LAMMAS MOON (05/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 06
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)


Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man soundtrack: summer is a coming in
fresh maggots: rosemary hill
gagalactyca: merlin melaine est
milkwood tapestry: the bell of junip
dando shaft: an evening with rain
extradition: a water song
linda perhacs: parallellograms
shelagh mcdonald: stargazer
elyse: ’deed i do
trader horne: morning way
the trees: little black cloud
maitreya kali: black swan
wittuser & westrupp: schopfung
eclection: st georg & the dragon
red television: the ghost of emile zola

LAMMAS MOON (05/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 05
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)



Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man: the landlord’s daughter
the incredible string band: invocation
donovan: the voyage of the moon
fairport convention: reynardine
clive’s own band (C.O.B.): solomon’s song
pearls before swine: rocket man
leonard cohen: last year’s man
sandy denny: bruton town
magna carta: elizabethan
steeleye span: lovely on the water
mourning phase: damn your eyes
mythos: oriental journey
perry leopold: the dawning of creation
the woods band: january shows
bread love & dreams: butterflyland
tir na nog: our love will not decay

LAMMAS MOON (04/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS


LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 04
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)


Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man soundtrack: the maypole song
the strawbs: in amongst the roses
tickawinda: go your way
westwind: robin hill
gryphon: the unquiet grave
perry leopold: the journey
these trails: psyche I / share your water
magic carpet: the dream
mormos: number five in the book
magna carta: white snow dove
skybird: snow cloud
the peelers: ramblin’ robin
waterfall: and for you
melton constable: river lane
oberon: nottanum town
heron: the wanderer
incredible string band: air
mr fox: all the good times

LAMMAS MOON (03/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS


LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 03
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)


Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man soundtrack: corn riggs
mandy morton & the spriguns: witchfinder
caedmon: sea song
moonkyte: way out hermit
steve ashley: candlemas carol
spirogyra: an everyday consumption song
fuschia: shoes and ships
owen hand: the garden
shide and acorn: watching a seagull
broselmaschine: godanken
emtidi: saat
langsyne: morning
pentangle: lyke-wake dirge
wizz jones: magical flight
nick drake: black eyed dog
incredible string band: my name is death
carol of harvest: somewhere at the end of the rainbow

FULL STRAWBERRY MOON (15 June 2011)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

CHALOT VÉRONIQUE

A L'ENTRÈE DU TÈMPS CLAIR


Original Issue: 1979 Materiali Sonori (MASO 010) Buy it here!!!

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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from Abraxas Records:

England may have its Jacqui McShee (Pentangle), but France and Italy have its Véronique Chalot. For the past three decades Véronique has dedicated herself to playing, recording and researching medieval, renaissance, and early folk music from France and Italy, helping to save these musical forms from total obscurity.

This album, released in 1979 on the small Italian Materiali Sonori label, was recorded while Véronique was living and researching in Italy. Although it was only her second studio album Véronique’s immense talent and sensitivity was already extremely evident.

Here she sings and plays classical guitar (as well as the dulcimer and the hurdy-gurdy), backed by five Italian musicians playing a number of traditional instruments, including bouzouki, bagpipes, crumhorn, Bendhir and bodhran, making this album of early French traditional music an enjoyable discovery even almost three decades after its release.

LAMMAS MOON (02/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 02
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)


Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man soundtrack: willow’s song
bread, love and dreams: brother john
synanthesia: peck strangely & worried evening
comus: song to comus
mellow candle: poet and the witch
donovan: voyage into the golden screen
duncan browne: chloe in the garden
loudest whisper: pied piper
flibbertigibbet: my lagan love
principal edward’s magic theatre: sacrifice
the moths: the heron’s daughter
the sweeney men: dreams for me
famous jug band: a leaf must fall
tudor lodge: willow tree
shirley collins: the cruel mother
robin williamson: songs in the earth and air

LAMMAS MOON (01/14)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LAMMAS NIGHT LAMENTS VOLUME 01
(A Collection Of Wyrd-Folk Music From 1966-1980)


Original Issue: www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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Do not forget to take a look at the comments section :-)

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Tracklist (courtesy of http://www.dlc.fi/~hhaahti/Levyt/levyt_kok2.html):

the wicker man soundtrack: main theme
anne briggs: standing on your shore
clive’s own band (C.O.B.): spirit of love
water into wine band: waiting for another day
forest: bluebell dance
dulcimer: caravan
the trees: garden of jane delawney
tir na nog: time is like a promise
dr strangely strange: frosty morning
midwinter: waters of sweet sorrow
stone angel: the bells of dunwich
third ear band: fleance
vashti bunyan: rainbow river
tea and symphony: winter
the sun also rises: tales of jasmine & suicide
mark fry: the witch
pearls before swine: images of april

RUNIC MOON (nordic musick)

ORCHIS

A THOUSAND WINTERS


Original Issue: 1997 Cryptanthus (CYT 03 CD)

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Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

Über-rare pagan folk muzak from one of the co-founders of the important World Serpent Distribution label

p.s. fans of The Iditarod...DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!!

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1 The Horseman (0:14)
2 Blood Of Bone (5:40)
3 Blackwaterside (3:42)
4 The Hare / Jennet (2:58)
5 Gallows Man (5:00)
6 Arcadia (4:28)
7 The Horn (0:23)
8 He Walks In Winter (6:14)
9 Magaera (3:21)
10 Winter (1:02)
11 Risen (6:13)
12 From The Iron Wood (7:49)

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from http://www.myspace.com/orchistheband:

ORCHIS is an English Dark Folk band consisting of Tracy Jeffery (who also sings with Cunnan and J Greco's SQE), Amanda Prouten and Alan Trench (Cunnan, SQE, Twelve Thousand Days (with Martyn Bates), Temple Music).

We have so far managed to release four albums to date starting in 1994 with The Dancing Sun (cryptanthus /World Serpent), which was more a collection of formative pieces than anything else, then in 1997 the concept album that was A Thousand Winters (cryptanthus / World Serpent). Mandragora (Trisol), an alchemical album based around the themes of life, death and the transmutation of the soul followed in 1999 and in 2001 Trait (a ‘best of’ released through the Russian Brudenia label).

Relocation and various tedious problems put ORCHIS on the back burner for a while whilst we buried ourselves in other projects like the busy bunnies we are; we raised our heads out of the mire again in 2007 with the ‘Other Days’ download ep via the (now sadly defunct) Woven Wheat Whispers legal folk download service...

There have been numerous compilation album appearances over the years, with some tracks turning up on the ‘Trait’ album. We like to think, as the Fairports had it, that we are Nicely Out Of Tune - there was the odd perfect take, but those were never the ones that went on the albums - rather it was the ones that kept to the True Spirit.... ORCHIS, the Ancient Kingdom of East Lindsey, 2009...

YULE (21 December 2008)

The musick dedicated to this Sabbat is:

IDITAROD (THE)

THE GHOST, THE ELF, THE CAT AND THE ANGEL

Original Issue: 2002 Bluesanct (INRI 065)

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Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

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1 The Roots Of The Butterfly Bush (3:31)
2 Black Strung Bow (1:00)
3 Afternoons Like This Are Hard To Come By (7:22)
4 Raga (In D#) (6:44)
5 Cycle Circle (4:40)
6 The Falling Of The Pine (9:54)
7 Ich Tanzte Weit (2:09)
8 New Magic In A Dusty World (1:58)
9 Let No Man Steal Your Thyme (3:55)
10 The Nameless One (4:08)
11 Unfortunate Lass (5:40)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from All Music Guide:

Though they're from Rhode Island, the duo comprising Iditarod (Carin Wagner and Jeffrey Alexander) sound quite a bit like a British psychedelic-tinged folk or folk-rock act.

Those enamored of the sound of vintage artists in that tributary, like Donovan, the Incredible String Band, and Pentangle -- and of more recent artists that obviously owe something to that style, like Robyn Hitchcock and (far more obscurely) Damien Youth -- might well be inclined to enjoy this record, though it's not explicitly imitative of any of those artists.

While the music's often acoustic guitar-based, the pair play a pretty impressive range of instruments on this CD, from moog and wine glasses to tamboura, singing bowl, and chimes, with some other musicians adding touches on cello, recorder, bouzouki, and more. As the title indicates, there's a mythological-stroll-in-the-forest tinge to their approach, with some electronic effects and backwards-distorted guitar lines adding a bit of psychedelia, without ever submerging the essentially folky ambience.

They may be mood-setters more than they are songwriters, but the mood's a good one: melancholy, subdued, and slightly eerie folk-rock, with quite a bit of varied texture, and an avoidance of the drone and monotony that afflict many other bands working similar territory. The vocals, as befits such material, are suitably fragile and wistful, if not exceptional, broken up by haunting instrumentals that have a touch of exotic (sometimes Indian) mystery.

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from Dusted Reviews:

The Iditarod, a pagan folk-psych duo (Carin Wagner and Jeffrey Alexander) from Providence, Rhode Island, is group of such artists. Their latest full-length The Ghost, The Elf, The Cat, and The Angel combines eclectic acoustic instrumentation (acoustic guitars, tamboura, dulcimers, bongos, bells, singing bowls, musical saws) with electronics (moogs, turntables, phonographs) in meandering arrangements and ambient treatments of medieval folk songs.

Titles like "The Roots of The Butterfly Bush", "Afternoons Like This Are Hard To Come By", and "New Magic in a Dusty World" might lead one to think that The Ghost, The Elf, The Cat, and The Angel should be catalogued along side the Brit-folk romps of The Pentangle, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band, but this is not the case.

Electronic drones and layers of low-end strings expand the songs and turn them into brooding pieces of ambient bad vibe. Although the influence of 60's British folk is clearly evident on their cover of the traditional "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" (a song that Pentangle made famous in '68) The Iditarod's somber approach gives the song a hollow funereal feel that sounds like it is being sung by heavily sedated Nico or a half-asleep Mary Timony.

These comparisons could be compliments or insults depending on your politics, either way I don't believe The Iditarod have hit their stride yet. The ever present Grimm's fairy tale and druid aesthetic wears thin after a couple of minutes and the band too often sacrifices the subtleties of songcraft in favor of dark atmospherics (a fate I'm afraid too many psych-bands succumb to).

Fans of Loren Mazzacane Connors and Ghost (two Terrastock faves) may enjoy The Ghost, The Elf, The Cat, and The Angel, but I only say this because the patience I lose with The Iditarod is the same patience I lose with them. Too much attention to texture and mood simply leaves the songs self-conscious and unmoving. Mixing the detached ethereality of great British folk with the tones and textures of the contemporary avant-garde can be a match made in psych-heaven, but more often than naught, it comes across as forced and transparent.

If you really need such a thing to get you through the night, you might do better by P.G. Six's recent Parlor Tricks And Porch Favorites, the Tower Recordings re-issue of Folkscene, Appendix Out's The Night Is Advancing, or even Alastair Galbraith's Cry.

FULL COLD MOON (12 December 2008)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

ORDO EQUITUM SOLIS

ANIMI ÆGRITUDO


Original Issue: 1991 Music Maxima Magnetica (eee-12)

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

The Godz only know how much I love this record...thank you Leithana & Deraclamo for producing such a timeless masterpiece!

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

1 Our Lady Of The Wild Flowers (5:20)
2 Message To Pan (3:08)
3 Notre Solitude (4:58)
4 Vacuum Quaerens (6:40)
5 Animi Aegritudo (4:47)
6 Reis Glorios (6:07)
7 Silence For Hell (3:58)
8 The Blood, Tomorrow (3:15)
9 Final (4:03)

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from Electric Shock Treatment:

I'm not too sure about this one. I find it very hard to shrug off the images and greenery of "Robin The Hooded Man" which arose while listening to these medieval, mythologically inspired compositions. The actual music (harp, lute, piano, guitar, zither) does work extremely effectively, but Leithana's vocals are a little flat. The track titles might give you an indication of the OES sound: Message to Pan, Notre Solitude, Reis Gloria and Vacuum Quaerens. Assisted by Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus, this is a fine album with an original and emotional content.

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from Rusmetal:

I don’t know if this LP should be reckoned to ‘black metal archives’, but what the hell, I always considered so-called ‘dark ambient’ as a part of BM, and since ORDO EQUITUM SOLIS play exactly this kind of music and this album is rather old, the review on “Animi Aegritudo” is placed here. If I’m not mistaken, this duo (Leithana (vocals, keyboards) and Deraclamo (guitars, voice)) comes from Italy and their style is dark, barocco (am I mistaken, tell me?!) ambient stuff. This LP consists of nine songs, some of them are really dark, few others bring the reminiscences of early DEAD CAN DANCE, others are somewhat romantic… Since such acts as ARCANA, ELEND, ILDFROST and RAISON D’ETRE were conceived much later, ORDO EQUITUM SOLIS inevitably gathered some attention back then. And they deserved it. This duo created something undoubtedly inimitable, too bad that I haven’t heard anything from them for a long time…

SAMHAIN (31 October 2008)

The Musick dedicated to this Sabbat is:

WHEN

SVARTEDAUEN (THE BLACK DEATH)


Original Issue: 1992 Tatra (TATCD 008)

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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1 The Black Death (38:27)

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from Jester Records:

In 1992 came When's heaviest piece, Svartedauen (The Black Death), inspired by Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen's drawings with the same name, describing the ravages of the plague in Norway during the Middle Age.

This single 38-minute piece is by many considered Pedersen's most evocative album.

Svartedauen contains elements from Norwegian folk music played on fiddle and mouth harp, terrifying symphonic parts à la Death in the Blue Lake with pounding drums, choir and strings, and a carpet of other grotesque sounds: hearses, moans of the dying, rats, flagellants? whips and a scythe being sharpened, to name a few.

Did you record sounds yourself, or did you get them from elsewhere?

LP: "I mixed many of my own sounds, and borrowed some from Norwegian Film. Bernt Kanstad, the technician, was working there, so I got access to many sounds that I sampled, looped and used manually. And I recorded many scraping sounds on a big, old cello that was standing in the studio, but many of those sounds were heavily manipulated afterwards, so you can?t always hear that they are cello sounds. I like working that way: not using entirely natural sounds, but doing something extra with them".

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from Volcanic Tongue:

When is the solo-project of Lars Pedersen, known for his work in Norwegian art-rockers Holy Toy in the 80s. His When project seems to be his own musical playground, as every album seems different from the other.

The later works have been prog-rock/pop vein, but Svartedauen, his third album from 1991, is a pure 38 minute musique concrète sound-collage. Svartedauen translates to The Black Death and the album is an abstract sound-journey of the plague entering and ravishing the Norwegian countryside in 1349, killing two-thirds of the Norwegian population within a year.

The album was inspired by a series of haunted and eerie drawings of Theodor Kittelsen from 1900 on the subject. Pedersen has made a soundtrack to it.

Fans of Norwegian black metal will recognize the Kittelsen art as the same that adorns the cover of several Burzum albums. A little known fact is that Burzum, and most other black metal musicians during their church-burning heydays, were big fans of this When album. Listening to it with that in mind it actually makes a lot of sense.

Svartedauen in many ways manages to evoke the feeling of doom and medieval dread that the rock-Satanists attempted with distorted guitars. It’s a scary and uncomfortable listen.

FAREWELL MOON (epitaph musick)

This post is dedicated to Hector Zazou (11 July 1948 - 08 September 2008)

ZAZOU HECTOR

SAHARA BLUE

CHANSONS DES MERS FROIDES

Original Issue: 1992 Made To Measure (MTM 32) & 1994 Sony Music (COL 477585 2)

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Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

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Tracklistings: Sahara Blue and Chansons Des Mers Froides

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from Wikipedia�:

Zazou first came to international attention as part of the ZNR duo with Joseph Racaille, where both played electric keyboards. Their 1976 debut album Barricades 3 was notable for its "strong Satie influence, stripped to minimal essentials, everything counts".

Long-time collaborators include trumpeter Mark Isham; guitarist Lone Kent; cellist and singer Caroline Lavelle; trumpeter Christian Lechevretel, who has appeared on all of Zazou's albums after Sahara Blue; clarinetist and flutist Renaud Pion, who has appeared on all of Zazou's albums since Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses; drummer Bill Rieflin; and Japanese recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto.

His discography demonstrates his affinity for cross-cultural collaborations, and incorporated modern techniques and sounds in re-recordings of traditional material. He was influenced by Peter Gabriel's album Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ in his fusion of musical polarities (traditional and modern, electronic and acoustic) on his own album Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses.

Zazou regarded his work during the 1980s as his time of apprenticeship in the studio. On his 1986 album, Reivax au Bongo, he experimented with fusing classical vocals with an electronic backdrop. On his 1989 album, Géologies, he combined electronic music with a string quartet.

The albums that he has released under his own name from the 1990s onwards are usually concept albums that draw from literary or folk sources and revolve around a specific theme. The collection of songs on each album assemble contributions from a diverse and global range of pop, folk, world music, avant-garde, and classical recording acts.

Zazou's 1992 offering, Sahara Blue, was based on an idea by Jacques Pasquier. Pasquier suggested Zazou commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of author Arthur Rimbaud by setting music to Rimbaud's poetry. Contributions included spoken word from Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Dalcan and music by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, Tim Simenon, and David Sylvian. He even adapted a traditional Ethiopian song.

In 1994, he released the album Chansons des mers froides (called Songs from the Cold Seas for the anglophone market). The album was based on ocean-themed traditional folk songs from northern countries, such as Canada, Finland, Iceland, and Japan. It featured vocals by pop and rock artists such as Björk, Suzanne Vega, John Cale, Värttina, Jane Siberry, and Siouxsie Sioux in addition to recordings of shamanic incantations and lullabies from Ainu, Nanai, Inuit, and Yakut singers. Musicians included Mark Isham, Brendan Perry, and the Balanescu Quartet. A cameraman accompanied Zazou on the project and they shot and recorded in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Japan, Scandinavia, and Siberia. The single "The Long Voyage" was the only song to be an original composition from Zazou. He wrote it in gratitude to his record company Sony who gave him complete artistic liberty. Performed by Suzanne Vega and John Cale, it was released as a single in 1995. The single featured remixes by Mad Professor as well as Zazou himself.

His 1998 album, Lights in the Dark, showcased ancient Celtic music sung by Irish singers.

Zazou's collaborative 2000 album 12 (Las Vegas is Cursed) with Sandy Dillon was regarded as a financial and critical failure. In the book "Sonora Portraits 2", which accompanies the CD Strong Currents, Zazou says that 12 (Las Vegas is Cursed) was his most elaborate album. He describes it as a work of black humour and regards his instrumental composition "Sombre" on the album as one of his best songs ever.

Strong Currents was released in 2003 and featured an all-female vocal cast which included Laurie Anderson, Melanie Gabriel, Lori Carson, Lisa Germano, Irene Grandi, Jane Birkin, and Caroline Lavelle. Musicians included Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dennis Rea, Bill Rieflin and Archaea Strings. The album took six years to complete.

In 2004 Zazou released a companion CD of sorts, L'absence, which included instrumentals, many of the same female vocalists that were featured on Strong Currents, and one male vocalist, French singer Edo.

Zazou has recently been a member of the musical collective named Slow Music. The lineup also included Robert Fripp and Peter Buck on guitars, Fred Chalenor on bass, Matt Chamberlain on drums, and Bill Rieflin on keyboards and percussion. He contributed electronics to the group's music, and much of his recent work, including a soundtrack for Carl Théodor Dreyer's silent film La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc and the multimedia collaboration released as a CD in 2006, Quadri+Chromies, has focused on electronic sounds produced on computers.

A number of recent projects are documented on the Music Operator interactive multimedia web site, which graphically documents his recent collaborations while in the background his recent music plays. In january 2008 Hector Zazou released his newest album, Corps électriques, featuring "one of the original riot grrrls" KatieJane Garside, Bill Rieflin, Lone Kent and fusion jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær.

RUNIC MOON (nordic musick)

KEMIALLISET YSTÄVÄT

KELLARI JUNIVERSUMI

Original Issue: 2002 Fonal Records (FR-21) (Buy it here!)

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Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

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1 Puiden Sydämet Antavat Tahdin (2:23)
2 Kellari Juniversumi (2:48)
3 Taivas Ja Meri, Yhteen Sulautuneina (3:17)
4 Utuaurat (1:50)
5 Mustametsä (2:38)
6 ...On Pieni Metsä (1:24)
7 Planeetta Kaukainen Muo Kutsuu (1:29)
8 Kuuntelin Kuinka Puut Kuiskivat (2:42)
9 Monien Kalojen Aalto (3:05)
10 Kuuma Tomu (3:32)
11 Amerikka (2:18)
12 Kummitushiiri (2:19)
13 Salainen Paikka (2:04)
14 Pallo (3:38)
15 Kuutarhassa (3:27)
16 Soihdun Tuhkaa (2:46)
17 Heijastuksia! Kaikuja! (5:10)

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from Boomkat:

After a slew of cassette, 7” and cdr releases, the wonderful people at Fonal saw fit to throw Mr. Anderzén’s work into public view and unsurprisingly it received universal acclaim.

Taking cues from the American new-psych gods Jewelled Antler Collective (of whom Anderzén is a sometime member) this is free music at its very best; unpretentious compositions which retain an undeniable sense of irreverence and can be experimental without losing sight of listenability.

All sorts of sounds are thrown into the mix – layer upon layer of analogue synth squelches, detuned guitars and other miscellaneous small instruments adding to the texture and wall-of-sound on this record.

For fans of Fonal this record is an absolute must, an important stepping stone for the label and a hugely influential part of the modern weird-folk-psych scene.

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from Aquarius Records:

Hallelujah! More droning, buzzing, flickering folk-psych from Finland's mysterious Kemialliset Ystavat collective.

Sure, we know who's in the band -- Broken Face 'zine artist/contributor Jan Anderzen, Fonal label head Sami Sanpakkila (Es, Kiila), and a host of other Finns -- but they still SOUND mysterious. The damaged four-track folk sound of NYC's Tower Recordings filtered through the forest ambience of AQ-fave improv-psych outfit Thuja might, MIGHT be an approximation of Kemialliset's sonic space.

They inhabit that territory previously explored by the likes of Amon Duul, Ghost, Kalacakra, Toho Sara, Parson Sound, International Harvester, Amps For Christ, Six Organs Of Admittance, Algarnas Tradgard, etc.

If any of these names bring a warm sensation to your frontal lobes, then you're likely already a Kemialliset fan even if you haven't yet heard 'em. Each track (there's 17 of 'em, spread over 47 minutes) is a psychedelic miniature constructed of drifting, chanting vocals, gentle melodies, and primitive rhythms, contrasting distorted electric guitar wash with pretty, chiming percussion, strings and woodwinds. Freaky and far-out yet mostly mellow and warm and cosy.

Fucking lovely. Ah, Finland.

RUNIC MOON (nordic musick)

HAMRE KNUT & TIBBETTS STEVE
Å

Original Issue: 1999 Hannibal (HNCD 1438) Buy it here!!!


Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

01 - Olav Bergsland
02 - Huldra-mi
03 - Trebakken
04 - Huldreslatter
05 - Noringen
06 - Ande
07 - Fjellmanngjenta
08 - Huldreslatt
09 - Spelar Guro
10 - Baansull
11 - Bygdatraen
12 - Baansull

from Roots World

Typically bowed for traditional dancing, the Norwegian hardangerfiddle (hardingfele) is equally well suited for pure listening. It satisfies in the audio chair by virtue of the intricate music played on it as well as the instruments own striking tonality. Asymmetric time signatures, where beats within the same measure can be of disproportionate lengths, combine with rustic harmonics to produce an irrational, organic sound.

This is perhaps exactly what intrigued Steve Tibbetts, guitar adventurer and recordist, for his next ethnographic makeover: its affinities with his own metrically elusive soundworld. With hardangerfiddle master Knut Hamre and musician/arranger Turid Spildo, Steve Tibbetts and Marc Anderson have created whole new fields of pure listening for the hardingfele teeming with possibilities on Å.

First contact with a Tibbetts production initially gives the listener a helpless feeling, of immersion in a universe constructed with evanescent strings of ornament and seeming little else. Tibbetts has been laying his trail to a new kind of parlor music for 20+ years. His approach is evocative of imagined place and scape, of time that is elastic, colored with distinctive, austere tunings, and marked by a serenely (and sometimes violently) free sense of motion. For the listener it is a realm that requires, at times, daunting feats of concentration while capable of fruiting enormous rewards.

This is the second such exercise, whereby Tibbetts has gone afield to record idiosyncratic but jewel-like musicians in a faraway place (Nepalese chanter Choying Drolma was the first). Some real-time collaborative moments are captured on location with his Nagra recorder, but for the most part Tibbetts plays to the tapes after the fact in his studio until exactly the right accident happens. Tibbetts is a perfectionist, and it can take a long time before the requisite amount of details begin to accrue for a completed product.

Tibbetts and long time percussionist/partner Anderson play with non-repetitious, Zen-like stealth to Hamre who makes music with unflinching deliberateness, focusing almost entirely on lean, ancient-sounding melodies, adorned with flawless trillwork. The twelve selections form a suite of Nordic chamber songs, slow, musically simple but texturally complicated. Tibbetts blends the multiple occasions of recording together as though of one piece with a brushstroke-less touch and cryptic, specially prepared "treatments".

The sound quality is as good as the recorded variety gets in these digital days. All instruments are immaculately focused but never etched, displaying a warmth that whispers sweet, secret analog. A remote stone church in Utne and in Tibbetts' St. Paul studio provide a modest amount of room ambience that suits the intimate air of the collaboration. Though not credited, Tibbetts takes great pains to produce sleeve art which resonates with the music, and this he has done with a grayscale (90s speak for black & white) photograph palimpsest.

Medieval-modernism, folkloric sound sculpture or post-pastoral improvisation do not quite sum up what happens on Å. Words never stand in for the experience of music, particularly in an encounter with someone like Steve Tibbetts.

Steve Taylor