my favourite drone band. "Phenomena 256" and its sister album "Beyond the pale" (recorded more or less in the same sessions) are probably the most achieved albums E.A.R made. Unlike other later recordings, a true band is playing there, and what a band!
Sonic Boom : Feedback, Synthi VCS3, Drones
Eddie Prevost : Bowed Cymbal
Kevin Martin : Treated Saxophone
Tom Prentice : Electric viola
Scott Riley : Hammer Guitar
Pete Bain : Lap Steel Guitar
Alf Hardy : Voltage Control Adviser

Download it on this MassMirror link.

TERRE THAEMLITZ, Soil / Couture Cosmétique (1995 / 1997 - data ambient)

By request (partly).
Re-up @ 256kps of THAEMLITZ masterpiece "Soil" - believe me, anyone will fall in love of 2 or 3 tracks there (at least t.2 and last t.).
"Couture Cosmétique" is too often boring in my opinion, which is a pitty because there are many interesting parts in it. I've been trying to buy some other recordings by THAEMLITZ, but I confess I've often met deception.

"Soil" & "Couture Cosmétique" can be downloaded in 3 parts on MassMirror (if it works...) :
Couture 1-8
Couture 9 / Soil 1-3
Soil 4-6
Enjoy.

EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH, The Koner Experiment (1997)

Maybe I've already posted this...
Extraordinary collaboration between E.A.R (Sonic Boom & friends) and PORTER RICKS's Thomas Köner. Mix E.A.R analog textures & bowed instruments with Köner low frequency and metronomic pulses (those your neighbours won't like) and that's it. In my opinion it's absoluteluly unique, one of the 10 marsterpieces of my collection. At first glance you may think that the 10 tracks are pretty the same... Then listen carefully tracks 2 and 5! Wouawh, headbanging in the walls!!

Download this fabulous album here.

TIM HECKER, Trade winds, White Noise (2003?, electronic soundscapes)

For those who don't know TIM HECKER, let's say that he's a kind of ambient version of FENNESZ : excellent "granular syntesis", beautiful, clouddy and dreamy tones - all the things I love.
This recording was part of a belgian magazine, "PARACHUTE". I don't know if it's been released separately, before or after.
You'll find it on this Rapidshare link - no cover art.

KIM CASCONE, Cathodeflower (space ambient, 1999)

You'll find now 3 albums from the "Ritornell" series released by Mille Plateaux, a electronic label that unfortunatly does not exist any more and that was probably important for me.
KIM CASCONE's is a very spacy affair, a sound interpretation of cosmos, if it means something. Personnally I love it!
Download it on Rapidshare here .

STILLUPPSTEYPA, Interferences are often requested (industrial ambient, 1999)

STILLUPPSTEYPA made many albums of weird industrial / electronic ambient. From those I know, this one is one of the most electronic and "modern" they made. Very intelligent constructions and warm sounds. Try it here.
No artwork found (same as A. RABELAIS, different color)

AKIRA RABELAIS, Elongated pentagonal pyramid (industrial ambient, 1999?)

Beautiful minimalist and almost melodic piece by AKIRA RABELAIS. From the 3 albums I have, this is the best one by far. Nice textures in this ambient album Nothing more to add, except that you have to try it here.

VILLAGE OF SAVOONGA, Score + Philipp Schatz (1998?, avant-rock)

Nothing special to celebrate the 100.000 visitors since the beginning of this blog last year... I'm really sorry, no time to prepare anything. Thanks for your support, and be conscious I ALWAYS read your comments and try to follow what they say.

This time I share the first 2 albums by the german band VILLAGE OF SAVOONGA, a band that should have been much more reputed in a period when GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR met success. They share with them similar sounds and atmospheres, but their tracks are shorter, more various, and probably stronger (not as boring, symphonic and repetitive as GODSPEED).
"Score", is particularly good and sounds as a classic "avant-rock" album for me. You should begin with it before listening to "Philipp Schatz".
If you read AMG's review you'll see a 3rd album is mentionned. I don't have it, anyone maybe will share it..?

Thanks for your attention. Enjoy VILLAGE OF SAVOONGA's music here.

THE SERPENTS, You have just been poisoned by The Serpents (1998, psych / avant-rock)

Why isn't this album the absolute masterpiece it could have been? Maybe the vocals... maybe useless tracks. I don't know, but be sure you'll find there an incredible mixture of folk, space rock, experimental tracks, somewhere between GODSPEED YOU MY BLACK EMPEROR, NURSE WITH WOUND, FAUST and the likes, and even maybe, BROADCAST. Too eclectic maybe?
Those who love GODSPEED may have been seduced by the kind of supergroup they are (how many members? 10?)... THE SERPENTS are an impressive list of more than 30 names! Jon Savage, who wrote so many books about punk rock, is one of them. I don't know the others.
It's not a surprise Julian Cope wrote something about them. Read his review here and download the album there.
Comments are always welcome, request and demands too!

COLD SUN, Dark Shadows (1970, pop-psych)

Not an upload of my own, but as I've been listening almost only for this album for one week I wanted to share it with friends of my blog (about this, thanks for the encouraging words by Leon).
I really know nothing about the band, to my ears it sounds like a weird mix of retro-pop-psychedelia, with magnificent rhodes (probably) lines and fine guitar works. An album full of surprise, with beautiful melodies. Today I've listened to the 1st track a dozen times, I hope you'll do the same! The only problem maybe : most songs seem to sound the same at first glance. But be patient!
Download it on BLACK ACID.
And what about a cover of this track!? Well, maybe I'll try for fun next week.
About covers : I will post in the next weeks a AMON DUUL 2 cover and a SAND cover I made this year - remember I'm a huge fan of kraut, I could spend years covering all my favourite tunes!

BRISE-GLACE, When in Vanitas (1994, avant-rock)

At last, I'm back - the blog is not abandonned yet! But I had problems with Mass Mirror where it's seems to be impossible to upload files...
BRISE GLACE is a typical "supergroup" you could have met in the 70s in prog / space rock, but actually it's from the "avant-rock" scene of the 90s. Who in the supergroup?
> Jim O'Rourke (before his SONIC YOUTH adventures),
> Dave Grubbs (GASRT DEL SOL),
> Gene Coleman (from the jazz / improv scene),
> Henry Kaiser (guitar imrpviser to compare with Fred Frith),
> Christoph Heemann (HNAS),
> and the album is produced by Steve Albini! Wouch!!
Listen carefully to the 1st two tracks, they are outstanding!
You can download it on this Rapidshare link.

AUTO-PROMO

Some of the covers I like to make, music for my own pleasure.
I listen to the very lo-fi covers of 80s hits I made with a friend of mine, and I confess that I'm proud of some of them. If you are curious or / and interested in the exercice of covers, listen to them on MySpace, and dont't hesitate to rate them and tell which one is good and which one is shit.

On MySpace you'll hear my proposition for :
> a-Ha : I've been losing you
> Duran Duran : A view to a kill
> Madonna : Live to tell
> Modern Talking : You're my heart...

Thanks for your comments / support.
AND : if you make covers too, don't hesitate to tell, and post the links where we can hear them!