Category Archives: Psychedelia

CULT CLASSIC: AGITATION FREE-2ND.

Cult Classic: Agitation Free-2nd. Berlin, in 1967  was where the Agitation Free story began. That was when Lutz ‘Lüül’ Ulrich, Michael ‘Fame’ Günther, Lutz ‘Ludwig’ Kramer and Christoph Franke formed Agitation. This new band quickly established a reputation as one of the pioneers of Berlin’s underground music scene. When Agitation played live, their sets were …

Continue reading

TEA AND SYMPHONY: THE ENGLISH BAROQUE SOUND 1968-1974. 

Tea and Symphony: The English Baroque Sound 1968-1974. Label: Ace Records. Release Date: ‘31st’ January 2020. As the sixties gave way to the seventies, music in Britain was changing, with rock becoming and harder and heavier as groups like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath emerged and went on to become three of the …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: CAN-FUTURE DAYS.

Cult Classic: Can-Future Days. In the history of modern German music, Can were undoubtably one of the most ambitious and innovative  groups of the past fifty years. Their music was constantly evolving and was always groundbreaking. So much so, that it was always way ahead of the musical curve. Ca’s music is also  timeless and has influenced several generation of musicians. …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: PETER WALKER-“SECOND POEM TO KARMELA” OR GYPSIES ARE IMPORTANT.

Cult Classic: Peter Walker-Second Poem To Karmela” Or Gypsies Are Important. Back in 1967, Peter Walker released his seminal album Rainy Day Raga, which was released on Vanguard Records. Since then, it’s become a cult classic. Many people though, thought Rainy Day Raga wa his only album. It wasn’t and The following year, 1968, Peter …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC:REQUIEM-FOR A WORLD AFTER.

Cult Classic: Requiem-A World After. For six months, George A. Speckert and Massimo Grandi laboured long and hard in Sparky Studios to record Requiem’s debut album For A World After. Eventually, the two men had completed what was an ambitious and innovative concept album, For A World After.  It had been written by George A. …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: GURU GURU-UFO.

Cult Classic: 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 who  had been at the top for the best part of a decade, and were now enjoying wealth beyond their wildest dreams.  To …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: SKID ROW-34 HOURS.

Cult Classic: Skid Row-34 Hours. By late 1967, Dublin’s vibrant rock scene was thriving with many newly founded bands playing in universities and clubs around the city. Some were already spreading their wings, and heading further afield taking their music to other parts of the Republic of Ireland. Its music scene had come a long …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: DAVID AXELROD-SONGS OF EXPERIENCE.

Cult Classic: David Axelrod-Songs Of Experience. By 1968, composer, musicians and producer David Axelrod was just about to embark upon a solo career after nine years working in the music industry. Buoyed by the experimental climate of popular music, David Axelrod wrote and recorded what was akin to a suite-like tone poem that was based …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: AKSAK MABOUL-UN PEU L’AME DES BANDITS.

Cult Classic: Aksak Maboul-Un Peu de L’âme Des Bandits. Nearly three years after releasing their seminal avant pop album, Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine in the summer of 1977,  Aksak Maboul returned with their much-anticipated 1980 sophomore album Un Peu de L’âme Des Bandits. It was the first album Aksak Maboul released on Marc …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: BÄTTRE LYSS-TILL DEN STRANG SOM BRAST AN ATT ALDRIG SPANNA EN BAGE.

Cult Classic: Bättre Lyss-Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge. When the Swedish band Bättre Lyss released their debut album Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge as a private pressing on the Musiklaget label in 1975, they had no idea that five decades later this psychedelic …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: NEU!-NEU!

Cult Classic: Neu!-Neu! There aren’t many artists who after leaving one of the most pioneering groups in musical history, end up founding another groundbreaking group. That’s what happened to Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother who had both been members of Kraftwerk, but left in 1971. After leaving Kraftwerk, the pair  founded Neu! another Kratrock band.  …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: GORDON JACKSON-THINKING BACK.

Cult Classic: Gordon Jackson-Thinking Back. Nowadays, Gordon Jackson’s 1969 lost classic  Thinking Back, which has just been reissued by Sunbeam Records, is often referred to as a: “lost Traffic album.” However, that isn’t strictly true, despite Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Steve Winwood all play on Thinking Back. As is often the case, there’s more …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

CULT CLASSIC: THE BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE-THE BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE.

Cult Classic: The Bonniwell Music Machine-The Bonniwell Music Machine. In 1955, Sean Bonniwell’s life changed when he heard The Platters’ Only You and decided to become a musician. Eventually, his dream became a reality, and he became one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the mid-sixties. With his band The Bonniwell Music Machine, Sean …

Continue reading

THE LONDON AMERICAN LABEL YEAR BY YEAR 1967.

The London American Label Year By Year 1967. Label: Ace Records. For a generation of British teenagers who embarked upon a lifelong love affair with music during the fifties and sixties, the London American Recordings will forever have a place in their heart. London American Recordings was the label that introduced a British music lovers …

Continue reading