Category Archives: Ambient

HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS- AWARDS, HARMONIA, CLUSTER AND QLUSTER.

HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS- AWARDS, HARMONIA, CLUSTER AND QLUSTER. The words pioneer and innovator are often overused. However, it is a fitting description of Hans-Joachim Roedelius. He is, without doubt, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of the past fifty years. His music has influenced and inspired several generation of musician. That’s why recently,  Hans-Joachim Roedelius was awarded a Schallwelle …

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NICKLAS SORENSEN-SOLO.

NICKLAS SORENSEN-SOLO. Back in late 2010, Copenhagen based instrumental rock trio Papir, released their eponymous debut album. Papir was released to critical acclaim, and in the process, launched the career of one of the rising stars of the Nordic music scene.  A year later, in 2011, Papir returned with their sophomore album Stundum. It was …

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GURU GURU-UFO.

GURU GURU-UFO. By the late sixties, the members of many British and American bands were well on their way to becoming multi-millionaires. Especially groups like The Beatles and Rolling Stones. They had been at the top for the best part of a decade, and were now enjoying wealth beyond their wildest dreams.  To look after …

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IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET-IMPORT.

IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET-IMPORT. One of the most eagerly awaited box sets of 2015 was Irmin Schmidt’s twelve disc career retrospective, Electro Violet. It was released by Mute Records in December 2015. However, only 1,000 copies of Electro Violet were available. They were like gold dust and finding one of the Electro Violet box sets wasn’t …

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THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART ONE.

THE BEST 55 REISSUES OF 2015-PART ONE. The next stop in my look back at 2015, is the reissues released during the last twelve months. Again, I started with a long-list, and over the course of a few weeks, gradually, narrowed it down to fifty albums. These albums are an eclectic selection, and cover an …

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THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART ONE.

THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART ONE. So far, in my look back at 2015, I’ve picked the best Scottish, Nordic Wave and new albums of 2015. Now we turn to the best box sets of 2015.  Last year, was a good year for box sets, which came in all shapes and sizes. Everything …

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THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART THREE.

THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART THREE. MILES DAVIS-BITCHES BREW 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTORS EDITION. Miles Davis’ recording career began in 1951, when he released his debut album The New Sounds. Soon, Miles Davis was establishing a reputation as a prolific, and innovative musician. He released a further forty-three albums between 1951 and 1969. This …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART ONE.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART ONE. As I continue my look back through 2015, we get to the best albums of 2105. Usually, I choose fifty albums. This year was such a good year for music. So much so, that I increased the list to fifty-five. The artists represented, come from all over …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART TWO.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART TWO. BLACK MOON CIRCLE-THE STUDIO JAMS VOLUME I: YELOW NEBULA IN THE SKY. Norwegian psychedelic space rock band Black Moon Circle are one of the rising stars of the Norwegian music scene. Their previous album Andromeda was released to critical acclaim in October 2014. A great future was …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART THREE.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART THREE. ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE. Errors have come a long way since they were formed in Glasgow, in 2004, by Simon Ward, Greg Paterson and Stephen Livingstone. Back then, Errors’ makeshift studio was a bedroom. That was the Glasgow based musical alchemists laboratory. Through experimentation and innovation, Errors sound …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FOUR.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FOUR. LABFIELD-BUCKET OF SONGS. Five years after the release of their sophomore album Collab, LabField, one of the leading lights of the European improv scene make a welcome return. They returned in 2015 with their genre-melting third album, Bucket of Songs. It was released on Hubro Music. Bucket …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FIVE.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FIVE. SIDSEL ENDRESEN AND STIAN WESTERHUS-BONITA. One of the most eagerly awaited albums of 2015 was Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ sophomore album Bonita. It was released on Rune Grammofon in January 2015. Bonita was the followup to Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ debut album Didymoi Dreams. Just …

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THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART SIX.

THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART SIX. THE WOODBINE AND IVY BAND-SLEEP ON SLEEPING ON. Four years after releasing their eponymous debut album in 2011. The Woodbine and Ivy Band return with their new album Sleep On Sleeping On. It was released in March 2015, on Static Caravan Recordings, and sees The Woodbine and …

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THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 1.

THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 1. For the last few years, Norway has one of the most vibrant music scenes. Gradually, groups from other parts of the Nordic region are beginning to make waves. So it makes sense to add a new category to this 2015’s best of series, the best Nordic …

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THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 2.

THE TWENTY BEST NORDIC WAVE ALBUMS OF 2015-PART 2. GORAN KAJFES SUBTROPIC ARKESTRA-THE REASON WHY VOLUME 2. For the last three decades, Goran Kajfeš has been a key figure in the Swedish music scene.There’s a reason for this. Goran Kajfeš has constantly been  releasing groundbreaking, genre-melting music. To do this, Goran has pushed musical boundaries …

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PHALL FATALE-MOONLIT BANG BANG.

PHALL FATALE-MOONLIT BANG BANG. Three years after releasing their debut album Charcoal From Fire, Phall Fatale return with their eagerly awaited, and extraordinary eclectic sophomore album Moonlit Bang Bang. It will be released on Slowfoot Records on 15th January 2016. Moonlit Bang Bang marks the return of this truly cosmopolitan band. Their story began in …

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HARMONIA-DELUXE.

HARMONIA-DELUXE. In June 1975, the three members of Harmonia returned to their studio in Forst for the recording of their sophomore album, Deluxe which was rereleased by Grönland Records on 18th December 2015. Deluxe would become the followup to Musik Von Harmania, which had been released in January 1974. Sadly, this groundbreaking album had failed …

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INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC.

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROTHER-50 YEARS MAKING MUSIC. During the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving. It was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being released by German bands. This included the holy trinity of Can, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Along with Amon Düül II, …

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HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA.

HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA. Just a week before Christmas, the album that caused Brian Eno to call its makers “the most important band in the world” was reissued on CD by Grönland Records. Sadly, that album didn’t go on to sell millions of copies. Far from it. Musik Von Harmonia, the debut album from German supergroup …

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IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET.

IRMIN SCHMIDT-ELECTRO VIOLET BOX SET. After eleven years and eleven studio albums, Can called time on their career in 1979. By then, Can were rightly regarded as one of the most innovative bands of the Krautrock era. They had enjoyed an almost unrivalled longevity. Can were formed in 1968, by Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt. …

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