Charly Vinyl & CDs

Review: Formed in Rome way back in 1966, Musica Elettronica Viva are something of an enigma: an avant-garde collective whose exact line-up is shrouded in mystery (it changed over the years by all accounts but confirming who founded the group has proved difficult) and whose released works tend towards the experimental and undeniably out-there. The Sound Pool was recorded in 1979 and surfaced on vinyl a year later. It's an undeniably odd but defiantly impressive four-part work that blends tape loops, avant-garde noise, distant drumming, discording free-jazz horns and pots-and-pans percussion. It sounds like it was recorded live, in a gigantic, reverb-heavy room, and is as experimental and avant-garde as they come. An under-celebrated classic of its type.

Review: The historic Live Floating Anarchy 1977 album from Planet Gong captures Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, and the classic 70s Here & Now line-up during their 1977 Floating Anarchy tour. This transitional project blends Allen's Canterbury Gong sound with his prog-punk era, creating a wild, spacey psychedelic jam. Recorded live, the album features anarchic rhythms and the distinct vocals of Allen and Smyth, driven by Here & Now's subversive style. Essential for Daevid Allen fans, space-rock lovers and Gong collectors, this album remains a unique piece of Gong's evolving legacy.