Embryo's Dissidenten & Karnataka College Of Percussion ‎– Germanistan – I Wish I Could Stay Far Away (1982, LP, Germany)

Tracklist:
A1. Ein Abend Mit Akaaboune - 4:45
A2. Fatiha's Finger - 8:10
A3. Nalina Kanti - 6:00
A4. Siebzig Bis Achtzig - 3:24
B1. Kalyani - 8:35
B2. Memories Of Chilli - 4:40
B3. Kreuzberg – Istanbulerstraße - 4:40
B4. Veena Vadini - 2:30

Musicians:
Composed By – Dissidenten, K.C.P.
Dhol, Kanjira, Ghatam – M.R. Ravindranath
Dholak, Ghatam – R. A. Rajagopal
Electric Bass, Piano, Oud, Flute, Bouzouki, Electric Guitar, Vocals, Organ, Baglama, Synthesizer – Dissidenten
Ghatam – M.A. Nagaraj
Mridangam – T. A. S. Mani
Thavil, Jew's Harp, Drums, Percussion – R. Shottam
Trombone – Werner Aldinger
Trumpet – Wilfried Grotens
Vocals – R.A. Ramamani
Written-By – Trad. Arr. (tracks: A1, B3)

Around 1981, "Embryo's Dissidenten" were founded in India by Friedemann "Friedo" Josch (b 21 July 1952, Mainz, wind instruments, keyboards) and former Embryo band members Uwe "Uve" Müllrich (b 7 December 1947, Rügen, bass, oud, guitar, vocals) and Michael Wehmeyer (keyboards, piano). Still in 1981, Marlon Klein (b 13 December 1957, Herford, drums, perc, keyboards, vocals) replaced Wehmeyer, and the band renamed themselves to Dissidenten. 1982/83, they founded their own record label Exil in Berlin.

The Karnataka College of Percussion (KCP) is a music school in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, which is dedicated to the teaching of the Carnatic percussion and vocal music of South India. It was founded in approximately 1964 by the mridangam player T. A. S. Mani. The college features a percussion ensemble called Tala Tarangini, which has performed throughout Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia, and which has collaborated with numerous jazz rock musicians, including Charlie Mariano, Okay Temiz, Iain Ballamy, Dissidenten, and Embryo. (wikipedia)

Le Collectif Le Temps Des Cerises ‎– Dansons Avec Les Travailleurs Immigrés (À Bas La Circulaire Fontanet) (1974, LP, France)

Tracklist:
A1. Les Touristes – 10:32
A2. Les Partisans (Chant Révolutionnaire Soviétique) – 1:08
A3. Versailles – 1:40
A4. Le Front Uni Des Travailleurs – 1:40
B1. Nous Allons Vous Conter... (Intercommunal Blues) – 13:35
B2. L'Internationale – 1:50

Musicians:
Trumpet – Jean Mereu, Manu, Pierre Ferrier
Tuba – Claude Marre
Trombone – Poc
Violin – Gérard Tamestit
Vocals – Boussaba, Carlos Andreu
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Cornet – Michel Marre
Percussion, Tambora, Bongos – Alain Bruhl, Alain Hako, Denis Levaillant, Guy Oulchen, Joël Grasset
Percussion, Tambora, Bongos, Chorus – François Tusques
Chorus – Jean-Claude Guillet, Marie Iracane, Tania Munuera

Enrico Rava ‎– The Plot (1977, LP, Italy)

Tracklist:
A1. Tribe – 6:51
A2. On The Red Side Of The Street – 5:22
A3. Amici – 9:04
B1. Dr. Ra And Mr. Va – 6:40
B2. Foto Di Famiglia – 2:22
B3. The Plot – 15:00

Musicians:
Bass – Palle Danielsson
Drums – Jon Christensen
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – John Abercrombie
Trumpet – Enrico Rava

Like its cover, Enrico Rava’s The Plot is a storybook with much to delight our hungry eyes and ears. Its dramatis personae will be familiar to the ECM enthusiast: John Abercrombie as the guitarist, Palle Danielsson as the bassist, Jon Christensen as the drummer, and Rava himself as the trumpeter who leads them on a profoundly satisfying adventure. Our tale begins with the airy bass line of “Tribe.” Abercrombie’s restrained wails and Christensen’s splashing cymbals spread their arms wide in a loose net across the page. Rava spins outward from its center like a spider, checking every tether to make sure it is securely fastened to the surrounding flora. Only then does he jump off, held by a single lifeline, almost invisible in the air, as he soars in his improvised freefall. Rava then takes us “On The Red Side Of The Street,” where focused solos and curiosity comingle incognito. What begins as erratic reverie in “Amici” turns into a protracted groove in which Rava unleashes a most potent narrative omniscience. To this, Abercrombie adds own staccato punctuation. The next chapter introduces us to “Dr. Ra And Mr. Va.” These mysterious alter egos paint a world of black and white, but describe it with the most colorful language at their disposal. Rava’s brassy pirouettes bring lively energy to the climax, instigating an ecstatic call and response with Abercrombie. We then come to a sepia illustration, Rava’s “Foto Di Famiglia,” a duet for acoustic guitar and trumpet. A plaintive stroll through half-remembered places long since transformed by the passage of time and gentrification, it is the counterpart to “Parks” on 1975’s The Pilgrim And The Stars. A brief interlude, it is usurped by the 15-minute epilogue, from which the album gets its name. It eases into our hearts with a somber yet soulful trumpet solo against an awakening rhythm section. The synergy builds to a non-abrasive intensity, threaded by Abercrombie’s hieroglyphic chords before shifting to his fuzz box sound, careening through the night like some cosmic wayfarer whose only guides are the sounds of Rava’s winding paths. And as the final page turns to reveal its blank reverse, we want nothing more than to reread this forgotten classic immediately. (ecmreviews.com)

Pueblo ‎– Pueblo (1975, LP, Italy)

Formed in Milan around 1974, Pueblo were another of many Italian groups playing a West Coast-styled rock, this time sung in English. Early recordings were made at Apple studios in London, then a contract with Polydor, which gave a good promotion to the group, that also played as support band for Le Orme, but split after a more commercial second single in 1977.
Guitarist Max Meazza has had a long career as solo artist and has reformed Pueblo in 1999 for a new album with old cohort Claudio Bazzari. The Pueblo LP has been reissued on CD in 2010 by Universal as part of the Progressive Italia - Gli anni '70 vol.6 box set, with both sides of the 1977 single as bonus tracks. (italianprog.com)

Rémy Sträuli ‎– The Elf Album (1997, CD, Switzerland)

Wonderful solo-project by multi-instrumentalist Rémy Sträuli from the swiss Yolk band. A blend of classic progressive rock songs and canterbury flavours. Highly recommended!

Ensemble Oriental ‎– Orient (1983, LP, Turkey/Germany)

Tracklist:

A1 - Orient Express (3:10)

A2 - Zühtü (5:04)

A3 - Espri (5:34)

A4 - Hüdayda (5:33)

B1 - Kalbim (5:54)

B2 - Dance Of Saz (10:45)

B3 - Freundschafts-Dosluk (2:40)

Musicians:

Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Schiweck
Bass – Willi Hutzler
Drums, Percussion, Metallophone – Jo Schwarz
Goblet Drum [Darbuka], Congas, Percussion – Gietin Şerçe
Lute [E-saz, Concert-saz, Piccolo-saz] – Özer Şenay
Violin [4-string, 8-string] – Ferdi Mang

Oktober ‎– Himmel Auf Erden! (1979, LP, Germany)

Tracklist::
1. Oma Meier (6:00)
2. Himmel auf Erden (6:45)
3. Mädchenballade (7:29)
4. Straßenkämpfer (4:01)
5. Geniestreich (4:10)
6. Broksdorfer Liebeslied (4:00)
7. Singe Du (5:43)
8. Der Bauer und die Oma (2:25)
9. Hierher gehört Leben (3:58)

Musicians:
Jürgen Hansen/ drums
Pierre Meyn/ guitar, vocals
Peter Robert-Mandl/ keyboards
Brita Segebrecht/ vocals
Kalla Wefel/ vocals, bass pedals, 12-string & acoustic guitar

UHF ‎– Timeless Voyager (1981, LP, Usa)

Tracklist:
A1. Book Of Ages
A2. Don't Look Over Your Shoulders
A3. Never Giving Up
A4. Breakaway
A5. Attitude Of Space
B1. Lead Us Away
B2. Journey Through Illusions
B3. Winds
B4. Timeless Voyager
Musicians:
Guitar, Keyboards – Honorato Rodriguez
Lead Vocals, Bass, Electronics [Synthesized Bass Pedals] – Fidel Ferro
Percussion, Backing Vocals – Joe Ferrante


Once in a while a rare, underground Prog LP appears, which is way above the average stuff we mostly hear in such occassions.UHF were an obscure Florida-based band with three members (from their surnames they've got to have somekind of Latin origin), who played hyper-complex and fast Hard Progressive with some spacey overtones in the flashy keyboard lines and obvious leanings towards an emerging Heavy Metal scene.RUSH would be the most obvious reference (hard guitar moves, upfront bass, spacey keyboards), but UHF played in a more technical level with intricate breaks, angular riffs and complex synth/guitar manouvres, vocals are pretty solid for such a band as well.The energy level is sky high and the production is ok, good enough not to hold back the album's quality.Near top quality US rarity. (apps79)

Breidablik/Jordsjø ‎– Songs From The Northern Wasteland (2016, Cassette, Norway)

Tracklist:
A1. The Sunreturn (by Breidablik) (8:08)
A2. The Gate to Eternity (by Breidablik) (3:38)
A3. Pillars of Dawn (by Breidablik) (3:39)
A4. Outro - Shapeshifter (by Breidablik) (2:49)
B1. Betula Obscura (by Jordsjø) (1:36)
B2. Se Valinors lamper (by Jordsjø) (7:10)
B3. Fugløykallen (by Jordsjø) (3:46)
B4. Solina, min dronning (by Jordsjø) (7:06)
bonus track

I Momos trädgård (by Jordsjø) (2:39)

Musicians:
Drums – Martin Nordrum Kneppen (B4)

Drums, Percussion – Kristian Frøland (B1 to B3)

Guitar, Flute, Vocals, Bass, Mellotron, Recorded By – Håkon Oftung (B1 to B4)

Synth, Effects, Keyboards, Written-By – Morten Birkeland Nielsen (A1 to A4)

Written-By – Jordsjø (B1 to B4)

Pholas Dactylus ‎– Hieros Gamos (2019, CD/LP, Italy)

Tracklist:

Part I

1. Hieros Gamos - 21:24

Parte II / Ognuno Da Lande Diverse

2. A Personal Gift - 3:46

3. Yellow And Blue - 3:14

4. I Don't Want... - 3:07

5. Ogni Volta Che Tocco Il Tuo Viso - 2:03

6. Ninna Nanna Per Gianluca - 2:31

7. Une Valse Pour Nous - 2:19

8. Ballata Di Un Mercante Di Sogni - 5:32

Musicians:

Paolo Carelli/ vocals
Tobias Winter/ guitars
Maurizio Pancotti/ piano, organ
Rinaldo Linati/ bass
Csaba Papp/ drums

Of all the recent Italian prog comebacks, Pholas Dactylus' return is certainly the most unexpected. Exactly, Pholas Dactylus, the authors of the unreachable masterpiece "Concerto delle menti" (1973). Forty-five years later, "Hieros Gamos" ('sacred wedding' in Greek language) marks one of the most resounding rebirths for a band that everyone believed to be lost forever.

The album, divided into two parts - one that bears the album title and consists of a long suite, and a second entitled "Ognuno da lande diverse" (each one from a different land), consisting of seven shorter compositions - presents itself in a beautiful way, thanks to the marvellous artwork made by artist Tiziano Crisanti.

In the words of the musicians themselves, "Hieros Gamos" is the attempt to conjugate (wedding) the past with the present, the old and new generations, the different styles, the dead spirits and those still incarnate into living people, in the awareness that nothing can pulsate without this union of profound empathy (sacred). The title-track is a 22-minute suite composed by pianist Maurizio Pancotti that once again sees Paolo Carelli and his iconic reciting voice: here, the references to the original absent musicians are the starting point for revitalizing musical and non-musical messages, that Pholas Dactylus (more intended as an energetic force than a group of people) does not want to disperse.

"Ognuno da lande diverse" is instead a collection of short individual compositions, signed by the three original musicians that are still operative today (Maurizio Pancotti, Paolo Carelli, Rinaldo Linati) who, since the dissolution of the group in 1973 until the present day, have followed completely different and isolated paths, without any professional or private contact: an attempt to show how dissimilar and heterogeneous itineraries contain sparks that can eventually bring to unexpected conjunctions.

Another surprising return in the purest spirit of Italian prog!

Lethe ‎– Lethe (1981, LP, Netherlands)

Tracklist:
1. Lethe (5:36)
2. Avbury Circle (9:46)
3. Cold In Fingers (9:49)
4. Le Tombeau II (9:25)

Musicians:
Thuur Feyen/ organ, piano, strings
Philip de Goey/ piano, oboe, flute, cor anglais
Hans Lambers/ drums, percussion, xylophone, vibraphone, strings
Johan Saanen/ bass guitar
Kees Walravens/ guitar, classical guitar

After the break up of the band Mirror after only one album and intensive touring of Holland, three of the core members of that band - Philip de Goey, Kees Walravens and Johan Saanen - formed Lethe in 1978. In addition to de Goey on piano, oboe and flute, Walravens on guitar, and Saanen on bass guitar, Lethe also featured Hans Lambers on drums, percussion, xylophone, vibraphone and strings, and Thuur Feyen on organ, piano and strings. Like Mirror, Lethe too was to be short lived. The band recorded only one self-titled album that was released in 1981. The album consists of four lengthy instrumental tracks whose sound has been compared to that of Camel.
Saanen, Walravens, and Fransen has since played together in a cover band called Looking For Clues. De Goey is active in a large number of musical projects. (Progarchives)

Egberto Gismonti ‎– Sonhos de Castro Alves (1982, LP, Brazil) Repost!

original post

by request

Omega Plus Featuring Claude Engel ‎– How To Kiss The Sky (1969, LP, France)

Tracks:
01. Unfaithful Woman - 3:48
02. Spanish Feeling - 2:53
03. Wild Cut (Claude Engel/L.Rambler) - 3:12
04. Which Colour? - 2:18
05. Do You Need Sugar? - 0:41
06. Voyelles (Claude Engel/Arthur Rimbaud) - 16:03

Personnel:

Claude Engel - lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, recorders
Gérard Levy - Fender bass, declaimer (06)
Marcel Engel - drums, vocals


"How to kiss the Sky" is the first trace of Claude ENGEL on record before he became a member of MAGMA. OMEGA PLUS is the group formed by Claude ENGEL who is not content just to play - and very well too - guitar or flute but also gives a very good show as a vocalist. Released in '69, OMEGA PLUS's album was influenced by CREAM but its music also contains a foretaste of MAGMA on the B side which features a long piece full of electric energy, folly and a frenzied rhythmic beat. Claude ENGEL gives a fabulous display of his talent as a guitarist on this track.

Everyhead ‎– A Rock Opera (1975, 2xLP, Usa)

Everyhead was a rock opera, inspired by the European Middle Ages play about morality, and re-written to take place in contemporary, 1970’s America. The opera was performed in Los Angeles, in 1975, where it was recorded live for this release. This double album was only ever released as a promotional test pressing, which was refused airplay by American radio, mainly because of two song titles “Ballad Of the Fucking Trees” and “America Is A Pig”, which effectively stopped its release. The recordings were mastered by legendary rock engineer Kent Duncan, and this Akarma version includes the originally intended gatefold edition depicting the four seasons on each panel. The release also contains an insert with all of the lyrics and credits.

Echolyn ‎– Official Live Bootleg: Jersey Tomato (2003, 2xCDr, Usa)

Disc One
1. 67 Degrees (7:33)
2. Brittany (10:29)
3. Suffocating The Bloom (4:32)
4. As The World (6:59)
5. The Cheese Stands Alone (5:49)
6. Sweet Thing (16:31)
7. Never The Same (8:28)
8. Carpe Diem (7:29)

Disc Two
1. mei (50:21)

Line-up

Chris Buzby - keyboards, backing vocals

Brett Kull - guitars, lead and backing vocals

Paul Ramsey - drums

Ray Weston - bass, lead anb backing vocals

Tom Hyatt - bass (4,5,6)

Jesse Reyes - bass (8)

Bubu ‎– El Eco Del Sol (2018, CD, Argentina)

Tracklist:
1. Resplandor (3:49)
2. El Eco Del Sol (9:05)
3. Ariel (3:45)
4. Omer (6:49)
5. Cielo Negro (5:41)
6. Penas (7:25)
7. Por La Mañana (3:52)
8. La Vaca Roja (7:39)

Musicians:
Federico Silva/ electric & acoustic guitars
Virginia Maqui Tenconi/ keyboards, choir conducting
Alvar Llusá Damiani/ electric & acoustic violins
Emilio Tomás Ariza/ transverse flute, backing vocals
Juan Ignacio Varela/ tenor saxophone
Daniel Andreoli/ bass, composer
Julian Bachmanovsky/ drums
With:
Pablo Murgier / keyboards
Anibal Dominguez / transverse flute
Manuel De La Cruz Zambrano / percussion
Lucas Aguirre / voice
Oscar Amaya Agostina Tudisco / backing vocals
Ana María Battezzati / backing vocals
Pablo Mancuso / backing vocals
Florence Stefanelli / backing vocals
Abigail D'Angiolillo / backing vocals
Paula Liffschitz / backing vocals
Tina Haus / backing vocals
It is already almost forty years since the band's extraordinary debut, "Anabelas." Its' creator, Daniel Andreoli, restructured the band together with young musicians, who accompany him in this new rebirth of Bubu. By maintaining all the group's initial essence intact, we are now all over again amazed with this novel work of Avant-Prog. Progressive Rock at its' best, intertwined with appealing nods to Neo-Classical undertones.

Pascal Languirand ‎– De Harmonia Universalia (1980, LP, Canada)

Tracklist:
1. Inesperdistan (6:11)
2. Aballi (6:38)
3. Atlantis (6:45)
4. O Nos Omnes (7:24)
5. Nova (9:58)

Musicians:
Pascal Languirand / vocals, guitar, Roland guitar synth, bass, synths (Farfisa Synthorchestra, MicroMoog, Roland Jupiter 4, Moog Taurus), Korg vocoder, percussion, composer & arranger, producion & mixing

M. Zalla ‎– Mondo Inquieto (1974, LP, Italy)

Maestro Piero Umiliani returns in the alter ego guise of M. Zalla for the 1974 compositional library piece Mondo Inquieto (‘Restless World’) via his far reaching, experimentalist imprint Sound Work Shop. Ambient tensions are represented via a dramatic cross fertilisation of orchestral strings, layered synths and primeval percussion with the Maestro on moody, reflective compositional duties. Stand out cut Strategia (‘Strategy’) harnesses the dopest Wu Tang Beats alongside swathes of high end electro blankets and is a sample classic aching to be reworked into further outer cosmos soundscapes.

Gruppo Folk Bergamo ‎– Paciana Story - Opera Pop (1975, LP, Italy)

Tracks:
01. Ballata — 3:22
02. Tema Conduttore — 3:10
03. A L’E’ Sira — 2:36
04. Tema D’Amore — 3:22
05. Alla Moda — 2:58
06. Licenziamento — 2:14
07. Rapimento — 3:38
08. La Me Murusa Ègia — 1:35
09. Confronto — 3:20
10. Salto Dal Ponte — 5:02

Personnel:
Raffaella Cattaneo — female vocals
Aronne Cereda — guitar, vocals
Mario Marcaletti — bass, vocals
Temistocle Reduzzi — piano, keyboards
Ferdinando Ghisleni — saxophone, clarinet
Callisto Callioni — trumpet
Claudio Caio — drums

Paciana story was a mid-70's Italian project, following an idea of Dalton's keyboardist Temistocle Reduzzi and journalist Luciano Capoferri to musically perform the story of Vincenzo ''Paci'' Paciana, a mythical figure of Bergamo during the 18th century, who was the Robin Hood of the area, stealing from rich and giving the poor, unti he died falling from a bridge in the Brembo river, chased by the police.The studio project featured five additional musicians/singers, among them Dalton's guitarist Aronne Cereda and the album ''Opera Pop'' was recorded in 1975 at the recording studio I Raminghi's bassist Franco Mussita.

This is very delicate and romantic Folk Rock with plenty of acoustic textures and a few proggy overtones, while Reduzzi always supports the music with his synths, electric and acoustic piano.Lots of male and female vocals present the thrilling bio of Paci Paciana in some very good vocal arrangements with warm singing. The music, while remaining fairly soft throughout, has an inner atmospheric content, mainly due to Reduzzi's symphonic keyboards and jazzy electric piano, while half of them contain the smooth electric guitar touch of Cereda or even some ethnic vibes through the sax and clarinet of Ferdinando Ghisleni. Of course the main driving forces remain the folky textures and the album has a strong singer/songwriter feel as a whole, but Reduzzi's obsession to constantly use his keys adds always a light proggy feeling. A couple of tracks are also close to DALTON's sound like the excellent closer ''Salto dal ponte'' or the keyboard-drenched ''Tema condutore''.

Paciana story toured the theaters for some years, featuring over a dozen of musicians and actors in a very good Folk/Pop/Prog opera, that definitely should have been a great experience if caught live. Recommended to all fans of light Progressive Rock, Folk Rock or melodic Italian Prog.

Binary System ‎– From The Epicenter (1999, CD, Usa)

Tracklist:
1. Core Sample
2. Epicenter, The
3. 1-Shift
4. Amazons
5. Buttonwood Tree Jungle
6. Boxation Overload II (Red Metallic)
7. Floating Red Wall, The
8. Generator
9. Warp Drive
10. Smoking Mirror (Tezcatlipoca)
11. Two Doorways
12. I Make Out Shapes (Shin Zellentovui)

The Binary System is pianist Roger C. Miller and drummer Larry Dersch. Their CD From the Epicenter demonstrates a surprising approach of the piano/drums duet. Three of the 12 tracks are improvised, but the main interest of the album resides in the written material. Miller borrows compositional elements from classical, jazz, and rock. The resulting form resembles progressive rock, although less pompous, thanks to the stripped-down lineup. Fans of Emerson, Lake & Palmer will definitely feel at home through the first three tracks, "Core Sample," "The Epicenter," and "1-Shift," all virtuosic numbers with complex structures, numerous changes in time signature, and an overall strong progressive feel. The situation changes afterwards as Miller puts objects on the piano strings. The prepared piano pieces take a more avant-garde approach and, although the straight piano comes back for the last third of the album, the music remains a little more daring and exciting (both musicians go totally crazy on "Warp Drive").

Psopho ‎– Sheer Profundity (1982, LP, Belgium)

Ultraobscure Belgian combo, founded in late 1970s as a brainchild of Raph Van GOUBERGEN (keyboards) and disbanded without any notice, released only one album titled "Sheer Profundity" in 1982 via New-Sound Label.

I Nipoti Del Faraone ‎– I Nipoti Del Faraone (1987, LP, Italy)

Tracklist:
A1 I Nipoti Del Faraone
A2 Eskimono
A3 Things Of Paradise
A4 Honey Pot
B1 Prendi L'Osso E Corri
B2 Beautiful Dreamer
B3 Il Lungo, Il Corto, Il Pacioccone
B4 Creepy

Musicians:
Drums – Stefano Mineo
Performer – Alberto Mineo, Massimo Giacon, Mimì Colucci
Voice – Ettore Sottsass (tracks: B1)

Nu Creative Methods ‎– Le Marchand De Calicot (1981, LP, France)

Tracklist
A1 Muggles Jungle
A2 Orphean Veranda
A3 For Nu Jungle Dancers Only
A4 Jaguar Rag
A5 Dung Fanfare
B1 Zig Zag Metods
B2 Zygomatic Ram Dam
B3 Le Marchand De Calicot
B4 Tohu Bohu Boa

Rare self-released avant-garde and experimental album from Pierre Bastien recorded in Lyon, France. Brilliant album, souns like Pascal Comelade's early works, using Asian, Oriental or African instruments as well as toy pianos!