Dani L. - A Bell for Mike (GER 2009)

DANI L. has already appeared on HLFP as a member of Superking and the Fire Action, Orange and the unforgettably titled Captain Fartfish and His Careful Muffins as well as contributing a solo track to HLFP 03 New Kids on the Blog, and he now brings us a full-length solo album of psychedelic stylings. Primarily instrumental, A Bell for Mike features only the briefest and/or most buried of vocal appearances, and while Dani presumably handles (with great competence) all of the instruments, it is his deft and versatile guitar playing that grabs the spotlight. Stylistically, he evokes Floydian grandeur ("Bell"), Riot-era Sly Stone and "Belly Button Window" Hendrix ("Time"), hints of Mahavishnu/Crimson malevolence ("Brainwash") and Zappafied jamming ("Shot"). A few tracks strike me as overly repetitive while others verge a little too close to modern Frisco-inspired jamband workouts for my taste, but you can't please all of the people all of the time, right? The production is neither too slick nor too raw, with arrangements that keep the ear and brain engaged without overdub overload. If you want to take a wild ride on a wild guitar through a variety of psych/prog/fusion/ jamband settings, A Bell for Mike may be for you as well.

(Guest review by BaM – BRIAN ANDREW MAREK – thanks a lot!)

Q: Where exactly are you from?

A: Born 1965 in Frankfurt/M., now living in 68167 Mannheim, Melanchthonweg 8.

Q: Do you want your real name mentioned? If so: What is your real name?

A: My name is "Dani L. Paul Caesar". And the name of this group, which currently consists of me composing, playing and singing, is "miniRock".

Q: How recorded??

A: In my practice room in the cellar of a laundrette in Mannheim. Orange Tiny Terror guitar amp with 2x12" Tone Tubby Box. Marshall amp. Gibson SG. Music Man bass. Various acoustic guitars. Pearl drumset. Some keys and percussion. All blown into two Shure SM 58. Digitally put together with Cubase Essential.

Q: When recorded?

A: Sometimes 2009.

Q: Who involved? Who played what?

A: No one but me composed, improvised and performed everything.

Q: What is the meaning of the album title?

A: Talking about my future release you´re right, a whole album should follow soon, hopefully this year. It will be a vinyl LP; you will receive a copy if you wish. My virtual band is called miniRock. The album title could be "planet der affen - no sex, no drugs, just rockNroll". It means I´m just an ape. Or "Iron Sunrise". Means what it says. I didn´t decide yet.

Q: What's your favourite track on the album? Why?

A: The pauses. I like the silence between different songs. And "Nessie"! It´s my hit record.

Q: How do you write your songs?

A: Step by step. Mostly improvised riffs or rhythms, recorded immediately, "first take" after "first take", then a little mixing, maybe a "second take" here and there, then it´s enough. Sometimes an idea, some melody or words I dreamed of had been there before, sometimes nothing at all.

Q: Any more releases?

A: Every day in the morning, after a cup of coffee and some food it works very well... very important for people at my age.

Q: Since when are you into recording music?

A: Since my childhood. My very first recording was "What shall we do with a drunken sailor", using a portable Grundig Kassettenrecorder and a bucket full of water stirred with wooden sticks creating the marine mood of the song.

Q: Any previous bands worth mentioning? Discography?

A: No, ... doesn´t seem so... hahaha. Or is there anybody remember Orange?

Q: How'd you "label" your music? (I know... nobody wants to get

labeled... bla bla bla...)

A: "Ich lasse meine Musik in keine Schublade stecken", aber "man darf gespannt sein" (can´t translate this shit)? Ok: It´s Roc!

Q: What is "psychedelic music" for you?

A: Today:

A) the short one - a SunnO))) concert.

B) the long one - the Chanting each morning during my annual ten-day-vipassana course.

Q: What is your all time favourite psychedelic record? Why?

A: Ummagumma. I like the gnomes behind David.

Q: Any plans for live gigs?

A: Maybe I will perform solo with my Loop Station, maybe on some open session, a vernissage or a party.

Q: What are your main influences?

A: Early Pink Floyd; early Black Sabbath; early Mothers Of Invention.

Q: Website, myspace?

A: No.

Q: The last five records you bought?

A: Shield Your Eyes: "Shield ´em"

Eagle Twin: "The Unkindness Of Crows"

Sunn0))): "Monoliths & Dimensions"

John Scofield Band: "Überjam"

Iggy And The Stooges: "Metallic K.O."

Q: Anything that you think is interesting, that you'd like to inform the

blog readers about...

A: This piece of music is written for and dedicated to you, Mike. It makes me a little happier that you seem to like it. – Best regards, Dani L.

Favourite track: Brain Ache and Bell

Thanks for the dedication!

DANI L.: A Bell For Mike

(GER 2009)

(mp3-zip, 9 tracks, 54 min, 122,3 MB @ 320, non-art incl.)

Get it here or here or here!

Greg Hampton: The Vibrations Run Deep (USA 2010)

GREG HAMPTON has been writing and recording music in relative seclusion since the year 2000. "The Vibrations Run Deep" is his first self-released album.

It's a mixture of more electronic tracks (e.g. Umbilical Cord, Pillow Fight With Light) and more psych-rock oriented songs (e.g. The Wrath, Cancer). Some people may find that a little bit "inconsistent", but so what... I mean just listen to some of MOBY''s records: they are ... inconsistent! But in my opinion that is exactly what makes them interesting. Nobody wants to listen to more or less the same song over and over for 40 minutes plus ...

(about 'The Vibrations Run Deep') - "I've been writing and recording music since around 2000, both with others and alone. This is my first public release, and the first thing that more than myself and maybe five people have heard. During my time of recording, I haven't really let anyone hear most of what I've been doing. Now I'm going to continue releasing things as they happen and from the past."

"I do not believe in record labels or the music business. Music is not to be bought or sold, and it certainly cannot be controlled. Music flows through, into and out of every single one of us. Nowadays, people have the ability to create music on there own, without spending a fortune in recording studios and signing contracts that give over the rights to their lives. This future is now and musicians like me are all around you. Welcome to a label-free world!" (Info from Myspace)

Find out more about GREG's work and listen to his other 2 releases here:

http://greghamptonsmusic.com/

http://www.myspace.com/greghamptonsmusic

Favourite tracks: The Wrath, Pillow Fight With Light

- Where exactly are you from?

"I am from Manheim, PA.

Born and raised here.

- Do you want your real name mentioned? If so: what is your real name?

You can mention my real name, and it is Greg Hampton.

- How recorded?

I recorded this album on my computer at home. For multitrack recording of live instrumentation and vocals I typically use Adobe Audition and for electronic songs/sounds I've been using Ableton Live. Sometimes though in the past I've used Audiomulch and Fruityloops. Sometimes my songs end up being worked though in both Audition and Ableton, and I hope to continue working on making my differing sounds mesh together better. There's always work to be done and things to be improved upon. I've been writing and recording since around 2000. Over the past ten years, I've worked extensively with 2 different people, both mainly drummers... Brian Bechtel and Wally Storch (both from Manheim). I don't work with either of them as much as I used to, Brian not at all anymore and Wally I hope to get together with possibly today if he's around to jam a bit. I'm also working with a few other people now and trying to get a band going and playing shows at least locally, and also to record and all that. My work has been in many genres, and my taste in music is highly diverse, ranging from classical to rock to metal to funk to blues to jazz to experimental to rap to hiphop to grunge to maybe some disco type beats and songs to singer-songwriters to acoustic to electric to improv to... damn I didn't even mention different electronic genres yet so I'll just say electronic in many different forms.

- Influences?

I've been highly influenced by guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray, and alot of others. I've been highly influenced by Trent Reznor and the work he's done as Nine Inch Nails. Also, I've been influence by alot of early and mid 90s "grunge" or alternative music. That was when I was around 12-15/16 or whatever and was around the time I was really falling head over heals in love with music. There are many artists I haven't mentioned here, but others include Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, The Beatles, Rush, Pink Floyd (all eras and band members), Smashing Pumpkins, Aphex Twin, Muse, and MANY others. Lets just say music means alot to me and it has become over the past 10 years my way of expressing things that I cannot express otherwise. I am 28. I avoided working from about 2002 to 2007 to focus solely on music. My parents during that time were incredibly supportive, moreso than most probably would be. I was living mostly as a hermit for many years, just doing my music and talking to only a few people. Around the beginning of 2006 though I finally broke out of my depression of sorts and began getting out of the house more and socializing. Also, my relationship with my parents finally became good, real, and since has been growing over the years which has been absolutely wonderful! --

I intend, as I said, to get a band together or even maybe more than one project of sorts. Also, I hope to start performing live locally either alone or with others in some sorta form or another. What I try to express with my music is freedom. I try to be as honest as humanly possible when I approach writing and recording, and ultimately that can make it hard when it really comes down to turning myself inside-out for the world to see. I have though released something finally after so many years of recording countless hours of many different kinds of music. I have released something before, something that was all created in Audiomulch. I released it under the name of 'Retro Rocket'. I still have a myspace page up with it available to listen to here:

http://myspace.com/retroIrocket

- When recorded? Who involved? Who played what?

'The Vibrations Run Deep' was written and recorded in January of 2010 solely by myself. Some of the songs on it were produced in Audition and feature live instrumentation and vocals, and others were produced in Ableton Live and feature various beats, synths, loops, and whatever. Also, I sampled my guitar for the song 'Fallen Into The Jungle', which is kind of an industrial rock song.

- How'd you "label" your music?

Here's a genre list I have put on my album on a filesharing site I am a member of: electronic, rock, beats, psychedelic, free.jazz, future.jazz, experimental, self.released, future.sound, dance, downtempo, techno, jazz, industrial, metal, ambient, idm, indie

- Influences - electronic artists?

Some electronic artists I've been influenced by in recent years have been: Air, Royksopp, Fischerspooner, Aphex Twin, Adore, Koushik. I've also been influenced by Dr. Dre and his work with Snoop Dogg back in the early and mid 90s and other sorta 'Gangsta Rap' music from then. Also, I'm a fan of 80s rock, pop, new wave. I've been diggin' Hadouken's albums. There is, honestly, SO much music out there. Now with this what I consider 'Musical Revolution' occuring, people are producing there own music and releasing it themselves and people are searching online for such music. Mainstream radio and music television is almost a load of SHIT! Occasionally though, good sound comes through. But there is nothing reflective of what is really going on in the musical 'underground', which really isn't that underground (more like the new

mainstream) on the OLD mainstream (radio, TV, whatever).. except for stations like WXPN which is local to me. They are member supported public radio from the University of PA and they play a wide assortment of old, new, and unknown stuff. I know there are others out there but there really aren't enough good stations anymore, unless you're willing to pay for Sirius/XM which I'd really rather not. Plus, commercials are BS! A couple of years ago I stopped watching television entirely because I got so sick of all the rubbish on, including all the commercials and propaganda and everything sickening about it. -

Also.... (some more influences and favorite artists)

Soundgarden (and anything involving Chris Cornell), Neutral Milk Hotel, Porcupine Tree, Bush (and other Gavin Rossdale work), Dave Grohl, Prince, Blind Melon, System of a Down, Cream, Bob Dylan, Acid Mothers Temple. I also dig 'classic' country, not much of the newer pop/rock/country/stuff that plagues mainstream country rock stations. I do dig good songwriters though so I try to remain open to anything no matter where it is being exposed to the masses even if other stuff is via the same methods is garbage. I'm also a fan of post-rock such as Explosions In The Sky, Trans-Am, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Do Make Say Think, and others that have redefined rock soundscapism. Also Sigur Ros has some beautiful, if not sometimes sleep-inducing music. Windy & Carl put out some great stuff, along with My Bloody Valentine. I dig shoegaze, it's something I started falling into when I discovered My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless'. Absolutely gorgeous album! -- There are I'm sure others, but I'll stop there because I'll probably think of others if I keep trying to.

- Website, myspace?

My website that I just got up and running the other week is:

http://greghamptonsmusic.com

I intend to use that as a base for the music that I and others that I work with create and release online for listening, purchasing, and downloading. I'm also on facebook and on myspace:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greg-Hampton/304138938332

http://www.myspace.com/greghamptonsmusic

I've noticed there is another Greg Hampton in the world of music. When I search for myself on Google, he is the first one that comes up. He is a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, CA. I'm not out to advertise for him because I don't know him at all. He's apparently worked with Slash, Buckethead, and a number of other guitar players out there. I just had to mention it because I found it highly coincidental to have another Greg Hampton that is a multi-instrumentalist in the music world located on the opposite side of the US. Plus, I don't want any confusion between him and I. I will have to give his sound a listen sometime though. --

Please keep an eye on my website for music as I release it. There is always some in the works in my world. I also plan on releasing some older recordings of my work with Wally Storch and Brian Bechtel sometime, and of my solo work and Retro Rocket too.

- Anything that you think is interesting, that you'd like to inform the blog readers about...

Thank you for checking out what I do. If you are a musician and would like me to hear what you do, you are more than welcomed to throw your sound my way. I've been talking to alot of different and new people recently about music, fellow musicians and fans alike. It's been a blast! Take care."

If you like what you hear, please support the artist:

Get your copy here (purchase and/or high quality lossless download):

http://shop.greghamptonsmusic.com/

GREG HAMPTON - The Vibrations Run Deep

(2010)

(mp3-zip, 11 tracks, 53 min, 100,8 MB, artwork incl.)

Get it here or here or here!

Interpretace - TEA (CZECH 2010)

TEA (Trial-Experiment-Attempt) is a compilation album of INTERPRETACE improvisations.

If you don't know INTERPRETACE yet, this will be an excellent starting point!

Enjoy!

http://interpretace.ic.cz/

INTERPRETACE - TEA (CZCH 2010)

(wma-zip, 16 tracks, 74 min, artwork incl.)

Get it here!

RE-UP: HLFP 01 "RELAX AND FLOAT DOWNSTREAM" (2008)

Homemade LoFi Psych presents HLFP 01:

RELAX AND FLOAT DOWNSTREAM

(mp3 zip, 134,6 MB, 14 tracks, 73 min)

01. Egomania - Mondaufgang - 3.34

(from "Moon", 2001)

02. Orange - Neil's Elevator (introduction/edit) - 5.12

(from " In The Graden Of The Demon King", 1995)

03. Dreamcolour - Experiment # 2: Depths of The Wind Tunnel - 4.42

(from "Listen To Colour", 2008)

04. Maurice Rickard - Music For Dance, Part VIII (desert uke fade) - 5.51

(from "Music for Dance", 2005)

05. We're Late For Class - Set The Controls... (edit/middle section) - 10.00

(from "Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun' As Played By Vanilla Fudge Imitating Iron Butterfly When Fudge Were Forced To Open For Butterfly At The Fillmore West After In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Went Top Ten", 2007)

06. True Colour Of Blood - Sisiphus - 8.18

(from "All Of The True Things I'm About To Tell You Are Lies", 2008)

07. CK - Synthespacer - 3.16

(from "CK", no year)

08. Light Seems Dark - Psychedelic Virgin (middle section/edit) - 10.01

(from "Psychedelic Virgin", 1999)

09. Cloud Nine - Sunspots - 7.05

(from "1992", 1992)

10. Anyone's Dreamcolour (feat. Superking) - Electric Hippie Church - 4.45

from " It's So Cold Out here In Space/FfM Bunker", 1995/6)

11. Damaged Tape - Emerald Twilight - 1.44

(from "Electric Ocean", 2004)

12. Szbutä Soröh - Way Home - 2.51

(from "The thing we found amongst the woodsticks", 2007)

13. Catasto Elettrico - 4 (glagolitico) 3.21

(from "Trio", 2007?)

14. Hans Frommer (Mad Magic) - Guitar Tune - 2.11

(from "Mad Magic", 1992)

RE-UP of slightly remastered version, incl. NEW artwork

Get it here!

Interpretace - Live at Reichenberger Library (CZECH 2010)

INTERPRETACE live 2010

Richard sent me a wmv of INTERPRETACE's live gig at the Reichenberger Library, but it is too long to get posted here as a video, so I decided to at least feature an audio mp3-rip of that video here. Maybe I'll manage to post the video some time later...

Enjoy!

Get it here.

(zip of 1 mp3 track, 44,9 MB, 1:05'27)

Interpretace - Video "Prep" (CZECH 2010)

A handycam video recording (by Marcello Biliardi) of the preparation for INTERPRETACE's 2nd live at the Reichenberger Library gig, sent to me by Richard Charvat.

Kil Ripkin - Aftermath Pt. 1/Mind Free (USA 2010)

Here's 2 free tracks by independend hip hop artist KIL RIPKIN: Mind Free and another track, off the highly awaited album The Balancing Act, called Aftermath Pt. 1.

Kil Ripkin - Member of The Coalescence with Torae -

- From Coney Island - Worked with Torae, Skyzoo, Kurtis Blow, Chaundon.

http://www.myspace.com/kilripkin

Check out his video Not You here!

2 tracks: Get 'em here or here or here!

(mp3-zip, 7,1 MB)

Endless Endless Endless - Things I Saw (3" cdr) (USA 2010)

In November last year I posted Black Talisman, the amazing debut album by the New York/Jersey post-noise duo ENDLESS ENDLESS ENDLESS (see older post here).

This here is a 4 track 3" cdr, that was available on Kimberly Dawn Recordings for a short time (it is now sold out! - so James gave me his ok to post it), and it is at least as beautiful as the debut cd.

"This new recording captures the energy of the band's recording process of gameboy, guitar, and go, two musicians performing on a single take. All 4 of the tracks on this cdr were improvised and recorded at a single session. The first 3 songs ("North", "South" and "West") are all sections of a single jam while the last song, "Things I Saw", revisits the thematic ideas of the first three songs as a hypnotic rhythmic cycle."

(info text via email)

ENDLESS ENDLESS ENDLESS are also featured with one extraordinary track on the last HLFP-2CD-Compilation, the best of 2009, HLFP 04: SOUND EXPLOSIONS (here).

Read more about the band and their latest tape only release On Growth and Form here:

http://www.endlessendlessendless.com/

Read a review about it here:

http://tiredtrails.blogspot.com/2010/05/endless-endless-endless.html

Do yourself a favour and download this jewel.

Great electronic dreamlike soundscape music!

Strongly recommended!

ENDLESS ENDLESS ENDLESS: Things I Saw (3" cdr)

(USA 2010)

(mp3-zip, 4 tracks, 24 min, 54,5 MB)

Get it here or here or here or here!

(New links March 2012)