Saxophonist Frank van der Kooij was a member of the Hugh Hopper Band for many years. When that project finally closed up shop, Frank asked Hugh to participate in a new project, NDIO. This is one of the fruits from that collaboration.
Music Technology
[Music] JOHN 3:16 – עשר
Our friend from Alrealon Music and JOHN 3:16 main man, Philippe Gerber, has graced us with a new, extremely powerful release.
Right from the outset, Gerber hits us with the (early) Floydian drone of The Sun Shall Be Turned Into Darkness, which is so reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s evergreen, Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun, without the percussive elements, but focusing more on a lilting drone. As the disc progresses, you are treated to genre-splicing par excellence. Progressive rock drifts into post-rock, supported by a skeletal percussive framework and an ethereal drony element serving as ether holding everything together.
In all, this release has 29 tracks, which makes עשר such a generous offering. Philippe has much to be proud of with this release.
[Music] Kim Oki – The Great Root
I have to thank Andrew Jervis who publishes Bandcamp’s weekly radio show for hipping me to this release!
Kim Oki is a saxophonist and composer out of South Korea who hashes together a sweet combination of free jazz, Korean traditional music and fine psychedelic rock and folk into a warm, coherent, and at times, challenging stew. Very pleasant listening!
[Music] God Cancer – Late Night Sessions
God Cancer is a new side project by Per Najbjerg Odderskov, a friend of this blog and the brains behind the stellar Destruktionsanstalt, reviewed here last year as well as in 2016.
This isn’t ambient music, at least not in the fluffy wallpaper sense. This is harsh, brutal, and reminiscent of something between early Industrial music and a radiophonic opera in the manner of Daphne Oram.
You can say that this is headphone music, but it’s the sort of headphone music which will leave you feeling quite disturbed and covered with goosebumps. After playing the album several times, I began to realize that this would be appropriate for a stop-motion masterpiece directed by Jan Švankmajer. Yes, it’s that brutal.
UPDATE: Per let me know that this release will be available on cassette from Splitting Sounds Records out of Serbia in either April or May of 2018!
[Music] Kikagaku Moyo – Forest of Lost Children (2018 Reissue Pre-Order)
Japanese band Kikagaku Moyo have become my favorite modern psych band. Though this particular release came out in 2014, it has now been reissued on vinyl. The band carry the tradition of bands like Ghost and and perhaps The Flower Travellin’ Band.
[Music] Olaf Olafsonn and the Big Bad Trip – The Feathers of Oblivion IV: Winter
Prague-based band Olaf Olafsonn and the Big Bad Trip offer a music straddling the borders of black metal and psychedelic rock. The riffs are monstrous, and there are glimmering moments of 70s hard rock in this release.
[Music] A-BELL – Вода моей души
A-BELL is the one-man project of Leonid Churilov out of Minsk, Belarus. There is a dark, creepy, lo-fi soundtrack vibe to his work.
[Music] Rick’s Reissue Roundup: Attack of the Spring Box Sets!
Shed a tear for the hardcore prog collector — actually, don’t. This week has been absolutely crammed with articulate announcements looking to part fans from their hard-earned cash or pull them deeper into debt. And no, I’m not talking about the upcoming Derek Smalls solo album. Check out what’s coming our way as winter (hopefully) […]
via Rick’s Reissue Roundup: Attack of the Spring Box Sets! — Progarchy
Thanks to Rick for posting this. What a good year this is going to be for prog-heads!
[Music] ZGA – The Flight of Infection
ZGA were an experimental music band who were based out of Riga, Latvia, and were seen form years as one of the leading lights of the then post-Soviet experimental and improvisational music scene.
Bandleader Nick Sudnick is still making music, and has been reissuing the ZGA back catalog on Bandcamp recently. This particular title brings fond memories as I had the pleasure of working with the venerable David Katznelson in bringing this album onto CD for the first time.
[Music] Gunesh – Гунеш LP/CD (1980)
Gunesh (or, more appropriately, The Gunesh Ensemble) was a jazz-prog outfit led by one of the world’s most incredible and entertaining percussionist, the late Rishad Shafi, who died in 2014.
Presch Media GmbH has done a wonderful service in reissuing their 1980 debut, which is less flashy or jazzy, but very mellow, progressive, and showing a glimpse of their future greatness.
The good news is that the band is apparently carrying on, and judging by the mp3s I’m hearing on their website, they will be in good hands for some time to come.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 