Ukab Maerd – The Waiting Room

Ukab Maerd’s The Waiting Room, the second of Djam Karet’s side projects to be  released in 2010, is a very different affair from Mike Henderson’s song-oriented White Arrow Project. The brainchild of Djam Karet’s founding members Gayle Ellet and Chuck Oken, Jr., with legendary French musician Richard Pinhas guesting on three out of four tracks, Ukab Maerd (“Baku Dream” spelled backwards – a reference to DK’s 2003 album A Night for Baku) is a vehicle for the creation of hypnotic soundscapes inspired by the European electronic music of the Seventies. The two musicians describe the album’s content as mind music that draws its inspiration from dream language and Surrealist art – a definition that fits it to a T.

While neither an expert nor a dedicated listener of progressive electronic music, I recognize its importance both in historical and artistic terms, and The Waiting Room provides a fine example of the possibilities offered by technology. Even if its running time of about 64 minutes (divided into four tracks, none under 11 minutes) might turn it into an ordeal for people who are not used to listening to music produced almost exclusively with electronic instruments, the album undeniably possesses a mesmerizing quality, at least if taken in judicious doses. As can be expected, the main points of reference are German giants such as Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, as well as their followers from other European countries (including Pinhas’ former band Heldon). Most of the album was recorded live at two different performances by Ellett and Oken, with Pinhas’ parts added subsequently.

Many people are put off by electronic music on account of its supposedly cold, overly cerebral nature, unlike warmer, more down-to-earth musical forms such as rock or blues. While this may in some respects not be entirely wrong, the music presented on The Waiting Room intrigues and captures in a sharply different fashion than guitar-driven rock, progressive or otherwise. As the pointed out in the press release, it is music that appeals to the mind rather than the body, conceived to be listened to with some degree of concentration, and therefore always at risk of fading in the background if used as a soundtrack for other activities. With a minimal amount of percussion, and guitars manipulated in such a way as to become unrecognizable, the music ebbs and flows with hypnotic regularity, while all kinds of electronic sound effects enhance the moods and atmospheres created by layers of synthesizers.

“The Cave” evokes the titular place with uncanny accuracy, eerie sounds suggesting machinery or sloshing underground waters, the keyboards surging in waves or subsiding with a movement that may come across as monotonous, but also subtly unsettling and quite fascinating. The following “White Light, No Heat” alternates between majestic keyboard surges that create a sense of keen tension and disturbing industrial noises, replaced in the second half by tinkling yet vaguely robotic keys; while “God’s Elastic Acre” unfolds in a cinematic sweep underpinned by clanging, echoing sounds, droning and bubbling noises, while the solemn tone of the keyboards takes on a more upbeat, Eastern-tinged note towards the end. Album closer “Sati and the Trainman”, the more accessible number by far, revolves around a pulsating synth line paralleled by a slower, more atmospheric tune that suggests a train running through a darkened, slightly sinister landscape.

Needless to say, devotees of this particular genre will be able to show The Waiting Room the appreciation it deserves; while those listeners who can only process small quantities of almost completely electronic music might find it a bit too demanding to sit through the whole 64 minutes, and decide instead to break the album into separate segments. On any account, The Waiting Room is a fine example of vintage progressive electronics, and –  even for those who, like me, have never been keen followers of electronic music – it is very much worth a listen.

Tracklist:

1. The Cave (23:35)
2. White Light, No Heat (11:28)
3. God’s Elastic Acre (18:16)
4. Sati & The Trainman (11:14)

Line-up:

Gayle Ellett – analog and digital keyboards, electric guitar, effects
Chuck Oken, Jr. – analog, digital and modular keyboards, electronic percussion, effects, loop processing and reconstruction

With:
Richard Pinhas – guitar loops (1-3)

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/ukabmaerd

http://www.djamkaret.com

Sungrazer – Sungrazer

Sungrazer are a new three piece band from Holland. When I put the first track on I thought that they had misspressed the new Colour Haze CD. These guys are very inspired by Colour Haze and also go for a total analog sound.

The opening track is still pretty cool and has a very laid back stoney feel with some feedback layers mixed into the Colour Haze sound. They are really stoner riff band as there is only one guitar solo on this entire record.

Intermezzo is next and they really surprise you with a super cool saxophone in this short 3 min laid back song with some spacey delay guitar.

Somo starts quite spacey and super cool and only in the last 2 minute does the stoner riff kick into wake you up from your nice trip.

Common Believer again sounds very much like Colour Haze but has a nice laid back groove and I really like the bass on this track. The singer and guitarist, Rutger, has a nice delivery.

Zero Zero is probably my favourite track on the record, with it’s heavy groove and more diverse guitar playing and a bit bluesy even.

Mountain Dusk starts with a Philip (Colour Haze) bass line, including that plucking sound that is so distinctive of his playing and then the guitar comes in. This track starts very laid back before the Colour Haze riffs kick in and they end the record. The band is not very unique and borrows a bit too much from CH but I quite like the record.

Mike Henderson – White Arrow Project

The year 2010 saw the release of two albums by side projects of members of historic US prog outfit Djam Karet, along with the band’s live-in-the-studio album The Heavy Soul Sessions. While Chuck Oken, Jr and Gayle Ellett explore electronic progressive music with Ukab Maerd,  guitarist Mike Henderson is responsible for this largely acoustic, song-oriented White Arrow Project. According to the accompanying press release, the album took many years to complete, and, though all its participants live in the same Southern Californian town, this is the first time they have actually worked together on the same project. While this lends the album a warm, endearingly ‘homemade’ feel, light years removed from the contrived nature of so many mainstream productions, White Arrow Project sounds definitely more streamlined than most of Djam Karet’s output. Not that it should come as a surprise to long-time fans of the band, who are by now quite used to its members’ need for branching out and expanding their sonic horizons – as also witnessed by the two albums released in the past couple of years by Gayle Ellett’s acoustic side project Fernwood.

Though the album is solely credited to Henderson, who lends his distinctive guitar style to the compositions (as well as playing most of the other instruments), the musicians involved (including Chuck Oken, Jr. on drums) form a very tight unit, whose contribution is essential to the fabric of the sound. Employing both male and female vocals, White Arrow Project is a quintessentially melodic offering,  with quite a few catchy, almost poppy moments (such as closing track “Summertime”) and a distinct lack of hard edges. The album lacks any numbers longer than 6 minutes, most of them featuring vocals and keeping a steady, relaxed mid-pace. The press release mentions influences such as Kate Bush, Dead Can Dance and Brian Eno, and the moody, atmospheric nature of the  instrumental tracks may indeed bring the latter musician to mind. The similarity between some of the songs and Kate Bush’s output is also quite remarkable, particularly as regards the presence of the bouzouki’s distinctive metallic twang. On the other hand,  I have found the Dead Can Dance comparisons somewhat more tenuous – since neither of the vocalists (while perfectly adequate) reaches the stellar level of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, nor does the music possess the same deeply haunting quality.

Out of the 12 tracks featured on the album, most involve singing of some sort, which, in my view, often detracts from the musical aspect instead of enhancing it as it should. Caroline Dourley, with her well-trained, well-modulated voice, only sings on a handful of tracks, the majority being performed by Jack Housen – whose contribution on the bouzouki is an essential component of the album’s overall sound. However, I found his vocals rather disappointing, at times reminiscent of Gordon Haskell on King Crimson’s Lizard, though not as grating. The presence of a truly commanding male voice such as the aforementioned Brendan Perry would have lifted the level of the album from merely pleasant to actually memorable.

Not surprisingly, then, the true highlights of this album are provided by the three instrumentals, showing that the group of musicians are indeed a finely-tuned unit. The Eastern-flavoured “Emergence” (where the Dead Can Dance comparisons surface most strongly), “Equinox”, with its acoustic/electric interplay, and the hauntingly percussive “Continuum” meld gentle, folksy strains and New-Age-tinged electronics, creating soothing textures and intriguing soundscapes. As to the vocal tracks, I found those performed by Caroline Dourley more impressive than the ones featuring Jack Housen (with the exception of the muted, hypnotic “Stone Wall”). On “Lasso”, Dourley’s subdued vocals forms a backdrop for the instruments rather than the other way round; while the Celtic undertones of “Can’t Wait Anymore” may bring to mind Clannad’s more recent output.

A lovingly crafted album by a group of gifted musicians, White Arrow Project is likely to appeal to those who like folk- and ambient-tinged music with a nice balance between vocal and instrumental parts – as well as those who are looking for some respite from the demands of the weightier instances of prog. With a very manageable running time of 57 minutes, it is a very listener-friendly disc without being overtly commercial, performed with passion and skill. On the other hand, its pleasant but not quite memorable nature might cause it to be overlooked among the glut of progressive or quasi-progressive albums that are flooding the market.

Tracklist:

1 Never Be The Same (3:18)
2. Rage (4:37)
3. Lasso (5:17)
4. Stone Wall (4:19)
5. Emergence (4:40)
6. Starting Over (4:44)
7. Can’t Wait Anymore (4:18)
8. Equinox (5:34)
9. Goddess (4:32)
10. Continuum (6:28)
11. Read My Mind (5:02)
12. Summertime (4:37)

Line-up:

* Mike Henderson –  acoustic and electric guitars, bass, synthesizers, hand and electronic percussion, mandolin, effects
* Caroline Dourley – vocals
* Jack Housen – vocals, bouzouki, guitar (11)
* Chuck Oken, Jr – drums
* Dion Sorrell – electric cello, bass (5)

Links:

http://www.djamkaret.com

http://www.myspace.com/djamkaret

Seven That Spells

Nick: Hey Niko, how are you doing, man? Make some Japanese food recently?

Niko: 
All is good! Yep a month ago me and my friend made some gyudon – turned out really good!

Nick: The most recent news about Seven That Spells is that you have a new album called “Acid Taking and Sweet Love Making”. Tell me the story behind this jam-piece?

Niko: Well, it was recorded in 2006 – 2 days after “Black Om Rising” actually! Its the last album I made with the original lineup of STS. Its a simple rock and roll album. It took some time for me to get it mixed. Sometimes I can be really lazy – that’s why it’s published now in 2011 – 5 years after it was recorded!

Nick: What’s interesting about Seven That Spells is that you actually don’t give the feeling of being a studio band on your records. At least I can tell for myself that I’ve got a feeling every time I listen to
your records that you are here in the space, your music does not only come from speakers. Do you agree?

Niko: 

Yes – we are not a studio band primarily because we cannot afford 1 month of recording per album – all STS albums were recorded in 2 day sessions with only 1 take per song – I always put stress on musicians that way – and they play the best they can, ha ha ha! The recording places always change – from studio, old cinema, theatre to old school garage recording like “Men from Dystopia” for example! With that kind of approach we get live sound from our records – and that’s the most important thing for me!

Nick: What was your goal when you formed the band back in 2003? Playing rock, having good food and drink? Am I close?

Niko: 
I was disgusted with the post rock movement back then and wanted to create a real rock band besides all the stuff you mentioned in the question.

Nick: Let’s discuss some individual albums, starting with “The Blowout”. It’s your first release and the only album that does not have any nudity on its cover, haha. Tell me more about this record.

Niko: We didn’t know what we were doing – I didn’t have a strong vision of the band’s direction then so we just played loud rock and roll, ha ha! No nudity, yes – that’s why the cover is boring! It was recorded in 1 day and remixed in 2005. But I doubt it will ever resurface as an official record. 100 DIY copies were made and were sold out in 2 months – that’s it.

Nick: Next up is “My Mommy Wants to Kiss Your Mamma”, released in 2005. What was it like to record?

Niko: 

I don’t like that record. It was recorded in club KSET inZagreb on 1 inch track. After it was recorded and mixed I came to an understanding that I have to change the band’s direction and philosophy.

Nick: “It Came from the Planet of Love” was also released in 2005. What inspired you at the time? It seems like the majority of band’s material was produced around this time.

Niko: I just wanted to make lots of music – most of it was improvised so it was possible to be quick and creative in that niche. Oh by the way – I hate the word “jam”. I absolutely hate it – for me it has a very negative meaning towards music and attitude of playing. Well, its my trauma from the psychedelic world and bunch of really bad bands I saw live that were “jamming” – ugh… 0 energy and 0 creativity but jamming on, ha ha ha ha!

Nick: For “Men from Dystopia” you had special assistance from Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple fame. How did you get in touch with him and tell me more about this lunatic session that managed to be captured in the aforementioned album?

Niko: I met with Makoto in 2002 I think – when I saw my first Acid Mothers Temple concert. The rest is history. We get along really well. He is a total rock and roll troubadour – one of the last in this world! The main part of Dystopia was recorded here in Zagreb – the overdubs were done in Japan.

Nick: With “The Men from Dystopia” you have created a true psychedelic monster. One of the most interesting elements of your records is guitar soloing, it’s absolutely mindblowing. Tell us about your guitar technique, how did it develop?

Niko: It’s all about the atmosphere for me – not technique – most of the guitar players (I come in contact with) who play conventional music claim I don’t know how to play guitar – which is perfect for me so I don’t have to participate in the fucking equipment brainwashing/ear bleeding talk, ha ha ha ha. I was practicing like crazy from when I was 12. From 16 onward I took lots of drugs. Now I’m 32 and still know shit about anything. But now I enjoy food, alcohol and women – no drugs. So my guitar playing got worse, ha ha ha!

Nick: What’s the key to creating such intense soundwalls around yourselves, but still keeping the atmosphere of mysticism?

Niko: Living your life as a free person and being able to tell a good story.

Nick: Who are the Men from Dystopia?

Niko: 

We are all men from Dystopia. We all work on creating a shitty future for ourselves and our children.

Nick: What is the initial element for making music in Seven That Spells? Is it riff or melody?

Niko: 
Totally depends on how we feel. But it’s a typical rock and roll creative process. Nothing new and avant-garde here

Nick: “Black Om Rising” introduced the saxophone as a new instrument in STS and if you ask me it turned out really well. Why did you decide to do this? There are not many bands in the genre that use this instrument.

Niko: It seemed like an ok idea at that time – to fill up the sound. There are lots of rock bands that use sax but they are as unknown as STS.

Nick: Speaking of “Black Om Rising” there’s obviously a turn towards a proggier sound. Do you think the same and if so, why do you think it happened? Is it a natural sequence of circumstances or are you
intentionally trying to expand your horizons?

Niko: I don’t think too much about music but I act fast – sometimes I regret that but it keeps the band evolving and exciting. Yes the sax always makes things proggier. Thats why it began to suck so much in my opinion. I really had enough of that instrument. it made me play less guitar so it had to go out of the band naturally.

Nick: “Cosmoerotic Dialogue With Lucifer” brings Kawabata back into the game, and you guys manage to show insanity through the channels, one in each ear. Have you been trying to gain the harmony in your playings or have you just let yourself play without turning to what the other one does?

Niko: I really don’t remember. Sorry

Nick: Have you ever been at Stara Planina (The Old Mountain)? Is it perhaps from where you got the title for a song from “Cosmoerotic Dialogue With Lucifer”?

Niko: Nah. Its just a good title for the song along with the stupid lyrics I made out – but its a romantic song I guess!

Nick: “Cosmoerotic Dialogue With Lucifer” is probably the most intense record you’ve produced out to date. Which factors, in your opinion, influenced you to create that intensity?

Niko: 

Alcohol and 3 consecutive days of non sleeping!!

Nick: “Future Retro Spasm” is my favorite STS album and actually the one I have listened to the most. How would you describe this record?

Niko: It’s a record for modern Viking funeral rites!

Nick: On your official website it says there will be another album later this year, called “Superautobahn”, recorded in 2007. What can we expect this one to bring us?

Niko: Three 20 minute songs each comprised of 1 repetitive riff. Nice and easy stuff as usual ha ha!

Nick: You have played at the DUNAjam festival in 2010, what are your impressions about it?

Niko: 
Its the best fucking festival in the world. Period.

Nick: It has been said that you plan to record a trilogy of albums called “Death and Resurrection of Krautrock”. What can be expected from it?

Photo by Nikola Sarnavka

Niko: Everything. It will be the STS masterpiece. Music will range from psych rock, folk to complex mathematical kraut rock.

Nick: In the past, you toured Japan – how was it? Not so many bands from this part of the world have had the opportunity to tour over there.

Niko: It was amazing. We go there in 2012 again. Its easier now that I have a steady lineup of the band.

Nick: Are you satisfied with how things go in musical scene in Croatia? Do people like and accept what STS does? I guess that you already have an established fanbase over there.

Niko: I don’t care about it. People come to our concerts and we have fun together. I really don’t have time to care about other bands. Most of them suck anyway. In my opinion there in no scene.

Nick: What comes next for STS?

Niko: Practicing for the upcoming recording of the album and some euro tours in 2011.

Nick: I’m out of questions, is there anything you would love to add that I didn’t cover in my questions?

Niko: Let’s rock!!!

Syreregn – Fly With Us Live 10”

This 10” was recorded live at a club called Stars in Vordingborg, Denmark in April 2010, when the band did a small tour with Nicolia Vilhem Tell. The 10” features 4 tracks in about 20 minutes and is pressed in 500 copies. Side A starts with some spacey sounds before they kick into the Overture song which has some very nice wah and other solo guitar (Jakob) and nicely mixed drums (Kim). Thor, plays the bass and the lead vocal (when they have some). Tag Solen Ned, from the bands debut CD is next and this is untempo blues rock track sung in Danish. Thor plays some great bass to lay the foundation for Jakob to solo and they have a great jam space out on this track. Side B starts with Mirror Mirror (no, not the Candlemass song..), a blues rock song sung in English with some fairly cheesy lyrics but a damn song, that reminds me of the Young Flowers! This track even includes a drum solo! Time the Time is the last track and features some great passionate vocals and psychedelic blues rock guitar. This is a really cool young band that goes back to how music was made in the late 60s- live, psychedelic, blues and energetic!

Sula Bassana & Electric Moon

Nick: Hi there, Dave and Lulu. Hope you guys are having nice time, eating potatoes and stuff.

Dave: We love potatoes and stuff! That’s the only food we eat! We are to poor for rice and stuff! Also we are germans, so we need potatoes! Always!

Lulu: STUFF! MORE STUFF PLEASE!!!!

Nick: Okay, let’s return from this starting digression to the main thing. As this is our first interview with Electric Moon and Sula Bassana, this means our readers will have an opportunity to meet the creative force behind this two bands. Let’s start from Electric Moon firstly. (Dave, you’ll get chance to talk later about Sula Bassana, as well as Zone Six and all other stuff you’ve been involved in. Ladies first). So, Lulu, tell me how the story called Electric Moon begun? What has been inspired you to start this band?

Lulu: We met and we jammed and it was so great – that’s the big story behind Electric Moon! Our very first jams became our album “Lunatics”!

Nick: “Lunatics” is your first and hopefully not least album, appeared in last year and in my humble opinion, this album paints off pretty lunatic image of your minds. What’s going on inside? Are you aware that you’ve created an awesome spacepsyche monster and one of my favorite albums of 2010? Does it mean you a thing?

Lulu: Wow! Glad you dig it! We have stuff for many albums – so don’t matter, there will be another out SOOON! Hopefully this year. And in some weeks you can get “Lunatics Revenge” on vinyl, including the two tracks which were not on the vinyl edition of “Lunatics” and two unreleased tracks! So. yeah, we are lunatic minds and we’re howling to the moon at night!

Dave: Only at night? 24 hours a day at full moon!

Lulu: Okay, Dave’s right… But we only come out at night.

Nick: Tell me more about recording process of “Lunatics”. How did it all go? How much the songs presented on album are the product of jamming, and in which measure jamming influences final shape of the Electric Moon?

Lulu: The songs are jams and after jamming and cutting, there were some overdubs like organ, voice and second guitars sometimes – except Hotel Hell, The Burdon cover. It’s the way we do our stuff all the time. Our “songs” are the result of our rehearsals, hehe.

Nick: Besides “Lunatics”, the light of day has also seen a live record called “Live at Epplehaus 2010”, which features two tracks on each CD. Tell me about this record. First CD comes up with 46 minutes long jam called “Demoon”, how did you succeed, lunatics?

Lulu: How? Well, we jammed and there was a good energy… Nothing else… There will be a further live 2CD-R out soon! From our 3-hours gig in Wurzburg. Your mistake: not 2 tracks on each CD – ONE on each! Thanks.

Nick: It’s been announced that new Electric Moon album will appear in February, and as we are almost half through it, it’s just a matter of day when it will appear. Of course, if that doesn’t change. What can we expect from “Lunatics Revenge”? By the title of album, I can smell it will be a continuation of “Lunatics”. Are the songs that will appear on new album exactly from “Lunatics” sessions? Tell me more about it.

Lulu: As I told you, it’s the follow-up of Lunatics with the two missing tracks on vinyl and two new, unreleased bonus tracks on B-side! Not from the lunatics sessions, but close behind them.

Nick: The interesting thing about “Lunatics Revenge” is that it will only be released on vinyl, out on Nasoni Records. Why only vinyl? Can you tell me details about how many copies will be printed? I guess that we talk here about a limited edition release in not more than 500 copies, right?

Lulu: 500, yeah. Only on vinyl, because it’s dumb to release it on cd with tracks from Lunatics, which have been already released on the CD edition. The B-side will be rare stuff then, not available on CD.

Dave: And the best on this issue: 100 copies are on marble vinyl!

Nick: Electric Moon has pretty much enviable background when it comes to gigs and festivals. I wonder how does an Electric Moon gig look like? Do you tend to jam more and extend your improvisations or you stick to what’s presented on the record? Also, have you been played any covers and if so, what are they?

Lulu: We jam and jam and jam and jam and we become one joint creature: THE MOON WHICH IS ELECTRIC!!!

Nick: Speaking of covering other bands, which bands have a big impact on establishing Electric Moon sound?

Lulu: We’ve only covered Hotel Hell yet. Electric Moon sound is Electric Moon sound…

Nick: One interesting thing comes to my mind every time I come in situation to read the name Electric Moon. Namely, I know at least 10 bands which name starts with “electric” (one of them is surely Electric Orange – guess that Dave will be happy coz I mentioned them), and they all are pretty good. Do you have any favorite “electric”-named bands from the deep underground? Also, why Electric Moon? Who chose the name for band?

Lulu: It’s my old e-mail address and we thought it was cool. Electric Orange is cool, also Electric Prunes! So…

Dave: There are much more band named THE… ask them why!

Nick: What happens next, besides releasing “Lunatics Revenge”? I could see that you’ve got several festivals confirmed for 2011. Would be good to see you again on DUNAjam festival, but this time in open air variant, speaking of which, what are your impressions about DUNAjam? You have played there in 2008, if I’m not wrong.

Lulu: You are damn wrong – we played in 2010!! We’d love to play there again this year. Duna Jam was great. We jammed the night away and when we started, the moon was rising. Great. Great.

Dave: And the sun came up as we finished the gig! We founded Electric Moon in 2010, so we could not play in 2008! Duna Jam is very special and for sure much smaller than many people expect. It feels like a big private party.

Nick: Is there anything about Electric Moon that I didn’t cover in my questions and you would love to say?

Lulu: Thank you. Well, I think we want to lunatize the people!! STAY MOONED!!!

Nick: Okay, not let’s shift to Sula Bassana aka Dave Schmidt. So Dave, the latest that came out from you is “Kosmonauts” record, and this one is fully electronic-ambient stuff. Now it’s not that I don’t like it, but the fact is that I’m more into psyche fuzz stuff you do by using guitar Tell me more about “Kosmonauts”, are you satisfied how it turned out?

Dave: No, I hate it, that was the reason why I released it! Hahahaha! I love it!

Nick: Where does this affection towards electronic / ambient stuff come from?

Dave: It was my first love in music. I listened to a lot of electronic music when I was young (what is far away!) and started collecting Synthesizers and so on… My next record, that hopefully will be out this year, is a psychedelic rock album again. But maybe followed by another electronic album… Who knows… The albums I made together with Modulfix are also very electronic music influenced, so it’s not that new…

Nick: “The Night” has appeared in 2008 and comparing to “Kosmonauts” you bring space rock combined with psychedelia and that one is freakingly good album. Any comments on this record?

Dave: Hey freaks, don’t download it, buy it! I need money!!! It’s a great album! I promise!

Nick: As a guest musician on “The Night” appears Stefan Koglek of Colour Haze fame, who wrote some lyrics and lent vocals for the title epic track. How did it happen you two collaborate? I know that you’ve done some synth stuff for Colour Haze’s “Peace, Brothers and Sisters!” song back in past, so tell a bit more about it too.

Dave: I know Stefan for many years, Colour Haze and my old band Liquid Visions gigged together several times (also Zone Six and Colour Haze). He also re-released my first Sula album Dreamer on CD. So, there was a connection. I just asked him if he like to do it and he did. He visited me for one evening and everything went well very quick. Same when I visited Colour Haze in the studio to record the Synthesizer.

Nick: As you do absolutely all duties in Sula Bassana, starting from writing songs, performing, recording and mixing, do you find it as a stressful process passing through all this stages during creating process of an album? You see I didn’t mention mastering on here, as mastering duties were done by Eroc of Electric Orange, a real krautrock guru if I may say like that. How’s that to work with him?

Dave: No, it’s a great experience! I like it very much! The only thing I hate is the problem with frequencies and volumes when I mix an album. But since some years my albums got mastered by Eroc.

Nick: You see I didn’t mention mastering on here, as mastering duties were done by Eroc of Electric Orange, a real krautrock guru if I may say like that. How’s that to work with him?

Dave: Eroc is NOT a member of Electric Orange, he is „just“ mastering Electric Orange’s albums as well! But I got the connection to Eroc from Dirk Müller (Electric Orange). Eroc was the drummer of the krautrock band Grobschnitt in the 70’s. He is a nice guy and I like the result of his work on my albums!

Nick: “Sulatronics” has been released in 2003 and it’s an album from electronic Sula Bassana opus. Introduce this albums in short too.

Dave: When I changed from synthesizer to bass in early 90’s I stoppt making electronic music. But after some years I recorded some electronic tracks here and there and released them on that CD-R.

Nick: Are there any differences in creating processes for Sula Bassana records? I’m asking this because you maintain to lead two parallel worlds, speaking of Sula opus. One is spacepsyche rock, and at the other side we have aforementioned electronic-ambient music.

Dave: I like both, so, sometimes I do a real electronic album and sometimes more spacerock (always with some electronic influences). But all the stuff is psychedelic!

Nick: What makes me especially glad about your “Dreamer” record is the using of Hammonds, as it just sounds great in this space rock mission you tend to lead. Tell more about “Dreamer” record. Could it be expected that you will use Hammonds on some of the next SB records? I would love it!

Dave: It wasn’t a Hammond, I never had one. But in case of the Lesley it sounds similar to Hammond. On my forthcoming album I play my Elka organ (a great little organ!) with guitar effects and guitar amp, and the result sounds more like a Farfisa. Same sound I used in „Lost in Space“ on „The Night“. More about Dreamer? It was a bit similar to Sulatronics: I recorded my first psychedelic rock songs here and there (the first tracks I recorded on my 8-track cassette recorder!) and compiled them for this record. You also hear one real electronic track on this album (Nervenlaehmung).

Nick: The “Dreamer” album contains interesting liner notes, saying “Support Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Attac and many more”. It’s very nice to see you in this “humanistic” way, wish there were more people like you. Not that I have some question about it, but it’s like you try and use your music to tell people that our mission is to “save our planet and spread peace&love”. Do you agree?

Dave: I was more like a hippie these days. Now I know we can’t change anything! Our end comes soon! Or later…

Lulu: I destroyed Dave’s hippie-dreams, I guess…

Nick: I have to say that “My Blue Guitar” song is sort of surprise for me, from “Dreamer”, maybe because of it’s balladous approach, what’s not bad, as the song rocks! Your guitar work here simply reminds me of Andrew Latimer’s sense of soloing, full of emotions. Any comments?

Dave: Music comes like it comes, sometimes rock, sometimes soft , sometimes sad and sometimes different… One german magazine wrote: „The best solo of David Gilmour he never played himself!“ I like that line. Pink Floyd are for sure a very deep influence. Who is Andrew Latimer? Camel??? Also cool!!!

Nick: The closing track on “Dreamer”, “Baby Blue Shuffle in D Major”, is an homage to Pink Floyd. Guess that you are a Pink Floyd fan, so tell me what’s your favorite Floyd album? I’m more in 60’s Floyd era, for the record.

Dave: Oh, I like different albums. For sure the early stuff, but I love also the More, Dark Side, Wish You Where Here and the Animals albums. But just a very few later stuff. What do you think I’m listening to at the moment, when I type this? Wing! Do you know her beautiful voice? If you like Southpark as much as we do you know her! Hehehe!

Nick: Which bands/artists have influenced your musical shaping?

Dave: Wing!!!! Maybe a little more influenced by Pink Floyd, Far Out, Klaus Schulze, Neu!, Can and so on…

Nick: My two recent discoveries, concerning your work are the albums you release under the name of Sula Bassana and Modulfix and of course, Zone Six. Can you tell something more about these two projects?

Dave: Zone Six was the first improvisational band I founded and Modulfix is the synthesizer player of Zone Six and a very good friend as well, so we recorded many stoned jams together and one day we decided to do some CD-R releases. We started working on new Zone Six stuff this year and have planned a split LP with Vespero, a very interesting prog-psych band from Russia!

Nick: Beside working as a musician, you also run your own label, called Sulatron Records. How did you manage to start working as an independent label? Is it a stressful job?

Dave: Of course it is, and it don’t brings enough money, because I’m specialized in psychedelic and neo-krautrock, and that’s a really small marked!
Lulu: Yes! STRESSFUL! Sometimes Dave clobbers his printer because the printer lives kind of independent existence and it’s mission seems to be destroying Dave’s soul. It’s only ONE example for „stressful“.

Nick: I have to ask you what does Sula means? Also what do Sulatron or Sulatronics mean?

Dave: Sula Bassana is the ornithologic name of a seabird who is called Gannet in English. And it’s a joke what only works in German, because Sula Bassana’s German name is Basstoelpel, and that means something like a stupid or foolish bass(player), and that’s me. Sulatron is a mix between Sula and my favoured keyboard „Mellotron“.

Nick: I’m out of questions (too bad for you), so is there anything you would love to add at the end of this interview?

Dave: Hmmm, out of ideas…

Nick: Okay now, you can return to eating potatoes. Thank you very much for the interview to both of you. Hope to see you sometimes. Best wishes!

Dave: Yeah, hope to meet you soon! At Duna Jam? Yellowstock? OK, I go back to my potatoes… Potatoes are life! Potatoes are love! Potatoes are freedom! One day I want to become a potato! Cheers!

Lulu: As you can see – POTATOES CHANGED OUR LIVES! POTATOES FOR PRESIDENT!!! For Bundeskanzlerin too!!!

Tangents – One Little Light Year

A long-distance collaboration, creating interesting stuff!

Nowadays, thanks to the technology and internet facilities, people can connect and share ideas, chat, watch videos, but also create good music. This is the case of this two-people project called Tangents which was created thanks to the concerns of Derek Kerswill and Dave Witham, a couple of talented guys whose first baby saw the light this year (2010) and was officially released a few days ago (October 26th).

The album entitled “One Little Light year” features twelve compositions, ranging from three to four minutes average, which complete a 43-minute record.
It kicks off with “Arrow in the Heart” which in my opinion is one of their best tracks, a strong opener that also shows Tangents style and a progressive-alternative tendency. The vocals in moments remind me a little bit of some early Radiohead tunes, and the music sounds catchy but interesting without a doubt.

“Homecoming (Victory Song)” is a mellower track that in the first minutes has a tranquil sound, however there is a part at half the song where the guitars sound heavier and the atmosphere becomes tense; but well, the mellow and soft sound returns later and finishes like a lullaby.
With “Fall Asleep Again” I have a problem, I don’t really like the rhythm and the repetitive sound, however, what I like is that while the seconds pass there are new elements sounding which help creating new and different nuances. This is in the other hand, one of my least favorites here.

“Static” has again that smooth and mellow sound, the vocals again remind me to some Radiohead moments (this is the last time I mention it) but the music is quite interesting. The synth effects are wonderful because they create exquisite atmospheres that can be perceived better if you have good headphones. Another thing I liked here, was the nice and effective use of acoustic guitar.

“(Missing) One Little Light Year” almost reaches the five minutes, this is actually the longest composition on this album. The sound of the guitars is more aggressive than the previous tracks and the rhythm of the song may be quite addictive. The vocals are pretty good in my opinion, and one thing I had not mention but have to, is that the drums sound always clean. After the second minute, there is a change where the vocals sound louder but the music poppier and catchier, which does not really help, it is repeated a minute later after another minor change. Nice track.

“The Pieces Fall” might work as a single of this album, I can see it sounding in the radio as a popular hit, so as you can imagine the sound is pretty catchy, ready for anyone’s ears especially for the followers of alternative rock music. Now, with “Nothing Left Undone” I feel pleased, because there are moments where I truly enjoy what I am listening to: nice atmospheres, good vocals and a correct use of electric guitar as background; the last minute is more emotional.

“When Will it End” is another track I don’t truly enjoy. Since the first seconds where the electric guitar appears and the structure is being built, I don’t feel attracted, actually I feel tired because I think is more of the same, I mean in moments the sound becomes redundant and boring. The second part of the song becomes a bit better, but this is a completely forgettable track to me.

“Hyde” returns again to that soft and mellow sound, there is a nice piano over there working together with nice acoustic guitars and vocals. The song eventually progresses and thanks to the vocals, creates an emotional sound. If you want to listen something like Radiohead meets The Cooper Temple Clause, you can try this.

The shortest composition is the 28-second track entitled “What the Scanners See”, which is just like the introduction to “Blind Spots”. And this starts with electric guitars and vocals, then drums and bass appear and start creating an interesting, though catchy again structure. Later it becomes stronger, the power the introduce helps the song being more enjoyable.
The album finishes with “Watch You Go”, a shorter composition that is just like a goodbye. A peaceful track with a slow sound that can relax the listener.

This is a nice debut album that proves once more that distance does not matter, as long as the will exist. Regarding the band’s style, I would not call them a progressive rock band properly, though they do have some tendencies, I would label them with a different adjective, but well, labels are not really important.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:
1. Arrow in the Heart
2. Homecoming (Victory Song)
3. Fall Asleep Again
4. Static
5. (Missing) One Little Light Year
6. The Pieces Fall
7. Nothing Left Undone
8. When Will It End?
9. Hyde
10. What the Scanners See
11. Blind Spots
12. Watch You Go

Line-up:
Dave Witham
Derek Kerswill

ProgSphere’s Progstravaganza Compilation of Awesomeness – Part 3

Here we go again. The third part of Progstravaganza compilation is in front of you. 16 bands this time, double the amount on our last one. This particular compilation is a bit more spacy and psychedelic than the last ones, but you can also hear some prog folk, stoner rock or jazz fusion, so it’s certain that you all will find something out of this compilation that will satisfy your musical needs. Below is the tracklist of this particular Progstravaganza, as well as the link from which you can grab it. We would love it if you would help us in spreading the word out about this part, so if you use facebook, twitter or any similar social network website, just copy/paste this link and invite your friends to join our sonic journey. These bands deserve suport, so if you like what you hear, save some money and buy some plastic (or MP3).

Tracklist:

01. SULA BASSANA – Lost in Space (GER)

02. ALL OVER EVERYWHERE – The Shroud (USA)

03. 1000MODS – Boor (GRE)

04. SEVEN THAT SPELLS – Olympos (CRO)

05. CONSECRATION – Aligator (SER)

06. BLAAK HEAT SHUJAA – Sinaloakarma (FRA)

07. SPACED OUT – Replication Junction (CAN)

08. BARRY CLEVELAND – Stars of Sayulita (USA)

09. VESPERO – Daphne (RUS)

10. DRAGONTEARS – Two Tongue Talk (DEN)

11. IRON KIM STYLE – Adrift (USA)

12. DOUBT – Cosmic Surgery (UK)

13. ELECTRIC MOON – Gefahrliche Planetengirl (GER)

14. TEMPLE OF THE SMOKE – Naked Sun (SRB)

15. POSEIDOTICA – Campo Magnetico (ARG)

16. FIRST BAND FROM OUTER SPACE – Smokin’ (SWE)

DOWNLOAD PROGSPHERE’S PROGSTRAVAGANZA COMPILATION OF AWESOMENESS – PART 3

Various Artists – Records to Ruin Any Party (Voodoo Rhythm Records)

I recently received a promotional copy of the third volume of Voodoo Rhythm Records compilation known as “Records to Ruin Any Party”. Voodoo Records is an independent label from Bern, Switezerland. The compilation is made out of “21 killer tracks”, and it’s pretty vast selection of songs that vary from garage psyche rock, blues rock and funeral music with crusty punky sound walls, to twisted outlaw country tunes. But these genre labels certainly do not end here. I will try to adequately describe all of the tracks presented here, and I hope it will create some kind of sound image and possibly make you interested enough to check out this sampler, as well as some of the bands.

1 – Juke Joint Pipmps‘ Dust My Broom opens the CD – this song is a hard edged blues boogie, dirty and straight.

2 – Le Redresseur de Torts of King Automatic stands somewhere between modern music and blues rock with lip accordion and with lyrics sung in French.

3 – Next up is Dead Brothers‘ The Power a Secret Holds. We come to the first highlight of the compilation. Adorned with strong vocals, violin and string bass, this song divides between mellow and rough.

4 – Pussywarmers‘ Ashes makes me think “soundtrack”, with all those accordions and hard drumming and it develops in a real psychedelic track later on. This track sounds like it was taken out of Can’s “Soundtracks”.

5 – Two Headed Demon of Urban Junior dwells between electronic and psychedelic, one of those songs that will make your head nod by itself.

6 – Jesus Christ Twist by Reverend Beat-Man is my second favorite track on the record. It’s almost impossible to describe this track, but if you could find some blend of Darkthrone, Pearl Jam, Black
Sabbath and get some punk in the same blender, you would probably get something close to this. A heavy track at moments with vocals that sound like the members are about to rise from the grave.

7 – John Schooley and His One Man Band comes next with the track called Every Day Can Get you Down. It’s a mixture of hard rock, blues and a pinch of punk with traditional blues singing.

8 – Possessed by Paul James and their song Cold and Blind brings to mind Gram Parsons and a strong folk/rock feeling with banjo and a husky voice that repeats “Falling in and out of love, falling in and out of love…”.

9 – Next up is Zeno Tornado and the Boney Google Brothers with Blood, and this track evokes Mr. Johnny Cash. It makes me think of Walk the Line, when Johnny stands in the hall of St. Quentin’s prison and plays for the inmates. This is the third highlight of the compilation and my second favorite track.

10 – Sixtyniners‘ Teardrops keeps on where the previous track finished, bringing Johnny Cash to mind who’s telling stories in his old way. Mr. Cash would be proud of these guys.

11 – After short country picnic we are back in the game with Mama Rosin and Le Pistolet track, a funny sounding song in traditional Irish style that brings back nodding again and makes you scream

“woo-hoo” while it plays.

12 – Bob Log III serves a track called My Shit is Perfect, some kind of psychedelia with garage fuzz and a telephone voice over it.

13 – Delaney Davidson with the track Lackie’s Men is my favorite track on this sampler. Only vocals and acoustic guitars build up this song and you can’t believe how energetic it is until you hear it. The acoustic solo in the middle will blow your mind out and probably make Paco Lucia feels jealous. It’s a hell of a good song, mark my words!

14 – It’s time for Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers‘ Hung, Drawn and Quartered, who will take care of you and make your knees tremble, in case you want to dance. In short, Chicago Boogie Blues at its best.

15 – The Coo-Coo Bird of Andy Dale Petty pulls back ol’ good banjo and folksy elements, the kind of song that makes me feel like sitting somewhere in the middle of Arizona, dirty and with no money, with no clear perspective of future. No, your dear reviewer hasn’t been smoking any pot (at least not while writing this…).

16 – Desert rock at the beginning of Movie Star Junkies‘ Almost a God turns into mellow psyche-led rock that stands there until the end.

17 – If we had memory of Johnny Cash in some of the previous songs, then I Had a Dream of Roy and the Devil’s Motorcycle brings Chris Isaac to mind. There’s simply no more to say, except that it’s a pretty good track and (with a running time at just under six minutes) one of the longest on the sampler.

18 – And the next one, Glassel Park of The Guilty Hearts, is the shortest one and to me it sounds like a straight punk rock song.

19 – King Khan and His Shrines come next with the song Tell Me, and a performance of trumpet-led rock’n'roll.

20 – The Come N’ Go with Heart’s Desire takes again take a punk rock direction.

21 – The compilation closes with I’m Going Away Girl by The Monsters, performing psychedelic rock with vocals that scream the lungs out.

To summarize, Records to Ruin Any Party Vol. 3 is a very good sampler that surely has a lot to offer. If you are interested enough to decid to seek something new, then check Voodoo Rhythm catalog, as there will be something for you. I’m looking forward to 4th volume, as well as the first two, since I haven’t heard them yet.

Tracklist:

01. The Juke Joint Pimps – Dust My Broom

02. King Automatic – Le Redresseur de Torts

03. Dead Brothers – The Power a Secret Holds

04. Pussywarmers – Ashes

05. Urban Junior – Two Headed Demon

06. Reverend Beat-Man – Jesus Christ Twist

07. John Schooley and His One Man Band – Every Day Can Get You Down

08. Possessed by Paul James – Cold and Blind

09. Zeno Tornado and the Boney Google Brothers – Blood

10. Sixtyniners – Teardrops

11. Mama Rosin – Le Pistolet

12. Bob Log III – My Shit is Perfect

13. Delaney Davidson – Lackie’s Men

14. Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers – Hung, Drawn and Quartered

15. Andy Dale Petty – The Coo-Coo Bird

16. Movie Star Junkies – Almost a God

17. Roy and the Devil’s Motorcycle – I Had a Dream

18. The Guilty Hearts – Glassell Park

19. King Khan and His Shrines – Tell Me

20. The Come N’ Go – Heart’s Desire

21. The Monsters – I’m Going Away Girl

Links:

www.voodoorhythm.com

Dragontears – Loppen, Christiania Feb 4th, 2010

I did not know before coming to the show that this would be the last Dragontears concert in Copenhagen. The band are playing two more in Jylland and the two at Roadburn and then giving this band project a rest. Lucky for us, Spids Nøgenhat will return later this year. Anyway, I met up with a lot of friends on this night and hung out with the band, whom I was originally going to make some space sounds with but I have been too busy with work to make the rehearsals, etc.. Anyway, I will be a special guest and join them at Roadburn on a few tracks.

I guess there were about 150 people and the crowd in the front was totally into it. The band was on fire playing a really high energy space rock style concert. Zeppo’s visuals were top class as always. The band played all the songs except one from the new record, which was cool but Lorenzo had no organ on this tour. Lots of guitars! The volume was extremely loud in the front but very good sound. I have not heard the recording yet. Anyway, they started with a spaced out 10min intro jam thing and went into Time of no Time, My Friend and a high energy Two Tongue Talk (great song and groove-see my you tube video). Neonheaded Demon was a huge surprise from one of the Pandemonica 12” records. Very cool. Masters of War was next with the 12 string guitar and I think Guf’s version is more powerful than the original. An amazing rendition. Starvation/Salvation was next and has this hypnotic groove that reminded me of Psychedelic Warlords by Hawkwind. The second part, Salvation had a Wooden Shjips like vibe. The band only played one song from the first Dragontears record, Hobbittens Drøm but it is a great spaced out track. Several songs in Danish were also performed but the most powerful track of the night was the monster version of Sunrise straight into Master of the Universe by Hawkwind. Wow.. That was super cool. We have to do that at Roadburn! The long track, Mennesketvilling from the new record ended the regular set. The encore was the old Spids Nøgenhat track, Psykedelisk Tapet. I thought they were done but they performed another old track, Spindelvæv to end this long and amazing show. I truly was blown away. This is one of the best psychedelic rock bands on the planet! If you want to feel like you were there watch the videos that I filmed from the front row. Enjoy…

Set List: Space Jam Intro>Time of no Time, My Friend, Two Tongue Talk, Neonheaded Demon (Pandemonica), Masters of War, Starvation/Salvation, Tomorrow may never Come (Pandemonica), Hobbittens Drøm, Gennemsigtig Mand, Sunrise>Masters of the Universe, Mennesketvilling, Psykedelisk Tapet (Spids Nøgenhat), Spindelvæv

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