PLANKTON WAT, Dawn of the Golden Eternity (2009, psych folk)

To be back or not to be back?
Well, there are so many things posted on music blogs - a small part of them are listed on TOTALLY FUZZY - that I really wonder if keeping on posting some albums here is not totally useless... particularly if you consider that from this point I may (or I would) post my favourite discoveries on other blogs, rarelly specific material of my own collection...

Well, thanks to "Microphone in the trees" blog and, initially, thanks to SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE - the best psychedelic folk "band" I know - and, always, thanks to some krautrock ancestors (particularly in the DOM / AMON DUUL I vein), I'm in a "in the woods" mood. The music you find is sometimes referred as "american primitivism", though I don't know what it means exactly. Understand : more or less psychedelic folk, often recorded with a very basic production, sometimes more ambient, sometimes more electric, often with a tribal feel.

Here si a good example, with this album by PLANKTON WAT . If you like SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, this is for you.

PS : and of course you buy it if you find it - and of course again, you've bought the beautiful last album released by SIX ORGANS, a return to form after two albums that were not as good as I hoped when they were released.

ALAN LAMB, Primal Image + Night Passage (1995, drone))

So I'm back, probably not with the funniest music. First : with some drones I like.

Honestly, I'm not sure how ALAN LAMB have recorded those dark electric drones, it seems he has captured the sound of electric wires...
But it doesn't matter : the results consist in 2 great drone recordings, that one could compare to NURSE WITH WOUND's "Soliloquy for Lilith" with more tension.

Here is Primal Image, and here is Night Passage (at 192kbps).

MAHOOD, Granular Sintesis (drone / electronic soundscapes, 1997)

I was proud to discover that some of you guys have asked for a repost of my "Granular Sintesis" work, recorded 12 years ago (how can it be so far..?).
More or less 4 tracks (20 minutes), with the exclusive use of a basic software on my Performa 6200, called "SoundEffects". The only source of the sound is sine waves, transformed / cut with the effects of the software (particularly with the most complex, called... "granular synthesis") - except the sampled percussions on track 1 (the only track I really don't like, it's of no use).
I'm particularly proud of the 3rd and 4th tracks (and the transition between), the 4th track was one of my favourite at the time - very hypnotic if you're not irritated by the repetition.
Be concious that it's a really lo-fi recording : 11.000khz, 8bit, recorded on a basic 4 tracks tape recorded, transfered on MiniDisc etc... So if you try play it loud!
Here it is.

ITHACA, A Game for All Who Know (psych pop, 1973)

Excellent album discovered thanks to another blog, and I've finally found the CD (the original LP seems to be one of the rarest...).
I put it in the same category as english psychedelic pop masterpieces like MONTAGE or FUCHSIA - but ITHACA are probably darker, more mysterious, like a Brothers Quay's movie (or even a Burton). Very well composed, with a rich instrumentation, the only thing that can disturb is the girl's voice, bery weird (and very goth!).
Don't miss it! It's here.

The band has recorded one album 3 years before under the name AGINCOURT : same elements, but with a folk sound and not such a success in the result. I may post it if anyone is intersted.

LA DUSSELDORF, 3 albums (1976 / 1981, krautrock / new-wave)

Upon request #2
What can I say? I have no explanation for the reputation of these albums except that they follow the NEU albums.
In my opinion, whereas NEU4 had probably some qualities, the official albums released by Klaus Dingerunder the name LA DUSSELDORF after Michael Rother had left certainly didn't contain the same charisma and mystery as the NEU material. Instead, you hear some kind of pre-new wave music, very basically produced (in comparison NEU sounded almost deep), with voices that I often find ridiculous.
But these days I don't have time to find more interesting things to share, so ok for answering the request. Nevertheless, honestly I prefer by far the albums released by ROTHER under his own name - maybe for a later post.

3 albums :
"La Dusseldorf" is here.
"Viva" and "Individuellos" are there.

NEU!, Neu 4 (19.., krautrock)

Upon request #1
About when the album has been recorded, I'm not sure. Maybe between 1982 and 1986, after the LA DUSSELDORF episode.
Though far less interesting than the previous official recordings NEU, DIE2 and NEU75, NEU4 has its moments. But it's mainly for its historical interest that you'll download it.
here it is.

STEREOLAB, Margerine Eclipse Separate Mono versions (2004, pop)

Probably only for STEREOLAB freaks.
But it shoudn't.

As I told in my previous post, this pop masterpiece recorded in 2004 was mixed in "DUAL MONO", not in stereo, which means that each instrument is recorded on one channel only (left or right). In the end, it's definitly one whole new album on each channel.
I've made the job for you to make it easier to listen on you 2 speakers the 2 versions : there's the "left album" and the "right album", 2 mono albums that are radically different, although it depends on the tracks (am I clear enough?). Of course, the more obvious effect is that some parts are 100% instrumental now, one other is the absence of the classic Stereolab organ on one version - on the contrary it's almost too present on the other - etc... Some moments become absolutely beautiful now, with a kind of minimalism that is new in some way in their music. It allows to hear how talented they are too.

Take this experience as a re-discover of the album.

The 2 versions are here.

STEREOLAB live (2000 / 2006)

4 live shows that I may have already posted last year.
Listening again to their albums "Sound Dust" and "Margerine Eclipse" this afternoon made me want to share something about them, but I don't really want to share the original albums - everyone should buy them! Unlike many STEREOLAB fans, I really consider this pair as their best work to date, and as some of the best pop albums of the 2000 years.
And there's another thing : I've read that "Margerine Eclipse" was recorded in "dual mono" : one mono mix on each L/R channel. That means that there's virtually a different album on each channel - try if you can, that's absolutely true! Maybe I'll separate the channels and share each one later, as "2 alternative versions" of the official album - for the fans of course!

In the meanwhile, find 4 live performances here : the first two recordings were found on the web, their quality is good (they may be radio broadcast). The Paris live shows have been recorded by myself, the 2004 one being much better recorded (smaller theatre, new battery in my mic?) and very interesting, the best one in this selection in my opinion.
Click on the link to download.
Denver, Spring 2000
Munich, Muffathalle, 18.8.2001
Paris, Trabendo, 17.3.2004
Paris, La Cigale, 13.5.2006

DUMP, A Plea For Tenderness (1997, indie pop)

Same comment as for the other DUMP album posted here.
This one is even better though probably too long and not as various in the instruments and production as "That skinny...". In my opinion, it contains major pop hits that everyone who is in BEACH BOYS / BEATLES / BELLE & SEBASTIAN etc... will love.
here it is.

DUMP, That Skinny Motherfucker With The High Voice (2000, indie pop)

It becomes hard for me to post things more often than I do and be sure I'm sorry for this. I don't have as much time as I'd like to for the blog, and as I've said before I'm not sure I've got so many new good and "rare" things to share...
Well, here is an excellent "low-fi pop" album recorded by DUMP. DUMP is the side project of James McNew of Yo La Tengo.
It really has its own sound, with strange synths and low-fi production. You'll find a good collection of easy melodies and interesting covers. I'll post another DUMP album very soon.
For this one, here it is.

BEN'S SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA, live Paris Pop'In, 17.12.2004 (french pop)

Re-up / extraordinary french pop band / pop side of AIR with more energy and without the synths.
Buy the albums somewhere here on Amazon.

à la demande de je ne sais plus qui, qui avait bien raison.
Le son est franchement pourri, le public (des potes?) couvre assez largement la musique, mais n'empêche des chefs d'oeuvre pop comme "From Hull to Hawai" (track 5) d'être aussi bouleversants que sur l'album ("Drifting", impératif dans toute CDthèque qui se repsecte).
On attend - on prie pour? - le troisième album.
ça se passe là (160kbps)

MASSTISHADDHU, Shekinah (1988, dark ambient)

I'm not sure I should have posted this : even it's a really good dark ambient (no electronics, only bowed instruments and percussions, or so it seems), it's certainly not very different from many other dark ambient albums of the area. The most known I think about is the exceptional CURRENT 93's "Nature's unveiled" (re-released this year on vynil and CD, buy it!!), and this "Shekinah" is obviously less intersting.
But... I don't know, I really like it - for dark moods.
Try it here.

MITTELWINTERNACHT, Mittelwinternacht '71 (1971, experimental krautrock)

"Krautrock" because it's german, it's certainly not the case in the music. Even if this only album made by the band (is it a band?) is probably more for the fans of early CLUSTER / KLUSTER and proto-industrial music made in the early 70s, it's not the hardest way to enter the genre. The world you enter is plenty of self-oscillating ring modulators, echoes and darkness, and it's quite beautiful if you accept it - very "good" trips if you're in it. TANGERINE DREAM made some tracks like this in their early years - those I love the most.
Perfect for my "drone area". Please try it here.

PI CORP, Lost in the cosmic void (dark psych, 1973-1976)

(Awful artwork)
Why haven't I posted this album sooner?? It's quite an essential album for those who love the darkest side of psychedelia. It's american, but I could largely compare it with some of the darkest krautrock albums posted here (SIDDHARTA, PATER NOSTER, AMON DÜÜL 2 in some aspects...). And it's very experimental in many ways, there are not so many "conventional" rock songs in it. It's also surprising to discover that it's a compilation made with demos assembled recently, because it really sounds as an full album (except some tracks maybe).
One would say that the recording suffers of basic and amateurish production. It's not false, but we've heard so worse elsewhere!
It's one of the 5 best albums I've discovered thanks to other bloggers, I hope you'll enjoy it.
And it's here.

MAHOOD, The Drone Album (part 2)

A small post of a 2nd drone I've recently made. Very basic recording, once more (sorry - I promise I buy a sound card for my Mac as soon as I can), so please if you try it PLAY IT LOUD.

For this occasion, the instruments were :
> Roland SH5 (synth)
> Roland CR78 (rythm box) plugged in Korg MS20 (synth)
> Korg MonoPoly (synth)

Played, recorded and mixed much faster than "part 1" in near live conditions. And it's shorter too (8'48).
You'll find it here.

Some of you seem to be interested, thanks!

Better Than Prince

FLAIRS, Better Than Prince

NO DOWNLOAD
Un peu de promo pour notre ami FLAIRS, dont l'album "Sweat Symphony" vient de sortir, et qui contient parmi les meilleurs titres electro-pop entendus depuis quelques temps. Le single Better Than Prince est correct, mais pas au niveau, par exemple, du hit absolu qui se trouve sur sa face B, "Truckers Delight".
Vivement recommandé donc.
Vous pouvez achetez l'album sur Amazon ici mais ferez encore mieux en visitant le disquaire du coin.
Enfin, l'animal est en concert le 31 mars à La Maroquinerie. Très bon en live!

:Zoviet*france : Popular Soviet Songs and Youth Music (industrial ambient, 1985)

I'm definitely in a drone mood, someone has suggested me to try a "best 50 albums" of electronic music, but I'd prefer a "best 50 drones"!
ZOVIET FRANCE is not exactly a drone band, they create ambient industrial soundscapes. If you've been on MUTANT SANDS several months (years?) ago you could download many of their rarest albums. What "Popular Soviet Songs..." isn't.
This is the CD edition, I don't know if it's different from the 1985 version (on tape?). Excellent industrial ambient music, most tracks are easilly listenable if you're used to hear ambient. Some of them are probably too repetitive, as sometimes in early ZOVIET FRANCE music. Nevertheless, those 3 CDs are highly recommended.
If you find it on the web, buy it : the sleeve art is nice!
You'll find the music here : CD1&3, and CD2.

PEOPLE, Ceremony : Buddha meet rock (1971, JapRock)

Thanks to a reader, here is the link where you can find many JapRock albums described in Julian Cope's JapRockSampler book - have I said that it's by far not as good as his KrautrockSampler, maybe because the music in the 70s is certainly not as creative in Japan as in Germany...
Anyway, I wanted to share here my favourite japrock album, the only album recorded by PEOPLE.
It cannot be described better than its title does : "Buddha meet Rock". Very pleasant, very well recorded, very peaceful and charming, on the whole completely meditative, rather dark and mysterious. In one word : beautiful.
To compare with a german band : it's probably somewhere between AGITATION DREE's "Malesh" (yet more peaceful) and YATHA SIDDHRA's "A meditation mass" (but more various).
And here it is.

MAHOOD, The Drone Album (part 1)

As I do not have any precise idea about what I want to share these days, here is the beginning a my own series of analog drones. I've recorded many of them since 1997 (first with an old 8bit "granular sintesis" software on my Mac Performa at the time), but few of them really convinced me - and what could I do with them until today?
This first personal post is more a collection of ambiant pieces put together than a real drone, but it's intended to be heard in a drone feeling. Some parts were played live when I played for PanSonic last year (you can hear them on the MySpace link "listen to my music").
Very basic recording (no mastering and basic mixing), and for the occasion the instruments were :
> Korg Polysix
> Korg Monopoly
> Sequential Circuits SixTrak
> Roland Juno 106
> folk guitar
> maracas.

If anyone is interested... here it is!
I may post a new drone each month, it may be more basic drones than this first post.