So with 2010 drawing to a close, I think it's a good time to talk about what albums were released this year that we enjoyed.
First up is:
Amorphous Androginous -
A Monsterous Psychedelic Bubble exploding in your mind vol 3 The third Ear
AA have been doing this series of psychedelic compilation albums, ocasionally with tracks remixed or edited so they merge together to form a continous whole. I think this is the best one released so far, having gone through the typical psyche groups, this one is comming up with a more solid feel. it includes tracks from great bands such as Aphrodite's Child, Sun Dial and yes, Bob James. But what really perfects it is the inclusion of an AA remix of the the Yamtaka EY? remix of Gong's Master Builder, pure heaven. The icing on the cake however is the ultra-obscure track 'Now it hurts you' by Drum Circus. Drum Circus are an early version of the psychedelic supremos, Brainticket, but guesting Timothy Leary. The whole compilation is wrapped up with various segments of Leary talking. It's a proper psychedelic album.
Afrirampo -
We are Uchu No Ko
Afrirampo are imo the most exciting thing to happen to music in a long time. Two Japanese women (Oni on guitar and vocals, Pika on drums and vocals), they melt seemlessly between styles. Pop rock becomes acid mothers temple, becoms almost tribal. The vocals again can be very pop-like and conventional but then turn into vicious screaming, or bird calls. Afrirampo ended earlier this year, and this is their last album, and it's a true testament to their name. Elements from throughout their time seem to all come together. Disk 2's Pika Universe is really a good example of this. I hope they come back, but Pika also works with Acid Mothers Temple, so we're not likely to miss out on her madness for much time!!
Hawkwind -
Blood of the Earth
Hawkwind have always been about fifty steps ahead of the english rock scene. Their cosmic sounds, drug enduced jams and just overall astral feel, makes them seem like the audio version of a Jack Kirby comic. Here, they go back a bit to the 70's, but infuse it with modern sinsibilities which they've learned along the way. When this album rocks, it's a full rythmic machine, with tracks equal in coolness to Brainstorm or Masters of the Universe. Modern production techniques really aid this album, and there is a strong unearthly feel throughout. This album works much much better than Gong's '2032' which was released last year. Where Gong seemed to mostly abandon their cosmic jams, here they're back. It's not straight up rock, it's not abstract space freakouts, it's an older Hawkwind with a kind of musical maturity that just works.
The Orb ft Dave Gilmour -
Metallic Spheres
If you're not already excited by the combination of The Orb and Dave Gilmore, you're a major chump. The Orb are an amazing electronica/ambiant trance group, and David Gilmour is... David Gilmour! One of the smoothest sounding guitarists alive. This is a pretty solid album, very spaced out, very engrossing. It has a kinda 'oxygene' sensibility to it. But anyways, yeah, imagine a trancelike electronica soundscape, highlighted and expressed with Gilmour's guitar sliding across the top, like our guide into the world. It's dreamy, it's spacey and there is a strong echo of Hawkwind's 90's-now style throughout.
Dweezil Zappa -
Return of the son of...
The first Zappa plays Zappa album was good and fun, but something about it sounded Mechanical. It didn't sound 100% right. Now, the ZPZ group have come into their own. Still playing Frank's compositions, but here they seem to really be owning the material. The Dweez has said that h feels closer to his father's work during the guitar solos, so here we have more guitar solos. And that is a very good thing! Dweezil is a phenominal guitarist! He has the technical chops of someone like Van Halen, but to play Zappa's work he's had to unlearn that, and so we have a well accomplished guitar player playing these really messy and organic extended solos which, whilst recalling his dad's, are very much his own, and are pretty damn exciting to listen to! Each disk has a 20something minute track, disk one has King Kong, with ample space for each band member to strut their stuff, and disk two has Billy the Mountain, which actually seems to be as good, if not better(REALLY???) than the original.
and Re-issue of the year goes to....
Brainticket -
Celestial ocean
Brainticket are prettymuch the cream of the kautrock/psyche crop. Their debut album, Cottonwoodhill, was basically the recording of an LSD trip and is quite well known amongst psyche circles. A total headfuck. Celestial Ocean is a much more calmer experience, but in no means less trippy, just here the drugged sense is replaced by a strong awareness of the cosmos(band leader Joel Vandroogenbroeck would later release meditation CDs which are well worth listening to!). From the opening track, Celestial Ocean grabs you and takes you along for a cosmic voyage unlike all before. it starts with a repetative synth riff, distorted whispers and lyrics and sound effects come at you. Then we are treated to a delightful eastern kinda soft folkyness, it sets in and suddenly we're warped into the era of tchnology, a 7 minute sound collage/compilation of music types that flows and calms down, leading into an amazingly melodic electronic experience, and more instrumentals and just y'know WOW. This is without a doubt one of my favourite albums. It's spacey, it's celestial and cosmic in a more composed way then Ash Ra Tempel's world. Where Ash Ra Tempel kinda blast off into uncharted cosmic territory, Brainticket here are guiding you through an experience that they are aware of, and want to educate you. This is without a doubt the best reissue of the year. If you like krautrock, spacerock, psyche or just experimental music in general, buy a copy!
Yeah this is basically a big post saying LOOK AT ME IM A FUCKING HIPpY!