2015 - Comps/Collections & Singles/EPs
For the second part of my look back at 2015 here are my lists for Comps/Collections and Singles/EPs. For brevity's sake I've managed, through much furrowing of the brow, to keep both lists to just 5.
COMPILATIONS & COLLECTIONS
5. Various Artists - Rock Back For Nepal (Patetico Recordings)
A three volume digital only compilation with all proceeds going to the victims of the catastrophic earthquakes in Nepal....a good enough reason to buy it. The three volumes brought together the great and the good from the shoegaze scene including A Place to Bury Strangers, Ummagma (a fave of this blog), Lights That Change and Sounds of Sputnik. In all over 50 tracks of top-notch shoegazing loveliness with all the proceeds going to a very good cause. The volumes are still available at the Patetico Bandcamp Page.
4. Various Artists - The Reverb Conspiracy Vol 3 (Fuzz Club)
A lush comp from one of THE labels of the year...featuring tracks from such psych luminaries as The Oscillation, Singapore Sling, Mugstar and Goat. In all 15 tracks of fuzz, all on groovy white vinyl. Can't really go wrong with that!
3. Chef Menteur - III (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
New Orleans residents Chef Menteur have long been a musical enigma, nigh on impossible to categorise or stick in a particular pigeonhole. Sunrise Ocean Bender, always arbiters of great taste, released a lush, sprawling 3 CD set that celebrates Chef Menteur's eclectic, ever-evolving and mesmerising output. 'III' brings together LPs 'East of the Sun & West of the Moon’, 'North of Tomorrow & South of Yesterday’ and ‘Force Majeure’. It is "a showcase of a band who defy genres and produce some stunning, inspirational, cerebral and sometimes jaw-dropping music" and in this year that has produced so many fantastic releases, it speaks volumes that these CDs are never far from hand.(Review)
2. Various Artists - Cardinal Fuzz Present Sonic Attack At Liverpool Psych Fest: Stay Holy (Cardinal Fuzz)
For those lucky enough to attend this years Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia had their minds blown by Cardinal Fuzz, who had been given the honour of hosting its own showcase on 25th & 26th September. Titled Cardinal Fuzz Present Sonic Attack, it brought together The Heads, The Cult Of Dom Keller, Lumerians, Kandodo3 and Dead Sea Apes. To mark this event Cardinal Fuzz released 'Stay Holy', a compilation featuring five bands who have all played a part in the history of the label....and serves as a storming document of the modern scene. With contributions from White Manna, Black Bombain, Dead Sea Apes, Carlton Melton ft Dr Space and Kandodo3 it was two sides of blistering psych and texture rich soundscapes......pretty damned awesome! (Review)
1. Various Artists - Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia Presents PZYK Vol.1 (PYZK)
This album is a thing of beauty, not just the sounds, but the packaging and presentation...triple vinyl in a glorious blue, a pull-out poster and some cool artwork. Musically it is "a whacked-out audio atlas of the PZYK diaspora". 30 bands from around the globe representing the breadth and depth of the current psych scene and all have played at the Liverpool Psych Fest. There are some familiar names: Mugstar, Goat, Gnod and White Manna (again!), but also some lesser known bands and artists, which make this album a vital document of the here and now of the scene. Fantastic music and beautiful product!
SINGLES AND EPS
5. Ummagma - Frequencies EP
Ummagma are Shauna McLarnon and Alexander Kretov, a married couple who produce some of the most chilled, beautiful music since the Cocteau Twins. This EP is a delight - hazy dreampop of the highest order, with remixes provided by Robin Guthrie of the aforementioned Cocteaus and Mal Holmes from OMD.
4. Magic Bus - Seven Wonders/Eight Miles High (Fruits de Mer)
A wonderful cover of The Byrds' classic by Magic Bus appeared on the B-Side of their Fruits de Mer single, just one of many very fine singles released by FdM this year. 'Seven Wonders' is a pastoral proggy number but the highlight is the Byrds cover, giving the West Coast classic a English spin without losing the original's feel and atmosphere.
3. Hotel Wrecking City Traders / Hey Colossus - split 12" (Wild Animal)
Melbourne's noisenik duo Hotel Wrecking City Traders and London / Somerset's own Hey Colossus have been buds for a while, meeting when they did some shows together in 2014, the Australians hit Europe for 3 weeks and HC hooked up for 3 shows. This saw the genesis of this split 12" on Wild Animals Records - less a meeting of minds, more a collision of two juggernauts. The HWCT track, 'Droned and Disowned (Pt.2)' is a monster! Starting with some dense drone, heavy percussion and feedback, joined by some funky mutated disco guitar which evolves into a whirling, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic maelstrom. The HC track 'Heaven Blows' is another dense drone workout and ends up sounding like the comedown from hell. The two tracks on this split 12" work very well together; the unrestrained attack of 'Droned and Disowned (Pt.2)' being balanced nicely with the more introverted but eerie come down of 'Heaven Blows'. A cracking pair of tunes.
2. God Unknown Singles Club Vol 1
God Unknown hit upon a simple concept: a singles club where people pay for a subscription and every month they get sent a 7" featuring tracks from 2 of the best bands around. Simple but incredibly effective....over the year we've been treated to songs by Acid Mothers Temple, Anthroprophh, Oneida (my fave I think!), White Hills, Mugstar..the list goes on. Over the ten singles there was not one weak track. I can't wait for Vol 2 to start shipping..
1. onYou - I'm On Fire (Captcha)
When I started thinking about this 'End of Year' malarkey, the only positive I had was that this was going to top the singles section. onYou are one of my fave bands - always inventive, always evolving and always nothing short of genius - but even I was absolutely blown away by 'I'm On Fire'!....it is huge!! A ridiculously limited vinyl run (only 150, and cost me a pretty penny in P&P from the states, but boy, worth every penny) but still available digitally on the Captcha Bandcamp page. The title track is a cover of the celebrated sociopath Charles Manson, whose version is nothing but some incoherent growling and wailing over a rudely strummed acoustic guitar. onYou have taken this and turned it into a tour de force of psychedelic, kraut based experimental rock. The B-side, 'Singapore Solution' starts as a nice, gentle electronic based krautrock number but halfway through the track changes direction completely - the tension and drama is ramped up and takes on a soundtrack vibe, in fact reminiscent of some of Tangerine Dream's best soundtrack work. A simply stunning slab of wax.
COMPILATIONS & COLLECTIONS
5. Various Artists - Rock Back For Nepal (Patetico Recordings)
A three volume digital only compilation with all proceeds going to the victims of the catastrophic earthquakes in Nepal....a good enough reason to buy it. The three volumes brought together the great and the good from the shoegaze scene including A Place to Bury Strangers, Ummagma (a fave of this blog), Lights That Change and Sounds of Sputnik. In all over 50 tracks of top-notch shoegazing loveliness with all the proceeds going to a very good cause. The volumes are still available at the Patetico Bandcamp Page.
4. Various Artists - The Reverb Conspiracy Vol 3 (Fuzz Club)
A lush comp from one of THE labels of the year...featuring tracks from such psych luminaries as The Oscillation, Singapore Sling, Mugstar and Goat. In all 15 tracks of fuzz, all on groovy white vinyl. Can't really go wrong with that!
3. Chef Menteur - III (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
New Orleans residents Chef Menteur have long been a musical enigma, nigh on impossible to categorise or stick in a particular pigeonhole. Sunrise Ocean Bender, always arbiters of great taste, released a lush, sprawling 3 CD set that celebrates Chef Menteur's eclectic, ever-evolving and mesmerising output. 'III' brings together LPs 'East of the Sun & West of the Moon’, 'North of Tomorrow & South of Yesterday’ and ‘Force Majeure’. It is "a showcase of a band who defy genres and produce some stunning, inspirational, cerebral and sometimes jaw-dropping music" and in this year that has produced so many fantastic releases, it speaks volumes that these CDs are never far from hand.(Review)
2. Various Artists - Cardinal Fuzz Present Sonic Attack At Liverpool Psych Fest: Stay Holy (Cardinal Fuzz)
For those lucky enough to attend this years Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia had their minds blown by Cardinal Fuzz, who had been given the honour of hosting its own showcase on 25th & 26th September. Titled Cardinal Fuzz Present Sonic Attack, it brought together The Heads, The Cult Of Dom Keller, Lumerians, Kandodo3 and Dead Sea Apes. To mark this event Cardinal Fuzz released 'Stay Holy', a compilation featuring five bands who have all played a part in the history of the label....and serves as a storming document of the modern scene. With contributions from White Manna, Black Bombain, Dead Sea Apes, Carlton Melton ft Dr Space and Kandodo3 it was two sides of blistering psych and texture rich soundscapes......pretty damned awesome! (Review)
1. Various Artists - Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia Presents PZYK Vol.1 (PYZK)
This album is a thing of beauty, not just the sounds, but the packaging and presentation...triple vinyl in a glorious blue, a pull-out poster and some cool artwork. Musically it is "a whacked-out audio atlas of the PZYK diaspora". 30 bands from around the globe representing the breadth and depth of the current psych scene and all have played at the Liverpool Psych Fest. There are some familiar names: Mugstar, Goat, Gnod and White Manna (again!), but also some lesser known bands and artists, which make this album a vital document of the here and now of the scene. Fantastic music and beautiful product!
SINGLES AND EPS
5. Ummagma - Frequencies EP
Ummagma are Shauna McLarnon and Alexander Kretov, a married couple who produce some of the most chilled, beautiful music since the Cocteau Twins. This EP is a delight - hazy dreampop of the highest order, with remixes provided by Robin Guthrie of the aforementioned Cocteaus and Mal Holmes from OMD.
4. Magic Bus - Seven Wonders/Eight Miles High (Fruits de Mer)
A wonderful cover of The Byrds' classic by Magic Bus appeared on the B-Side of their Fruits de Mer single, just one of many very fine singles released by FdM this year. 'Seven Wonders' is a pastoral proggy number but the highlight is the Byrds cover, giving the West Coast classic a English spin without losing the original's feel and atmosphere.
3. Hotel Wrecking City Traders / Hey Colossus - split 12" (Wild Animal)
Melbourne's noisenik duo Hotel Wrecking City Traders and London / Somerset's own Hey Colossus have been buds for a while, meeting when they did some shows together in 2014, the Australians hit Europe for 3 weeks and HC hooked up for 3 shows. This saw the genesis of this split 12" on Wild Animals Records - less a meeting of minds, more a collision of two juggernauts. The HWCT track, 'Droned and Disowned (Pt.2)' is a monster! Starting with some dense drone, heavy percussion and feedback, joined by some funky mutated disco guitar which evolves into a whirling, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic maelstrom. The HC track 'Heaven Blows' is another dense drone workout and ends up sounding like the comedown from hell. The two tracks on this split 12" work very well together; the unrestrained attack of 'Droned and Disowned (Pt.2)' being balanced nicely with the more introverted but eerie come down of 'Heaven Blows'. A cracking pair of tunes.
2. God Unknown Singles Club Vol 1
God Unknown hit upon a simple concept: a singles club where people pay for a subscription and every month they get sent a 7" featuring tracks from 2 of the best bands around. Simple but incredibly effective....over the year we've been treated to songs by Acid Mothers Temple, Anthroprophh, Oneida (my fave I think!), White Hills, Mugstar..the list goes on. Over the ten singles there was not one weak track. I can't wait for Vol 2 to start shipping..
1. onYou - I'm On Fire (Captcha)
When I started thinking about this 'End of Year' malarkey, the only positive I had was that this was going to top the singles section. onYou are one of my fave bands - always inventive, always evolving and always nothing short of genius - but even I was absolutely blown away by 'I'm On Fire'!....it is huge!! A ridiculously limited vinyl run (only 150, and cost me a pretty penny in P&P from the states, but boy, worth every penny) but still available digitally on the Captcha Bandcamp page. The title track is a cover of the celebrated sociopath Charles Manson, whose version is nothing but some incoherent growling and wailing over a rudely strummed acoustic guitar. onYou have taken this and turned it into a tour de force of psychedelic, kraut based experimental rock. The B-side, 'Singapore Solution' starts as a nice, gentle electronic based krautrock number but halfway through the track changes direction completely - the tension and drama is ramped up and takes on a soundtrack vibe, in fact reminiscent of some of Tangerine Dream's best soundtrack work. A simply stunning slab of wax.
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