Efficient Space Australia Vinyl & CDs

Review: Gong bath, anyone? Soft & Fragile is a three track outing built on a framework of custom made bells and chimes, at least one of which was created by the artist - namely Bandt's 'flagong', a three-story glass marimba the musician crafted in the late-1970s, apparently inspired by the so-called 'cloud chamber bowls' of Harry Patch, a chap known for developing weird and wonderful sound-making devices.

She uses the instrument to stunning effect solo on the opening effort, 'Ocean Bells', creating a gently flowing arrangement that sucks you in quickly. From there, she's joined by Julie Doyle, Gavan McCarthy, and Carolyn Robb to complete the full LIME (Live Improvised Music Events) lineup, and the work becomes more complex still, without ever being overbearing or overly theoretical.

Review: Having previously reissued cult Spanish combo Belver Yin's 1991 debut album Luz Bel - an ethereal affair variously informed by shoegaze, ambient, Cocteau Twins and the Duratti Column - Efficient Space were in pole position to sign this surprise comeback set. Now a solo project of founder (and lead singer) Pedro L Ortega, the set was inspired by a promise he made to his dying mother to record more music. It's a gloriously summery and sun-soaked affair all told which subtly expands Ortega's musical horizons to include more jangly guitars, multi-coloured, Gigi Masin style keyboard textures, glistening, guitar-led ambient bliss reminiscent of Jonny Nash, and sunrise-ready soundscapes that recall the beauty and brilliance of modern Balearic heroes Seahawks.

Review: Sky Girl is the work of two noted (but arguably under-appreciated) crate diggers, DJ Sundae and Julien Dechery, and gathers together a veritable treasure trove of obscure material loosely connected by (in the label's own words) "the same longing sentiment". Its' fifteen tracks touch on a variety of hazy, down-tempo styles, and were recorded at various points between 1961 and '91. There's much to admire throughout, from the folksy psychedelic pop of The Rising Storm's "Frozen Laughter", and spoken word eccentricity of Scott Seskind's "I Remember", to the dreamy, eyes-closed ambience of Nini Raviolette & Hugo Weris' "Slow" and string-laden samba-folk of Nora Guthrie's "Home Before Dark".

Review: Some albums deserve to stay buried, but Hydroplane's 1997 debut album is not one of those. An alternative project from shoegaze-influenced indie band The Cat's Miaow, the self-titled album offered a uniquely hazy, spaced-out blend of lo-fi dream pop vocals, atmospheric guitar textures, DJ Shadow style sample collage, stoned beats, Radoiphonic Workshop style electronic experiments and '90s ambient tropes. It's an unusual but hugely alluring musical melting pot that went largely overlooked at the time - hence this first ever vinyl pressing of the previously CD-only set. We'd recommend giving it a listen because it really is in a genre sub-category all of its own.

Review: Simple Reality cements the brief yet impactful legacy of Coventry DIY group Skeet, emerging from a scene of first-generation punks and 2 Tone kids. Formed in 1981 by Gary and Nigel Meffen, Skeet fused tightrope instrumentals with a Roland CR-8000 under projected visuals. After a cassette of their debut performance reached Kay Booth at Inferno Records, she added her own vocals, becoming the frontwoman with her shy delivery and open-diary expressions of social alienation and romantic rejection. With as few as ten shows, Skeet's unnerving minimalism was recorded in a suburban home studio, borrowing equipment from Toby Lyons (The Colourfield) and Jerry Dammers (The Specials). Despite record label interest, the band silently disbanded, leaving their music unheard for nearly four decades. Brief Call resurfaced in the Coventry Music Museum's compendium Alternative Sounds Volume 1, followed by a limited pressing on Chris Long's Almost Unknown imprint in 2023. Simple Reality offers a definitive snapshot of these neurotic post-punks, with newly discovered instrumental multitracks and a live recording of their final performance atop a trailer in a pub beer garden. Mastered by Skeet fanatic Mikey Young, this release adds three new tracks and a more energised take on 'Left On the Shelf's' apathetic electronic-pop.

Review: Efficient Space continue their esteemed compilations of varying focus and theme. Their latest, Someone Like Me, is less interested in nostalgia for a certain time, propinquity, or contemporaneity (all pitfalls into which most other compilation curators fall prey) and instead finds enjoyment in the juxtaposing of all manner of musicians and songs reflecting a certain style, from the Pacific Northwestern USA to the UK, and whose main approach to music-making was hobbyism. "Folk" is the operative word here, though whether it's one we should utter confidently isn't so certain, as the twists and turns this compilation takes - through the lonesome falsettos of Lynne Ann Kingan, the detuned, drum-machinic drones of Charlie Webster, and the intermittent, reverberative outbursts of Jim Kennedy - capture something far more than just a transmissible, oral ceremonial form.

Review: Ghost Riders has been dubbed Efficient Space's latest narrative compilation, putting together 17 folk, Americana and psych-blues rarities to tell a Jarmuschian tale of heartache and loss. Releasing select songs from near-forgotten names like The Tempters, Dennis Harte and The Newports, the songs on this compilation seem to tell a tale of teary-eyed, shattered rock n' roll dreams - exclusively recalling the work of artists who, in the label's own words, were buoyed by grandiose dreams shortly before life got in the way. Recalling desolate filmic scenes like those found in Mystery Train or The Afterlight, we've got a distinct portrait of a depressed American midwest here.

Review: There is something instantly settling about this record. Wilson Tanner are intent on making sure our worries and concerns vanish into the ether, or more accurately float away on a gentle tide under a war evening sun. You might feel the record invokes different imagery, but given the duo - Andrew Wilson and John Tanner - put their acclaimed debut together "over" a shared love of seafood and wine, we think the coastal iconography goes well.

Not least as 69 was recorded in Perth, a city renowned for its spectacular coastline and a resurgent cultural scene. Digressions aside, the producers describe their sound as 'provincial ambient' and you can understand why relatively easily. It's an incredibly organic, understated, and in many ways highly familiar set of tones, not necessarily intent on rewriting any rule books, but certainly assured that everything it offers is of the highest quality, and with the most heart possible.