Psychedelia & Kraut / Jazz-Rock

The obscure British prog band Mighty Baby evolved from an earlier group called The Action, a London Mod act that signed to Parlophone after building a strong live reputation, with guitarist Alan King, bassist Mike Evans and drummer Roger Powell, later expanded to include former Savoy Brown guitarist Martin Stone and keyboardist/sax player, Ian Whiteman. Moving heavily into experimental psychedelia in 1969, they cut this incredible debut album for the Head label, which is rightly hailed as one of…

Ultra-rare lost psychedelic Kraut-Folk from 1979. First time on CD and LP! Taken from the original mastertapes! Gulaab means “rose” in Nepalese language. Gulaab is a German virtuoso on the acoustic guitar who has served three years as an after dinner musician in a luxury restaurant in Nepal to play for an amazing number of well known personalities of the 20th century during the early 70s. A strongly influential experience that shaped his musical expression big time but also let him become an ope…

** 2021 Stock ** Pioneer Erkin Koray may have been the first Turkish rock artist, he and his band reputedly playing Fats Domino and Elvis covers in 1957; by combining rock ‘n’ roll and Turkish traditional music, he spearheaded Anatolian rock and became the leading Turkish psychedelic practitioner. East-west hybrid Elektronik Turkuler was an innovative concept album marrying rock with Turkish trad; in contrast, the 1976 release 2 is thoroughly grounded in Turkish traditional music, the understate…

Spring were a Leicester-based British progressive rock band that represented the early 1970s progressive rock movement. A one-shot band, it recorded only one album in its career, a self-titled LP released in 1971. The reissue includes three bonus cuts ("Fool's Gold", "Hendre Mews" and "A Word Full of Whispers") that were from sessions of a never-completed second album from 1972. Spring's music is notable for the use of the mellotron, with three of the its five members credited with playing that …

Glödhet Rytmisk Svärta is an extremely intricate and dynamic rhythmic texture, the result of years of study, evolution and practice of the musical instrument, combined with chamber music scores that make Erik Hammarström's work seem much easier than it actually is. Jazz-rock, avant-garde and classical music merge here in a sonic brew that, for attitude and originality, recalls the most courageous experiments released by the ECM label. A modern symphony, constantly vibrant and tense, which could …

Perigeo were founded in Rome in 1971: five professional musicians, all of them already largely active in the jazz and rock circuits of those years, who gathered in the studio to wisely blend together the two aforementioned music genres: this is probably the first example of jazz-rock music in Italy, admittedly influenced by Miles Davis and that legendary “Bitches Brew” that just two years earlier had shocked the jazz scene worldwide.Purists among the music critics were then unhappy about such an…

Arguably the most important figure in Turkish rock and psychedelia, Erkin Koray’s 4th album Tutkusu was originally released in 1977 on the Kervan Plakçılık record label and has become one of the most sought after pieces of Turkish progressive psych-rock. Fetching big sums online the LP has been out of print for years. Released right after Erkin’s etnic experiment ‘Erkin Koray 2’, ‘Tutkusu’ marked his comeback to pure psychedelic rock. This long-awaited reissue comes with full reproduction of the…

Skin Alley were a British progressive rock band founded by Thomas Crimble and Alvin Pope in the autumn of 1968. The original lineup consisted of Crimble on bass guitar and vocals, Pope on drums, Max Taylor on guitar, and Jeremy Sagar on lead vocals. Taylor and Sagar left early in 1969, and were replaced by Krzysztof Henryk Juszkiewic on Hammond organ and Bob James on saxophone, flute, guitar and vocals. The band, comprising Thomas Crimble, Alvin Pope, Krzysztof Henryk Juszkiewicz and Bob James, …

Originally released in 1969 on the famous German MPS label The Oimels presented Wolfgang Dauner & co. in a very different setting, namely as a psychedelic pop band. Full of surprises, this collection even included a version of The Beatles' 'A Day In The Life' alongside twisted pop, beat and ethnic music. Over-the-top fuzz guitars, one primal punky stomper and sitar-drenched lounge freakouts are the order of the day. Truly superior stuff, especially the great guitar work from Siggi Schwab, who ap…

Finally repressed on CD, milestone reissue! This reissue is enriched by a booklet with rare and unreleased pictures, plus the bonustrack "Flauti" by Walter maioli... Following the same path as Third Ear Band in England, Embryo or Gruppe Between (and even Limbus 4, Kalacakra and Popol Vuh), Aktuala tried to mix together the western musical tradition with african and asian instruments, rhythms, cultures and avant-garde forms, creating a pioneering new form of music that went beyond anythin…

Canterbury-based progressive jazz-rock act Ben only released one obscure album, issued on Philips’ prog subsidiary Vertigo in 1971, but it’s a lovely collective of extended instrumental jams, worthy of discovery for those that missed it the first time around. Peter Davey’s saxophone and clarinet melodies push the material to high peaks, against an understated backing from future Nashville Teens bassist, Len Surtees and former Graham Bond drummer, David Sheen, keyboardist Alex Macleery and guitar…

This French group started out under the spelling of Maajun and their debut album from 1971 is supposed to be a bit of a classic in a mixture of early underground styles. It's not on CD however. They changed the spelling of the name and a released a couple of albums for Saravah in '73/'74 and then this last album in 1977 (on Gratte Ciel). There's a post-Zappa influence involved and they supposedly "melded Arab, Free, and folk influences, doling out derision through satirical lyrics and music whic…

Burnin Red Ivanhoe, in their most fertile phase of existing from 1969 till 1972, were one of Denmark's finest groups from the period. Their innovative and powerful mixture of psychedelic and progressive rock along with mild experimental or jazz influences gained some international recognition in Germany, UK and the U.S.. Comparisons might be drawn to Traffic, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Colosseum (Dag Erik Asbjornsen). Being tired of demanding tours, Burnin Red Ivanhoe decided to disband in spri…

**In process of stocking** Another fantastic and explosive album by Japanese saxophonist Ryoko Ono who is a regular collaborator of Ruins, Richard Pinhas and Acid Mothers Temple. The four virtuosos Ryoko Ono (alto sax), Kota Ueji (drums) Tsuyoshi Hayashi (guitar) and Yuji Muto (guitar) have recorded this album composed by Ryoko Ono. The perfect symbiosis between the musicians allows them to create an amazing sound full of power and energy which transcends the aforementioned genres.

"Those Who Are About to Die Salute You" (1969) is the debut album by progressive Jazz rockers Colosseum. It is one of the pioneering albums of jazz fusion. The title is a translation of the Latin phrase 'morituri te salutant' that according to popular belief gladiators addressed to the emperor before the beginning of a gladiatorial match.

Burnin Red Ivanhoe in their most fertile phase of existing from 1969 till 1972, were one of Danish finest groups from this period. Their innovative and powerful mixture of Psychedelic and Progressive Rock along with mild experimental or Jazz influences gained some international recognition in Germany, UK and the U.S.. Comparisons might be drawn to Traffic, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Colosseum (Dag Erik Asbjornsen).W.W.W. from 1971 was the band's third album with an unchanged line-up. It was the…

Weiss der Teufel (1971), the first Rufus Zuphall album has gradually gained legendary status. All tracks were recorded live in the studio, resulting in a raw and unpolished sound. The side-long title track developed into a very twisted and frenetic flute solo! Some people regard this track as one of the finest moments of German rock. Weiss der Teufel is a great album, typifying the raw-edged, largely instrumental early progressive rock. Here it comes with original album sleeve cover art and inse…

"A glorious re-match for Chicago’s superb free-rock trio, Mako Sica, and the jazz world’s percussionist of choice, Hamid Drake. Their last collaboration, Ronda, was a glorious, open-ended studio conversation spread across two LPs. Balancing Tear is a mix of studio and live recordings, awash with calmly oceanic passages, interspersed with compressed and feverish form-blurts.As with Ronda, the heft of the material is dynamically advanced. The album begins with passages worthy of Morricone’s wester…

"Colosseum was one of England's prime rock-jazz outfits. Valentyne Suite takes the band out of their bluesy comfort zone into something closer to prog rock. The album is generally seen as their best album and still extremely enjoyable."

"Free Love", the only LP ever released by Kaleidon, is one of the many 'forgotten ones' from the Italian progressive rock era. The title "Free Love" takes its name from the eponymous band, 3/5 of which were North American musicians living in Italy. Free Love released two 45rpm's in 1970; the first one, "Sandy / Temple of Stone", highlights the remarkable ability of each individual component, if we also consider their young age. The second single contains the theme of the movie western "Roy Colt …

Alternative Fox present a reissue of Pete Brown & Piblokto!'s Thousands On a Raft, originally released in 1970. London-based poet Pete Brown made a name for himself after joining Mike Horovitz's New Departures art group in the early 1960s, leading to a residency at The Marquee and a 1965 appearance at the Royal Albert Hall. Brown began co-writing lyrics for Cream the following year after a request from drummer Ginger Baker, yielding tremendous hits such as Sunshine of Your Love, White Room, and …

Curated by Steve Hillage and released with the full involvement of original members, legendary psychedelic surrealists Gong are the subject of a new box set with the release of Love From Planet Gong: The Virgin Years 1973-75. This 13-disc package includes the band’s first four Virgin studio albums, with bonus tracks; previously unreleased, multi-tracked full gigs, the complete John Peel Sessions from 1973 and 1974; previously unreleased quad Pye and Westlake mixes of 1974’s You (re-formatted to …

Gong’s third album for Virgin Records has been remastered from the original Virgin masters for the very first time by the original producer, Simon Heyworth, and has been expanded with a live concert recorded at Hyde Park in London in June 1974 plus an alternate version of A PHP’s Advice and a rare version of Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Straight to the Krankenhaus is the 4th full-length studio album by Danish progrock-jazz/ fusion act Secret Oyster. The album was composed and recorded simultaneously with Vidunderlige Kælling (1975) but was not released until late 1976/ early 1977. Many fans regard this album as the best work Secret Oyster ever did. And maybe they are right, because the brand of progrock jazz/ fusion on this album is very catchy and while there are plenty of soloing by sax and guitar the songs never drag or drow…

A mammoth, fifty-person enterprise featuring the cream of the early-seventies jazz-rock brigade, Centipede's 1971 album 'Septober Energy' proved to be an exercise in both gargantuan excess and instrumental brilliance. Naturally, opinions on the release are divided. The line-up is far too numerous to list here, though it did include the likes of Soft Machine alumni Marc Charig(cornet), Elton Dean (sax), Roy Babbington(bass), Robert Wyatt (drums), Nick Evans(trombone), John Marshall(drums,…

Live set by Bruford recorded in July 1979 in Roslyn, New York, for WLIR radio, with Bill Bruford, Dave Stewart, Jeff Berlin and 'the unknown' John Clark on guitar after the departure of Allan Holdsworth.

The second and last album by the English band Catapilla, released by Vertigo in 1972 in a die-cut sleeve: four long tracks of jazz-rock with Anna Meek's vocals and Robert Calvert's saxophones over organ and guitar.

Soft Machine's 1975 album, the first with guitarist Allan Holdsworth and the last full studio album with Mike Ratledge, in a 2CD Japanese edition that adds a radio recording from Nottingham University in October 1975.

The second album by Pork Pie, the European jazz-rock group of Jasper van't Hof, Charlie Mariano and Philip Catherine, recorded in Brussels in 1975 and released by MPS in 1976, with John Marshall on drums and Bo Stief on bass.

The live farewell of Belgian ensemble X-Legged Sally, recorded at the Cactus Club in Bruges in April 1996 for Radio 1: Peter Vermeersch's knotty pieces for horns, guitar and keyboards played with full concert energy.

The 1974 second solo album by Finnish bassist Pekka Pohjola of Wigwam: an instrumental suite of jazz-rock and progressive writing for bass, keyboards and a horn section, issued in the UK by Virgin as B The Magpie.

The only album by the Swiss group Island, released in 1977 with a cover painting by H.R. Giger: dark, theatrical progressive rock without guitar, built on keyboards, saxophones and flute, with the long bonus piece Empty Bottles.

Original French edition on Byg of the first progressive jazz-rock fusion album by British drummer's band.

Original 1976 edition on Nova of the excellent first album by obscure progressive jazz-rock band.

1977 re-press of the 1976 album on April by the great eclectic Krautrock / World music collective, featuring Charlie Mariano.

"Veteran Spanish label, Margen/áMARXE, returns after its outstanding releases of recent years with the first album by an incredible French duo called Fulguromatic. Deeply fascinating, creating unique spaces between the sounds of Canterbury, jazz-rock and incorporating a light, playful and somewhat mischievous touch from the planet Zeuhl that is tremendously addictive. Absolutely captivating, both musically and timbrally, thanks to the use of invented instruments that give it a French flavor "naï…

Original German edition of 1971 of 3LP with tri-folded cover and original innersleeves of live compilation featuring Anima Sound, Tangerine Dream, Weather Report and the Dave Pike set among others.

First official CD re-issue on Spalax from 1986 in 'naturepac' of Xhol's superb 1972 LP (recorded in 1970), one of the most radical and strangest albums in the history of krautrock.

Rare original 1971 edition on Ohr of Xhol's brilliant first album after Xhol Caravan.

Very rare original 1969 edition on Hansa of Xhol's superb debut LP (after Soul Caravan), one of the earliest krautrock albums.