Thursday, November 29, 2007

FIRE & ICE, LTD.-THE HAPPENING, LP, 1966, USA




















Supremely ridiculous, highly amusing and very early "real people" psych/beatnik artifact issued in pure exploitation stylee (dig the cover blurbs about this "strange, new mind manifesting music"). Las Vegas grind go-go organ pumpery, twang-a-lang guitar moves, off-key flute tootling and supper club piano tinkling share space with utterly lobotomized boho poetic recitations of a degree of ludicrousness that one could easily picture Bill Murray reciting 'em as part of a skit, backgrounded by occasional bouts of screw-loose grunting and groaning and hippie chick interjections along the lines of "tell it like it is, daddy..tell it like it is". File alongside Friendsound, The Mesmerizing Eye and Free Pop Electronic Concept, though don't be expecting anything nearly as advanced as any of those. A serious charmer, nevertheless.

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THE HIGH FIDELITY ORCHESTRA-MY GIRL, 12" E.P., 1984, MEXICO




Following my post of this masterful mexican acid rock outfit's mind melting eponymous LP, here's their far more obscure follow up E.P. from three years hence; three years that saw them take a distinct step away from the Hillage/You-period Gong stylizations of their debut and toward something both a bit more jazzy and less fried, albeit still fraught with frenzied prog tension. The one review of this I could find online suggests that this is Contortions-like, which misses the mark by a mile, though the rather unique musical cocktail they've concocted here makes finding an accurate frame of reference for this a challenge. It's a suave set moves they're plying and, as with their debut, sizzling guitar licks still flutter across the surface of these constructs most enticingly. I can hear a touch of Dennis Weise/Wize's wetly glistening acid rock maneuvers during a few passages, but overall, those of you looking for a handy touchstone for these tunes will alas be left wanting. Such is the plight of the unique. Top notch proggification, whatever the case. Dig it. Thanks to Filippo for the MP3's and Steve Kenney for the cover jpegs.

***************NEW LINK POSTED OCTOBER 2012***************

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DIE KLOPFERBANDE-DIE FLIEGEN-EIN SOUNDTRACK, TAPE/CDR, 1981, GERMANY





































Beguilingly beginning in the frosty Tietchens-like realms of abstract minimal synthiness Konrad Becker's Monoton specialized in (specifically circa Monotonprodukt 07), this cassette release (reissued on CDR in an edition of 50 by Stefan at Dauerblumen/Datenverarbeitung, for whom we can thank for sending me this treasure), this soundtrack material resides at the polar opposite end of the musical spectrum from the intensive Neue Deutsche Welle sturm und drang of their Barbarei LP (soon to be posted), which was also reissued by Stefan on CDR before it's vinyl appearance on Was Soll Das? Schalllplatten. That Tietchens angle rears it head again elsewhere as well via a murky synthetic churn that brings to mind Tietchens' aborted 5th Sky label release (later issued as the Rattenheu 10"). Doom laden and subterranean in tone, this is a highly appealing trawl through twilight landscapes.

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YOSHIO MACHIDA-HYPERNATURAL, CD, 1999, JAPAN
































Tranquil, transparent and spare 5 A.M. bliss-outs comprised of soft gong taps, petite synthetic blips, resonant harmonic shimmers, rustling leaves, delicate chimes, field recordings, subtle string progressions and aerated atmospherics. a lovely and ephemeral sound world perfectly attuned to those moments when your overtaxed nervous system is crying uncle and begging for assuagement.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Musica Elettronica Viva(MEV)-st(polydor LP,aka Friday),1969,UK/Italy


Here's MEV rarest record.Released in UK 1969 features only one long track spreaded over the 2 sides.Strange avant garde improvisations touching psych weirdness in many parts.Musica Elettronica Viva collective was founded in 1966 with members Frederic Rzewski(electronics, piano), Alvin Curran(flugelhorn, Ananda label), Richard Teitelbaum(moog synthesiser), Franco Cataldi(trombone, etc), Gunther Carius(Saxophone, etc.). Never reissued since 1969.Thank you Mr. Ashtray Navigations(;)) for this.
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Hydrus-Midnight in Space,LP,1978,Italy

Wonderful space electronic LP released by PDU label(same label as Electriktus,posted about 10 month ago here).Forget that kitch disco label.What we have here is space electronics in the traition of Ohr and Kosmische Kuriere albums,that were released in Italy by PDU label too.Not much more infos available though.

as requested,get this gem here

Levande Livet-Strömmens Pärla,LP,1973,Sweden

One of the rarest Silence label releases this one,provides a wonderful mixture of heavy fuzz guitar with jazz/blues/tropicalia elements and all these deep in an acid psych soup.By all means great! This band is the remains of another Swedish legend :Sogmusobil.The LP came with a giant folded poster on it's 1rst edition.

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Jean Le Fennec-Phantastic,LP,1969,France

Ingredibly rare French weirdo psych LP. This is Jean Le Fennec's only release,except a demo 7". Mellow soft psych BUT full of unique sound effects,spatial electronic sounds and fuzz explosions,creating a weird "out there" atmosphere.This weird gem reminds Gerard Manset on his 1st lp(posted here a while ago), William Sheller's Lux Aeterna LP, Les Maledictus Sound LP(Massiera project) and of course the weird and great Popera Cosmic LP(another Massiera project). Produced by Jean Kluger (famous for his exploitation LPs with Yamasuki ´s and also produced people like Chakachas, El Chicles, Nico Gomez and he even had his own library label RKM) .

get it here

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Haizea-ST,1975+Hontz Gaua,1976,LPs,Spain


Basque progressive folk of the label Elkar, HAIZEA were a five-piece from the Basque area of Spain. Sporting a sound that could best be described as psychedelic electric folk, the instrumentation consists of guitar (sometimes two), bass, drums, flute, assorted percussive things, and the captivating voice of Amaia Zubiria.
Both albums are very interesting. "Hontz Gaua" is a classic prog free folk item with some Gregorian element, nice female (second male) vocals and beautiful atmospheric double bass. "Haizea"(1980) is a bit more intimate. Highly recommended.
The first LP is much more straight edged psych folk ballad oriented with great male/female vocal parts.Concerning the 2nd one we are talking for one of those masterpieces of acid/cosmic folk music.This is one of the holy grails of European folk/psych in the same leauge as the Carol of Harwest and the Emtidi albums. Superb deep mystical cosmic folk psych recorded in super HIFI quality with a crystal clear sound. Strange percussion, echoed guitars, cellos, flute and stunning female vocals with long tracks. As Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, author of the "Scented Gardens of the Mind" puts it: "Honts Gaua simply gorgeous, on of the best progressive folk albums in the whole Europe. The Basque group is little known but deserves wide acclaim for this work of art!"
get st lp here

Handgjort-st,LP,1971,Sweden


(First handmade pic sleeve Edition)
One of the original albums on the Silence label, Handgjort play an almost all instrumental acoustic Eastern world music, similar to the Third Ear Band or Aktuala. More underground and primitive though, reminding me of Furekaaben. Years later, Embryo would produce a more professional variation of this sound on “Reise” (the non rock pieces that is).In the Träd Gräs tribal filkish freaky vein.
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Bättre Lyss-Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge,LP,1975,Sweden

Great Swedish hard prog psych LP released privately in 1975.Features ex-Life guitarist.Typical Swedish psych weirdness here reminding me in parts Silberbart ,but yet much unique.All infos found were in Swedish ,so any translation will be much appreciated.

get it here

Blurt-In Berlin,LP,1981,UK

So,here's a classic one now!One of the greatest jazz/avant punk LPs ever made.Remember back in the early 80s,even punkies could not resist to the twisted charmness of this gem.Recorded live in Berlin and released through Armageddon label in UK and Ruby in the USA.

"Blurt is a musical group founded by poet, saxophonist and puppeteer Ted Milton in 1980 in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Ted Milton's brother Jake Milton, formerly in psychedelic group Quintessence, on drums and Peter Creese on guitar. After three albums Creese left the band to be replaced by Steve Eagles, former member of Satans Rats, The Photos and Bang Bang Machine. Shortly thereafter brother Jake left to be replaced by Paul Wigens, with a short interim on drums by Nic Murcott. Eagles was replaced by Chris Vine as guitarist from 1990 to 1994. The latest drummer in the band is Bob Leith, also on drums in The Cardiacs.
Blurt's compositions are based around repetitive minimalistic guitar and/or saxophone phrases with relentless, machine-like drum beats, over which Ted Milton orates his lyrics in a variety of "voices" that betray his days as a puppeteer. The overall effect is hypnotising, compelling and sometimes even unsettling.
Blurt have a very strong live reputation due to the extra-ordinary theatrical talents of Ted Milton.
Blurt's music is featured on the soundtrack of the german movie "Abendland"."
From Wikipedia

"We get dropped into this jangly-noisy guitar riff...a sax starts honking Ayler-style...drums thunk along disjointed-like...and then this vocal NOISE starts up, ranting, chaotic, howling like some lobotomized between Howlin' Wolf, Mark Smith, and eYe. "Cherry Blossom Polish" is the track, and Blurt's "In Berlin" is the album. Cut live in Berlin in late 1980, this is one searing shot of popskull post-punk racket that will have you pinging around the room in short order. If not...well, you got a problem, brah.Fuse equal parts of early Can (ie: the Malcolm days) with a downtown NYC No-Wave sensibility, add more than a little blues and 'New thing' jazz, and the lyrical lilt of Mark E. Smith on DMT, and you're about in the ballpark. It's not an easy album to grapple with, but once the brainwaves lock into this, you 'get it', and it takes over. Not much to Blurt, though...lots of noise being created by this trio of guitar/trombone (yep), vocals and sax, and drums. No bass. Nope. All treble, all noisy.And did I mention ranting? Ahh, yes...the ranting...hell, even the TITLES here are rants, such as the next track's: "My Mother was a Friend of an Enemy of the People". Hah? Oh, well...not like you can make sense of the proceedings. Once the groove gets down with yer bad self, Ted fires off into various things that may or may not be lyrics. At some points, you can pick up things, but these get followed by sheer vocal pandemonium that could well be Pentacostal speaking in tongues for all I can make out of it. "Liberate my ears!! Komaherfregugnsheaaaiiaaghhh!!!!" Yeah.Oh, well...it's not like you're supposed to be mining this stuff for content, right? It's the jam that counts, and the jam that satisfies. And Blurt can get a groove happening. "Puppeteers of the World Unite!" honks along before taking off like a shot into the usual groove/nongroove bassless skraaaang and snarl and yowl, then we get perhaps the defining track...nay, philosophical tenet itself...that sums the whole damn thing up: "Dyslexia Rules". You betcha. Ayler-honk meets Arto-sawing meets Elvin-grade drumming. Makes...no...sense. And so?Ah, well...flip the record over and we get something even semi-conventional...for 15 whole seconds, until Ted starts up with the rantolyzer again. But "Get" is just so groovy in its garage-jazz-racket sound that, damn, you might even be able to make sense of it all, even with lines that sound vaguely like "...get back on the sheetrock!...". And "Tube Plane" is almost jazzy in this sort of disjunct way, like how that first Lounge Lizards album was also 'jazzy'. But not...exactly...nope. Blurt's idea of a ballad? Not sure, but whatever it is, it works.Then "Paranoid Blues" kicks off the cresta run toward the end of the proceedings, and we get to find out about that trombone. Yeeeee...! And back to that blues-psychosis shotgun-wordnoise approach, and the groovegroovegroove and blaaaang-skrraaanggg. So funky...but....again, not exactly. But yeah. Sort of. But I ask again: and so?And finally, "Ubu". This is just trouble. Starts with this sort of defective "Red"-era Crimson-cutup loop-riff as played by your 12 year old cousin after huffing freon, then Ted starts up with this damaged honk-waaaaaiiill-honksqueakhonkBLAAT sax thing, and the drums roll and roll on in a Dinger-grade thunkity-thud groove. Attitude on max, these boys just don't care...they're making a big clattery-squawky noise, and it's fun and fucked up and defective as hell. And then it's over as Ted leads us all away with the honky Ayler-bleating like some mad pied piper.Not your average musical outing, this album, but if you like your music rather raw and groovy and noisy, you'll be all over it. The only real fault I can level at "In Berlin" is about its brevity, as it clocks in at around a half hour. But what a half hour it is. "
From J. Cope's Head Heritage

Link removed after a notification from LTM records

Saturday, November 24, 2007

DEBT OF NATURE-RECORDINGS FROM LIVE PERFORMANCE 1984-1986, USA
















Once described by Brad Laner to me as being his "garage band AMM", it's an amusing capsulization of the aesthetic of this improv squad he founded as a precocious teen, albeit one that fails to note just how exemplary D.O.N.'s sound was of the overarching L.A. Free Music Society sensibility (strong overtones of Le Forte Four's improv shenanigans circa "Spin 'n' Grin"), but then Laner's work of the era has always been mysteriously absent from both discographies and discussions of LA.F.M.S., despite his heading up the finest of all L.A.F.M.S. ensembles (read: Steaming Coils). These two lengthy cuts were cherry picked and re-arranged by Laner from the D.O.N. archives and according to him represent a composite of several different shows originating from performances at The Anticlub, Galleria Ocaso, Mission Furniture Co., Oranges/Sardines gallery, Cheap Racist gallery and Olio. Try this on for a cast of characters (in addition to Brad): Spencer Savage (Steaming Coils, Stay Home), James Grigsby (The Motor Totemist Guild), Rick Potts (Steaming Coils, Le Forte Four, Dinosaurs With Horns, Solid Eye) , Joseph Hammer (Steaming Coils, Dinosaurs With Horns, Solid Eye) , Tom Recchion (Doo-Dooettes, B-People), Jac Zinder (Stay Home), David Chrisman (Steaming Coils, Three Day Stubble), Lucija Kordic (To Nije Sala, What Makes Donna Twirl?), Jim Goodall (Severed Head In A Bag, Jon Wayne, Medicine), Earnest Beauvine (Jon Wayne) , Kraig Grady (Laner collaborator on Music From The Island Of Anaphoria), Cynthia Skovlin (part-time Steaming Coils contributor), Leo Vishmid, Greg Lloyd, David Van Brink, Mariska Leyysius and Greg McCourt. Whew! Howza 'bout dat, eh? As with the previously cited Le Forte Four, the improvs here exemplify an approach to the form that find the numinous in the ludicrous; power tools and kazoos engage in death matches with surreal splices of tape collage and belching and retching emerge from stormclouds of surging audio generator roars in this domain where dada is yahweh. Thanks to Brad for supplying the contents of this post...

Get it Here

MORGAN FISHER-IVORIES, LP, 1984, UK




Ivories was Fisher's final salvo of inspired weirdity before devoting his life to the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and churning out a spate of flakey new age albums. Surely a weird career trajectory, though no odder than his previous musical path; one that led him from prog rock key pounder in Morgan to Mott The Hoople sideman to purveyor of smurfy Residential madness under The Hybrid Kids moniker (both of those previously posted here) and finally, turning out this little gem, whose bite sized morsels of of lopsided whimsy resides somewhere between the suave quirkiness proffered by French eccentric Luc Marianni and the sort of screw-loose rapid-fire synthy manevers employed by Japanese kook Kimitaka Matsumae. Note: the jacket lists a non-existant 4 second long final track at the end of side B. Just so you know why the listing on the cover and the track count don't correspond. That wacky prankster, Morgan...
***************NEW LINK POSTED OCTOBER 2012***************

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GUIGOU CHENEVIER & SOPHIE JAUSSERAND-A L'ABRI DES MICRO-CLIMATS, LP, 1984, FRANCE
























This obscure and superb collaboration between ex-Etron Fou Leloublan drum wizard Chenevier and Sophie Jausserand (no idea) is a stone cold R.I.O. classic and with a hot shit supporting cast to boot; Video-Aventures' Dominique Grimaud, Virgule 4/Les I/Ferdinand Et Les Philosophes bassist Christine Cohade and Encore + Grande guitarist (and frequent Chenevier collaborator) Guy Sapin all being on hand for this recording. Probably the most distinctly Etron Fou-ish of Chenevier's albums, the manic, pointillistic and capering cadences, obliquely angular arrangements and declamatory vocalese that were hallmarks of Etron Fou's sound are all here in spades. Anyone keyed into this dimension of planet R.I.O. will need no further prompting. Anyone not already hepped to this sublime subset of the art rock canon, now's yer chance...

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

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ICEPLANTS-HAPPYTIME AT THE WOW CLUB, 12" E.P., 1985, USA







































This utterly obscure and idiosyncratic D.I.Y curio (not one peep about 'em online) comes courtesy of a rather endearingly maladroit ensemble that affect an enervated plod, albeit an affable one. The lumbering movement, abject piano plonk and affectless recitative lyrical spew correspond rather more to the ungainliness of 70's Czech underground styles than anything domestic that readily comes to mind, though their semi-ridiculous lyrical concerns seem indigenous enough. Curious and oddly compelling, yet also sorta inane. You be the judge...

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TIPOGRAPHICA-THE MAN WHO DOES NOT NOD, CD, 1995, JAPAN


















Of all of Zappa's heir apparents, to my ears, Tipographica win hands down for their higher key and often mind melting whirlwinds of avant prog motion. Next to Koenjihyakkei, these boys represented for me the highest water mark of Japan's avant prog explosion during the 90's and this incredible live document finds them spinning on a dime as effectively in a live setting as in a studio. With it's endless twisting and inward folding structures, the Ruth Underwood-driven light-speed instrumental runs from, say, Apostrophe's "St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast" might serve as a convenient point of reference here, though Tipographica also specialize in a sort of destabilized mock-drunken wooze and lurch and occasional bouts of offhand breeziness that are uniquely theirs alone. For further elucidation, their sublime first and second studio albums can be found on, respectively, the Delerium Dust and Sakalli blogs, but this is as good a point of entry for the uninitiated as any. My highest recommendation!

Get part one Here

Get part two Here

Paroni Paakkunainen ja Karelia-yhtye-Tuohihuilu,LP,1981,Finnland


Great and very rare LP by legendary Finnish musician Paroni Paakkunainen with the legendary also (known from their collaborations with Edward Vesala) weird folk/jazz pioneers Karelia.Not much to say here, besides Finnish language is totally unknown to me so i cannot understand all infos found(not so many though). Unfortunately this was found on the internet with no pic sleeve scans so if anyone can provide them it would be much appreciated.

get it here

Carnascialia-st.,LP,1979,Italy

A sort of supergroup formed by Pasquale Minieri and Giorgio Vivaldi with help from Carlo Siliotto, all of them being past members of Canzoniere del Lazio, an interesting folk group born near Rome in the early70's that released five albums between 1973 and 1978.
The Carnascialia project, including such famous names as Mauro Pagani and Demetrio Stratos among others, just lasted for an LP and a few concerts, but the LP is a very good example of progressive italian folk music, much in the same style as Mauro Pagani's debut album. The six tracks it contains vary between traditional inspired folk-rock numbers (Canzone numero 1), vocal exercises in Area-style (Fiocchi di neve e bruscolini, with the distinctive voice of Demetrio Stratos) and are generally much influenced by an interesting mediterranean folk feeling, being an early example of "world music" from Italy.
The group also appeared in 1979's tribute concert for Demetrio Stratos, with a remake of a song from the first album of Mauro Pagani.
From :http://www.italianprog.com/a_carnascialia.htm
Excellent proggish folk experimental LP in the known Cramps label quality!A truly mutant recording!

get it here

Walter Marchetti - Vandalia,CD,1989,Italy



Walter Marchetti (born in 1931) is an Italian composer who adopted John Cage's dadaist aesthetic and pioneered interactive and concrete music. In 1964 he formed the ZAJ group (a sort of European version of Fluxus) with Juan Hidalgo in Madrid. He still active, producing music and performances.
(from Discogs)
Great fluxus / concrete CD.Not quite sure if this is still in print.Any attempt to order it failed in most known retailers.
get it here


Phil Brammer/V.A.-In Colour/Music by Numbers,LP,1981,UK


Great and much unknown electronic/minimal synth/weird DIY LP/compilation from 1981. In the same vein as Deleted ,Intergrated Circuits and even Fuck off! records releases.Besides i guess all these guys were somekind of a collective,friends ,whatever.Side 1 is totally Phil Brammer stuff ,and side A is a compilation featuring:Sea of Wires,Franz Czech,Yesterday's Parties,Watch with mother and Climate of Treason. One of the greatest and much underrated UK DIY /Synth compilations from the early 80s.Thanks to Fabio for the rip.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

NYA LJUDBOLAGET-S/T, LP, 1980, SWEDEN




One of the more obscure projects involving a member of Sweden's brilliant and legendary R.I.O. madmen Samla Mammas Manna, Nya Ljudbolaget (now there's a catchy moniker!) was a sort of supergroup comprised of members of Ramlosa Kvallar (another Samla-related unit, albeit one proffering much more straight ethnic folk moves) alongside Samla drummer Hans Bruniusson and Arbete Och Fritid cellist Ove Karlsson and the gorgeous sounds here sit squarely between all those poles. Anyone with an emotional investment in the various permutations of Sweden's underground music culture is sure to find much here to, as an old pal of mine like to state "tingle your tangle". Some of it's liltingly beautiful and reserved, some kicks up an ethno-rockin' storm worthy of Alamaailman Vasarat and some of it takes you to a place unique in Swedish underground music, via "Continuum Prometheus"'s 12 minutes of devastatingly lovely and trance-inducingly systemic gambits.

***************NEW LINK POSTED OCTOBER 2012***************

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DIMTHINGS-DIS-CI-PLINED 2 A SPONTANEOUS WAY OF LIFE, LP, 1984, USA




Following my post of his "In Spite Of What They Say" EP, here's another chapter in the saga of this key figure of Miami's
80's mutant fringe. Dimthings' aesthetic is willfully cryptic and jerry-rigged and while his output may have it's patchy...er...patches, there's always something there to knock you sideways and fuck with your perceptions. Here, that knockout punch resides in the sidelong epic "Tranzformed", a scrappy but dizzying headlong rush into a zone where light-speed fusion moves careen into clusterfucks of clotted squelch, squashed and bitty Residential fringe rock, systemic tides of synthy flutter and clattery percussion workouts, all arranged in maximal head-scratch fashion. That the scattershot contents of side A scarcely live up to the dementia explored across "Tranzformed"'s 20 minutes is of little concern when confronted with this colossal slice of lunacy.

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GARY KAIL/ZURICH 1916-CREATIVE NIHILISM, 2xLP, 1984, USA













By turns obtuse, aimless and occasionally striking, this peculiar double album's appearance here is solely due to the approximately 10 minutes of tape collage contributions that future Steaming Coils mastermind Brad Laner brings to the proceedings on the tracks "Victim Of Affluence", "Looking For A Home", "Anti-Descriptive Titles" and "Confusion At The Intersection", which successfully nudge things into the fruitful territory Laner was concurrently exploring via his improv unit Debt Of Nature (soon to be posted here). The remainder comes courtesy of a rather unlikely candidate for an avant garde-ist: the guitarist for L.A. dumbo hardcore vets Anti. Yes, it seems Messr. Kail had a hankering for the esoteric under the harebrained hardcore posturings and manifested it with the help (at least on LP 2 of this set, where Kail + whoever else participated went under the moniker Zurich 1916) of both Laner and future Ethyl Meatplow/Geraldine Fibbers vocalist Carla Bozulich, along with a few folks unknown to me. Minus the support of more inspired outside parties, Kail's solo endeavors on LP 1 of the set vacillate between indiscriminate tape collage work, amp hum, sine wave skree, aimless gurgle and random field recordings, all reasonably desultory. That aside, Laner-philes have every reason to direct their attention here, as this is some of the more obscure and hard to find work in his discography and well worth a listen. Thanks to Brad for supplying the content of this post...

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

Get it here 

JAC ZINDER-CHAIRS I HAVE KNOWN, CD, 1996 (RECORDED: 1984-1994), USA


















Steaming Coils and Fibonaccis fans take heed! Though this extraordinary compendium slipped under the radar of most all but the L.A. scenesters that knew Zinder, this is one of the key pieces of the L.A. underground music scene extant. Zinder (who sadly passed away in the mid 90's after being hit by a car) was a central fixture of said scene. A writer, club promoter, musician, gadfly and bon vivant, Zinder exerted a powerful influence on all those he interacted with, as attested to by the raft of L.A. scene luminaries that share their anecdotes in the accompanying booklet. To quote an Option Magazine review: "...Zinder was a unique taste maker whose penchant for obscure soundtracks, underground weirdness and international pop prefigured the current trend toward lounge, surf and bachelor-pad music". With this archival CD, Zinder's extraordinary musical endevours (only published on a cassette release during his lifetime) are finally available to clue the rest of the world in to what a gifted creature he was. His band Stay Home (featuring Spencer Savage from Steaming Coils' first era and Fibonaccis' percussionist Joseph Berardi), whose tunes occupy the vast majority of this CD, were a seminal unit whose music will have immense and instantaneous appeal for all those attuned to the subtly skewed. Self described as sounding like "Italian spy movie sound-tracks done by a fifth grade jazz combo", I'd be hard pressed to offer a better thumbnail description of Stay Home's sensibility. With it's archly ironic approach, It's a sound that tidily holds the mid-ground between The Fibonaccis campily mannered perambulations and the cooly detached maneuvers of Australia's Essendon Airport. Just brilliant. The four Bufadora tracks that fill out the end of this disc offer a different window into Zinder's universe, exploring his Can-induced fixation on hypnotic grooves; all entirely nice, but it's Stay Home that's gonna end up sticking to your bones. Not to be missed.

Get part one Here

Get part two Here