SCATTERED PLANETS: Andromeda Keg Party CDEP Ltd Offer£4.99 **Repromotion**
6-track, twenty-six minute debut from the USA duo of Doug McMahan on synths and Bob Lennon on fuzz guitars. With an electronic/programmed array of rhythmic backings, they play a heady space-rock brew. Opening with the dark, swirling mass of synths and guitars set to a low-down rumbling rhythm, it kind of makes you think you've been sucked into some giant black hole where normal time and space become a distant memory. This feel is only made more so by the intensity of the second track, 'Electric Dreams' where a massive cauldron of sound is made up of guitars, synths and deep bass, as barely perceptible vocals intone their echoed words in amongst the heady mix. It's music that is verging on the edge of chaos, with lots of layers and textures, solidity at the bottom end, thick slabs of fuzz guitar, a positive black universe of electronics and plenty of unfathomable echoed, treated vocals. In many ways, it's like a deep, dark, twisted, almost vocal-free Dr Hasbeen type of thing, and if you can surmount its overt intensity, it's worth staying the course.

SEQUENCES: Issue 29 Magazine+CD
Ah yes - one of the best issues for ages and ages. First off the magazine has loads of right up to the minute synth music reviews and news, an exclusive interview with Andy Pickford, feature on Alfa-Matrix, fresh interviews with some of the leading ladies in today's synth music scene, live reviews and more. Then the star of the show - the CD - 79 minutes of exclusive tracks and, it has to be said, the finest and most musically consistent CD ever in the history of Sequences - ther's not a less than riveting track on here covering all of the finest styles in synth music today, and all done absolutely expertly. So, if you brand new tracks from Andy Pickford, RMI, Ramp, The Glimmer Room, Intelligentsia, T-Bass UK, Mark Jenkins, Stephanie Sante, Natasha Barrett, Gaylene, Hypnosphere and more, then you have to get this new edition - it is SO worth the asking price for the CD on its own - top quality every way you look at it and essential for most synth music fans.

SMOKE & MIRRORS: The Perfume Of Creosote CD
Now it's not often that I'm flummoxed, but this thing's got me beaten - what on earth category do you put it in? Is it prog-rock - or psychedelic - or ambient - or contemporary - or what? It's got all those and more across a staggering twenty-three tracks over 78 minutes of instrumental music. Bearing in mind I don't have the time to do a track-by-track breakdown, it's then very difficult to describe it as a whole. First off, it's rhythmic throughout, with chunky drums and deep bass that you'd find on something resembling a mix of Can, Banco de Gaia & early Ozrics. Then there's the melodies - lots and lots of layers of synths, keyboards and guitars, all presented in easily digestible chunks that are incredibly addictive, tunes like prog, atmospheres like ambience, powerful like Krautrock and heady like psychedelia - yet all so clean and full-sounding in terms of arrangements and production. I have to say that I loved every minute of it, but who out there is going to buy it without a great leap of faith in my - and others - review, I really couldn't say. Something so different shouldn't be this good - but it is.

SPACE MIRRORS: The Darker Side Of Art **IN STOCK NOW**
Quote from Aural Innovations main man, Jerry Kranitz:
Hey Andy,
Alisa tells me you're about to release her new Space Mirrors CD on Dead Earnest. I just listened to her samples at soundclick.com and I've gotta stock this sucker in my catalog. Let me know as soon as they're ready. If the whole CD is as good as the couple of samples I heard then I'd say you've got a winner on your hands. Jerry
Well, it's ready now, it IS that good, and it will be a winner……………….
Alisa Coral's second album following the immense cosmic synth music splendors of the debut CD, but this is altogether different - and something very special. Recorded in collaboration with Michael Blackman (Alien Dream) with four tracks featuring Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) and one featuring Steve Youles, this is a space-rock album through and through, but also a consistently fine one too. Opening with nearly six minutes of scene-setting instrumental cosmic-rock that sounds like it's comes from the middle section of an early seventies Hawkwind set, as synths, guitars, drifting, barely heard female voice, swooping space synths and bass all create a magnificent instrumental introduction that is classic sounding stuff. Then it's into 'At The Crossroads Of Worlds' with a driving space-rock rhythm, guitars firing off all around the place and synths soaring and swooping in between to create a tension-building, driving slice of space-rock that is just fantastic, and when the added bonus of this glorious glissando-like slide guitar figure emerges over the top, the effect is stunning. Then it all drops down to an eerie scenario of space synth swoops, heartbeat drums, distant guitars and more Hawkwind-style space synths all around and distant female vocals, before the rhythms kick in even stronger than before and the whole thing, slide guitars, electric guitars, synths, bass and drums, all cruise effortlessly upwards and onwards for nearly six minutes.
'A Trip Through Inner Space' is more textural instrumental stuff, with a more relaxed feel than on the first track, while the music, solid it has to be said, wafts and drifts throughout, synths creating some magical cosmic-rock moods. 'Your Soul's Been Sold' starts with a solid, chunky rhythm as the space synths and electronic backdrops soar from horizon to horizon, as the gorgeous female voice drifts around from the back while a new guitar lead emerges and gradually builds to provide a steaming slice of space-rock with more layers of synths and guitars than you can throw a comet at, yet all superbly produced and arranged, the guitar work really electrifying the proceedings as then synths fly and soar over the ever strong rhythmic motor. More layers are built with barely discernible voices, as the piece slowly dies to a spacey finale.
'Pale Ghosts' opens with a hail of guitars, fuzzed, wah-wah, lead and rhythm, as drums roll in, bass thunders below and synths fly all around, and another driving, mid-paced slice of space-rock magic blossoms into flower, the guitar really spiraling as the huge wealth of sound is built up and powered along, this all continuing for a mighty eight minutes. 'It's Cold Today In Underworld' is the album's first real song, with guitar and vocals provided by Lucassen, over the backdrop of driving space-rock rhythm guitars, space-synths and rhythms from the main conspirators, another spiraling slice of classic space-rock.
'Black Dragon' is another more spacious but full-sounding excursion from the synths and guitars, bass and percussives, into deep space and beyond, again building and layering as it goes, always changing, always sounding firmly "space-rock" in its approach and feel, and just wonderful music. The album ends with the most driving track of all as 'Dark Jedi' features a pummeling drum rhythm, solid lead guitars, space synths flying all around, thunderous bass and the more distant vocals from Alisa as the guitar then rises to the surface and this lead blitz of soloing space-rock guitars, thunders out into the night skies, the sound so solid from top to bottom, then suddenly the rhythm decelerates as this monster cauldron of guitars, synths, electronic drums, bass and more guitars travels in juggernaut fashion through the airwaves, laying waste to anything in its path, gradually dying away, only to reveal yet another new twist as the synths, guitars, bass and rums, rise to an almost unbearable climax and the whole thing just drives unstoppably, taking no prisoners inside its awesome, multi-layered, intense sonic soup. Near the six minute mark it drops to acoustic guitars, flute-like synth lead, space-synths surrounds, bass rhythm backdrop as yet another new direction is brought in, working to an absolute treat. Just over eight minutes it changes again as a cosmic synths backdrop adds space-vocal narration over the top, briefly, then this huge mass of synths and electric guitars emerges from nowhere and the piece just takes off even more than it has so far, absolute space-rock bliss achieved to perfection, and just short of twelve amazing minutes of music, it drops down, only to re-emerge seconds later, drums and bass still propelling the synths and guitars as it all suddenly fades and all you are left is wanting to play the whole darned lot over again from the beginning. You can't argue with an album as good as this.

ST 37: The Insect Hospital CD£12.99
Brand new studio album, this time mostly instrumental save three short but fiery songs - cover versions that include two originals belonging to Rocky Erickson & Germs, plus a rendition of the old Brian Eno classic 'Seven Deadly Fins'. Elsewhere we're talking a consummate mix of space-rock, guitar jamming and seventies psychedelia by the truckload as this immense sounding band really take off and an arsenal of synths/electronics, guitars, bass and drums does its stuff. Four epic tracks between nine and eighteen minutes long will satisfy all your needs for some spectacularly far-out instrumental ensemble work that ranges from all-out attack to cosmic build-ups, with a five minute 'Cold Night For Alligators' screaming through as a slice of mighty space-rock with driving bass and drums, squalling feedback-laced guitars and masses of backdrops, all thunders along effortlessly, bringing back the heady days of seventies Hawkwind and Pink Fairies, even a nod to the legendary Hendrix-Winter-Morrison jam session on the aforementioned track. The long tracks are full of driving rhythms and have a decidedly "Krautrock" quality to them, even right down to the production conveying the same feel and analogue warmth of the seventies pioneers of the genre. All in all, a faultless album and a whopping great 77 minutes of superb playing and composing. T-BASS UK: Infection Of Time CD
From the opening track, you'd be forgiven if you thought that you had wandered into an early Shreeve album with its driving electronic and percussive rhythms, its soaring melodies and solos, and the overall full-sounding depth as sequencers, electronic drums, wailing leads and horizon-stretching synths layers all combine to provide a really strong and solid start. The seven and a half minute 'Tranquility Bass' starts slowly before building up a new head of electro-percussive rhythmic steam and this time opening up into a sparkling and solid world of multi-synths melodic power, changing shape as it progresses but still exceedingly Shreeve-like, and no bad thing, because this is superb stuff all round. The five minute title track is slower rhythmically, but still a forceful piece of music with some soaring synth soloing in the middle that's positively anthemic in its sound and pace. Throughout the album there's all the required elements of depth, strength and emotion, while the multi-layered mix of synths, electronic drums and sequencers is played to perfection. If you enjoyed the follow-up to this album, 'Fabulous Neutrinos', or like the early-mid eighties Shreeve albums, you'd do well to check this out.

T-BASS UK: Media Evil CDR
Contains over an hour of mostly previously unreleased tracks, including T-Bass tracks recorded live on the BBC in 2001 and at the "EMMA Festival in 1997 as well as a live Skin Mechanix track from 2002, together with a multi-media portion of the disc featuring over two hundred images of the band on stage. Musically, however, it's all you'd now expect from the T-Bass UK/Skin Mechanix outfits, with a plethora of tunes, melodies and rhythms all performed in the customary punchy manner. However, there does seem to be a lot of Shreeve influences at work here with thunderous drum programmes, scorching guitars and acres of panoramic backdrops as the lead synth melodies hurtle through the airwaves. Several tracks are slow burners or more atmospheric, but all possess a fantastically solid structure with compositions that have purpose and design. The seven minute third track is one of the big building tracks that adds layers and layers as it weaves its spell, while track 4 is right out of the mid-eighties Shreeve style of things. Track 6 is a beautifully subdued number with tasty chunky percussive rhythms, tinkling mallet-percussion surrounds, train-like electronic rhythms and some superb surround-sound synths filling the mix, at three minutes like a truncated seventies Kraftwerk, and far too short. Track seven sets the "Berlin" sequencers for the heart of the sun as this pure seventies Tangerine Dream style rhythm soars out of the speakers, then gradually adds layers and develops, a chunky electro-percussive rhythm also adding to the dynamics and drive of the ever more powerful and multi-textured piece. For the next ten minutes it twists and turns through a myriad melodic/ rhythmic/ atmospheric paths and is a huge composition overall. The album ends with two more beefy tune-dominated tracks to end what is a superb album without a less than engaging track on the whole thing.

URBAN SPACEMEN: Plainsongs CD
Now this is a remarkable thing - the band only formed in 2002, but you put this album on and you'll hear 1972 and that era of music. With songs ranging from five to thirteen minutes long, you'll hear glimpses of things that remind you variously of Man, Quiver, Help Yourself, Caravan, Wishbone Ash, Brinsley Schwarz and similar. Take the thirteen minute fifth track that opens with a neat line in solo and harmony vocals before launching into a soaring extended dual guitar workout that is just right out of the seventies Man/Wishbone Ash way of doing things, albeit with the odd synth swoop behind for added enjoyment, but just one stunning sea of playing as the guitars entwine, duel and chime, and which continue right to the end of the track. The twelve minute seventh track (sorry - no titles were provided on my review copy) gives more space to the fifth member of the band, the keyboards guy, opening with a gorgeous intro from what sounds like mini-moog and moog choir (but probably isn't) before the rest of the band move in, the seventies styled rhythms sound crisp and punchy while the guitars provide the magic all over again as the space synths swoop before the band then lurches into a rhythm right out of the '72-era Man/Caravan songbook, complete with suitably sounding organ work and lush solo vocal. The lengthy instrumental workout this time features the two guitarists and the synth/organ to good measure with the ever dependable rhythm section providing the dynamic propulsion. It is so unbelievably seventies sounding as to take your breath away, right down to the feel, sound, pace, structure and analogue warmth of the production, a sound that is crystal clear throughout. Even the shorter tracks have some great solos in them, while the vocals are uniformly good all the way through. Lord knows what will happen to the band - they deserve to be acclaimed - but this album is a total treat for anyone who thinks those English guitar bands of the early seventies had it all.

V/A: Dreams Of What Life Could Have Been CD
You have to chuckle when you see the label saying - as a promotion to get you to buy this album - that it is "thee ultimate sludge-doom compilation - evil doom at its bleakest. Ultra heavy, crushing, dark, grimm and doom". Sounds pretty frightening to me. Anyway, it's ten tracks by mostly bands I didn't know and, somewhat interestingly, the label's got it pretty well spot on - a musical joy-ride, this most certainly isn't. It really is intense stuff as these molten, black, dripping guitar riffs ooze like steaming pus out of the ether, while this sickeningly heavy bass and crashing drums provide the backdrop to your nightmares, as assorted vocalists just add to the whole blackening doom. You'll probably be a basket case or on the wrong end of a rope by the time this has finished - but what a way to go!!!!

V/A: Moon Orion Project CD
From Stone Premonitions label, an unusual release in that it involves assorted interpretations of two tracks, 'The Moon' and 'Orion', first aired on an album by Rabbits Hat. Here an assortment of bands including the legendary Clear Blue Sky, Lord Litter, ambient icon Rapoon, Australian psych-rock band Brainstorm, guitarist Tim Mungenast and Root Deco, provide some riveting renditions of the two songs, as varied a set of tracks but wholly consistent and almost entirely enjoyable if you've got a eide enough taste to cover the assorted styles involved. Overall, it works and works well.

V/A: Stone Premonitions Retrospective 1994-2004 DOUBLE CD
At a really bargain price, this excellent CD celebrates ten years of one of the most musically conistent underground CD labels in the UK to date. Across two CD's you get nearly 150 minutes of music from Census Of Hallucinations, Body Full Of Stars, Krom Lek, Spacehopper, Mr Quimbys Beard, The Rabbit's Hat & Terri B. Quite a few of the tracks are different from the versions that have appeared on CD before, including the original mix of the ten minute Mr Quimbys Beard track. If you've not discovered the world of this label before and are into mostly song-oriented compositions of the best quality with influences from a wide variety of seventies groups such as Gong, Daevid Allen, Ozrics & that sort of "free festival-meets-new age" mixes of rock and folk with a decided spiritual feel, then there is plenty for you here. For me, it's worth the asking price for the 60 minutes of tracks from the Census/Krom Lek/Spacehopper/MQB quartet, but I found the rest of the tracks remarkably engaging in this context, things I wouldn't have bought as a whole album but here in small doses, just perfect. A neat item and worth supporting both for the cause and to hear some criminally underrated musicians, singers and songwriters - may Tim and Terri have another ten years and more if this is what the first ten years was all about - recommended!

VOCOKESH: The Tenth Corner CD
Brand new studio album from Franecki and friends, and this time round it's a treat. Entirely instrumental, well recorded and produced, this has to rate as a masterpiece of seventies "Krautrock"-meets-psychedelic space-rock style of things. With well thought-out arrangements, you'll hear plenty of electric guitars, bass, drums, organ-like sounds, ARP fuzz guitars, intense atmospheres, and more as the tracks, from two to over fifteen minutes long, burn into your brain. You almost expect to open it up and see that long-since forgotten equipment list that you used to get on the early Krautrock pioneers' album sleeves. From deep sonic layered explorations with heady atmospheres and a voyage of discovery, through multi-layered passages, to all-out explosive effect, this is not an "easy listening" album - far too complex and involved for that - but it is addictive and anyone into that whole seventies Kraut thing done by the likes of Cluster, Guru Guru, Faust and similar, would do very well to cop a listen to this. It's strong, intricate, accessible, loud, intense and quite an amazing musical experience, positively timeless. Highly recommended

VOODOO SHOCK: Voodoom CDEP
While we're waiting for the next album, the label has decided to let us have a treat in the form of a CD issue of their promo CD, with additional bonus tracks, so you'll hear 34 minutes of melodic, guitar-driven, doom-rock. Things starts slow and dense with 'Showtime', pick up a pace or two with 'Amazing Fire', including a most sensitive and satisfying electric guitar solo in there too, return to a mix of the two on 'Living In Paradise' only to become almost stationary on their cover of St Vitus' 'Patra'. With all the right ingredients of stoner riffs, rhythms and atmosphere present, this is a welcome release in anticipation of a stunning second album.

WALL OF SLEEP: Slow But Not Dead CD
Following a rather fine first EP, now comes the debut album and it's every bit as strong as you'd dared to hope. With the ghost of early Black Sabbath present by the shovel-load, both in terms of riffs, melodies, compositions and construction, this is going to be one of the most satisfying "doom-rock" albums you're likely to hear, in the sense that it's both original and familiar at the same time, with all the right ingredients, but so easily accessible. The tracks have been written and arranged with passion and nothing is allowed to be over-indulgent, nothing too long-drawn-out, with playing and production to match. Throughout the albums you'll be hooked to some of the finest riffs this side of early seventies Iommi, while the rhythm section sound stronger and more attacking than ever the early Sabs could have dreamt, and on top of all this a strong but not shouting or howling vocal, just fits the picture perfectly. With sizzling guitar solos along the way, mighty riffs and muscular, crunchy rhythms, this is a totally quality album that puts this band right up there among the current great examples of rock in any genre - a fine and awesome album

MICHELLE YOUNG: Song Of The Siren - 2002 Remaster - CD
Thanks to us discovering Ms Young, before the prog-rock fraternity had really heard of her, this wonderful album is now back in stock for the first time in ages, and it's interesting to re-review this. You see, once you know its secret, you approach it thinking that you really won't be as blown away by it as you were the first time you heard it, unaware of its content. Yet to my surprise, it was exactly the opposite, and the album actually sounded better now than it did when I first heard it. In my original review I stressed the sonic comparisons with a certain Kate Bush, and while this comparison is decidedly valid, if a little overdone on the original review, once you know this, you get past the actual voice and really start to concentrate on the music, the structure, the arrangements and the overall makeup of the songs, discovering glory after glory as you go.
The first track is a masterpiece of dynamics and layers, using synths, guitars, drums and bass mixed with high-flying solo vocals and multi-layered harmonies plus glorious choruses, all leading to a full-sounding musical landscape of divine clarity, that is essentially prog-rock in nature but so much better sounding and in no way overblown. 'Les Talk', however, is pure early (not too early however) Kate Bush, from sound to sense of humour, although injecting magical touches of originality to the arrangements to give it a unique flavour, one that endears it to you every time you hear it, as the wondrous vocals tell the tale.
'Your Boots Are Heavy' opens as a vocal and piano ballad before kicking into a marching rhythm and accordion melody, then returning to the piano, all the time the superb voice cruising effortlessly over the assorted musical backdrops, developing into string-like synth, bass and piano to add yet another dimension to a truly beautiful track, and you could easily have imagined this emanating from the second, third or fourth Kate Bush albums, in terms of sound, feel, dynamics and arrangement. Here I go, overdoing the comparisons once more, but this is a major tribute to the sheer talent of this lady, producing a set of songs and arrangements that are similar yet wholly original and even more timeless as what went down all those years ago in the Bush camp. 'Song To The Siren(Prelude)' at over ten minutes in length, is a swirling kaleidoscope of musical colours as all sorts of vocal layers from whispers to the soaring lead voice dive and swoop over backing that range from lush synths to a strident mix of mini-moog style synth leads, bass rhythms and vibrant strings, with several distinct 'sections' to the flowing instrumental delights that occupy the majority of the piece, leading into the title track itself, this time with a more sultry jazzy flavour to the vocals and a more uptempo, muscular musical arrangement than we've heard so far, one that adds a new taste to the meal to great effect, as this time a mix of electric guitar leads and rhythms takes the pivotal central role.
Track six, 'No Excuses', is a live track that sounds amazing and proves that she can be every bit as incredible in a live setting as she is in the studio, no mean feat believe me, as a brilliant slice of multi-harmony and solo vocals weave a flowing web of wonder over a flying synth, strong piano rhythm, mid-paced driving rhythm section, with the vocals providing the framework and content from which a simply magnificent song emerges. 'The Innocent One' is a six minute instrumental, perfectly in context with the feel and atmosphere of the album, and showcasing the flute and keyboard talents in particular of our favourite vocalist, on a full-sounding track of some delicacy. 'Bamboo You' opens with just treated vocal and sparse instrumentation before diving into an almost rock-like song that just takes off into the heavens, guitars, bass synth, rhythms and vocals all combining to strong effect as the composition bursts into life, as strong as an ox, as clear as a bell, as varied as they come, original and works a treat, with a flow as good as anything on the album, but totally unique.
'Big Deal' is a mix of lilting ballad and power ballad, full of gorgeous solo and harmony vocals, more restrained thunder from below mixing with string synth and keyboards, then floating to just piano and voice, again in perfect Bush-like tones. 'Another Frog', is a short track at less than a minute long, apparently the last track, but then it moves right into an unlisted 'hidden' track eleven that features spoken word vocal mixing with lush-sounding harmonies and clipped violin-like and bass guitar backdrops, all quite engaging and every bit as spellbinding as what has gone before, vocal layer adding to vocal layer, and with more than a hint of Roches to the feel of the piece. The album ends leaving you immensely satisfied but wanting more, the need to repeat the process barely able to be resisted. A magical, mighty and glorious album of stunning beauty and originality that, if there was justice, would put this lady at the top of the tree. You owe it to yourself to explore and enjoy, as you surely will, the myriad delights present in a remarkable debut album.