RhoDeo 1837 Grooves

Hello,



There are DJs and then there are selectors -- individuals whose ability to choose what records people want to hear overtakes the need for turntable skills. Just having the stamp of approval on a record is enough to qualify it as good. Often, these gifted ears find their way onto the radio, and in time get digitized.  ....N'Joy

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In what has so far been a fairly dependable series of hand-picked artists by Artists compilations, the Abstract Funk Theory baton is passed onto brothers Simon and Robin Lee who collectively make up the production unit Faze Action. True to the music that rolls out of their studio, laced with strings, afro-disco accents and soulful composition, this selection reveals directly the source of inspiration. Hence the emphasis like their own music revolves heavily around pristine productions from yesteryear, a connoisseurs range of classics, oddities and hidden treasures. Staking his 11-minute claim on the album Herb Geller is given right of way for "Sudden Senility", a sweeping vocal jazz odyssey of tight drum break, clean electric guitar, peppered horns, dashes of electronics and obligatory strings. Backing up Gellers sheer excellence is also the Beach Boys-layered "God Only Knows", another slice of production genius that needs no explanation. On top of those Pat Metheny, Azymuth, Johnny Hammond and Talking Heads are all saluted, with lesser known but equally stealthlike productions from Brain Bennett's "Solstice" and James Vincent's "Space Traveler" adding the cosmic groove rhetoric from 30 years ago. In all, this is a watertight compilation that answers the brief unanimously, unashamedly revealing the roots of their two own albums Plans and Designs and Moving Cities. This is a well put together album with a definite structure to it. The tracks are both exciting and full of talent at the same time, which results in a very splendid voyage into cosmic funk.

 VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~ Faze Action   (flac  322mb)

01 Space - Carry on, Turn Me On 8:21
02 Richard Evans - Burning Spear 5:50
03 James Vincent - Space Traveler 3:28
04 Brian Bennett - Solstice 6:21
05 Mandré - Light Years (Opus IV) 7:15
06 Creative Source - Let Me in Your Life 3:06
07 Azymuth - Dear Limmertz 4:20
08 Electric City - What's Up 3:33
09 The Undisputed Truth - Sandman 4:17
10 Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Star Borne 8:06
11 The Beach Boys - God Only Knows 2:49

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US production don Kevin Yost has made a name for himself by creating consistently beautiful and textured jazz-influenced house music. Here he takes the Abstract Funk Theory baton, presenting a more in-depth look at the music he loves to play and to make. To get a good measure of Yost's talents, there are four solo tracks on this compilation that underline his quest for diversity and his uncanny knack of producing a range of sounds and styles. Not many would be capable of making the exuberant jazz-Latino chugger "Hypnotic Progressions Part 4", the potent builder "Tease", the darker, experimental "Where Was We" and the lush, vibes-fuelled finale track "Fusion Fetish" all quite so well. Around and in-between these solo efforts are numerous other erudite flavours from friends/guests such as STP ("Busy People"), Big Sexy ("Close to My Skin") and Peter Funk ("Do You Believe in Me?", "Cotton Candy Funk", "Joy and Pain"). There are also several collaborations between Yost and these producers, which help to make this an enjoyable and colourful romp while adding another feather in an already furry Obsessive cap.

VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~  Kevin Yost   (flac  475mb)

01 Peter Funk - Do You Believe In Me? (Original Mix) 5:24
02 STP - Things Unsaid 5:52
03 Kevin Yost - Hypnotic Progressions (Part 4) 4:41
04 Peter Funk - Cotton Candy Funk 6:14
05 Peter Funk - Joy & Pain 5:08
06 Kevin Yost - Tease 4:58
07 Big Sexy - Close To My Skin 6:54
08 STP - Busy People 7:01
09 Kevin Yost - Where Were We 5:46
10 STP - An American In Paris 6:02
11 Big Sexy - Another World (Passport Remix) 6:19
12 Big Sexy - Just Like Me 4:11
13 Kevin Yost - Fusion Fetish 5:01

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The Lo-Fidelity All Stars contribution to the Abstract Funk Theory series is a great mix of true old school soul sounds, funky house beats and remixed British rhythms. Like their On The Floor At The Boutique mix disc from 2000, The Lo Fi Allstars’ AFT collection explores the diverse origins of their acid techno-rock. Similarly eclectic bands feature here, with alternative country chamber pop from Lambchop and neo-psychedelic indie from Mercury Rev snuggling up alongside the smooth urban soul of Bill Withers, funky hip hop from New Flesh, Balearic beats from AJ Scent and Detroit techno from Derrick May’s Rhythim Is Rhythim, all topped off with Al Wilson’s classic Northern Soul floor-filler, “The Snake”.The Emotion's "Blind Alley" is the finest cut, and a reminder of why the Hutchinson sisters were the best "girl band" of their day. Over a slinky Stax-style horn section, their three part harmonies are tremendous. This is a much rawer song than their later Maurice White produced work, but those glorious vocals ring through. The Lo-Fidelty's own "On The Pier" is also included, with its brilliant use of a sample from Joe Tex's "Oh Me Oh My" - it blends well with the 60's and 70's soul classics included on this mix.

VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~ Lo Fidelity Allstars (flac  415mb)

01 Mercury Rev - Holes 5:15
02 Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands (Live) 2:52
03 Lo-Fidelity Allstars - Zipp - Just Gone 5:12
04 New Flesh - Mack Facts 4:53
05 Capt. Funkaho - Bootay 1:57
06 Kid Acne - Ghosts With Teeth 2:53
07 The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Troglodyte (Caveman) 2:48
08 The Charlatans - You're So Pretty (Lo-Fi's Remix) 6:05
09 A-J-Scent - Eat Your Heart 4:25
10 Marlo - Wait Until The Morning 5:49
11 Lambchop - Up With People 5:24
12 Al Wilson - The Snake 3:30
13 The Emotions - Blind Alley 3:02
14 Lo-Fidelity Allstars - On The Pier (Ropeman Mix) 3:40
15 Rhythim Is Rhythim - Kao-tic Harmony 6:27

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RhoDeo 1837 Roots

Hello, today's artist was born in the wrong body, which seeems all the rage these days, but drinking and smoking cigars like a man (and then some) last century in Mexico, for a woman, must have caused bouts of depression, well despite this life on the edge she made it to 93, a strong woman indeed, and i strongly advice you to download the wonderful 2017 documentairy made about her life with english subtitles Chavela (mkv  793mb)


Today's artist is a Costa Rican-born Mexican singer. She was especially known for her rendition of Mexican rancheras, but she is also recognized for her contribution to other genres of popular Latin American music. Chavela Vargas has left, and left behind 93 years of intense life, of life in freedom.  The great lady of ranchera music had a very turbulent existence: wild parties, alcoholism, sexual preferences that brought her not a few problems in her youth and some serious illnesses that failed, however, to undermine a musical career full of successes. Chavela earned the respect of the public singing above any excess.  The affection was obtained simply with his way of being: speechless, funny, rebellious and passionate, until his last breath.She has been an influential interpreter in the Americas and Europe, muse to figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, hailed for her haunting performances, and called "la voz áspera de la ternura", the rough voice of tenderness. The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, presented her with a Latin Grammy Statuette in 2007 after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of that organization. . .....N'Joy

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She was born in Costa Rica, in San Joaquín de Flores, as Isabel Vargas Lizano, daughter of Francisco Vargas and Herminia Lizano. She was baptized on 15 July 1919 with the forenames "María Isabel Anita Carmen de Jesús." She had a difficult childhood: her parents divorced and left her under the care of an uncle, and she contracted poliomyelitis. She went by Chavela, which is a pet name for Isabel. At age 17, she abandoned her native country due to lack of opportunities for a musical career, seeking refuge in Mexico, where an entertainment industry was burgeoning. There she resided for almost eight decades and obtained Mexican nationality.

For many years she sang on the streets, but in her thirties she became a professional singer,  In her youth, she dressed as a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun, and was known for her characteristic red jorongo, which she donned in performances until old. Vargas sang the canción ranchera, which she performed in her own peculiar style. The typical ranchera, as represented by José Alfredo Jiménez, was a masculine but emotional song about love and its mishaps, usually mediated by alcohol, since in a macho culture, the display of feelings by men is allowed only to the drunk. The ranchera is sung from a man's perspective and with a mariachi accompaniment. Chavela sang this type of song as a solo, using only guitar and voice, evoking the singing style of a drunk man. She often slowed down the tempo of melodies to draw more dramatic tension out of songs, so they could be taken as naughtily humorous.

Romance with Frida Kahlo.  In the 1940s, she made friends with Mexican culture characters such as José Alfredo, Pedro Infante, Agustín Lara, Jorge Negrete, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, who for a time hosted her at home.  With Kahlo she shared a great friendship, and it is rumored that they also maintained a romance.  The painter mentioned Vargas in a letter whose authenticity has been discussed a lot.  It was addressed to the poet Carlos Pellicer and said: "Today I met Chavela Vargas, extraordinary, lesbian, it seemed more erotic to me, I do not know if she felt what I did, but I think she is a woman who is liberal enough,  ask, I would not hesitate a second to undress before her ... She, I repeat, is erotic, maybe it's a gift that heaven sends me Frida K

Towards the end of the 1950s, she became known within artistic circles, due in part to her performances in Acapulco, center of international tourism, where she sang at the Champagne Room of the restaurant La Perla. Her first album, Noche de Bohemia (Bohemian Night), was released in 1961 with the professional support of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the foremost singer/songwriters of Mexican ranchera music. She eventually recorded more than 80 albums. Vargas was hugely successful during the 1950s, the 1960s, and the first half of the 1970s, touring in Mexico, the United States, France, and Spain and was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals of the time, including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo and José Alfredo Jiménez.

Success raised her to stages all over the world, but she also lived two decades immersed in an alcoholism that almost killed her.  Between 1970 and 1990. "When I was drunk I never did anything bad, I just fell down in all the holes I found and with everything and car I fell ... I was disgraced, I got drunk 25 years, I did not lose them, I lived them in the canteen  and I had a lot of fun, "she said, presuming that in all her life he had taken 45,000 liters of tequila and could still donate her liver...right

In the late 1970s Vargas partially retired from performing due to a 15-year battle with alcoholism, which she described in her autobiography (Y si quieres saber de mi pasado [And if you want to know about my past], published in 2002) as "my 15 years in hell." Chavela couldn't keep on with her heavy drinking and intense lifestyle. In 1970, "submerged in an alcoholic haze" as she described it, she was taken in by an Indian family who nursed her back to health without knowing who she was. In 2003, she told The New York Times that she had not had a drink in 25 years.

Vargas returned to the stage in 1991, performing at a bohemian nightclub called "El Hábito" in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Her career started to recover international prominence, with performances in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Vargas debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003 at age 83 at the behest and promotion of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, an admirer and friend.

At age 81, she publicly came out as a lesbian in her autobiography titled And If You Want to Know about My Past. But it wasn't really a surprise to her fans. For years Vargas refused to change the genders in her songs. In "Paloma Negra" ("Black Dove"), Vargas accuses a woman of partying all night long and breaking her heart.

Vargas is featured in many of Almodóvar's films, including La flor de mi secreto in both song and video. She said, however, that acting was not her ambition, although she had previously participated in films such as the 1967 movie La Soldadera. Vargas also appeared in Frida, singing "La Llorona" (The Weeping Woman). Her classic "Paloma Negra" (Black Dove) was also included in the soundtrack of the film. Vargas herself, as a young woman, was alleged to have had an affair with Frida Kahlo during Kahlo's marriage to muralist Diego Rivera. She appeared in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel, singing "Tú me acostumbraste" ("I got used to you"), a bolero by Frank Domínguez.

On February 10, 2017, the biographical film Chavela debuted. Directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi, the film features Pedro Almodóvar, Elena Benarroch and Miguel Bosé among others. Available here


Chavela Vargas had been hospitalized for several weeks as a result of respiratory problems. She died age 93 on August 5th 2012 in Cuernavaca, Mexico. According her official Facebook page, her last words were "I leave with Mexico in my heart." .

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Chavela Vargas is to Mexican song like Edith Piaf is to French songs, or like Amalia Rodrigues is to Portuguese music, or like Nana Mouskouri is to Greek music... that is, she IS Mexican song. She is a legend.  Anybody who wants a beautiful record of Chavela Vargas, this one is superb... one of her best... Take it from somebody who knows: you will love this record.

Chavela Vargas - Le Canta a Mexico   (flac  241mb)
 
01 Macorina 2:46
02 Mi Segundo Amor 2:55
03 Noche De Ronda 3:14
04 Flor De Azalea 2:04
05 Simón Blanco 4:10
06 Cuando Vivas Conmigo 2:45
07 La Llorona 3:56
08 En El Último Trago 2:30
09 Esta Tristeza Mía 3:27
10 Que Te Vaya Bonito 3:22
11 Tú Y La Mentira 3:07
12 Vámonos 3:22
13 Macorina (encore) 2:46

Chavela Vargas - Le Canta a Mexico   (ogg  103mb)

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Following her re-emegence from retirement in 1979, this was the first full length album from the famed ranchera in many a decade. Recorded in Madrid in May 1994, "Macorina" is a gift from a woman who has the unique ability to convey a song with the wisdom gained by experience from life and have it resonate in every note from her lips. While age and hard living have taken their toll on her body, her artistry shines brighter than ever! No one can electrify an audience quite like Vargas and evoke emotions in so many people.

Chavela Vargas - Macorina   (flac  208mb)

01 Vámonos 5:17
02 Zandunga 3:48
03 Piensa En Mí 3:18
04 Por Qué Volviste A Mí 3:19
05 Las Simples Cosas 3:43
06 Que Te Vaya Bonito 3:32
07 Sus Ojos Se Cerraron 4:22
08 Cuando Vivas Conmigo 3:18
09 Corazón, Corazón 3:40
10 Si No Te Vas 4:14
11 Macorina 4:57

Chavela Vargas - Macorina (ogg  93mb)

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Chavela has the knack for making emotion break through the language barriers. She sounds so intense and profound. Despite her age she is still making albums that touch the soul. This album has some re-recordings of songs that when originally recorded by her in the 1960's evoked a sense of pain and passion. The new recordings have a different emotional feel-longing and rememberance. Paloma Negra, Fallaste Corazon, Enorme Distancia etc. are just few examples.

That's not to say that there aren't any new surprises on this album. El Preso Número Nueve offers a interesting spin on morals, religion, pride and revenge as prisoner number nine confesses his sins to the priest before being put to death. Also, Noche de Mi Amor can make you cry. Too many of us take for granted the ones we love. In a world where Vegas weddings are just as common as the divorces that follow, this song is basically about a person wanting the whole world to join in and sanction the one she loves. From the Sea, to the Sun, to a Thousand Bells Ringing- Chavela sings passionately of a love in her life that she wants to celebrate with pride just before her voice fades out at the song's end. Coming from an woman in her eighties, this means a lot!

   Chavela Vargas - Somos ( flac  225mb)

01 Somos 2:36
02 Fallaste Corazón 4:20
03 Con Mis Propias Manos 5:03
04 El Preso Número Nueve 4:47
05 Aquel Amor 2:58
06 Tú Me Acostumbraste 2:42
07 Amarga Navidad 3:54
08 La Noche De Mi Amor 3:45
09 La Enorme Distancia 3:37
10 Pobre Corazón 3:58
11 Paloma Negra 4:38
12 Amar Y Vivir 2:22

   Chavela Vargas - Somos (ogg  96mb)

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Chavela Vargas is a woman who manages to be both a Mexican institution and an iconoclast at the same time. Almost 90 at the time of this release, she has shown that ranchera and bolero can be feminine forms, and not exclusively the preserve of very macho artists like José Alfredo Jiménez. Titled for her nickname, this CD/DVD package is a remarkable piece of work about an artist who deserves wider recognition outside her homeland. The DVD is fascinating, with an excellent interview that illustrates her philosophy of life, but it's the music that's most telling, like "Las Simples Cosas," where her voices aches with passion over a spare, very Mexican sound. Even at her age there's an almost magical presence in her singing, full of lust, romance, and fate. Her take on the classic "La Llorona" is a prime example -- you can practically feel the desire dripping from her words. She's one of the most important singers ever to have come out of Mexico, and this does her proud.

 Chavela Vargas - Cupaima   (flac  267mb)

01 Un Mundo Raro 1:59
02 Piensa En Mi 3:45
03 La Llorona 7:38
04 Las Ciudades 5:12
05 La Vereda Tropical 4:40
06 Maria Tepozteka 3:15
07 Cruz De Olvido 4:24
08 Somos 2:16
09 Soledad 3:54
10 Macorina 3:28
11 Canción De Las Simples Cosas 5:06
12 La Despedida 3:19

Chavela Vargas - Cupaima (ogg  114mb)

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Released only a few months before she passed away at the age of 93, the last album from the incomparable Chavela Vargas is a moving tribute to Federico García Lorca, arguably the greatest Spanish poet of the 20th century. In this disc-plus-book release, Vargas recites 16 of Lorca's poems while guitarists Juan Carlos Allende and Miguel Peña fill the musical background with timeless melodies from the classic repertoire of Mexican ranchera and bolero that Vargas will be forever associated with ("Macorina," "Soledad," "Piensa en Mí," etc.). Two new songs complete the album, "¿Qué Hicieron con Tu Muerte?" and "Ángel Que No Vela," both inspired by Lorca's life, work, and tragic death. Luna Grande is a dignified farewell from one of the most emblematic Latin artists of the past century.

 Chavela Vargas - La Luna Grande   (flac  186mb)
 
01 Noche De Ronda (Arbolé Arbolé...)
02 Si No Te Vas (Noche Del Amor Insomne)
03 Sombras (Yo Soy La Madre De Doña Rosita...)
04 Se Me Hizo Fácil (Yo Ansío Verte Llegar...)
05 Macorina (Cabellos De Emperadora...)
06 La Llorona (El Cielo Tiene Jardines...)
07 Amar Y Vivir (El Poeta Habla Por Teléfono Con El Amor)
08 Cruz De Olvido (Amor, Amor...)
09 Nosotros (Toda Mi Vida...)
10 La Rosa (Casida VII, De La Rosa)
11 Romance De La Pena Negra
12 Mujer (Volaré Por El Hilo De Plata)
13 Santa (Ángel Que No Vela (Ch. Vargas))
14 Luz De Luna (Canción De Jinete, 1860)
15 Soledad (Gacela III, Del Amor Desesperado)
16 Piensa En Mí (¿Qué Hicieron Con Tu Muerte? (Ch. Vargas))
17 Somos (Os Doy Mi Corazón...)
18 María Tepozteca Canción De Jinete)

  (ogg   mb)

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Singer Chavela Vargas was a pioneer on many respects. Born in 1919, she became famous in the 1950s but her career was interrupted and she was forgotten two decades later to the point that many people believed her to be dead. Her comeback around the age of 70 was one of the most remarkable in the history of music, so was her presence in the public awareness, both for her music and for attitude. The film Chavela co-directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi with the participation of Pedro Almodóvar is part of a spectacular comeback of an artist whose life is still surrounded by mysteries six years after her death.

Chavela Vargas was a very non-conventional woman and artist who built her career and lived much of her life in a conservative country. She sang the music of the Mexican cowboys ('rancheras') and dressed unconventionally. It was only very late in her life and career that she could go public as a lesbian, but her sexual orientation as well as the alcohol addiction were the principal causes of her fall of the grace of the public at the peak of her career, despite her success and popularity. Audiences simply believed that she is no longer alive, but to everybody's surprise (including probably her own) she had the courage and power to make one of the most sensational comebacks in the history of music, enjoying again success, and becoming an international celebrity. She was older than 80 years when she made her debut in places like Carnegie Hall or Olympia, and her music was a source of inspiration for several films of Pedro Almodóvar. It is based mostly on her own interviews and on testimonies from her friends and colleagues. There is a lot of material about her private life, less about her music. As in many musical documentaries music presented on screen (with very appropriate English translation of the lyrics) speaks best about her art.

Through its lyrical structure, Chavela will take viewers on an evocative, thought-provoking journey through the iconoclastic life of game-changing artist Chavela Vargas. Centered around never before-seen interview footage of Chavela shot 20 years before her death in 2012, and guided by the stories in Chavela's songs, and the myths and tales others have told about her - as well as those she spread about herself - the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.



Chavela (mkv 793mb)

Unfortunately Google Chrome likes to exclude websites  "with this site can’t provide a secure connection", fortunately Mozilla isn't run by a multinational that likes to pretend not to be evil...

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RhoDeo 1837 Aetix

Hello,


Today's Artists are a new wave band from Nijmegen, the Netherlands, founded in 1980 and originated from the band Zelek by Peter van Vliet and Lasika Panyigay.  It is a mix between 80s-electro, cold wave and experimental electronic music. The band consisted of Jack Kaat, Laszlo Panyigay, Peter van Vliet, Simon van Vliet and Mirjam van Hout. Their name comes from the album Mekanik Destruktiv Kommandöh of the progressive French band Magma, a source of inspiration for the band members.  Just like Magma, they work with two bass guitars and just like time and countrymen Minny Pops one uses a synthesizer, toy instruments, effects equipment and a rhythm box. After their sixth album from 1988 entitled The Castle Of Fair Welcome the band continued under the name The Use of Ashes because their name no longer covered the musical direction of the band. ......N'Joy

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Nijmegen, summer 1980: Peter van Vliet and Lasika Panyigay set up a new group from the band Zelek, Mekanik Kommando.  The duo becomes a quartet through the arrival of Simon van Vliet and Mirjam van Hout.  The name Mekanik Kommando comes from the album Mekanik Destruktiv Kommandöh of the progressive French band Magma, a source of inspiration for the band members.  Just like Magma, Mekanik Kommando works with two bass guitars and just like time and countrymen Minny Pops one uses a synthesizer, toy instruments, effects equipment and a rhythm box.

 Mekanik Kommando-ultraMekanik Kommando records a cassette that is picked up by Wally van Middendorp (Minny Pops, Plurex).  This results in a performance on an Ultra night in Paradiso.  There is always room for experimental music on Ultra evenings.  In fact, these evenings are the stage in Amsterdam for bands like Mekanik Kommando.  Bands that come elsewhere but with difficulty.

 Peter van Vliet in 1981 in Vinyl: "In the Netherlands you can hardly go anywhere with our music.  It is not eaten by the hall owners.  The few performances that we have done here were for example an Ultra night and er ... when we knew that Tuxedomoon would play here in Doornroosje we went to the organizers with a cheeky mouth and a tape and said: this is good, we want to  playing the support act.  And it worked.  I must say that it was fantastic.  But otherwise ... hall owners only want a band that sells beer. "

In 1981, Mekanik Kommando took some big steps forward.  The group is interested in the newly created sheet Vinyl and is asked to deliver the music for the flexidisc that appears with the first Vinyl track.  The band does that through the songs ~~~ and ++ / + -.  In the summer of that year Mekanik Kommando is busy with the first album, which is still being recorded at home.  The album appears at Torso and has, like the songs of the Vinyl-flexi, a remarkable title to say the least: It Would Be Quiet In The Woods If Only A Few Birds Sing.

 It Would Be Quiet In The Woods Although the music on the debut is not cheerful, most of the songs do radiate a kind of playfulness, a refreshing kind of naivety.  As a kind of young researchers, the band members seem to explore the possibilities of their instruments.  The music is still primitive but full of exciting sounds and nice details.  With the double bass parts and the pentetric sound effects, the band distinguishes itself further.  Strange, yet catchy music.  With the characteristic Microbes, Mekanik Kommando seems even to be able to get close to a novelty hit.

 Mekanik Kommando's LP is kicking to the top 30 of OOR and the magazine is interviewing the band in 1981. The group feels its growth is hampered by the Ultra label.  "Ultra is not a sound, but a mentality, an institution.  And they try everything and do not take into account what others think of it.  Ultra is experimental, searching for something.  As soon as you find that, you start structuring, then the experiment is done. "

Mekanik Kommando has therefore had a good start in 1981. At the beginning of 1982 the band gets five days of studio time in the Salisburysound studio in Dordrecht.  That is actually far too little for a band like Mekanik Kommando where it often really starts after the recordings.  The sound balance on the plate will therefore not be optimal.  Yet the end result is hopeful: Dancing Elephants, a mini-album, offers innovative and surprising music.  Opener Stop And Play can still be described as a transverse electropop.  The other numbers are contrarian.  The rhythm box and the repetitive bass lines of Beauty Of Language have a beautiful hypnotic effect that is broken only a few times with the simple and recognizable refrain.  The metallic, grim intro of Window is an example of the sound magic that Mekanik Kommando regularly performs. The industrial pop song that breaks loose is typical: a combination of a certain playfulness and uncompromised sound walls.

The second half of the album consists of quieter work: the imaginative cadence of A Swan In The Ocean and the dreamy soundscape full of interesting finds Miss.  B. seem to contrast with the first three tracks, but in fact ensure that Dancing Elephants gives a complete picture of Mekanik Kommando in 1982.

Mekanik Kommando will shortly receive a contract with an 'official' record company: EMI-Bovema.  Thanks to the son of the director of this society who is strong for the band.  The new EMI-Bovema sub-label Wereld Rekord will become the home base of Mekanik Kommando.  It is the first time that a large label shows serious interest in innovative Dutch music. To the astonishment of the band members one also gets great artistic freedom.

 Atmosphere has always been very important for the band.  On the third album, called Snake Is Queen and released in the autumn of 1982, that is no different.  The instruments have remained almost the same, although the marimba adds a nice element to the familiar richness of sounds.  However, the sound is significantly better than that on the previous records, thanks to EMI's broader budget, which allows much more studio time.  In the oriental-like Passing Clouds, hand-made carpets pass by like misty patches, driven by tight bass lines, a rhythm box and marimba.  A fascinating whole, immaculately recorded.

 Snake Is Queen In the song Attraction Of Light a nervous tension is built up.  Peter van Vliet to Joost Niemöller from Vinyl: "We always use certain images for a song.  This can sometimes be rather vague, sometimes quite concrete.  It may be a certain landscape, or a lone horseman through the snow, or as on this third plate, the image of lemmings and moths that meet their own demise. "

 Musically, the focal point also shifts per song.  No instrument plays a central role at Mekanik Kommando.  Panyigay: "Every time we let it depend on the atmosphere of a song.  When such a number demands it, for example, a rhythm box can be recorded very loudly.  Another time, the rhythmic cadence between the two bass guitars can be so important because of the friction effect between the two, that we bring that party a moment. "Also the vocals are not constantly present in the foreground, as with most pop music traditionally still  the case is.

During 1983, the band significantly increased its name recognition through many performances at home and abroad and through a live contribution to the VPRO program Spleen.  Moreover, OOR is enthusiastic about the album: "Contrasting and fluent at the same time, one with nature, an inexhaustible source of listening pleasure.  Snake Is Queen, Mekanik Kommando bears the crown. "

Wereld Rekord have also released interesting albums from MAM and Tent, so that the label has been firmly positioned in a relatively short time.  The second album of Mekanik Kommando has to help Wereld Rekord on its way.  In 1984 the album comes out: Bay The Moon.  In the atmospheric, mysterious opening minutes of Alleys And Place, it appears that Mekanik Kommando has further refined the sound in the studio.  On a number of tracks, they embroider Snake Is Queen.  Elsewhere shifts can be observed.  In The Ashes, influences from American electro can be heard.  Mekanik Kommando also succeeds in letting the experiment go hand in hand with a certain accessibility in a number of tracks.

 Under the banner of Wereld Rekord, Mekanik Kommando releases the new album to the public, during a European tour with stable members Tent and MAM.  The band gets a lot of appreciation in smaller circles, both in the Netherlands and abroad.  Step by step, Mekanik Kommando must be able to build a larger fan base, even though the band primarily makes music that they find interesting.  In 1985, during the recording for a new record, however, Lasika Panyigay leaves the band.  The end of an era.  She has been one of the driving forces behind Mekanik Kommando for five years.  At a later stage she will still speak musically with Güler and Ulan Bator.  Also Mirjam van Hout leaves the band in 1985. On the other hand, Jack Kaat (keyboard, saxophone) joins the ranks.

 All troubles, however, slow down the new album of Mekanik Kommando.  At EMI they also found out that there is no money to be made with alternative pop music and that only the chimney does not continue to smoke.  After three years and two albums the roads of EMI and Mekanik Kommando separate.

In the meantime, Mekanik Kommando has shown that he is less 'mechanical' on the live cassette Do (1985) than before.  This becomes clearer when the long-awaited new album appears in 1986, Shadow Of A Rose.  The album appears on Rosebud's own label, created after the farewell of EMI-Bovema.  It goes without saying that Rosebud has fewer resources than EMI-Bovema.  Shadow Of A Rose will therefore have to find its way through concerts, reviews and word-of-mouth.  That must succeed, because the record is one of the best Dutch releases of the year.

 What is immediately noticeable is the organic character of the plate.  The acoustic guitar plays a bigger role and the rhythm box and synthesizer seem to have disappeared.  Because of all this, the again present violin and clarinet will also be in a different light.  The plate opens atmospherically, in no fields or roads seems to be a beat.  An intriguing soundscape unfolds in which early industrial music flows into folk and psychedelics.  The band peaks with songs like A Picnic In The Castle Garden, Scars and Run Rintintin Run.

 The VPRO recognizes the quality of Shadow Of A Rose and shows a video of the title track.  However, Mekanik Kommando does not receive much more honor than appreciation in smaller circle.  The band has started to focus more and more on film and theater music.  No lack of inspiration.  The in-house studio, De Tempel, is a breeding ground for ideas.

 The Castle of Fair Welcome In 1988 The Castle Of Fair Welcome appears, again at Rosebud.  The music of Mekanik Kommando is far from mechanical in 1988 and soon the band members decide to renounce the name Mekanik Kommando.  It is now decided to operate under the name The Use of Ashes.  Like Mekanik Kommando, this name is also taken from the title of an album by another band.  This time it is a record of the psychedelic folk formation Pearls Before Swine.  The records of The Use of Ashes include the Rotterdam label Tonefloat, which later not only releases The Castle Of Fair Welcome on CD but also comes up with a CD release of the debut album of Mekanik Kommando from 1981. Original  LPs of the band are now worth many tens of euros.


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Another psychological effect of birdsong in an otherwise quiet environment is that it accentuates the silence.Silence in itself is often noisier than a wood full of birdies warbling; so my point is, that the album title is in fact quite an accurate observation. Silence for me, is far noisier than this home recorded minimal synth classic by Dutch electronic post-punkers, and not a Magma tribute band at all, Mekanik Kommando.

 Mekanik Kommando - It Would Be Quiet In The Woods If Only A Few Birds Sing (flac  200mb)

01 Birds 4:57
02 Microbes 3:07
03 Plants 2:40
04 Vortex 2:56
05 Replay 3:34
06 White Soldier 3:22
07 Money For Pleasure 2:16
08 Icefield 4:06
09 Japanese Eyes 0:02
10 Dress Grey 2:46
11 On Snack 2:30

Mekanik Kommando - It Would Be Quiet In The Woods If Only A Few Birds Sing     (ogg  95mb)

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At the beginning of 1982 the band gets five days of studio time in the Salisburysound studio in Dordrecht.  That is actually far too little for a band like Mekanik Kommando where it often really starts after the recordings.  The sound balance on the plate will therefore not be optimal.  Yet the end result is hopeful: Dancing Elephants, a mini-album, offers innovative and surprising music.  Opener Stop And Play can still be described as a transverse electropop.  The other numbers are contrarian.  The rhythm box and the repetitive bass lines of Beauty Of Language have a beautiful hypnotic effect that is broken only a few times with the simple and recognizable refrain.  The metallic, grim intro of Window is an example of the sound magic that Mekanik Kommando regularly performs. The industrial pop song that breaks loose is typical: a combination of a certain playfulness and uncompromised sound walls. The second half of the album consists of quieter work: the imaginative cadence of A Swan In The Ocean and the dreamy soundscape full of interesting finds Miss.  B. seem to contrast with the first three tracks, but in fact ensure that Dancing Elephants gives a complete picture of Mekanik Kommando in 1982
 Here a digital copy of the album with as bonus a remastered version of the tracks.

Mekanik Kommando - Dancing Elephants  (flac  273mb)
 
01 Stop & Play 3:56
02 Beauty Of Language 4:24
03 Window 4:06
04 A Swan On The Ocean 6:14
05 Miss B. 7:09
06 Stop & Play (Remaster) 3:55
07 Beauty Of Language (Remaster) 4:24
08 Window (Remaster) 4:09
09 A Swan On The Ocean (Remaster) 6:17
10 Miss B. (Remaster) 7:04

Mekanik Kommando - Dancing Elephants   (ogg  122mb)

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Atmosphere has always been very important for Mekanik Kommando.  On the third album, called Snake Is Queen and released in the autumn of 1982, that is no different.  The instruments have remained almost the same, although the marimba adds a nice element to the familiar richness of sounds.  However, the sound is significantly better than that on the previous records, thanks to EMI's broader budget, which allows much more studio time.  In the oriental-like Passing Clouds, hand-made carpets pass by like misty patches, driven by tight bass lines, a rhythm box and marimba.  A fascinating whole, immaculately recorded.

Musically, the focal point also shifts per song.  No instrument plays a central role at Mekanik Kommando.  Panyigay: "Every time we let it depend on the atmosphere of a song.  When such a number demands it, for example, a rhythm box can be recorded very loudly.  Another time, the rhythmic cadence between the two bass guitars can be so important because of the friction effect between the two, that we bring that party a moment. "Also the vocals are not constantly present in the foreground, as with most pop music traditionally still  is the case.

Mekanik Kommando - Snake Is Queen (flac  232mb)

01 Pain In Eden 4:20
02 Attraction Of Light 4:38
03 Passing Clouds 4:45
04 Crow 3:53
05 Entangled By Colours 4:01
06 Door 4:22
07 Thin Ice 5:04
08 Snake Is Queen / Endless 4:32
09 Conquer The World 4:55

Mekanik Kommando - Snake Is Queen  (ogg   101mb)

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'Bay The Moon' is their second and last record for EMI's Wereldrekord label, but they were dropped due to lack of succes. The boss up there learned that there is no money in experimental music, not even the popmusic version thereof. The smooth experimental music slowly develops on this material into the more psychedelic sound of The Use Of Ashes, but still sounds great.

Mekanik Kommando - Bay The Moon   (flac  190mb)

01 Alleys And Palaces 5:25
02 Steel, Concrete And Silence 4:38
03 Monologue At 4 P.M. 5:50
04 Chant Mecanique 3:08
05 From The Ashes 8:00
06 24 Hr. Din. 4:01
07 Hush, Surrender 3:00
08 Glorious Survivor 3:50

    (ogg   mb)

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“The Castle of Fair Welcome” is an amalgamation of krautrock, folk, psychedelic and ambient and seeing how this was originally released in 1988, many of the influences I had in mind for it were not even active yet. Disregarding the obvious timeline flaws, there's definitely some overlap with bands such as: (Early) Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Magma, Tangerine Dream and in some instances Tortoise or indeed even The Beatles. Despite the 20 odd years difference between its intitial release and my first listen, it's hardly dated. The two short throw-away songs “Eve of Seperation” and “Where The Fish Can Sing” are the only blemishes on a record that has otherwise withstood the test of time.The use of soundcollages with recordings of radio broadcasts, explosions, thunderstorms and environmental sounds, have been ingrained in the music in an intruiging and non-contrived way. Amplifying its character are passages of exotic instruments like the mandolin and bouzouki in juxtaposition to an omnipresent synthesizer and a sporadic saxophone.

As a whole, this record sketches an aerial picture outlined by convincing use of a diverse instrumentarium, hushed vocals and an overall clarity, always contributing to consistency and balance without getting trite. Individually, only a few songs stand out, but by grading the songs seperately you'll deny yourself a seemless dreamy experience.

Mekanik Kommando - The Castle of Fair Welcome   (flac  255mb)

01 Spring's Green 4:17
02 Tournament 2:45
03 King Uheit 7:10
04 Snowheart 4:13
05 Eve Of Separation 2:40
06 Gallant White Horses 4:49
07 Five Lucky Hands 3:07
08 Vanishing People 3:52
09 The Forest Still 3:24
10 On A Gloomy Afternoon 4:08
11 An Owl Told Us 3:44
12 Where The Fish Can Sing 0:35
13 Twelfth Night 5:21
14 Still Still 3:24

Mekanik Kommando - The Castle of Fair Welcome   (ogg  113mb)

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RhoDeo 1837 Ixtlan 5

Hello, the Emmy's were dished out tonight and Game Of Thrones picked up the big price-once again, hmm have to admit season 7 has been kept on hold here until season 8 is upcoming, i just hate to have to wait years to see a story resolved. Meanwhile Dubrovnik and the Alhambra are overrun with tourists, not sure where the Iron Throne currently resides, it would make an excellent addition to the Tower Of London collection. That said if Trump had any imagination he'd make it into a show piece at one of his mansions..


Essential reading for any deep thinker and open-minded person who has experienced "non-ordinary realities.".

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Journey to Ixtlan is the third book by Carlos Castaneda. The title of this book is taken from an allegory that is recounted to Castaneda by his "benefactor" who is known to Carlos as Don Genaro ( Genaro Flores ), a close friend of his teacher don Juan Matus. "Ixtlan" turns out to be a metaphorical hometown ( or Place / Position of Being ) to which the "sorcerer" or warrior or man of knowledge is drawn to return, trying to get home. After the work of "stopping", his changed perspective leaves him little in common with ordinary people, who now seem no more substantial to him than "phantoms." The point of the story is that a man of knowledge, or sorcerer, is a changed being, or a Human closer to his true state of Being, and for that reason he can never truly go "home" to his old lifestyle again.

In Journey to Ixtlan Castaneda essentially reevaluates the teachings up to that point. He discusses information that was apparently missing from the first two books regarding stopping the world which previously he had only regarded as a metaphor. He also finds that psychotropic plants, knowledge of which was a significant part of his apprenticeship to Yaqui shaman don Juan Matus, are not as important in the world view as he had previously thought. In the introduction he writes:

    My basic assumption in both books has been that the articulation points in learning to be a sorcerer were the states of nonordinary reality produced by the ingestion of psychotropic plants...    My perception of the world through the effects of those psychotropics had been so bizarre and impressive that I was forced to assume that such states were the only avenue to communicating and learning what Don Juan was attempting to teach me.

    That assumption was erroneous.

In the book don Juan takes Carlos on these various degrees of apprenticeship, in response to what he believes are signals from the phenomenological world, "The decision as to who can be a warrior and who can only be a hunter is not up to us. That decision is in the realm of the powers that guide men."

The book shows a progression between different states of learning, from hunter, to warrior, to man of knowledge or sorcerer, the difference said to be one of skill level and the type of thing hunted, "...a warrior is an impeccable hunter that hunts power. If he succeeds in his hunting he becomes a man of knowledge."

Throughout the book Castaneda portrays himself as skeptical and reserved in his explanations of the phenomena at hand, but by the end of the book Castaneda's rationalist worldview is seen to be breaking down in the face of an onslaught of experiences that he is unable to explain logically...... N Joy

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"Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. Before you embark on any path ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it."




Carlos Castaneda - Journey To Ixtlan 5 (mp3  62mb)

12 - Journey to Ixtlan The Lessons of Don Juan 43:34
13 - Journey to Ixtlan The Lessons of Don Juan 38:43

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previously

Carlos Castaneda - The Teachings of Don Juan 1 (mp3  46mb)
Carlos Castaneda - The Teachings of Don Juan 2 (mp3  55mb)
Carlos Castaneda - The Teachings of Don Juan 3 (mp3  55mb)


Carlos Castaneda - A Separate Reality 1 (mp3  42mb)
Carlos Castaneda - A Separate Reality 2 (mp3  57mb)
Carlos Castaneda - A Separate Reality 3 (mp3  40mb)

Carlos Castaneda - Journey To Ixtlan (mp3  58mb)
Carlos Castaneda - Journey To Ixtlan 2 (mp3  59mb)
Carlos Castaneda - Journey To Ixtlan 3 (mp3  51mb)
Carlos Castaneda - Journey To Ixtlan 4 (mp3  58mb)


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RhoDeo 1837 Re-Ups 155

Hello, a rare occasion at the F1, the top 6 finished in the order they started, nothing much happened then, well Vettel did pass Verstappen at the first straight using his extra 75 pk, but Hamilton has that too so catching the Mercedes proved difficult, then Ferrari made a dear mistake they tried the undercut with tires that might not last, it didn't work Hamilton responded whilst Vettel got stuck behind Verstappen again, who's fresh tires and lighter load meant he kept a disillusioned Vettel behind and score a 2nd place with a car that had software issues oh and 45 sec in front of his teammate Ricciardo who came in sixth, behind Raikonen who couldn't overtake Bottas despite being faster. Driver of the day..Verstappen and Alonso for being the only other car that didn't get lapped.




11 correct requests for this week and one not so comprehensive reading seems to be to much of an ask for some here, whatever another batch of 41 re-ups (13.7 gig)


These days i'm making an effort to re-up, it will satisfy a smaller number of people which means its likely the update will  expire relatively quickly again as its interest that keeps it live. Nevertheless here's your chance ... asks for re-up in the comments section at the page where the expired link resides, or it will be discarded by me. ....requests are satisfied on a first come first go basis. ...updates will be posted here remember to request from the page where the link died! To keep re-ups interesting to my regular visitors i will only re-up files that are at least 12 months old (the older the better as far as i am concerned), and please check the previous update request if it's less then a year old i won't re-up either.

Looka here , requests fulfilled up to September 16h... N'Joy

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3x Aetix Back in Flac (Dinosaur Jr. - Dinosaur, Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me, Dinosaur Jr. - Bug)


4x Sundaze Back In Flac (Ash Ra Tempel - Starring Rosi,  Ash Ra Tempel - Inventions For Electric Guitar, Ash Ra Tempel - Le Berceau de Cristal , Ashra - New Age Of Earth)


5x Sundaze Back in Flac (Steve Roach - Empetus, Steve Roach - Empetus (Early Years), Steve Roach - Western Spaces,  Steve Roach - Desert Solitaire, Steve Roach - The Sound of the Earth)


4x Roots Back In Flac (Gato Barbieri - El Pampero,  Gato Barbieri - Last Tango In Paris,  Gato Barbieri - Bolivia + Under Fire, Gato Barbieri - Chapter 1 Latin America )


3x Roots Back in Flac (Brain Damage - Ashes To Ashes, Brain Damage - Burning Before Sunset, VA - Dub Stories)


3x Roots Back In Flac ( High Tone - Wave Digger, High Tone - Underground Wobble, High Tone - OutBack)


4x Aetix Back in Flac (Ultravox! – Ultravox!, Ultravox - Ha! Ha! Ha!, Ultravox – Systems Of Romance, Ultravox - Philadelphia (23-2-79) )


3x Sundaze Back in Flac (Seefeel - Polyfusia, Seefeel - Succour, Seefeel - (Ch-Vox) Starethrough EP )


3x Beats Back in Flac ( Laurent Garnier - Early Works 1, Laurent Garnier - Early Works 2, Laurent Garnier - 30)


4x Grooves Back in Flac (Chaka Khan - I Feel For You, Chaka Khan - C.K., Chaka Khan - Come 2 My House, Chaka Khan - Funk This )


5x Aetix Back in Flac   (Simple Minds - Real To Real Cacophony, Simple Minds - Empires And Dance, Simple Minds - Sons And Fascination, Simple Minds - Sister Feelings Call, Simple Minds - New Gold Dream ) all remastered and extended editions


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.

Sundaze 1837

Hello, last week hurricane Florence announced itself as a Cat 4 storm, a few days and lot's of panic later the wind fizzled out but now it won't move and is dumping huge amounts of rain, not cool, but at least most property is still standing, i wonder if we have witnessed experimental weather modification of the defensive kind.

Meanwhile over in Singapore it's a weekend of F1 night racing, there was an phenomenal qualifying lap by Hamilton and specially Verstappen in the straight-line slower Red Bull. Interestingly the #1 drivers were clearly separated from the #2 drivers in today's qualification it delivers a nice mix up of the top 3 teams at the start, hopefully it won't be a carnage like last year.


Today's Artists  are an English experimental space rock band formed in Bristol in 1992 and led by songwriter David Pearce. Rachel Brook (now Rachel Coe) of Movietone was a member during the band's early incarnation, other musicians contributing to the group's recordings and life performances included Rocker (ex-the Flatmates), Matt Elliott (aka the Third Eye Foundation) and Sam Jones (of Crescent). There must be something about the landscape around Bristol, England, that incites its denizens to travel ever deeper inward in order to find inspiration for their art. Not at all dissimilar to the contemporaneous trip-hop scene that flourishes at its doorstep, they create a trance-like, decidedly cerebral sound — albeit without the vaguest insinuation of danceability. There's an eerie, elusive bliss in the collaborations between home-recording wizards Rachel Brook and David Pearce — kind of like an elongation of that sensorily unbound moment when wakefulness is about to give way to sleep .. .....N'Joy

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Pearce had previously been a member of Ha Ha Ha, releasing the Up and Down EP in 1985. He then formed Rosemary's Children, issuing the 1986 single "Southern Fields" and 1987 album Kings and Princes. While at art school in Farnham, he met other Bristol musicians and played through the early 1990s as a member of various groups including the Secret Garden, the Distance and Linda’s Strange Vacation. Flying Saucer Attack formed in 1992 as a loose collective centered on the core of Pearce and Brook, releasing their debut single, "Soaring High", in January 1993 on their own FSA label. Their second single, "Wish", followed that June. Both singles were issued as limited edition vinyl 7-inches in handmade packaging. Drawing on sources such as krautrock, folk and dream pop, the group referred to their DIY sound as "rural psychedelia" and were associated with bands of the contemporary post-rock and shoegazing scenes. FSA were able to create a small but enthusiastic fanbase, and were notable for recording most of their output at home, avoiding recording studios

The group's first studio album (self-titled, but sometimes called Rural Psychedelia as those words appeared on the cover) was released in 1993, and included a noisy cover of Suede's contemporary single "The Drowners", which provoked press interest in the record. Like the earlier singles, the album was released on FSA's own label by Heartbeat Productions, and was deliberately only made available on vinyl. The album was released in the United States by VHF Records in early 1994, on CD and vinyl – the CD bore the legend "compact discs are a major cause of the breakdown of society" (other releases would carry messages such as "keep vinyl alive", "home taping is reinventing music" and "less is more").

The band then signed to Domino Recording Company. The first release for the new label was Distance (October 1994), which collected the early singles and some unreleased material. It was released in the US by VHF. A contemporaneous non-album single, "Land Beyond the Sun", was Flying Saucer Attack's first release on US label Drag City, who issued it on 25 September 1994, followed by a Domino release the following month. A second studio album, Further, was released 17 April 1995 by Domino and Drag City. A cover of Wire's "Outdoor Miner" was released as a single that year. Another singles compilation followed, Chorus on 20 November 1995, including a sleeve note stating that "this album marks the end of FSA phase one". In 1995, Brook left the band to concentrate on Movietone.

A version of the folk song "Sally Free and Easy" was initially only released as a single on CD on 5 November 1996; the sleeve note explained that the pressing plant had been unable to cut it to vinyl (a US plant later achieved the feat by using a monaural master, and it was issued on 12" by Drag City). Full-length 1996 releases included In Search of Spaces, an album consisting of early 1994 live tracks (mainly unstructured noise, released by Bruce Russell's Corpus Hermeticum imprint), and Distant Station, an album with two long tracks constructed by fellow Domino act Tele:Funken from samples of the band.

The three-song "Goodbye" EP, released 21 January 1997 on VHF Records, was a mix of old and new material; the second track, recorded live in April 1995, featured New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery. New Lands, Flying Saucer Attack's third studio album, was released in October 1997. The band described it as "phase two", but it did not depart from the usual mixture of aggressive feedback and noise, and gentle folk-influenced melody. After New Lands and a final vinyl-only 7" single, "Coming Home", both issued in 1997, Pearce left Domino.

The "phase 2" version of Flying Saucer Attack accepted an invitation to participate in a tribute album to Moby Grape co-founder Skip Spence, who was dying of lung cancer. More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album, featuring their cover of "Grey - Afro", was released by Birdman Records on 6 July 1999. Flying Saucer Attack's fourth studio album, Mirror, was released 17 January 2000 on FSA, effectively marking the end of the group for the next 15 years. Pearce subsequently collaborated with Jessica Bailiff under the name Clear Horizon; the duo released an eponymous album on Kranky in 2003.

The only new material released by the band during their sabbatical came in 2008, when Flying Saucer Attack participated in a two-disc Fire Records compilation setting all 36 poems from James Joyce's 1907 Chamber Music poetry collection to music by contemporary alternative acts. After a 15-year hiatus, Flying Saucer Attack released a new album, Instrumentals 2015, on 17 July 2015.

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An unusual and striking document of the FSA live experience, In Search of Spaces consists of instrumental snippets from a series of shows in the early '90s with a rotating lineup, including Matt Elliott of Third Eye Foundation. The number of shows FSA has ever done is nearly nil to begin with, and no live line-up was ever quite the same. Corpus Hermeticum/A Handful of Dust mainman Bruce Russell then edited and wove everything together, creating a single-track CD that runs for 50 minutes. In Search of Spaces definitely rewards the patient as a result, but those willing to take the plunge will be well-rewarded. Given the general FSA recording approach of home-taping and anti-gloss, the crumbling and murky results aren't too far off from the band's studio releases (indeed, the liner notes claim the recordings come from audience tapes rather than soundboard streams). If there's little or none of the sudden crispness that makes songs like "In the Light of Time" so striking, the moody, post-psychedelic reach of the performances more than makes up for it. As there's no way to tell when or how anything was done, making judgments on the basis of improved abilities over the time or the like is impossible -- In Search of Spaces needs to be taken at face value. Elliott's contributions likely result in the occasional drums, but Pearce's unearthly guitar howls and shattering, abrasive yet lovely feedback arcs take understandable pride of place. Singling out particular moments to concentrate on can take some patience, but there's a lengthy jam starting around ten minutes in with a low, rumbling rhythm providing the background for some wonderful guitar craziness from Pearce and others.

Flying Saucer Attack - In Search Of Spaces (Live) (flac  285mb)

01 In Search Of Spaces 50:25

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Likely titled New Lands due to Flying Saucer Attack being lauched upon "phase two" (as the liner notes put it), this release finds FSA down to Pearce and Pearce only, as before with a bit of help here and there from Rocker and, on "Present," the co-writing skills of two members of Amp. That the first two tracks are called "Past" and "Present" and that the first has more of a "classic" FSA sound with a steady rhythm and huge solo while the second revolves around a buried, near inaudible series of loops, seems to be part of the album's plan, such as it is. New Lands in general showcases Pearce in testing mode, seeming to see what works and what doesn't, looking backward as much as forward. Indeed, the lengthy, majestic steady build of "Whole Day Song" reappears from the Goodbye/and Goodbye EP, this time with vocals and a low-key, softly intoxicating piano line. While the more experimental parts of New Lands aren't really Pearce completely trashing his general aesthetic and trying something new, they do show him attempting and often succeeding at introducing further variety to his murky, intriguing field. Thus, "Up in Her Eyes" has a very familiar vocal and guitar style, but the obsessive, upfront yet still shadowy percussion -- sounding more like a chugging train engine than anything else -- dominates the track, at least up until its slightly more ambient, free-flowing end. Other curious rhythms, reminiscent of past comparisons to the work of Main, crop up more than once -- the near arrhythmic, squealing loop that introduces "Respect" or the blunt, brusque punch of "The Sea." Through it all, the combination of Pearce's tender, dark folk vocals and skybursting guitar provides the central point of the experience, making for some fascinating, entrancing results.

Flying Saucer Attack  - New Lands  (flac 351mb)

01 Past 3:09
02 Present 4:11
03 Up In Her Eyes 5:49
04 Respect 3:20
05 Night Falls 6:03
06 Whole Day Song 7:15
07 The Sea 6:51
08 Forever 12:19

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The sweeping billows of sound that begin "Space (1999)," the opening track of Mirror, Flying Saucer Attack's first album of the 21st century, set the tone for this ride on the clouds. The blurring of lines between noises and notes, of sounds and music, give this album a soothing and ambient feel. Atmospheric guitars layer the background, simple basslines provide the anchor, and sound effects take the sound further into space. Dave Pearce's gentle vocals keep the album a mellow affair throughout, except for the out of place "Chemicals," which unfortunately breaks the mood with its quasi-industrial feel. Some of the songs do seem to wander aimlessly, however, and Mirror occasionally gets tangled in its own loose web. Overall, these surges of sound are best enjoyed in the late evening or early morning hours, depending on your intention. Both results are great. Either you will enter one of your most relaxed states of sleep or will awaken as if by a wave of feathers.

Flying Saucer Attack - Mirror  (flac 321mb)

01 Space (1999) 3:23
02 Suncatcher 2:44
03 Islands 8:34
04 Tides 2:49
05 Chemicals 3:39
06 Dark Wind 4:44
07 Winter Song 4:39
08 River 3:56
09 Dust 5:09
10 Rise 6:50
11 Star City 4:12

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Personal selection of live material compiled by Dave Pearce for "casual" release. The centerpiece is "P.A. Blues," a massive collage of bracing, full-on sound recorded at various 1994 shows. Moving through various moods and grooves, the piece is similar to the material on the out of print In Search Of Spaces/Live CD released a few years back on Hermes Corp, tho' there's no overlap in the content between the two CD's. Also included: the 1995 group's take on the oft-covered "She Moved Through The Fair, a subdued performance of "The Season Is Ours," and an uncirculated (and assaultive) 1994 instrumental rehearsal, which I believe pre-dates FSA's first live performance.

Flying Saucer Attack - P.A. Blues (flac  442mb)

01 P.A. Blues 37:46
02 She Moved Through The Fair/Destruction 11:11
03 The Season Is Ours 2:46
04 Instrumental 14:28

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On Flying Saucer Attack's first album in 15 years, it seems as if Dave Pearce is leaving the project's history in the past and rebuilding it from the ground up. Instrumentals 2015 consists entirely of drifting, effects-heavy guitars; no vocals, no acoustic guitars, no Wire covers, no blown-out drum'n'bass breaks. It's the sound of FSA re-emerging from a bunker and cautiously exploring the surface, carefully attempting not to disrupt anything on its initial investigation above ground. The album stays true to FSA's D.I.Y. aesthetic, and was recorded directly to cassette and CD-R by Pearce at his home, so it constantly has a faded, grainy texture to it, contributing to its otherworldly feel. The album's 15 tracks are numerically titled, and while that may give them a generic appearance, they have a diverse characteristic range, from brief, wispy fragments to complexly layered drones that stretch out toward the ten-minute mark. Pearce is a master at building blankets of sound consisting of intricately woven clusters of notes, and they're often held together with haunting melodies. If there's any rhythmic element to these instrumentals, they ebb and flow in waves, such as in "Instrumental 9." The most startling track is "Instrumental 6," an 80-second burst of Merzbow-like harsh noise. The piece that follows seems to be buried behind an air-raid siren, and it keeps cutting out as if the tape is damaged, which of course adds a suspenseful pace to it. "Instrumental 14" is bathed in backwards effects, and stunning ten-minute conclusion "Instrumental 15" expands toward space, yet seems to be the most focused, deliberate composition on the entire album, with each carefully placed note playing a crucial part. Instrumentals 2015 feels like a successful reinvention after such a lengthy absence, but at the same time, it could've been beamed in at any point during FSA's existence, as its elemental, bare-basics construction isn't beholden to any trends, and therefore it feels timeless.

Flying Saucer Attack - Instrumental (flac  266mb)

01 Instrumental 1 0:58
02 Instrumental 2 2:58
03 Instrumental 3 6:27
04 Instrumental 4 4:11
05 Instrumental 5 1:38
06 Instrumental 6 1:22
07 Instrumental 7 6:56
08 Instrumental 8 1:14
09 Instrumental 9 4:08
10 Instrumental 10 2:52
11 Instrumental 11 4:15
12 Instrumental 12 0:42
13 Instrumental 13 1:53
14 Instrumental 14 7:49
15 Instrumental 15 9:42

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RhoDeo 1836 Grooves

Hello,



There are DJs and then there are selectors -- individuals whose ability to choose what records people want to hear overtakes the need for turntable skills. Just having the stamp of approval on a record is enough to qualify it as good. Often, these gifted ears find their way onto the radio, and in time get digitized.  ....N'Joy

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Circulation – prime movers in London’s tech-house underground – provide us with a glimpse into what makes them tick, the tracks that inspired them to make their own sublime slices of motoronic tech-funk. Following in the footsteps of previous ‘Abstract Funk Theory’ compilers like Ross Allen, Mixmaster Morris and Ian O’Brien, Circulation (Matt Jackson and Paul Davis) mix upfront yet underground anthems with bona fide classics. They kick off with ‘Lost In Lyrix’ by The Timewriter, a dreamy slice of twisted electro, before Carl Craig’s classically sumptuous ‘Televised Green Smoke’ gets a look-in, a rolling slab of urban machine funk. The upfront sounds come from deep houser At Jazz and Circulation themselves, contributing another liquid techno workout in the shape of ‘Uncoloured’. What this collection gives us is ample evidence of the “timelessness” of top grade dance music and how that quality is sorely lacking in much of today’s electronic music. But above all, what it does illustrate is that The Funk comes in many shapes and sizes, capable of moving both the frazzled mind and heated foot.

 VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~  Circulation   (flac  465mb)

01 The Timewriter - Lost In Lyrix
02 Carl Craig - Televised Green Smoke
03 The Ron Honey Experience - Nitedrive
04 Subtech - Coast To Coast
05 Atjazz - Bless The Funk
06 Circulation - Uncoloured
07 Motorfunk - This Time
08 P.I.M.P. - N'Archy On Mars
09 Two Full Minds - No Smoke
10 Random Factor - Broken Mirror
11 Voice Stealer - Evaluation

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Freddie Fresh's Abstract Funk Theory is the seventh in this fantastic series, following the lead of DJs such as Colin Dale, Ross Allen and Circulation. Freddie Fresh's original selection reflect his unabashed love of analogue grooves and enthusiasm for artiste-producers that take the bare bones of classic techno, house and electro to a place of shadows and fog. With two exclusive tracks of his own, it becomes clear through the course of this album that Fresh prefers a more cerebral sort of throb, the kind provided by contributors like Dan Curtin, Man Parrish, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Russ Gabriel and a post-flower child Cat Stevens. Abstract Funk Theory begins with Cherry Bomb's beautiful "Matrix". The album next turns to the Detroit meets electro groove of Man "Hip-Hop Be-Bop" Parrish and Fresh's "Smooth", the funky proto-electro boogaloo of Quadrant Six's "Body Mechanic", COD's unrecognisable instrumental version of Gil Scott Heron's "The Bottle" and Cat Stevens on a far-out electronic tip. The crunching tech-funk of Dan Curtin's "Voices from Another Age", Inter City's "Groovin Without a Doubt" and Russ Gabriel's "Airbourne" are the real highlights, especially for those who love techno with a delicate yet edgy beauty. Abstract Funk Theory makes for a fascinating insight into the Djing style of Freddie Fresh.

VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~  Freddy Fresh (flac  441mb)

01 Cherry Bomb - Matrix 5:42
02 Man Parrish & Freddy Fresh - Smooth 5:42
03 Quadrant Six - Body Mechanic 7:13
04 DMX Krew Showroom Dummies 6:47
05 C.O.D. - In The Bottle (Instrumental) 5:40
06 Cat Stevens - Was Dog A Doughnut 4:09
07 Freddy Fresh - Mortuary 5:40
08 Dan Curtin - Voices From Another Age 6:43
09 Intercity - Groovin' Without A Doubt 5:10
10 Russ Gabriel - Airbourne 5:55
11 Metro - $1.15 Please (Brownstone Express) 4:10
12 Wicked Lester - Chocolate 5:54
13 Politicians - Free Your Mind 2:47

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Abstract Funk Theory's creator, Detroit's very own Techno demigod Carl Craig (aka Paperclip People, 69 and Innerzone Orchestra), follows in the wake of such left-field luminaries as Mixmaster Morris and Ross Allen. With this album Craig is handed the dusty-fingered mantle and encouraged to plunder his own record collection. Concentrating in the main on electronic music from the 1980s (aside from George Clinton's P-funk treat "Atomic Dog") Craig uses the opportunity to highlight the range of artists who've inspired, influenced and perhaps most importantly shaped the latter day "techno sound". (Prince and the B-52's included.) Covering the pre-techno bases are electronic forerunners such as A Number of Names with their landmark track "Shari Vari". Perhaps somewhat predictably (although in truth something difficult to avoid) Craig also seizes the chance to cut some of his friends in on the royalty payments. Included are a host of tracks from the fellow Detroit cognoscenti, such as Derrick May in the shape of Rhythm Is Rhythm's early Transmat release "The Dance", Juan Atkins' Model 500 project's "Night Drive" and the May, Atkins and Saunderson combo together for X-Ray's classic "Lets Go". To summarise, it's another "edutaining" Abstract Funk instalment.

VA - Abstract Funk Theory ~ Carl Craig (flac  385mb)

01 George Clinton - Atomic Dog 9:59
02 B52's - Mesopotamia 3:52
03 A Number Of Names - Shari Vari 5:35
04 Cybotron - Alleys Of Your Mind 3:33
05 Channel One - Technicolor 6:50
06 Reese And Santonio - Forcefield 5:09
07 Model 500 - Night Drive 6:07
08 X-Ray - Let's Go 6:12
09 B.F.C - Galaxy 6:55
10 Rhythim Is Rhythim - The Dance (Living Room Mix) 7:09

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