OFF: reviews of some new CDs

[cjohnson]

I've been on a buying-spree lately, and wanted to post a mini-review
of several of these items.  All have some relation to a topic that
has popped up on BOCL at some point in the past.

* Pressurehed - 'Explaining the Unexplained' (77min)
IMHO This is the best Pressurehed yet.  They have lost some of the
industrial crunch from their first two CDs, but have replaced it
with a more layered sound picked up while playing with Nik Turner.
There are some spoken word samples at times, talking about weird things
and promising to "..explain the unexplained" in the opening intro.
The majority of the music is instrumental tho.

This comes with a 50-page booklet containing a brief history of
P-hed and spin-off bands (The Brain, Far Flung, Annubian Lights,
Nik Turner's Space Ritual, Zero Gravity) and a short discography
of each.  However, the majority of the booklet gives concise
descriptions of various weird phenomena, including Loch Ness Monster,
modern dinosaurs in Africa, UFO sightings & abductions, wildmen of
the American northwest, etc.etc.  Very entertaining!

* The Brain 'Access and Amplify' (76min)
Pretty decent synth brain mush.  Not too fast, not too slow.  Long
songs, all instrumentals.  Upbeat.  The Brain is two of the Pressurehed
guys.

* Dark Matter 'Seeing Strange Lights' (77min)
Absolutely nothing like the miserable Cleopatra reissue 'X-Rated Fairy
Tales/..Catholic Finger' by Helios Creed.  This has little of that
dental-drill guitar, opting instead for a layered sonic soundscape
closer to Tangerine Dream.  You might not even know that Helios is
there, compared to his other work with Nik Turner's Space Ritual.

* Far Flung - 'The Raven Ate the Moon'
I think that this was originally supposed to be called 'Landing on
Cydonia' (also the name of a tune from the first album '25,000 Feet
Per Second').  I haven't picked this up yet because I haven't found
anyone carrying it yet.  A glowing review was published in a local
Florida music magazine, so keep your eyes open.  Once again, this
will be on Flipside Records (out of San Fran?).

* Magnog - self-titled (78min)
This reminds me of the first Spacious Mind CD more than any other band
I've ever heard.  This is an independent American space rock band that
I picked up from Lasers Edge based on its description, and it's great!
BOCLref: the Spacious Mind air lift service provided by Johan last year.

* Astralasia - 'Seven Pointed Star' (73min)
These guys are trying hard to get that Eat Static high-energy psychedelic
techno dance band sound, and they're doing it.  Recommended to all USA
Eat Static fans.  A big improvement on the first Cleopatra Astralasia
CD 'The Space Between'.  HWref: Astralasia have remixed several HW tunes.

* Boud Deun - 'Fiction and Strange Days' (42min)
Another independent American prog band.  Their big plus is a skilled
electric violinist, who "makes" every song on the CD.  Reminds me
a lot of early High Tide, except with no vocals.  Fans of Simon
House should check this out.  And it's cheap! (I paid US$10).

* Spacehead - 'Of Stars and Time' (55min)
This reminds me of HW/Harvey Bainbridge songs where Harvey is playing
some synth background and ranting about who-knows-what for an extended
period, a la "T.V.Suicide" and some live HW shows around 1987-88.
Never really rocks (IMHO), but some amusing bits here.  I somehow
expected a better CD after hearing three songs off their earlier
tape-only(?) release, but I'm still pleased with it.  Out on Hawkwind's
own label, Electronic Broadcast System.  Got my copy from Delta Wave.


The next few items have no HW relation, but are excellent bands anyway:

* Electric Orange - 'Cyberdelic' (77min)
In one word: schizophrenic.  Several different musical styles between
jazz, space rock, techno, and ethnic dub are all fighting for space on
this CD.  Very inconsistent, with some early songs reminding you of the
all-time classic space-jazz-krautrock from the first self-titled album,
and later others sounding like a completely different band with *no*
common sensibilities. I hoped for an album of "Nindia"-type tunes, so
I was disappointed.  Available now from Delerium.

* Porcupine Tree - 'Insignificance' (51min)
This is a fanclub tape of outtakes from the recent 'Signify' CD.
Very worth your trouble to hunt down a copy, if you liked 'Signify'
(and who doesn't?).  Available only direct from Delerium.

* Sky Cries Mary - 'Moonbathing on Sleeping Leaves' (74min)
More of what they do best.  Sounds like previous SCM releases, but with
perhaps a bit more life/rhythm/spunk/je ne sais qua(sp?) than the other
SCM I own, 'Return to the Inner Experience'.  Recommended.  This band
is not a space rock band, but rather an unusual pop band with dual
female vocalists and an interesting quasi-progressive sound.

* Sky Cries Mary - 'Into Topological Space' (43min)
ITS is a 2-CD compilation, with the second CD containing only 3 SCM
songs.  One song is from a UK-only 12", another is an edit mix of
another song, and the third is a 25+min space excursion very unlike
any other SCM song I've heard.  A looooonng instrumental, synth
soundscapes, etc.  An interesting aside for SCM & space rock fans.


Well, hope this helps a little for anybody considering a purchase of
any of these items.  For additional discussion, just drop me an E.


Captain Cloud
cjohnson at hpsc.hisd.harris.com