Kscope Vinyl & CDs

Review: Lid was a project formed in the latter half of the 1990s by Daniel Cavanagh of UK greats Anathema, along with legendary vocalist Eric Wagner from US doom metal legends Trouble. Joining the two were Timothy & Tommy Reeves on bass & drums respectively. The fruit of this union emerged in 1997, with the classic sole album, In The Mushroom, combining the heavier rocking & melodic traits of both acts, plus an element of psychedelia. Along with what could be termed stoner rock, there was also a notable Beatles-esque quality to the project, which incidentally blends well with a stellar cover of the Beatles' classic, 'Don't Let Me Down', joining the cover of The Monkees' 'Randy Scouse Git' for a dynamic ride full of hooks, accomplished songwriting, and an injection of Wagner's poetic depth. In The Mushroom was produced by Eric Wagner, along with Vincent Wojno (having previously worked with Eric with Trouble). The album was mixed at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. This edition of In The Mushroom is presented on mid-price CD format including booklet with lyrics.

Review: With roots in 1983's Stonehenge Free Festival, when brothers Ed and Roly Wynne joined forces with drummer Nick 'Tig' Van Gelder, bassist Eddie Myer, and keyboardist Joie Hinton to perform a six hour improvised jam session under the guise Bolshem People, Ozric Tentacles define the progressive rock-new age-ambient crossover story. Then they go on to write their own. It would be six years before they put a record out, 1989's Pungent Effulgent, preferring instead to keep things loose, open and, ultimately, unplanned. 12 months or so later, they emerged from Foel Studios in Powys, Wales, with the follow up - Erpland. A record that feels free, born in countless moments of spontaneous creativity, careering between free party dub and mind-melting (if overblown) electric guitar solos set against juggernaut metal rhythms. A remarkable beast.

Review: .You don't need to hear much on The YumYum Tree to understand how apt the story behind Ozric Tentacles is. A troupe which formed from an impromptu six-hour jam session which took place around a campfire during the 1983 Stonehenge free festival, the band name itself came about when an audience member asked guitarist and keyboardist Ed Wynne what the group - which included his brother Roly, Nick 'Tig' Van Gelder (later of Jamiroquai note) and Joie Hinton - were called. Originally dropping from the cosmos in 2009, The YumYum Tree is archetypal stuff from the outfit in question. Complex guitar solos taking us into the stratosphere, uptempo, highly commanding, cacophonic arrangements, star-gazing, mood-setting, deeply textured space rock, and moments of pure new age bliss. A journey to musical unknowns, captained by progressive rock visionaries.