• Music

    The Land Of Yrx – Termination Point

    March 25, 2024 - By 

    The Land of Yrx are (were?) a charmingly weird band staffed by members of Audion, perhaps the most important magazine of my youth.  The Freeman brothers would wax on about albums I wouldn’t have the chance to hear in full until I was in my 20s working at a record shop, but their description of said albums always piqued my interest. The most curious releases were ones released by friends.  The Land of Yrx was mentioned a few times, and this was the first time I had the pleasure of actually hearing one of their albums in full.  This one…

  • Music

    Golden Age Of Music

    May 24, 2023 - By 

    Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution – Golden Age of Music Arjen Lucassen is peerless in the Dutch progressive rock scene. His latest album is yet another conceptual opus with not only the sound that made his ban Ayreon legendary, but you can hear influences of peak-era Deep Purple as well.

  • Music

    Sula Bassana – Nostalgia

    November 12, 2022 - By 

    Though he have nearly 20 years under his belt with this band, I have to admit that I never heard David Schmidt’s music until this evening.  Sula Bassana’s latest release, Nostalgia, is a gloriously slow wade into space rock.  It’s heavy, sludgy, and exactly the sort of thing that I want to relax my mind to at the moment.  Dense, but rewarding, listening.

  • Music

    Backspace – Human Nature Architecture

    August 23, 2022 - By 

    It’s bands like this that the blog was initially made for.  Finding a Krautrock band who mix in surf and psychedelic rock coming out of China is a magnificent thing.  Backspace are one of the more brilliant bands to come out of the Middle Kingdom in some time, and I say this as one who is a fan of so many incredible bands popping up everywhere there.  The way they mix these sounds, along with good, punchy, clear production make this instrumental gem an instant favorite.  If it’s released on Maybe Mars Records, it’s a sure sign of quality.

  • Music

    Various Artists – Weedian: Trip To Germany

    April 22, 2022 - By 

    Though I’m not much of a metal guy, I have grown fond of things like desert rock, stoner rock, drone metal and other variants.  The online label Weedian has been releasing free (or pay-what-you-like) compilations of bands in local scenes, and this one covers Germany in 62 tracks.  Most of these bands are surprisingly good, and those of you into things like Saint Vitus or Black Sabbath will find plenty to enjoy in this album.

  • Music

    Cergy-Pontoise – CP01

    January 17, 2022 - By 

    This is a curious release.  Cergy-Pontoise are an Italian duo, and their albim starts out with drone-y ambient sounds but then falls into atmospheric progressive-folk at times, sounding like a better recorded lo-fi artist out of New Zealand, perhaps.  There are also elements of space rock, prog and psychedelic music in this.  It’s a mixed bag in the positive sense of the word.

  • Music - Spoken Word

    Oceanic Vibrations – Vol. 1

    October 19, 2021 - By 

    This is one I’ve been waiting to hear for some time, and it did not disappoint. American poet Shane Beck (who happens to be a very old friend) paired up with British electronic musician Dave Onley as Oceanic Vibrations to join their worlds together elegantly.  Beck’s voice lends itself to the soundscapes Onley produces, melding a clear, heartfelt and pensive poetry draped on top of music that reminded me of early-period Tangerine Dream or even Cosmic Jokers in the more pulsating parts.

  • Music

    Aidan Baker – Lost in the Rat Maze [PWYC]

    January 24, 2021 - By 

    Imagine if you were listening to Neu! with a far more relaxed beat rather than the insistent and incessant pulse the legendary Krautrock band was famous for.  Hear me out on this.  It’s actually quite a magnificent sound to behold, really.  There is a lo-fi, drony vibe to Fanciful Flights after starting quietly, with lots of rumbling on the first two tracks. Aidan Baker has always covered a lot of musical ground on his releases, but this one, muffled as it might sound, managed to hold my interest for the duration of the album.