VLADIMIR COSMA ~ INSOLITE AND CO. (1969, PSI, FRANCE)

1. Pavane Spatiale    

2. Psychoshisme    

3. Informatique    

4. Hypotension    

5. Mecanissimo   

6. Batiskafka   

7. Anticorps  

8. Transmutations  

9. Obsexion  

10. Cristallisation   

11. Etherisation  

Romanian-born Vladimir Cosma wrote compositions for films by likes of Jean Luc-Godard and Terry Gilliam along with several notable orchestras, etc...but besides his long list of enforcing credentials, I simply think this album is profoundly moving! It captures a certain stillness in its moments and guides you along its rigidity before it unexpectedly bends.

DOWNLOAD HERE!

YURI MOROZOV ~ HUMAN EXTINCTION (1979, UNKNOWN, RUSSIA)

1. Ария демона (demon aria)

2. Катастрофы (accidents)

3. Фиолетовая вибрация  (purple vibration)
4. Летающие тарелки (flying saucers)

5. Мистерия эроса (the mystery of eros)

6. Битва бронтозавров (battle brontosauruses)

7. Пляски машин (dance machines)

8. Сигналы помощи (aid signals)

9. Агония  (agony)

There is not much information to be found on Yuri Morozov, for the exception of a brief interview where when asked how many albums he recorded he responded with "14,7 kilos (tapes)"! That's 45 albums! Since then, there've been sixty altogether all recorded in his cluttered St. Petersburg apartment. This one was released in 1975 in the USSR, making it unfathomable that such a brilliant mess could ever be realized under a communist regime. His music is ethereal, dreamy, totally crazed, and is reminiscent of Edward Artemiev, going four nights without sleep, and seeing light for the first time. It's fucking far-out and I hope you enjoy human extinction as much as I do.

Download here!

STEVE MAXWELL VON BRAUND ~ MONSTER PLANET (1975, CLEAR LIGHT OFJUPITER, AUSTRALIA)

1. monster planet

2. shadowfax

3. spirit

4. crystal forest

space cadet stephen maxwell von braund's activities in the more known cybotron might make him a name in cosmic synth circles circa 70's/80's. this first pre-cybotron von braund (with a very steve hillage eruption on the first track) is mostly just hammed up synth rippling into SPACE. think summer material, highway, turning it over and over in the car.

download here.

ANDRE JAUME & MICHEL REDOLFI ~ HARDSCORE (1980, COTE D'AZUR, FRANCE)

more known for his electro-acoustic landscapes, michel redolfi's association with the largely free music-focused group hat hut records, got him together with both sax and clarinet improvisor jaume (joe mcphee, raymond boni and charlie mariano) though hardscore itself wasn't actually issued on the hat hut label, you should still check it out.

this thing is a thing of bliss. enjoy, enjoy.

download HERE.

AKIRA ITOH ~ BUDDHA (1982, COLUMBIA, JAPAN)

akira itoh (with masanori takahashi or kitaro), keyboardist, from far out and far east family band, made this album inspired by osamu tezuka's (one of japan's most famous manga artists) buddha.

download here.

CHRONICLE ~ ...LIKE A MESSAGE FROM THE STARS (1977, ALL EARS RECORDS, JAPAN)

1. ai ga areba (if there is love) 

2. ai ni tsutsumare (it always is) 

3. honto no yume (really a dream) 

4. yuma kara samete (then dream again) 

5. toki ga tatsunowa (time is passing) 

6. tshikematai (i'd like to make sure) 

7. iwamara tokino subete (now's the time) 

8. hikarini tsutsumare (wrapped in sunlight) 

9. like a message from the stars 

10. tabi (we all)

chronicle is ex-far out bassist kei ishikawa. when far out broke up, guitarist and vocalist fumio miyashita formed the one and only far east family band (hirohito fukushima, akira ito, kitaro, akira fukakusa, shizuo takasaki). kei ishikawa moved to california with keyboardist kenji mishiro, guitarist: nobuo hotchi, and drummer: osamu takeda (another ex far-out member) and formed CHRONICLE. this is some (uh...a bit cheesy but totally amazing) space rock, far out influenced prog with mellow keyboards, zonked out guitar jams and super dreamy space 'scapes. PROG OUT.

download here.

YOSHI WADA ~ EARTH HORNS WITH ELECTRONIC DRONE (1972)

having studied under prandit pran nath, yoshi wada is far out. wada uses a number of homemade instruments he likes to give names to. "pipe horns" (very long horn-type instruments made from metal plumbing pipe) as well as large reed instruments involving multiple bagpipe-like pipes connected to a large air compressor; due to their appearance, wada named these latter instruments alligator and the elephantine crocodile. his music has been scarcely released on recordings, having seen only two lp releases, on india navigation (1982) and fmp labels. lament for the rise and fall of elephantine crocodile, the appointed cloud and off the wall were reissued by japanese labels em records and editions omega point in 2008. constant electronic drone with wada's DIY "pipehorns" that are tuned to the frequencies of the room. long form drone, heavy, dense, massive, mind expanding, body enveloping, earth shaking, absolute DRONE. forget your existence.

download here.

Morio Agata ~ Chikuonban (Vivid Sound, 1970)

This album is on repeat today, and probably will be, until winter ends
and summer ends
and winter begins
etc.

Download here.

LELAND ~ THIS IS MY WORLD (CONTEMPT, 1976)

a:

lucky man

goodbye, my loneliness

i've got some happiness

b:

sail a crest

trip ship
this is my world

there's not much to be found on the internet about leland but he makes some good tunes.

Maria ~ うたかたの日々 (Better Days, 1983)

 Side A
そこから...
視線

Side B
花が咲いたら

Side C
不自由な鼠
空に舞うまぼろし

Side D
心臓の扉
少年

This is probably one of my favourite albums, as of right now. On the Better Days label (Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yasuaki Shimizu) and sung in Armenian and Japanese, this tune is perfect for summer.

Pandit Pran Nath ~ Earth Groove (Mississippi, 1968)

Two ragas, this record released on Mississipi's subsidiary -- Change Records, was, is, the first release of king Nath. Pran Nath collaborated with the likes of La Monte Younge and Terry Riley and their far-out, post-lingual aesthetic he helped to develop.

Download!!

Joakím Skogsberg ~ Jola Rota (Gump, 1971)

A:

Jola Från Ingbo
Offer Rota
Frirdens Liljo
B:
Besvärjelsens Rota 
 Jola Från Stensäte
Jola Från Leksand

Joakim immerses himself in the Swedish landscape and draws heavily on traditional jolor vocalising, creating a wyrd gem, an infusion of low-key fuzzed up violins, rattling hand percussion, droning vocals and pulsating bass rhythms.

The album was for the most part recorded out in the woods, on reel-to-reel-tape recorder. Subsequent droning sounds were recorded in a tiny closet in a Stockholm suburb.

Download.

Ros Serey Sothea ~ Boiled Snail Girl (El Suprimo Records, 2007)

Samlagn Chet Oow - សំលាញ់ចិត្តអើយ (ពោល)K

Ka Dik Dol Heru - កក្តិកដល់ហើយ

Hen Vie Kormom - ពេញវ័យក្រមុំ

Sra Muy Kev (Srolang Oun Tov) - ស្រាមួយកែវ

Rom Pheuy Phat - រំភើយផាត់ជាយ

Lolok Sor Kut - លលកសគូថ

Youk Vachun Vey Sneh - ជើងមេឃពណ៌ខៀវ

Phey Arvey Mles Te - ភ័យអ្វីម្ល៉េះទេ

Eom Peung Rompeung - រំពឹង រំពឹង

Phamourng Kor Tea - ផាមួងកទា

Kompong Saom Deil Khgnom Neuk - កំពង់សោមដែលខ្ញុំនឹក

Cho Cgeay Neangvong - ជជាយនាងវង

Som Bong Kao Pukmoat - សុំបងកោរពុកមាត់

Ao Komping Puy Euy - ឱកំពីងពួយអើយ

Up Pei Tee Rub - អប្រិយតែរូប

Nik Eruy Sen Nik - នឹកអើយសែននឹក

Mdaay Khmek Mokleng - ម្តាយក្មេកមកលេង

Saryka Prot Ku - សារិកាព្រាត់គូរ

"When Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk gave her the official title, "Queen of Golden Voice," Ros Sereysothea was the most popular female singer in Phnom Penh's psychedelic scene; but ultimately her life was an unhappy one. Born Ros Sothea to a large family in the Battabong province, Sothea's father walked out early on, leaving her mother struggling to provide for her five children. As a way to help support the family, Sothea sold boiled snails in the village and was often heard singing as she walked from place to place. In fact, her family sang and performed to earn extra money; Sothea and her brother, Serey, became known throughout the area for their powerful voices, even winning local singing contests. Sothea would eventually pay tribute to her brother by combining their names.

Changing her name when she moved to Phnom Penh to pursue a music career, Ros Sereysothea sang in a variety of restaurants and bars before catching the attention of Sinn Sisamouth, the most popular male singer in Cambodia. She recorded her first single in 1967 and a number of duets with Sisamouth, eventually catching the ear of the once and future King Norodom Sihanouk (Sihanouk was ousted in 1970 by the Lon Nol government, reinstated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, ousted again, and reinstated in 1993). Starting in the 60s with the invasion of Vietnam, the US Armed Forces Radio broadcast pop and rock songs throughout the region, including Phnom Penh, where many people fled during the US bombings of rural areas in Cambodia. Inspired by these new sounds, Western-inspired bands popped up around the city, infusing traditional Khmer songs with Anglo pop hooks. The most hopeful time in Sereysothea's life was in the early 70s when she fell in love with a parachutist for the Lon Nol government. She experimented freely with different musical styles, starred in a few movies, and became a consummate parachutist with the help of her lover. After the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot took power in 1975, they sought to purge the country of Western influence. Sereysothea was kidnapped in 1977 and treated with great cruelty. She was forced to dig ditches, sing revolutionary songs for the new regime, and married against her will to one of Pol Pot's assistants, who savagely beat. Her whereabouts after 1978 are unclear, but there were rumors she was found shackled and starved in one of the rural work camps. Another account found her cleaning out the pens at an industrial pig farm and subjected to general humiliation. Regardless, she was never heard or seen from again and most likely died, along with her family, at the hands of Khmer Rouge.

The songs compiled on this collection are inspired by Sereysothea's haunting voice in light of her tragic life. It should be noted that these are not original recordings, but rather products of the karaoke lip-syncing phenomenon endemic to Southeast Asia. Chlangden pop is the pervasive and ribald practice of adding a drum machine track and sometimes other instruments over a classic tune to make the song "new" again. Primarily used in karaoke bars, these songs have been reviled, justifiably, both for their disrespectful treatment of cultural history and also for ruining many songs by drowning out the vocals and muddying the tracks. Just the same, it is almost impossible to have access, in Cambodia as well as in the West, to many of the original recordings. Culled from over 300 hundred Chlangden tracks, Boiled Snail Girl offers songs more or less unavailable in any other form. While far from substituting the originals, Chlangden appropriations like "saryka prot ku" and "lolok sor kut" showcase Ros Sereysothea's fearless experimentation while offering a transcendently mutant view into how classic Khmer singers continue to live on in Cambodian culture today." ~ Murky Recess

Hey.

Various ~ Persian Underground (Persianna, 2010)

  
A:
Zangoleah ~ Uncle Chainmaker
    Saeed ~ Avenue Of Love
    Big Boys ~ I Was Thinking About You
    Zangoleah ~ Springs
    Takkhalha ~ Mastom, Mastom
    Kambiz ~ Love Knowledge
    Kambiz ~ Way To Life

B:
    Takkhalha ~ Rain And Rain
    Ojooba Ha ~ Shirley
    takkhalha ~ Play With Fire
    Tigers ~ Take Leila Away
    Big Boys ~ Bartender
    Zangoleah ~ Wish Map 

    Tigers ~ Koori Shin Baba 

YA.

Various ~ Pomegrantas (Finders Keepers Records, 2009)

A:
Zia ~ Helelyos
Mohammad Nouri ~ E Safar Bandim
Mehrpouya ~ Soul Raga
Googoosh ~ Talagh
B:
Kourosh Yaghmaei ~ Gol-e Yakh
Parva ~ Mosem-e Gol
Noosh Afarin ~ Gol-e Aftab Gardoon
Soli ~ Miravi
C:
 Marjan ~ Kavir-e Del
Sima Bina ~ Naz Kardanet Vaveyla
Soli ~ Negar
Googoosh ~ Bermon Ta Bemounam
D:
Zia ~ Kofriam
Ramesh ~ Sharm-e Boos-e
Driush ~ Cheshm-e Man
Googosh ~ Gol Bi Goldoon

Iranian classics thrown together with other oddities. You should listen.

BOOM!

Taj-Mahal Travellers ~ July 15th, 1972 (Columbia, 1972) & August 1974 (CBS/Sony, 1972)

A:
The Taj-Mahal Travelers Between 6:20~6:46P.M.
B:
The Taj-Mahal Travelers Between 7:03~7:15P.M.

The Taj-Mahal Travelers Between 7:50~8:05P.M. 

A:

I
B:

II
C:

III

D:

IV

"Here's an early sound expedition from our heroes of the 70's Japanese avant-garde. This is the kind of sound that it's pretty hard to put a finger on. You won't find yourself humming (or even remembering) what this band does, but you very well may find yourself coming back to the recordings often. I like to be disoriented by music and be puzzled by what exactly is in the instrumental mix. The Taj Mahal Travellers are masters of those particular traits. There are three tracks present here, and considering that this band peddles amorphous sound, I'd say they there is a reasonable amount of stylistic variation. While not necessarily a rip-off, the first track recalls the interstellar sound journeys of early Tangerine Dream. Think of it as the further explorations of Alpha Centauri or Ultima Thule. The second track makes me think of hanging outside of a disintegrating Buddhist temple with a fellow playing a broken accordion. It does have a touch of throat singing, and I'm always a sucker for that. The final track attempts to lull you into a hypnotic state with a droning fiddle. The attempt is nice, but I'm a cello player and I like to hear lower register, less scratchy strings. A good 90% of the populace would probably dismiss something like this as pointless noise. If you've taken the time to read through the Psychedelic Garage, I'd wager that you very well may be open to these sounds and fit in that last 10%. It's not elitism; some of us are just crazier than other and this disc will fuel your insanity." - Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscurities

Here and here.

The Flowers ~ Discography (Pop Aural, 1979)

A:

Confessions 

B:

(Life) After Dark

A:

Criminal Waste

B:

After Dark

A:

Ballad Of Demeanour

B:

Food
Tear Along

Scotland. Simon Best, drummer, originally did sound for The Mekons, Delta 5, and Fire Engines. 

White Heaven ~ Out (P.S.F. Records, 1989)

A:
Blind Promise

Dull Hands
Fallin' Stars End

B:
My Cold Dimention
Mandrax Town
Out

Some punks from Tokyo. The beginnings of White Heaven date back to 1980, originally being Living End, by You Ishihara. After a harem of musicians, eventually settling in 1984, You had found who he wanted: You on vocals, Michio on guitar, Ken on drums, and Naohiro Yoshimoto on bass. The band finally issued its first official record, in the spring of 1991, the P.S.F. label release: Out.

Pale Cocoon ~ 繭 Mayu (Pafe, 1982)

A:

Sora
Shunmin
Musoukyoku
Mizutamari
Onshitsu
Kumoatsume

B:
Toy Box
Laboratory Under the Blue Sky
Room=Manhole
Automatic Doll
Microscorp
FLALORM

Some more stuff from the Ishikawa prefecture's DIY tape scene. A whole lot goes on here: warbly synths, rickety metronomic percussion, field recordings, alternating between pastoral and cloistered without ever losing the consistency of a private universe of warmth and slowness, like being in a cocoon.


tape.
 

Ishikawa prefecture’s DIY

Ishikawa prefecture’s DIY

Ishikawa prefecture’s DIYç

Ishikawa prefecture’s DIY

The Nixe ~ The Nixe

Rock Against Records, 1981

Dolly Mixture ~ Demonstration Tapes

Self released, 1983

Here or here.

Amos & Sara ~ Invite To Endless Latino

It's War Boys, 1983

Here and there.

The Cigarettes ~ Will Damage Your Health

Detour, 1979

Here and there.

Martin Denny ~ The Enchanted Sea

Liberty, 1969

Here or there.

Simon Finn ~ Pass The Distance

Mushroom, 1970

Here or there.

(Sometimes one song isn't enough.)

Mark Fry ~ Dreaming With Alice

Sunbeam, 1972

Here or there.

Bridget St. John ~ Ask Me No Questions

Dandelion, 1969
Here or there.

The Siddeleys ~ Slum Clearance

Matinée, 1980s

Here or there.

The Wake ~ Harmony & Singles

Les Temps Modernes, 1982

Here or there.

 

Henry's Dress ~ Henry's Dress

Slumberland, 1993

Here or there.