New/Improved PROG/KRAUT/SPACE/PSYCH ROCK Listening Club - New albums every Friday!

Love that Soft Machine album. Did not expect it to be that solid the whole way through.

yeah, this one's a winner. and I've also never listened past third before, so I guess I have some catching up to do.

I just watched the Romantic Warriors II: About Rock In Opposition dvd. Profiles of loads of bands, but the film is 98mins so they don't get to go over albums or anything like that. Lots of concert footage, mostly from recent times but also some 70s stuff. Chistian Vander(Magma) and Chris Cutler(Henry Cow) probably talk more than anyone, aside from one guy who I think was a record label guy, maybe a critic too because he seems like a historian for the genre. Talks a lot about the diy element of concerts and record labels; bands sharing members across very long distances. Quite a number of women in a lot of these bands. A crazy drum solo from Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins)but no real profile of him aside from some peoples comments and a very quick word from him. Something I noticed is the only the French and Belgian groups in the 70s-80s seemed concerned with having an image, a lot of those guys dressed in black but pretty much everyone else dresses how they would on the street. A few of the bands were totally new to me.

Pretty good but sometimes I thought some of them didn't sound all that distinct but I will surely try and investigate as many as I can, I really don't have much of this music yet.

concerned with having an image

my impression of bros like robert fripp and steve hillage (and a lot of the prognoscenti) is they cared a lot more about how technically skilled they were at their instruments than how they appeared, their hair, their clothes, etc. that turns off shallow insecure people, more concerned with image than listening pleasure, who say prog's too 'serious' and stupid shit like that

I think an image can be worthwhile but not necessary at all. I think Univers Zero and Art Zoyd looked pretty cool in all that black with their "THIS IS SERIOUS DARK ART!" image but even without it they would be great.

The photos of bands like Bongwater and Katie Jane Garside's bands really drew me in and I think their music satisfied what I thought I was going to get. But I suppose Bongwater never really dressed up though, they just looked like my type of people. I should mention that neither of these bands are prog to anyone not familiar with them, tho I think Bongwater sampled Yes.

Fripp used to have crazy hair, he might have cared about what people thought, I don't know. I think the cover of Red may have had some image conscious element to it.

and yes maintains an image aligned with roger dean's weedy spacescapes. image and spectacle trumping musicianship is the great rock & roll swindle, though

hope it's ok if i go ahead and post mine, because i'm not sure i'll have much time to do it tomorrow.

i'm a little nervous. i had something in mind a few weeks ago but now i feel like everyone's just going to be bored by it, or already familiar with it. (for the record, it was Edgar Froese’s Aqua, from 1974, and i especially wanted to highlight the middle section of NGC 891, which is one of my favorite new-to-me pieces of music of the year.

so i decided to go with something else, and i’m still a little nervous because i think it’s something a lot of people might already be familiar with (although i checked the older listening club thread as well as threads for the band to make sure that it wasn’t filled with posts from people who frequent this thread, and there didn’t seem to be any cross-germination):

Les Rallizes Dénudés - Heavier than a Death in the Family (mostly 1977, a little 1973)
http://open.spotify.com/album/79KhezvyjiFwFKC3AmsQ9L

http://i.imgur.com/cW6RWaT.jpg

warning: i’m no sort of expert on this band, so what follows is a really amateurish overview, from memory, with little factchecking, based mostly off of ILX threads (see bottom of this post) and semi-random internet excursioning, that will still hopefully pique your curiosity. some of this may be totally false.

but adding more sorta true sorta false information to the internet re: Les Rallizes Dénudés would be completely appropriate for this band. they are THE legendary underground avant experimental psychedelic Japanese band. they’ve been around since 1962 in some form or another, and have never formally released a studio album.

http://i.imgur.com/v9KJxou.jpg

their recorded output is almost exclusively in the form of bootlegs of live recordings. this, combined with the nature of their music (incredibly feedback heavy at times - the kind that is so overwhelming that you can identify island states of feedback within the greater sea of feedback) means that their recordings will not likely supplant Dark Side of the Moon as a hi-fi sonic testing standard anytime soon.

they have a ton of bootlegs, and they seem to drift in and out of availability and have different covers and tracklistings (sometimes in japanese characters, sometimes in poorly translated english) - no one knows what the fuck is going on. here’s one version: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Les+Rallizes+Denudes

http://i.imgur.com/JJFVNLF.jpg

still, the single release that seems to be the most widely referenced and praised to death is Live ‘77. the audio quality is better than most of their other bootlegs, and it also captures an incredible appearance. the aforementioned feedback is in full swing. i hate to bring the obvious references in, but think the darker parts of White Light/White Heat, only extended much longer, and much darker. the bass lines are rigidly (look how i didn’t say angular!) bluesy and repetitive, the vocals emerge every once in a while (like neil young in down by the river) to remind you that human beings are behind this thing, always distorted and occasionally overwhelmed with echoey fuzz, the drummer sounds like s/he is tripping hard, and the guitar player…i’m not sure how to do it justice. it’s difficult to directly compare them to anyone, because they go so much FARTHER than anything you can reference. if they would have played in Max’s Kansas City in 1968, they would have overshadowed the Velvets, and freaked them out too. there aren’t too many bands you can say that about.

Heavier than a Death in the Family is basically most of Live ‘77, in a different sequence, and with the addition of a song from 1973 (“People Can Choose”). Live ‘77 has been available for a while, but this one just came out in 2010. i enjoy the opener “Strung Out Deeper Than Night”, but if you’re just starting out, try “Night of the Assassins” (track 3) for a slightly more accessible entry point. do yourself a favor don’t listen to this at work or the like. here’s no point. you’ll need to turn it up really loud and anger your neighbors.

Also see:

les rallizes denudes rfi
Today My Life Changed (RFI: Rallizes Denudes)
Can we have an inept, trainspotter discussion of Lez Rallizes Denudes?

I had a hard time with the track(s?) that came up in the 70s rock poll tbh but I'll give this a try this week.

Ooh, I didn't know they were even mentioned in the 70s poll so it's possible they've already been discussed to death, whoops.

don't buy the phoenix records LRD reissues, cos the LRD guys don't get a penny from them and the phoenix guy is largely renowned for such swindling taking a risk on the fact that old guys in Japan probably can't afford to launch an international lawsuit in a different language.

welp

Stil a fuckin killer album, Z S. Brainticket got discussed some in the 70s poll as well.

P sure lots of this is on youtube...?

yeah, definitely! i'll find some links.

A Strung Out Deeper Than The Night
B1 The Night Collectors
B2 Night Of The Assassins
C1 Enter The Mirror
C2 People Can Choose
D Ice Fire

as for the phoenix records owner being a terrible asshole thing, yeah, i get that. i'm not sure how much of money ever goes to the band anyway, considering that their entire output appears to be really sketchy bootlegs. but i understand not wanting to send money to phoenix records, even if that comes in the form of the $0.000000000000000000000000000001 per play that they would receive per song play on spotify.

check out Live '77 instead, which features almost the same tracks and has been released (unofficially, of course) by a number of labels

I prefer '77 live to this simply because they cut my favorite track! that screeching monster of a solo on "a memory is far" is one of my all-time faves:
http://youtu.be/w_GV74hlPO0

the part where that wailing distortion pedal finally gets stomped, man, what a heavy moment

I am very familiar with this album but I don't think it's ever a bad thing when LRD gets mentioned anywhere. Love these guys.

wha'happen?

whose turn was it?

Here I am! 3 days late, apologies! I think I slept all day Friday after working 24 hrs straight.

Paris 1942 - Paris 1942

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/couldyoudefine/Paris1942Cover_zps78c23131.jpg

Sun City Girls + Mo Tucker = Paris 1942. Maybe I was the only one who missed out on this; but the aforementioned mathematical equation is about all you need to understand what's going on here. Thin & tinny production just makes this as scuzzy as it needs to be. From yowled, wounded ballads ("Long Gone") to what-coulda-been post-VU burners ("Move Out Of Wichita") to noisy, skronk workouts ("Exit", "Headhunter"); this one really does it for me. Primitive yet still a little brainy, garage-y but distinct, a measured, dark wildness. It's not kraut, but it definitely enters a zone.

http://www.mediafire.com/?i13us8xgys3o3bz

Hat-tip to FM Shades, I think that's where I first heard this: http://fm-shades.blogspot.com/

Here's the first track for the curious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1w1yAYiv38

Never heard this before but it's great and a very appropriate follow up to LRD. Very crappy recording but it seems to suit these guys very well. Lots of good tracks on here. "Hex" was a standout for me.

http://youtu.be/Stl6jsvJXf4

nice one. I can't say I like it it all but the stuff that hits is nice. and I like the recording a lot, actually. definitely suits the material and gives emphasis to the fun, tossed-off, skuzzy vibe. "smoke filles room" is very pretty.

i'll take yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_124160&feature=iv&src_vid=UICq6qserG8&v=jv8cK_MO1bY

hey, whoops. I think it's my turn now?

so, I choose... the first shizuka lp 天界のペルソナ

this is a recent discovery for me but it hit real hard. as you might guess from the PSF connection, it's sorta like fushitsusha (and they share band members). but as much as it pains me to say and as incredible an achievement as fushitsusha are, I'm not always up for an intense journey into the haino-san null space. much like swans, I gotta be in a specific mood. this one goes down a little easier but it's still potent stuff. not unlike "ここ" off the first double live lp reconfigured to play like a more trad downer psych record. and much like that one - the solos on here!! so beautiful.

seems to me like their live ep is the one that gets written up the most but I lean towards this one due to the production. sparse but everything sounds as it should. the levels are right, the guitar tones are gorgeous, and the noisy parts pack a whallop.

sadly, miura shizuka took her life a few years ago. a real shame. r.i.p. at least we have this beautiful record.

well this is odd, Swans reference is right on

I took me a few listens but I'm really getting into this Shizuka record. The Fushitsusha connection is pretty obvious in the sound. The trad side sounds a lot like Les Rallizes Denudes.

To me, a Fushitsusha/LRD/Swans similarity would make for a pretty great record in most cases.

glad people are digging this.

yeah, the fushitsusha connection is undeniable but I don't see shizuka as a straight copy either. it's a gentler sound. obviously, the vocals are also different and I think they're pretty powerful in their own way. and yeah, can def hear LRD in the mix too.

an embarrassment of riches

http://nursewithwoundlist.blogspot.com/2009/03/introduction.html

can't wait to get home for this one. sounds right up my alley.

no relation to steven?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8E9kQg9gCU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyGHcLrknEo

Are we out of people? I can't remember. If anybody wants a go or to go again let me know!

I will :)

I'll do one, if required

ok great!

so then how about:
11/01 - frogbs
11/08 - Tom D

Figured I'd get mine up a little early. I debated between two albums and figured, why not do both?

The first one is from a band called Setna. They are a modern Zeuhl fusion group out of France, led by their drummer (sound familiar?). Their first album, released in 2008, seemed to be widely acclaimed, but they didn't release their follow-up until this year. For my money I like this one better, it's a little more upbeat than Cycle I (which struck me as being quite similar to Third-era Soft Machine). This one is still rather laid back but the melodies strike me as being better and a little goofier. It is rather close to say, "Kohntarkosz". The music definitely seems ripped straight from the 70's, but there's some really great production here. This is the kind of music that simply isn't made that often anymore, sad to say. If you like it, definitely check out Cycle I, along with the side project Xing Sa which is very similar.

Setna - Guerison

Second one is an album called Switched-on Lotus by Susumu Hirasawa, a dude I post about an awful lot. Considering his main style is closer to techno-pop I wondered if it really belonged in a thread like this, but I feel it fits the description well. This really is not an electronic album - it's Hirasawa at his most theatrical, with lots of strings and a big, larger-than-life sound. It's really one of those albums that explodes over and over again - kind of a mindfuck at times. The compositions themselves are mostly beefed-up versions of songs from his Thailand-inspired albums, Sim City and Siren, but there are also some earlier ones. This is something I've been listening to a lot lately. Enjoy!!

Susumu Hirasawa - Switched-on Lotus

never heard of em but setna sounds right up my alley. thanks!

don't think I've heard that hirasawa either.

"archetype engine" is kind of unbelievable

OK you can probably get both of these on Spotify, because they're not that obscure (you might even get the extended version of the Residents' album with longer versions of the songs (cripes)).

Lard Free - s/t (1973)
Debut album for the French band led by drummer, Gilbert Artmann. Prior to this Lard Free seem to have been a sort of Henry Cow-like avant skronk amplified bassoon in 7/4 type band, but they'd dropped all that by the time of this album. Instead this album is admirably minimalistic - in fact, in the era of "Tales of Topographic Oceans" (or whateva) it was pretty ballsy to put out an album as sparse as this (frinstance, the last track is just some low grumbly synth lurking around menacingly before being joined at the end by a piano tinkling off distractedly in the distance). Later albums are good but different again. Great gatefold sleeve too (inner and outer)!

The Residents - Not Available (1978)
This is their "prog album", meaning there's some sort of vague concept about something or other and there's multi-part 'suites' as opposed to songs and there's pseudo classical pianos and blaring string synths and mincing mediaeval woodwinds etc. Supposedly recorded in 1974 (if you believe the Residents - which I don't) but instead probably old recordings tarted up to fill in the gap while they finished the "Eskimo" album. Oh yeah, prog, did I mention a mock portentousness - though not ironic or sarcastic like (their erstwhile hero) Frank Zappa but more cock-eyed knock-kneed bandy-legged - with words that hint at profundity before collapsing into dadaist rhymes. Like a lot of the best of the Residents, the aggressive absurdity is undercut by a strong sense of melancholy. (The usual sticking point for the Residents is the vocals, but if you can live with the track, "Ship's A-Goin' Down" then you can deal with anything the Residents can throw at you).

nice to hear "Not Available" again. I've kind of soured on the Residents even though I remain oddly curious about them. "Aggressive absurdity" is damn right! For me this is linked with Wyatt's Rock Bottom as the yin and yang of 70's nightmarish oddness.

listening to Lard Free now - really hard to classify thus far

I love Not Available. I'll always remember the first time I heard "Making Of A Soul" and I wouldnt be surprised if nothing else of theirs ever topped that for me. That was years ago and I still only have that album.

Loving that Lard Free album which led me to their other albums which are all pretty great. It's some weird stuff that can fall into some pretty fantastic grooves.

This one is from a different album but totally sucked me in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z_c3JcbVhY

that song is awesome, like a krautier GONG, or a GONGier HELDON

end of the year approaching, i'm curious about people's current favorites. motorpsycho/supersilent's death defying unicorn was my 2012 favorite (best symphonic prog album since the '70s?) and steven wilson's way up on the list this year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4ZqgOnhFT0

Yeah that Steven Wilson album is so terrific.

remastering all those king crimson albums seems to have rubbed off nicely on SW

I haven't kept up with much modern music as exploring the treasure trove of the past keeps your hands full; but Field Music's Plumb is great. Previous albums had tiny bits of prog sprinkled around but this one seems like a conscious attempt at a prog album.

I suspect the upcoming Frost album might be a favourite. The first time I heard them, the pop plasticity of it totally put me off (the lead member has a day job as a producer of singles chart pop) but they seriously grew on me and "Milliontown" became one of my all time favourite prog "epics".

Mew also might have an album out soon. They need a b-sides/rarities compilation urgently.

whoa, I am SUPER into that lard free track! big heldon fan, so I suppose I would. have to investigate further!