HW: OFF: Igra Staklenih Perli

[K Henderson]

Hi Folks...

I apologize in advance to those who use the HW: prefix since there's nothing
specifically Hawkwind about this post.  But I thought I'd give everyone the
opportunity to join in, and anyway if you like HW, you should *really* like
this band. :)

OK, I started the ISP thread about 6 weeks ago, when I knew absolutely
nothing about the group, and found no commercial CD's in the marketplace to
purchase.  Luckily, boc-l'er Karen K. rummaged up a hastily done crackly
vinyl transfer of their first S/T LP (1978) that I immediately fell in love
with!  It's very spaced-out krautrockish stuff, along the lines of
Floating/Inside-era Eloy with a bit more lysergic touch (a la Saucerful of
Secrets) I'd say.

The band is/was Jugoslavian, and recorded two studio albums (the second in
1980), and then three archive releases were put out on an obscure German
vinyl label around 1990-92.  Since getting the subpar vinyl transfer of the
s/t, I've since obtained the now rare Germanofon (i.e., unofficial boot) CD
release that is a far superior vinyl transfer (though hardly up to top
standards I'm guessing).  I think I related the story of why it's only 28
minutes long (apparently the studio engineers misplaced two of the master
tapes before the album was released).  Anyway, so I also recently got
(awesome luck) one of the three vinyl releases (seemingly mint/unplayed), a
live recording (titled Soft Explosion Live) from the same period (1978) as
the self-titled release.  (Oh, BTW, word is that the 1980 release isn't
nearly so good as this stuff.)  And it has six tracks, the two on side one
I'm guessing may have been the same songs as the two lost (?). The sound is
remarkably good considering it was just a friend of the band taping it with
a handheld or something.  So anyway, again with the assistance of Karen K.
(and her brother) this album has been converted to CD-R (only indexed as a
single track, but you'll get over it), and so now I have clean copies of
both albums, neither of which exist in the current marketplace.

*So*, because I can burn both onto a single CD-R (28 + 42 minutes = 70), I
thought I might offer to begin a tree of this stuff.  Because this stuff
*REALLY* needs to be heard by a larger audience...it's really outstanding.
I'm hoping that communication amongst us will lead to somebody important
getting around to an official rerelease on CD.

So, I've never started one of these things, but I'm guessing it's not too
hard. Those interested should just send me (via personal e-mail) their
details (s- and e-mail addy's), whether they can burn and are willing to be
a 'branch' (and for how many other folks), and then I'll work out a plan.
Branches and leaves can work amongst themselves to determine if blank +
postage is ok or if trades want to transpire.  I'll do the same with those
who are the branches.  I'll try to put the Euro's together and the
'Australasians' together to make it easier.

I don't know how to deal with artwork.  I have cover and back-insert card
scans for the Soft Explosion Live album alone, and I can scan the graphics
from the s/t one as well.  If someone offers to web-host these images for
everyone to snag and print themselves, that would be cool.  Then you all can
do whatever you like...I'd really rather not make two-CDR sets to make the
graphics issue more simple.  I figure if you really want to, those with
burners could split them up themselves if they so desired.

OK, who wants in?

Grakkl (FAA)
henderson.120 at osu.edu

P.S.  Igra Staklenih Perli translates to The Game of Glass Pearls, which I
believe is the title of a Hermann Hesse novel.  Correct me if I'm wrong.