Psych /
East
Possibly one of the most fascinating psychedelic album coming out of Japan in the early seventies. Published in 1972 on Capitol Records eastern brand, the East album was then fully licensed to both the UK and American market, due to his fascinating and lysergic moments. The opener 'Beautiful Morning' soon became a classic on its own, showing the western influences of the band all along the spirit of the rising sun counterculture. A revolutionary effort in the end, coming from a different perspec…
Come With Me
This is the first official re-release on vinyl under licensed courtesy of Cherry Red Records Ltd, UK, remastered from an original master copy. Rust were Australian born John Thomas on guitar and vocals and two Englishmen, Brian Hillman on drums and Walt Monaghan on bass and vocals, immersed in the beginnings of the kraut scene in Germany. Originally recorded in autumn 1968 and released in early 1969 on the German HörZu label, their album 'Come With Me' is something of a lost mini-classic. In Aus…
Kuni Kawachi & Flower Travelling Band
The japanese keyboard player, vocalist, songwriter and arranger joined forces with members of the Flower Travelling Band on this amazing 1970 release. Published for the sole Japanese market on major company London Records, the album is still considered one of the top release in its own right, publicly praised by Julian Cope as a cornerstone of the (heavy) psych counterculture. Sharing some efforts with british contemporaries, the album is a brilliant example of how a – basically – hard rock comb…
H.P. Lovecraft II
The 2nd chapter, yet a revelation. Released on Philips in 1968, right after their ’67 self titled album this iconic psych-folk masterpiece still detain a refreshing and revelatory approach. The Chicago band, named after American supernatural fiction writer, is on the verge of some weird songwriting experience, as suggested by some explicit titles as Mobius Trip or At The Mountains Of Madness. Celestial electro-acoustic harmonies and spacey keyboards gave way to mystical show, still entertaining …
An Old Castle of Transylvania
Originally formed in 1968 under the name The Silencer, Nagoya, Japan progressive rock band Cosmos Factory didn't change their name until their 1983 debut on Nippon Columbia with "An Old Castle Of Transylvania". Loaded with heavy psychedelia and prog rock guitar moments, experimentally blended with the use of Hammond and Mellotron, the band lead by keyboardist / vocalist Tsutomu Izumi takes you on an adventure throughout the dark forests of Transylvania. Throughout the years, the album has become…
The Running Man
Top notch hard progressive album with blues/jazz influences, originally released in 1972 on the collectable RCA-Neon label. Featuring the legendary Ray Russell (John Barry Seven, Graham Bond, Georgie Fame…) on devastating fuzz guitar plus Alan Greed (Harsh Reality) on bass, Alan Rushton (Mouse) on drums and Gary Windo (Centipede) on sax.
Bootlegged many times on vinyl, here’s an official reissue with fantastic remastered sound by Ray Russell, original artwork in gatefold sleeve plus color insert…
Through The Spectral Gate
*In process of stocking* Paul Roland teams again with legendary British psychedelic guru Mick Crossley (aka Flyte Reaction) for a new masterpiece. A double album on a single cd that will lead you trough a magic journey... through the spectral gates of your mind.
Asylum
'Asylum' has a striking cover artwork, very typical of the style of the day, and was Cressida's second album of eight extended rock workouts, with Peter Jennings' superb keyboard playing backed by John Culley on lead guitar, enhancing the lead vocals of Angus Cullen. With extra percussion and orchestral accompaniment, Cressida's sound has often been compared to their contemporaries, the Moody Blues.
Cressida
Cressida's debut was issued in 1970 on the famed 'Spiral' label, the home of Progressive rock. The 12 tracks highlight this excellent British band's ambitious and attractive blend of vocals, guitar and keyboards. The band enjoyed critical acclaim back in their day and their music still sounds fresh today.
Psychedelic Picnic - A Breath Of Fresh Air
Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air is a sampler issued originally by the Harvest Records label, originally released in 1970 and is remarkable for including the full-length version of the unreleased Pink Floyd song, "Embryo". EMI as a record label did not generally have a reputation for taking risks; however, having seen that progressive music had become popular, the niche Harvest label was launched in 1969 to take advantage of that market. As with many record labels at the time, a budget-priced show…
Operation
Reissue of the second record from this legendary Berlin krautrock band on the original Ohr label. Produced by the well-known photographer Didi Zill in Hansa Studios in 1971. Birth Control's second album "Operation" has a fine heavy rock based sound with subtle jazzy arrangements, top notch deep organ action and some thundering rhythms.
Map Of Dawn
*Limited edition of 500 copies.* "For their great third LP, this Portland, OR sextet heads deep into the scalding sun of what feels like the Sonoran Desert. There is an edge to the fried guitar and the ever more massive drumming that evokes a parched ritual of psychedelic worship. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact initial rehearsals took place outdoors, during which time the Pacific Northwest was on fire (both in the forests and on the streets). When you know this fact, you can begi…
Pierrot Lunaire
** Limited edition Yellow vinyl 180 gr. numbered edition ** Stunning 1974 debut album by Pierrot Lunaire full of fantasy in the real sense of the word: sense of wonder, a feeling of journeying through worlds and states of imagination, playful experimentation, and melody above all. An overlooked gem.
Mantle-Piece
Following the breakup of Cream, lyricist/vocalist Pete Brown formed his Battered Ornaments with guitarist Chris Spedding, drummer Rob Tait, bassist Butch Potter, percussionist Pete Bailey and saxophonist Nisar Ahmed Khan, but during the recording of sophomore album Mantle Piece, Brown fell out with Spedding, resulting in his departure. The resultant spacey venture has jazz and blues shades, riding the sonic waves under Spedding’s direction, with Khan’s sax and Potter’s bass fitting foils to Sped…
Live
'Live albums are dangerous things. While the good ones capture the raw excitement of a show, all too often they expose a band's weaknesses, the ones that get covered in the studio -- a singer who's not so good and instrumentalists who really can't cut it. But Colosseum, by the time they made their live album (the CD version comes with an extra track, "I Can't Live Without You," that wasn't on the original vinyl), were a seasoned outfit with some top-notch performers. In veteran Chris Farlowe the…
Ceux Du Dehors
*2022 repress* Ceux Du Dehors is the third album by Belgian band Univers Zero, originally released in 1981. The title alludes to the short story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft; the players read the story in studio, then proceeded to record the piece. A key release for the band, Ceux Du Dehors sometimes suggests a darker and more complex version of the motorik minimalism of classical music contemporaries Philip Glass and Steve Reich. It finds the group continuing to evolve and return to the …
McDonald And Giles
After recording "In the Court of the Crimson King" as founding members of King Crimson, Multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer Michael Giles made a blunder of a career move and left the band, forming the no-so-cleverly titled McDonald And Giles. Lack on originality aside, they managed to record one self-titled album of fine quality prog music. The style is a less bombastic take on the first two King Crimson albums. Steve Winwood guested on the album. It's recommended to fans of early Kin…
My Brain Collapsed
The roots of 80s English psychedelic freak band The Tryp lie in a hoax perpetuated by Steve Lines’ indie mag Mardenbeat, based in the town of Calne in the Marden Delta, which reviewed a gig by a non-existent band; former JP Sunshine main man Rod Goodway and partner Christine Cotter then gave flesh to the beast with Lines and Paul Ricketts of Unhinged mag, cutting My Brain Collapsed! as an exploration of mushroom-fuelled mental instability. First issued on cassette label Mardentapes and later by …
Death May Be Your Santa Claus
After their excellent Polydor debut suffered from lack of promotion, Second Hand’s sophomore LP surfaced on Mushroom, the noncommercial label formed by Vic Keary, Mike Craig, and Neil Richmond, allowing for unfettered experimentation. With George Hart on bass, new frontman Rob Elliott and drummer Kieran O’Connor on vibraphones, Ken Elliott takes melodic command on Mellotron, piano and organ, the disc a freakily esoteric juggernaut. This lost masterwork here comes with rare bonus tracks ‘Dip It O…
Reality
Obscure prog rockers Second Hand began as the Next Collection, formed at a south London secondary school; engineer/manager Vic Keary scored them a contract with Polydor as the Moving Finger, but their legendary debut LP was credited to Second Hand, due to a rival Moving Finger. Channelling psych and spacey acid hues, there is blues-rock underpinning Bob Gibbons’ guitar and keyboardist Ken Elliott helps aim the sound towards deep space; this edition features rare tracks ‘James in the Basement’ an…