Saturday, December 27, 2014

Thaneco - The Myths Of Panas (2011)




Thaneco (Thanos Oikonomopoulos or Ekonomopoulos) was born in Patras, Greece, in November 1975. Composer of electronic music with several different influences from the electronica of the 70s and 80s (berlin school, krautrock, downtempo). 
His work can be described as vintage-psychedelic electronica with influences from Rudiger Lorenz, Cluster, Vangelis, John Carpenter and other.
He uses a large variety of vintage and modern synths such as: Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Moog Minimoog Model D, Yamaha DX7 mkII, Korg Polysix, Oberheim Matrix 1000, Korg Z1, Kurzweil k2vx, Roland SH-101, Dave Smith Mopho and Evolver, Mutable Instruments Shruthi-1.
Some of his favourite software synths include Reaktor, Arturia and U-HE synths.
He is also a passionate vintage synthesizer collector and a modular synthesizer enthusiast.
This is one of his best albums and is offered only for a limited time, for the readers of this blog.
This album is inspired by ancient Greek mythology and by the ancient Greek god Panas. Here is a fine example of ancient Greek culture meeting vintage electronica. Complicated rhythms, folk melodies, experimental sounds, and heavily treated drum machines create a unique album.
Please support thaneco by buying his albums at  https://thaneco.bandcamp.com/

Get it now

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Steve Hillman - Phases-Labyrinth (1989-1990)


Steve’s epic 1989 “Phases” and 1990 “Labyrinth” albums (selections), previously unavailable for several decades until now, featuring his trademark combination of driving sequencers, drums, soaring synth and electric guitar solos and atmospheric otherworldly passages.
Here

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Steve Hillman - New Horizons (1986)



Pioneering UK synthesizer artist from the West Midlands, who released a number of cassettes in the 1980's, all in a unique style, mostly influenced by Tangerine Dream and ancient mysticism, especially on "Ashtar" which strongly featured his wife Linda on flute.
Steve is still active as a musician today, and has diversified with other projects.
Here 

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Neuronium - Vuelo Quimico (1978)


One more hidden gem from Spanish electronic band "Neuronium". I especially love the vocals and guitar arpeggios that give a psychedelic folk twist to the whole ambient electronic atmosphere (towards the ending of the first track).
Neuronium have written the following linear notes on the album:
"We dedicate this album to all the people who are attracted to the Hereafter, wanting to explorer the mysterious and winding labyrinths of the mind."
Here

Monday, December 8, 2014

Neuronium - Quasar 2C361 (1977)


This is the debut album from Neuronium. Highly recommended for the fans of vintage electronica.
Carlos Guirao/Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards (Logan String Ensemble)
Albert Giménez/Guitar, Effects (Audiogenerator)
Michel Huygen/Roland, Poly Korg Synths, Keyboards (Elka String), Effects (Audiogenerator)

Get it

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Neuronium - Chromium Echoes (1982)


Neuronium is a Barcelona, Spain based electronic music group. It was founded in 1976 by keyboardist/synthesist Michel Huygen, keyboardist/synthesist/guitarist Carlos Guirao and multi-instrumentalist Albert Giménez. This lineup released two albums for EMI-Harvest, "Quasar 2C361" in 1977 and "Vuelo Quimico" (Chemical Flight) in 1978.

With the departure of Giménez the group continued as a duo but was joined on their third album, "Digital Dream" (1980), and their fourth album, "The Visitor" (1981), by guest guitarist Santi Pico. After the release of the fifth album, "Chromium Echoes" (1982), Guirao departed. Since then Neuronium has become synonymous with Huygen, either solo, with Santi Picó, or with guest musicians. On most albums released between 1983 until 1996 Neuronium was the duo of Huygen and Picó with both musicians listed as full members. Four Huygen solo efforts were released under the Neuronium name during that time as well. Picó also returned for an appearance on the album "Alienikon" (1999) and for live performances in 2008.

Huygen has termed Neuronium's music as "psychotronic music" and "cosmic electronic music". Neuronium (Huygen and Guirao) collaborated with Vangelis on the album "A Separate Affair", recorded in 1981 and released in 1996.

Here

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer (1979)



Led by Edgar Froese, Tangerine Dream is perhaps the premier exponent of electronic "rock" music. From their "free-rock" beginnings in the nascent Kraut Rock scene to the eventual triple keyboard standard that signed to Virgin, this German group can take significant credit in introducing synthesizer/sequenced electronic music to most of the western rock world. At the height of their success - during the mid to late 1970s - the Dream's spacey, pulsing music earned them a tenacious cult following. By the late Seventies, however, line-ups, and more importantly, the formula changed, tilting towards more conventional "rock" music. By the early 1980s, TD was primarily releasing lucrative soundtrack work, before settling into New Age content by mid-decade.
This is a very atmospheric soundtrack from the movie sorcerer.

Guitar, Keyboards, Grand Piano, Synthesizer [Oberheim], Synthesizer [Arp], Synthesizer [Moog], Synthesizer [Ppg]Edgar Froese
  • Mellotron, Synthesizer [Arp], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Sequenced By [Projekt Elektronik Sequencer], Synthesizer [Projekt Elektronik]Peter Baumann
  • Mellotron, Synthesizer [Arp], Synthesizer [Elka], Synthesizer [Moog], Sequenced By [Projekt Elektronik Sequencer], Sequenced By [Oberheim Sequenzer], Synthesizer [Computerstudio]Christoph Franke*
  • ProducerTangerine Dream

  • Here

    Akikaze - In High Places (1993)

    Akikaze, Japanese for autumn wind, is the electronic exploration of Pepijn Courant (in English pronounced as Pepine Coorant). Pepijn Courant was born in Amsterdam on 30 January 1966.
    In 1977 he took piano lessons. He mainly studied classical music by composers such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, but also modern music such as by Béla Bartók. This seven year training was to have a big influence on his way of composing.
    The title "In High Places" refers to Hoogoord, the name of the building in south-east Amsterdam were Pepijn Courant then lived. This CD, as all music by Akikaze, was recorded at home and was mainly inspired by mankind’s great achievements such as the conquest of the moon and the climb of the Mount Everest. The guitar parts were performed by guitarist Dirk Zeeman, a blues musician, who appeared on a CD for the first time.
    Here
     
    (LIINK IS NOW FIXED! THANKS)

    Thursday, November 20, 2014

    Tim Blake - Waterfalls In Space (1979, 2006 digital release)




    Timothy 'Tim' Blake is a keyboardist, synthesist, vocalist, and composer with both Gong, and Hawkwind. Blake is best known for his Synthesizer and Light performances as Crystal Machine, with the French Light Artist Patrice Warrener.
    Blake first worked as the engineer at Marquee Studios, where Daevid Allen was recording his first solo album Bananamoon in 1971. At the end of the sessions Allen had invited Blake to come back to France to be Gong's sound mixer, but he refused. He eventually joined Gong full-time in September 1972 as the band's keyboard/synthesizer player, being among the first to bring the synthesizer out of the studio and on to the stage. He appears on all 3 albums of the Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy; Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg, and You. He left Gong in early 1975, prompting the eventual departures of almost all of the other members of the 'classic era' (with the exception of Pierre Moerlen, who continued the band under the name of Pierre Moerlen's Gong).
    Blake began a solo career under the name of Crystal Machine, which is noted for being the first live act to introduce the use of Laser lighting in the entertainment world. After 2 solo albums 1977's Crystal Machine and 1978's Blake's New Jerusalem, Blake joined another noted "space rock" outfit, Hawkwind, for a short stint between 1979 and 1980, and has sporadically rejoined them on several occasions, and since December 2007, is still with Hawkwind, with whom he performs on Theremin and what he chooses to call " Virtual Lead Guitar" .
    Waterfalls In Space was first released as a cassette album (in 1979) and later (2006) was digitaly remastered by Tim Blake himself. The music is basically a collection of tracks recorded during the rehearsals of a Japanese tour. Tim Blake is also accompanied by 16 year old Jean Phillipe Rykiel.

    Here!

    Saturday, November 15, 2014

    Xisle - Novins (1988)



    Xisle (pronounced "Exile"), is the product of synth wizard Chuck Van Zyl, who has also released numerous solo tapes. The two other members of the band are Peter D. Gulch (also member of the cult electronic band "the Nightcrawlers) and D. Andrew Rath, a composer with experience in scoring soundtracks for films, etc. More original than The Nightcrawlers, but also more melodically based, Xisle have been very active on the live scene in their local Philadelphia region. With a music based around sequences and rhythms, they've a most descriptive and unique sound, easily the rival of any of their European counterparts. I doubt any space-head into 80's Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Ian Boddy, Wavestar, et al, would be disappointed with any of Xisle's releases.
    Get it...

    Sunday, November 2, 2014

    Van Zyl & Gulch - Regeneration Mode (1994)




    A wonderful ambient/experimental album by Van Zyl, a composer of ambient music from Philadelphia, PA, USA and Peter Gulch ,americal synthesist - member of the cult electronic group "the nightcrawlers".
    Here  

    Friday, October 31, 2014

    J.Carpenter & A. Howarth - Halloween III (1982)



    Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 American science fiction horror film. The film is the third installment in the popular Halloween franchise. It is the only film in the Halloween franchise that does not feature the fictional character Michael Myers, and it also does not directly include story elements from Halloween I or II. It is the first film to be written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
    John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the creators of Halloween, returned as producers. The film stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis, Stacey Nelkin as Ellie Grimbridge, and Dan O'Herlihy as Conal Cochran. The story focuses on an investigation by Challis and Grimbridge into the activities of Cochran, the mysterious owner of the Silver Shamrock Novelties company, in the week approaching Halloween night.
    The soundtrack was composed by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, who worked together on the score for Halloween II and several other films. Music remained an important element in establishing the atmosphere of Halloween III. Just as in Halloween and Halloween II, there was no symphonic score. Much of the music was composed to solicit "false startles" from the audience.
    The score of Halloween III differed greatly from the familiar main theme of the original and sequel. Carpenter replaced the familiar piano melody with a slower, electronic theme played on a synthesizer with beeping tonalities.[19] Howarth explains how he and Carpenter composed the music for the third film:
    The music style of John Carpenter and myself has further evolved in this film soundtrack by working exclusively with synthesizers to produce our music. This has led to a certain procedural routine. The film is first transferred to a time coded video tape and synchronized to a 24 track master audio recorder; then while watching the film we compose the music to these visual images. The entire process goes quite rapidly and has "instant gratification," allowing us to evaluate the score in synch to the picture. This is quite an invaluable asset.[20]
    One of the more memorable aspects of the film's soundtrack was the jingle from the Silver Shamrock Halloween mask commercial. Set to the tune of "London Bridge Is Falling Down", the commercial in the film counts down the number of days until Halloween beginning with day eight followed by an announcer's voice (Tommy Lee Wallace) encouraging children to purchase a Silver Shamrock mask to wear on Halloween night:
    Eight more days 'til Halloween,
    Halloween, Halloween.
    Eight more days 'til Halloween,
    Silver Shamrock.
    Synths used: Prophet 10 and 5 with sequencers, Arp avatar and sequencer, Linn LM-1 Drum Computer. This version has 13 bonus tracks.

    Trick or treat?

    Monday, October 27, 2014

    John Carpenter - Halloween (1979) - 20th anniversary edition


    Halloween was written in approximately 10 days by Debra Hill and John Carpenter. It was based on an idea by Irwin Yablans about a killer who stalks baby-sitters, tentatively titled The Baby-sitter Murders until Yablans suggested that the story could take place on October 31st and Halloween might not be such a bad title for an exploitation-horror movie.

    "With Herrmann and Morricone in mind, the scoring for Halloween began in late June at Sound Arts Studios, then a small brick building in an alley in central Los Angeles. Dan Wyman was my creative consultant. I had worked with him in 1976 on the music for Assault. He programmed the synthesizers, oversaw the recording of my frequently imperfect performances, and often joined me to perform a difficult line or speed-up the seemingly never ending process of overdubbing one instrument at a time. I have to credit Dan as Halloween’s musical co-producer. His fine taste and musicianship polished up the edges of an already minimalistic, rhythm-inspired score.
     We were working in what I call the "double-blind" mode in 1978, which simply means that the music was composed and performed in the studio, on the spot, without reference or synchronization to the actual picture. recently, my association with Alan Howarth has led me to a synchronized video-tape system, a sort of "play it to the TV" approach. Halloween’s main title theme was the first to go down on tape. The rhythm was inspired by an exercise my father taught me on the bongos in 1961, the beating out of 5-4 time. The themes associated with Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) now seems to be the most Herrmannesque. Finally came the stingers. Emphasizing the visual surprise, they are otherwise known as "the cattle prod": short, percussive sounds placed at opportune moments to startle the audience. I’m now ashamed to admit that I recorded quite so many stingers for this one picture." (John Carpenter).

    Instruments and equiment used: expanded Moog modular IIIP comprising of 5-9 box units incl. double sequencer complement, SCI Prophet 10, and a classical piano.

    Here!

    Thursday, October 23, 2014

    Rolf Trostel - Der Prophet (1982)



    Even better than the "two faces" album. This one is closer to the Tangerine Dream style. Very very nice!
    Here

    Tuesday, October 21, 2014

    Rolf Trostel - Two Faces (1982)



    "ROLF TROSTEL brought, relatively, fresh wind with his albums, "Inselmusik", "Two Faces", as well as "The Prophet", at the beginning of the 80s, into the electronics scene run, when it was coming into a Punk, new Wave and/or new German wave. With the brand of new digital PPG Wavecomputer 360, he produced sounds, at the time hinted by the near-handed (already) atmospheres of today's Tech-tone, for the prototype of the Drumcomputers. The first two albums, published in a self direction, as well as the "Prophet" work, for which the Norwegian Uniton Label won the copyright, came restored, about twenty years later, not only in a compilation, but in an accesible format. Berlin label Manikin took care of ROLF TROSTEL's cultural inheritance and published his three early eighties albums into a double CD, since the Vinyls are hardly a future generation's remaint. The rough entire of the works ROLF TROSTEL achieved reminds of ASHRA ("Correlations"-like);even with the guitars missing, the rhythms and the aesthetics are a plus (since the Electronic Wave was, back then, arising."
    source: a german article, signed Carsten Agthe (translated, plus modifyied in very few places)
    Get it

    Saturday, October 18, 2014

    Soft Machine - Third (1970)


    "The Soft Machine plunged deeper into jazz and contemporary electronic music on this pivotal release, which incited the Village Voice to call it a milestone achievement when it was released. It's a double album of stunning music, with each side devoted to one composition -- two by Mike Ratledge, and one each by Hopper and Wyatt, with substantial help from a number of backup musicians, including Canterbury mainstays Elton Dean and Jimmy Hastings. The Ratledge songs come closest to fusion jazz, although this is fusion laced with tape loop effects and hypnotic, repetitive keyboard patterns. Hugh Hopper's "Facelift" recalls "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, although it's more complex, with several quite dissimilar sections. The pulsing rhythms, chaotic horn and keyboard sounds, and dark drones on "Facelift" predate some of what Hopper did as a solo artist later (this song was actually culled from two live performances in 1970). Robert Wyatt draws on musical ideas from early 1967 demos done with producer Giorgio Gomelsky, on his capricious composition "Moon in June." Lyrically, it's a satirical alternative to the pretension displayed by a lot of rock writing of the era, and combined with the Softs' exotic instrumentation, it makes for quite a listen (the collection Triple Echo includes a BBC broadcast recording of this song, with different albeit equally fanciful lyrics). Not exactly rock, Third nonetheless pushed the boundaries of rock into areas previously unexplored, and it managed to do so without sounding self-indulgent. A better introduction to the group is either of the first two records, but once introduced, this is the place to go."
    Review by P. Kurtz (allmusic.com)

    Here

    Sunday, October 12, 2014

    Sinoia Caves - Beyond The Black Rainbow (2014)




    Sinoia Caves is the solo alter ego of Black Mountain's Vancouver-based keyboardist Jeremy Schmidt, who is also a former member of Pipedream and the Battles. Outside the confines of his primary maximal hard rock band, as Sinoia Caves he records exclusively with vintage synthesizers and organs. His spacy, post-psych, post-German sound reflects influences from early Popol Vuh to middle period Tangerine Dream, from Klaus Schulze to Rick Wakeman, Bo Hansson, and composer/director John Carpenter.
    This is the soundtrack of the movie "Beyond The Black Rainbow" by Panos Cosmatos. I saw the movie and to be honest I didnt like it. I think it has beautiful pictures and photograph but the scenario is not that great. The music however is awesome! It was all composed on vintage gear: analog synthesizers, Mellotrons, sequencers, arpeggiated synth pads et. al. While Tangerine Dream's soundtrack for Sorcerer is an obvious touch point, so are the self-composed, synth-created scores for director John Carpenter's films, the music of Goblin, and late-'70s Klaus Schulze
    Here

    Sunday, October 5, 2014

    Mother Gong - Robot Woman 1 (1981)


    This is the first in a trilogy of the Mother Gong "Robot Woman" records and the best in my opinion. The story behind this album is as follows: Beta is a Robot woman who wants to be a real woman. She is owned by a man and malfunctions by having thoughts of her own. The man calls a repairman who fixes her and gives her a satellite radio phone so she can talk to other Robot women for some reason. Instead she ends up talking to a government agent who reports her to the authorities. The custom man rapes her because that is just what he does. Then Nuclear war kills everyone and Alien feminists from another planet contact her on her satellite radio phone and she is free.
    The music is typical mother gong - space progressive rock with lots and lots of imagination
    Here

    Mother Gong - Wild Child (1991)


    Recorded in Wales on the eve of Mother Gong's 1989 British tour, Wild Child was the result of what Gilli Smyth termed "spontaneous composition" -- she would enter the studio poem in hand, discuss the feel and limits of the piece with the musicians, and then turn on the tapes. There were no rehearsals and no retakes -- which explains how an album of such apparent complexity was recorded in just a few days.  Wild Child is the band's finnest album since "Fairytales".
    Get it

    Tuesday, September 23, 2014

    Steve Jolliffe - The Japanese Way (1988)



    The Japanese Way is an ethno-ambient set from Steve Jolliffe. He combines electronic, acoustic, and native influences to create "atmospheres [that reflect] contemporary lifestyles." If the title does not give it away, the music will. Jolliffe is referring, of course, to the traditional Japanese lifestyle. He uses various flutes, saxophone, and stringed instruments to balance his synths and keyboards.
    The music is relaxing and atmospheric!
    Here

    Sunday, September 21, 2014

    Steve Jolliffe - Beyond The Dream (1984)



    A native of Britain, Steve Jolliffe has been an active keyboardist, flutist and saxophonist for over 35 years. His career started in 1967, when he met Rick Davies and formed a group called The Joint, which, after Steve left, evolved into Supertramp. Jolliffe's interest in classical music led him to the "Berlin High School for Music" in 1969. He was the first student accepted there who didn't have the ability to read music. And while at the school, he met Edgar Froese, and together with Klaus Schulze toured Germany as one of the earliest incarnations of Tangerine Dream. 
    "Beyond The Dream" has elements of progressive rock, ambient, electronic and jazz rock music. A very artistic album with lots of variety.
    Get it

    K. Schulze & P. Namlook - The Dark Side Of The Moog (1994)


    The noteworthy first meeting of '70s space hero Klaus Schülze and his '90s inheritor Pete Namlook, Dark Side of the Moog is an hour-long journey into vintage space territory, quite similar to Schülze classics Timewind or Moondawn, perhaps because he was using analogue synthesizers for the first time in many years.
    Here

    Saturday, September 6, 2014

    Ron Boots & Synth.nl - Refuge En Verre (2010)


    This is the first collaborative project of two Dutch electronic artists Ron Boots and Michel van Osenbruggen aka Synth.nl. The album was made when the Boots and Osenbruggen families rented a house in the Belgian Ardennes for a weekend. Ron and Michel brought along a synthesizer and a laptop and jammed together. The majority of the tracks have relaxing rhythms and Vangelis-like melodies. Every track forms a picture and a story and the result is a very colourful musical journey.
    Here


    Wednesday, August 27, 2014

    Schonwalder & Rothe - Filter Kaffee 101 (2014)



    Filter-Kaffee 101 is performed and recorded over three years. Schönwälder & Rothe played a lot of real analogue and virtuell analogue gear. On an evening of January 2011 they listened to all this recorded stuff while they were drinking cups of coffee and take the tracks in the right order.
    Mastered by Gerd Wienekamp of Rainbow Serpent, the CD-R is a wonderfull nearly 70 minutes long trip into their world of analogue soundsscapes and sequences in Berlin School of Electronic Music. Highly recommended for all fans of the music from the great era of EM, the seventies!
    Get it

    Tuesday, August 19, 2014

    Robert Schroeder - Timewaves (1987)



    Recorded and mixed at Newsound Studio, Aachen (Germany), in 1986. An excellent album by Robert Schroeder that reminds me of some Schultze albums of the same period. Schroeder likes to use the PPG synthesizer a lot and I can surely hear lots of these sounds here.
    Enjoy.

    Sunday, August 17, 2014

    Robert Schroeder - Pegasus (1990)

    The German artist Robert Schroeder composes, produces and publishes successfully Electronic Music worldwide since 1979. At that time he was discovered and promoted by EM pioneer Klaus Schulze.The music of Robert Schroeder is various, but always soulful. He combines spherical synthesizer sounds with rhythmical contrasts, often supplemented by guitars and sometimes also by piano, cello or voices. Schroeder's music spectrum reaches from Electronics, Ambient, ChillOut, Berlin School, Adventure, Trip-Hop to Rock and Classical. Electronic Music in the widest sense is the musical style of this artist who has his roots in the music of Klaus Schulze, Can and Pink Floyd.

    In 1982/83 Schroeder created the controversial music PEGASUS. Pegasus was published only in 1990 on the intercity train label. Pegasus is as "Schroeder" - release not from Robert authorised, because the product was intended at the moment of the origin (1982/83) only as Book-MC (addition). 
    Here

           

    Monday, August 11, 2014

    Pyramid Peak - 5 Vor 12 (2011)



    German ambient space music band founded in 1988 by Stupplich and Morsch in Leverkusen under the name Digital Dream. It turned into a solo project when Morsch left the band in 1991 until Denzer joined in 1995. Morsch later rejoined in 1998.
    "5 Vor 12" is an excellent berlin-electronica album that was recorded Live on 13/11/2010 in Bochum, Germany. This became quickly one of my favourite German electronic bands.
    Enjoy



    Thursday, August 7, 2014

    Mitch Murder - Current Events (2011)


    Making 80′s-inspired electro-house has become a trend of the days we live in. Mitch has made it his goal to cut out the club music side and keep a true representation of 80′s music and culture.
    Born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1980, Mitch grew up marveling at the popular movies and tv-shows of the 80′s, some of which would eventually serve as a seemingly never-ending source of inspiration for his music later on. As the story goes, Mitch is an overworked Wall Street I.T. guy from the 80′s who dreams at night other realities for himself. His music is the soundtrack to those dreams.
    Whether you’re going for a late night run under a gloomy, moonlit sky or speeding down neon city streets, Mitch provides the perfect soundtrack to meet your needs.
    In a recent interview Mitch Murder told Synconation.com that “Current Events, is all about everyday life during the 1980′s in general to major events that defined the decade. Most of the time it’s pretty subtle though. I just enjoy working around a set theme.”
    Well, in my opinion, if this guy lived during the 80s he would be a milionaire. His music is clever, groovy and makes you want to dance. On the other hand I believe he could be better if he wasnt into nightclub rhythms (I would prefer more "cinematic" tracks...). I'm posting this album just to read your reactions and opinion... (post your comments please!)
    Here

    Sunday, August 3, 2014

    Serge Bulot - Les Legendes De Broceliande (1981)


    Serge Bulot is a French artist and professional musician since 1975. He was also a member of the progressive/art rock "Pachacamac".
    In this album he manages to play all the instruments: Electric violin (Barcus-Berry), Fender bass, violin Violectra,. Electric & acoustic guitars, Fretless bass, tablas, various percussions, flutes, Polymoog keyboards, and a Korg 770 synthesizer.
    It was recorded in private studio on TEAC 8 Tracks.
    Some tracks have an ambient feeling, some are experimental and some other "electronic folk". Great album! Get it

    Thursday, July 31, 2014

    Various - Space Oddities vol.2 (A Compilation by Alexis Le-Tan & Jess)




    Thats the second compilation from Alexis Le Tan & Jess with bands and composers from the 70s and 80s. Nice groovy tracks with lots of improvisation, imagination and above all...vintage synthesizer sounds! This one is more towards krautrock music but just as good as the first one. An ideal album for your summer vacations. Enjoy it here

    Wednesday, July 30, 2014

    Various - Space Oddities (A Compilation by Alexis Le-Tan & Jess)

    This is an excellent compilation of space-electro library music from 1977-1984 (there are tracks from Guiot, Decerf, Kalma , Weiss and many more. It was made by Alexis Le-Tan and Jess (Jean-Sebastien Bernard) producers and djs from France. Very hard to find!

    Sunday, July 27, 2014

    Dominique Guiot - L'Universe De La Mer (1978)



    A very beautiful and delicate psychedelic/electronic/folk album by French composer Dominique Guiot. Unfortunately,  I could not find any information regarding this great composer. Please write anything you know on the comments. Thanks!
    Here!

    Music De Wolfe - Kaleidoscope (1978)



    "Music De Wolfe" is a Library music publisher and label established by the De Wolfe family in 1909. De Wolfe began its commercial recorded library in 1927 establishing a vast archive of authentic recordings, sound effects and music. From the 1950's through to the 1990's many specially commissioned recordings were published as records as auditioning copies. These releases were never intended for commercial sale.
    The composers of this E.M. library album  are John Saunders and Karl Jenkins.
    John Saunders (real name is John Hyde) was a member of the experimental electronic band "The Gadgets". He has also written many different library albums for the "Music De Wolfe" label.
    Karl Jenkins was born in Wales and studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. It was in jazz that he initially made his mark; co-forming Nucleus (3), which won first prize at the Montreux jazz festival and appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island. This was followed by a period with Soft Machine, one of the seminal bands of the 70’s. Through many incarnations, ‘Softs’ defied categorization playing venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the classical ‘Proms’ at the Royal Albert Hall, the Reading ‘Rock’ Festival and many more.
    Get it...

    Monday, July 21, 2014

    Astral Sounds - Front Runner (1984)



    Amazing album by Astral Sounds, composed and produced by J. Hyde (James Harrington). If you like 80s soundtracks, synth-pop melodies, and old drum machines then this is your album!
    Get it now

    Thursday, July 17, 2014

    Astral Sounds - Hercules (1982)



    Astral Sounds is a band consisting of various composers of electronic music and each album release is composed by a different one. "Hercules" is written by Christopher Evans-Ironside, a successful and award-winning songwriter, composer and music producer. Born in England and based in Hamburg, Germany, his awards have included Gold and Platinum discs for collaborations with Nino de Angelo and Drafi Deutscher as Mixed Emotions and Masquerade.
    Here...

    Saturday, July 12, 2014

    Klaus Weiss - Open Space Motion Underscores (1981)



    German jazzmusician and drummer, born 17 February 1942 in Gevelsberg, Germany,
    died 10 December 2008 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Germany. The notes of this album say "Contemporary synthesizer sounds illustrating wide open space activities, environment and Research". There is extensive use of the minimoog synthesizer, string and drum machines. Each track has a different story to tell (just like a sci-fi soundtrack). One of the best electronic library music albums. Enjoy it here

    Friday, July 11, 2014

    Lem - Machines (1977)


    Lem is an obscure electronic band from USA playing expensive synthesizers such as the EMS Synthi AKS, Buchla 200, Oberheim, Polyfusion, Serge Modular Synth, and many other. They have various funky grooves with vocals, and some moments of synth experimentation. Very good album and hard to find.
    Get it Here

    Tuesday, July 8, 2014

    Armand Frydman - Telecom (1986)



    There is hardly any information about this obscure electronic coomposer from France. This is an excellent electronic album with lots of unusual tracks. Fans of weird vintage electronic library music will love it!
    Here

    Saturday, July 5, 2014

    Mick Chillage - Tales From The Igloo (2009)



    Don't let the title "Chillage" fool you into thinking Mick's music only ventures into the Chill out/ambient arena while some of his music lies comfortably within these genres he is also quite prone to a bit of techno, electro, IDM and deep house also..
    Mick Chillage has been producing various strains of electronica since 1996 and is one half of Dublin based radio DJ's The Chillage Idiots who have been playing a wide range of music within the spectrum of electronica on Dublins XFM. His Influences are wide ranging from John Barry to Kraftwerk to Eno to Larry Heard & beyond.
    Mick is quickly becoming one of the most prolific electronic artist in his native country of Ireland focusing mainly on CD album releases in recent times.
    His distinct sound combines atmospheric soundscapes and melancholic melody which he prefers to create from scratch rather than sampling someone else's work.
    So far Mick has released material on Pete Namlook's legendary Fax records in both solo and collaboration with Lee Anthony Norris as Autumn Of Communion.
    Mick released his debut CD album "Tales From The Igloo" in 2009 on Dublin based label Psychonavigation. Other labels he's released on are, Txt, Carpe Sonum, Anodize,
    Nice&Nasty and more.
    "Tales From The Igloo" is a collection of pieces created between 2005 & 2008 which were carefully chosen to display Mick Chillage’s deeper, atmospheric & more emotional side. Mick blends Ambient, Electro, Techno, Dub & experimentalism to create a unique mixture of various moods, sometimes reaching epic wide screen scope. From the furthest outpost of distant galaxies on “Gateway Station” while returning to earth gracefully with the soulful electro blues of “Melting Emotion” to the disturbing dark environmental tones of “Disturbed Earth” & “Hypothermia”, this is a wonderful trip. He also has a wonderful cover of John Carpenter's "Assault On Precinct 13" main theme, which he names "Precinct 14".
    Here

    Sunday, June 29, 2014

    Paddy Kingsland - Moogerama (1978)




    Paddy Kingsland (born 30 January 1947) is a composer of electronic music best known for his incidental music for science fiction series on BBC radio and television whilst working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Educated at Eggars Grammar School, Alton, in Hampshire, he joined the BBC as a tape editor before moving on to become a studio manager for BBC Radio 1. In 1970 he joined the Radiophonic Workshop where he remained until 1981. His initial work was mostly signature tunes for BBC radio and TV programmes before going on to record incidental music for programmes including The Changes, two versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: the second radio series and the TV adaptation, as well as several serials of Doctor WHO
    "Moogerama" is a really nice and hard to find lp with beautifull pop melodies played on a moog synthesizer and combined with orchestral instruments. Features the sought after cuts 'March Of The Moogs' & 'Space Race'.
    Get it now

    Thursday, June 19, 2014

    Streetmark - Eileen (1977)



    Progressive rock group from Düsseldorf with a history starting in the late 1960's. Interconnected with many other bands of the industrial Rhineland Streetmark went through many changes in style and personnel. The 1975 album Nordland was fronted by Georg Buschmann, who split forming his own band Straight Shooter. Vocalist/synthesist Wolfgang Riechmann pretty much took over on the second album Eileen, adding Kraftwerk like elements. Down to a trio, with Dorothea Raukes in control as multi-synth operator and vocalist, they mellowed moving ever more towards pop.
    Here...

    Tuesday, June 17, 2014

    Absolute Elsewhere - In Search Of Ancient Gods (1976)



    ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE is basically a solo effort by one Paul FISHMAN. He wrote it all, arranged it, played all the instruments (synths, sequencers, flute, pianos, mellotron) except guitars & percussion. "In Search of Ancient Gods" is an instrumental album that's a musical interpretation of Erich Von Daniken's books. This is a real fine album of HELDON meets CRIMSON and Alan PARSONS with tons of mellotrons. This is recommended to diehard fans of BRUFORD on drums or to fans of early synthesizer albums.
    Get it...

    Thursday, June 12, 2014

    Max Van Richter - Resurrection (2002)



    Pseudonym for Paul Lawler. Van Richter was claimed to be a member of the band Arcane, which is Lawlers own project. According to the story, Van Richter was a victim of a mysterious spontaneous human combustion in his home, his charred remains found holding a badly damaged demo tape.
    Instrumentation: MKS-80 Super Jupiter, Prophet 10, Deep Bass 9, Oberheim OB-8, Arp String Ensemble, Minimoog, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland JX8P, Juno 106, Yamaha Grand Piano, EMU 4XT Ultra, Proteus 2000, Roland JV1010.
    Very good album! Listen here and support the artist

    Sunday, June 8, 2014

    David Moufang - Solitaire (1995)


    David Moufang (born 1966, Heidelberg, Germany) is a German ambient techno musician. He records with his partner, Jonas Grossmann as Deep Space Network project and his solo releases as Move D.[ His other projects include Earth to Infinity, Reagenz, Koolfang, and Conjoint. Moufang has continued making music into the present day, releasing a number of albums, EPs, and singles, both under the Deep Space Network Moniker as well as his solo name, Move D.
    This is one of the best releases of Pete Namlook's Fax Records.
    Here..

    Thaneco - Cityscapes (2014)



    Please listen to my new album at  http://thaneco.bandcamp.com/album/cityscapes and buy it to support my music and blog.
    Cityscapes is about the story of a small city in Greece, struggling to recover from the economic crisis that begun in 2009. The music evokes darkness, despair, and melancholia. However there are fragments of hope mixed with nostalgia for the prosperity of the 80s.
    Equipment used: DSI Mopho, Moog Minimoog model D, SCI Prophet 5, Korg Polysix, Korg Z1, Mutable Instruments Shruthi-1, U-he Zebra, Korg Legacy vsts, Soniccore synthesizer plugins, Abbey Road drums 
    Right now I'm in the process of writting Cityscapes II. Your comments are welcomed!!