THE MOONFLOWERS "Colours And Sounds" (UK, 1995)

lunar plantation hits the earth

"...We Could Fly Away, Never Look Back
Leave The World Spin Silently In A Suicide Pact
And All The Colours And Sounds That Pass Through Us In Space
Fall Down To The Earth And Put A Smile On Its Face..."

...early days

...bloomed in France

History of the bristolian space-folk-jazz-funk-dub-psych wanderers, as it is told in their site:

The Moonflowers emerged in 1988 defiantly painted , endowed with puppy fat and a cacophony with antics. Soon showed they had flair and stirred the local scene.

Following the success of indie hit 'Get Higher' in 1990 they were transported to a national then international platform (scaffold), beseeching their audience/ followers to hold hands while they watched the group cavort and leap about in an effort to obtain world peace by the year 1999.

The band started a label and called it Pop God from which they released further efforts from themselves and other bands (Praise Space Electric, ME, Ecstatic Orange, Mammal etc.). They toured and sold produce and artefacts such as home made T-shirts and badges.

Moonflowers maintained constant touring and in 1993 released their second (though first really good) LP called 'From Whales to Jupiter and Beyond the Stars to Rainbohemia' which mixed folk, dub, rock and dance influences.

Yet still they aimed higher and dreamt they could free themselves -and us all- from the bonds of commercial modern existence and so decided to remove themselves from society to create their own utopia, their 'Rainbohemia', a place where days are spent in creativity with music and art a way of life.

The band waved goodbye to their friends and drove away in their yellow bus across the sea and far away...

In 1995 masters for an LP were sent to Pop God offices (from an unknown destination) which was the masterful 'Colours and Sounds' LP.

This record was released and though not well known, very worth tracking down for its incredible range and orchestration.

Fewer performances were reported from across Europe. The group was variously seen busking acoustically across France from a broken down old coach; performing as a three piece in Windsor with the singer, guitarist and a casio keyboard taking it in turn to play the drums, and gigging in Japan.

By mid 1996 the band considered themselves/ the world too far gone for further performances and decided to leave the world/ themselves one more album for now and then concentrate on helping/ growing another generation that may lead the world to more happytivity, healthdum and creatness.

Meantime though they have given their chains to a highly trained music force called the Rainbohemians, to dwell in our lands, play concerts and make records.
So these Rainbohemians did as they were bid and played some concerts and recorded an LP but still the waves were breaking upon the spirit of the moonflowers and so this force retreated to Rainbohemia and told what they had seen and done to the moonflowers there, now quite settled and ageing.

Then it came to pass that the moonflowers once again raised their standard (no pun intended), rallied round and made another LP for their most staunch supporters - the Japanese. This record is called "Brainwashing and Heartists Blue Life Stripes" as each member wrote a word and these words were pulled from a hat.

Another two forces were released from the rainbohemia stronghold:

the first, called Morning Star was led by the moonflower with the guitar and he went to the land where the vain but gentle young men, the leonard cohenists and the troubadours dwell. And he did perform with accordion and acoustic instruments and made records also. And this continues unto this day.

The second force has been called Solar Mumuns and is led by the one who was the eye of the little storm known as the moonflowers. Now these mumuns have only been seen once but have left a recording in their wake called "Breaking Waters". They appear and disappear as soon as they are seen, something new is forming, or is it something very old, ancient in fact.

By the end of the millennium one last album occurred. From vaults thought lost to humans but unearthed in the mid-winter storms of late 1999, a new record of moonflowers has been found. With instructions reading 'do not open until 2000' these recordings, complete with cover are now online for release. They have been titled "Dont Just Sit There, Fly!" spectral folkers and contain psychedelic glimpses of their gypsy-like existence and the world as they have seen or imagined it.

On June 1st 2002 a door closed forever for The Moonflowers when Toby Pascoe tragically died.

THE MOONFLOWERS - track 14 - Colours And Sounds

some samples from "Colours And Sounds" LP (+ extras):

track 3 - "nopar king"
track 5 - "shake it together"
track 6 - "revolution"
track 15 - "keepers of fire"
track 16 - "the world's most famous unknown people"
+
"morning pipe" (given free from band's site)
"silver hair" (given free from band's site)

listen here