Category Archives: Experimental

LARAAJI: VISION SONGS VOLUME 1.

Laraaji: Vision Songs Volume 1. Label: Numero Group. Format: LP. During a career that has spanned five decades, American multi-instrumentalist Laraaji has released around thirty albums and countless collaborations. Many of these albums were self released by Laraaji on cassettes, and feature his unique and inimitable genre-melting sound. This best described as a fusion of …

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A CRUDE MECHANICAL-DISCOURSE.

A Crude Mechanical-Discourse. Format: LP and Digital. Once in a while, a debut album comes along that features groundbreaking, genre-melting music that stands head and shoulders above other albums that have just been released. That was the case with A Crude Mechanical’s much-anticipated debut album, ‘Discourse.’ It was based on a speech made by American …

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IN THE LIGHT OF TIME-UK POST-ROCK AND LEFTFIELD POP 1992-1998.

In The Light Of Time-UK Post-Rock and Leftfield Pop 1992-1998. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ September 2023. Back in the early nineties, a number of British bands decided it was time to explore a different side to pop and rock music. They were going to push musical boundaries and create innovative music. …

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SPACE, ENERGY AND LIGHT-EXPERIMENTAL  ELECTRONIC AND ACOUSTIC SOUNDSCAPES 1961-88.

Space, Energy and Light-Experimental Electronic and Acoustic Soundscapes 1961-88. Label: Soul Jazz Records In 2017, Soul Jazz Records released Space, Energy and Light-Experimental Electronic and Acoustic Soundscapes 1961-88 to widespread critical acclaim. The album quickly sold out and has been out-of-print. Now five years later a new edition of this compilation has just been released. …

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BOB STANLEY/PETE WIGGS PRESENT WINTER OF DISCONTENT.

Bob Stanley/Pete Wiggs Present Winter Of Discontent. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘27th’ January 2023. Karl Marx said that: “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.” This is true. Proof of this was the Winter of Discontent which took place between November 1978 and February 1979. For four long months strikes …

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CULT CLASSIC: MOONSHINE AKA MONICA RYPMA AND FRIENDS-CLASSIFIEDS.

Cult Classic: Moonshine aka Monica Rypma and Friends-Classifieds. When Monica Rypma’s released her album Classifieds as a private press in 1985, little did she know that one day, it would be much-prized rarity amongst collectors and fans of the folk-funk genre. That’s why nowadays, original copies of Classifieds are changing hands for ever increasing sums …

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THE LIBRARY ARCHIVE VOLUME 1 AND 2-FUNK, JAZZ, BEATS AND SOUNDTRACKS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF CAVENDISH MUSIC-COMPILED BY MR THING AND CHRIS READ.

The Library Archive Volume 1 and 2-Funk, Jazz, Beats and Soundtracks From The Archives Of Cavendish Music-Compiled By Mr Thing and Chris Read. Label: BBE Music. Format: 2CD Set. The names Sonoton, De Woife, Amphonic, Conroy and Cavendish Music roll off the tongue of aficionados of library music. This ranges from a coterie of collectors …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-RENAISSANCE.

Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes-Renaissance. Label: BGP. Format: LP. Release Date: 26th August 2022. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes the music of Lonnie Liston Smith, and specially the five albums he recorded with The Cosmic Echoes for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions between 1973 and 1976  This began with …

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MOONSHINE AKA MONICA RYPMA AND FRIENDS-CLASSIFIEDS.

Moonshine aka Monica Rypma and Friends-Classifieds. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. Release Date: 17th June 2022. When BBE Music recently released the compilation We Are The Children Of The Sun, one of the highlights was Monica Rypma’s Let Love Flow, a hook-laden Balearic groove hidden gem. The track was a tantalising taste of the album …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH-LIVE!

Lonnie Liston Smith-Live! Label: BGP. Format: CD. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve describes the music of Lonnie Liston Smith. Especially the music he recorded with The Cosmic Echoes for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions. A total of five groundbreaking albums were released by the label starting with 1973s Astral Travelling. This continued  right through to …

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CULT CLASSIC: PORCUPINE TREE-LIGHTBULB SUN.

Cult Classic: Porcupine Tree-Lightbulb Sun. Between 1987 and 2010 progressive rockers Porcupine Tree released ten studio and twelve live albums. Their sixth studio album was Lightbulb Sun which was released  on May the ‘22nd’ 2000 and was the much-anticipated followup to Stupid Dream, which was released in March 1999. It marked the start of a …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-RENAISSANCE.

Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes-Renaissance. Label: BGP. Format: CD. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes the music of Lonnie Liston Smith, and specially the five albums he recorded with The Cosmic Echoes for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions between 1973 and 1976  This began with Astral Travelling in 1973 with  …

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CULT CLASSIC: KEITH MANSFIELD-VIVID UNDERSCORES.

Cult Classic: Keith Mansfield-Vivid Underscores. Composer, arranger and musician Keith Mansfield nowadays is recognised and regarded as one the doyens of library music and original copies of his albums are now highly collectable. This includes Vivid Underscores which was released in 1977, a year after his other genre classic Contempo. Both albums are now rarities …

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CULT CLASSIC: PORCUPINE TREE-LIGHTBULB SUN.

Cult Classic: Porcupine Tree-Lightbulb Sun. Between 1987 and 2010 progressive rockers Porcupine Tree released ten studio and twelve live albums. Their sixth studio album was Lightbulb Sun which was released  on May the ‘22nd’ 2000 and was the much-anticipated followup to Stupid Dream, which was released in March 1999. It marked the start of a new …

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WARREN HAMPSHIRE-LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS.

Warren Hampshire-Language Of The Birds. Label: Athens Of The North. Format: LP Many people will remember Warren Hampshire as the guitarist in The Bees, who were formed in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight in 2001 and went on to release four albums between 2002 and 2010. However, he wasn’t an original lineup of the …

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MICHAEL ROTHER-FROM SPIRIT OF SOUNDS TO THE SOLO YEARS

Michael Rother-From The Sprit Of Sounds To The Solo Years. By the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving, and  was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being recorded and released by German bands who were part of a new musical movement and were making Kosmische musik. Its roots …

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WARREN HAMPSHIRE-LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS.

Warren Hampshire-Language Of The Birds. Label: Athens Of The North. Format: CD. Many people will remember Warren Hampshire as the guitarist in The Bees, who were formed in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight in 2001 and went on to release four albums between 2002 and 2010. However, he wasn’t an original lineup of the …

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JON SAVAGE’S 1972-1976: ALL OUR TIMES HAVE COME.

Jon Savage’s 1972-1976: All Our Times Have Come. Label: Ace Records. Format: 2CD. First there was rock ’n’ roll and then between 1972 and 1976 morphed and there was everything from art rock, experimental rock and glam rock to hard rock and Krautrock as well as power pop, pub rock and punk rock. The music being released …

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PORCUPINE TREE-STUPID DREAM.

Porcupine Tree-Stupid Dream. Label: Transmission. Format: CD. When Steven Wilson founded Porcupine Tree in 1987, the nascent progressive rock group was essentially a solo project for the twenty year old songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He had no idea that the group would eventually release ten studio and twelve live albums. The story begins in 1988. In …

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FAREWELL RODION LADISLAU ROSCA.

Farewell Rodion Ladislau Rosca. Nowadays, the word innovator is used far too often, but the music that Rodion Ladislau Rosca the founder of Romanian experimental rock group Rodion G.A. recorded  was innovative, influential and way ahead of its time. Sadly, living and making music behind the Iron Curtain meant music fans in the West never …

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