Okay here's another one from Sky. No youtube previews found.
Earthstar - French Skyline (Sky Records, 1979)
French Skyline is the second full-length album by the American electronic band Earthstar. It was their first release for Hamburg, Germany–based Sky Records.
French Skyline was recorded in 1978 and 1979. The opening track, "Latin Sirens Face The Wall," was recorded at Klaus Schulze Studios in Hambühren, West Germany, and was engineered by Klaus Schulze. Bass and strings were recorded at Aura Sound Studios in New York. All other tracks were recorded at Deponté la Rue Studio in Paris, France. Additional recording took place at four different studios in Germany and New York State. The album was released by Sky Records in 1979.
French Skyline strongly shows Klaus Schulze's musical influence on Craig Wuest and Earthstar. Wuest's idea was to create a "wall of sound", as described by the New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock: "...his desire apparently is to create music that doesn't necessarily suggest a particular instrument, rather creates a new texture. Therefore, though there are credits for flute, guitar, bass, violin, viola, French horn, sitar and vocals, it's pretty hard to distinguish any of these." French Skyline was also the first of three albums on which Wuest made heavy use of the Mellotron and the rare Birotron, a variation on the Mellotron that can sustain notes beyond eight seconds.
Non-Lemon-Party-Link
― van smack, Monday, 14 March 2011 20:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
Love this record, esp. the opener. Their other one, 'Atomkraft? Nein, danke' is pretty decent too, though not nearly as epic.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Monday, 14 March 2011 22:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
that cover is SO APPEALING to me
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Monday, 14 March 2011 23:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
Listening to the DW album now... Really good - like a lost cousin to Harmonia.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 15:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
I concur with the DW praise, really excellent stuff, Lindstrom for one was obviously listening.
― Neil S, Tuesday, 15 March 2011 16:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
yeah, DW is a nice one for sure. it was reissued on vinyl last year. picked it up from aquarius records a few months back.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 16:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
have earthstar on now. was not familiar with this one before but things like "ashra," "popol vuh," and "blade runner" have been popping into my head and that can't be a bad thing.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 16:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
going to listen to these tonighthonestly, thank you so much.
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 19:54 (2 years ago) Permalink
On that DW album - "Der Grosse Atem" is really lovely.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 23:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
^^ Astounding song, only heard it this week through this but kept it on repeat for a while. Amazing.
― La descente infernale (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 15 March 2011 23:14 (2 years ago) Permalink
I'll make this my commute listening this eve.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 00:02 (2 years ago) Permalink
Earthstar reminds me of everything I love about Tangerine Dream -- spacey, kind of aimless, but grounded.
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 01:26 (2 years ago) Permalink
i just realized that i was listening to this REALLY LOUD. hope my neighbors liked it and appreciated how massive it is.
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 01:34 (2 years ago) Permalink
Glad you guys are liking the music. I really like both albums a lot.
― van smack, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 01:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
Will grab these and report back. Include me in for a week.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 11:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
16 March - Scott pgwp23 March - Neil S30 March - AnotherDeadHero6 April - ilxor13 April - jacob sanders20 April - Tom D
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 13:58 (2 years ago) Permalink
Embryo: Opal (1970)
No Allmusic review. As I understand it Embryo eventually morphed into something jazzier and more influenced by world music (correct me if I'm wrong). A run of later albums from the group featured horn player Mal Waldron, who had previously accompanied Billie Holiday (!). This is their debut, from 1970, and to me it sounds at times a lot closer to Amon Düül's heavier and more focused moments—with saxophone. Psychedelic free jazz. The final, 26-minute "Läuft" was not on the original issue of the album
Link
Manuel Göttsching: Inventions for Electric Guitar (1975)
Allmusic review:
This album is sometimes credited to Ash Ra Tempel, but the music was composed and performed by Manuel Göttsching alone. All sounds were created with guitar, but Göttsching's use of echo, delay, and assorted treatments give these pieces the flavor of sequenced synthesizer music, occasionally reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's work from the period. The opening "Echo Waves" is a trance-inducing space guitar masterpiece, with repeating rhythm figures and gradual phase shifts creating a warped sense of time. The first 14 minutes of the track consist of short, subtly changing melodic phrases, until Göttsching questionably chooses to close with a searing, acid-fried guitar solo. "Quasarsphere" is much more contemplative, with Göttsching processing his guitar to sound like a synthesizer in the vein of Robert Fripp. The closing "Pluralis" consists of endless variations constructed around a simple guitar sequence; it possesses a structure similar to "Echo Waves" (down to the late-breaking blast of psychedelic soloing) with a bit more space and a slower tempo. In some respects a precursor to the groundbreaking proto-techno of E2-E4, Inventions for Electric Guitar is an essential document for space rock enthusiasts.
I had to scroll through this thread to make sure I didn't pick this album up via ILM. I don't know where I came across this last year but it was a true find. This is a gorgeous all-guitar ambient record. I like this more than any of the Ash Ra Tempel stuff I've heard so far.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:16 (2 years ago) Permalink
Embryo: Opal (1970
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:19 (2 years ago) Permalink
Sorry for the double post - the Embryo image didn't load the first time around.
OTM on "Opal". In fact, OTM on both!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
I think I'll grab the Gottsching album for the cover alone
BTW; last weeks albums were really good
― frogbs, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
seriously excellent smirk for the ages he's got there
has this been posted about elsewhere? it's enjoyable ambient guitar music
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
i guess it's not krautrock if it's from clevelandunless it is
anyway, not sure i could carry a week of this, but i am enjoying listening (and reading)
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 14:37 (2 years ago) Permalink
that gottsching album is a big fave of mine.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 15:45 (2 years ago) Permalink
There are other excellent Ashra/Gottsching ambient guitar albums. You should hear Blackouts, New Age of Earth, Dream and Desire, E2-E4, among others.
― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
... stick around, you just might
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
Tho, of course, none of them have has much guitar as "Inventions"!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:08 (2 years ago) Permalink
blackouts might! (my fave btw)
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:09 (2 years ago) Permalink
"Inventions" is ALL guitar tho. Said it before, but i prefer Ashra to Ash Ra Tempel.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:11 (2 years ago) Permalink
oh, never realized that inventions has no synths at all!
I definitely prefer ashra. guitar loops + snyths = gateway to pleasure
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
Think in this thread (club?), the electronic/ambient/motorik side of K'Rock tends to be predominate at the expense of the psych/ freakout/ jazzrockin' sides
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:17 (2 years ago) Permalink
it does. needs some to balance it up
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
Can't help it if that's what the kidz prefer
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
damn pesky kids?
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
I'm with the kids on this one
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:24 (2 years ago) Permalink
i don't qualify as a kid, but comparatively i am definitely a noobjazz/psych/freakout for up times and ambient drone for down times ime
― Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:42 (2 years ago) Permalink
The good Ash Ra Tempel freakouts are without compare, tho. I mean...AMBOSS is freaking huge.But I haven't listened to the rock jams much since I've discovered the electric inventions, it is true.
― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:46 (2 years ago) Permalink
Hey, check the Embryo record for jazz/psyche/freakout! There was a lot of Popol Vuh/Guru Guru/Amon Duul II on this thread earlier, too...
Definitely want to check more Gottsching. E2-E4 was posted on this thread a while back but iirc it was only a spotify link so I couldn't listen to it.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:51 (2 years ago) Permalink
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
^Dude, this is awesome
― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 17:03 (2 years ago) Permalink
been wanting to get into Embryo for a while now
― hapshash jar tempo (Drugs A. Money), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 18:04 (2 years ago) Permalink
Curious to know if anyone out there has heard any of their later material. Like a lot of krautrock bands, their discography is vast and they went through a lot of changes. Their drummer is the only consistent member. This is all I've heard from them, personally.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Wednesday, 16 March 2011 18:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
That Earthstar album is so incredibly massive. Love it
― frogbs, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 19:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
I have an Earthstar record called for Humans Only and I've been wanting to check more of their music. Just downloaded it. I hope it's as blissful as the one I have.
― JacobSanders, Thursday, 17 March 2011 01:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
I have been listening to Opal a lot lately. Weird.
Rocksession is really good, sort of longer-form jazz rock freakout stuff. Great trippin' embryo-ear cover, too.
― There's nothing left alive but a pair of ashy thighs (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Thursday, 17 March 2011 01:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
Thanks for the Embryo. Haven't heard them before.
Inventions is my favorite Ashra/Gottsching album. I like it much better than E2-E4 and it rivals Rainbow Dome Musick for total supremacy.
― van smack, Thursday, 17 March 2011 01:45 (2 years ago) Permalink
Curious to know if anyone out there has heard any of their later material.
Yes. It's OK. It is what it is, it's jazz rock. Some good tracks here and there. Agree that "Rocksession" is quite consistent however. Oh, they dabble in ethnic/Eastern textures on quite a few albums, which can be interesting (tho I prefer Wolfgang Dauner and Dzyan's similar efforts).
Thanks to scott pgwp for restoring my faith in this thread and in the notion that there might be some "Krautrock" out there that I haven't heard yet that might actually be worth hearing! Thought we were kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel towards the end last time round. Deutsche Wertarbeit is totally up my strasse, could say that it's shading into Neue Deutsche Welle a bit (1981 after all), also reminds me of Chris Carter in places! Great sounds on that Earthstar album! There's a bit of wandering about aimlessly trying to find a tune, a la Klaus Schulze, but I can forgive that.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:17 (2 years ago) Permalink
... sorry it was van smack not scott who posted those albums!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:19 (2 years ago) Permalink
Must have been von smack, right? ;)Will get that Deutsche Wertarbeit album tonight, curious after all the praise (somehow I've never seen this thread?!)Bought Opal] a couple of years ago but it's (was?) not up my Straße, I'll try again. Sounded way too "crowded" (krauted lol sorry) for my taste
― willem, Thursday, 17 March 2011 12:42 (2 years ago) Permalink
Catching up to that Earthstar record posted a couple weeks back... some of it sounds like it could be dropped directly into an Emeralds album and no one would blink.
Is it somebody else's turn this week?
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 16:44 (2 years ago) Permalink