Ufo over Lappland (Sulatron Records st1804)

UFO over Lappland are bunch of Swedish guys from the North (Umeå). I met them at Roadburn Festival a few years back. Might of got a CD-R from them or something. Anyway, this is a re-release of their debut which first only appeared on a cassette tape (3 different pressings).  The CD version includes an unreleased track called Lemmy on the Beach.  Anyway, the music is really cool instrumental space rock stuff with a lot of repetitive parts and grooves.  I would have liked some more wild solos at times but just lay back, smoke a spliff and have a nice ride and keep your eyes out for the UFOs!! 

Tracklist:
Keep On Keepin On Space Truckin                12:17

JaEDeJaE                                                      06:51
Podzol                                                                       10:40

Nothing that lives has... such eyes!              09:18
CD BONUSTRACK:

Lemmy on the beach                                          11:21

https://www.facebook.com/UfoOverLappland

 www.sulatron.com

Three Seasons Fruits de Mer Compilation Videos. Mark McDowell and LoveyDove

Two artists on the forthcoming 'The Three Seasons' 3LP have just created two rather excellent videos to promote their tracks. Please check them out below! LoveyDove cover Bedazzled by Dudley Moore and Peter Cooke. Buy music by by the band at: http://loveydove1.bandcamp.com or on the Fruits de Mer web site: Http://fruitsdemerrecords.com

Mark McDowell & Friends cover Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire by the Small Faces. Enjoy

Steve Hillage- Searching for the Spark 22CD Box Set

I had wanted this from the day it was released but felt that 200£ was a bit too much to pay but I finally managed get a copy for 150 so I went for it. What can I say. This box is simply amazing. The book is such a high quality with amazing pictures from back in the 70s and so much information that I did not know at all and basically written by Steve and his wife. The box features all of the Steve Hillage works from 1969 through to the early 80s and the first System 7 (which was actually a collaboration that Steve produced with a number of well know electronic music people and not the band he has with his wife).  In addition to all the amazing Steve Hillage band records, Azrachel, and Khan (most with some bonus material), there are a number of live shows, some released and some not released previously. On top, there are 4 CDs with totally unreleased material, a lot of which is demos for tracks but quite a few never before heard tracks.  I am not even finished hearing it all yet but what a great package and done with such care.  Steve was such a brilliant guitar player back in the 70s and so creative.  Amazing box. Worth the money..

Sparks Vol 1
Goblin, is a solo track with just Steve, his voice, guitar layers and some synth sounds. He sounds so young, his voice. He was already a great guitar player at this age. Wow.

Khan- Demos and Live

The next 7 tracks are some unreleased live and demos from 71-72. Hollow Stone (acoustic) and Stargazers are just Steve on guitar. Canterbury Sunrise the first of the live tracks from  72 rehearsal, has a sort of GONG like vibe and riff to it. A low fi but decent sound.

MadMan’s rap is a great track but it was faded out just as it was really getting going with a nice Dave Stewart solo.  Wring out the ground Loosely Now is live form 1972. Does not say where but nice short 3min track. A bit of a Matching Mole feel, perhaps. Five Piece starts with some glissando guitar straight out of the previous track and is a great number. Pity not more live Khan exists. The next tracks are all recorded in 1973 at the GONG house in France and just Steve and delay unit creating some cool ideas. Interesting to hear.

Here is the info from the web site:

* Arzachel.
* Khan's Space Shanty, 1972.

* All eight of Hillage's classic Virgin Records solo albums - Fish Rising, L, Motivation Radio, Green, Open (and Studio Herald), Rainbow Dome Music, Open, For To Next (and its companion And Not Or) - plus bonus tracks.

* System 7 (first album).
* Live in Deeply Vale, 1978.

* Two BBC performances from The Paris Theatre recorded in December 1976 and November 1979.

* Eight CDs featuring recordings taken from Steve's personal archive, including four superb concert performances (Brighton Dome November 1977 (this concert is amazing!!), Munich April 1979, Hammersmith Odeon November 1979, The Steve Hillage Band Live At The Gong Family Unconvention 2006) and four discs (Sparks Volumes 1-4) packed with previously unheard and unreleased tracks, demos and alternate takes.

Accompanying the recordings is a magnificent 188 page 32,000 word coffee table book. Written and assembled by Steve Hillage and Gong family expert Jonny Greene, the book contains hundreds of rare and previously unseen photographs and cuttings. Finally, there are three reproduction promo posters, two lyric booklets, a high quality enamel badge, a 60 page scrap book containing more photographs and cuttings, and a certificate of authenticity signed by Steve Hillage and his creative partner Miquette Giraudy.

http://stevehillage.com/

Interview with Ferank from Dead Flowers (UK)

Dead Flowers were a Newcastle based psychedelic rock band that flourished on the UK scene between 1991-1994 playing gigs with Nukil, Mandragora, Magic Mushroom Band, Dr Brown, Omnia Opera and many others. They began as a more raw sound with their first 7” back in 1987 but really came into their own style and sound with a hard hitting psych rock with their two classic records on the Mystic Stone label (Smell the Fragrance, and Moontan). In 1994, they had a radical change in sound with what I think was their best record, Altered State Circus. It was more synthesiser oriented but had the same great songs and interesting lyrics and some great guitar riffs. 

I recently had a chance to reminisce with Ferank, the lead singer.

1. How did the band start back in 1986-1987? Did you go to school together?

F- We knew each other and i started working for the band as their roadie and manager first.i sang with them at a 'jam' at a festival and joined soon after that.

2. What were the bands major influences in the early days?

F- We had lots of influences...MC5, funkadleic,hendrix,pink floyd,the doors ,Edgar Broughton band...as well as modern stuff like Gaye Bykers on acid...

3. Can you describe some of the most memorable gigs of festivals you played?

F- I remember playing 'torpedo town' festival with Kai (guitarists child ) and Kaya (bassists daughter)dancing as we played.they were both very young at the time(about 2 or 3). They were both imitating me dancing.it made lots of people,including myself,smile. 

4. What do you remember about the recording of the first two records? Had any of you had much experience in the studio before? Did you used to make demos in the rehearsal room or anything like that?? 

F- The first album was a collection of demos that we had recorded before we had a record deal.when we signed to 'mystic stones' we offered to record the tracks again but they thought they were already good enough to release.'moontan' was more of a planned album that we recorded with Mond (angelic upstarts) engineering.we would always record quite fast.

5. Did you ever sell cassettes of some of the live shows like many on the UK festival scene did?

F- We never really sold cassettes but we often recorded rehearsals.we jammed really well together and some great tracks started out as jam.

6. What was a live show like? Kev described the band as being very powerful live. Did you improvise much? Did you ever play any cover songs?

F- A live show was very energetic.I was quite shocked when i saw a video .it was a 'hairshow'.dreadlocks flying everywhere.we would improvise lots.covers included..lucifer sam by floyd, fire and also manic depression by hendrix,LA Woman by the doors,free your mind and your ass will follow by funkadelic,willy the pimp by beefheart there were probably others also but they are the tunes i remember most..

7. Altered State Circus was a huge change in the band sound. What do you think made the change to longer more synth oriented track? It is my favourite record by the band. You had switched from Mystic Stone to Delirium records, which seem to be releasing many of the best bands from the scene. Did you guys ever think you might be able to make a living off music in the early 90s??

F- Ecstasy mainly .hahahaha. I think we were all 'dabbling' at the time.the new keyboard player really fit in and I loved what he added to our sound. During the recording of the first two albums I was mainly taking LSD and mushrooms..We were already good friends with Richard Allen at Delerium so it was great to release something with them.'Altered State Circus ' remains my favourite album.its really hard to make enough money off music alone and we all had other jobs or signed on at the time.

8. Towards the end of the bands run, you played some gigs in Holland in Dec 1994? Were these the only gigs the band played outside the UK? Any memories from this time?

F.- I remember a lot of the dutch gigs.we did a couple of tours of holland .We also did gigs in Italy and Switzerland. Theres some video footage of one of the dutch tours that i must convert from mini dv.

9. Do you still have good memories from these times? 

F- i have so many great memories of this time.the best period of my life.

Thanks for the interview, Ferank. 

scott

Astrodome- II (YaYa Yeah YYYY004)

Astrodome is a four piece instrumental band from Porto, Portugal. I really loved their first record and have been waiting quite a long time for this one arrive. The vinyl is still not out (a long story) but the digital and cassettes are! The album features 6 tracks and was recorded at the northern Portugal studio, Hertzsounds, used by a lot of the PT bands in this scene including 10,000 Rusos. It was mastered by Jonas Munk (Causa Sui). It starts off with Mirage. It has a slow keyboard fade in (by new member Kevin, who also plays guitar) and then the melodic guitars kick in as the track slowly builds.  There is some very nice dual lead guitars with a lot of melodic parts intertwined in a very nice way as the drums and bass keep the momentum going. The track comes down and there is a short keyboard solo with some really nice drumming. The track builds up again as it started. Nice reprise and ending. Great opening track. Secular Fields features about the same tempo but some slide guitar and a really ripping and cool lead solo on this track. I just got transported away on this one. Fantastic. Dawn Gardens Part 1 finishes side A of the tape with a track with beautiful melodies and dynamics from this band. I just love the way the two guitar players interact on the tracks. Some times one balances a more dark theme with a more light one as each track evolves.

Dawn Gardens Part 2 starts side B with another slow fade up with just the guitar and cymbals before the rest of the band kicks in for one of the more heavy numbers on this album but quite short. Sunrite is a quite different mood to start and a slow steady drum and repeated guitar line as a theme slowly develops and then when you think it is going to peak, it dies down and a new guitar riff kicks in a new direction begins. A bit of the stoner rock feel and heavy doomy stuff that was on a few tracks of the first record appears later but the nice organ really compliments it well. Atlas ends this excellent record and a track that reminds e a lot of Causa Sui! One of my faves in 2018, please check it out if you like instrumental music.

About the vinyl, it was supposed to be released on the HeviSike label, like the first record and due out in April. Apparently the records were pressed but the label never approved the artwork and the label owner has either died or just gone crazy. This has put the band in a very bad position as the pre-orders have all had to be refunded now and those that were more than 6 months old, might not be able to as that is the limit with paypal.  Lets hope that it does come out on vinyl but no other label will put it out until this is solved. Sorry guys. Great record and cool band. Nice people as well.  Support this band. I would love to see these guys at Roadburn!

http://astrodome.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/astrodomeband