Melodic Energy Commission - Stranger In Mistery (1979)

Prog psych from Canada. An interesting branch of the Hawkwind family tree is Melodic Energy Commission, which included among it membership Hawk electronics maestro Del Dettmar. The band's lineup consisted of Xaliman on vocals, guitar, piano, electro-keys, gongs, percussion, and shepherds pipes, Randy Raine-Reusch on dulcimer, khaen, gongs, and flutes, Del on EMS synth and Delatronics, George McDonald on guitar, theramin, and wall of oscillation, Mark Franklin on bass, and Paul Franklin percussion, tablas, glockenspiel, and synth organ, plus numerous guests. The Stranger In Mystery tracks are interesting as they feature tribal, acoustic, flower power, hippie psychedelia combined with loads of spacerock electronics. The music is raw, but heavily exploratory, often changing radically within a single track. For example, the nine minute title track features acid guitar and synths jamming in their own individual directions in a kind of heavy Hawkwind, floating Tangerine Dream style. The feel is very playful, though it gets a bit meandering at times. Xaliman's slightly efx'd vocals are a bit eerie and fit the music well. Too much is going on for a track by track discussion. But suffice it to say they go from psychedelic chamber orchestra, to dissonant strumming acoustic guitars, and more freaky electronics than you can shake a Hawk at. Taken from Aural Innovations

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Mystic Number National Bank - S/T (1969)

US psych

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Louise Forestier - S/T (1969)

Quebec Chanson

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Dennis Und Die Wilde 13 - Schule, Nein Danke (1982)

NDW for kids? ;) enjoy this 7"More info here

Coke - S/T (1972)

Funky Latin breaks and very groovy grooves -- the kind of record that you hear for only a second, and say "oh yeah, this is the stuff!" Coke were an obscure Florida combo who mixed together Latin, funk, and soul -- served up in a crossover style that's halfway between the sound of the NuYorican generation and the heavier hitters of LA's Chicano funk scene! Instrumentation includes organ, guitar, and trumpets -- and vocals are delivered in a brown eyed soul style that burns nicely with the heavier grooves of the group. But best of all is the drummer, who really kicks it large on the kit -- and creates some really nice funky numbers on the set! Includes the break classic "Na Na", plus the tunes "Got To Touch Your Face", "Te Amo Mas", "Quiero Decirte", "Bang Bang", "Bun Bun Bun", "You Turn Me On", and "Que Seria De Mi". A really great album -- with a totally unique sound!

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Z'ev - Live 1988

Ritual voodoo steel drumming Live 1988 Frankfurt am Main Volksbildungsheim.

Z'ev - Salts Of Heavy Metals (1981) & Headphone Musics #'s 1 to 6 (1970's-80's)

Z'ev (born Stefan Weiser) straddles the nearly unbridgeable and highly volatile gulf between the art world and the music industry. Acclaimed as one of the world's best and most original percussionists, Weiser began recording in the late '60s in a handful of psych-out projects. By the late '70s, he took on the Z'ev moniker to explore the "spatial poetics" of the polyrhythmic clamor he had established with his hand-built percussive instruments. His dozens of collaborative projects expanded to include work with John Cage, Glenn Branca, The Hafler Trio, Psychic TV, and Rhythm & Noise.

"I began playing drums when 4 years old, making drum-sets at 5 or 6 and first studied drums when I was 8. My first professional show was at 12. At 13, I began to write poetry and to explore the plastic arts. These three contexts continued to develop, and in 1968 I attended California Institute of the Arts, studying ethnomusicology - in particular, African, Balinese and East Indian musics. There I came into contact with many of the Fluxus artists (most notably Emmett Williams), left ethnomusicology and started to work seriously with 'concrete' and 'performance' poetry. At that time, I'd decided to stop pursuing music as a career so that I could concentrate on poetry. During the years 1969 to 75, I considered myself exclusively as an audio/visual poet. This culminated with my inclusion in the 'Second Generation' show at The Museum of Conceptual Art in San Francisco. It was around this time that I began to play music again with the group Cellar-M. In 1979, I moved from San Francisco to New York City, working with Glenn Branca (on Symphony #2 ), Simone Forti (on Spring ), guitarist Rudolf Grey, and Tim Wright (founder of Pere Ubu), amongst others. In 1980, I toured Europe for the first time, and in 1985, became a resident of Amsterdam..." More Z'ev in his own words here

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Drömpojkarna - S/T (1979)

Band from Sweden. More info welcomed.


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Boastein Byron Cigarette Army

Founded at a cottage in Osen , April 1970 by Øistein Boassen and Are Storstein, the Boastein Byron Cigarette Army was quickly to become the most secret cottage band in the world.

Boastein Byron Cigarette Army - Urgata Hurgata (1980)



Boastein Byron Cigarette Army - Jeg Har Min Egen Luke (1977)

Frantz - Peut Etre Aux Yeux Silence (1970)

Concept prog with wonderful organ and female voice.


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Nessie - Head In The Sand (1979)

Belgian prog - mainstream, but has it's moments.

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Bernt Staf - När Dimman Lättar (1970) & Valhall (1973)

Swedish sunger/songwriter.

"När Dimman Lättar" line up:
Anders Dahl Fela
Bernt Staf Sång, gitarr
Björn J:son Lindh Piano, flöjt
Bo Dahlman Gitarr (på fyra spår)
Georg Wadenius Bas (på två spår)
Jan Bandel Trummor
Kenny Håkansson elgitarr
Lasse Wellander Gitarr
Stefan Brolund Kontrabas
Sten Bergman Orgel


"Valhall" line up:
Bernt Staf Sång, gitarr
Björn Netz Flöjt
Bo Hansson Moog, keyboard
Finn Sjöberg Gitarr, bas, flöjt
Fred Hellman orgel, piano, elpiano
Rune Carlsson Trummor, congas

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Bernt Staf - När Dimman Lättar (1970)









Bernt Staf - Valhall (1973)

Edison Electric Band - Bless You Dr. Woodword (1970)

Originally released on Atlantic/Cotillion in 1970, the only album by this Philadelphia combo is a lost nugget which exemplifies the musical freedom of the late 60's, but looks toward the groovy and funky melodicism that would dominate the 70's. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote "Tight, melodic music that thrives somewhere in an uncharted region triangulated by rock, pop, and jazz. Beautifully engineered, too." Members of the band went on to become successful session musicians, performing on essential recordings by Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, and John Mayall. Co-produced by legendary jazz producer Joel Dorn. Freak Emporium

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Nick and Nick and the Psychotic Drivers - Same (1988)

Nick Saloman (Befis Frond) project. This album is described as "tripping in a dark room with only one light bulb."

The musicians (The Soul Hunters) joining Bevis are:

Nick Vannini - vocals, narration and direction.

J.J.Masini - bass, high vocals and persecution manias

Davide Ragonesi - guitar and manovalanza

Cassini Raggi - keyboards and medical advice

Tarchiani - drums

Steve Semeraro - dangerous drive assistance

As you can tell from the musicians descriptions this lot are seriously deranged, and so is the music but well worth a listen. It seems that Nick not only did not think much of the recording, which was an impromptu jam, he did NOT authorize its release or the use of his name, nor did he receive any sort of compensation for it.

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