Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Namlook & Montana - Labyrinth 5 (2012)



Peter Namlook was one of the most influential figures of electronic and ambient music in the 1990s. Inspired by Oskar Sala, one of the pioneers of electronic music, Namlook focused on the untapped potential of analogue synthesizers, often developed or extended in his laboratory.

Freshly educated in composition from Goethe University, Pete Namlook (Pete Kuhlmann) started his career in Frankfurt playing in the electronic ensemble Romantic Warrior that was loosely part of the new age and electronic scene. They cut Romantic Warrior (Frog, 1985), Himalaya (Frog, 1986), Planet (Blue Flame, 1988).

In 1991 he began a second life as a disc jockey playing techno music under the moniker Sequential.

The single True Colours changed his career and a good chunk of modern music. Kuhlmann assumed the identity of Pete Namlook, opened his own Fax label and made his first album, Silence (Fax, 1992), a collaboration with Dr Atmo (and one of the first albums released only on compact disc).

Namlook understood that producing was more important than recording and he set out to discover, encourage and promote music by ambient electronic artists. During the first year alone, his label released over 100 records and CDs. The label name refers to the "fax" as a medium for fast and cheap distribution of ideas. Its humble weekly releases are equivalent to sending a fax to a group of friends.

His double albums are containers of lengthy ambient suites reminiscent of Germany's kosmische school of the 1970s and of Brian Eno's late 1970s "discreet" music, but also influenced by his two true love: eastern and classical music. No musical genre was a direct influence, though: Namlook has always claimed that Nature was his main teacher

Peter passed away on November 8th 2012 from a heart attack, at the age of 51.

This album is one of the last albums that Namlook and fax records released. It has the typical hypnotic Namlook atmosphere embelished with modern electronic IDM beats.
Part 1   Part 2


 

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Steve Hillman - From Distant Shores (1983)


Steve Hillman has been a UK musician and composer playing synths, keyboards and electric guitar since the early 1980’s when he released a series of solo albums and played at several music festivals in the UK. His music in that period was inspired and influenced by early Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Pink Floyd and space rockers Hawkwind & Gong. After ten solo albums Steve was signed to the UK progressive rock label Cyclops Records in 1993 who released four CD albums worldwide. Steve’s music had by then taken off in a more prog rock direction with influences ranging from Rick Wakeman, Mike Oldfield, Camel, Steve Hackett, ELP etc. coming to the fore. 
"From Distant Shores" is his 1983 debut album o(released on cassete) of 70’s era Berlin School inspired sequencers and electronics which evokes deep space and ancient civilisations.
Equipment used: Yamaha CS30L synthesiser, audio generator, Casio 301 organ & electric piano, Soundmaster SR88 drum machine. Flute on "Enetor Valdia". Watkins Copycat echo & reverb.
Here
 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Magical Ring - Light Flight, More And More (1977)


An obscure and weird band (Jean-Pierre Decerf is involved here) from France playing electronic "library" music with floydian guitar passages, string machine pads, and drum machine grooves. Enjoy it here!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Jean-Pierre Decerf - Pulsations (1980)


Another great album  from Decerf. Very enjoyable. Here!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Gerard Zadj & Jean-Pierre Decerf - Action (1979)


An obscure "library music" electronic album from Zadj and Decerf, members of French progressive band "Open Air". Get it

Jean-Pierre Decerf - Keys Of Future (1978)




Little is known of Jean-Pierre Decerf. The only info I could find was that he was the keyboardist of French progressive rock band "Open Air" (please write any Info you have about this amazing artist). His solo albums are categorised as "Library Music" but its certainly more than that. This one has nice synthesizer melodies and floydian guitars and is one of my favourite. Highly recomended! Here

Software - Past-Present-Future Vol.2 (1988)





Software formed in 1983 by German duo Peter Mergener and Michael Weisser, Software owes much to electronic pioneer Klaus Schulze.
Software's music usually builds on sequencer patterns and simple melodies, creating a lighter version of The Schulze style. Their later work is woven into concept albums.
This is an amazing compilation of rare tracks. Get it while you can! Here