Tim Souster ‎– Swit Drimz (1977, LP, England)

Tracklist:
A1. Afghan Amplitudes (8:16)
A2. Arcane Artefact (13:41)
B1. Music From Afar (3:03)
B2. Spectral (14:42)
B3. Surfit (5:02)

Musicians:
Percussion, Drums - Tony Greenwood
Synthesizer, Piano, Organ, Horns, Tape, Effects, Percussion, Viola, Electric Organ - Tim Souster
Vibraphone, Marimba - Peter Britton


British composer and keyboardist, born in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire in 1943. Following his studies at Oxford University, Souster joined the BBC Third Programme as a composer and travelled the world for the next decaded. In 1977 comes his first album ''Swit drimz'' (Transatlantic Records) with Souster performing on piano, Farfisa organ, Moog synth and viola, helped by drummer Tony Greenwood and Peter Britton on vibraphone. First side of this work is a decent attempt on Electronic/Fusion with Library Music elements, containinig cool synth runs and dramatic piano lines, supported by drums and vibraphone. Complex instrumental stuff with some really nice thematic changes. Basically absent from the album's flipside, Souster's guests left him alone to carry the load of the album into experimental relams, Avant Garde weirdness ala Franco Battiato, sounding as a whole like a minimalistic Film Score, based on dissonant instrumental parts and heavy sound effects. Practically half of the flipside is no music at all, mostly spoken parts, loops and effects. Several albums followed in the field of Electronic/Classical Music and endless collaborations for concerts and TV shows, until Souster passed away suddenly in 1994. (apps79)

Vince Tempera ‎– Temperix (1976, LP, Italy)

Tracklist:
A1. Sogno D'Amore
A2. Where Or When
A3. Sing A Simple Song
A4. Town Without Pitty
A5. Sniff Sniff
B1. A Taste Of Honey
B2. Temperix
B3. Love Letters
B4. Get Up, Get On, Get Out, Get Off With Me
B5. Sophisticated Lady

Arranged By, Producer, Instruments – Vince Tempera

Nyl ‎– Nyl (1976, LP, France)

Tracklist:
1. Nyl (8:04)
2. Abery (3:22)
3. Nyarlathotep (2:35)
4. Shatt (1:24)
5. Dromadaire Bleu (3:02)
6. Ailes D'or (3:08)
7. Dervishes (2:39)
8. Ibha (3:53)
9. Jaguar I (2:19)
10. Jaguar II (1:01)
11. Nyl II (9:23)
12. Surfing Ibha (2:15)
13. Nyarlathotep II (2:22)
14. Nyl III (9:04)
15. Alex (10:50)

Musicians:
Michel Peteau / guitar
Stephane Rossini / drums, voices
Jannick Top / bass (1, 3, 6)
Patrick Fontaine / bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Olivier Pamela / bass, voices (2)
Elisabeth Wiener / voices (6)
Loy / piano (1)
D. B. F. / synthetizer
Freequentin / alto saxophone
Ariel Kalmar / soprano saxophone
Bernard Lavialle / guitar (2, 5, 7)

After the demise of Cheval Fou guitarist Michel Peteau along with drummer Stéphane Rossini moved on to form a new group under the name Nyl. The band produced one sole release on Urus Records before fading into obscurity for good. The album features some important guest musicians in differrent tracks, like bassist Jannick Top of Magma fame or ex-Ame son Patrick Fontaine and Bernard Lavialle on bass and guitars respectively. The same album with plenty of unpublished recordings was released on Legend in 1994 and more recently on Psych Up Melodies.

Regarding the original album, this is quite short (just 27 minutes), but it is definitely a slight improvement over Cheval Fou's unpolished sound. ''Nyl'' is again a Psych-flavored Heavy Rock album with a bit of a jazzy taste throughout, where Peteau's guitars lead the way. However gone are most of the freak-out ASH RA TEMPEL-like experiments of the previous band and ''Nyl'' is actually characterized by the raw, attacking and strongly psychedelic guitar grooves of Peteau along with his edgy soloing, often accompanied by tasteless vocals (credited to a number of singers), which strangely fit well with the powerful music, and of course the solid and slightly improvised Rossini drumming. The opening eponymous track contains also some flashy space synths (credited to D. B. F ???), while the distinct jazzy vibe comes from the dynamic sax interventions appearing in a couple of tracks.

The CD reissue of the album contains no less than 38 minutes of bonus material from the recordings of the group. Actually the first tracks of this extra stuff ('' Ibha'', ''Jaguar I & II) continues from where the album stopped. Good spacey Heavy/Psych Rock with some nervous synths and saxes to go along with Peteau's guitars.The longer tracks (as well as the rest of the material) though remind more of Cheval Fou than Nyl. Long spacey jams with many improvised, almost Kraut-Rock, passages and full of fiery psychedelic grooves and sound effects, this is some very hypnotic music with a free feeling overall, close to the likes of AMON DUUL, GONG or early SOFT MACHINE.

This is quite deep Heavy/Psychedelic Rock with much diversity, while the CD reissue makes ''Nyl'' an even more attractive purchase. Recommended for all Acid Rock and Prog/Psych maniacs out there. (apps79)

Ennio Morricone ‎– Il Gatto A Nove Code (Original Soundtrack) (2006, CD, Italy)

Taken from the 1971 movie ' Il Gatto A Nove Code', directed by Dario Argento.

Sensation's Fix ‎– Sensation's Fix (1974, CD, Italy)

Tracklist:
1. Astride a Vibration (3:20)
2. Cosmic Fuel (1:30)
3. Muddy Candy (3:20)
4. Galatic Interference (2:15)
5. Fall of Senstaions On Earth (3:15)
6. Dust of Nothing (2:00)
7. Wave 243 (2:43)
8. Broad Mindedness (3:18)
9. Concentric Circles (2:40)
10. The Leaven Appeared in the Sky (2:58)
11. S.N.S.T.N. F.X (2:00)
12. Vertical Motion (2:15)

Music By – Franco Falsini

Listening today to the music produced by Sensations’ Fix, a project founded and directed by Franco Falsini in ‘70s, can’t just leave anyone indifferent. Already in the mid-‘60s, Falsini was full-time involved in musical activities: a tireless traveler and experimenter, an artist with uncommon curiosity and intuition, after having lived for some time in the United States and England, he finally established again in Italy where he gave shape to Sensations’ Fix and signed a contract with Polydor for the release of six records in five years. Often associated with the sound of Tangerine Dream and the so-called German ‘cosmic couriers’, Sensations’ Fix were much more than mere clones of something already existing.

“Sensations’ Fix” is – together with “Portable Madness” and “Fragments of Light” – one of the three titles published in 1974, a collection of short psychedelic compositions, in which glimpses of ‘cosmic’ music can already be noticed; those elements would soon become a trademark in the group’s repertoire. The twelve compositions present here were part of demos that Falsini had sold to the record company, which decided to publish them in the form of a not-for-sale LP, which had “music especially recorded for radio and television” written on the back cover: in practice, sketches of musical ideas had been ‘transformed’ into ‘library music’ and collected in an extremely rare vinyl that sells today for hundreds of euros. (lightintheattic.net)

Kenso ‎– Kenso (1980, CD, Japan)