josephine foster

Josephine Foster - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Locust, 2006)

This is really an odd release by Josephine Foster but I still recognise her style.
It is based upon a collection of traditional-classical music songs of German Romantic composers (like Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Wolf), with songs which were sung in bourgeois areas in small circles and at home before the war. The rambling experimental guitar and strange vibrating echoed sounds here for me are like the passing by of tanks and machine-guns, deformed and carried away by the wind, and memory.
While a beautiful, more uplifting song ends the cycle, this brings a slight hope to the strange and rather unique view Josephine Foster has once more provided. Also: the songs often sounded more like Jewish complaints than like old German songs.

La figura de Josephine se adentra en siete poéticas sinfonías de Schubert, Wolf, Schuman y Brahms para transformarlas en música extraña, conducida por su guitarra desde nuestros días hasta tiempos perdidos de algún siglo no muy lejano. Una sombra le acompaña, Brian Goodman, un antiguo compañero de viaje en The Supposed que temporalmente rasga su decrépita guitarra para que la niebla les persiga en su camino. Tiempo de decadencia, tristeza y abandono en que la sirena, oculta en una cueva del cielo oscuro, da rienda suelta a un reflejo de sí misma, aquel capaz de recoger la tradición y dejarla viajar hacia el viejo mundo. El que fuera adelanto 'An Die Musik' parece hoy más esperanzador e igual de bonito, el folclore pagano 'Der Koning In Thule' o el crujir de la madera de la desolada 'Die Schwestern' aguardan al lobo que está por venir, 'Wehmut' la sientes como esa canción durante la guerra, Lili Marleen, que los soldados alemanes escuchaban por la noche en la película de Fassbinder, un desolador cuento en que la voz de Josephine hiere, es la canción más triste del mundo -diría una duendecilla-, 'Auf Einer Burg' un pase a lo desconocido, a un perturbado free-folk, la despedida 'Nähe Des Geliebten' será más amable.

Se cumple un año de aldea f. con el disco más especial y difícil de Josephine, folk crepuscular que te conducirá a lugares mágicos que sólo ella conoce.

acid mothers temple & the melting paraiso u.f.o

aAcid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Have you Seen The Other Side of the Sky (Ace Fu, 2006)

Hoy es un día particularmente feliz, con la esperanza perdida tras 'Starless and Bible Black Sabbath' que deseché escuchar, ha vuelto sin tiempo para asumirlo el único grupo actual con universo propio -heredado de unos pocos en los primeros 70's-, The Melting Paraiso U.F.O .con cambios en voces y viento (saxo y flauta). Ha vuelto la psicodelia, el free, el space-rock, los drones, el misterio... y ha sido a la velocidad cósmica que acostumbran, de los Cosmic Inferno, nos ha quedado el homenaje a Pierre Moerlen, 'IAO Chant from the Cosmic Inferno', como si Gong después de publicar su 'You' hubiesen dado marcha atrás y vuelto a 'Camembert Electrique', Daevid Allen no hubiera dejado las riendas del grupo a Pierre Moerlen, para que los llevara a un mediocre jazz-rock.

Es un regreso menos ácido, hay más jazz y parece más amable. La bonita 'Buy the Moon of Jupiter', flauta y salvaje jazz cósmico 'Attack From Planet Hattifatteners', sí Makoto y su tribu fueran Ghost o Eddie Marcon 'Asimo's Naked Breakfast: Rice and Shrine' con orgasmo final, el exótico y delicioso jugueteo electrónico 'Interplanetary Love' y 'The Tales of Solar Sail ~ Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky' 30 min. en los que recorrán tu corriente sanguínea.

clive's original band (rare earth X)

Clive's Original Band - Spirit Of Love (1971)

Clive Palmer is one of those people whose name is know and respected by many, but very few people really know Clive because he seems to treat each project, whether it be a band or the making of a pair of boots or the Japanase method of making, as a challenge and once its creation is over he moves to the next thing. (That's how it appears to have been with the Incredible String Band, originally known as Clive's Original Band. Once their first album was finished Clive took his advance from the record company and disappeared to India. On his return he played with Wizz Jones and founded the now defunct Famous Jug Band). Clive is probably best known as a banjo player and had to borrow one for one number on this album.

Mick Bennett and I had a Jug Band in Cornwall a few years ago and it was whilst we were playing together taht we first met 'Little John' Bidwell who often played in the same club. Because of the close knit musical community all three played together in various permutations with ohter muscians. Two of the most notable band to emerge the Stockroom Five and the Templa Creatures. With the talents of Mick and John it seems that Clive has found a solution to the question of challenge. Whereas in the past it was largely left to Clive to decide direction, in this band each member sets the others off and provides new stimulus. In John, Clive has a found musician of similar tastes and great ability and Mick a lyricist, poet and vocalist and together they keep enthusiasm bubbling all the time. All the guys have known hard times, two winters spetn living on potatoes, flour and water in an old caravan miles from the nearest road, but all the time making music. I hope this album has captured some of that musica and atmosphere mady by John, Mick and Clive. They're called Clive's Original Band because taht's what they are...

Notas de Ralph McTeil en la modesta y bonita reedición -2002- del disco por Lady Eleanore de Clive Palmer, Mick Bennet y John Bidwell que incluye las letras. Ocultos entre los árboles del british-folk pagano, Shirley Collins a capella, armonías vocales, coros femeninos, pinceladas a Incredible String Band... y envueltos en una maleza de guitarras, banjos, chelos, bongos, dulcitar, aroma barroco y misticismo hindú, desfilan 'Serpent's Kiss', 'Wade in the Water', 'Spirit of Love', 'Evening Air' o 'Banjo Land', soñadoras sinfonías de tres trovadores del bosque.

rad kjetil & the loving eye of god

Råd Kjetil & the Loving Eye of God - Mattmar (Countrymanrecords, 2006)

Yeah... now, were you to guess three things about the sounds of Mattmar, I'd say you're right even though I wouldn't bother to listento any of your suggestions. Yes, it's strange, dark and enigmatic. Yes,it's fulla treated soul, mind but not much body. No, you can't digestit in daylight & it sure as hell doesn't sound like music from someonewho's been dead for hundreds and hundreds of years. Well, actually itdoes, come to think of it. And I just gave you a clue which may helpyou get rid of the cobweb that hides the truth... if that would be ofimportance to you.Once I was standing out in a field with nothing before my eyesbut the soil of the earth and the brightness of the sky. That's whereI'm always heading, that's what I'm about and that's not importanthere. Råd Kjetil is out amongst the whispers of that field and that, onthe other hand, is truly important.

Un día rondando aural-innovations dí con el primer y homónimo album de Rad Kjetil y con el sello Countryman cobijo para magos y duendes nórdicos (Jens, Moon Trotskij), fue un enigmático descubrimiento. Tiempo despúes, 'Mattmar' sólo puede recibirse con los ojos abiertos de un explorador dispuesto a adentrarse en antiguos parajes que Pink Floyd, Popol Vuh u olvidados del kraut como Yatha Sidhra, quizá visitaron. Minimalismo, fusión, psych-folk, melodías subterráneas y drones galácticos de alta densidad, ocultan en su interior un alma de voz infantil que vaga disfrazada -'Sen Ska vi se Vad Jag Sjunger'- y que en sus días vivía con una tribu mística -'Dry Air Static Sparks Northern Skies'-, y que ahora está sola pero sonríe cuando sale el sol -'Mattmar'-. Traté de no enamorarme al verla, fue inútil.