RhoDeo 1411 Beats

Hello, almost two weeks now and still no spotting of the missing plane, i wonder if disappearing without out a trace is even more frightening, sort of terrorism deluxe.. At least it offers a distraction from that Crimea saga. The spring equinox has past in days gone by it heralded the days of plenty were coming...time to seed, time to worship mother nature. Wow news today, Kate Bush will have a 15-night residency at the Hammersmith Apollo London – the same venue at which she performed the final shows of her 1979 tour – beginning on 26 August. Tickets will be gone in minutes next Friday..."A Ticket, a ticket my kingdom for a ticket"

These months French rule the beats and they have plenty to offer even though not that much reaches the world as  the music scene is rather dominated by the Anglo - American music industry. Meanwhile the French enjoyed themselves in their own niche so to speak, and they did rather well. Today a French electronic music duo consisting of musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. They reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop. The duo is credited with producing songs that are considered essential in the French house scene. They are known for emphasis on using visual and story components associated with their musical productions. They've managed to get the US media in a frenzy and last year did more for the global economy than most politicians do in a lifetime...get lucky  N'joy

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In similar company with new-school French progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. The combined talents of DJs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, the pair's first projects together included Darling, a voiceless indie cover band; their current recording name derives from a review in U.K. music weekly Melody Maker of a compilation tape Darling were featured on, released by Krautrock revivalists Stereolab (their lo-fi D.I.Y. cover of a Beach Boys song was derided as "daft punk"). Subsequently ditching the almost inevitable creative cul-de-sac of rock for the more appealing rush of the dancefloor, the pair released their debut single, "The New Wave," in 1993 on the celebrated Soma label. Instantly hailed by the dance music press as the work of a new breed of house innovators, the single was followed by "Da Funk," the band's first true hit (the record sold 30,000 copies worldwide and saw thorough rinsings by everyone from Kris Needs to the Chemical Brothers).

Although the group had only released a trio of singles ("The New Wave" and "Da Funk," as well as the 1996 limited pressing of "Musique"), in early 1996 Daft Punk were the subject of a minor bidding war. The group eventually signed with Virgin, with its first long-player, Homework, appearing early the following year (a brief preview of the album, "Musique," was also featured on the Virgin compilation Wipeout XL next to tracks from Photek, Future Sound of London, the Chemical Brothers, and Source Direct). As with the earlier singles, the group's sound is a brazen, dancefloor-oriented blend of progressive house, funk, electro, and techno, with sprinklings of hip-hop-styled breakbeats and excessive, crowd-firing samples similar to other anthemic dance-fusion acts such as the Chemical Brothers and Monkey Mafia. In addition to his role in Daft Punk, Bangalter operates the Roulé label and has recorded under his own name (the underground smash "Trax on da Rocks") as well as Stardust (the huge club/commercial hit "Music Sounds Better with You").

After four long years of fans eagerly awaiting a follow-up to their brilliant debut, Daft Punk finally issued Discovery in March 2001. The live record Alive 1997 followed at the end of the year, and a by-now predictable four-year wait preceded the release of Human After All in early 2005. One year later, Daft Punk released a compilation, Musique, Vol. 1: 1993-2005, and in 2007 their second live record, Alive 2007, arrived. The album and its single "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" won Grammy Awards early in 2009; shortly after, at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the duo composed 24 tracks for the film Tron: Legacy. Daft Punk's score was arranged and orchestrated by Joseph Trapanese. The band collaborated with him for two years on the score, from pre-production to completion. Daft Punk's music for the movie was released in November 2010, shortly before the film arrived in theaters. The members of Daft Punk also make a cameo appearance as disc jockey programs wearing their trademark robot masks within the film's virtual world. Tron: Legacy --  Walt Disney Records released a remix album of the score titled Tron: Legacy Reconfigured on 5 April 2011.

Daft Punk worked on their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories in collaboration with singer-songwriter Paul Williams and Chic frontman Nile Rodgers. In May 2012 it was also announced that Giorgio Moroder had collaborated with the duo, recording a monologue about his life in a vocal booth containing microphones ranging from 1960 to present day. In January 2013, de Homem-Christo revealed that Daft Punk was in the process of signing with Sony Music Entertainment through the Columbia Records label, and that the album would have a spring release. A report from The Guardian followed specifying a release date of May 2013.  On 3 April, the official album website launched The Collaborators, a series of 16mm documentary videos about the album.

On 12 April, a video preview for the song "Get Lucky", in which Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers appear, was played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The radio edit of the song was released as a digital download single on 19 April 2013. "Get Lucky" became Daft Punk's first UK No. 1 single on 28 April 2013 remaining at number one for 4 weeks (as of 24 May) and the Spotify music streaming website reported that the song is the most-streamed new song in the service's history. For the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, Random Access Memories was awarded the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronica Album, Album of the Year and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while "Get Lucky" received the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and the Record of the Year. Daft Punk also performed a medley at the ceremony with Rodgers, Pharrell, and Stevie Wonder of "Get Lucky", "Le Freak", "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", "Another Star", "Lose Yourself to Dance", and "Around the World".

Their outward personae have also changed over time. In one the duo's earliest magazine appearances, de Homem-Christo stated in a Jockey Slut interview that, "We don't want to be photographed. [...] We don't especially want to be in magazines. During their Homework years, the duo would usually wear masks to hide their appearance. In their more visible Discovery years, they appeared wearing robotic headgear and metallic gloves for publicity photo shoots, interviews, live shows and music videos. The helmets were produced by Paul Hahn of Daft Arts and the French directors Alex and Martin, the duo who also designed them. Daft Punk have said that they donned their robot masks to easily merge the characteristics of humans and machines. However, Bangalter later stated that the costumes were initially the result of shyness. "But then it became exciting from the audience's point of view. It's the idea of being an average guy with some kind of superpower." When asked whether the duo expressed themselves differently within the robotic suits, Bangalter stated "No, we don't need to. It's not about having inhibitions. It's more like an advanced version of glam, where it's definitely not you." With the release of Human After All, the musical duo's outfits became slightly less complicated by consisting of black leather jacket and pants and simplified versions of the Discovery headgear.
It can be said that the mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their popularity. Anonimity and media events a strange mix that has payed of for them big time, and they can walk the streets without bother. It sure sets them apart from the rest of the music world.


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Daft Punk produced the tracks included in Homework without a plan to release an album. Bangalter stated, "It was supposed to be just a load of singles. But we did so many tracks over a period of five months that we realized that we had a good album." The duo set the order of the tracks to cover the four sides of a two-disc vinyl LP. De Homem-Christo remarked, "There was no intended theme because all the tracks were recorded before we arranged the sequence of the album. The idea was to make the songs better by arranging them the way we did; to make it more even as an album." The name Homework, Bangalter explained, relates to "the fact that we made the record at home, very cheaply, very quickly, and spontaneously, trying to do cool stuff.

The duo' s full-length debut is a funk-house hailstorm, giving real form to a style of straight-ahead dance music not attempted since the early fusion days of on-the-one funk and dance-party disco. Thick, rumbling bass, vocoders, choppy breaks and beats, and a certain brash naiveté permeate the record from start to finish, giving it the edge of an almost certain classic. Daft Punk’s Homework is probably one of the most cited electronic record from the French country, be it not by unbiased listeners. The good thing is that, in its linear approach to dance music, the tracks are quite versatile. It goes from the straight and kicking techno from the happy “Phoenix” to the disco leanings of the excellent “Around the World”, which is probably the best track here, offering a beautiful - almost melancholic - twist midway to its deep and accessible groove. “Revolution 909” is a typical example of how catchy house music can get, utilizing the drum machine to the max and putting the bass under it with excellent timing. While a few fall flat, the best tracks make this one essential.

Daft Punk - Homework ( 493mb)

01 Daftendirekt 2:43
02 Wdpk 83.7 fm 0:26
03 Revolution 909 5:25
04 Da Funk 5:27
05 Phoenix 4:55
06 Fresh 4:03
07 Around The World 7:07
08 Rollin' & Scratchin' 7:26
09 Teachers 2:51
10 High Fidelity 6:01
11 Rock 'n Roll 7:32
12 Oh Yeah 1:59
13 Burnin' 6:52
14 Indo Silver Club 4:33
15 Alive 5:13
16 Funk Ad 0:51

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Daft Punk EP's (flac 373mb)

1 Around The World (Radio Edit) 3:11
2 Around The World (Tee's Frozen Sun Mix) 7:54
3 Around The World (Motorbass Vice Mix) 6:37
4 Around The World (Daft Punk Edit) 3:59
5 Around The World (Call Out Research Hook) 0:12
1 Da Funk (Radio Edit) 3:48
2 Da Funk (Original Version) 5:33
3 Musique 6:52
1 Revolution 909 (Radio Edit) 3:44
2 Revolution 909 (Roger & Junior's Revolutionary War Mix) 8:55
3 Revolution 909 (Revolution Accapella) 1:03
4 Revolution 909 (Original Mix) 5:34

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Alive 1997 reveals the French duo Daft Punk as one of the brightest entertainers in the occasionally stale world of album-based electronic dance. True, techno and house DJs can light up a crowd like few others, but the increasing artist slant of electronica often results in push-button programming and straight-from-DAT live performances, with most of the heavy lifting relegated to the lighting supervisor and effects computers. This brief glimpse at Daft Punk's live show circa 1997 (their major breakout year) is a tour de force of high-energy theatrics and flair. Aside from the pair of "WDPK" interludes, Alive 1997 includes only three tracks, but they're so radically different from their album versions that they're only barely familiar. The duo's biggest hit so far, "Da Funk," is stretched out to 16 minutes with a start-and-stop improvisation section that brings the crowd to a peak, while "Rollin' & Scratchin'" never looks back after breaking right on through the red-line. All screaming acid noise, thumping techno, chopped-up disco melodies, warped samples, and only the occasional bit of French-style house. Beats would drop in odd places, basslines would creep up into the mix without you even noticing, tracks would disintegrate just as you figured they were getting going, and sounds would reappear 10 minutes after you thought the track had finished. This live album captures the balls-out, stomping, twisted madness of Daft Punk live, but it's such a tragic shame that it's only 45 minutes of the set. An energizing document.

Daft Punk - Alive (flac 341mb)

Alive 1997 45:33
1a WDPK (Part I)
1b Da Funk
1c Rollin' And Scratchin'
1d WDPK (Part II)
1e Alive

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RhoDeo 1411 Goldy Rhox 152

Hello, today the 152st post of GoldyRhox, classic pop rock in the darklight are an American rock band, active between 1964 and 1973, formed in New York City by Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited by many critics as one of the most important and influential groups of the 1960s. Andy Warhol managed them and it was the house band at his studio, the Factory, and his Exploding Plastic Inevitable events. The provocative lyrics of some of the band's songs gave a nihilistic outlook to some of their music.

Their 1967 debut album, was named the 13th Greatest Album of All Time, and the "most prophetic rock album ever made" by Rolling Stone in 2003. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the band No. 19 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"

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Most of the albums i 'll post made many millions for the music industry and a lot of what i intend to post still gets repackaged and remastered decades later, squeezing the last drop of profit out of bands that for the most part have ceased to exist long ago, although sometimes they get lured out of the mothballs to do a big bucks gig or tour. Now i'm not as naive to post this kinda music for all to see and have deleted, these will be a black box posts, i'm sorry for those on limited bandwidth but for most of you a gamble will get you a quality rip don't like it, deleting is just 2 clicks...That said i will try to accommodate somewhat and produce some cryptic info on the artist and or album.

Today's mystery album was released November, 1970 is the fourth studio album released by today's New York rock band. It was the final album recorded featuring Lou Reed, who had left the band shortly before its release. The album was a commercial effort aimed at radio play, another step away from the Warhol-influenced days. The album's title refers to their label's request that the band produce an album "loaded with hits". Doug Yule said. When asked about the shortened versions of "Sweet Jane" and "New Age" and Reed's long-standing claims that they were re-edited without his consent, Yule claimed that Reed had in-fact edited the songs himself. "He edited it. You have to understand at the time, the motivation was... Lou was, and all of us were, intent on one thing and that was to be successful and what you had to do to be successful in music, was you had to have a hit, and a hit had to be uptempo, short, and with no digressions, straight ahead basically, you wanted a hook and something to feed the hook and that was it. "Sweet Jane" was arranged just exactly the way it is on the original Loaded release exactly for that reason—to be a hit! 'Who Loves The Sun' was done exactly that way for that reason—to be a hit. The album holds two well-known songs: "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll". These two songs are still heard regularly on classic rock FM radio stations. In 2003, it was #109 on Rolling Stone's reissue of their 500 greatest albums of all time. On February 18, 1997, Rhino Records released a "Fully Loaded" two-CD remastered reissue of today's mystery album, which contained numerous alternate takes, alternate mixes and demo versions of songs and outtakes. Here to get the extended original album.



Goldy Rhox 152   (flac 408mb)

Goldy Rhox 152   (ogg 147mb)


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RhoDeo 1411 Aetix

Hello, still no news from the missing airplane, although they manage to confuse more and more, it looks to me these Malaysians don't react well to sudden stress, or maybe it's just we in the West are used to much more controlled news.. Anyway 239 lives remain lost, intriguingly there's no beeps coming from the terrorist grapevine. Flight Management System has been altered that's expert stuff, so what has been going on, a suicidal pilot ? His wife and children had just moved out. So how long can we keep this media frenzy up. Meanwhile Ukraine is desperately trying to start world war III, thinking we have nothing to loose, we are completely broke and already possess a nuclear disaster (Tsjernobyl). Maybe if the US comes with their limitless amounts of dollars we can buy off the Russians and buy back the Crimea.

The idea behind today's band started as only a recording project. The plan was to record 15 LPs in 10 years without touring or promotion. Main man Sage thought that the mystique built from the lack of playing traditional rock 'n' roll would make people listen to their recordings much deeper with only their imagination to go by. He thought it would be easy to avoid press, shows, pictures and interviews. He looked at music as art rather than entertainment; he thought music was personal to the listener rather than a commodity. Ah yes what's in a name. Any way it resulted in tight song structures and use of heavy distortion and they have been hailed as extremely influential by numerous critics and musicians ....N'Joy

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Misunderstood, mistreated, underrated, and/or just plain unknown, Greg Sage should be mentioned in the first breaths about trailblazing guitarists and U.S. independent music of the '80s and '90s. Since forming his band, Wipers, in Portland, OR, in the late '70s, Sage has been put through the ringer more than enough to justify his hermetic operating methods and attitude. While most of his devout fans consider it a travesty that his name isn't as known as a contemporary like Bob Mould or even an unabashed fan-boy turned legend like Kurt Cobain, Sage would likely retort that it's not for the notoriety that he began making music. Unlike most other musicians who gain inspiration and motivation from watching their favorite stars revel in popularity and idol worship, Sage's inspiration stemmed more from the joy he got from cutting records on his own lathe. He has been more than content to remain in the underground, retaining optimum control over his own career while lending production help and support to younger bands that look to him for his guidance. Throughout his lengthy and prolific career, he has downplayed or shunned any attention or recognition given to him, preferring to let the music speak for itself.

Initialized with the intent of being a recording project and not a band in the truest sense, Sage formed Wipers in 1977 with drummer Sam Henry and bassist Doug Koupal. Sage's original goal was to release 15 records in ten years, free of traditional band aspects like touring and photo shoots. However, he found out early on that being involved with independent labels involved plenty of compromise -- and that independent labels took a great deal of independence away from him, rather than empowering him.

After a debut 7" on Sage's Trap label (an outlet that Sage also used to release a pair of Portland scene compilations), Wipers recorded Is This Real? on a four-track recorder (free of overdubs) in their rehearsal space. Park Avenue Records was willing to release it, but they insisted that Sage and company re-record everything in a professional studio. Despite the relatively polished outcome, Is This Real? remained the group's rawest and most direct outing. It was full of Sage's raging but agile guitars and what would become his trademark songwriting style, dealing with extreme isolation, confusion, and frustration with an agitated sense of melody. 14 years after its release, Sub Pop picked up the record and reissued it without any involvement from Sage.

Prior to the recording of the group's finest moment, 1981's Youth of America, Henry left to join Napalm Beach. Koupal stayed on long enough to play on a couple of the album's songs but left the band to move to Ohio; Brad Davidson moved in to play bass and Brad Naish took over on drums. Having been unimpressed by the professional studio experience, Sage took it upon himself to record and engineer everything by himself. The move paid off, resulting in a furiously spirited but brief LP full of extended passages that allowed Sage to flex his astounding skills on guitar without sounding like a showoff.

For 1982's excellent Over the Edge, the structures of the songs tightened, the pop sensibility hit full stride. As a result, "Romeo" and "Over the Edge" each sustained a fair amount of radio play in the U.S., thanks to a few stations that were developing play lists that would later be identified as alternative or modern rock. Another factor in Wipers' somewhat increased exposure had to do with the better distribution of their new label, Restless. Before Over the Edge's release, Sage fell out with Park Avenue on a number of unresolved issues. The next studio record, Land of the Lost, didn't appear until 1986. During the lull between studio time, the band toured, Sage released his first solo album (1985's hushed Straight Ahead), and the band released a self-titled live album. Naish left the group in 1985 and was replaced by Steve Plouf. Follow Blind came out in 1987 and The Circle followed in 1988. Aside from some slight production nuances and the occasional dabbling with stylistic curveballs, the three studio albums between 1986 and 1988 more or less swam in the wake of the first three but are far from embarrassments.

A 1989 tour was accompanied with an announcement from Sage that Wipers would be ending. The end result of mounting frustrations with the independent music business and the fact that the band had lost the lease on a studio space they had devoted three years to developing, Sage packed up and headed for Phoenix to remain close to his mother. He left a town that he couldn't get arrested in, let alone reviewed. Plouf came along to Arizona (Davidson married, moved to London, and sporadically played with the Jesus & Mary Chain), and Sage built a fully operational studio in his new hideout. He recorded a second solo record, Sacrifice (For Love), and released it in 1991.

Meanwhile, several alternative rockers became vocal about their admiration for Sage. The most notable was Kurt Cobain, whose band Nirvana covered Wipers songs and asked Sage to open for them on tours. Never wanting to be opportunistic and never wanting to draw attention to himself, Sage politely turned down the offers. Sage would also reason that the timing was never right, as he and Plouf had trouble securing a bassist who would be willing to learn over 100 songs and tour unglamorously to little fanfare. Sage himself was never a fan of touring; trudging through the States to promote records had been nothing but one nightmare after another, he never got a thrill from the attention that comes with being a frontman, and only a couple towns -- specifically Boston and Chicago -- were regularly supportive. Wipers enjoyed most of their touring success in Europe, where they were treated with much more respect and filled theaters holding a couple thousand fans.

With a 1993 tribute record called Fourteen Songs for Greg Sage & the Wipers floating around, the Sup Pop reissue of the first record, and the attendant exposure gained from them, Sage effectively squashed any steam his "career" was gaining by releasing Silver Sail in 1995, a Wipers record that hardly resembled the storming fury that made his back catalog suddenly revered. And then, once the attention waned, Sage and Plouf returned to their '80s aggression with 1996's The Herd. Three years later, the duo unleashed Power in One on Sage's new Zeno label. In 2001, Sage used his own label to release a three-for-one package of Wipers' first three albums. Remastered with plenty of bonus tracks, it's probably one of the most unselfish moves committed by a musician. Electric Medicine, Sage's third solo record, came in 2002.

Influence and legacy

Sage later remarked on their initial reception: "We weren’t even really a punk band. See, we were even farther out in left field than the punk movement because we didn’t even wish to be classified, and that was kind of a new territory. ... When we put out Is This Real? … it definitely did not fit in; none of our records did. Then nine, ten years later people are saying: 'Yeah, it’s the punk classic of the ’80s.'" Wipers became better known after the wildly popular grunge band Nirvana covered two songs from Is This Real?, "D-7" and "Return of the Rat". Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain spoke of being heavily influenced by the band. The Wipers were a major influence on the grunge music scene in general, with bands such as The Melvins, Mudhoney, and Dinosaur Jr. citing them. Wipers albums like Is This Real? and Over the Edge are now widely considered to be among the greatest and most influential punk albums of all time.

In 1992, a tribute album Eight Songs for Greg Sage and the Wipers was released by the Tim/Kerr label on four colored 7-inch records, featuring Wipers songs performed by Nirvana, Hole, Napalm Beach, M99, The Dharma Bums, Crackerbash, Poison Idea, and The Whirlees. The CD release of the tribute album was called Fourteen Songs for Greg Sage and the Wipers, and expanded to include covers by Hazel, Calamity Jane, Saliva Tree, Honey, Nation of Ulysses, and Thurston Moore-Keith Nealy.

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The production leaves much to be desired with its tinny-sounding drums, but, fortunately, the negatives don't outweigh the positives on this album. Guitarist/vocalist Greg Sage writes fairly simplistic songs with power chords, but each melody infects your brain like a fever. Even though Sage is from Oregon, he sings in a New York-style slur not dissimilar to Joey Ramone. Throughout the album, there is a very dark and ominous feel to the material (e.g., "D-7"), but it's made interesting on tracks like "Alien Boy," which changes from 4/4 time to 2/4 time. Sage also has a unique guitar style where he strums chords and lets them sustain into feedback, which creates rich textures in the songs (e.g., "Potential Suicide" and "Don't Know What I Am").

Wipers - Is This Real  (flac 391mb)

01 Return Of The Rat 2:38
02 Mystery 1:47
03 Up Front 3:04
04 Let's Go Away 1:49
05 Is This Real? 2:39
06 Tragedy 2:01
07 D-7 4:05
08 Potential Suicide 3:34
09 Don't Know What I Am 2:57
10 Window Shop For Love 2:59
11 Wait A Minute 3:04
Bonus Tracks
12 Born With A Curse 1:48
13 Rebel With A Cause 2:11
14 Misfit 1:36
15 Mystery 1:46
16 Tragedy 2:11
17 Let's Go Away 1:52
18 Is This Real? 2:40
19 Alien Boy 3:23
20 Image Of Man 2:29
21 Telepathic Love 1:32
22 Voices In The Rain 1:22

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A grizzly, furious beast of a 30-minute record, Youth of America saw Greg Sage and his Wipers lengthening some of their material to very unfashionable lengths; many a hardcore punk band of the time could tuck a dozen songs about Reagan and fisticuffs inside the title track alone. Opposed to the compromised Is This Real?, Youth of America was engineered and recorded in-house; Sage's time spent in a professional setup for the debut LP frustrated him, and the fact that he's gained complete control here makes it seem as if a cork has been pulled from a bottle. The shackles are off and the group's own personality hits full bloom. Vocally, Sage sounds like a sleepless outcast loaded on an unhealthy amount of caffeine, fraught with a magnified level of paranoia and angst that needs immediate purging -- often, his life seems to be depending on it. "Youth of America" itself is a nightmare locomotive, a ten-minute chug through a persistent rhythm, screeching/careening/wailing guitars, and jarring psychedelic effects. The remaining five songs, which don't lessen the intensity very much, are solid in their own right and are generally more tuneful than the title track. The version of Youth of America to own is actually located on disc two of the three-disc Wipers Box Set, released in 2001 by Sage on his own label, Zeno. Since it runs at the cost of a single CD, there's no financial risk whatsoever. It's also remastered and corrects the completely bungled track order listed on the Restless edition.

Wipers - Youth of America  (flac 442mb)

01 No Fair 4:25
02 Youth Of America 10:27
03 Taking Too Long 3:07
04 Can This Be 2:55
05 Pushing The Extreme 3:13
06 When It's Over 6:36
Bonus Tracks
07 Scared Stiff 2:53
08 Pushing The Extreme 3:11
09 No Fair 4:31
10 When It's Over 6:26
11 Youth Of America 10:26

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A distant cousin of the preceding Youth of America but undoubtedly no less excellent and no less venomous, Over the Edge is a return to the easily digestible song lengths of Is This Real?; however, it all but leaves that debut in its wake. On the strength of some brave/smart radio stations that decided to play this album's "Romeo" (a propulsive horn-flecked slammer in the vein of "Youth of America"), Wipers solidified their status as a certifiable force in the American underground of the early '80s. Songs like "Messenger" and "What Is" show Greg Sage's increasing skill as a pop songwriter. Despite the fusion of punk and pop, the record hardly mirrors the bands that would later be called punk-pop. In fact, this collision of the two elements makes what followed decades later seem twee. There's just too much blood and sweat, and there's too much tightly wound tension released. The overload is tempered somewhat on the album's second side. The arrangements are sparse (and there are less guitar fireworks) when compared to their first-side counterparts, but the level of intensity is hardly sacrificed. Over the Edge is a kind of classic; it might have been created with guitars and drums, and it might have verse-chorus-verse song structures, but it's doubtful that Wipers were allowing any influences to creep into the record. The version to own is actually hidden inside Wipers Box Set, which was released by Sage in 2001. While exhaustive at three discs, it shouldn't cost any more than a typical single-disc release. It also sounds better, thanks to a fine remastering job.

Wipers - Over the Edge  (flac 418mb)

01 Over The Edge 3:49
02 Doom Town 3:56
03 So Young 4:17
04 Messenger 1:55
05 Romeo 4:05
06 Now Is The Time 3:02
07 What Is 2:19
08 No One Wants An Alien 3:23
09 The Lonely One 3:38
10 No Generation Gap 3:09
11 This Time 2:54
Bonus Tracks
12 Mistaken ID 3:05
13 No Solution 2:30
14 Doom Town 3:56
15 The Lonely One 3:37
16 Now Is The Time 3:04
17 Romeo 4:05
18 Our Past Life 1:27

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RhoDeo 1411 Roots

Hello, isn't it wonderful cosmologists have finally seen something they been searching for these last decades, gravitational waves, they needed to go back, way back in time for it. A time when not much existed. Now most of you probably think that this big bang thing is a nice alliteration but it's not without serious opposition. But what worries me is, like that godparticle thing first there is the theory and we seek in the extreme to prove our pet ideas all the while pretending to have the grasp on the absolute truth..such nonsense. And even if slowly there creeps in some awareness of the role of (our) consciousness in all this at the quantum level, understanding how this works out on the cosmic level is still far away.


Historically, the region of the Congo was a vast geographical area of equatorial Africa located in the tropical wet forest of Central Africa called Congolian forests. It also owes its name to the predominant ethnic group in the region, ruled by Kingdom of Kongo founded towards the end of the 14th century and extended from 1390 to 1914.

Although the span of rule of the kingdom varied, in its greatest extent, the Kingdom of Kongo reached from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo River in the north to the Kwanza River in the south. The kingdom largely existed from c. 1390 to 1891 as an independent state, and from 1891 to 1914 as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Portugal. The Congo River, its main river, flows through the region forming the Congo Basin.

Some groupings advocate a return to one Congolese homeland on the basis of the historical kingdom. Very notably, the Bundu dia Kongo movement advocates reviving the kingdom through secession from Angola, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon. The nowadays geographic region spans across the Republic of the Congo (former French Congo), Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaïre/Belgian Congo), and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda (former Portuguese Congo) which lies (bizarly !) between the Republic and the Democratic Republic and produces lot's of oil. Ah yes big business making lots of money with Congolese resources.

Ok the coming weeks we're hearing about the music from this African jungle heart, it's a strange place for Westerners, life is cheap and emotions rise quickly. Religion and music deliver the much needed coherance  so for the coming 3 or 4 weeks we will present stars some of which have released many albums most of these never reached the Western public or even the great Discogs database. Today here 2 great old singers accompanied by top orchestra's .......N'joy

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In 2008, Pascal Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabou suffered a stroke that forced his retirement from public life at age 68. His most recent position had been a Vice-Governorship of the city of Kinshasa, the capital of his homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before that he served in the country's transitional parliament and the cabinet of President Laurent Kabila. His public life had begun decades earlier, though, in the 1950s, when he made his singing debut with Rock-A-Mambo, one of the great early Congolese rumba bands. At the time, Congo was still the Belgian Congo, and the rumba music that would become one of its greatest cultural gifts to the world was still coming into its own. Tabou, better known by his school nickname Rochereau, joined the band of Joseph Kabasele, and it was in this band that he cultivated the star power that allowed him to strike out on his own in the mid-60s.

This period was well documented on Sterns' excellent 2xCD The Voice of Lightness 1961-1977 compilation three years ago. That set brought the story up to 1977 and cataloged Rochereau's many shifts in direction as he honed his band, Orchestre Afrisa International, and consolidated his position as one of the masters of Congolese music. By 1977, his only real competitor for the title was the great guitarist and leader of OK Jazz, Franco. Vol. 2 of The Voice of Lightness picks up where the last one left off, right after Rochereau's triumphant appearance as the leader of an all-star Congolese band at the World Black and African Festival of Arts & Culture in Lagos, Nigeria. The band he led at FESTAC '77 appears on the first track here, sounding confident and laid back and maybe even a little old-fashioned playing an airy brand of rumba that was at the time being eclipsed by the faster soukous of Zaiko Langa Langa and other relatively young bands.

Rochereau's own band, Afrisa, enters to stay on the second track, though, and throughout the set, they demonstrate a clear mastery of the new, driving pulse the music had taken on, even as the members come and go. Occasionally, Rochereau even addresses the turnover, as he does on "Ponce Pilate", where he dryly chastises his defecting band members, singing in Lingal  a, "We're shocked when we see someone injure someone else/ But we laugh when someone injures himself." Later, on "Sarah", he addresses turnover in his personal life, lashing out at his second wife after she divorced him while he was on tour in North America: "How does a man come to despise the woman he once loved?" It should be noted that Rochereau wasn't exactly treading on stable ground here-- he was never a one-woman man, and when I say second wife, I mean she was his second wife at the time. Rochereau was a practicing polygamist.

Even when he sang his most bile-filled lines, though, Rochereau's voice remained a light, supple instrument. He had a way of floating through an arrangement without getting a bit of the dust kicked up by the rolling guitars and insistently pulsing percussion on himself. When he's joined by his chorus, which on many of these tracks includes his lover/protege Mbilia Bel, their voices blend sweetly, contrasting sharply with the blasting horn section, led by Rochereau's longtime right-hand man Modero Mekanisi. This period found Rochereau's songs stretching out to accommodate long instrumental passages for dancing, and the tracks on this compilation average somewhere around nine or 10 minutes, giving the various guitarists Rochereau works with plenty of time to stretch their legs and solo.

Two of the greatest Congolese guitarists ever make appearances here. Rochereau had a falling out with Docteur Nico in the late 60s, when the two split from each other to form competing bands, but "Ohambe" finds them working brilliantly together once again-- when Rochereau cries out "Nico, speak!" Nico obliges with a shimmering, gorgeous solo. The occasion of Joseph Kabasele's death in 1983 brought Rochereau together with his greatest rival, Franco, for "Kabasele in Memoriam", which is a highlight in the careers of both men. Rochereau sings beautifully, sometimes in harmony with his old rival, and Franco offers a showcase on both acoustic and electric guitar. Franco was taken by the AIDS epidemic in 1989, and it would have been a shame had the two never recorded together.

As the second disc wears on, a few things become clear: The music was changing around Rochereau, and he had to change with it. This set avoids his Paris studio work with drum machines and synthesizers attempting to stand in for horns, but it still hints at that work in the synths that occasionally drop in for a squiggly solo. More importantly, though, Rochereau spent much of the time covered on the disc living essentially in exile, first in Europe and then in the United States. To his great credit, the singer managed throughout his career to keep more distance between himself and dictator Mobutu Sese Seko than many of his peers, and when living in exile in Paris, he recorded some of his most openly critical songs. The punning title of "Exil-Ley" belies a much more serious message-- the song is Rochereau plainly lamenting his nation's descent into graft and economic collapse. "Le Glas a Sonne", also recorded in 1993, directly indicts Mobutu's increasingly ruinous regime, listing off the great men of Congo and leaving Mobutu out, in effect likening him to the white colonial rulers the country had thrown out decades before.

Rocehreau's musical career largely petered out during the 90s when he lived in the U.S. As his attentions were drawn more and more to the politics and needs of his homeland. When Mobutu fell in 1997, he went back home to serve in the new government. Even so, his cultural legacy seems likely to loom high over his political legacy when the historical record settles. This compilation and its previous volume are the absolute best place for Westerners to begin exploring that legacy. They're by no means a definitive catalog-- this is, after all, a man who released four or five albums a year during the period covered on this comp-- but they gather much of his best work in one easy-to-digest set, and everyone needs a starting place. With its crisp sound, informative notes and impeccable track selection, this is the intro the great artist deserves.

The world has needed a good compilation of this great Congolese singer, and this two-disc set comes close to being just what the doctor ordered, focusing on the 1960s and '70s, when he was arguably at his best and most creative, with his voice emotional and supple, standing out from whatever group was behind him at the time -- and he led some of the classics of the period. At almost 90 minutes, this offers a lot of Tabu Ley Rochereau, with plenty of sublime moments of Congolese rhumba before it morphed into the faster, less delicate soukous. Rochereau could easily command, and does so often, with great songwriting ability (listen to the way the chorus lifts on "Pesa le Tout," for instance -- it's sublime). There are moments of hubris, of course, and not just in the music. The notes claim that Rochereau invented the instrumental break known as the sebene, which, according to many other sources, simply isn't true. But that's by the bye. The man sang like a dream, and these golden years really capture him at his peak: thrilling, and one of the classic African voices.

Tabu Ley Rochereau - The Voice of Lightness I (flac  267mb)

 Congo Classics 1961-1971

with African Jazz
01 Kelya 4:44
02 K.J. 4:47
03 Succes African Jazz 3:58
with African Fiesta
04 Pesa Le Tout 4:38
05 Nalembi Nalembi 2:57
06 N'daya Paradis 2:35
07 Tqabalissimo 3:20
08 Mama Ida 3:46
09 Mireille Mwana 3:02
10 Mokolo Nakokufa 4:55
11 Savon Omo 4:41
12 Lily Mwana Ya Quartier 4:06
13 Kasala 3:48
14 Monano 4:38
15 Ana Mokoy 2:59
16 Mokitani Ya Wendo 5:55
17 Christine 6:08
18 Songo +Songo = Songi-Songi 5:05

Tabu Ley Rochereau - The Voice of Lightness I (ogg 145mb)

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Tabu Ley Rochereau - The Voice of Lightness II (flac  330mb)

 Congo Classics 1972-1977

201 Aon Aon 4:37
202 Kikakango Mpe Libala 7:51
203 Mongalie 5:06
204 Omange 5:01
205 Nzale 5:19
206 Kaful Mayay 7:47
207 Karibou Ya Bintou 5:48
208 Mbanda Nayei 5:21
209 Adeito (1 & 2) 10:06
210 Yombe 7:54
211 Likambo Ya Mokanda 9:39

Tabu Ley Rochereau - The Voice of Lightness II (ogg 157mb)

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Sam Mangwana, born February 21, 1945, is a Congolese musician, born to a Zimbabwean migrant father and an Angolan mother. Mangwana is one of the last of the great Zairean rumba (soukous) vocalists. A former member of such seminal groups as Tabu Ley Rocherau's Africa Fiesta and Franco's TPOK Jazz, Mangwana has steered soukous from the hard-edged sounds of his predecessors. According to the Washington Post, "While his former employers were the masters of the relentless, springy, soukous music of Central Africa, Mangwana employs a lighter, more acoustic, more Caribbean, sound." In a review of Mangwana's 1999 concert in New York, the New York Times took a similar view, writing, "It was gentle-spirited music, perfect for the dancers moving through the soupy summer air." Mangwana's soft-toned approach was equally noticeable during a performance at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., as www.salsamundo.com observed, "In a program rich with influences from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, The Congo, and Cuba, Mr. Mangwana sang in a rich, weathered tenor about serious issues of oppression and liberation, yet the delightful and engaging lilt of his music conveys optimism and the triumph of love." The son of Angola-born parents who relocated to Kinshasa, Mangwana has been singing most of his life. After formally studying music as a member of the Salvation Army chorus, Mangwana launched his professional career in his mid-teens. By the age of 17, he had become the lead singer and arranger for Tabu Ley Rocherau's Africa Fiesta. In addition to singing with the group for more than a decade, he appeared periodically with other soukous bands including L'Orchestre Tembo, Vox Afrique, and Franco's TPOK Jazz. Forming his own group, the African All Stars, in 1976, Mangwana had his first hit in 1986 when his single, "Maria Tebba," became a major soukous hit. In the more than two decades since, Mangwana has continued to bring his unique style of soukous to the international stage. In 1999, he toured the United States with African All-Stars guitarist Dizzy Mandjeku and OK Jazz Band guitarist Papa Noel. The following year he released Sam Mangwana Sings Dinu Vangu.

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The album here contains two albums recorded in the 1970's: Maria Tebbo (1979) and Waka Waka (1978). Sam Mangwana played with and became one of the masters of Rumba music with Franco and Tabu Ley. This is classic Rumba music, magically happy guitars, hopping horns and "let's dance sister" kind of music.

If you have to pick "the classic" Sam Mangwana album, this would be it. He worked with both Franco and Rochereau, so he had the pedigree by the '70s to do whatever he wanted. Mangwana's earthy, rumba-heavy protosoukous is a pleasure to listen to. Each guitar line from Syan M'Benza or Sammy Massamba seems to go on forever, as Mangwana croons (and croon is really the right word) about love and life and girls, girls, girls and the band spurs him on with sinuous and sultry (never either lewd or cute) rhythms. These 1979 tracks are a pan-African textbook, with hints of folk and pop from Angola, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe always bubbling just under the surface. It is the perfect Mangwana album. Plus, the CD includes both the full Maria Tebbo plus another set of tracks from the "almost as good" Waka Waka from 1978

Sam Mangwana - Maria Tebbo (flac 366mb)

01. Maria Tebbo 14:11
02 Tchimurenga Zimbabwe 7:28
03 Bana ba Cameroun 6:57
04 Affaire Disco 7:20
05 Celica-Souvenir 7:42
06 Tika Nasakola 6:29
07 Waka Waka 8:09

Sam Mangwana - Maria Tebbo (ogg 145mb)

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RhoDeo 1411 Precious 10

Hello, well the F1 wasn't a disaster only 6 failed 2 finish and 2 crashed out, funny thing though big boy hamilton the polesitter lasted not even 3 laps and Vettel never got going already on the warming up lap he complained the car had no power and after 5 laps of losing 15 sec per lap he decided to give up. Strange business that F1 now no 2 got disqualified because his engine got too much petrol -this when the total amount is limited, so many daft regulations that make the cars alike duh. Any way the people of the Crimea said fuck you to Kiev and hello Moscow and considering their position, a most understandible choice Not that any of that is of interest to the socalled defenders of democracy from the West, specially those from the EU are beyond disengenous elitists, may they one day soon swing from a tree.


In 1981, the BBC again tackled "The Lord of the Rings", this time in a serial of twenty six 30-minute episodes.  This production was not a condensed version, although it does leave out a number of events. Still, it is about as faithful to the book as one could reasonably expect. The characterizations are excellent and music is very nicely done. The 26-part series was subsequently edited into 13 hour-long episodes broadcast from 17 July to 9 October 1982, restoring some dialogue originally cut for timing (since each hour-long episode is actually around 57 minutes, as opposed to 54 minutes for two half-hour episodes with overlaps and extra credits removed), rearranging some scenes for dramatic impact and adding linking narration and music cues. .  NJoy

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In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo installments. The radio series follows the plot of the original novel (revised 1951 version) very closely, except for the addition of The Tale Bearer, a narrator whose account of the story is often interrupted and embellished by the protagonist Bilbo Baggins in the role of secondary narrator. The 1981 trilogy was adapted for radio by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell.  It ws directed by Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester.  It is voiced by some very fine British actors including Ian Holm as Frodo, Michael Hordon as Gandalf and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum among others.

 The 26-part series was subsequently edited into 13 hour-long episodes broadcast from 17 July to 9 October 1982, restoring some dialogue originally cut for timing (since each hour-long episode is actually around 57 minutes, as opposed to 54 minutes for two half-hour episodes with overlaps and extra credits removed), rearranging some scenes for dramatic impact and adding linking narration and music cues.

 The re-edited version was released on both cassette tape and CD sets which also included the soundtrack album (noticeably taken from a vinyl copy). Incidentally, episode 8 of the series, The Voice of Saruman was labelled as The Voice of Sauron on the cassette & CD box sets.

 Cast and credits

 Narrator: Gerard Murphy
 Frodo Baggins: Ian Holm
 Gandalf the Grey/Gandalf the White: Michael Hordern
 Aragorn (Strider): Robert Stephens
 Sam Gamgee: Bill Nighy
 Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry): Richard O'Callaghan
 Peregrin Took (Pippin): John McAndrew
 Legolas: David Collings
 Gimli: Douglas Livingstone
 Boromir: Michael Graham Cox
 Galadriel: Marian Diamond
 Celeborn: Simon Cadell
 Arwen Evenstar: Sonia Fraser
 Saruman the White: Peter Howell
 Elrond: Hugh Dickson
 Bilbo Baggins: John Le Mesurier
 Gollum/Sméagol: Peter Woodthorpe

 Dramatisation: Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell
 Music: Stephen Oliver
 Radiophonic sound: Elizabeth Parker
 Produced and directed by Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester

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Lord Of The Rings 10 - The Choices Of Master Samwise (59:07 68mb)

10-01 Opening Titles 4:30
10-02 Minas Morgul 7:58
10-03 The Worst Places 5:43
10-04 The Shades of Dunharrow 4:05
10-05 Smeagol's Plans 7:24
10-06 The Lair of Shelob 23:03
10-07 In Western Lands 6:22

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previously

Lord Of The Rings 01 - The Shadow Of The Past (56 min 65mb)
Lord Of The Rings 02 - The Black Riders (56 min 65mb)
Lord Of The Rings 03 - The Knife In The Dark (57 min 65mb)
Lord Of The Rings 04 - The Ring Goes South (55 min 63mb)
Lord Of The Rings 05 - The Mirror Of Galadriel (55 min 64mb)
Lord Of The Rings 06 - The Breaking Of The Fellowship (65mb)
Lord Of The Rings 07 - The Breaking Of The Fellowship (55:25 64mb)
Lord Of The Rings 08 - The Voice Of Saruman (56:42 65mb)
Lord Of The Rings 09 - The Two Towers (58:55 67mb)

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Sundaze 1411

Hello, the west is getting hysterical over what it thusfar considered it's own perogative..ignore official borders. I have to say i've found the propaganda coming from the media eye opening, these socalled journalists are payed clowns in service of the elite that have decided they want Ukraine's fertile fields at their disposal. So what happens next well first US are having a laugh as they watch Europe having to shoot themselves in the foot with their measures against Russia, Russia will grumble but but shrug it off -they've gone thru much worse. Meanwhile the secret ! tradetalks between US and EU continue which defacto will create multinational heaven and fuck joe public..hence the secrecy, if the media reported on it there would be an outcry. But as mentioned earlier the media are completely controlled and are only allowed to report on distractions-like that missing plane. Or the fact that the F1 season started again this weekend. Initially predictions were that not many cars would reach the finish but thusfar things went rather smooth, specially for Mercedes which has planned a worldtitle this year. Hamilton and Rosberg should prepare for plenty of champagne. That said i don't think Red Bull will move over just like that, and with that silly rule that the final race gets double points Vettel can concentrate on the second part of the season.


With the means to create and distribute music having been 'democratized' this last decade a guy from Kiev made his move to break free from anonimity. 3 years of activity saw the release of 9 hi quality glich, ambient, modern classical albums by what only can be called an inspired young artist , a prodigy who deserves much more exposure. Treat yourselves again.......... N'Joy

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Andriy Symonovych (aka Ruga Roo) is a 21 years young musician from Kyiv, Ukraine. Eight years of musical classes made him totally devoted to piano melodies and ignited a desire to show this beauty to all the hearing ones. In his early teens he was in a local symphony-metal band, where he improved his playing skills and also he was also sampling by that time. Later on, he started his first solo project “Lie Collectors” – a reflection of his own thoughts about the world and the human’s place in it. This project is aimed more to live shows although there’s one album released with this project.

As Ruga Roo‘s interest in electronic music kept growing he couldn’t escape from the reality that he needed a new project so in May 2010 he started producing IDM/Ambient with his friend Sitreus under the name of “Sound Wave Pressure” where he takes part in writing melodies and sampling drums. This project is quite popular in Ukraine and there are many parties & places where they do live-performances.

In Fall of 2010 the r.roo project started to breathe as it was about time for Rugaroo to experiment with new sounds within this very deep atmospheric world of IDM. His first album First Row was released on Subwise netlabel late 2010. This emerging young talent has proved his skills for combining beauty and beats with clever sound experimentation through his 5 releases in less than two years. With eight years of formal musical training, r.roo became completely devoted to composing intricate piano melodies and ultimately ignited his desire to share his gift with listeners. His first project Lie Collectors was a reflection of his own thoughts about the world and human being’s place in it.

While first co-founding the netlabel Someone Records in 2011, r.roo showed his abundant consistency for hatching engaging electronic music by unleashing 4 releases on 4 seperate labels throughout the year. While quickly gaining recognition and momentum in the dark IDM scene, r.roo released his fourth full-length album on Abstrakt Reflections in early 2012.

In 2012 the prolific r.roo finally crossed the Tympanik threshold with his new work titled ‘mgnovenie‘. With equal focus on atmosphere and beats, r.roo creates a definitive sound that grips and pulls on the unsuspecting listener. Shadowed in soulful piano movements, twitches of violin, random static and strange radio voices, accented perfectly by crushing beats and a meticulous stitching of glitchy misfires, ‘mgnovenie’ (translated as “The Moment”) proves itself as the ideal soundtrack for intentional mental defections.

His latest album ‘innerheaven‘ was released on Tympanik Audio October 16th, 2013. 14 new tracks on 4-panel digipak CD and digital formats featuring artwork by Salt. And if that wasn't enough it came with a brilliant digital bonus album Hydref. Meanwhile he managed to remix others evidence of this was released earlier this year, Otherwhere. Three years of activity saw the release of 9 hi quality glich, ambient, modern classical albums by what only can be called an inspired young artist , a prodigy who deserves much more exposure. Treat yourselves.....

Discography_

Первая Строка (First Row) (Digital - Subwise 2010)
Into A Cloud  (Digital - Abstrakt Reflections 2011)
Ache (Digital - Someone Records 2011)
Broken Time (CD - Raumklang Music 2011)
with Papillons de la guerre - Winter People (Digital - Someone Records 2011)
There Is No Yesterday And No Tomorrow (Digital - Abstrakt Reflections 2012)
Mgnovenie (CD - Tympanik Audio feb 2013)
Exist (Digital - Abstrakt Reflections sept 2013)
Innerheaven (CD - Tympanik Audio oct 2013)
Hydref ( Digital - Tympanik Audio oct 2013)
Otherwhere (remixes) jan 14

But wait there's more he has another moniker, Na Hag under which Andriy shows his dark ambient, rhythmic noise, tribal, industrial side

Lost Cities (Synthematik 2011)
Dreams Of A Sick Man  ‎(X-Line  2011)
Fragments Of Human ‎(X-Line  2012)
Obscurant  ‎ ‎(X-Line  2012)

and with Ivan Gomzikov as
Strangled Voice - Beauty Of Decay (Genetic Trance 2011)

He must be some kind of a insomniac prodigy or I don’t know what, who doesn’t sleep but make music all the time.

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Joint project of the Rugaroo (r.roo, Sound Wave Pressure, Na-Hag) and Ivan Gomzikova (eat me, astral queen & shit, holiday powder) tribal-industrial/dark ambient. An attempt to understand whilst trying to give praise to the voiceless heaven.

Strangled Voice - Beauty Of Decay (flac 293mb)

01 Snakes Underfoot 6:10
02 Unborn 6:47
03 Servant Of The Gods 7:10
04 Hello World 6:23
05 Drink Down The Scorched 6:18
06 The Last Performance 7:44
07 Someone Will Ask 6:34

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After 4 albums, an EP, several remixing, collaboration, and compilation appearances in just under two years, the prolific r.roo finally crosses the Tympanik threshold with his finest work yet: his new album titled ‘mgnovenie‘.

 With equal focus on atmosphere and beats, r.roo creates a definitive sound that grips and pulls on the unsuspecting listener. Shadowed in soulful piano movements, twitches of violin, random static and strange radio voices, accented perfectly by crushing beats and a meticulous stitching of glitchy misfires, ‘mgnovenie’ (translated as “The Moment”) proves itself as the ideal soundtrack for intentional mental defections.
The album is a marvelous interplay of atmospheres they grips you and carried you to the limit. The album is an extraordinary composition of beats, random static, sometimes sad melodies, but also hopeful soundscapes. Everything fits together perfectly." - Nothing But Hope And Passion.  Let Mgnovenie gradually penetrate your every cell, until its rhythm becomes your heartbeat, until the glitch becomes your synapse, and the bass becomes your step. This is the land where r.roo paints with sounds.

R.Roo - Mgnovenie (flac  354mb)

01 Vdokh 2:29
02 Medlenno 8:20
03 Kasanie 2:45
04 Otkrovenie 8:30
05 Otstuplenie 5:57
06 On The Other Side Of The Glass 3:45
07 Au Fall 5:31
08 From You 5:33
09 Hello My Reflection 5:00
10 Don't Talk About It 3:33
11 One Day 5:21
12 We Will Never See How People 5:42
13 Thank You 3:00
14 Vydokh 3:19

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One of the IDM genre's more prolific young talents returns with his 7th album in two years, titled 'innerheaven'. Plunging into dense, undulating atmospheres beneath expertly crafted polyrhythms, glitchy beats add a visceral quality to an otherwise cerebral listening experience, creating a cohesive and relevant soundscape with many destinations. Lamenting vocals and poignant cello movements are woven into the fabric of harsh sonic artefacts while addictive beats punctuate the brooding sonic landscape. Like a cold and bright winter morning, 'innerheaven' clings and soothes with a radiant glow, swelling with optimism as it guides the listener into endless passages of introspection. As with mgnovenie before it, once again r.roo builds a compelling cocktail of melancholy, antagonism, hope, and beauty that never settles into a predictable groove, with sounds that lull one moment and crash in a cacophony of unrestrained emotion the next.

R.Roo - Innerheaven (flac  350mb)

01 In Without 5:28
02 Behind Closed Eyes 6:02
03 Silent Conversation 4:45
04  Uninhibited 5:00
05 R-room #9 4:19
06 Warm Embrace Of The Evening Sun 6:36
07 Below The Surface 5:59
08 Monsoon 6:05
09 Lunar Eclipse 5:40
10 Interference 5:49
11 R-room #11 3:58
12 Innerheaven (With EyeScream) 6:52
13 After Everything 6:05
Bonus Track
14 Innerheaven (by EyeScream) 6:14

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"I would have gone in my apartment now, if I knew the place of distortion which could whittle me away, disembowel me, get rid of my self."

Originally included as a limited bonus CD album  to Innerheaven. Since ‘Hydref‘ 's become freely available. featuring 9 new songs of an amazing quality. In exhibits presented for the blind there are together serenity and anxiety, craving for shattered and for holistic, attraction to warm and avoiding of cold.  It's an autumn album the title is the giveaway as Hydref is Welsh for October.... But music like this is highly enjoyable whatever the season is

R.Roo - Hydref (flac 233mb)

01 Hydref Part 1 7:47
02 Hydref Part 2 4:59
03 Hydref Part 3 11:00
04 Hydref Part 4 6:55
05 Hydref Part 5 5:13
06 Hydref Part 6 3:41
07 Hydref Part 7 4:58
08 Hydref Part 8 6:00
09 Hydref Part 9 7:37

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Rhodeo 1410 Beats

Hello, drip drip drip that's the info coming in on that missing plane after almost a week it turns out they had a signal that held for 5 hours, so who thought it funny to let everyone search in the 'neighbourhood' when the plane was thousands of miles away. It looks now it has been a hijacking by either passengers in cahoots with one of the pilots or a solo act by one of the pilots. Whatever, what was intended it looks to have failed and i suspect the other pilot twarted the plot, what remains is the senseless death of 239 people.

These months French rule the beats and they have plenty to offer even though not that much reaches the world as  the music scene is rather dominated by the Anglo - American music industry. Meanwhile the French enjoyed themselves in their own niche so to speak, and they did rather well.  It takes a lot to preside over the pinnacle of Parisian chic, yet today's artists, lounge guru to the A-list, has been spinning his unique brand of seductive chillout for the past decade. Effortlessly hip, the French king of cool paints aural pictures with global sounds, layering them to create his laid-back lounge music. His masterful mixes strike the perfect balance between soul and chic; his eclectic influences range from nostalgic film music to dub to house. Sunshine ....... N'joy

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Pompougnac was born in Paris to a psychotherapist and a dental surgeon. He spent his early life in Bordeaux. His first job was as a waiter at the courtyard café of Hôtel Costes in Paris' Les Halles district, but his DJ debut occurred when he was 18, at such Bordeaux discothèques as Ubu, The Colony, and The Dream.

After finishing his studies and national service, Pompougnac spent six months in London before returning to Paris in 1992. In Paris he mixed at such discothèques as Queen, Folies Pigalle, The Locomotive, Diable des Lombards, and Privilège. One year later, he became the resident DJ at Les Bains et Douche, where he met Claude Challe. Reportedly, in 1997 Albert de Paname introduced Pompougnac to Jean-Louis Costes, co-owner of Hôtel Costes, where Pompougnac had worked as a waiter some ten years prior. This time, Costes hired Pompougnac to be the hotel's resident DJ. Hotel Costes, located at the very trendy heart of Paris at 239 rue St-Honoré, is one of France's most famous hot spots, and regularly attracts stars of the film and fashion world.

 In 1999, Pompougnac published his first studio mix, Costes: France et Choiseul. Pompougnac's second studio mix, Costes: La Suite outsold his previous release. After the mix's third track, "Sympatique" by Pink Martini, was used for an auto advertisement in France, Costes: La Suite sold more than 100,000 copies. Although Pompougnac published first two albums in France via Barclay Universal, his mounting success led to a contract with MSI, who published his third studio mix, Etage 3 (October 2000). His first three mixes collectively sold nearly half a million copies.

Since then, Pompougnac's reach has grown. He has worked with Madonna, danced with Nicole Kidman and played movie premieres, catwalk shows and celebrity parties hosted by the likes of Cameron Diaz, Mick Jagger and Christy Turlington. The Hotel Costes CD series has continued to grow, and Pompougnac has also mixed a CD for Saks Fifth Avenue, while his 2003 solo album, "Living on the Edge," which featured REM's Michael Stipe, was hailed for its fresh, intelligent mixes.

The eighth part of the Hôtel Costes compilation released in 2005. In May 2007, DJ delivers his second solo album, Hello Mademoiselle. Pompougnac has published more than 20 studio mixes, and also DJs for the fashion award show Les Venues de la Mode. He has also performed for fashion shows by Gucci and Yves Saint-Laurent.

Stephane is also the A List’s choice of DJ; performing at Cameron Diaz’s restaurant in Miami, the Bamboo Bar as well as playing at the London premier of Ali. In between you might find him playing at Estella Warren's birthday party in New York, at Club Indochine in Zurich for Christy Turlington. Or at his global residences: the Lotus in New York, Jet Set in Moscow, Royal Mirage (Dubai), and still Hotel Costes in Paris.

Discography

Solo albums
Living on the Edge (2003)
Hello Mademoiselle (2007)
Mix albums
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 1: Café Costes (1999)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 2: La suite (1999)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 3: Étage 3 (2000)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 4: Quatre (2001)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 5: Cinq (2002)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 6 (2003)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 7: Sept (2004)
Hôtel Costes, Best of Costes (2005)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 8 (2005)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 9 (2006)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 10 (2007)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 11 (2008)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 12 (2009)
Hôtel Costes, A Decade: 1999–2009 (2009)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 14 (2010)
Hôtel Costes, Vol. 15 (2011)
Night & Day (2011)

Other mixes
Saks Fifth Avenue (2002), mixed for Saks Fifth Avenue
The Concorde Lounge: Supersonic Jet Set Love (2003), mixed for Japanese magazine Casa Brutus
Sparkling Moments: Tokyo/Paris (2005), mixed for Perrier
StarFlyer (2007), mixed for StarFlyer

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After 9 Hotel Costes CD's, with this album Stéphane Pompougnac proves why he's always on top of his era is sampling and recreating music lines in a wholistic, almost organic structure. Pompougnac produced ALL these tracks - with featured artists on most of them. At this point, I think he's a better composer than compiler. The CD maintains a bouncy pace, cutting across funk, disco, soul, newjazz, breaks, and sexy global lounge. I could easily see a few of these tracks going over very well on the dance floor, and also as the backdrop for a fun night out (or in)!
His debut album “Living on the Edge”, in 2003, didn’t meet gross success but “Hello Mademoiselle” is here to shout that this guy is not just a DJ or remixer. The fact that the album’s two most catchy songs are remakes is not a reason to let you down as his touch on them is apparent. Firstly he converted one of the most mediocre and colourless Morricone’s songs (“Here’s to You”) to a fascinating tune. In his second experiment he managed to bequeath to a great but dusted 60’s blues a modern electro-jazz style (“On the Road Again”). As regards the rest of the content, it is without doubt equally elegant where its variety of sounds and styles make it difficult to categorise.

While listening to the album for the first time, I caught myself saying that these rhythms would be nice on a beach, laying down, doing nothing… I’m not sure whether it was due to my holiday mood that specific day, but after a closer look I realized that these melodies will accompany my summer this year.

Stephane Pompougnac - Hello Mademoiselle ( 421mb)

1 Ghosts & Roses (feat Noemi) 4:01
2 Sunday Driver (feat Charles Schillings) 4:30
3 Union Square 4:59
4 Ingrate (feat Alain Chamfort) 4:54
5 Better Days (feat Tiger Lily, Varano) 5:46
6 L'Oiseau 4:19
7 Hello Mademoiselle (feat Anthony Bambury) 4:09
8 On The Road Again 5:06
9 Here's To You (Acoustic Version feat Linda Lee Hopkins) 3:29
10 Clock (feat Varano) 4:16
11 Mondes Parallèles (feat Neoh) 4:03
12 Last Night 3:32
13 Sorry 3:42
14 Just To Love U (feat Marabunta) 5:27
15 Here's To You (Radio Edit) 3:13

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Ten years in the life of resident DJ Stephane Pompougnac during which 12 volumes of the eponymous CD series have sold a collective 4 million units, with volume 12 only having just been released in September of 2009. A specially priced 2-for-1 double CD with the best tracks culled from the series, selected by Pompougnac himself. The Hotel Côstes series of CD s, the crème de la crème in the lounge/chillout/electronica genre closes out the décinee celebrating 10 years and looking through rose colored glasses to the future. This is great refresher or portable highlights collection for veteran fans, and an even better entry point for the curious. Slick, fashionable, downtempo music doesn’t have many friends better than Pompougnac, and with only the best of the best represented here, even dingy basement apartments may feel like chic lofts if this is the soundtrack.

Stephane Pompougnac - Hôtel Costes - 1999 - 2009 - A Decade (flac 421mb)

A Decade

101 I:Cube - Adore 5:32
102 Stéphane Pompougnac & Charles Schillings - Sunday Drive (Original Mix) 4:05
103 Rouge Rouge - L'Amour 4:18
104 Mark Farina & Sean Hayes - Dream Machine (Downtempo Mix) 6:09
105 Nickodemus & Carol C - Cleopatra In New York 3:35
106 Tosca Feat. Stephan Graf Hadik Wildner - Rolf Royce 5:40
107 Boozoo Bajou - Night Over Manaus 6:20
108 Angus & Julia Stone - Paper Aeroplane 3:29
109 Stéphane Pompougnac - Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti 3:08
110 Villa Black & Juanita Grande - Broken Wings (Pompougnac & Charles Schillings Remix) 4:07
111 Slow Train - In The Black Of The Night 4:32
112 Zuco 103 & Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Love Is Queen Omega 4:59
113 Shazz & Michael Robinson - Mirage 4:06
114 Orsten - Fleur Blanche 4:14

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Stephane Pompougnac - Hôtel Costes - 1999 - 2009 - Bonus Mix (flac 468mb)

201 Freedom Dub - Emotional Rescue (2 Many Beats Remix) 2:47
202 Trinity FM - S.O.S. (The Sound Of Silence) 2:51
203 S-Tone Inc. - Con Mi Sombra 4:48
204 Parov Stelar - Kiss Kiss 4:41
205 Major Boys & Aurelia - Sous Le Soleil (Radio Mix) 4:39
206 Club Des Belugas - Hip Hip Chin Chin (Yaziko Club Mix) 3:17
207 Dublex Inc. - Tócame 4:55
208 Louie Austen - Glamour Girl 4:52
209 Stéphane Pompougnac - Hello Mademoiselle (Balazko Remix) 7:04
210 Charles Schillings & Pompon F. - No Communication, No Love (Street Corner Symphony Mix) 7:00
211 Mr. V - Jus' Dance (Sole Channel Mix) 6:57
212 Slow Supreme - Granada 6:51
213 Variety Lab & Kidsaredead - Soda Pop Confusion 3:08
214 Stéphane Pompougnac Feat. Clémentine - Morenito (Original Mix) 5:34

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RhoDeo 1410 Goldy Rhox 151

Hello, today the 151st post of GoldyRhox, classic pop rock in the darklight are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and are regarded as one of the seminal hard rock acts of the early 1970s.The band's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always included a massive keyboard sound, strong vocal harmonies and (in the early years) David Byron's quasi-operatic vocals. Twelve of the band's albums have made it to the UK Albums Chart (Return to Fantasy reached No. 7 in 1975) while of the fifteen Billboard 200 the band's albums Demons and Wizards was the most successful (#23, 1972). In the late 1970s the band had massive success in Germany, where the "Lady in Black" single was a big hit. Along with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, today's band had become one of the top bands in the early 1970s - one of "The Big 4" of hard rock.

The band's audience declined by the 1980s, to the point where they became essentially a cult band in the United Kingdom and United States. The band maintains a significant following and performs at arena-sized venues in the Balkans, Germany, Japan, Russia and Scandinavia. They have sold over 40 million albums worldwide with over 4 million sales in the U.S


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Most of the albums i 'll post made many millions for the music industry and a lot of what i intend to post still gets repackaged and remastered decades later, squeezing the last drop of profit out of bands that for the most part have ceased to exist long ago, although sometimes they get lured out of the mothballs to do a big bucks gig or tour. Now i'm not as naive to post this kinda music for all to see and have deleted, these will be a black box posts, i'm sorry for those on limited bandwidth but for most of you a gamble will get you a quality rip don't like it, deleting is just 2 clicks...That said i will try to accommodate somewhat and produce some cryptic info on the artist and or album.

Today's mystery album was released September, 1973 is the sixth studio album released by today's British rock band. By 1973, the band had progressed from an English heavy metal band to a worldwide success. They moved on to a new label (Warner Bros.) and began to explore new styles to flesh out their combination of prog complexity and heavy metal muscle. The band's desire to break new ground is established with the lead-off track, "Dreamer": while it riffs as hard as the band's past rockers, it adds a surprising element of funkiness into the band's sound. The gentle, acoustic guitar-dominated "Circus" is another change of pace that pushes the group's sound in a meditative, folky direction. The group also explores new avenues in the lyrical arena. Instead of the mystical tales that dominated previous albums today's mystery album offers lyrics designed to appeal to the listener on a personal level: The most stirring example is "Stealin'," a song about the regrets that come with living a self-obsessed life. These sentiments were combined with a stirring, soulful melody that helped make the song a radio favorite. Another highlight in this vein is the title track, a song that combines lyrics about the price of being free with an organ-fuelled, hymn-like melody. On the Billboard charts, today's mystery album was received #33 in the U.S., and #18 in the UK. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on 5 March 1974. Here today, the 2004 remastered version on Sanctuary UK, which adds 6 unreleased tracks



Goldy Rhox 151   (flac 505mb)

Goldy Rhox 151   (ogg 171mb)


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RhoDeo 1410 Aetix

Hello, still no news from the missing airplane, although they manage to confuse more and more, it looks to me these Malaysians don't react well to sudden stress, or maybe it's just we in the West are used to much more controlled news...... Anyway 239 lives remain lost, and Boeing can start to worry as news of previous problems with the airplane become known.

It's the final post on the Paisley Underground an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s. Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay in a folk rock style that owed a particular debt to The Byrds, but more generally referenced the whole range of 1960s West Coast pop and garage rock. The term "Paisley Underground" originated in late 1982, with a comment made by Michael Quercio of the band The Three O'Clock, during an interview with the LA Weekly alternative newspaper.

Paisley Underground bands frequently shared bills, socialized and collaborated. Members of Rain Parade, The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate and The Three O'Clock joined together to form Rainy Day, releasing an eponymous album of cover versions of songs by The Velvet Underground, Buffalo Springfield, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Big Star, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who. As "Danny and Dusty," Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate and Dan Stuart of Green on Red made the album The Lost Weekend (A&M, 1985) backed by members of each band along with most of The Long Ryders. Clay Allison was an offshoot band composed of David Roback and Will Glenn (Rain Parade), Kendra Smith (The Dream Syndicate), Sylvia Juncosa (Leaving Trains) and Keith Mitchell (Monitor).

Todays band was associated with the Paisley Underground music movement; of the bands in that movement,The Rough Guide to Rock called them "one of the few worthwhile traditional American guitar rock bands of their era. While most of the essential groups of the time were pushing back the limits of the form, they had the distinction of managing to breathe new life into the genre..  . . ....N'Joy

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Out of the same mold as L.A.'s Paisley Underground bands, True West didn't fit because they were from Davis, CA (operating out of the nearby nexus for guitar bands, San Francisco) and a little darker and less dreamy than the others. They debuted with True West, an EP in 1983 on Bring Out Your Dead Records. It was produced by the band's Russ Tolman and the Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn. Hollywood Holiday, released by France's then-very hip New Rose label that same year, contained the debut EP as well as some new tracks. By 1984, the band signed a deal with U.S. indie label PVC for Drifters. Drummer Josef Becker left to join the similar, though darker California-centric roots band Thin White Rope, and after recording, so too did Tolman. 1986's Hand of Fate for CD Presents features guitar work by the Rain Parade's Matt Piucci and Green on Red's Chuck Prophet in place of Tolman. Shortly after, the band called it quits. West Side Story (Skyclad, 1989) is an odds-and-sods collection, Best Western (Skyclad, 1990) a compilation of of old demos, and TV Western (Skyclad, 1990) adds some live tracks to the demo sessions. Singer Gavin Blair and guitarist Richard McGrath worked as Fool Killers after the breakup, and Tolman is a prolific singer/songwriter. Becker went on to play with Game Theory. The group's bassist was Kevin Staydohar.

True West were the black sheep of the paisley underground set. While their pals were recording major-label records with Sandy Pearlman (the Dream Syndicate), working with Prince (both the Bangles and the Three O'Clock), hanging out with Gene Clark (the Long Ryders), or becoming critical darlings (Green on Red), True West were relegated to a relatively tiny indie label (PVC) and split up before making much of an impression on more than a handful dedicated fans. Atavistic's 2007 release of the band's first two releases (1983's Hollywood Holiday and 1984's Drifters) proves that while True West may have faded into obscurity, their music remains challenging and inspiring, and stands up better today than many of their peers' best efforts. Influenced as much by the sound of mid-'70s N.Y.C. (Television) as by the psychedelic '60s (Pink Floyd, Quicksilver Messenger Service), the group was defined by the intricate and passionate guitar duels between Russ Tolman and Richard McGrath, the unhinged vocals of Gavin Blair, and the incredible amount of drama and mystery in its sound. Hollywood Holiday is a raw document of a band that already sounds fully formed and ready to make a splash. Everything on the record seethes with energy and imagination, but the highlights -- like the melancholy jangle pop of "And Then the Rain," the wild tribal improvisation "I'm Not Here," the very catchy title track, and the awesome "You," which features Tolman and McGrath's mind-reading interplay at its most breathtaking -- are some of the best examples of the American underground of the early '80s you'll ever hear.

 After such an impressive debut, the next album was almost sure to be a major letdown. In True West's case, though, there is only change to be found on Drifters, not disappointment. Drifters is a more polished record, made in a real studio with Sandy Pearlman's engineer behind the board (again, they were one step behind their scene-mates). While the sound is cleaner (oh, those cursed mid-'80s drum sounds!) and slightly less immediate than on Hollywood Holiday, it sounds raw and fiery enough to put, say, The Medicine Show to shame. McGrath and Tolman still manage to work up storms of six-string majesty throughout, especially on "What About You," where McGrath channels Tom Verlaine very convincingly, the rampaging "Backroad Bridge Song (What Could I Say)," and the chiming "Morning Light." For the most part, though, the guitars are on the back burner and Blair's vocals and lyrics are moved more to the forefront. He proves himself ready for the spotlight -- his vocals are powerful and well suited to the uptempo songs reminiscent of the first record, like "Look Around" and "At Night They Speak," but also the type of country-influenced rockers ("Morning Light," "Speak Easy") and ballads ("Ain't No Hangman") the band was moving toward. While some critics and fans thought the record played it too safe, any excitement lost in the studio polish is offset by the strength found in the songcraft, arrangements, and performances. It's not as classic a statement as their debut, but it remains a highly listenable artifact of the era.

Added on to the compilation are three tracks the band recorded with Tom Verlaine in late 1983 after the release of Hollywood Holiday. EMI financed the session but passed on signing the band, so the songs were left in the can until the release of the (long out of print) Best Western collection in 1990. They provide a clue as to what a completely stripped-down version of Drifters might have sounded like, and fill in a missing piece of the True West story. They may not be the first band you think of when reminiscing about the paisley underground, but to forget them entirely means missing out on some very good and important music. With this long overdue reissue, you no longer have a valid excuse to overlook True West.

True West - Hollywood Holiday Revisited  (flac 532mb)

Hollywood Holiday (83)
01 Steps to the Door 3:14
02 I'm Not Here 2:23
03 And Then the Rain 3:48
04 Hollywood Holiday 4:10
05 Lucifer Sam 3:12
06 It's About Time 4:38
07 Throw Away the Key 3:12
08 You 4:47
Drifters (84)
9 Look Around 4:30
10 At Night They Speak 3:22
11 Speak Easy 3:29
12 Shot You Down 3:32
13 What About You 4:47
14 Hold On 4:43
15 And Then the Rain  4:24
16 Backroad Bridge Song (What Could I Say)  3:01
17 Ain't No Hangman 2:47
18 Morning Light  4:02
The Verlaine Demos
19 Burn the Roses 3:24
20 Look Around 4:22
21 Throw Away the Key 3:13
 
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The neo-psychedelic group Opal formed in the mid-'80s, featuring former Rain Parade guitarist David Roback and former Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith. Initially, the group was called Clay Allison, but the group dropped the name after one single; Roback, Smith, and drummer Keith Mitchell released the remaining Clay Allison tracks under their own name in 1984 on the Fell From the Sun EP. After its release, the group adopted the name Opal and released an EP, Northern Line, in 1985. Happy Nightmare Baby, their first full-length album, followed in 1987. Smith left the group during the Happy Nightmare tour, effectively putting an end to the band. Roback continued with vocalist Hope Sandoval; the group then metamorphosed into Mazzy Star.

At once drowsy, psychedelic, entrancing, and possessed of a sinuous spark, Happy Nightmare Baby may have been Opal's only album but deserves more attention than merely being a blueprint for Roback's later work in Mazzy Star. For one thing, Opal was very much its own band, with Kendra Smith's particular lyrical visions of mystic power and universe-scaling dreams and nightmares its own entity. As is her singing, though she's got less of Hope Sandoval's wistful drift and more focused control -- check out the brief "A Falling Star," where the comparatively stripped-down arrangement places her singing in the foreground, notably without much in the way of echo. Roback's playing certainly won't surprise anyone per se who backtracks to this group from albums like She Hangs Brightly, and the atmosphere of textured, moody power is evident right from the start with the wonderful early T. Rex tribute, "Rocket Machine." The compressed string swirl and steady stomp is pure Marc Bolan-via-Tony Visconti, though Smith avoids Bolan's style of warble for her own cool, something also quite evident on the slow-groove stomp of the great "She's a Diamond" and the concluding "Soul Giver." Meanwhile, other familiar elements Roback would later use are present aplenty -- very Ray Manzarek-like organ lines on the mantra-chugs of "Magick Power" and "Siamese Trap," compressed acid rock solos and lots of reverb. The title track itself stands out a bit as being a bit more of a '60s Europop confection in a stripped-down 1968 setting -- Roback's electric guitar adds some fire, but it's the slightly jazz-tinged rhythm and easy delivery from Smith that helps establish its own character. It's a release that stood out both in time and place (a 1987 release on SST Records, of all places!), but it stands up to future years and listens darn well.

Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby  (flac 236mb)

01 Rocket Machine 4:24
02 Magick Power 6:14
03 Relevation 2:53
04 A Falling Star 1:21
05 She's A Diamond 4:18
06 Supernova 4:17
07 Siamese Trap 6:38
08 Happy Nightmare Baby 2:52
09 Soul Giver 8:34

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Formed in Los Angeles in 1978, the Plimsouls merged roots, retro and guitar rock with a ramshackle punk aesthetic. At a time when rock music was shifting gears, the Plimsouls' brand of soul-punk -- a modern take on '60s soul, British Invasion and garage rock sounds -- fit right in with the '80s post-punk American guitar band movement. Known for their kinetic live performances, the Plimsouls had an exceptional frontman in singer/songwriter Peter Case whose decision to pursue a solo career effectively ended their '80s run, but whose songs have kept the group's slight catalog and legacy in the public eye.

After their eponymous Planet Records debut full-length, the Plimsouls took the major-label bait and signed on with Geffen Records. Everywhere at Once, their first Geffen album, has mixed results. While the change to a major label did have a profound impact on the band, it wasn't always for the best. While Jeff Eyrich's somewhat heavy-handed production did take a little air out of their performance, the end result is far less clinical than other major-label mainstream rock records of the day. Everywhere at Once does contain the Plimsouls' greatest recorded achievement, "A Million Miles Away," which packs all of the passion and punch of some of John Lennon's finest recordings with a wonderful power-driven Byrds-like arrangement. Other standouts on this record include "Play the Breaks" which, while not quite as awesome as it is in a live performance (they were possibly the finest live band in Los Angeles in this period), still shines.

Plimsouls - Everywhere At Once  (flac 236mb)

01 Shaky City 2:36
02 Magic Touch 3:10
03 Oldest Story In The World 3:21
04 Lie, Beg, Borrow And Steal 2:46
05 Play The Breaks 4:19
06 How Long Will It Take 2:31
07 A Million Miles Away 3:35
08 My Life Ain't Easy 2:37
09 Inch By Inch 3:15
10 I'll Get Lucky 2:43
11 Everywhere At Once 3:18
12 Hobo 3:25

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