label news: Vrystaete

A new label is born: Vrystaete. This new label from the house of Enfant Terrible will focus on psychedelic, folklore and lo-fi related sounds.

The first two releases are being mastered for vinyl pressing at this very moment. Next to that the artwork is also in process... Each release will have special packaging with handmade / crafted art pieces.

First up is the Kaval album with light psychedelic music with touches of dark jazz and shoegaze music. The artwork will be a three color handprinted silk screen print. See here for an impression:

The second release in preparation is the an album by French musician Niedowierzanie. His music is a mix of electronics and French and mediterranean folklore... For this release we are preparing a print from a handmade lino cut. See here are a test print:

Both releases are expected around the end of April... more information and sounds will be online soon at the Vrystaete webhome here...

Hans de Wolf: new video work

Do you remember the beautiful tape object and online exhibition by Hans de Wolf we recently realized? It consists of a cassette with his music on it and it comes with a drawing on birch bark... and online there is the short animation film and photos of more of his drawings. You can still see it here...

Some tapes are still left for sale at the ET webshop...

In the meantime Hans has made a new video work... very dreamy stuff... pleasantly naive and soothing like a morning sun...

how are you from Hans de Wolf on Vimeo.

review: Group Rhoda - Out Of Time - Out Of Touch

I have always looked at 80's new wave music and subculture as a replay of 60's neo-romanticism... the 60's where the first replay of the Romantic era... which was in a way the first youth subculture in Western Society.

The 60's pre-hippie subcultures starting with The Beat Generation (even though the surfer subculture was also an early youth subculture which even adopted LSD) transformed the central idea's of the 19th century movement centered around the anti-rational and the emphasis on the subjective experience into the context of the new era. In the late 70's/early 80's this was given a new twist again fitting the changed world... I would claim that 80's new wave is nothing more as dark version of the neo-romantic movement of the 60's...

In new wave music psychedelic touches or even psychedelic music as such is not difficult to find. 'The Top' by The Cure is filled with references to psychedelic music. The Fields Of The Nephilim played psychedelic rock... but very dark... resulting into something more ritual therefor. The music by The Legendary Pink Dots and Edward Ka-Spel is as psychedelic as it gets. Just to name a few examples... and let's not forget some of the minimal electronics outfits... like Monoton for example... who where on the more experimental side. They often hinted to Minimal Music... which is also a 60's thing...

And... now in this endless 80's revival it is also there... Moon Duo are somewhere in between psychedelic music and Suicide related synth punk. Bronze is like a post-punk outfit spiced up with acid rock. And there is now this debut album by Group Rhoda... which is really close to 60's music... to be more clear... it sounds like The Great Society equipped with 80's instruments like a drum machine and synths... and a voice like that of Grace Slick... coming very close at least and singing in a typical 60's style...

So, no this is not daring new adventurous music... but what is today? Group Rhoda delivers a sound I have been listening to for many years but still untill now I have never heard this typical 60's sound done with 80's musical equipment... and done so well... so yes I love it!!

Even though this is yet another product of our age of recycling I prefer this way above all the cheap re-issues of so called lost gems, cult bands and classic albums from the 80's. Same goes for all these contemporary copycat bands who just sound like it is 1982 all over again... no, I will just put on this Group Rhoda album again and again... as compared to all of that this is daring new adventurous music!

Here is one track from the album...

review: new bunch of psychedelic music

I have probably been listening longer to psychedelic music as to post-punk, industrial, elektro and that kind of stuff. Really since a long time psychedelic tunes have been filling the air in my living spaces. There are moments the records stay where they are, but there is always a time to get into this type of music again. Recently my interest has been attracted again both in the records that are in my collection already for a long time as well in new releases. Here a few recent releases I guess you should know about...

The record I am playing mostly right now is the album 'Powers Of Audition' by Jonas Reinhardt. This is truly a mindblowing piece of music. It has the spirit of the 1960's for sure but who cares as long as it is done good. And... this album is very good. You are taken away on waves on music... at times light and playful and at other moments more dark and haunting and from more ambient kind of pieces to psychedelic rock tunes.

Also very 1960's but with touches of 1970's is the new Wermut album 'Ether'. This new album might come as a surprise to some people familiar with this band. I guess most people know their minimal elektro tunes. Still this new album is very much Wermut if you have followed the bands releases and contributions to compilations. On 'Ether' you hear... well some Klaus Schulze to start with... that is for sure. The pulsating synth waves floating around are Kosmische Scene inspired without a doubt. But still... there is also a lot of Wermut in it... when it comes to the dark mood for example or the adding of post-industrial touches and of course the singing. I think this album with its four long tracks is great and a record which shows again this band is not to be pinned down on one or two or whatever genre and style.

Much darker and going into some sort of dark ambient style is the Attestupa record 'Begraven Mot Norr' on the great Release The Bats label. Picth black, very hauting and probably too experimental for most die hard acid heads but I am in love with this dark trip.

Not as much a black mass as the Attestupa but still dark is the Street Drinkers side of their split album with Skeppet. It has the same experimental note as the Attestupa so if are not sure if you can handle this music without ending up with a bad trip only play the Skeppet part of this release. That one is also my favorite but for other reasons. Skeppet brings together psychedelic pop without being pop, and in a trippy daydream sort of way, and some excellent lo-fi electronics. The two long tracks are just superb and a great soundtrack to doze off on a nice summer day. Together with the Jonas Reinhardt this music has been spinning a lot here...

To come down to Earth again there is the very nice new Woods album "At Echo Lake". If you listen to this and the previous Woods album you might think this was recorded in the 1960's. Psychedelic folk and acid rock are the game of Woods. It is done in this Greenwich Village sort of tradition but also with a typical West-Coast touch well ik just makes me happy all the time. It is charming and lovely and true authenthic hipster stuff.

The Wermut, the Attestupa and the Skeppet/Street Drinkers split are for sale at my webshop... for Jonas Reinhardt and Woods just ask your specialized local recordshop... they should have these or will be able to order them as they are distributed very well.

Have a happy trip...

review: Accident Du Travail

Here is another record from the crazy and adventurous punk scene around Metz in France. But... this is not a punk music record as you might expect. This one is different... really.

Accident Du Travail are a duo consisting of a Julie Normal who also plays with Crash Normal and Cradle Of Smurf... both interesting bands to check out if you are not familiar with them... and Olivier 2mo from Chevue... This last band played at the Hex night and also contributed to the Hex compilation LP I put out on Enfant Terrible.

Here they come up with some great organ /electronic music. This 12 inch EP is a true trip. If you like 'A Rainbow In Curved Air' by Terry Riley this one is for you. One specific track is echoing that piece.

At some other moments the music can be reminiscent of the Kosmische Scene with music referring to Klaus Schulze and the likes.

Really a suprising record to come from musicians from this punk scene but all the more interesting and making me even more curious what will pop up next...

I have some of these records in my webshop...

review: Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse

A few weeks ago I came across the video for the track Stars by Warpaint. Instantly I was captured by this amazing song. Its dreamy sequences and melancholy mood really touched me in a way like not many songs are capable of.

After a few seconds of searching the internet I came to know about a self released 5 track EP on cd and a very recently 6 track 12 inch vinyl EP. Which I ordered straight away.

This vinyl is playing almost non stop here now. These 6 tracks are making up a record which will be high on my year list of favorite records, even surpassing some of the releases I released myself this year.

What makes Warpaint so good is that they have references popping in and out but still they have their own style and sound. The songs are very strong and have surprising hooks, original structures, excellent song writing and beautiful melodies.

Think about Cranes that stripped away all gothic clichés and adding some psychedelic 60's pop to the mix of new wave melancholy, shoegazer energy and heavenly voices beauty.

I am tripping away here with this, and on this record. Songs like the truely mind blowing Elephants and the Cure echoing Krimson are more then you could ask for when it comes to quality indie pop.

This 12 inch vinyl is released in US based Manimal Vinyl label but I just read the band signed to Rough Trade very recently. So maybe there will be an re-issue or a full album coming up... I don't know...