Recommendation: Intodown - Brave New World

It sure sounds brave...

Review: Time Traveller - Chapters III & IV (2011, Presence Records)

Juhani Nisula continues the journey he started in Chapters I & II: exciting and highly energetic space rock with prominent solo guitar work.

Recommendation: Dasputnik - Cyclokosmia (2011)

KosmiTrip!

Reminiscing...: Pink Floyd - Meddle (1971), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977)

I can't say my musical likes and dislikes have been influenced by my parents. Perhaps by by brother at most, when I was a young boy. But my parents, while loving classical music, classic rock, French chanson and other oldies, weren't too much into music, discovering music or trying to influence my musical passion.

Recommendation: Amplifier - The Octopus (2010)

The trio of Amplifier from Manchester has been making some noise since their s/t debut released in 2004 and the sophomore album, Insider from 2006.



I've only had the pleasure of hearing their first album and was quite taken by their space-rock brand, but I was not prepared for the surprise held within the opus that is the double album, The Octopus, released in 2010. This album sees them being quite experimental and daring while still providing their sharp and catchy space-rock tunes. I'm still absorbing this album but it gets better with each listen. A real treat!

You can stream it on their Bandcamp:

Review: Djam Karet - The Heavy Soul Sessions (2010)

Despite having a musical style that on paper should appeal to my tastes, being a widely critically acclaimed group and having an extensive discography spread out over 3 decades, I’ve only checked out so far two releases from California-based instrumental progressive rock act, Djam Karet: 1991’s Burning the Hard City and 2003’s A Night for Baku. While I find the music on these albums to be good and very well played and produced, it didn’t grab me and made me have repeated listening, though I know that these albums have their fans, so I’m not writing them off.

In 2010 comes their newest studio offering, the 15^th in number called The Heavy Soul Sessions, 5 years after the well-received and acclaimed Recollection Harvest which I have yet to hear, but definitely intend to after listening to this album.

The Heavy Soul Sessions was born as a result of live shows in which they played tracks spanning their 26 years of existence. They proceeded to record these tracks live-in-the-studio with no overdubbing. They have also included a cover song, Dedicated To K.C. by Richard Pinhas from his 1982 album, L’Ethique. Indeed this album sounds great, fresh and crisp both sound-wise and music-wise. In fact it has inspired me to go back and re-listen to the two albums I have of theirs and get some others I don’t have. So what you get here is a taste of the variety of flavours of the band’s output. You get a taste of space-rock, ambient and electronic music as well as a balanced portion of aggressive rock, warm analog synths and mellotron, spacey guitar solos and dreamy-eerie slow and pensive sections.

Band in the Spotlight, Review & Songs to be driven by...: Hidria Spacefolk - Balansia (2004, Silence)

Finnish space-rockers, Hidria Spacefolk, the self-proclaimed astrobeat orchestra, are a favourite band of mine with their highly energetic instrumental space/psych-rock tinged with cool effects.


Mikko Happo - guitar
Teemu Kilponen - Drums
Kimmo Dammert - Bass
Janne Lounatvuori - Synths, electric piano
Veikko Sutinen - Keyboards, Synths
Sami Wirkkala - guitar  

They've released 3 studio albums, 2 line albums 1 EP and 1 compilation of remixes. They are currently working on their next release.
More about the band here.

My review of the album, Balansia, is after the Jump.

Review: 35007 - Liquid (2002, Stickman)

Originating from Eindhoven in Holland, Space-rockers, 35007 (or Loose in reverse and upside down), started out with a vocalist in the lineup on their first album in 1994 but have since then proceeded as an instrumental lineup playing psych/space/stoner rock. This is my favourite release of theirs, Liquid, from 2002.
Review after the Jump.

Band in the spotlight: Lüger (Spain, space/psych-rock)

Spanish space/psychedelic rock band from Madrid, Luger is a five-piece band has released their s/t album in April this year and is available for free download or purchase as a physical copy in their Bandcamp (see below). It's a short album with a special quirky atmosphere; listening to it late at night, "medicated" might lead you to believe you've traveled to another dimension. Actually, even in sound mind, this can take you places.
Read reviews here.



Here's a short blurb about the band:
" Madrid-based quintet responsible of this gorgeous debut album, Lüger are heavily influenced by classic acts such as Hawkwind, Faust, and Neu!. So the music is provided with surpassing Krautrock elements, however they sound less vintage, rather modern, comparable with the likes of Turzi or Wooden Shjips in a wider sense. This is a limited 500 copies vinyl pressing in 180g vinyl, sure to become a sought-after collector's item in the near future -- so get it now! -Forced Exposure "