AND THEN..?

Let's be honest : I don't have many "favourite rare albums" or recordings any more in my library. So I wonder if it's worth keep on posting things; I could post things that are not my "favourite" albums, but it's not the purpose.
Before closing the blog, I may post my "favourite albums found on the web" - but nothing new for those who, like I do, spend time on those blogs that share so many incredible albums. It would be especially a selection of kraut and psych music.
It's just an announcement, I may change my mind, who knows.
Oh, at last, I'll try to post some of my music, things I'm proud of.
Thanks for your support.

MIDNIGHT OIL, 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1983, alternative)

A new evolution in MO's discography, and a step towards their commercial sounds, "10,9,8..." contains some classic tunes. It's definitly pop music, there are more and more ideas in the structures and the sounds, it's probably brilliant. So, why am I not more enthusiast when I'm listening to it? A bit "cold" and too eclectic maybe. You feel that for the 1st time they were exported out of Australia and could reach the famous "american market" (though I've never understood what it means artistically) and it's the reason why "10,9,8..." does not sound as "honest" as the previous albums maybe.
But I know that this album has more fans than "Head Injuries". Maybe you?
Anyway, I rate it 3,5/5, it's a good album on the long run. So here it is, ripped at 192 kbps.

MIDNIGHT OIL, Place without a postcard (1982, alternative)

Well, you don't seem to believe me very much when I say that "Head Injuries" is an essential masterpiece of the late 70s, seing the statistics... Nevertheless, to end this series, I post 2 more albums by MIDNIGHT OIL.
My favourite after "Head Injuries" is this "Place without...", a more pop oriented indie rock, with various melodies and instruments (more synths and guitar effects). So the music is certainly more various too, and eventually very exciting - some tracks sound like early 80s hits. Here you begin to hear the MO you know, who was going to compose "Beds are burning" or "Put down that weapon", but with a much stronger touch.
A 4/5 for this one, a must have for sure. And you find it here.

MIDNIGHT OIL, 1st 2 albums (1978 / 79, alternative)

Ok, it may be surprising to find some MIDNIGHT OIL albums on a blog thant announces "kraut, weird rock" etc... The reasons why I post these albums are :
1. you don't find them so easilly on the web nor in music stores, a friend of mine has been looking for them but they were so expensive...
2. these are fabulous albums that I've discovered the same years as PIXIES / WIRE etc..., in 1989 / 90 and that every one should have in his iTunes.
So, forget the late MIDNIGHT OIL you know and try this, especially the much more achieved "Head Injuries" in which each track is absolutely! outstanding, except the 1st one. You'll find there what I consider one of the best "singles" ever : "Koala sprint", an incredible prog / punk / new wave sum.
"Head injuries" is obviously their masterpiece, so listen to it first, then try their 1st that sounds more like a mainstream hard / punk band of the late 70S - begin it with such intense a track as "Surfing with a spoon" maybe.

3,5/5 for "Midnight Oil", 5/5 for "Head Injuries". And it's here, ripped at 192kbps.

EDWARD KA-SPEL, Tanith and the lion tree (weird electronic tales?, 1991)

LEGENDARY PINK DOTS' Edward Ka-Spell in one of his numerous solo albums, probably one of his best. Melancolic tunes are mixed with / in noisy tracks and electronic bubbles / collage, it's boring sometimes but can also be really moving, like in the tracks "Tanith and the lion tree" and "Prithee". At last, don't forget that Edward is an early fan of kraut and weird rock and you feel this in his music, transposed in the 80s and 90s. Anyway, very interesting even if you may feel a little depressed at the end of the album : it's a bit dark and tortured.
Find this curiosity here.

CODE III, Planet of man (1974, krautrock)

One of my Krautrock Top 10 albums, a very weird and spacey one. I've probably posted it last year, but once again won't be too much. If you're into early Ash Ra Tempel / Popol Vuh, it's obviously for you!!

From Julian Cope's website :
"Another obscure release from Shulze's little stable of cosmic electro-acoustic troubadours and a fine one at that. Taking as its pretext a concept as big as the formation of the cosmogony itself: this far-out piece of German-ness is in the same vein as Sand's Golem, and The Vuh's first two monoliths. A huge adam-and-eve-adelic experiment into sonic territories hitherto unexplored in 1974. This really was Delta-Acustic's year wasn't it. From the cover onwards the LP is a beautiful fusion of electronic and acoustic folkiness, the Sand LP is really the nearest comparison. Cosmic electronics of whistling and wind effects open up Side One and give the LP a very "Ligeti's contributions to 2001: A Space Odyssey" feel, formless moog ululations and spectral robot voices speaking about primitive (wo)man. The brainchild of Manfred Schunke and Ed Key the LP them merges into a sublime acoustic ur-folk plainsong, picked acoustics and English vocals, the bird whistles bring us right into Granchester Meadows (its very Roger Waters in fact, a re-write of that track and Atom Heart Mother's If); flutes are added and we are in the krautrock Book of Genesis. Primitive atmospherics dominate, until 10 minutes of random drum sounds ruin it slightly (in that 5 minutes would easily have sufficed).

Side Two and Aparna Shakravati adds tambura and chanting one-chord Indian wordless vocal, the whole thing morphing through more elctronic storms and tumult, samples from American and German voices, and we're into a sudden jump into early drum-machine motorik shuffle and trance-synths. Its very "Black Dance" and Klaus finally makes an appearance on Side Two - mid-way - on drums. The epic closer brings back the acoustics and it all builds into a spectacular finale of choral oooohhhs and aaaaaaaaaaahhs that the Germans do so well, including (according to the liner notes) a "Stone Age Choir" and a "Cosmos Choir." Fans of Sand, early Vuh, and early Schulze will love this LP."
I could not say it better!
Download it here, and believe me, you'll listen it for years...

ALIEN SEX FIEND, Who's been sleeping in mu brain (1983, "bat cave" punk)

Back to the old days, again.
Probably because of my interest in JOY DIVISION and consequently in BAUHAUS whose albums were among my first CDs, I've been exploring (a little) the early "batcave" / "gothic" scene - I still think that it has nothing in common with the gothic rock scene from the end of he 80s, it sounds more like a dark version of punk art rock.
ALIEN SEX FIEND has turned during the 80s into a kind of pre-electro dark rock band, a kind of pre-MINISTRY / NINE INCH NAILS (though I don't really know those bands...), sometimes they were ok, but most of the time they were not. But in their early days they really sounded good and quite innovative. What is it precisely? Basically, deviant punk rock, no bass, only old synths / guitar / drums (sometimes tribal) and screaming voices. And I insist : during side A this formula is very good! Tracks like "Wild Women", "I'm not mad" or "Wig Wam Wipe Out" are some underground classics in my opinion, and don't contain yet what would later become the gothic rock clichés. Unfortunately, side B has almost no interest and seems weak in comparison.
Try it here.

THE BUZZCOCKS, Peel Sessions (1977/79, punk pop)

Back to the old days... This is probably one of my first CDs, when this edition was released in 1989. What a shock! Even today I think that 1 : these are some of the best compositions ever in pop music; 2 : even if they are excellent, you won't need BUZZCOCKS' 3 official albums after having heard this collection of songs.
You'll find there the best versions of "Pulse Beat", "What do I get", "Noise Annoys", "16 again", "Hollow Inside", "E.S.P" and probably "Fast Cars" (je me souviens des Inrocks qui expliquait que la basse de Fast Cars était ici dangereusement en retard voire à contre-temps.. ah bon?? Elle est pourtant infiniment plus suggestive que celle, trop lisse, de l'originale non?).
Anyway, because of this, I had immediatly bought the 3 albums and still consider their early discography some of the finest ever.
Here are those 4 Peel Sessions (please note that 2 of them were produced by Factory's Tony Wilson, I confess I didin't know he was a producer too) compiled as "the Peel Sessions Album".

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE, Live Paris Nouveau Casino 6.3.2008

By request.
Opening for SILVER APPLES when in Paris in March, ZOMBIE ZOMBIE consists in 2 fans of krautrock making NEU-like excellent music... but a little too NEU-like maybe!
Don't download this live performance if you donnot have their album that just has been released (see picture above), each track played live is good but much longer than the album's tracks and, to say the truth, much too long! Mechanic drums, vintage monophonic synths' sequences, drones and noises can also be compared with what TANGERINE DREAM would have become if they had not turned into their new-age cliché at the end of the 70s. That means : very good in my opinion.

Find their live sound on this Sharebee link and please try to purchase their album.

Un reproche que je ferai quand même en français à nos petits amis de ZOMBIE ZOMBIE, de TURZI et tous ceux de la bande à PAN EUROPEAN RECORDINGS : est-ce qu'on n'entend pas un peu trop NEU / CAN derrière tout ça, et tant qu'à rejouer le plan, est-ce qu'il ne serait pas plus fun d'y ajouter une touche d'AMON DÜÜL 2 / GURU GURU, un truc un peu fou quoi? Parce que, pour moi en tout cas, à un moment donné tout ça sonne un peu trop mécanique et répétitif - et les albums ne sont jamais loin de tomber des oreilles sur la fin. Pas pour rien si NEU n'a jamais fait que 3 (vrais) albums...
Bravo quand même, parce que c'est globalement extra.

PS : les prochains CDs Pan European ne pourraient pas être en digipack plutôt qu'en plastoc?

LEGION, False Dawn (1992, ambient electronic)

Another Lagowski's release, under the name LEGION. Same digital electronic ambient sound as the previous SETI album, but in a more basic structure : it consists mostly in 2 very long tracks (more than 30' for the 1st one) of floating dark ambient. Even if it doesn't evolve enough, it surely create a particular state of mind for those who will listen for the whole recording.
No artwork found, and I'm not patient enough to scan the horrible artwok of the CD.
The music is here, ripped at 192kbps.

Let's go back to kraut and psych for the next posts, maybe.

S.E.T.I, Knowledge (1995, electronic ambient)

My favourite Lagowski's (here under the name S.E.T.I) recording, and one of his favourite too, according to a recent interview. Pure electronic ambient, but it's quite melodic, so you can try it even if you're not into drone / ambient things. Some really moving harmonies, especially the 3 track. It's definitely THE absolute "space music" experience.
This is the CD edition; curiously, track 4 doesn't appear on the LP (on mine at least).
Find it here, ripped at 192kbps.
Or on this direct rapidshare link (I'm getting bored with the problems with MassMirror).
Later I will post another Lagowki's album, "False Dawn", released under the name LEGION 3 years before.

AFTER DINNER, S/T + Editions (1983 / 1990, Japanese "avant-folk")

Reading Julian Cope's "JapRock Sampler", it's a japanese week for me. You should read it, it's an exciting story of the japanese underground from the late 60s to the early 80s.
Here is the 1st album by cult underground band from the 80s AFTER DINNER, whose female singer is particularly known for her talented voice. Hard to describe, it's a weird folk music mixed with theatrical influences and played in a rather dadaist way.
In addition to the 9 tracks of the album, the CD offers 9 tracks recorded live between 1986 and 1990 and that curiously may be more accessible for the newcomers.
Download this album here.
(and please report when the MassMirror links don't work).

MAHOOD, Granular Sintesis (minimal electronic soundscapes, 1997)

Yes, me, my music and myself. I've finally decided to post my own music, just in case (...of what?). I've never tried to send to any record label any of my recordings : unfinished, unprofessional, not long enough to make an album, there was each time a reason to keep them home. And I didn't have time.
But then blogs and rapidshare appeared. To my surprise, it seems that some you have downloaded my live session when I opened for PAN SONIC last october in Paris, so the same people may be interested in what I've recorded on my 4 or 8 tracks recorder in the past 12 years.
Here is a recording from 1997 that has partially inspired my last live session at Paris - Nouveau Casino. But no old synths here, only my computer (Mac Performa 6200 - just before the iMac era) and a simple software called "Sound Effects". This mini-LP was created using only sine waves transformed with basic effects (excepts the cymbals in the 1st track). I don't like the 1st track, a too basic drone that doesn(t evolve enough, but I'm particularly proud of tracks 3 and 4. It was mixed on the very basic 4 track Porta3 on a simple tape, which explains the sound quality - you have to play it a little louder than usual MP3 and CDs (thanks).
You can download these lo-fi electronic pieces here. Each comment will be appreciated, if any.

LE COIN PROMO

C'est sympa d'écouter de la musique gratos, mais parfois c'est pas mal non plus d'acheter ses loisirs. On fera donc de temps en temps l'éloge ici des choses qu'on a achetées - et aimées.
Jean-Paul Bourre, donc. Le "Guerrier du Rêve", comme il se décrit dans son extraordinaire et épique autobiographie - et qu'importe si son sens du roman l'emporte sans doute parfois sur la vérité. "Guerrier du Rêve" est l'histoire d'une vie abandonnée sans compromis (et jusqu'à un constat finalement plutôt amer) à l'aventure dans son sens le plus large. Où JP, donc, débutera l'aventure à jouer aux cowboys et aux indiens, pour se trouver aujourd'hui acteur-figure d'une contre-culture radicale et plus ou moins rock'n roll. Entre temps, il aura fait la route avec le Grateful Dead, dormi dans les rues avec les hippies de l'époque, tenté de s'acheter une conduite avec une conversion mystique dans un monastère catho, tenu des messes rouges ou noires au Père Lachaise, erré seul dans les bois sur les pas du Grand Meaulnes, parlé avec les Marsiens et les anciens en se branchant sur des pylones électriques, laissé parler des néo-nazis dans son émission sur Ici et Maintenant et à cet occasion défié le CSA, fait le nègre pour quelques ouvrages politiques (dont un de Dominique Baudis qui fit polémique), fait copain copain avec David Tibet de Current 93 (ce qui nous fait plaisir ici) et beaucoup d'autres... Génial et émouvant, il faut absolument l'avoir lu, c'est un grand récit.
Pour le compléter, on peut s'attaquer au plus récent, plus anecdotique mais guère moins puissant "Quand j'étais blouson noir", ou l'histoire plus détaillée de sa période ado, qui eût été "yé yé" chez certains, mais simplement "blouson noir" chez lui. C'est le récit toujours aussi épique d'un voyou d'Issoire qui vit l'aventure rock en grand, en vrai, sans faire semblant. Crevage de pneus et tirage de juppes sur fond de vintage rock (période "Chaussettes Noires", quand même...). Perturbant pour nous qui écoutons du rock rebelle au casque sur nos iPod.
Franchement, vous pouvez y aller banco pour l'un des deux livres, son écriture a la dynamique d'un grand roman d'aventure, on est constamment emporté et souvent touché, personne ne sera déçu. On doit les trouver chez le libraire, sinon, Amazon, ici et là
Et à bientôt pour un prochain coin promo.

ORAL CONSTITUTION, Piss Preik (1993, weird folk)

A kind of CURRENT 93 early follower from Norway, who had recorded before a excellent EP called "Bibel Preik" (limited edition of 600, but you can find it on the web).
In this first LP, there is this strange dark psych folk (and sometimes almost industrial) feeling that had seduced in spite of some ridiculous "gothic" tendencies. The compositions are not as good as in the EP, but the neo-psychedelic production is convincing, and could almost be considered as a pre-ANIMAL COLLECTIVE style (a band I don't really like though).
Download this curiosity (limited edition of 1000 CDs) here.

BEN'S SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA, live Paris Pop'In, 17.12.2004

Repost.
Best french pop band of the 2000's in my opinion, I don't understand why they are not more known. Everyone should have their 2nd album "Drifting" (you can purchase it for cheap on french Amazon). Their beautiful melodies are obviously strongly influenced but teh Beach Boys and the Beatles, they probably do it better than many other contemporary bands.
This live recording, a good performance but badly recorded, is only for those who have the album. DON'T DOWNLOAD IT before listening to the albums!!
Anyway, it's here, and probably not for long...

AIR, live L.A, The Mayan, 12.7.2001

After Sebastien Tellier (sorry for the comments in French, just consider that his live shows are strongly recommended), french psych pop again.
It's a live performance found on the P2P network when on Napster, I don't know if it's rare or not; but it's pretty good, particularly for those who consider that AIR were at their best in the "10.000 Hz Legend" / "Virgin suicides" area.
Tracklist : Electronic Performers / How does it make you feel? / Talisman / Radio #1 / Luck and unhappy / Bathroom girl / Playground love.
192kbps, sound quality is ok.
Find it here.

SEBASTIEN TELLIER, 3 concerts

En photo, Sébastien dans 30 ans, aka Jean-Pierre Dupire, que les parisiens qui prennent le métro connaissent bien.
Re-post opportuniste de 3 concerts déjà posés en ligne à 2 reprises ici, cette fois à l'occasion du succès médiatique massif du dernier album "Sexuality", auquel on préfère ici, infiniment, le 1er "Incroyable vérité" (pas le même niveau de compo quand même - pour les fans de la prod electro-cheap du dernier, on recommandera les futures sections "kraut décadence", ou le kraut progressif synthétique des années réputées les pires, 76 à 79!); à l'occasion, aussi, des concerts complets, comme celui donné à Paris le 30 avril à La Cigale.
Les 3 shows sont enregistrés au mini-disc, avec son moyen forcément, mais recommandés pour les versions, notamment, des titres de "Politics", meilleures que sur l'album.
Paris New Morning 20.1.2004.
Track list : Broadway / Ketchup vs Genocide / Wonderafrica / League Chicanos / Universe / Black Douleur / Benny / Fantino / Bye-Bye / La Ritournelle. 160 kbps (me semble-t-il).
Le meilleur des trois, formation piano / synthé (envolées psyché grand cru de Prophet 5 à 2000E joué par Rob en blaser blanc...) / guitare (Rickenbacker à 5000 effleurée 10 fois dans le set) / basse / batterie (Tony Allen) / choristes (sous-mixées). League Chicanos touchant et tellement mieux que la version album.

Paris New Morning 29.4.2004 "Cabaret".
Track list : Broadway / Black Douleur / Fantino / League Chicanos / Universe / Ketchup vs Genocide /4 covers (Luna Parker, Elsa, Isabelle Adjani, C. Jérôme) / La Ritournelle. 128 kbps je crois.
Formation minimale piano / synthé / basse / guitare - manque un peu de batterie, notamment dans une Ritournelle soudain très pauvre. Reprises sincères, le Luna Parker en serait presque émouvant si le public forcément ironique et complice ne hurlait pas de rire à chaque refrain.

Paris Café de la Danse "Back to rythm" 6.6.2006.
Track list : Bye bye / ? / League Chicanos / Wonderafrica / Universe / Broadway / Une Heure / Black Douleur / Ketchup vs Genocide / Kissed by you / Oh Malheur chez O'Malley / La Ritournelle / La Dolce Vita / Fantino. 192kbps si tout se passe bien.
Formation piano / synthé / basse / guitare / batterie, mais dans une forme plus convenue qu'au-dessus. Versions plus fidèles aux albums. On préférait le côté foutraque du groupe avec le sympathique Rob en 2004, dommage. "Une Heure" en avant première, 18 mois avant la sortie de l'album "Sexuality", et sans voix; on était déjà sceptique. + un inédit à ce jour, à ma connaissance en tout cas. Très beau "Kissed by you" par ailleurs.

Ce que j'aime chez Tellier, c'est qu'on a droit à des choses assez différentes à chaque fois. Si quelqu'un a un enregistrement des 1ers premiers concerts, période guitare + theremin (extra!), on prend évidemment.
Qui se charge d'enregistrer le show du 30 avril?

DAVID SHEA, Mort aux Vaches (1998?)

Posted by ∞, to end this series.
A good overview of early SHEA's works, from ambient and ethnic sounds to electronica and collage.
Find it here.
Thanks ∞.

SCANNER, The Garden is full of metal (1997, electronic soundscapes)

Derek Jarman's word put into music by Robin Rimbaud aka SCANNER, in one of his good albums of the late 90s. Probably not his easiest work, for those who don't know him.
Try it here.