Review: Mahal by Glass Beams melds a diverse array of influences into a unique and enchanting soundscape. The Melbourne-based trio, shrouded in mystery with their mask-wearing anonymity, lets their music speak volumes. Built around founding member Ranjan Silva, their sound draws from the rich heritage of Ravi Shankar, Bollywood, Electric Light Orchestra, and traditional blues.Inspired by repeated viewings of 'The Concert For George', Silva's vision for Glass Beams seems to echo the fusion George Harrison envisioned when introducing classical Indian music to Western pop. The EP opens with 'Horizon,' setting a serene tone before leading into the title track 'Mahal,' an instrumental piece that envelops the listener in its mystical charm. 'Orb' follows with a riveting bass riff, while 'Snake Oil' delves deeper into Indian classical territory, showcasing evocative vocals. The EP concludes with 'Black Sand,' a dramatic and beautiful track featuring interwoven vocals and guitar. As their second EP, following Mirage, Mahal solidifies Glass Beams' distinct place in music, defying categorisation and quietly demanding attention with its almost otherworldly quality.
Review: Goat returns with their latest self-titled album, the third in as many years, to ecstatic fans of the band. This ever-enigmatic collective continues to push boundaries, delivering a record that blends rhythmically intense rituals with an unmistakable energy that both invigorates dancefloors and stimulates the mind. The album kicks off with 'One More Death' and 'Goatbrain,' two tracks that capture Goat's hedonistic spirit through sharp funk grooves and guitars drenched in fuzz and wah. These tracks set the tone for an album that never shies away from exploration. The closing track, 'Ouroborus,' inspired by the ancient symbol of cyclical rebirth, showcases the band's love for hip hop, combining infectious chants with relentless breakbeats reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin's work. This finale brings the journey full circle, echoing the idea of endless renewal. Goat's new album continues to affirm their dedication to transcendence and transformation, offering listeners a potent escape into a world where the only constant is change.
What She's Done To Your Mind (single version - LP2: bonus album)
This Can't Be Today (4-track)
I Look Around (4-track)
Look Both Ways (4-track)
Saturday's Asylum (live)
First Of September (live)
What You've Done (demo)
Look At Merri (demo)
Paper Girl (live)
Speedway (live)
No Good Trying (live)
Unexpected (live)
Time Machine (Rehearsal)
Review: Rain Parade's seminal debut album, Emergency Third Rail Power Trip, is set to receive a deluxe 2xLP reissue. Originally emerging from the late 70s and early 80s Los Angeles scene known as the 'Paisley Underground,' the band's music blended Californian and UK psychedelic rock influences with a punk/DIY edge. The album, originally released in 1983, quickly gained international recognition for its distinctive sound, with standout tracks sung by core members Matt Piucci and Steven Roback. This deluxe edition of Emergency Third Rail Power Trip includes the original ten-track album on the first LP, alongside a bonus LP filled with demos and live recordings, offering fans an even deeper dive into Rain Parade's early work. Tracks like 'Talking In My Sleep' and 'Look Both Ways' remain timeless, showcasing the band's ability to merge dreamy psychedelia with raw energy. Rain Parade's influence on 80s and 90s guitar-driven music is undeniable, with artists like Ride's Andy Bell citing them as a major inspiration. This reissue, coupled with their upcoming UK and European tour, reaffirms the band's enduring legacy in the psychedelic rock landscape.
Review: Australian combo Tama Impala has always been hard to pin down, with their two studio albums to date displaying a keen desire to capture a trippy, psychedelic vibe, whilst refusing to settle on one easy-to-categorize sound. Currents, their fourth album, continues this trend, toning down some of the psychedelic rock elements in favour of nods to blue-eyed soul, woozy dream-pop, cheery summery pop (see the radio hit in waiting "The Less I Know The Better"), and even the head-nodding rhythms of hip hop (which, incidentally, prove the perfect backing for the morphine pop wooziness of "Past Life"). It's a blend that re-casts the band as baked, inter-dimensional travellers with a neat line in enveloping, sun-kissed downtempo pop.
Review: Maestro Argentinian producer Kevin Fingier returns with a brand new 45 on his Finger Records imprint, this time lifting the curtain on Santa Fiebre, the newly tipped red-hot rhythm & soul outfit from Buenos Aires. Forged in the fire of the Argentinian capital comes this rip-roaring band, debuting a rootsy, double-clapping, firebrand form of Latin soul. Fingier's in-house production backs up the band's taseringly tasty performances, as 'That's Where We Go' is heard to riff highly on brasses and bombast, and 'Earthsplosion' predicts a future detonation beneath our shared subterranean mantle, producing a bubble-bursting, Hammong-hummingl, bongo-banging funk stank of cosmic proportions.
Review: Swedish theatrical death-rock icons in the making, Ghost, dropped one of the most ludicrously entertaining metal releases of 2022 with, 'Impera'. Now, while initially released in 2019, Tobias Forge (Papa Nihil during this incarnation) and his horde of nameless ghouls, have opted to re-distribute their excellent (and brilliantly titled), 'Seven Inches of Satanic Panic', EP. Credited as "two special tracks from the 1969 archives", even though the group formed in 2006; both the anthemic crunch of, 'Kiss the Go-Goat', and fan favourite, 'Mary On A Cross', have become essential staples of the Ghost banner, while the project served as a much-needed building block and source of replenishment following 2018's Prequelle.
808 State - "Pacific State" (Massey Conga mix) (4:04)
Magma - "Eliphas Levi" (10:53)
Homelife - "Stranger" (6:05)
Michael Gregory Jackson - "Unspoken Magic" (5:25)
Dora Morelenboum - "Avermelhar" (4:27)
Simone - "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" (2:17)
Experience Unlimited - "People" (6:09)
Otis G Johnson - "I Got It" (4:26)
Mel & Tim - "Keep The Faith" (3:56)
Review: In this collection, Luke curates music with the perfect blend, inviting listeners on an esoteric journey of enlightenment through sound. Exploring late-night, after-hours musings; Everything Above The Sky (Astral Travelling with Luke Una) is a new compilation by the enigmatic DJ, promoter, and cultural curator. Following the E Soul Cultura phenomenon, this compilation comes at a pivotal moment in Luke's career as he travels the globe. Avoiding any chance of his sound being pigeonholed, Luke has assembled a tracklist that feels transcendental, stepping off the grid and back to source. Luke's Everything Above The Sky manifesto describes the music as Astral Travelling in the meadowlands with acid folk, spiritual jazz, midnight hocus pocus, cosmic psychedelic soul, magical whirling love songs, Brazilian ballads of light into machine soul gospel dreaming, Balearic bossa and Outer Space ancient African drums. Expect something different and highly unique with this listen.
Review: This collaboration between Nelson Angelo and Joyce on Nelson Angelo e Joyce brings a radiant blend of Brazilian folk and jazz-inflected arrangements, where lush acoustic guitars meet cool, swirling percussion. The pair's harmonies are effortlessly seamless, carrying a sense of intimacy and warmth throughout. While the sound may occasionally veer into serene, almost pastoral territory, there's an undercurrent of depth, especially in the more syncopated rhythms and spontaneous melodic shifts.
Review: Since the Beatles released their double-disc Live at the BBC compilation in the 1990s, many other significant British bands of the 60s have released similar retrospectives that mix live recordings with excitable radio DJ introductions and entertaining interview snippets. The Small Faces were one of the first to do that, originally releasing this long-delated collection in 1999. Now reissued, it does a good job in chronicling the iconic Mod band's development during the decade. The first three songs, performed on their first Saturday Club appearance in 1965, are raw and fuzzy r&b workouts, while those towards the end of the CD (recorded in 1968) are way more psychedelic and freewheeling.
Review: In the forty-two years since the release of Ege Bamyasi, no-one has done as much to blend the spheres of experimental rock music and the avant-garde than Can, whilst also maintaining a hip-shaking primal pulse and delivering a radiant wash of kaleidoscopic sound that defies classification. Ege Bamyasi still stands as one of their crowning achievements, and one whose spooky reverberations have made their presence felt throughout a mighty chunk of the rock and dance music of the decades that have followed. An otherworldly masterclass for the ages.
Micheal Gregory Jackson - "Unspoken Magic" (Solo - bonus track)
Luke Una - "Spoken Word Manifesto" (bonus Spoken Word track)
Review: Curated by none other than the distinguished DJ and cultural curator Luke Una. Known for his eclectic tastes and deep connections in the music world, Luke brings his expertise to Everything Above The Sky (Astral Travelling with Luke Una), a collection designed to evoke late-night, introspective soundscapes.
This compilation reflects Luke's ongoing quest to find music that transcends the everyday, making astral travel through sound a tangible experience. Drawing from his vast knowledge and numerous conversations with record shop owners, tastemakers, and music enthusiasts, Luke has meticulously selected tracks that offer a subtle, soulful journey. The music flows gently, never overwhelming, instead inviting listeners into a space where simple, heartfelt melodies can lead to profound reflection and escape. Everything Above The Sky is a snapshot into Luke Una's ability to craft soundscapes that resonate deeply, offering an immersive listening experience that transports beyond the mundane.
Review: Jack White's sixth solo album, No Name, arrives as a delightful surprise, offering a raw and invigorating return to his roots. Released with minimal fanfare and initially devoid of track titles, this album shows off White's playful and enigmatic nature. Fans of all stripes will find something to love here: diehard collectors get a rare gem for their collections, while those simply drawn to White's music can dive into 13 new tracks, now officially titled and available on vinyl. Produced at Third Man Records Studios in Nashville, No Name strips away the grandiosity of White's recent experiments, embracing a raw, unpolished sound that harks back to his White Stripes days. The album's blues-infused rock, with its razor-sharp riffs and primal drumming, feels more alive and immediate than his recent work. Songs like 'Bless Yourself' channel the heavy, bruising power of early Shellac and Led Zeppelin, while 'Terminal Archenemy Endling' blends heavy rock with spiritual uplift. White's lyrics are sharp and biting, delivering both humor and intensity. Tracks like 'Archbishop Harold Holmes' and 'What's the Rumpus?' showcase his ability to balance the sublime and the ridiculous, with catchy hooks and incisive commentary. Leaner and more focused than he's been in years, No Name is a thrilling reminder of White's genius and overall, an enjoyable rock album to listen to.
(Further Reflections) In The Room Of Percussion (3:18)
Dear Nellie Goodrich (2:45)
Holidaymaker (2:29)
A Lesson, Perhaps (2:41)
The Sky Children (7:58)
Review: Kaleidoscope's Tangerine Dream stands as a quintessential English psychedelic album, often ranked among the most important and influential works in the genre alongside iconic releases like Sgt. Pepper's, Forever Changes, and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. Despite its rarity and collectability, with mint copies fetching hefty prices, the album has surprisingly lacked a proper reissue and remastering treatment for over five decades. However, after three years of determined effort, negotiations with major label executives and stroke of luck, the album is finally receiving its long-awaited official reissue. Thanks to painstaking detective work and fortunate encounters with Universal archivists, the original master tapes, previously languishing in the vaults, have been unearthed. Moreover, Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 fame has meticulously remastered the album from these original tapes in his Lisbon studio, ensuring that it is presented to listeners as intended. This reissue will undoubtedly be a must-have for fans and collectors alike, offering the best audio quality version of the band's early psychedelic masterpiece.
Pieces: Tombo/La Escuela/Tombo/The Last Goodbye (5:17)
Groove (6:06)
Review: Opa's Goldenwings returns to vinyl after 50 years, offering a remastered take on the 1976 fusion masterpiece that has long been a coveted gem among jazz-funk collectors. Released by Craft Recordings via Jazz Dispensary's Top Shelf series, this album showcases the legendary collaboration between the Fattoruso Brothers, Airto Moreira, and Hermeto Pascoal. Goldenwings blends Latin rhythms, intricate synth work, and lush vocal harmonies into an exhilarating fusion experience. Tracks like the funk-forward title track and the cosmic 'Totem' highlight Hugo Fattoruso's mastery of layered keyboards, while 'Corre NiNa' and 'African Bird' bring a joyful and folk-inspired energy. The album's centerpiece, 'Tombo,' features an impressive suite that leads into the dancefloor-ready closer, 'Groove.' With all-analogue mastering by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, this reissue offers a pristine listening experience, complete with the original album art. Goldenwings is a fresh discovery for a new generation of listeners so this reissue will be a much needed one.
Review: It is always good to hear from Maya Ongaku especially when it comes to a new long player. This one excels at blending the ambient vibes of their previous album Approach to Anima with vibrant electronic dance styles. The result is a fresh fusion of hypnotic soundscapes and infectious rhythms with nice uplifting melodies, all complemented by delicate Japanese vocals. The album creates a shimmering, sincere atmosphere that draws on Eastern synth exotica that is both beguiling and irresistible. With its blend of lush textures and optimistic energy, Electronic Phantoms is a smart evolution in Maya Ongaku's ever-enchanting sound.
Review: Common Saints' debut album Cinema 3000 arrives on stunning blue meteorite splatter vinyl. Conceived in 2020 by Charlie J Perry, the project embraces an old-school recording style, with Perry laying down real instruments in his London home studio. Using just one mic for the drums and cranking the amps high, Perry has crafted an album that blends classic musicianship with a modern edge. Drawing comparisons to Tame Impala and Khruangbin, Cinema 3000 offers a rich, expansive sound that's both nostalgic and forward-thinking. The album opens with 'Sweet Release,' a track drenched in 70s psych-folk vibes and intricate harmonies, setting the tone for a journey that's as much about the experience as the music itself. 'C'est La Vie' brings a laid-back groove inspired by classic rock influences, while 'Dream On' features Taloula's entrancing guest vocals, adding a Morcheeba-like touch to the mix. Perry's passion for his craft shines through, particularly on tracks like 'Pieces of War,' where his raw, strained vocalsicaptured during a bout of laryngitisideliver an authentic emotional punch. Cinema 3000 is a sonic adventure, crafted for those who appreciate both the art of recording and the pleasure of listening.
Review: Mr Bongo's Brazil 45's series brings us two Brazilian classics: Rita Lee & Tutti Frutti's 'Agora E Moda' and Pete Dunaway's 'Supermarket'. 'Agora E Moda' from Lee's 1978 album Babilonia is a psychedelic disco-boogie groove highlighted by squelching guitar licks, funk drums, and cosmic vocals. Rita Lee, the former lead singer of Os Mutantes and a key figure in the Tropicalia movement, left a lasting legacy upon her passing in 2023. On the flip side, Dunaway's 'Supermarket' is a rare groove/AOR gem with a standout bassline, swaggering guitar, and lush strings, showcasing his talent as a composer and multi-instrumentalist. This release celebrates the enduring influence of Brazilian music.
Review: This is the second of three inventive and influential albums that John Cale released through Island Records in the mid-70s. The Velvet Underground founding member was in stellar company with Brian Eno, Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera and one of the most prolific studio session guitarists of all time, Chris Spedding, all appearing on the album. The album is stacked with bangers, but of note is the life-affirming and soulful 'Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll; his cover of 'Heartbreak Hotel', which is one of the best covers ever recorded and 'I'm Not The Loving Kind'. The latter gained recognition most recently when the late, great Mark Lanegan covered it beautifully for his Imitations album. Cale will forever be a wellspring of inspiration.
Review: Zak Olsen, the mastermind behind the guitar work of Australian doom psyche band Orb, unveils his eagerly awaited solo project, Ghost Notes, under the Traffik Island name. This collection, titled 12 Esoteric Instrumentals for Ethereal Beings, transports listeners on a surreal journey through a spectral landscape where folk melodies intertwine with jazz rhythms and psychedelic layers. Tracks like 'Pandemoniom!' featuring Kenny Ambrose-Smith of King Gizzard, deliver thrilling intensity, while 'winds' evokes an eerie folk horror atmosphere. Enthusiasts of unconventional instrumentals and eerie soundscapes will find plenty to appreciate in this album. While Traffik Island's melodies flow effortlessly, the spectral presence is unmistakable. With twisted beats, haunting organs, unsettling synths, and eerie found sounds, this is the perfect soundtrack for the season. Pressed on white vinyl, this release from Library Of The Occult records promises to be a truly unique listening experience.
Review: Hawkwind's Doremi Fasol Latido stands as one of the band's most defining albums, pushing the boundaries of space rock with its heavy, relentless energy. Released in 1972, it was their first album to feature Lemmy Kilmister on bass and vocals and Simon King on drums. This lineup injected a raw, aggressive edge into Hawkwind's already cosmic sound, propelling tracks like 'Brainstorm' and 'Lord of Light' into new sonic dimensions. 'Brainstorm', an 11-minute psychedelic journey, opens the album with mind-bending intensity, while 'Space Is Deep' brings a haunting calm before launching listeners back into the stratosphere. The album blends the harsh and the serene, balancing driving riffs, Lemmy's pulsating bass and atmospheric electronics. The newly remastered edition from the original tapes adds extra clarity to this space-metal classic, including a bonus single of the rare 1972 German release of 'Lord of Light' and 'Born to Go' (live). This is a progressive space rock landmark.
Nude Love (long version - previously unreleased - bonus track) (3:20)
Review: Codice d'amore orientale may not be Piero Vivarelli's best film according to those who know, but its fantastically groovy soundtrack is a standout feature. Composed by Alberto Baldan Bembo under the alias Blue Marvin, the nine tracks blend Italian pop, orchestral arrangements, Asian influences, breakbeat, funk and experimental sounds. The soundtrack captures the essence of the era and offers a unique mix of genres that perfectly complements the film's vibe. Its eclectic style makes it a must-have for any self-respecting DJ's collection while showcasing Baldan Bembo's versatility.
Review: Is it an album? A really long EP? A masterpiece of transportive heavy metal innovation realised via seamless dark overture? Certainly, Dopesmoker is the latter. As for the others, it really depends on whether or not you can consider four tracks to be an LP. Running at around 60minutes puts this on the shyer side of long form releases too, but who ever heard of an hour-long extended play?
Questions that threaten sanity aside, the third major studio outing from US metallers sleep is nothing short of inspired. Actually released three years before this version first surfaced (in 1999 via The Music Cartel under the title Jerusalem), the record is certainly good enough to warrant a second reveal. It's thick, gritty, grimy, low-end driven grinding stuff that still slaps with tangible funk and, while menacing, belongs to a side of the canon removed from visceral screams of noisecore subgenres, packing undeniable rock musicality.
Review: Over-Nite Sensation has been long-hailed as the gateway drug into Frank Zappa’s extensive musical universe, after which there really is no going back. Now reissued and expanded by the Zappa estate, the album returns to the foreground again, in several formats, including one CD with over 57 unreleased and rare studio and live tracks piled on top of the original seven magnum opi. This edition, however, is an audiophile standard 2xLP edition, just as Uncle Meat intended from the jump. From the opening princely funk of ‘Dirty Love’ to the midway scattings of ‘Dinah-Moe Humm’ and the closing yippee-ki-yays of ‘Montana’, this album should be best remembered not only as FZ's sexiest, but coincidingly as the one on which music’s most notorious Bonnie & Clyde, Ike and Tina Turner, were enlisted to aid Zappa for the closing track, but were ultimately not credited due to a poor performance, by Zappa’s assessment.
Review: Opa's Back Home was first reocrded in 1975 but not released until 1996; it was the fourth and final album by the esteemed Uruguayan fusion band, whose preferred admixture was usually some melted pot of funk and samba, making for an impressive heuristic building on their intuitive recalling of their mutual upbringing in South America. Mysteriously (for reasons unknown to the band), Opa's debut was shelved and remained so until the mid-1990s. But the story goes that it was recorded after renowned label producer and owner Larry Rosen heard the band playing in a Brooklyn nightclub; with this in mind, Back Home makes for an ironic title, since the sonic turn expressed by the band is not one of homesickness, but rather that of an immersion in New York's metamorphous music scene ('Brooklynville' has an instant proto-hip-hop vibe, if not for its original urban field recording, then certainly for its bulbous broken funk twang). Now reissued on vinyl and CD via Far Out, you won't want to miss this round trip.
Review: Alzo's 1973 hit single 'Lover Man' is heard reissued by the amorous hommes over at Elznavour. Hailed by the label as two romantic bangers - selectly chosen from the American soft rock musician's second LP Takin' So Long - Elznavour are keen to highlight the songs' equally tragic pull, for Alzo sadly passed away in 2004. Echoing the muted hey-heys of Sixto Rodriguez on the A, before launching into a cinematic psyche-soul number predictive of much modern pop music , 'Come On, Come On', on the B, this is a premium slice of well-cured rock music on 7", recalling the music of an unforgettable musician.
Vivi Hernadez Y Su Conjunto - "Tocando Macizas" (3:47)
Grupo Caverna - "Caverna" (2:46)
Review: Vivi Hernandez Y Su Conjunto's 'Tocando Macizas' emerges as a coveted collector's item, limited to 100 copies in a bespoke silkscreen sleeve. This 7" release captures the raw essence of 1971 Mexican funk, offering a tantalising glimpse into a pivotal moment in Latin music history. The A-side's infectious rhythm and bold instrumentation are perfectly complemented by Grupo Caverna's 'Caverna' on the flip. This rare pressing stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of vintage Latin funk, promising to be a prized addition to any discerning vinyl enthusiast's collection.
Review: After 1972's seminal Ege Bamyasi, the German Krautrock legends released what is one of our personal favourite Can LPs. Aside from being the last work of theirs to feature the vocals of Damo Suzuki, it's a seriously deep and full-bodied piece of work, as you'd expect from the band. The title track itself is a hypnotic, visceral journey through space and time, but all the tracks on this are pure classics. You even get their poppier of moments in the form of "Moonshake". Don't ask any questions, just cop it. Essential gear.
Review: Originally released in 1972, The Grand Wazoo is the eighth album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers. It was the second album Zappa had to record in a wheelchair following an on-stage assault in 1971, and it found the psychedelic jazz rock fusionist expanding his musical stamp with a bigger band dynamic. The music on the album is largely instrumental, following on from Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Waka/Jawaka as another bold, bonkers excursion into the furrows of Zappa's highly creative mind. It's been some time since this gem was in print, and it's now comfortably resting into the chunky grooves of an 180 gm pressing, no less.
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