HAWKWIND - ATOMHENGE AND ESSENTIALS

 

(Hawkwind At Rockfield Studios Monmouth Wales early 70's)

I threatened to do this years ago in another post where I defended Hawkwind as one of the most underappreciated bands of psychedelic music. I also think that the whole hippy/space rock/traveler associations related to Hawkwind though endorsed by the band themselves has rendered them a kinda "niche" band though popular enough to subsist on their touring and album sales never quite reaching the heights of popularity to become a true household name, which in my opinion is what they deserve. Having constantly reinvented themselves in new and interesting ways yet never having strayed too far from their core sound Hawkwind for me have remained consistently fantastic for  over 50 years and are one of the most unique and inventive bands in the history of rock music.

 I have been a fan for near 30 of those 50 years. So how did I get into them?  Here's my story, Whilst in my teen years, despite someone in my circle of friends always having a Hawkwind album and having heard "Silver Machine" and "Hassan-I-Sabbah" a million times particularly the latter simply because my pothead friends used to like to play it because of it's refrain of "hashish hashish hashish" I never really took to them lumping them in with the rest of the old man hippy shit! Around 1991/92 my interest in extreme music such as death metal etc began to wane, I also kinda fell in with a new group of friends, who, despite liking great music were not a part of that "extreme" scene. I began to get my mind opened to all sorts of new music and that was the real beginning of the opening of the musical floodgates that got me to where I am today! Enter my old pal "J" he was a few years older than the rest of us and was a kinda hippy!, He not only introduced me to  Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Gong,Steve Hillage etc he also gave me an education on cannabis and hallucinogenics! Previously I had just wanted to get wrecked on weed n booze. "J"  taught me to use these things more like a sacrament to expand my mind and this tied in with the sounds of space rock changed me forever! Hawkwind have been a firm favourite ever since and they long outlasted my youthful dabblings in drugs!!

So I am not even going to attempt a Hawkwind discography having released a staggering 92 albums (Live and studio) and a further minefield of 102 compilations and that is just under the Hawkwind name alone, when you start looking at side bands, pseudonyms etc it just makes you dizzy I own 24 CD's by them and my digital collection amounts to a staggering 11 GB and I can honestly say I'm only scratching the surface! Couple that with the fact that they have re-recorded old material multiple times it's just insane and makes my head hurt! I think even a true dedicated lifetime HAWFAN would struggle to provide you with a full discography! So what can I give my discerning blog readers that would fit the bill and satisfy me that I was giving you a top quality overview of one of my favourite bands???

Back in 2010 Hawkwind hooked up with notorious underground label Cherry Red which I think is still their home to date and started a sub-label called Atomhenge this was to be the ultimate in Hawkwind reissuing, remastering, repackaging and expanding a huge chunk of their classic back catlog covering the years 1975 - 1997. For the Hawkwind fan this was an absolute mind blower. Not only were the albums remastered and sounded great, in most cases they were expanded massively with outtakes, EP's Live shows and all sorts. They also reissued some of their key side projects such as Robert Calvert's 1st solo album , Psychedelic Warriors and Hawklords debut. However it would appear that Hawkwind were unable to or unwilling to purchase the rights to their classic first 4 studio albums and the seminal live double album "Space Ritual" the rights for these belong to EMI and I can't imagine negotiations to procure those could have been easy! However EMI took it upon themselves to reissue/remaster & expand these themselves,, though not quite as exhaustive as the Atomhenge releases they look and sound great and come with some essential bonuses. There is one more small thing I felt I had to add! Seems like for some reason not one of these amazing reissues contains Hawkind's most famous song "Silver Machine" so you will also find below a little file with the original "Silver Machine/Seven By Seven" 7" below taken from the "Of Time And Stars" singles collection.

This brings me to your links... The original intention behind this post was to bring you the complete (or as near complete as my research can tell me) set of Atomhenge Hawkwind reissues along with the key side projects I mentioned in the last paragraph. However I felt that if I was NOT gonna do a discography the least I could do was give you the Atomhenge albums plus the absolutely essential first 5 albums on EMI too! As it seemed a shame that you'd miss out on the first 7 years of the band. 

I have not as yet talked about the music of Hawkwind they are a band as undefinable as they are great, taking in a plethora of influences over the decades and constantly changing but yet remaining consistently Hawkwind. you are either a fan or not and I doubt that you're likely to come across this post just casually browsing for Hawkwind. I guess this is, selfishly or not, a post for fans. If you are a regular visitor and you really are just curious then maybe start with the double Live album "Space Ritual" or later double Live album "Live Chronicles" whilst vastly different coming some 15 years or so apart and despite being live these were among the first Hawkwind I heard and I definitely think if you want a feel of the band these would be your best place to start. 

So here's a guide to your links with a brief overview of what's extra on each release. ALL albums are remastered so I won't be mentioning that again. (Note - the list below is in chronological order but the links are not, as I added them as they were done uploading as I have been working on the uploads for weeks as the total size of these files was not far off 5GB and the albums individually took between 1 & 2 hrs each to upload as almost ALL of these are ripped from my own CD's at 320KBPS the ones that are not are also at 320KBPS for best quality I can give)

EMI REISSUES (ALL REISSUED 2001)

HAWKWIND (1970)  comes with 4 bonus tracks inc 3 from Hawkwind Zoo (Hawkwind's original moniker)

X - IN SEARCH OF SPACE (1971) Includes 3 bonus single tracks

DOREMI FASOL LATIDO (1972) Includes 4 bonus single tracks

SPACE RITUAL (LIVE) (1973) originally double vinyl this version 2 x CD Expanded from it's original  17 tracks to 21 tracks recorded over 2 concerts in London & Liverpool Dec 1972

HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL (1974) - includes 5 bonus tracks. Single versions and outtakes


ATOMHENGE REISSUES  (2010 - PRESENT)

WARRIOR ON THE EDGE OF TIME (1975) - 2 x CD. Disc 1 - The original album stereo remaster from original tapes plus 8 bonus outtakes etc Disc 2 - 2013 stereo mix by Steven Wilson plus 5 more bonus live/outtakes/versions

ASTOUNDING SOUNDS AMAZING MUSIC (1976) - Includes 4 bonus outtakes/versions

QUARK, STRAGENESS AND CHARM (1977) 2 x CD - Disc 1 - The original album plus 4 bonus outtakes/versions Disc 2 - Aborted Rockfield studio session for the album plus 3 additional live tracks

P.R.X. 5 (1979) - Original album plus 9 bonus tracks outtakes/versions 

LEVITATION (1980) - 3 x CD Disc 1 Original album plus 8 bonus tracks inc  Hawklords Rockfield studios session 1979 and 2 single tracks and an unreleased version of "Brainstorm" live 1980 Discs 2 & 3 Full live concert from Lewisham Odeon Dec 1980

LIVE SEVENTY NINE (1980)  - includes 2 bonus single tracks

SONIC ATTACK (1981) - Disc 1 album Disc 2 bonus tracks includes alternate versions and singles.

CHOOSE YOUR MASQUES (1982) - Disc 1 - Album plus 2 alternate mixes/single versions Disc 2 - Previously Unreleased Session Recordings And Alternate Mixes (12 tracks)

CHURCH OF HAWKWIND (1982) - full album plus 5 bonus alternate versions/demos

"THE CHRONICLE OF THE BLACK SWORD" (1985) - Album plus 5 bonus tracks includes  the full "Night Of the Hawk - The Earth Ritual" EP and a further B-side

"LIVE CHRONICLES" (1986) - Live on the "Chronicle Of The Black Sword Tour" expanded from a single to a double CD and has an additional 6 tracks and is restored to it's original format with narration sections being separate tracks.

"THE XENON CODEX" (1988) - Original album plus 5 bonus live tracks

"SPACE BANDITS" (1990) Album plus 2 bonus Live in the studio recordings and a b-side

"PALACE SPRINGS" (1991) - 2 x CD Disc 1 - original album plus 2 Bonus tracks Disc 2 - First time on CD for limited vinyl album "California Brainstorm" full set from the same U.S. tour as "Palace Springs" but with no studio overdubs.

"ELECTRIC TEEPEE" (1992) - full album remastered no bonuses

"IT IS THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE TO BE DANGEROUS" (1993) -  2 x CD Disc 1 - Full album plus bonus Sam Fox version of "Gimme Shelter" Disc 2 - The Remix EP's "The Solstice Remixes" & "Decide Your Future"

"ALIEN 4" (1995) - Album plus 1 bonus track

"DISTANT HORIZONS" (1997) - Full album plus 2 bonus tracks and an alternate take.

ATOMHENGE REISSUES - KEY SIDE PROJECTS

HAWKLORDS - "25 YEARS ON" (1978) - Formed after Hawkwind briefly split up in 1977 this is in all essence a Hawkwind album 2 x CD Disc 1 - Album plus 3 bonus tracks Disc 2 - 15 tracks -  includes full Sonic Assassins EP Plus a 10 track unreleased studio session.

PSYCHEDELIC WARRIORS - "WHITE ZONE"  (1995) Electric Teepee/It Is The Business line up of Hawkwind doing an instrumental electronic/ambient album no bonus tracks

ROBERT CALVERT - "CAPTAIN LOCKHEED & THE STAR FIGHTERS" (1974) album features almost all current and ex members of that era of Hawkwind as backing band includes 3 bonus single versions.

That is that then a huge collection of Hawkwind and one of, if not THE biggest post to date! I hope this gives some of you fans some things that you can't get easily as almost all of these Atomhenge reissues are out of print, some can be found for reasonable prices on places like discogs and ebay but some are commanding prices in the £20 - £40 region I've been trying to get the Atomhenge version of "Sonic Attack" for quite some time!!! So Enjoy & Remember

"SPACE IS DEEP" 

EDIT 

Kind reader Mattack has done a spotify playlist for this post clocking in at nearly 32 hrs!!! He has also done it in chronological order too! Much as I hate spotify I have to accept a lot of people get their music there rather than clunky ol' free downloads! So here you go and thank you mattack! 

HAWKWIND ATOMHENGE & ESSENTIALS SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

HAWKWIND - EMI/ATOMHENGE EDITIONS


SPACE BANDITS -  Mediafire

CHURCH OF HAWKWIND - Mediafire

THE XENON CODEX - Mediafire

LIVE '79 - Mediafire

THE CHRONICLE OF THE BLACK SWORD - Mediafire

ASTOUNDING SOUNDS AMAZING MUSIC - Mediafire

CHOOSE YOUR MASQUES - Mediafire

LIVE CHRONICLES - Mediafire

ELECTRIC TEEPEE - Mediafire

ALIEN 4 - Mediafire

PRX5 - Mediafire

X IN SEARCH OF SPACE - Mediafire

HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL - Mediafire

SPACE RITUAL - Mediafire

LEVITATION - Mediafire

HAWKWIND - Mediafire

DOREMI FASOL LATIDO  - Mediafire

DISTANT HORIZONS - Mediafire

SONIC ATTACK - Mediafire

IT IS THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE TO BE DANGEROUS - Mediafire

QUARK STRANGENESS AND CHARM - Mediafire

WARRIOR ON THE EDGE OF TIME -  Mediafire

PALACE SPRINGS / CALIFORNIA BRAINSTORM  - Mediafire

SILVER MACHINE 7" - Mediafire

KEY SIDE PROJECTS

PSYCHEDELIC WARRIORS  - WHITE ZONE - Mediafire

HAWKLORDS - "25 YEARS ON" - Mediafire

ROBERT CALVERT - "CAPTAIN LOCKHEED..." - Mediafire

BURNING FLAG - MATADOR REVIEW.

 Burning Flag 2021 L-R Matt - Drums, Mark - Bass, Holly - Vox, Jonesy - Guitar

I have taken a huge step back from participating in the punk/HC underground in recent years but one band for whom my passion has never wavered is these guys. Burning Flag have pretty much ruled the UK HC scene for me for the last few years after 2 incredible albums they parted (amicably) with their brilliant singer MD and, for me when you have your  sound nailed and fantastic chemistry this could have been a blow most band couldn't recover from.

This is not the case here Burning Flag are back with a new singer Holly and a new album "Matador" and it's absolutely fuckin blistering!

Opening with an innocuous quiet little piece of music the album bursts out of the gate with what is possibly their fastest song to date "Thrown Out" with a ferocity that I haven't felt since dropping the needle on Discharge's "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing" for the first time, it has that same blast-you-into-the-wall  effect! The production is outstanding, the guitars are a solid wall of intensity, the bass bubbles through the mix providing a real solid and gnarly bottom end, the drums crack like lightning and Holly is right in the pocket trading off vocals with Jonesy. Top marks go to Holly it can't have been easy to follow a great vocalist like MD fronting a band as well liked as BF but whilst not a million miles from MD's style she brings a sorta punk belligerence to things which is totally her own and fits the new songs perfectly! 

It almost feels like Burning Flag have something to prove here coming off the back of  losing their singer, a global pandemic and a year that hasn't been easy for anybody let alone bands. This album burns with an intensity that to me shows they have channeled all this into a sound that even in it's less full on thrashier moments like the intense title track "Matador" still exude menace and sheer force! 

What I lover about Burning Flag is, it's their wide range of influences gives them their unique sound I hear elements of Guitar Noise, Industrial, Metal, Punk & Hardcore in their sound but they blend this in such a way that you can't mistake this band for anyone else! There's huge riffs aplenty and they are of the kind that makes you want to repeatedly smash your head into the wall with glee! There are no highlights to this album simply because to have highlights there has to be songs that are weaker than the rest and there aren't any! Every song is absolute as good as the one preceding it and the one after but for the sake of the review a few things did stand out like Single "Eat The Rich" a classic Burning Flag riff with it's stop start chuggery it's gonna down a storm when they get back out playing live! And the destroying, discordant VoiVod-esque riffing in "Vendetta"  tempered with a SWANS like pounding mid section really blew me away! Good ideas are plentiful here amongst the business as usual Burning Flag Arse Kicking and I found that the whole album kept my attention and engaged me completely! The real surprise here for me was closing track "All The While" clocking in at near double the length of the rest of the album tracks this is one unholy bastardization of Killing Joke at their heaviest Rollins Band at their nastiest before breaking into an extended heavy chuigging riff that would probably make Slayer cry!

Summing up Burning Flag have returned with an album building on the strength of 2 great albums to produce an even greater one! Every member of this band is playing like their lives depended on it and it shows! This album does not let up from start to finish whilst there's plenty of variety on offer it's an album so intense in it's delivery you're gonna feel exhausted just sitting listening to it! I honestly don't know where they get their energy from! I stand by what I've been saying for about 7 or more years, these guys are about the best in the scene right now and this album has just stamped all 8 of it's booted feet  down on this fact with unwavering authority!

Matador is out on Thursday (14/4/21) 

Download or Buy CD here - Bandcamp

Facebook - HERE

Official website for Merch, Info etc - HERE

FRIDGE

 
Fridge were an instrumental post rock band from Manchester who over their 10 year existence put out some great albums and a plethora of EP's though they are one of those bands I feel that geography defeated. Despite Manchester having a reputation for being a hotbed of creativity it seems that Fridge never really reached the status or popularity of their more well known American peers like Tortoise who to a degree they owe a small debt to in their sound. of their 3 members 2 went on to some more recognition Adem Ihan has and continues to release great fragile acoustic albums on Domino records under the name Adem. Sam Jeffers seems to have retired from music altogether from what my research finds however most successful was Kieran Hebden who has gone on to great success as Four Tet (see post HERE) taking the sound that Fridge created as a band and adding a more electronic/dance edge to it gathering much critical and general acclaim and continuing to release music to this day.

Fridge are what you might call an "obscure" band and with a name like Fridge they hadn't made life easier for themselves as far as finding them on the internet is concerned either! Starting their career on Trevor Jackson's amazing Output records they later moved to the bigger home of Go Beat records (Known for releasing Portishead, Arab Strap and many others)  for their "Eph" album to electronic label Text for their final 2 albums. 

Whilst being fairly consistent in sound Fridge are also quite eclectic and progressive their early releases on Output from 1997 - 1999 are pretty consistent blending live instrumentation with electronics  to create a sound that whilst in places owes a small debt to their US Counterparts such as some of the the bands on Thrill Jockey records I really think for the time they were quite unique. It's hard to describe fridge at once gentle and almost ambient at other times brash and noisy. off kilter timings clash with gentle guitar picking and electronic sounds however one thing I can say is that they are a band who will keep your interest a lot of their music is quite chilled out but it has enough about it to not drift into the background and enough variety that they won't bore you! 

I'm actually struggling a bit here to describe Fridge they are at once eclectic but also consistent as in you can't really mistake them for anyone else but I seem to be repeating myself  trying to pin them down. maybe that's my fault for not having enough descriptive terminology so I leave it in your hands reader! I can't seem to find a good article to link you to either even wikipedia has failed me here! So onto your links. They are pretty self explanatory for the most part I have given you their 5 albums Ceefax, Semaphore , Eph, Hapiness and The Sun but Eph is a 2 disc expanded reissue which rounds up the 3 EP's they did around this time on the bonus disc,  The "Kinoshita/Terasaka" EP, "Of" Remixes & "Ark" Remixes plus the mighty double CD compilation "Seven's and Twelves" this compiles their EP's "Anglepoised" 12", "Lojen" 7" Their Split 12" With Add N to (X) The 7" & 12" versions of their "Lign" EP and lastly the "Orko" EP I added a bonus track to disc 2 from their split 7" with Portal which pretty much rounds up everything they have done other than a 7" on the Soul Static Sound label which was a collaboration with artist D and is really just pointless electronic burbles over 2 sides I am a diehard fan and even I thought it was crap! If you're feeling curious then I would recommend starting with the "Semaphore" album or maybe the "Sevens and Twelves" compilation but I definitely think wherever you start there's a good chance you will be back for everything else! 


CEEFAX - Mediafire

SEVENS & TWELVES - Mediafire

SEMAPHORE - Mediafire

EPH (2 DISC REISSUE) - Mediafire

HAPINESS - Mediafire

THE SUN - Mediafire

SCOTT 4

Scott 4 (Named for Scott Walker's 4th album)were an unusual band existing from 1997 till 2002 and then kinda quietly disappearing, they went from obscure indie releases to being signed by Sony doing a brilliant album a few singles went back to the indies then disappeared for a while, re-emerging as The Scott 4 Free Rock Orchestra in 2005 and releasing one album before disappearing again! and I can't find any trace of it's members having done any other musical projects. Allmusic describe Scott 4 as "Electronic cowpunks for their blend of country-blues, hip hop and indie-punk" and that pretty much sums them up!

I discovered Scott 4  back in the days before internet was easily available, y'know? The good old days where you would go to record shops, pick things up that looked interesting and maybe talk to the shop assistant about what they were like? I saw their "Elektro Akoustic Und Volksmechanik" Mini album it was presented as a 10" and 7" in a striking black and white sleeve and I thought it looked interesting so I bought it and a week later I went back to the shop for the "Recorded In State" debut album! I followed them through to their last release as Scott 4 and promptly forgot about them ha ha I later replaced my vinyls with CD's  which is possibly an indication of them being good otherwise why would I bother?

I hadn't listened to them in a long time when I considered them for posting and I am re-listening now while I type this and despite thoroughly enjoying them here I do think maybe being 20 years old in some cases this music sounds kinda dated in places they are a hard band to pin down their sound is lo-fi on the early releases (Your first 2 links Deutsche/Eleckto & Recorded In State) swinging from slightly Beck-esque beats and country vibes to short ambient pieces to beautiful and fragile acoustic tracks there's certainly a lot of variety on offer. What's great about Scott 4 is their music whilst very easy on the ears with catchy songs and great melodies there's an experimental feel which along with some of the titles of their albums makes me think they most definitely have a Krautrock influence too something not mentioned anywhere else in regards to them. This all changed when they signed to Sony their first release was a CDEP featuring a  re-rerecording of 2 tracks from their early releases A new shorter version of "Your Kindom To Rust" from their debut album and a staggering 23 minute version of "You Set The Scene" from their "Elektro..." mini album the latter definitely showcasing their free Krautrock approach to playing! However their Sony Debut "Works Project" was a different prospect altogether whilst still sounding like Scott 4 "Works Project" had all the lo-fi scrubbed off for a far more polished and accessible sound. Now normally this would send me running and accusing the band of selling out however this is not the case here this is a fantastic album whilst as I said above it may sound a bit dated being now 20 years old it shows that Scott 4 can write TUNES! there's some supremely memorable and catchy earworms on the album but also they seem to have harnessed their Krautrock influence and blended it into the country/indie sound  making for a sorta Jaunty sound not too far off the lighter moments of Faust from their "IV" album. The thing with Scott 4 is whilst most definitely an obscure band and even though they coming from an experimental approach originally they are not a band that are hard to listen to or need deep investment you will either like them instantly or not, it's not a case of sitting chin stroking and thinking hmmm "I see what they may be trying to do there". After leaving or being fired from Sony (I Don't know) They did one further album under the Scott 4 name a collaboration with Magic Car called "European Punks" I am not a fan of this album having taking all the good things I liked about Scott 4 and sacrificing them for a far more smooth and accessible pop edge and  I really don't like it myself too much group backing singers and piano ballady soppiness for my tastes I include it here for completions sake only and would probably give it away if I knew anyone who wanted it!

So onto your links before I confound you further with my inane waffling! In your first link you have their first 2 mini LP's "Deutsche LP Record" & the aforementioned "Elektro Acoustik Volksmechanik" Separated into their own folders with artwork etc. Second link is their brilliant "Recorded In State" debut LP which might be a good place to start as it falls between the lo-fi feel of the first 2 and the more polished sound of the Major label debut. 3rd link "Works Propject & Your Kingdom To Rust" rounds up all the material from their Major label era I have added 3 extra B-sides to the "Works Project" album from the various singles that were released around the album. The final link is the (IMO) terrible collaboration with Magic car it's nothing like the rest of their material so download at your peril ha ha! All music ripped from my personal collection direct from CD at 320KBPS.

This is yet another case of a great band that faded from memory despite major label backing and some fantastic music released here's hoping this post goes some way to maybe a few more people hearing and liking them.


Deutsche LP record & Elektro Acoustik Volksmechanik - Mediafire

Recorded In State - Mediafire

Works Project & Your Kingdom To Rust EP - Mediafire

European Punks (With Magic Car) - Mediafire

JAIL SOLIDARITY & BODYCOP

Looking at this picture you'd be forgiven for thinking that these guys play some pretty jaunty indie type stuff right? They are a happy looking bunch! However this is definitely not the case here!

Based out of Washingthon DC  Jail Solidarity play some serious dirgey, hate filled, NOISE! They haven't exactly been a prolific bunch either, between 2013 & 2016 releasing a mere 2 cassette EP's and a 3rd cassette Split with Clean Girls. This is another band I can't give you much information on as there is little to be had on the net it's another case here of me trying to bring you some stuff you may not have heard before by virtue of my trainspotting and net surfing!

So onto the music I thought I might have been a bit hard on these guys above calling them "dirgey hate filled noise" but upon re-visiting as i type this I wasn't wrong.The tempos are mostly slow - mid paced the guitars are really put through their paces too, loud sustained crashing chords tempered with noisy thrashing parts, the distorted bass bubbles underneath providing solid bottom end to the sound ! The vocals are both male and female and are definitely in the tortured anguish style not screaming as such I hate screaming vocals but they are definitely angry! The best way I can put this to you is that it has an almost Industrial sound to it but by that I means something like Swans early albums or Big Black at their most experimental and noisy crossed with Flipper at their least humorous! This is not something I can listen to all the time it absolutely dominates the room with it's sound but I have revisited these guys a few times and have loved them every time I have played them!

Bodycop are in this post because it was a one off project predating and featuring members of Jail Solidarity It was actually someone posting this one Bodycop release in a facebook group I was in and mentioning early Swans (The name Bodycop is I would say an amalgam of the Swans album titles COP and Body To Body Job To Job) that led me to discover both bands. Whilst not a million miles away from the sound of Jail Solidarity this time with Bodycop the sound is 100% a tribute to early SWANS particularly the "FILTH" album (their debut) it has the same tortured/Anguished feel as Jail Solidarity but has l;ess of a guitar noise feel and more straight ahead Industrial the rhythms are pounding the bass is heavily distorted but has that perfect Industrial klang to it whilst electronic noise whizzes around in the background too and all topped with Lydia Lunch-esque vocals. If you like Early SWANS and can't get enough then these guys are definitely for you! 

Onto your links in the Jail Solidarity Link is all 3 of their releases the 2 Cassette EP's "Pretty Good Privacy" & "Any Space Whatever" plus their side of the split Cassette with Clean Girls. Bodycop only released one cassette in 2010 but it clocks in at half an hr making it practically an album! all Files are at 320KBPS but I sourced them from the net so they may be cassette rips as the quality isn't pristine but I can't imagine it being any better from any other source due to the noisy nature of the music! 
Not for the faint hearted these bands but I can imagine there will be a few of you that have enjoyed my other posts who would have hiot download at the mention of early SWANS ha ha! I hope so anyways... ENJOY!

JAIL SOLIDARITY - Mediafire

BODYCOP - Mediafire

SECOND STILL

Second Still are a fairly new band to me, I was sitting in the garden with my partner a few months ago and she was playing some music and a song came on and it had what I would describe as a classic Post-punk bassline to it. it really caught my attention as did the glacial guitars and sultry female vocals I asked what it was and it was Second Still "Try Not To Hide" Later I did my usual obsessive Trainspotting thing and now I own both their albums ha ha! 

Second still hail from Los Angeles California described as Post Punk/Coldwave I don't really know what the latter is because I'm not up to date with the latest genre terms the kids use these days I'm a sorta 2 categories guy GOOD music and BAD Music but I defo agree with the former! They are a 3 piece band Bass, Vocals & Guitar they utilize a drum machine for their rhythm. Normally I'm not that keen on drum machine unless it's used in a pounding way behind Industrial music however in Second Still it works really well because it fit's their 80's -centric sound perfectly!

There's not a great deal of info available on these guys they appear to be fairly obscure so I'll give you a brief description of the music. As I said these guys have defo been listening to a lot of 80's goth and post punk there's shades of Siouxsie & The Banshees, Joy Division and the darker end of Synth pop though I don't hear a lot of electronics in their sound it's more of a feel from the effects they use on their instruments (reverb) and they have definitely learned their craft well as I find myself wrapped up in warm nostalgia here and there when certain song parts come on. Whilst I may be making these guys sound very derivative they are not as such, they seem to capture a feel of their influences more than directly taking things from them which is the key to their brilliance for me. Their music whilst quite dark is offset by the really nice vocals falling somehwere between the croon of Siouxsie Sioux and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star's warm and beautiful tones. The guitars are effected and have that classic sorta plucked thing combined with big swathes of SHRIIIIING! However what I love most is the bass lines they are just so memorable they really play less like a rhythm instrument and more like an equal to the guitar and make a fantastic counterpoint! What I also like is occasionally the guitars will burst into big chords that remind me of the 80's again but more the bigger rock bands like U2 when they weren't stadium assholes and Simple Minds when they were good or even Big Country? This is again just a feel they sound nothing like any of those bands!

These Guys have been around since 2016 and have released 3 EP's and 2 albums and I present them all to you here Their sound is consistent throughout so I don't feel there's a need to go into each individual release. However my personal favourite is their debut self titled album (First link below) so if you're curious I'd start there. I really like this band a lot and they have been regularly played in my musical rotation and i can't see how anyone couldn't enjoy this brilliant sound! 

SECOND STILL - Mediafire

VIOLET PHASE - Mediafire

EARLY FORMS EP - Mediafire

EQUALS EP - Mediafire

PART TIME PUNKS SESSION EP - Mediafire

HIDDEN GEMS FROM A FORGOTTEN 70'S

As you may know I like to bring you strange and obscure music and these 4 are pretty damn obscure bands and albums! I am a big fan of 70's rock and Krautrock in particular and this has led me to delve deep into the recesses of the net for stuff to check out and I came across these 4 absolute blinders over the course of my searching and figured as, even though they have been reissued numerous times should definitely be given a wider audience!

First off I have to be honest I don't know a great deal about any of these bands I either liked the covers of the albums or came to them through random browsing of blogs and liked the description plus as these bands have mostly only done one album and really went nowhere information is sparse. If you want to know more then I guess you can do some digging but I will do my best here but for me it's all about the music! So lets begin.....

BLUES CREATION - "DEMON AND ELEVEN CHILDREN"

I had no idea really that Japan had a burgeoning heavy and psychedelic rock scene until someone introduced me to Flower Travellin' band a few years ago (Might do a post on them if anyone likes this post!) This led me to investigate further and discover some real gem,  however the pick of the bunch was these guys! So much so I splurged near £20 on an original Japanese copy of this album on CD. Released on the Japanese arm of Columbia records in 1971 this their 3rd album is quite a progression from their debut! You'd be forgiven for thinking this would be some fairly standard blues rock with the name however the cover drew me in and I'm glad it did because this is one of the best heavy rock albums i have heard from the era! This album just absolutely ROCKS! wearing it's Sabbath and Deep Purple influence boldly this takes that sound into the stratosphere Reminding me a lot of the 70's output of  Pentagram (see post HERE ) and although they could never have heard them and predates this band the tempo and attack remind me of Death (Detroit) in places as well (See Post on Death HERE ) There is one minor blip where they descend into pure blues boogie territory on 2nd track "Mississippi Mountain Blues" But I guess the clue is in the title! But opener "Atomic Bombs Away" Lives up to it's title bursting out the gate straining at the leash! and third track "Just I was Born" is so blistering it's hard to believe it's 50 years old! Minor niggle about "Mississippi Mountain Blues" aside this is as brilliant a rock album as you will find! Every song bursts with an energy that just leaps out of your speakers and if you were anything like me have you setting your sights on 70's Japan!!!! 

T2 - "IT'LL ALL WORK OUT IN BOOMLAND"

T2 from the UK are a slightly lighter prospect than Blues Creation but no less rocking "It'll All Work Out In Boomland" was their only studio album released in 1970 on Decca records a label I had no idea had released some choice bands associating them more with pop and Rock 'N' Roll! This band definitely lean more towards the Psychedelic and jam style you'd maybe associate with the Californian scene of the time but with a more British take on that sound. There's meandering (in a good way) bass lines and lots of psychedelic wah wah guitar jamming (reminiscent of early Stooges but nowhere near as ferocious!) over the supremely tight rhythm section and boy can these guys play! This album has great dynamics too with the songs building to fantastic peaks along with some absolutely amazing drum work that is loosely played but astoundingly tight and there's grooves aplenty that will definitely have you nodding your head in appreciation! These guys petered out after the debut album though in 1970 it's claimed they played more headline shows at London's famous Marquee club than any other band. Unfortunately tastes change and T2 kinda fell behind when the rock scene began to favour the new Glam Rock and the age of the heavy rock titans began to wane! T2 could not find a home for their music and subsequently called it quits in 1973 they reformed in 1975 and again in 1990 and released a few more albums but I haven't bothered to check them out I'd rather keep the brilliance of this 1970 album intact! (Note the album contains a bonus BBC live in the studio session with 3 blistering renditions of the album tracks)

McCHURCH SOUNDROOM - "DELUSION"

I came across McChurch Soundroom on a "Top 20 greatest Krautrock Albums" though being from Switzerland should have surely discounted them from a list about a German scene? but I'm glad it was in there or I'd probably have never found this album! Originally released in 1971 on Pilz records from Germany what first got me interested was the cover (see above) however the cover does kind of mislead as this looks like it'd be some sort of occultish heavy rock right? I can firmly state it is not! This band are a 5 piece and whilst it definitely falls into the "rock" category this is far more leaning to the prog/kraut/psychedelic end of things I wouldn't say it's not heavy it's got plenty of those butt shaking 70's groove riffs and again these guys really wail on their instruments! This album has quite a loose jammed sorta feel and it's maybe a little heavy on the flute freak-outs and the albums longest track at over 9 minutes "Delusions of a drummer" is well.... mainly a drum solo with some other instrument solo's thrown in their. I'm making this sound a bit messy, it's not, the playing is, as with most bands of this era tight, confident and accomplished I mean you can't jam or solo if you're not good right? For me this album reeks of hashish smoke filled rooms, indian rugs, flares and long hair! However it's sassy and cheeky grooves just draw you in and make for an utterly compelling listen! The organ wails, the bass jams, the guitars shred, the flutes freak out and the drums are insane! all topped with a great vocal there's absolutely nothing about this album that I don't enjoy.

THE HUMAN BEAST - "VOLUME ONE"

I'm very glad to be able to add these in this post not just because this a great album but I discovered after I bought it they are from my homeland of Scotlland! The Human Beast again released only one album falling victim to the same line up instabilities and changing tastes of the early 70's Hailing from Edinburgh these guys amassed quite a following on their local scene and the gigging circuit of 70's Britain however they never quite managed to capitalize on this and make a "Volume Two" unfortunately. This album was originally released as with T2's debut on Decca records, ploughs a similar furrow to both T2 and Mchurch Soundroom above though less jam out than Mcchurch. Again Confident and accomplished playing here lots of wah wah guitar and bouncing basslines and excellent drumwork. This is easily as good and groovy as any of the other albums I have posted here! Again falling into the Psych/Prog/Heavy rock territory as has been the theme of this post! I feel I've kinda exhausted my 70's euphimisms here and really comparing one obscure band to another probably doesn't help you the reader however I have provided you with free downloads so really what have you got to lose by checking these out?

The 70's is obviously lauded as a great era for rock where bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath ruled the world but for me it's by delving deeper that you find the real gold I mean every member on ever album here were extremely accomplished players and had obviously put some intensive work in both in learning their instruments and honing their tunes by getting out and relentlessly gigging and for me this is the tradgedy! I mean every band can't have global popularity but it just seems such a shame that these 4 bands languish in deep obscurity and seem to get found by the likes of me digging around the net joining dots etc when the work they must have put in to be as good as they were deserves much more attention! The one great thing is there is no shortage of labels out there officially and unofficially keeping these albums in print remastering etc so there must be in some small way a market for this music some 50 years down the line! I guess that's at least some small reward for all their hard work.

Here are your links all uploads taken from my own collection (See pic below) directly ripped from CD at 320KBPS all albums are remastered from their original master tapes according to the sleeves.

Enjoy!

BLUES CREATION - DEMON AND ELEVEN CHILDREN - Mediafire

T2 - IT'LL ALL WORK OUT IN BOOMLAND - Mediafire

THE HUMAN BEAST - VOLUME ONE - Mediafire

MCCHURCH SOUNDROOM - DELUSION - Mediafire

SYSTEM OF HATE - THERE IS MORE MADNESS HERE REMIXES 2 X CD REVIEW

 

The remix album can be a minefield often released as a stopgap or a bonus it often becomes a throwaway, a bit of a lark really. However here Barnsley post-punk band System Of Hate present a double CD of remixes which are less remixes and more of an epic reimagining of the entirety of their debut album.

This double set clocks in at well over the 2 hour mark and contains 29 tracks so there's certainly a lot on offer, however the versions here are far from boring or self indulgent and I found myself engaged throughout. Whilst there's plenty of variety in the various styles of the remixers what I really liked about this album is whilst each remixer adds their own individual flavour to the tracks none of them stray so far from the original that it becomes unrecognizable or offensive which is something I find irritating about remixes sometimes. Be in no doubt this collection still sounds undeniably like System Of Hate! 

I have to be honest I am ludicrously underinformed here so most of the names present here are a mystery to me, two that I did know were Irish rockers Therapy? and ex Amebix/Zygote member now solo artist Stig C.Miller. This however doesn't matter to me in fact I'm kinda glad I can listen to this with no expectations or prejudices. So onto the music. And with so much music on offer I don't want to bore you by going in depth on each individual track but let's talk about some highlights. 

Opening track is a brilliant take on the title track by The.Webb where they have added their own vocal in a sorta anarcho/rap sorta style that put me in mind of early Chumbawamba (pre-sellout) Mat Thorpe's mix of "In The Shadow Of The Cross" was brilliant I loved the way he brought the keyboard sounds to the front and messed with the rhythm a little creating something that reminded me a little of that traveler techno sound the likes of Eat Static were doing back in the 90's though in this case without the repetitive beats. Batboy Slim (great name) does some great stuff with "Tears Of Blood" replacing the live drums with a pulsing 808 type beat and adding a stunning minimal piano motif that really heightens the emotion, bringing the guitars in and out of the mix to punctuate it really well! The Immigrant Brothers POUNDING take of "System of Hate" mixes the drums to punishing effect and loops the vocal in places to provide a fantastic rhythmic feel that really blasts out of the speakers with the driving key stabs right behind it! Brian Featherstone's "Black Fire" takes what was originally a fairly blistering number and turns it into an absolutely MASSIVE dub piece shorn completely of it's guitars and is blissful! Dale Farrow adds a nice 80's sounding brightness to "Rising" which I really liked.The aforementioned Stig C Miller mix of  "We Who Walk with God" adds an extra layer of bite to an already ferocious track and. Syd 3.1's take on "Rising" builds so well that by the time it was peaking so was I ha ha!I will be honest with so much on offer there were a couple of things I didn't like for example the Drum and Bass reworking of "Your God is Dead" by Dale Evans for me didn't really work very well and Scott Doonican's take on "There is No Madness Here" was a little bit too jaunty and a bit heavy on its continuous fast piano type motif . but considering the amount of material on offer here a couple of minor blips and they were minor, is no big thing really.

I feel like I can't really give you the full feel of the whole thing here because there is so much of it and I would love to talk about each track individually but who's gonna read that essay!!!. This collection is no haphazardly thrown together job, this works really well in it's order as a cohesive album and peaks and troughs just perfectly and I know for sure I will be revisiting this often.

This is a fantastic set I was initially dubious about a double set of remixes and imagined sitting here facepalming thinking WHHHHY??? I couldn't have been more wrong the remixing is sensitive to it's source material and as I said each individual remixer adds enough of their own flavour to each track to make it interesting and different but retaining the core sound of System of Hate's originals and not detracting from it but really enhancing key elements and bringing some other elements to the front that maybe were not as apparent on the original which not only makes this lengthy set entirely compelling but is also going to make my next listen to the original album very interesting.

You can get this set for£10 from the band (inc UK postage UK) contact Pat at Six67promo@hotmail.com

Stream or download it here - https://systemofhate.bandcamp.com/album/there-is-more-madness-here

The Bands facebook page is here - https://www.facebook.com/systemofhate

System of hate bring you another blinding release and if you ask Pat nicely he might be able to do you a good deal on their incredible debut "Unhallowed Ground" & The original "There Is No Madness Here" I guarantee your satisfaction!