Celebrate, AZ Soup 2 Rush

XXXX insert XXXX
Must be a new record, certainly for Rho-Xs, the Genesis page was taken down within 2 days, seems EMI is not having anyone comprimise their exorbitandly priced Genesis Box or fully priced remaster. They likely have someone scouring blog world for any infringement of their percieved cashcows. ..They still don't get it, if anything, hearing one of the boxsets remasters would stimulate interest...

Here's the original Alphabet Soup intro

Hello, Alphabet Soup delivers some seventies favourites of mine, first up Foxtrot, the remastered one, the album was a big part of my first holiday with friends, singing along with Suppers Ready halfdrunk, oh well Rome and Florance were inspiring aswell and the sambuca very cheap. Rush was another band i bought all albums from until the early eighties. Caress of Steel was the album where they found their path to enduring collaboratiuon and stardom, ironically that album didnt sell as much but it prepared the way for their 2112 breakthrough...Finally a last minute switch , i had prepared World Record by Van Der Graaff Generator ..its still availble btw..but i decided to switch to Peter Hammill's solo album Over. It's hard to say what grabbed me at the time because thematically it wasnt something i connected with-at the time, however 10 years later when i was his age when he recorded it i understood, anyway i have his first 11 albums so posting one makes sense

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Rush - Caress Of Steel (75 ^ 100mb)

Never the critics favourite and rare recipients of mainstream pop radio airplay, Rush nonetheless won an impressive and devoted fan following while their virtuoso performance skills solidified their standing as musicians' musicians. Rush formed in Toronto, Ontario, in the autumn of 1968, and initially comprised guitarist Alex Lifeson (born Alexander Zivojinovich), vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib), and drummer John Rutsey. In their primary incarnation, the trio drew a heavy influence from Cream, and honed their skills on the Toronto club circuit before issuing their debut single, a rendition of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," in 1973. A self-titled LP followed in 1974, at which time Rutsey exited; he was replaced by drummer Neil Peart, who also assumed the role of the band's primary songwriter, composing the cerebral lyrics (influenced by works of science fiction and fantasy) that gradually became a hallmark of the group's aesthetic.

With Peart firmly ensconced, Rush returned in 1975 with a pair of LPs, Fly by Night and Caress of Steel. Their next effort, 1976's 2112, proved their breakthrough release: a futuristic concept album based on the writings of Ayn Rand, it fused the elements of the trio's sound -- Lee's high-pitched vocals, Peart's epic-length compositions, and Lifeson's complex guitar work -- into a unified whole. Fans loved it -- 2112 was the first in a long line of gold and platinum releases -- while critics dismissed it as overblown and pretentious: either way, it established a formula from which the band rarely deviated throughout the duration of their career.

When Rush finished their third album, Caress of Steel, the trio was assured that they had created their breakthrough masterpiece. But when the album dropped off the charts soon after its release, it proved otherwise. While it was Rush's first release that fully explored their prog rock side, it did not contain the catchy and more traditional elements of their future popular work -- it's quite often too indulgent and pretentious for a mainstream rock audience to latch onto. And while Rush would eventually excel in composing lengthy songs, the album's two extended tracks -- the 12½-minute "The Necromancer" and the nearly 20-minute "The Fountain of Lamneth" -- show that the band was still far from mastering the format. The first side contains two strong and more succinct tracks, the raging opener, "Bastille Day," and the more laid-back "Lakeside Park," both of which would become standards for their live show in the '70s. But the ill-advised "I Think I'm Going Bald" (which lyrically deals with growing old) borders on the ridiculous, which confirms that Caress of Steel is one of Rush's more unfocused albums.

A Farewell to Kings followed in 1977 and reached the Top 40 in both the U.S. and Britain. After 1978's Hemispheres, Rush achieved even greater popularity with 1980's Permanent Waves, a record marked by Peart's dramatic shift into shorter, less sprawling compositions. As the 1980s continued, Rush grew into a phenomenally popular live draw as albums like 1982's Signals, 1984's Grace Under Pressure, and 1985's Power Windows continued to sell millions of copies. As the decade drew to a close, the trio cut back on its touring schedule.

At the dawn of the 1990s, however, Rush returned to the heavier sound of their early records and placed a renewed emphasis on Lifeson's guitar heroics; consequently, both 1991's Roll the Bones and 1993's Counterparts reached the Top Three on the U.S. album charts. In 1996, the band issued Test for Echo and headed out on the road the following summer. Shortly thereafter, Peart lost his daughter in an automobile accident. Tragedy struck again in 1998 when Peart's wife succumbed to cancer. Dire times in the Rush camp did not cause the band to quit. Lee took time out for a solo stint with 2000's "My Favorite Headache". It would be five years until anything surfaced from the band. Fans were reassured in early 2002 by news that Rush were recording new songs in Toronto. The fruit of those sessions led to the release of Rush's 17th studio album, Vapor Trails, later that spring. In 2004 the band embarked on their 30th anniversary tour, and in 2006 they returned to the studio to begin work on a new album. The resulting Snakes & Arrows was released in May 2007, followed by Snakes & Arrows Live in early 2008.



01 - Bastille Day (4:37)
02 - I Think I'm Going Bald (3:38)
03 - Lakeside Park (4:07)
04 - The Necromancer (12:29)
p1 - Into The Darkness (4:12)
p2 - Under The Shadow (4:25)
p3 - Return Of The Prince (3:51)
05 - The Fountain Of Lamneth (19:58)
p1 - In The Valley (4:13)
p2 - Didacts And Narpets (1:02)
p3 - No One At The Bridge (4:18)
p4 - Panacea (3:14)
p5 - Bacchus Plateau (3:14)
p6 - The Fountain (3:50)

Celebrate, AZ Soup 3 Hammill

Peter Hammill - Over (77 ^ 113mb)

Born Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill, November 5, 1948, in Ealing, London, to parents of fairly good means, Peter Hammill grew up in the embrace of Jesuit teachings, an element that has continued to affect and influence his songwriting throughout his career as much as his studies of philosophy and art. The drive of his particular muse, fueled additionally by the '60s groundswell of new approaches to science fiction led to collaboration with Chris Judge-Smith at Manchester University, with Van Der Graaf Generator forming around them -- albeit briefly. The band broke up after a number of gigs, with Hammill going solo. The arrival of a Mercury Records contract led Hammill into the studio, accompanied by various friends, for a brief but intense recording session. The first three VDGG albums for Charisma moved through a variety of shattered and darkened landscapes, with some genuinely chilling moments.

Hammill's first solo outing, Fool's Mate (both a chess and Tarot reference), came alongside the Van Der Graaf Generator album H to He Who Am the Only One. It consisted, in the main, of an assortment of songs deemed too small for the band. In contrast, following the dissolution of VDGG following Pawn Hearts, Hammill's sophomore release, The Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night, was a bleak affair indeed. Hammill seemed to need to strip things down to the bare essentials, recording at home (the first appearance of Sofa Sound) for the most part, his lyrics telling more personal tales.

With The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage, Hammill began to find a voice away from VDGG, though his writing had yet to completely mature . In Camera saw him handling most of the instrumental work himself and experimenting with ambient soundscapes. In 1975, he once again dug into the back catalog of his songs, assuming the leather-jacketed persona of Rikki Nadir for Nadir's Big Chance, a noisy, chaotic album of garage band-styled rock & roll. The album seems to have had its effect in the British music community, being cited by more than a few in the following punk uproar as an influence -- even John Lydon went public with a degree of admiration for Hammill's work.

1975 saw the rebirth of Van Der Graaf Generator in a somewhat calmer format, while the songs still extended to epic length, the tendency towards proto-jazz explosions with rock underpinnings had been shorn away, the drumming was more laid back, and the lyrics tended towards examinations of people. The first two releases, Godbluff and Still Life, were fine albums, with one of Hammill's finest songs, "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)" appearing on the latter, but by the third album, Van Der Graaf Generator - World Record The band fractured yet again early 76. The support tour thru the US and UK made it clear that making music together and touring abroad isn't for everyone.

Meanwhile Hammill got his own troubles back home and in july 76 he recorded Over, one of the best albums ever made about the end of a relationship and the trauma that results, Over is the harrowing document of the failure of a long-term relationship Peter Hammill had been in. With a brief side-step to examine the loss felt by parents when their children move out ("Autumn"), Hammill exposes feelings of guilt, rage, betrayal, attempts at understanding, and attempts at healing. From the self-recrimination of the furious "Crying Wolf," to the angry lashing out of "Time Heals," through the heart-wrenching sadness of "This Side Of The Looking Glass" (with Hammill turning in a beautiful vocal performance against an orchestral setting), to the extremely tentative healing steps of "Lost And Found" (which includes a middle eighth that concludes "La Rossa" from Van Der Graaf Generator's Still Life, but in a cynical way), the songs avoid compromise and simplicity, making this a sometimes difficult listening experience; the lyrics are often bitterly clever and cutting. Beautifully produced, Over is Peter Hammill at his musical and lyrical best.

The album was recorded during a period of line-up change for Hammill's band Van der Graaf Generator. It features VdGG drummer Guy Evans, VdGG's new recruit Graham Smith (formerly of String Driven Thing) on violin, and the return of VdGG's bass player from 1969 to 1970, Nic Potter. It was issued for the first time on CD on Virgin Records in the early 1990s, Hammill had refused earlier cd release such was the intensity of his emotions about the album, he likely didnt want to confront his later marriage with it, bad luck for me as my vinyl had suffered chronic damage. It was reissued again in a remastered version in 2006 with bonus tracks.



1 - Crying Wolf (5:14)
2 - Autumn (4:19)
3 - Time Heals (8:43)
4 - Alice (Letting Go) (5:40)
5 - This Side Of The Looking Glass (7:04)
6 - Betrayed (4:49)
7 - (On Tuesdays She Used To Do) Yoga (3:58)
8 - Lost And Found (7:33)

Celebrate, Eight-X 1 Eno/Byrne

Hello, well i can''y deny my music hey day lay in the eighties, and with hindsight it turned out to a very fruitfull time, so much great music produced, often with minimal financial means. It's testament to the cynical ways of the industry that now 25 years later they rerelease remastered versions that likely cost more then the original..After numerous label takeovers, the backcatalogue of most eighties artists ended up in the claws of a handfull of majors. Two of the Eight-X albums here have been rereleased that way some years ago. As consumer it seems to me, policies like that hurt current artist sales, but then we have to remember that the musicindustry has become first and formost a marketing industry, and costs for rereleases are soo much lower. An artist today should get a decent management and exploit the internet to the max. Perhaps the banks in need of cashflow/customers again, will finally provide a decent/cheap commercial transaction system, so artists can sell their own work for whatever they want. When i look at the outragous I-Apple-tunes prices there's way to much grease for the suits in it. The time for bloodletting is over and you need to squeeze the leech to get rid of it.

Enough of my ranting here's some music, lost plenty of sweat from that exorcism and home tourism with all the tv channels these days does nothing real for you. New Order kept in their name choice the flirt with pseudo fascism going, they got accused of with the name Joy Division. They managed to really pick themselves up after their singer declared saint lost control for the last time, ( could it be he felt he was in control for the first time ?). Anyway i always liked Movement and it turned out to show them a new path, which resulted in many more memorable musics, though financially ...



Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts ( 81 now in FLAC 384mb)

Brian Peter George St. Jean le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, sometimes simply Eno, (born May 15, 1948), is an electronic musician who started his musical career with Roxy Music. He then went on to produce a number of highly eclectic and increasingly ambient electronic and acoustic albums. He is widely cited as coining the term "ambient music"

Eno had collaborated with Byrne's group Talking Heads on Fear of Music in 1979, and My Life was recorded mostly in a break between touring for that album, and the recording of Talking Heads' Remain in Light from 1980. Rather than featuring conventional pop or rock singing, most of the vocals are sampled from other sources, such as commercial recordings of Arabic singers, radio disc jockeys, evangelist Paul Morton and an anonymous exorcist. Musicians had previously used similarly sampling techniques, but never before had it been used "to such cataclysmic effect" as on My Life. It was recorded entirely with analogue technology, before the advent of digital sequencing and MIDI. As such it became the first landmark sampling album. Drawing on funk and world music (particularly the multi-layered percussion of African music), My Life is similar to Talking Heads' music of the same era. The "found objects" credited to Eno and Byrne were common objects used mostly as percussion. In the second edition (1982), the track "Qu'ran", which features samples of Qur'anic recital, was removed at the request of The Islamic Council of Great Britain. In its place "Very, Very Hungry" The album title is taken from a novel by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola.



01 - America Is Waiting (3:36)
02 - Mea Culpa (3:35)
03 - Regiment (3:56)
04 - Help Me Somebody (4:18)
05 - The Jezebel Spirit (4:55)
06 - Very Very Hungry (3:21)
07 - Moonlight In Glory (4:19)
08 - The Carrier (3:30)
09 - A Secret Life (2:30)
10 - Come With Us (2:38)
11 - Mountain Of Needles (2:35)
bonus
12 - Pitch To Voltage 2:38
13 - Two Against Three 1:55
14 - Vocal Outtakes 0:36
15 - New Feet 2:26
16 - Defiant 3:41
17 - Number 8 Mix 3:30
18 - Solo Guitar With Tin Foil 2:58
19 - Qu'ran (3:45)

Celebrate, Eight-X 2 Gang of 4

Gang Of Four - A Brief History Of The Twentieth Century ( 90 ^ 447mb)


Formed in 1977 by Leeds University students Jon King (vocals), Andy Gill (guitar), Dave Allen (bass), and Hugo Burnham (drums), Gang of Four produced some of the most exhilarating and lasting music of the early English post-punk era of 1978-1983. Gill and King, the creative forces in the band, brought together an eclectic array of influences, ranging from the neo-Marxist Frankfurt School of social criticism to the increasingly clear trans-Atlantic punk consensus. In fact the term "Gang of Four" refers to the "big four" Structuralist theorists: Claude Lévi-Strauss, Michel Foucault, Roland Barthes, and Jacques Lacan, not to be confused with the Maoist Gang of Four in China. Despite the fact that this sounds rife with the potential for being long on rhetoric and short on groove, such was not the case. What made Gang of Four's polemical clang'n'roll so compelling was that it worked as harsh, bracing, and ultimately liberating rock & roll.

The Gang's debut single, Damaged Goods b/w Love Like Anthrax & Armalite Rifle became a No.1 indie chart hit
This led to two outstanding Peel radio sessions, which, with their incendiary live performances, propelled the band to International attention and sold out shows across Europe and North America. They were then signed by EMI records. The group's début single with this label, "At Home He's a Tourist", charted in the British Top 40 in 1979. Invited to appear on top rated BBC music program Top of the Pops, the band walked off the show when the BBC told them that they must sing "packets" instead of "rubbers" as per the lyrics of the song, as the original was too subversive for this TV slot. The single was then banned by BBC Radio & TV, which lost the band support at record label EMI, who began to push another band instead - Duran Duran. A later single, "I Love a Man in a Uniform", was banned by the BBC during the Falklands war in 1982..
The music on their debut album "Entertainment 1 ' shows clearly the influence of punk, yet also incorporates funk and less-obvious influences of reggae and dub, similar to other bands at the time such as Public Image Ltd., Pere Ubu, and Au Pairs. As with these other influential post-punk bands, the bass is mixed much more prominently than it typically is in rock or punk.
The second album Solid Gold was released in 1981, a troubled American tour saw the departure of Allen (who later co-founded Shriekback) , he was replaced on bass by Sara Lee. Songs Of The Free followed in 1982, Hugo Burnham left (got sacked ?) after this album, while Gill, King and Sara Lee recorded the misguided "radical soul/R&B" album " Hard", it signalled that the end was nigh, the now "Gang of Two" released a so-so live album (At the Palace) and called it quits in 1984. But legends die hard, and Gang of Four experienced a mini-renaissance in the early '90s with the release of two excellent collections (A Brief History of the Twentieth Century and The Peel Sessions Album). King and Gill put together a new Gang of Four and released the tepid but not disgraceful Mall in 1991. Another reunion, from 1995, yielded Shrinkwrapped. Three years later, a double-disc compilation -- 100 Flowers Bloom -- surfaced on Rhino, and the original lineup reconvened in 2004 to tour extensively and release 2005's Return the Gift, featuring re-recordings of their early material.



01 - At Home He's A Tourist (3:32)
02 - Damaged Goods (3:29)
03 - Naturals Not In It (3:07)
04 - Not Great Men (3:07)
05 - Anthrax (4:23)
06 - Return The Gift (3:07)
07 - It's Her Factory (3:10)
08 - What We All Want (Live) (5:12)
09 - Paralysed (3:23)
10 - A Hole In The Wallet (3:24)
11 - Cheeseburger (4:07)
12 - To Hell With Poverty (4:37)
13 - Capital (It Fails Us Now) (4:04)
14 - Call Me Up (3:36)
15 - I Will Be A Good Boy (3:11)
16 - The History Of The World (4:40)
17 - I Love A Man In A Uniform (4:08)
18 - Is It Love (4:34)
19 - Womantown (4:31)
20 - We Live As We Dream, Alone (3:38)

Celebrate, Eight-X 3 New Order

New Order - Movement (81 ^ 131mb)

Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, the enigmatic New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of the 1980s; embracing the electronic textures and disco rhythms of the underground club culture many years in advance of its contemporaries, the group's pioneering fusion of new wave aesthetics and dance music successfully bridged the gap between the two worlds, creating a distinctively thoughtful and oblique brand of synth pop appealing equally to the mind, body, and soul.

Movement is New Order's debut album, released in November 1981 on Factory Records. At the time of its release, the album wasn't particularly well received by critics or consumers, only peaking at #30 on the UK album charts. Closer, an album the band had released just over a year before as Joy Division, reached #6. Over the years the album has built a strong fanbase for its emotional and musical link to Joy Division, as well as its natural evolution on the other hand. The album was once again produced by Martin Hannett, who had worked with them as Joy Division; however, Hannett was in a legal dispute with Factory Records and suffering from substance and alcohol abuse, it would be the last time he'd work with New Order.

Musically, Movement is a transitional album between the group's previous work as Joy Division and their "mature" sound, witnessed from "Blue Monday" and "Power, Corruption and Lies" onwards. References to Ian Curtis are almost inevitable, appearing on "I.C.B." (`Ian Curtis Buried') and "The Him." However, "Dreams Never End" is a surprisingly upbeat track and "Senses" flirts with guitar motifs funkier than anything before it, while the expansion of the sonic palette with synths on all but the opening track, electronic percussion and Hook's bass taking on a melodic role while Gilbert's drums provides the low end.The staple of many later New Order works, the sequencer, is not present however, the first track to incorporate them--"Everything's Gone Green"--was written at the same time but released separately as a single.



01 - Dreams Never End (3:13)
02 - Truth (4:37)
03 - Senses (4:45)
04 - Chosen Time (4:07)
05 - ICB (4:33)
06 - The Him (5:29)
07 - Doubts Even Here (4:16)
08 - Denial (4:20)
Xs
09 - Ceremony (4:23)
10 - Everything's Gone Green (5:30)
11 - Temptation (7:00)

Celebrate, World 1 Prince Buster

Hello, Around The World is celebrated not by 1 or 2 but by 3 posts, this nicely mirrors the kinda of musics that were posted on the Rhotations. First up the Godfather of Ska, Rude boy no 1 Prince Buster, i had him on in the Sunshine series, a direct link to that post is available here. Considering the second world, King Sunny Ade..two weeks ago i got a request for this album, which i had once but no more, a few days later i was at a sec. hand cd shop browsing..there it was..amazing synchronicity, Synchro System indeed..no contest then what to post from Africa. Thirdly, Mediæval Bæbes, they neatly combine the folk and mediæval music i posted...

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Prince Buster - Fabulous Greatest Hits (67 ^ 80mb)

Cecil Bustamente Campbell as a youth became interested in boxing and spent many hours sparring in local gyms. He had much promise as a boxer and won a good number of his fights. He also became interested in music which lead to him playing in a band. In 1961 he became a security man for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd who owned the Downbeat sound system, working with him on the open-air concerts. The "Trojan" Duke Reid and Sir Coxsone were battling it out in the sound system competitions. Buster did some DJ work with Coxone and took part in many fights that competition between sound systems and their devoted fans "rude boys" would bring. This fighting on numerous occasions earned him the title' Prince'.

By 1962 after recording himself on the Starlite label, Prince Buster released a production of the Folkes Brothers "Oh Carolina" , shortly followed a hit by Eric Morris with "Humpty Dumpty". These records were released on Emil Shalit's Melodisc record company which he formed in the 1940's. Due to the growth of Jamaican music and the new R & B sound, Shalit saw the need for a new label to concentrate on the new sound, the Blue Beat record label was born in 1960. The new sound that developed into Ska was sometimes referred to as Blue Beat because it mostly appeared on that label. Prince Buster either produced or recorded hundreds of records over the coming years.

Buster was an instant success and his records sold well, his early material was distinct from other music of that period, having an up tempo style with highly charged horny ska riffs dominated by cymbals. Prince Buster toured Europe & Britain regularly between 1962 and 1967 and appeared on the popular TV show Ready Steady Go in 1964, having just broken all records with a sell-out concert at Brixton Town Hall. He also toured the USA in 1967 with great success. Al Capone was the first Jamaican recorded song to enter the U.K top 20. By 67 he had released Fabulous Greatest Hits, testament to his large output, just 12 tracks hardly does him justice but the sixties vinyl could hardly accomodate more then 20 min per side....

By the 1970s Buster had slowed down his career as a musician to focus on his business ventures. The ska sound was not as popular as it once was, but its influence was clearly felt in its descendants: rocksteady, which was slower than ska and more influenced by gospel and soul, and by rocksteady's better-known successor, reggae. In contrast, in 73 Prince Buster - Big Five was released which must rank among the sauciest albums ever released by an established artist.By the late 1970s, Buster was in serious financial trouble. His business ventures were all posting losses or low profits, and the loans he had taken out to start them were catching up. Fortunately for him, ska was experiencing a revival in the United Kingdom. In 1979, the band Madness released its first record, a tribute to Buster called "The Prince", which urged ska fans to remember "the man who set the beat", stating "So I'll leave it up to you out there / To get him back on his feet." Interest in Buster soared during this time; he received royalties when his songs were covered by bands like The Specials, The (English) Beat, and Madness, and his old records were reissued and sold well. Between these boons, The Prince was indeed able to "get back on his feet."In the late seventies and early eighties he became an inspiration to the Two Tone bands. Prince Buster is today living in Miami, Florida, USA, concentrating on his business interests.He still occasionaly performs.




01 - Earthquake (3:22)
02 - Texas Hold-Up (2:54)
03 - Freezing Up Orange Street (2:47)
04 - Free Love (3:30)
05 - Julie (2:59)
06 - Take It Easy (3:32)
07 - Judge Dread (3:38)
08 - Too Hot (2:59)
09 - Ghost Dance (2:20)
10 - Ten Commandments (3:29)
11 - Al Capone (2:57)
12 - Barrister Pardon (3:32)

Celebrate, World 2 Sunny Ade

Around The World

King Sunny Ade & His African Beats - Juju Music (82 ^ 135mb)

King Sunny Ade is the undisputed king of juju music.Born to a Nigerian royal family in Ondo, Ade left grammar school to pursue his career, which began with Moses Olaiya's Federal Rhythm Dandies, a highlife band. He left to form The Green Spots in 1967. He formed a record label in 1974, fed up with being exploited by a major label. Beginning with Juju Music, Ade began gaining a wide following as Mango Records, a subsidiary of Island Records, released his albums. Juju Music represented the first worldwide release for Adé, who was already established in his native Nigeria as its "biggest musical draw and juju music's reigning monarch". The album was a critical and commercial success,peaking at #111 on Billboard's "Pop Albums" chart. The New York Times, which described the album in 1982 as "the year's freshest dance-music album", credited it in 1990 with having launched the "World Beat movement in the United States". He was soon billed as the African Bob Marley, and headlined concerts in the US. Soon after, Nigerian imports (mostly pirated copies) of his massive back catalog began flooding the Western market. Island, concerned about sales and Adé's refusal to include more English in his repertoire, cut him loose after his third LP for them featuring Stevie Wonder, 1984's Aura didnt live up to the overbloated expectations they had. (As ever with these crooks its all about money not music).

By the end of the 1980s, Ade's star began to dim, and his albums sold less, though he continued to garner critical acclaim and widespread popularity in Africa. 1998's Odu, a collection of traditional Yoruba songs, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Ade has remained a powerful force in Nigeria. Money received from his early albums has been used to launch an oil firm, a mining company, a nightclub, film and video production company, a PR firm and a record label specializing in recordings by African artists. It's been estimated than more than seven hundred people are employed by Ade's companies..

With a phalanx of electric guitars that functions like a percussion section, and talking drums that sound like a gossipy Greek chorus, King Sunny Ade and His African Beats, all 20 of them, proved that African music could be as complex, dramatic, and symphonic as any European ensemble. Some thanks must go to French producer Martin Meissonier, who took the basic elements of Ade's sound--unison guitars, Yoruban drumming, seamless song medleys, and self-reflexive lyrics--and added a diverse assortment of Jamaican production techniques to heighten, deepen, and psychedelicize a sound that, with Ade's deliciously sweet vocals and the haunting strains of Demala Adepoju's Hawaiian 'space' steel guitar, was plenty wild to begin with. Sunny Adé's latest creative output, Grace of God was December 2007.

I've added my introduction to his work, Ja Funmi, back then i bought the 12 " aswell because of the B side Ja Funmi Waka... space is the place (its all in the head and rising)



01 - Ja Funmi (7:07)
02 - Eje Nlo Gba Ara Mi (7:17)
03 - Mo Beru Agba (3:27)
04 - Sunny Ti De Ariya (3:45)
05 - Ma Jaiye Oni (5:06)
06 - 365 Is My Number / The Message (8:17)
07 - Samba / E Falabe Lewe (8:06)
Xs - 12"
08 - Ja Funmi (Paul "Groucho" Smykle Remix) (7:05)
09 - Ja Funmi (Waka Version) (6:55)

Celebrate, World 3 Mediæval Bæ

Around The World

Mediæval Bæbes - Mirabilis (05 ^ 368mb)

The Mediaeval Baebes exquisite storybook beauty came to life in 1996 when ex-Miranda Sex Garden chanteuse Katharine Blake aimed to set her fascination with the Middle Ages to music and theater. She and 11 additional musicians and singers, Miranda Sex Garden's Teresa Casella, Audrey Evans, comic writer Marie Findley, Nicole Frobusch, Ruth Galloway, Karen Lupton, Claire Ravel, Australian native Cylindra Sapphire, Carmen Schneider, Nichole Sleet, and New Zealander Rachel Van Asch -- defined a contemporary musical approach while incorporating Middle Ages Paganism and spiritual moods and sentiments. Their 1997 debut, Salva Nos, shot straight to No 2 in the classical charts, and became one of the most fantastic classical recordings of the year.

Two years later, Worldes Blysse was released and that reached no1 on the British charts. Third album Undrentide, produced by John Cale, was issued in fall 2000. Frobusch, Lupton, and Sleet had also left the Baebes family, and Blake's vision had scaled down to nine women. The newly downsized group kept on, scoring the music for the 2000 black comedy American Psycho. A fourth album, The Rose, followed in spring 2002. Aside from singing in Italian, Latin, German, Middle English, and Medieval French, the Baebes added Medieval Welsh and Russian to their musical palate. In fall 2003, the John Cale-produced Mistletoe and Wine was released, their fifth for Nettwerk. By the time of 2005's Mirabilis, the Baebes' lineup included Blake, Casella, Evans, Van Asch, Sapphire, Findley, and newcomers Maple Bee and Emily Ovenden.

The Baebes are a study in contrasts, their work running fluidly between past and present. On Mirabilis they are collecting folk ballads, pagan dance music, ancient love songs, and parcels of pure mystery. Where some earlier albums emphasized synths and worldbeat textures too much, Mirabilis is happy with its zithers and recorders, finger cymbals and glockenspiels, and above all features voice. The Baebes really shine with something like "San'c Fuy Bellha Ni Prezada," with its unadorned vocal and twining autoharp, or "Musa Venit Carmine," sung in Latin, in the round, and stippled with dynamic percussion. The selections are exuberant, even catchy, but the mystery that lies in the heart of the Mediaeval Baebes' sound is never sacrificed. "Märk Hur Vår Skugga" is even better. The Mediaeval Baebes combine elements of Western European myth and folkloric tradition with their mystical blend of ancient linguistics, overdone sensualism, and lush soundscapes.



01 - Star Of The Sea (3:32)
02 - Trovommi Amor (4:38)
03 - Temptasyon (3:19)
04 - San'c Fuy Belha Ni Prezada (1:35)
05 - All For Love Of One (3:38)
06 - The Lament (3:27)
07 - Musa Venit Carmine (3:26)
08 - Kilmeny (3:59)
09 - Lhiannan Shee (2:56)
10 - Umlahi (2:14)
11 - Cittern Segue (0:52)
12 - Return Of The Birds (3:45)
13 - Tam Lin (4:24)
14 - Scarborough Fayre (3:23)
15 - Come My Sweet (3:20)
16 - Märk Hur Vår Skugga (3:42)
17 - The World Fareth As A Fantasye (4:07)
18 - Away (2:20)

Celebrate, Epic of Gilgamesh

Hello, on the third day of celebrations, it's time for the audiobook, obviously i can't present a series here, but that's not a problem, because what i have on offer today is one of the greatest stories ever told, the original hero, which all later hero tales shadowed, be them Hercules, Samson, Arthur, down to all our current day fictional heroes like Batman, Superman or Wolverine. The Epic of Gilgamesh

What is remarkable is that this epic playes almost 5,000 years ago and that it survived thanks to it being written down on Cuneiform tablets that withstand the sands of time, though not the willfull destruction by human hand. As such Bush's US army is just one in a long line of army's that rampaged, looted and destroyed what they could get their hands on in Mesopatamia area. Luckily cuneiform tablets call for willfull destruction and thats why a more then decent amount has survived, that and the sands that covered all. As mentioned, this epic plays out (and written down undoubtely, as use of cuneiform script started 6,500 yrs ago) many centuries before the birth of Abraham, who as a young boy would have eagerly listened to or read this hero tale. ( note; when 550 bc the Jews wrote the old testament in Babylon, they paid plenty of hommage to their captors as the Biblical account of the creation of man as well as Noah's flood resemble the Sumerian tales very closely).

Many original and distinct sources exist over a 2,000 year timeframe, but only the oldest and those from a late period have yielded significant enough finds to enable a coherent intro-translation. Therefore, the old Sumerian version, and a later Akkadian version, which is now referred to as the standard edition, are the most frequently referenced. The earliest Sumerian versions of the epic date from as early as the Third Dynasty of Ur (2150-2000 BCE). The earliest Akkadian versions are dated to the early second millennium. The "standard" Akkadian version, consisting of twelve tablets, was edited by Sin-liqe-unninni sometime between 1300 and 1000 BC and was found in the library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh.

Despite the lack of direct evidence, most scholars do not object to consideration of Gilgamesh as a historical figure, particularly after inscriptions were found confirming the historical existence of other figures associated with him: kings Enmebaragesi and Aga of Kish. If Gilgamesh was a historical king, he probably reigned in about the 27th century BC.


Gilgamesh Epic ( 90mb)


Gilgamesh Epic file contains 

a 30 min introduction commentairy
a 90 min bbc audioplay
the translated cuneiform text, and an abridged summery

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Celebrate, Sundaze 1 Glass

Sundaze, hello this format, be it partly, has continued at Transgloballs, i just posted todays blog, with plenty of McKenna, nearing the end of a three month hommage to this brilliant man, spiced with Piano Works by Craig Armstrong ..so in case our first guest of the day Philip Glass gets you in the piano mood.. Craig Armstrong is present in the supertrio called The Dolls who's eponymous album got rave reviews but at the same time was a bit hard to classify ..well it's a Sundaze album for sure and finally a bit off perhaps Unkle go off on their Movie themed megamixes, afterparty here i come...

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Philip Glass - Solo Piano (89/03  flac 166mb)

Philip Morris Glass (born January 31, 1937) is considered one of the most influential American composers of the late-20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public where his big breakthrough came with the movie score Koyaansquatsi. Thus he followed illustrious precursors such as Richard Strauss, Kurt Weill and Leonard Bernstein. Although his music is often, though controversially, described as minimalist, he distances himself from this label, describing himself instead as a composer of "music with repetitive structures". Although his early, mature music is minimalist, he has evolved stylistically. Currently, he describes himself as a "Classicist", pointing out that he trained in harmony and counterpoint and studied Franz Schubert, Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Mozart with Nadia Boulanger.

Glass is a prolific composer: He has written works for his own musical group which he founded, the Philip Glass Ensemble (for which he still performs on keyboards), as well as operas, musical theatre works, eight symphonies, eight concertos, solo works, string quartets, and film scores. Three of his film scores have been nominated for Academy Awards.

Since the late 1980s, Glass has also written works for solo piano, starting with occasional piano pieces which are associated with his friends, such as Witchita Sutra Vortex (1988, written for the poet Allen Ginsberg). This piece was followed by two piano cycles: Metamorphosis (five pieces for a theatrical adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis [1988] and later used in part by Ronald D. Moore for the Sci-Fi/Universal production of the Reimagined Battlestar Galactica), Solo Piano (1989) is an album of piano music composed and performed by Philip Glass. It was produced by Kurt Munkacsi.
Its first track, Metamorphosis One, was featured in the Battlestar Galactica television episode "Valley of Darkness".Its second track, Metamorphosis Two, formed the basis of one of the main musical themes in the film The Hours.



1 - Metamorphosis One (5:39)
2 - Metamorphosis Two (7:19)
3 - Metamorphosis Three (5:30)
4 - Metamorphosis Four (7:00)
5 - Metamorphosis Five (5:03)
6 - Mad Rush (13:47)
7 - Wichita Sutra Vortex (6:05)

Celebrate, Sundaze 2 D Dolls

The Dolls - The Dolls (05 flac 271mb)

The Dolls are Antye Greie aka AGF (Germany), Craig Armstrong (Scotland), and Vladislav Delay ( Sasu Ripatti ) aka Luomo (Finland). Huume Recordings are happy sponsors of this collaboration between three solo musicians, admirers and explorers. Craig Armstrong (Massive Attack, Moulin Rouge soundtrack) had heard AGF's (Antye Greie) music and became a fan. He invited Antye to sing on his second solo album, As If To Nothing, and they performed a few successful shows together, with Vladislav Delay as central groupie and sometime performer. Armstrong later recorded a few of the songs off his solo piano album Piano Works in Berlin at AGF/Delay's home studio, dipping into idea-sharing and collaboration. They recorded hours of piano played by Armstrong, bringing in their computers and various studio toys. And at times when the machines didn't do their thing anymore, then the piano itself became a platform for something new, going well beyond "treated piano." The Dolls believe in the soothing qualities in music, both as a catalyst for themselves while making it as well as for soothing frayed nerves for the modern condition. But this trio of authors also believe in the child-like catharsis of music-making, even to the point of nonsense. Using drums, piano and vocals, The Dolls take on character-roles, transforming the pieces into multi-layered musical fantasy. Different generations with various backgrounds, musical ideas and visions meet here and mix-and-match there, leaving behind something you haven't heard before. Whilst it would have been blindingly simple for a collaborative project such as this to disappear into esoteric clouds, it is to the proponents considerable credit that 'The Dolls' remains not just accessible throughout, but nigh on irresistible; fusing an opaque sense of calm with fissures of elaborate detail. In short, imagine all three of the proponents at their best, then try and visualize how this would sound in perfect harmony.



01 - Martini Never Dries (6:16)
02 - White Dove (3:36)
03 - Soul Skin (5:14)
04 - Dolls (3:24)
05 - Night Active (1:38)
06 - Choices (3:49)
07 - Kukkuu (2:35)
08 - Collect The Blue (5:26)
09 - Star Like (6:10)
10 - Motor City (5:26)
11 - Favourite Chord (4:15)
12 - Sunbird (5:07)

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Celebrate, Sundaze 3 Unklesounds

UNKLESOUNDS - Edit Music For A Film - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction (2005)

Unkle (also written as UNKLE and U.N.K.L.E.) were founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. They were joined by Masayuki Kudo and Toshio Nakanishi of the Japanese hip hop crew Major Force. They also brought on board a host of collaborating artists, including Money Mark ( Beastie Boys), and the Scratch Perverts. Their first release in 1994 was the EP The Time Has Come, on Lavelle's recording label Mo' Wax.In 1995, while working on their debut album, Lavelle and Goldsworthy disagreed over the direction the music was taking. Goldsworthy wanted to continue with the Mo' Wax house style of earlier tracks, while Lavelle wanted to bring in singers, hip hop and rock artists. Goldsworthy left the group and went on to work with Belfast DJ and producer David Holmes. From these early sessions, Berry Meditation and several tracks with Money Mark and Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr. were subsequently released as singles, and several without Lavelle surfaced on the album Major Force West in 1997.

Lavelle drafted in DJ Shadow to work on the debut album, and essentially discarded all previously recorded material. Lavelle and Shadow released Psyence Fiction in 1998 to critical acclaim. The album included collaborations with an all-star lineup including Thom Yorke, Mike D (Beastie Boys), Kool G. Rap, Jason Newsted (Metallica), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve). Shadow left the group after touring Psyence Fiction and was replaced by turntablist group the Scratch Perverts, who deconstructed the album and performed it live on turntables in 1999.

In 2001, Lavelle, amid much work as a DJ, recruited singer/songwriter Richard File together they resurfaced as Unklesounds, with a DJ mix created for Japanese radio entitled Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats? This highlighted a new, more electronic direction the group had taken, and featured a number of tracks from Psyence Fiction, remixed in an ambient style. Richard File co-produced, played and sang on the second album, Never, Never, Land, released in 2003. The album again featured a number of high-profile contributors, including Ian Brown, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack) and Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) among others. Due in part to label changes (the album was variously released by Mo' Wax, Universal Island Records and Global Underground) and Lavelle's trademark insistence on multiple formats, it was not a major success.

Lavelle and File continued releasing mixes as Unklesounds. The mix album Edit Music for a Film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction, featuring movie samples and tracks from film soundtracks, was created for the After Dark 2004 event at the ICA London. A single CD version was handed out at the event, and it was released officially as an extended two disc set in 2005. In September 2006, Global Underground released Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats, a CD box set of remixes and bonus tracks from the Never, Never, Land sessions, including tracks previously only available on the original DVD release of the album. It also contained remixes of a track mooted for their next album, featuring Ian Astbury of The Cult, titled "Burn My Shadow".

War Stories, the third album from Unkle, was released in summer 2007. The album again featured a number of guests including Josh Homme, Gavin Clarke, Robert Del Naja, Ian Astbury, The Duke Spirit, Autolux and Neil Davidge. Following the release of the single "Hold My Hand", Pablo Clements (of The Psychonauts) became an Unkle member. In January 2008 Unkle released More Stories, containing a mix of B-sides, remixes, unreleased War Stories session tracks, and music composed for the film Odyssey In Rome. The same month, Richard File announced he was leaving Unkle after 10 years' collaboration to pursue work with his new band, We Fell to Earth. Unkle's fourth full album titled End Titles... Stories for Film was released in July 2008. It includes collaborations from Chris Goss, Black Mountain, Philip Sheppard, Dave Bateman, Joel Cadbury, and James Petralli (White Denim). The album is described in the sleeve notes by Lavelle as "not a new album in the usual sense, but new music that has been inspired by the moving image."




Unkle Sounds - Widescreen Edit ~ A New Hope (58:30 ^ 355mb)

01 - Unkle Sounds - Intro
02 - Joe Budden - Focus
03 - Lox, The Featuring DMX & Lil' Kim - Money, Power, Respect
04 - Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathurstra (Main Theme) (Unkle Sounds - Piano Workssounds Edit)
05 - Unkle - Blackout
06 - Unkle / Massive Attack - Lonely Soul / End Titles (Welcome To Sarajevo)
07 - Walter Carlos - Title Music From A Clockwork Orange
08 - Massive Attack - I Against I
09 - Genuine Childs - DVD Menu Score
10 - DJ Shadow / Tomoyasu Hotei - GDMFSOB (Unkle Uncensored) / Battle Without Honour Or Humanity
11 - Dust Brothers, The - One Inch Punch
12 - Chris Isaak - Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing (Unklesounds Edit)
13 - Sid Vicious - My Way
14 - Vangelis - lush Response (Unklesounds Edit)
15 - Unkle / Dillinja - Safe In Mind / Angels Fell
16 - Unkle - I Need Something Stronger
17 - Unkle Sounds - Outro

Unkle Sounds - Bonus Material Edit ~ Strikes Back (66:55 ^ 403mb)

01 - Unkle Sounds - Intro / Eye For An Eye (Strings Section)
02 - Unkle & South - Cocaine And Camcorders (Unkle Variation)
03 - Unkle & South - Paranoid (Unkle Variation)
04 - Thomas Bangalter - Night Beats
05 - Unkle - Have You Passed Through This Night?
06 - Dylan Rhymes - The Way
07 - Cliff Martinez / Meat Katie - Is That What Everybody Else Wants / Next Life
08 - Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (Unklesounds Edit)
09 - Moby / Unkle - God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters / In A State
10 - Elton John - Tiny Dancer (Unklesounds Edit)
11 - Unkle Sounds - Outro

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Celebrate, IntoBPM 1 As One

Rho-Xs's Millionth Hit Week

Hello again, no i'm not going to revive Rho-Xs but as last week this blog passed the one million hits ( since nov 06), i thought about what would be a nice way to celebrate such, and i decided to do another Rhotational, that is a week in the old format. Well ill do my best to pick some nice stuff , that didn't get posted..here we go ...Into BPM



As One - So Far (So Good)...Twelve Years Of Electronic Soul (03 ^ 406mb)

Kirk Degiorgio (As One) is one of the most sought-after mixers/producers/Dj in today's eclectic dance music scene. Steering away from musical cliches and sticking to his soul-boy roots, he has managed to maintain his musical integrity. He has been responsible for many a twist and turn in electronic music, he was the man behind the mythical A.R.T. (Applied Rhythmic Technology) label that brought us such luminaries as Stasis, Black Dog, Carl Craig, B12 in the very early 90's, releasing a slew 12"s that were and still are at the peak of techno/electronic music and incidentally the collectors market. His album releases have been as varied as the labels they came out on, all warm, soulful and beautiful releases that have endeared many a listener to Mr DeGiorgio. Here Ubiquity get the holy grail and the pick of the crop of Kirk's trax, both the tunes and selection are top notch, taking in tracks from the first two A.R.T. 12"s, the rare Celestial Soul and Reflections LP's (New Electronica) the Clear LP and the French Art of Prophecy LP. Degiorgio's sound is warm techno with real soul and often based outside of the constraints of the straight 4/4 beat. His style can be partly traced to his main musical influences: P-Funk, Motown, early hip hop, Detroit techno, and mid-60's Blue Note.



01 - Amalia (edit) (4:34)
02 - Isatai (5:03)
03 - Shambala (5:30)
04 - Meridian (10:24)
05 - Celestial Soul (7:26)
06 - We No Longer Understand (8:06)
07 - Theme From Op-Art (8:31)
08 - You Who Never Arrived (2:17)
09 - Return Of The Kingpin (7:19)
10 - Hyeres (5:22)

As One - So Far (So Good)...Twelve Years Of Electronic Soul 2 (03 ^ 370mb)

11 - Epic (edit) (11:09)
12 - Chiaro (5:36)
13 - Queen Constance (5:51)
14 - The Electric Hymn (6:02)
15 - Music Box (3:05)
16 - The Circle Suite (7:55)
17 - Reunion (5:43)
18 - Contours (6:25)
19 - If It Ain't Broke (8:36)

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Celebrate, IntoBPM 2 Studio

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Studio - West Coast (05 ^135mb)

Swedish disco explorers Studio bridge a gap between the current wave of Scandinavian retro disco activists and more song-oriented dancefloor sounds. A mere six tracks,nonetheless West Coast nearly clocks up an hour's worth of play time wherein they go through an impressive run of ideas. 'Out There' serves as an excellent opener, and itself serves as an example of the group's ability to flirt with all manner of different sub-genres. It's a piece of gloriously lurid neon audio, made up of addictive early '80s-themed passages, even dropping some 'I Feel Love'-style synth arps before switching to a skanking reggae rhythm towards the end. Offering a different slant on Studio's approach to pop, 'Origin' goes a bit Madchester, featuring some bluesy guitar riffs set to a sloppy early-nineties style breakbeat. The whole of West Coast is united by a very specific produxction sound - one which while constantly referencing retro dance music trends always sounds full-bodied and weighty in a very modern way.

Studio - West Coast promotion video




1 - Out There (16:00)
2 - West Side (7:06)
3 - Self Service (4:13)
4 - Origin (5:33)
5 - Life's A Beach! (12:49)
6 - Indo (9:28)

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Celebrate, IntoBPM 3 Future Now !

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VA - Electra - Future Now ! ( 96 ^ 149mb)

You don't often see a 5 star compilation at Discogs, this one is the exception, many of the names were unknown at the time bit grew to become household names, the cdees are mixed but lightly so it remains listenable under the random button, not that is something which i myself ever use, although when i bought my first cdplayer in 85 i thought it was a great gimmick. The music here is still good for a party..



1.01 - Hoover - 2Wicky (DJ Pulse Remix) (6:21)
1.02 - Original Playboy - Cool Summer Breeze (5:35)
1.03 - Headhunter - Razor Shock (6:19)
1.04 - Jonny L - This Time (Carl Craig Mix 2) (6:38)
1.05 - Sieg Über Die Sonne - Pre Human Body (3:50)
1.06 - Jedi Knights - Noddy Holder (7:37)
1.07 - Horn - Gert Frooted (5:12)
1.08 - Kirlian - Who's Got The Flave (8:48)
1.09 - Luke Vibert - Get Your Head Down (7:39)
1.10 - Funki Porcin - Purrfect (7:52)
1.11 - Silent Phase - Spiritual Journey (7:49)

VA - Electra - Future Now ! 2 ( ^146mb)

2.01 - Lascelles - Liberation Now (5:22)
2.02 - Spacer - It's A Nano World (5:52)
2.03 - J Majik - Pictures (5:52)
2.04 - Mixrace & Pro-Ton-Isospace - Kings (6:17)
2.05 - Sureshot - Summer Breeze (7:02)
2.06 - Turntable Terranova - Penetrate (5:35)
2.07 - Emotions With Intellect - Repro House (5:24)
2.08 - Inner City - Ahnonghay (Original Reese Mix 2) (5:02)
2.09 - Chaser - Sides Of Iron (7:11)
2.10 - Nightmares On Wax - Gambia Via Vagator Beach (Mr Scruff Mix) (4:59)
2.11 - Gregory Fleckner Quintet - By The Cringe (5:57)

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