Schnauser "As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Prog-pop. There's two words that you don't hear together very often anymore, and two words that probably conjure unwelcome memories of monstrosities like this. Fortunately we have the wonderful Schnauser on hand to provide an alternative definition that doesn't involve dinosaurs struggling for continued relevance. It's quite an achievement to weave these two seemingly contradictory strands together, but as we saw last on year on their excellent full length "Where Business Meets Fashion", Schnauser are more than up to the task.
Now they've attracted the attentions of Fruits de Mer Records, and are back with a 7" single with two interpretations of classic prog pieces from the early years of the genre, before it began to put on weight and sweat uncomfortably. Before it was all about the seventeen minute organ solos, prog bands were finding an exciting balance between memorable songs and instrumental virtuosity which almost defines the Schnauser sound, and their choices here make a lot of sense to the evolution of their sound.
The first couple of albums from Yes (with Peter Banks on guitar rather than Steve Howe), have often been regarded as the runts of that particular litter, but have always appealed to me more than their later, more ambitious efforts. "Astral Traveller" is a great example of what those early albums offer, and Schnauser's take tickles my fancy perhaps just a little more than the original (which I'm also rather partial to), with the propulsive guitar and sinuous organ combining memorably, while the vocals easily soar to the heights attained by Jon Anderson in the original.
The flipside spends a little time with the Soft Machine's "As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still", giving it an unmistakeable Schnauser twist which like "Astral Traveller", accentuates the melodic content of the original without sacrificing any of the quirky instrumental flourishes needed to keep this peaking - particularly noteworthy is the outro which freeforms into some lovely textural space in a pleasingly mind-expanding fashion.
Limited edition 7" available here, pre-ordering is advisable as Fruits de Mer titles are notorious for being snaffled up in the blink of an eye, and this is one of their best 7" releases yet.

You can hear excerpts from both tracks here:

The Active Listener Sampler 17 Out Now!

This month's sampler is out now, featuring a selection of tracks from the best albums we've reviewed this month, as well as a few exciting new artists that you won't have read about in these pages yet, but will soon.

Thanks to Andrew McGranahan for his fantastic sleeve art. it's the first time we've worked with Andrew and we hope to see a lot more of him! View more of his work at ajmcg.com - there's heaps of it and it's amazing.

This month we have the following tracks for you - download is on a name your price basis starting at $0. Enjoy!

1. White Candles - Monolith 04:11
2. Starving Daughters - Migration Cosmics 06:05
3. New Electric Ride - Marquis De Sade 04:00
4. Bronco Bullfrog - Time Waits For Norman 03:37
5. MindFlowers - Little Prayer 03:13
6. Rob Clarke & The Wooltones - Peas 02:43
7. The Shifting Sands - All The Stars 02:58
8. The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies - The Colossus 03:34
9. Orange Yellow Red - The Sea 04:21
10. Saltsten Sound - Lightwaves 04:57
11. Sereialarm - Miragem 03:32
12. Pontiacs - Copper Hills (Atacama Dreaming) 06:46
13. Prana Crafter - Cells in Orbit 04:20
14. The Lammas Tide - Soldier of the Sun 03:43
15. Emily Jones - Bright Shadows 00:54
16. La Casa Di Omicidio - Pista da Ballo (En, Dancefloor) 04:42
17. Mayflower Madame - Hot Blood Shivering 05:13

Download right here:

Cremator "Clear Air Turbulence" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Clearly Matt Thompson feels that he doesn't get enough synth action in his dayjob as bass/keys man for London based, John Carpenter inspired synth proggers Zoltan.
Given the chance to experiment on his own, "Clear Air Turbulence" is a 100% synth odyssey with none of those pesky drums, bass or anything else that may distract from the matter at hand.
Drawing on an arsenal of vintage gear (Mellotron, MiniMoog, Moog Taurus, SCI Prophet 5, SCI Pro One, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland Juno 6, Solina String Ensemble and ARP Odyssey - bet that's got you studio boffins drooling), Thompson provides a series of melodic but distinctly uneasy listening opuses here that suggest something decidedly sinister and alien is just lurking around the corner, an impression aided no doubt by the excellent cover sleeve which wouldn't look out of place adorning a particularly groovy vintage John Wyndham paperback.
While there are still hints of a Carpenter influence in the sequencer programming of the gargantuan title track, the sci-fi angle presented here is less oppressive than your average mock-horror soundtrack, and shares parallels with the work of late seventies / early eighties BBC Radiophonic Workshop wizards like Peter Howell and Roger Limb, with frequent breaks in the tense atmosphere that offer glimpses of something wondrous and revelatory, reminding us in the process that the best sci-fi is as much about the quest for the unknown as it is about creepy menaces from outer space.
Impressive stuff, and a nice change of pace from the horror synth material flooding the scene at the moment.

Available here on vinyl, or here digitally.

"Hello Everyone - Popsike Sparks From Denmark Street 1968-70" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Cherry Red's U.K psych reissue imprint Grapefruit Records has already proven its worth recently with reissues of high-caliber and frankly essential artists like Kaleidoscope and Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, but it was the release of the three disc psychedelic / underground retrospective "Love Poetry And Revolution" that proved they also had serious crate digging chops too, an impression backed up even more by "Hello Everyone."
Compiling the best of the singles output of the small Sparks label (which this writer must confess he'd never even heard of), this is far more than the standard obscure label retrospective.
Relying heavily on the in house musicians, writers and studio wizards of their parent company Southern Music gives the material here a cohesive and identifiable sound that makes this collection fit together extremely snuggly - aided by the skills of future Alan Parsons Project member Eric Woolfson and the rhythm section of Richard Hudson and John Ford (contemporously members of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, and future rhythm section for the Strawbs).
Also partly responsible for the distinctiveness of the sound here is an ever present wall of mellotron, which the hire company couldn't be bothered lugging up and down the steps to the basement studio, so tended to stay put and be utilized as much as possible.
But great musos and a mellotron don't add up to much if the material is sub-par, and the music that can be found here is amongst the best psychedelic pop music of the period with tracks like Val McKenna's flawless baroque pop gem "House For Sale", the Fruit Machine's moody and anthemic psych rocker "The Wall" and the Baby's proto glam/power popper "Heartbreaker" sounding like shoulda/coulda/woulda been hits - in fact there's very little on here that it's hard to imagine making significant inroads on the chart of the time, so it's surprising to learn that only the New Generation's "Smokey Blue's Away" troubled the chart compilers in any fashion at all, limping to a lowly 38 - no accounting for taste obviously.
And there are two cherries on top of this particular sweet treat; whereas almost everything else that appeared on the label was recorded in their own Denmark Street studio, Sparks label boss Bob Kingston found the money to fly to L.A and supervise the recording of Eartha Kitt's "Sentimental Eartha" album - an artistically, but not commercially successful attempt to update Eartha's image to fit in with the hepcats of the time. Judging by the two Donovan covers present here ("Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man") it was more than worth the effort.
Compilation of the year so far, and if anything can beat it by year's end I'll be a very happy listener.

"Hello Everyone - Popsike Sparks From Denmark Street 1968-70" is available here.

Cubs "Perpetual Light" Review

Reviewed by Grey Malkin (The Hare & The Moon)

Ireland’s Cubs follow their fine ‘Willowfield’ EP with this sequel of sorts, containing ten brief but bewitching tracks, all ably showcasing the off kilter qualities that makes them a very special and unique proposition indeed. Although brimful with contributions from the cream of Irish wyrd folk (including Eddie Keenan of The Driftwood Manor and James Rider of United Bible Studies), Cubs carve their own knotted and carefully whittled, rustic path and make something very much of their own.
Opening with ‘Gulliver’, a spectral lament featuring the vocals of Cecilia Danell and the words of Sylvia Plath, Cubs establish an authoritative and melancholy tone from the outset. ‘Perpetual Light’ with its frantic bouzouki and sample from cult classic ‘Psychomania’ is a hazy jig off this mortal coil whilst ‘Hummingbird/ McAlindens Lament’ is a true delight; male/female vocals duet with a haunted and resigned air warning ‘you will go far, just not far enough’.‘Stonewalker’s bouzouki and distorted guitar is suggestive of some kind of pagan procession (and reminds this listener of Candidate’s fine Wicker Man tribute album ‘Nuada’). ‘The First day Of Winter’ is a beautiful and wistful frozen landscape of a song; at once otherworldly and yet achingly heartfelt. Things get increasingly dark from here on in; short yet essential segueway ‘The Blessing of Rest’ adds a ghostly and tense atmosphere ending with the eerie toll of a bell, while ‘White Owl’ describes someone whose ‘words spill blackness like a large tub of ink beneath the sky’ and ends in an echoed and repeated refrain that both chills and comforts. Indeed this is Cub’s gift; they can be both warm and familiar with their use of acoustic instrumentation and intimate vocals, yet there is something untoward going on beneath the surface that disturbs and unsettles. Whilst the album itself is a hushed yet echoed and delicate affair; still there is something quite dark and untoward going on here underneath the loveliness of the arrangements and performances, something left field and skewed. Take, for example, ‘From the Wilderness’ which has some beautiful mandolin that chimes with an almost optimistic air before the peal of a thunderstorm cuts it off suddenly and unexpectedly. ‘Taken to the Bed’ begins with wedding bells and ends with sampled dialogue recounting the plight of ghosts. It is a deeply sad and affecting song, almost ballad like and traditional in its tale of love and death.
Cubs are quietly accumulating a back catalogue that stands head to head with any of the so called new folk or weird folk around at the moment. There also must be something in the Irish water at present that is virtually creating a new wave of Celtic psychedelia, what with United Bible Studies, The Driftwood Manor, David Colohan’s Raising Holy Sparks, Áine O'Dwyer and labels Deserted Village and Rusted Rail (whose owners are central members of Cubs). Unnoticed by the mainstream music press these artists are free to create music that both feeds from traditional folk and more experimental sources, which is an absolute gift to those who are paying attention. Indeed, Cubs need your attention and you need Cubs; do not let this roughhewn black jewel pass you by.

Buy here or stream below:

Death & Vanilla "E.P" Reissue Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Creepy Swedish space-poppers Death & Vanilla have gained a legion of fans since the original 2010 release of their debut E.P which was released on CD only and in a run of only 100, which as you can no doubt imagine are pretty hard to find now. Good news though for recent converts - there's now a vinyl reissue of that original E.P bolstered with three extra tracks that if anything, are even better than the original contents.
The original four track E.P finds a nice middle ground between Broadcast and Portishead, with tracks like "Ghosts In The Machine" accentuating the twangy, tremeloed guitar end of their sound in a fashion that will make John Barry fetishists salivate uncontrollably. "The Colour of Space" treads similar spooky ground to Portishead's "Mysterons", which is fittingly appropriate for a tune that borrows its title (well, nearly) from the works of H.P Lovecraft. If this had been released in the sixties it would have been on one of those exploitation records  "Space pop for your next seance!" or the like. Pretty great stuff.
The three additional tracks here are pretty special too. "Ascend & Descend" is an instrumental piece of space pop jazz, where the fabulous rhythm section are allowed to let rip with some lovely, loping double bass standing out amidst the spacey atmospherics. "The Dödens Vaniljsås Theme" balances melody and tension in just the right ratios to fittingly act as the band's theme tune, while closer "Between Circles" (which pre-dates the original E.P) shows that these cats had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do from day one.
Highly recommended, and an ideal starting point for the neophyte.

Available on vinyl, or digitally here:

Glass Vaults "Bright" E.P Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Now here's a nice discovery from my newly adopted hometown. Wellington based four piece Glass Vaults have been trickling out a series of E.Ps and singles since 2010 (all of which are available as name your price or free downloads on their Bandcamp page), but their latest E.P "Bright" is the first to find its way to my ears, and it surely won't be the last.
With a sound that draws on the more ethereal, weightless end of the shoegaze / 4AD spectrum (think This Mortal Coil) combined with the airy progressive tendencies of Sigur Rós, and just a touch of the post psychedelic soundscapes of Mercury Rev, "Bright" is a very appealing synthesis of these elements and certainly more than the sum of its influences.
The songs are fragmentary and often elusive, but enticingly sweet and inviting at the same time. They give the impression of overhearing a conversation not intended for the public, with "Calling" in particular revealing only snatches of voyeuristic dialogue between gently rolling waves of blanketed atmospherics.
Elsewhere, "Alight" combines angelic falsetto harmonies with sweetly chiming guitars in the most pleasing of fashions while the tense, percussive synth-pop of "Don't Be Shy" builds to a series of claustrophobic crescendos to demonstrate that there's more than one mood they can set.
Lovely, understated stuff.

Available on vinyl here, or as a name your price download through the link below:

Three New Releases on Active Listener Records

We've got three new releases on the Active Listener Records digital label, with an E.P of Radiophonic Space Pop from White Candles, and two new releases in "The Active Listener Introduces" series from Sir Psych (of the Smoking Trees) and The NoMen.

Keep up to date with new Active Listener Records releases by liking the Facebook page here.

Read more on the label website here.

You can investigate the new titles below.

THE NOMEN "THE ACTIVE LISTENER INTRODUCES THE NOMEN"
AL011
From: Ayrshire, West Scotland
Style: Space Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Krautrock / Post-punk
Recommended if you like: Swell Maps, Hawkwind, Neu!, Television Personalities

Read more / listen / buy here.

SIR PSYCH "THE ACTIVE LISTENER INTRODUCES SIR PSYCH - BODIES OF WORK 2011-2013"
AL010
From: Los Angeles
Style: Psychedelic Pop (Vocal) / Psychedelic Hip-hop (Instrumental)
Recommended if you like:  DJ Shadow, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Hollies

Read more / listen / buy here.

WHITE CANDLES "FLOWERS FOR DELIA"
AL009
From: Philadelphia
Style: Radiophonic Space Pop
Recommended if you like: Broadcast, Death & Vanilla, The BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Read more / listen / buy here.

Prana Crafter Review

Reviewed by Grey Malkin (The Hare & The Moon)

From the ever dependable Reverb Worship label comes the debut album from Prana Crafter, essentially Washington Woods guitarist William Sol. Entirely performed by the man himself this is obviously a homemade labour of love though, whilst there is a roughhewn quality to proceedings, this is no lo-fi, hissy tape recorded affair. The guitars ring like bells and overlay like soft, chiming blankets of sound; the muted vocals precise and spare yet affecting. This is an album of quiet yet powerful beauty and threat.
From opener 'Opal in the Dragon’s Throat Pt.1’, Sol’s stall is set out with beautiful bursts of tranquil yet spikey peals of guitar, not unlike Ben Chasny’s Six Organs Of Admittance or a slightly more skewed Neil Young. ‘Crown of Amethyst’ introduces Sol’s vocals which add yet more colour to the bewildering array of effects and sounds coming from what appears at times to be a guitar army of sorts. Indeed ‘Prana Crafter’s Abode’ has a deceptive strum and click which unexpectedly bursts into snarls of heavily distorted and abrasive distortion, again Chasny-like in its controlled and deliberate use of power yet utterly thrilling to hear. Sol’s guitar playing is a revelation, at times one part early David Gilmour to one part Godspeed You Black Emperor, sounding not unlike a hybrid of those acts rehearsing late at night deep in the woods. ‘Hearts in Trances (For Tara)’ is spellbinding; a melodic yet ragged paean to the respective love named in the title of the song. Sol’s vocals remind this listener of fellow backwoods dwellers and psychedelicists Mercury Rev; there is a similar Rev-like dreamy and surreal quality to the way that tracks fade in and out, often disorientating yet quite lovely in their appearance and unpredictable endings. In contrast ‘The Prajna Pines’ is a dark and solitary stroll through the woods at night, ominous and teetering on the edge of breaking forth into calamitous noise. ‘To The River Of Light’ is a blues styled lament, haunted by Sol’s high pitched wail and anguished warnings; clearly the river of night is not a good place to be. Strings and the buzz of insects add to the sense of threat; if Kurt Cobain were around now he’d be covering this in ‘Nirvana Unplugged’ fashion.
‘King Of The Seven Realms’ breaks from a strummed ghostly singalong into a tabla filled, distorted monster; think ‘Don’t Cry’ from Neil Young’s ‘Freedom’ but less showy, more genuine and with a sense of foreboding and remorse. ‘Descending The Jagged Mountain’ has some superlative fuzz riffing that puts Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats to shame and easily echoes early Sabbath; however there are no clichéd blues guitar solos here, instead these are monolithic guitar runs that threaten to collapse into an explosion of noise at any given point. These runs are kept on track by Sol’s extraordinary ability to experiment yet maintain the melody inherent in each of these songs. ‘Cells in Orbit’ is the most overtly psychedelic outing on the album, bells and synthesiser swooshes build around Sol’s plaintive cry ‘I found this world was so strange…’ The album closes with ‘Opal in the Dragon’s Throat Pt2’, acid guitar weaving its melancholy path amongst feedback and fuzz.
Sol’s music is a midnight journey through till dawn on some tree lined uncharted back roads. Don’t stray from the path; you might be spooked but you’ll want to return again and again to these perfect coal black jewels of songs. That is the magic of Prana Crafter.
Available in a limited edition of 50 in a beautiful handmade sleeve featuring photography by Sol and Roger Linney from Reverb Worship.

Hear more from Prana Crafter here.

Mindflowers Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Naming your band after my favourite Ultimate Spinach tune is a pretty good way to ensure that I'm going to pay at least passing attention to your material, and when it's as strong as this E.P from Sacramento based one-man-band Chris Billington you can bet I'm going to stick around to hear more.
With an eye catchingly colourful sleeve that sums up its psych pop contents perfectly, this is an E.P that on first listen appears to be a bit of a one trick pony, but blossoms unexpectedly with repeated listens.
Layered in reverb, this is vintage sounding psych pop straight from the garage - more like a garage band's take on "Crimson & Clover" than the more ornate baroque pop stylings that seem to be in vogue with current psych pop revivalists, and is all the better for it.
Opener "Little Prayer" is a cool piece of Tarantino beat with oddles of atmosphere and some lovely tremelo guitar work with a nice, creamy guitar tone that's still reverberating around my skull. "Daydream Sunbeam" quickly dispels the arguments of any who would point the 'retro' finger by coupling what is at heart a simple garage pop ballad with layers of tormented guitar squall at a level which would probably have J.Mascis thinking "This is a bit much". Best of all though is "Death on Television", which evokes the Beatles via Lawrence Arabia with the sort of irresistible falsetto vocals that have helped the soulful psychedelia of Unknown Mortal Orchestra find a wide audience.

Available here as a name your price download: