LOUIS PHILIPPE " Yuri Gagarin " (UK/FRA, 1989)

the exquisite el sensibility in orbit...

get it here

EDWARD KA SPEL : the sharpness of the thin blue lines

Selected tracks from solo works by LEGENDARY PINK DOTS mainman EDWARD KA SPEL (birthname Edward Francis Sharp).

tracklist

01.atomic roses (Laugh china doll , 1984)
02.lady sunshine (Laugh china doll, 1984)
03.the char char (Eyes china doll, 1985)
04.the infinity waltz (Chyekk china doll, 1986)
05.Lisa`s christening (Chyekk china doll, 1986)
06.nuts in May (AaΔzhyd china doll, 1987)
07.the Qa`Spell (AaΔzhyd china doll, 1987)
08.and the lord said "rise" (For your ears only, compilation)
09.our lady in Madras (Khataclimici china doll, 1988)
10.the bakersman (Tanith & the lion tree, 1991)
11.memoires of Dr. Bliss (the scriptures of illumina, 1995)
12.scarlet cross (The blue room, 1998)
13.seeing red (Red letters, 2000)

The Prophet Qa`Spell with LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

Θέατρο Δάσους, Θεσσαλονίκη, Σεπτέμβρης 1987

(Live in Salonika, Greece, Sept 1987)

Link 1 (81mb) - Link 2 

LES DISQUES DU CREPUSCULE: Scenes From Twilightning

Founded by Michel Duval and Annik Honore in 1980 and connected with legendary Factory records, this Brussels based label played an important role on the blooming of eclecticism and diversity of the post punk era. They started releasing Factory material (as Factory Benelux), but soon they created their own catalogue of fine artists...and became a "bridge" between UK and continental europe, between new wave-pop and experimental/jazz/classical.In spite of the mid-eighties demise of indie sound, Les Disques du Crepuscule remained an interesting label, active until 2005.

The tracks of this compilation are selected from the early (and best) period of the label. Many thanks to Rainier who provided kindly some of the material.

tracklist

01.GAVIN BRYARS - white`s S.S.
02.THICK PIGEON - subway
03.JEZ & VINI - sleep will come
04.THE DURUTTI COLUMN - weakness and fever
05.DREAM MAKERS - helen`s song
06.STEVEN BROWN - waltz
07.ANTENA - camino del sol
08.PAUL HAIG - running away
09.THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS - pick up the rhythm
10.MIKADO - par hazard
11.DEVINE & STATTON - bizare love triangle
12.NAMES - life by the sea
13.WINSTON TONG - like the others
14.TUXEDOMOON - ninotchka
15.MICHAEL NYMAN - a walk though H
16.BLAINE REININGER - mystery & confusion
17.SWAMP CHILDREN - flesh
18.ISOLATION WARD - lamina christus
19.REPETITION - a still reflex
20.RHINE RIVER III - an end remains
21.323 - affectionate silence
22.IKE YARD - night after night
23.PETER GORDON - the fruit of the original sin
24.BILL NELSON - dada guitar
25.HAROLD BUDD - children on the hill
26. RICHARD JOBSON - autumn

compiled by LFDJ

Listen here (129mb)

"...paysages de la route de la vie plutot que de la surface de la Terre..."
HENRI MICHAUX

SHINY GNOMES "Some funny nightmares" (GER, 1988)

After first LP, "Wild Spells", which we posted some months ago, here it is the second LP of SHINY GNOMES. Mainman Stefan Lienemann is also known from other projects: FIT & LIMO (psych-folk), DISCOLOR (space-drone-psych), PURE LUEGE (the pre-SHINY phase), GOD BOX a.o. Alike the first LP, "Some Funny Nightmares" is a very good neo-psychedelic, garagy album. "Lazing at desert inn" & "Dr Moustache", two of the more known Shiny Gnomes tracks are included here.

Some Funny Nightmares (88mb)

MASTER SLAVE RELATIONSHIP "Being led around by the tongue" (US, 1990)

Debbie Jaffe and her christian choir of "male whispers" perform sunshine, spring-flavoured, heart-warming music, high-lighted in songs: "Navy Blue Urinal Dervish", "The Desire to Castrate Father", "Pornographic Women", "Tongue me".

Link

provided & created by Koroviov

PETER JEFFERIES & JONO LONIE "At swim 2 birds" (NZ, 1987)

As requested, here it is the album Peter Jefferies (percussions, piano, tapes etc.) and Jono Lonie (guitar, violin, percussions etc) made in 1987. Noise ambience, minimalism, pianoscapes, experimental moods, open forms... a homemade instrumental sound related with so many fields, seeking for free combinations among several elements and defending both antithesis and co-existence.

AT SWIM 2 BIRDS

KARL BISCUIT "Regrets Eternels", EP, (FRA, 1984)

Entry of the "ballet" man to the 80`s cold electro art pessimism assisted by Mark Hollander (sax), Winston Tong (guest vocals) and Blaine Reininger (violin).

Regrets eternels (27mb)

KARL BISCUIT "Fatal Reverie" (FRA, 1986)

Magnificent romantic new wave synth pop art by cult french composer Karl Biscuit, whose electronic songs, bathed in dark, cold central european atmospheres help us imagine David Sylvian performing the music of Tuxedomoon (or the opposite).
Karl Biscuit came to electronic underground scene from the world of modern ballet and after few mid-eighties releases in Crammed Disc (SECRET LOVE EP, REGRETS ETERNEL EP, FATAL REVERIE LP, AKTUALISMUS LP) he returned to it.

Fatal Reverie (41mb)

PHILLIP BOA & THE VOODOO CLUB "Philister" (1985) / "Aristocracie" (1986) , Germany

Alternative alchemies of noise, eclectisism, strong pop instinct and significant male/female/voodoo vocals. A mixture of fresh, daring ideas, imagination and innocence that found its peak in BOA`s first two LPs: "Philister" (1985) and "Aristocracie" (1986).
See also previous LFDJ post about BOA`s compilation "Thirty years of blank expression".

Philister (81mb)

Aristocracie (40mb)

COURAGE OF LASSIE "The temptation to exist " (1986) / "Sing or Die" (1989)

Rare Amok records vinyl edition front cover

Sing or Die, 1989 (60mb)

The Temptation to Exist, 1986, (73mb), 320kb

Refreshing the acoustic romantism of Pearls Before Swine, and Leonard Cohen... and setting on music poems of W.B. Yeats and the likes... these Canadian masters of quiet, art-folk melodrama get a position among the sound of rain, the evergreen whispers of fallen leaves and the autumn natural noises.
From the haunted "hopes & fears" to the droning backgrounded auras of "air du temps"... from ingeniously covered "Bang Bang (my baby shot me down)" to holocaustic"Sing or Die" declarations... both albums have plenty of songs equally able to build their chilling echo inside you, for ever.

TRAKWERX RECORDS

Home of the resurrected 17 PYGMIES, which reappeared in 2006 after 16 years absence, TRAKWERX is a contemporary californian indie label, run by veteran "pygmy" Jackson Del Rey (a.k.a. Phillip Drucker) and newcomer "pygmy" Meg Maryatt. Apart from 17 PYGMIES and DEL REY`S works, TRAKWERX has already released other interesting albums by new artists like english duo CULT WITH NO NAME, SMOLDERING ASHES...
Jackson Del Rey writes also music for silent era films (Nosferatu, Battleship Potemkin) under moniker DEL REY & THE SUN KINGS. Their 2005 album "I am the light" was the debut release of the label.

After LOUISE BIALIK departure 17 PYGMIES reformed as THE 17th PYGMY and their latest line up is:

Jackson Del Rey (keyboards, guitar, vocal),

Jeff Brenneman (ex WHITE GLOVE TEST, guitar),
Meg Maryatt (guitar, vocals, accordion, keyboards),
Bob Mora (bass),
Dirk Doucette (ex WHITE GLOVE TEST, drums)


THE 17TH PYGMY- ballade of tristram`s last harping, 2008
selected tracks: 1. paint me / 2. last train


SMOLDERING ASHES - Nervous constellations, 2008
selected tracks:1. kite / 2. a comedy of arrows

Listen these 4 selected tracks HERE (16mb)


More about TRAKWERX at:

http://trakwerx.blogspot.com

www.trakwerx.com

JOE CROW "Compulsion", 7`` single, (UK, 1982)

Track "Compulsion" was one of the peeks of the famous "PILLOWS & PRAYERS" compilation (CHERRY RED, 1982).
Here it is accompanied by "Absent Friends", the b-side of that 7`` release.

COMPULSION (14mb)

SAMY BIRNBACH & BENJAMIN LEW "When God Was Famous" (BEL, 1989)

in the green morning, before

love was destiny,

the sun was king

and god was famous

D SCHWARTZ

BENJAMIN LEW (electronics), SAMMY BIRNBACH (vocals), MICHEL BERCKMANS (oboe, bassoon), ANNELI DRECKER (back. vocals), PETER PRINCIPLE (guitar), AURELIA BOVEN (cello), GILES MARTIN (engineering, production)

tracklist

01.pourquoi que vis [BORIS VIAN]
02.kommt [GOTTFRIED BENN]
03.the wheel [W.B. YEATS]
04.an upbraiding [THOMAS HARDY]
05.men with coats thrashing [MALCOLM LOWRY]
06.response [BOB KAUFMAN]
07.what is to be given [DELMORE SCHWARTZ]
08.ravenna 1 [HERMANN HESSE]
09.hotels [GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE]
10.mandorla [PAUL CELAN]
11.plis [PAUL ELUARD]
12.in the green morning, now ,once more [DELMORE SCHWARTZ]
13.little birds sit on your shoulders [KENNETH PATCHEN]

when god was famous (42mb)

THE MULTICOLOURED SHADES " House of Wax " (GER, 1985)

The first LP from one of the finest 80`s german psychedelic revival bands. Both electroacoustic and garagy.
There are also two more LPs "Sundome city exit"(1987) , "Ranchero!"(1989), the selftitled debut 12``(1984) and the EPs "Teen sex transfusion"(1986), " 2000 light years fromhome"(1987).

Line up: Michael Doering (bass), Pete Barany (vocals), Martin Heimes (drums), Detlev Bizer (organ), Heinz Werner Maleike (guitar).

HOUSE OF WAX (79mb), 256kb

LOUIS PHILIPPE " Appointment with venus" (UK,1986)

Before he started writing songs, the talented Mr LOUIS PHILIPPE (born 1959 in France as Philippe Auclair) was a university teacher, documentary director, writer... His first music attempts (with "THE BORDER BOYS" and "THE ARCADIANS") released from Brussels based label Le Disques Du Crepuscule circa 1984-85.
That time, MIKE ALWAY had just founded el records (el-Benelux) which first releases supported by Le Disques Du Crepuscule. So Louis Philippe joined el records and after the 12``single "Red roses and red noses" , he released "Appointment with Venus".
"Ivory Tower" and "Yuri Gagarin" were the other two LPs, this romantic "latin-englishman" made for el before the demise of label.

APPOINTMENT (53mb)

C.W. VRTACEK "Learning to be silent" (US,1986)

Member of bands like FOREVER EINSTEIN, BIOTA, and collaborator of Cutler, Didkovsky, DiMuzio... C.W.VRTACEK (a.k.a. Charles O` Meara) is a musician mostly related with the experimental, avant-prog field. He has released also many solo works which reveal a wide variety of styles, moods and influences.
"LEARNING TO BE SILENT" (1986, Leisure time records, Cordelia records) & "WHEN HEAVEN COMES TO TOWN" (1988, Recommended rec) are two albums that represent his acoustic, melodic side. Recorded at home with simple means and instruments (guitar, piano, sparse electronics, ambient sounds...) are a kind of meditative lo-fi new age landscape paintings, darkened by melacholic moments, invaded here and there by narrations and environmental samples.
Both albums reissued together on one cd, titled "SILENT HEAVEN" (1996, Cuneiform).
This post gives for listening the "LEARNING TO BE SILENT " LP. Tracks though, are taken from the cd reissue which is one track poorer than the original issue.

when heaven comes to town, 1988

silent heaven, cd 1996

LEARNING TO BE SILENT (46mb), 192kb

PEOPLE IN CONTROL " When it`s war ", 7``, (UK,1980)

I remember the song "when it`s war" as one of the finest moments of the several old and new crammed disc compilations. It is originated from early 80`s days, when the terms "new wave", "avant-garde" were nearly synonyms and crammed disc used to introduce us to so many new, unknown and amazingly pioneering works.
Searching, i found out that Charles Bullen (THIS HEAT) and Martin Frederix (FAMILY FODDER, ON-U-SOUND label) were involved with this short lived project, PEOPLE IN CONTROL.
Apart this 3 track EP, i haven`t listened to (or known) anything else from this band.

WHEN IT`S WAR (10mb)

FOURWAYCROSS " Home " (US, 1986)

Founded in 1984 along with their own label MOTIV COMMUNICATIONS, FOURWAYCROSS was, next to SAVAGE REPUBLIC, a nearly equally important and influential chapter of the mid-eighties californian blend of post punk, local psych folk and british influence. They released an 8-track self titled cassette (1985) and two wonderful LPs: "FILL THE SKY" and "HOME" (1986). Following up output was much less interesting and an LP they made in 1989("ON THE OTHER HAND") was a darkwave, goth-pop orientated disappointing thing.
Other Fourwaycross/Motiv Communications related bands were: STEAMING COILS, BLISSED OUT FATALISTS, DOUBTING THOMAS (Tom Dolan`s band)...

FOURWAYCROSS: Biff Sanders, Tom Dolan, Steve Gerdes, Courtney Davies, Beth Thompson

FOURWAYCROSS-HOME

THIERRY ZABOITZEFF "Promethee" (FRA,1984)

PROMETHEE is the first solo work of bassist, cellist and founding member of ART ZOYD, THIERRY ZABOITZEFF. It`s the music he wrote for the interpretation of the ancient greek tragedy "Aeschylus`Prometheus" by "Le Collectif Theatral Du Hainaut". Zaboitzeff plays nearly all the instruments and uses a lot of electronics. Album consists of two 20 min (approx.) parts, one per side. A top,very recommendable work easily placed among the finest releases of ART ZOYD family.
Zaboitzeff left ART ZOYD in 1997 and continued as a solo artist writing music for modern dance, theatre, avant garde performances, happenings etc.

PROMETHEE (91mb)

V/A - Appointment With el : A Compilation

LOUIS PHILIPPE, 1986

"La Folie" inspired compilation introducing some more el artists. Among them PERSPICO ACUMINE (a.k.a. THE CAVALIERS), with tracks from the 1986 LP "A Perfect Action (English Cricket)", one of the most obscured and peculiar releases of the label.

Tracklist

01. THE CAVALIERS-the colchester express

02. VIC GODARD-nice on nice  

03. AMBASSADOR 277-the pop up man

04. ANTHONY ADVERSE-green park

05. FELT-get out of my mirror

06. GOL GAPPAS-Albert Parker
07. MARDEN HILL-oh constance

08. MARDEN HILL-anthem

09. RAJ QUARTET-whoops! what a palaver
10. LOUIS PHILIPPE-anna s`en va

11. LOUIS PHILIPPE-the orchard
12. SHOCK HEADED PETERS-ideal

13. MARDEN HILL-hangman
14. THE CAVALIERS-robinson moxon

15. THE CAVALIERS-the thin man from orpington

el

NON CREDO "Happy wretched family" (US,1995)

Non Credo - happy wretched family LP

Second La Folie round of avant-prog-jazz-retro-noir-goth plots based on the schizo-dream-art vision of duo.

THE CREAMS "The Creams and Nico" (UK,1994)

The diverse and constantly repeated ALAN JENKINS recipe for DIY pop imperfectness. This time the band (constisting of the same more or less musicians as his other outfits) is called THE CREAMS and the main obsession ( more obviously than before) is supposed to be VELVET UNDERGROUND but of course there are much more lunacies, parodies, self-irony, as usual.

THE CREAMS and NICO

MINIMAL MAN " Hunger is all she`s ever known " (US, 1988)

The fifth (third european) Patrick Miller`s LP as MINIMAL MAN
(check also previous posts of LFDJ about MINIMAL MAN)

HUNGER... (57mb)

PYROLATOR "Wunderland" (GER,1984)

Member of famous Neue Deutsche Welle bands like DAF, DER PLAN... solo artist, producer... KURT DAHLKE (a.k.a. PYROLATOR) is one of the cult figures of the genre. Pioneer of electronics, he was based on kraftwerklike synthetic structures to create a kind of german muzak which seems to play with sense of past (early electronics, exotica, 50`s easy listening), present ( 80`s, synth pop, ambient, minimal, abstraction) and future (new noises, mechanistic forms, explorations of technology sound abilities).
This third solo LP is a luminous, colourful, and surrealistic work. Pyrolator mixes computer sounds with natural, "exotic" noises and the result is an emphasized artificial world, whimsical but friendly, a parody of paradise perhaps, a wonderland balanced more on playfulness and dreams and less on an ideal reality.

WUNDERLAND (53mb)

THE TRYPES "The Explorers hold " (US,1984)

After first LP, FEELIES members BILL MILLION & GLEN MERCER joined in 1982 JOHN BAUMGARTNER`s THE TRYPES and recorded this EP. A little later they reformed (along with other TRYPES musicians) THE FEELIES and the result was the psych-folk landmark "THE GOOD EARTH" (1986). In some way "THE EXPLORERS HOLD" is the path to a rebirth, the key of this alchemystic transfiguration.

line up:
John Baumgartner (keyboards)
Stan Demeski (percussion, drums)
Bill Million (percussion)
Glenn Mercer (guitar,voc, percussion)
Brenda Sauter (bass, voc)
Marc Francia (guitar, voc)
Tony Paruta (voc, wooden winds)

tracks:
1.(from the) morning glories
2.love you to
3. music for neighbors
4.the undertow

THE EXPLORERS HOLD (23mb)
album under reissue - link removed

ALWAYS "Thames Valley Leather Club" (UK,1988)

Under moniker ALWAYS is Kevin Wright (aka Mr Wright). "THAMES VALLEY..." is the LP he released through el in 1988. Mainly influenced by Lloyd Cole, it has, in general, some really good pop ideas. One of the most "straight" and "ambitious" releases of the label.

THAMES VALLEY LEATHER CLUB 

KING OF LUXEMBOURG " Sir " (UK,1988)

Ticket-free, royal class round of popworld with british elways.

SIR (43mb)