Category Archives: Avant Garde

CULT CLASSIC: AK MUSICK-AK MUSICK.

Cult Classic: AK Musick-AK Musick. By the early seventies, the West German music scene was thriving. Across the country, new bands were being formed, and releasing new, ambitious,  innovative and experimental music. This had been the case since the late sixties, when the first wave of new bands were formed. One of the earliest groups …

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CULT CLASSIC: DIETER MOEBIUS-BLOTCH.

Cult Classic: Dieter Moebiuso-Blotch  Nearly five years ago, Dieter Moebius who was one of the greatest and most important musicians in the history of modern German music passed away on the “20th” July 2015 after a brave and lengthy battle against cancer. He had  been a cofounder of Kluster, Cluster and Harmonia which are three of the most inventive, innovative and influential bands of …

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CULT CLASSIC: JODI-POPS DE VANGUARDIA.

Cult Classic: Jodi-Pops de Vanguardia. Innovator, pioneer and visionary are just three of the words that were used to describe German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. His career spanned six decades and nowadays, he’s regarded as one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. Karlheinz Stockhausen was also one of the pioneers of …

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CULT CLASSIC: POPOL VUH-MESSA DI ORFEO.

Cult Classic: Popol Vuh-Messa Di Orfeo. Popol Vuh were one of a number of groundbreaking bands who were formed in West Germany in the early seventies, and over the next three decades established a reputation for releasing innovative music that influenced the next generation of musicians. This was the case from the release of Popol …

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CULT CLASSIC: SUNBIRDS-SUNBIRDS.

Cult Classic: Sunbirds-Sunbirds. Back in the seventies, the only German band most British people had heard of was Kraftwerk. A few more knowledgeable music lovers have heard of Can, and maybe, Neu!, Cluster or Harmonia. That however, was the extent of their knowledge of German music. That was a great shame, as Germany in the …

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CULT CLASSIC: KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV.

Cult Classic: Kollectiv-Kollectiv. Musical history is littered with bands who only ever released one album during their career. All too  often, that album fails to find the audience it deserves. This can come as a bitter blow, and sometimes, can lead to the band breaking up. By then, the rock star dream is over and the only …

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CULT CLASSIC: ADELBERT VON DEYEN-STERNZEIT.

Cult Classic: Adelbert Von Deyen-Sternzeit. By 1977, Adelbert Von Deyen was working as a retoucher for a Berlin newspaper. While this kept him busy during the day, he had plenty of free time in the evenings. Wanting to put his free time to good use, Adelbert decided to take up a hobby. The hobby he …

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CULT CLASSIC: LIGHTDREAMS-ISLANDS IN SPACE.

Cult Classic: LightDreams-Islands In Space. Thirty-five years ago in 1981, the British Columbian band LightDreams, released their debut album, Islands In Space. It was a captivating, psychedelic sci-fi odyssey where LightDreams explored cosmic ideology. This was something that had fascinated and enthralled the band’s leader Paul Marcano ever since he first encountered the work and theories …

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CULT CLASSIC: ASHRA-CORRELATIONS.

Cult Classic: Ashra-Correlations. When Manuel Göttsching released Inventions For Electric Guitar in 1975, this was meant to be the start of a new chapter in his career. Inventions For Electric Guitar was meant to be Manuel Göttsching’s debut solo album. Some eagle eyed record buyers weren’t so sure about that. Atop the album cover to …

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TIME BURGESS AND BOB STANLEY PRESENT TIME PEAKS-SONGS FOR A LATE-NIGHT DINER.

Tim Burgess and Bob Stanley Present Tim Peaks-Songs For A Late-Night Diner. Label: Ace Records. On April 8, 1990, the first series of Twin Peaks, which was created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, made its debut on ABC, and quickly, gained a cult following. Viewers in Britain and America were captivated by what was …

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LUMAN DRONES-UMBRA.

Lumen Drones-Umbra. Label: Hubro Music. Four years after Lumen Drones released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album on ECM Records in late-2015, Nils Økland, Per Steinar Lie and Ørjan Haaland recently return with their much-anticipated followup Umbra, which was released on Hubro Music. Umbra is an epic album that doesn’t disappoint and marks the welcome …

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TRIBE-HOMETOWN: DETROIT SESSIONS 1990-2014.

Tribe-Hometown: Detroit Sessions 1990-2014. Label: Strut and Art Yard. The story of Tribe began in Detroit in 1971, when saxophonist Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin cofounded the groundbreaking independent jazz collective. This was just the start and soon, the pair decided to setup a live collective and founded Tribe Records.  Their new indie jazz …

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CULT CLASSIC: SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA-THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.

Cult Classic: Sun Ra and His Arkestra-The Other Side Of The Street. Nowadays, music journalists are guilty of using the words innovator and pioneer for too freely, but that is the perfect description of the inimitable Sun Ra. He’s   now regarded as one of the true pioneers of free jazz and a truly innovative …

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CULT CLASSIC: MOUVEMENTS-MOUVEMENTS.

Cult Classic: Mouvements-Mouvements. In the late-sixties, self-taught guitarist and jazz aficionado Christian Oestreicher, who was later described as: “a savage in the era of twist and free jazz,” met artist and painter Richard Reimann who was famous for his optical art, at the renowned Aurora art gallery in Geneva, Switzerland. This was the start of …

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MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY-VINYL EDITION.

Motorpsycho-Angels and Daemons At Play-Vinyl Edition. Label: Stickman Canada. Nowadays, not many bands stay together thirty years and  longevity seems to be a thing of the past in the music business. Sadly, so is releasing an average of an album a year. That was common in the sixties and seventies but not any more. Very few bands …

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MUSIC FROM JARVIS COCKER’S SUNDAY SERVICE.

Music From Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service. Label: Ace Records. When it was announced in 2010, that former Pulp frontman, and songwriter-in-chief, Jarvis Cocker, was about to present a show on BBC 6 Music, his statement of intent was posted on the Corporation’s website: “It is my intention to fill these hours with as much dodgy …

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CULT CLASSIC: MANUEL GOTTSCHING-INVENTIONS FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR.

Cult Classic: Manuel Göttsching-Inventions For Electric Guitar. When Manuel Göttsching released Inventions For Electric Guitar in 1975, it was regarded as a new chapter in his career. Inventions For Electric Guitar was Manuel Göttsching’s debut solo album, and first release after releasing five albums as Ash Ra Tempel. Or was it? Eagle eyed record buyers having …

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CULT CLASSIC: GANDALF-JOURNEY TO AN IMAGINARY LAND.

Cult Classic: 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 …

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MOGWAI-TEN RAPID (COLLECTED RECORDINGS 1996-1997).

Mogwai-Ten Rapid (Collected Recordings 1996–1997). Label: Rock Action Records. Nowadays, there aren’t many bands that stay together twenty-eight years, and release thirteen studio albums, five soundtracks and two live albums. There’s also the small matter of two remix albums and the four compilations that the Glasgow-based band Mogwai have released. The very first album that Mogwai …

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IKARUS-THE STORY OF KRAUTROCK’S NEARLY MEN.

Ikarus-The Story Of Krautrock’s Nearly Men. In Greek mythology, Icarus, the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who created the Labyrinth, met a tragic ending. Icarus and Daedalus were desperate to escape from Crete. So Daedalus constructed wings made of feathers and wax. As Icarus prepared to make his escape, Daedalus warned his son of complacency …

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