Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2016-PART 7.
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2016-PART 7. Sun Ra-Jazz By Sun Ra Volume 1. During a career that spanned six decades, it’s estimated that Sun Ra released around 125 albums. This includes Jazz By Sun Ra Volume 1 which was released by Poppydisc for Record Store Day 2016. It was one of three Sun Ra albums …
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2016-PART 8.
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2016-PART 8. The Charlatans-The Limit Of The Marvellous-Vinyl. Between 1964 and 1969, The Charlatans’ star shawn bright. They were larger than life mavericks who looked like a cross between 19th Century, wild west outlaws and Victorian dandies. This carefully cultivated image soon began to prove popular with the audience at their …
THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2016-PART 1.
THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2016-PART 1. Having looked at the best of the new albums released during 2016, it’s now time to look at the best box sets released during the last twelve months. These box sets range from lovingly curated, luxurious, limited editions to budget box sets. There’s something for everyone and every …
THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2016-PART 2.
THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2016-PART 2. Klaus Schulze-Dark Side Of The Moog Volumes 1-4. When Klaus Schulze agreed to collaborate with Pete Namlook, little did he realise that this was the start of a partnership that lasted fourteen years. The first volume in the Dark Side Of The Moog series was released in 1994. …
THE WENGER BROTHERS-LIFE AFTER JODI, THE IODI YEARS.
THE WENGER BROTHERS-LIFE AFTER JODI, THE IODI YEARS. Many years ago, a friend bought a copy of Henri Charriere’s Magnus Opus Papillon in a thrift store. Straight away, was hooked by this story of injustice. For the next week, he sat engrossed. Gradually, he neared the end of this hefty tomb. With thirty pages to go, …
GANDALF-JOURNEY TO AN IMAGINARY LAND.
GANDALF-JOURNEY TO AN IMAGINARY LAND. Prior to embarking upon a musical career, and becoming one of Austria’s most accomplished, innovative and successful musicians, Gandalf travelled extensively. That’s why the talented multi-instrumentalist never released his debut album Journey To An Imaginary Land until 1980. By then he was twenty-nine. However, soon, Gandalf would make up for lost time. …
JIMMY SCOTT-I GO BACK HOME-A STORY ABOUT HOPE AND DREAMING.
JIMMY SCOTT-I GO BACK HOME-A STORY ABOUT HOPE AND DREAMING. Prior to his death on June the 12th 2014, Jimmy Scott was one of the last links to what’s considered by many as the golden age of jazz. Jimmy Scott was a friend of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. She was also a huge admirer …
LAURENCE CRANE/ASAMISIMASA-SOUND OF HORSE.
LAURENCE CRANE/ASAMISIMASA-SOUND OF HORSE. It was eight years ago, at the 2008 Ultima festival in Oslo, that Norwegian group Asamisimasa premiered White In Berlin, which had been written by Oxford born composer Laurence Crane. Neither party realised that this would prove to be the start of a fruitful musical partnership. Since then, Asamisimasa have travelled …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1. Adam Holmes and The Embers-Better Still. Just two years after releasing his debut Heirs and Graces, Edinburgh based singer-songwriter returned with his much-anticipated sophomore album Better Still. This time around though, his backing band The Embers receive equal billing. They play an important in the sound and success of …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2. Ches Smith-The Bell. Up until the New York Winter Jazzfest in 2014, Ches Smith had always been a sideman. That night, he led his own trio. Two years later, Ches Smith’s move from sideman to bandleader was complete when he released The Bell on ECM. He assumes the …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 3.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 3. Fire!-She Sleeps, She Sleeps. Back in Fenruary, Fire! released their fifth studio album She Sleeps, She Sleeps on Rune Grammofon. Just like previous albums by Fire! and the Fire! Orchestra the music on She Sleeps, She Sleeps was groundbreaking, influential and innovative. It was also captivating, progressive, genre-melting music. …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 4.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 4. Jóhann Jóhannsson-Ophee On Orphée, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s turned his attention to the beauty and the process of creation. Orphée features Jóhann Jóhannsson tracing a path from darkness into light. Inspiration for Orphée comes from the opéra bouffe Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld). It was written by Ludovic Halévy, …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 6.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 6. Qluster-Echtzei. Forty-seven years after he first co-founded Kluster, Hans-Joachim Roedelius keeps the memory of Kluster and Cluster alive with Qluster. They released their sixth album Echtzeit on Bureau B during 2016. Echtzeit marks a stylistic departure from Qluster. It’s much more ambient sounding album. Qluster combine elements of …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 7.
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 7. Sunanna-Triangle. Triangle is Susanna’s eleventh album and first for four years. It was released on Susanna’s own SusannaSonata label, and is no ordinary album. Not by a long chalk. Instead, Triangle is a twenty-two song cerebral epic, where Susanna muses and meditates on mortality and religion. It’s a powerful album, …
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1 For years, I’ve been writing about the Nordic Wave scene, which is, without doubt, one of the most eclectic and vibrant in Europe. During that period, I’ve witnessed the rise and rise of the Nordic Wave. There’s no sign of the bubble bursting. Quite the opposite. This latest …
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2.
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2. Hedvig Mollestad Trio-Evil In Oslo. In July 2016, the Hedvig Mollestad Trio released two albums. This includes the live album Evil In Oslo. It was released by Rune Grammofon and is the Hedvig Mollestad Trio’s first ever live album. Evil In Oslo is a tantalising taste of the …
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 3.
BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 3. Nicklas Sørensen-Solo. Ever since 2010, Copenhagen based instrumental rock trio Papir’s star has been in the ascendancy. One of the men behind Papir’s success was guitarist Nicklas Sørensen, who released his debut album Solo on El Paraiso Records. He set out to experiment on Solo. However, on other …
BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1.
BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 1. It’s at this time of year I usually say that Scottish music is in rude health. This year, I’m not so sure. There seems to be a dearth of up-and-coming artists and bands making a breakthrough. The only newcomers to this year’s list are Starless, Adam Holmes and The …
BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2.
BEST SCOTTISH ALBUMS OF 2016-PART 2. RM Hubbert-Telling The Trees. For Telling The Trees, RM Hubbert joined by a stellar cast of guest artists. This includes Karine Palwart, Kathryn Williams, Martha Ffion and Anneliese Mackintosh. These multitalented songwriters, musicians and vocalists join RM Hubbert in creating another album of collaborations. Hubby’s first album of collaborations, …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 